The Count's Gun-Shooting Scoundrel-Chapter 31

“Commander!”
Peri, who was at the castle entrance, quickly approached as Arthur ran up.
“What’s the situation?”
“They are burning the village.”
“What!”
Arthur’s face contorted.
Just then, Millerf descended from the sky and approached him.
“Young Master, the enemy’s movements are unusual.”
“Didn’t you say we could buy time until sunrise?”
“I did not expect them to violate the imperial decree.”
“Where is Skevin?”
As Arthur looked around, a fully armed Skevin appeared, leading the Knight Order.
“Young Master…!”
Skevin’s gaze wavered as he saw the armor Arthur was wearing.
When he was young, he had been so captivated by the sight of Count Malcolm in that armor that he had resolved to become his knight.
That was why he became a knight of the House of Count Julius and rose to a position where he could serve by his side.
But the Count had passed away from illness, and the life he had dreamed of had to be buried in his heart.
Yet now, the moment he saw Arthur, something deep within his heart awakened.
At the same time, a hot, overwhelming emotion surged through him, sending a shiver down his spine.
Suppressing the welling emotions, he placed his right fist on his left chest and bowed his head.
“Your servant, Skevin Maximus! Please give your command.”
Arthur looked around with a grim face and said, “Prepare for sortie.”
“Sir!”
Skevin replied with a short, heavy affirmation.
At his response, the Phoenix Knights began to move busily.
From among them, members of the Devil's Corps approached Arthur.
Except for Posche and Ramni, who had been taken prisoner, all of them were ready to march.
Dark bowed his head respectfully and said, “Please give your command.”
Arthur spoke to Kasan, whose face was wrapped in bandages from an injury during the orc subjugation.
“You’re staying behind.”
“Please allow me to go with you!”
“The injured do not go.”
“I will absolutely not be a burden!”
“You haven’t forgotten that disobedience means expulsion, have you?”
“Commander!”
Kasan’s face crumpled.
Arthur shifted his gaze to Dark.
“The plan is to lure the Red Warriors into the western mountains and engage in mountain warfare.”
“Then who will lure them?”
“I will lure them to the western mountains. You all will wait at the location where the traps are set, and once they fall for it, begin your attack.”
“Understood.”
“Move out.”
“Sir!”
Dark moved out toward the western mountains with his unit members.
Arthur looked at Kasan, who was left alone.
“I have a separate mission for you.”
“I will take on any mission you give me!”
Kasan’s eyes shone with a fierce light.
Arthur shifted his gaze to Madeline, who had come outside, and said, “I’m entrusting my mother to you.”
“I will obey your command!”
Kasan placed his fist on his left chest and bowed his head. Then he immediately walked over to Madeline and stood beside her.
Arthur met Madeline’s gaze for a moment, then bowed his head.
As if his heart had been conveyed to her, she too nodded.
A moment later.
At the castle entrance, the Phoenix Knights had finished their preparations for the sortie and were lined up in formation.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
With the sound of hooves from behind, Arthur appeared before them.
Mounted on a black horse in his golden armor, he looked dignified and powerful beyond compare.
His cold gaze and chilling presence made everyone tense.
Arthur slowly looked over the assembly before speaking.
“I won’t say much. Do not fear them. We will be victorious.”
His low voice echoed around them.
His words pierced the knights’ hearts, instilling them with great courage.
Thud!
The knights stomped their feet in unison as their response.
The people of the territory, who had climbed the walls to watch, shouted loudly.
“Trample them!”
“Wipe them out!”
“You must come back alive!”
A look of grim determination settled on the knights’ faces.
Not to be outdone, Arthur drew his Kukri, raised it high into the sky, and shouted.
“For the golden glory!”
The knights shouted loudly.
“Sir!”
Arthur shouted once more.
“Draw your swords!”
Shing-.
The knights drew their swords in unison.
Their fighting spirit began to boil, and their presence intensified.
Arthur turned his horse to face forward and shouted with all his might.
“All units, charge!”
