Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 81

EP.81 A Trip to the West

The journey westward was extremely monotonous.

Travel, rest, travel, rest, travel, sleep. There were no other changes.

It wasn’t an ordinary carriage trip, the Duke, his knights, and the legion were right beside them.

There was no chance to meet someone new or experience something different.

Any change would probably only occur when they reached the western border.

‘If I had known it would be like this, I should have had a match with Commander Priscilla… Wow, I must be crazy.’

Even if he was possessed, he couldn’t deny the Jonathan blood in him.

Rather than the monotony of the journey, he felt more regret for not being able to exercise properly.

He even thought about having a serious match with Priscilla, whom he had met last time.

Kyle slapped his cheeks several times and shook his head vigorously.

‘I need to calm down my Jonathan instincts. Please, calm down, damn it.’

Thinking about Jonathan made him recall the recent incident with the saintess.

And how he had ruined the good atmosphere by asking about the effects on his body.

The mood with the saintess had been so nice. Her embarrassed expression was so cute.

If he had just continued the teasing conversation a bit more, it would have been perfect.

But instead, he had blurted out something that a typical clueless romance protagonist would say.

It was a situation where he could curse himself endlessly without any problem.

It had been a chance to get closer to his favorite character and confirm their feelings!

Why did his brain keep reverting to thoughts about exercise, leading him to mess up?

“Kyle, you seem frustrated too