He shot forward like an arrow.
The knights followed, exuding a fierce momentum.
Skevin rode up close beside Arthur and asked, “What is your plan?”
“Now that they’ve invaded, there’s no need to wait for sunrise. We proceed as planned.”
“Then once the Red Warriors are drawn away, we will push forward as we are.”
“Do it.”
Arthur looked ahead and shouted.
“Hellot!”
Hellot, who was following closely behind, came up beside Arthur.
“Speak your command!”
“Follow me!”
As Arthur shot forward like an arrow, Hellot and his squad members followed.
***
“Kill everything that lives and burn everything you see!”
Yakim shouted as he moved through the burning village.
His subordinates set fire to each house with torches.
Berlo approached.
“As expected, they have all evacuated.”
“It doesn’t matter! As long as that bastard shows up!”
“Do you think he will?”
“He will definitely show up.”
Yakim wore a chilling expression as he thought of Arthur.
A man who would come all the way to their main camp to rescue prisoners would not stand by and watch his territory burn.
However, it was highly likely he would appear with thorough preparations.
In any case, the House of Count Julius didn’t just have Skevin Maximus.
Arthur used a strange weapon he had never seen before, and his hand-to-hand combat skills were strong enough to be on par with his own.
He couldn’t gauge his exact skill level, but he was at least at the highest level of Sword Expert.
Furthermore, the men who appeared with him had annihilated the pursuit squad, so they could also be considered at least Sword Experts.
The true strength of the House of Count Julius, which had been shrouded in a veil, far exceeded expectations.
Along with his anger toward the man, a sense of tension filled him.
This was the first time he had felt this way since becoming a Sword Master.
“I’ll show you what kind of man I am.”
A thick killing intent filled Yakim’s eyes.
Watching him, Berlo’s face hardened slightly.
‘Dammit, my chance to build my reputation is gone.’
“Move out!”
Just as Yakim’s order fell and his subordinates were moving swiftly to the next village…
BANG-!
“…!”
In that instant, Yakim’s eyes flashed.
At the same time, he roared at his subordinates like a thunderclap.
“To the left!”
His subordinates followed his command and turned to the left.
BANG-!
The loud noise sounded again, and one of his subordinates fell from his horse.
“You rat-like bastard!”
Yakim exploded in anger and spurred his horse toward the source of the sound.
Berlo followed him, shouting, “All units, charge!”
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
The subordinates charged, letting out a war cry.
Yakim, who had instantly shot to the front, swung his sword toward the front.
BOOM! KABOOM!
The Aura Blade flew, cutting down trees and rocks.
In the distance, he caught sight of someone fleeing.
“You rat-like bastard.”
Yakim drew up his mana and swung his sword with all his might.
The Aura Blade flew like an arrow, sniping its target and knocking him off his horse.
Yakim quickly gave chase and caught the man.
It wasn’t the one who had toyed with him.
The man’s right shoulder, along with his armor, had been sliced off, and he was in extreme pain.
“Ugh…”
“Where is he?”
“I-I don’t know…”
“Is that so?”
Yakim’s eyes flashed chillingly as he swung his sword and cut off the man’s other arm.
“Aaaaaargh!”
The man screamed as if his throat would burst.
“What is his identity?”
“I-I don’t know…”
“It seems you won’t die an easy death.”
He plunged his sword deep into the man’s shoulder.
“Ugh!”
The man’s mind went white.
The pain was so excruciating he couldn’t even scream.
All he could think about was wanting this pain to end.
Yakim removed the man’s helmet, met his eyes, and gave a sinister smile.
“Give me the answer I want. Then I’ll release you from your pain.”
“H-He is…”
The man clenched his teeth and his eyes shot open.
He then glared at Yakim as if he would devour him and continued.
“He is the great one who will lead the House of Count Julius. Not someone to be mentioned by your filthy mouth.”
“A great one?”
“Yes, for the golden glory…”
“Silence.”
Yakim mercilessly beheaded the man.
Just as the man’s head thudded to the ground, he once again felt that chilling sensation from before.
Yakim instinctively turned his head in that direction.
From the front, a small object came flying at him like an arrow.
Yakim swung his sword like lightning.
CLANG!
BANG-!
Having deflected the bullet, Yakim shouted through the delayed gunshot, his voice like a lion’s roar.
“Let’s see how long you can run!”
Berlo, who had followed, shouted to the subordinates.
“Over there! Do not let him escape!”
The subordinates spurred their horses and galloped forward with all their might.
Berlo approached Yakim and asked, “Did you find anything out?”
“It seems there’s someone formidable in the Julius bloodline.”
“That can’t be. How could Count Yarve not know such information?”
“It’s one of two things. Either he really didn’t know, or he hid it from us.”
“…!”
Berlo’s face stiffened.
Yakim mounted his horse and said to him, “It doesn’t matter! The House of Count Julius will vanish without a trace today.”
“Are you planning to kill them all? If you do that, Count Yarve will not stand for it.”
“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
Yakim galloped toward his subordinates with a sinister smile on his lips.
***
At that moment.
“What the hell is he trying to do?”
Bagran expressed his dissatisfaction with Yakim’s independent actions.
Yesterday, Yakim had said he would move out at sunrise, but Bagran had planned to delay by making various excuses.
The original plan was to slowly advance once the sun was high in the sky.
But Yakim had led the Red Warriors out to the Grada territory as soon as the sun rose and started burning villages.
This was a clear violation of the empire’s regulations.
If the House of Count Julius were to mention this violation after the territorial war, it was highly likely a difficult situation would arise.
That was why his plan had been to kill everyone except for Lady Madeline, whom Count Yarve wanted, to silence them.
Hans frowned as he saw the Red Warriors break away from the formation.
“What do we do now?”
“I have no intention of waiting for that dog in heat. Since it has come to this, we continue to advance.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hans signaled to his subordinates by swinging his sword.
At that, the cavalry and infantry advanced in neat rows and columns.
They were passing one village and heading toward the next.
Th-th-th-th-th-thump-.
The ground trembled faintly, as if a minor earthquake had occurred.
The vibrations grew closer, and up ahead, a group of riders was approaching, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Bagran’s eyes flashed.
“They’re here.”
Hans quickly shouted.
“Enemy!”
As the cavalry halted, the knights quickly ran forward and formed a solid wall with their shields.
The approaching group stopped as they entered the wide plain.
A blue flag emblazoned with a dragon crest fluttered in the wind.
“The House of Count Julius…”
Bagran’s gaze deepened as he scanned the group that had appeared.
Their numbers seemed to be about two-thirds of his Rose Knights.
But their spirit was considerable.
Especially the man on the white horse at the very front; his skill was difficult to gauge.
He recognized him at once.
Skevin Maximus, the guardian deity of the House of Count Julius.
“So that’s him.”
“He looks as strong as the rumors say.”
“So it was true he was a highest-level Sword Expert. I can’t take him alone.”
“Is he that strong?”
Hans’s eyes widened.
“It’s not just him. Most of the men standing behind him are Sword Experts.”
“Hah!”
“So this is why the Count hired Yakim.”
“But they aren’t even here, are they?”
“Stay sharp.”
Bagran drew his sword from its sheath and shouted loudly.
“For the enemy, only a red sky and earth exist! Leave no one alive!”
Shink-!
The knights aimed their swords forward and took their attack stances.
It was the moment Bagran’s eyes met Skevin’s.
“Attack!”
“Waaaaaaaaah-!”
The Rose Knights charged forward, exuding a murderous aura.
Skevin, who was watching the scene, also gripped his sword tightly and raised it high into the sky.
“Phoenix Knights!”
“Sir!”
Killing intent filled the knights’ eyes.
Skevin pulled on the white horse’s reins.
Neeeeigh-!
The white horse snorted hot breath and exuded a powerful presence.
“For the golden glory!”
Simultaneously, he thrust his sword powerfully toward the enemy.
“Charge!”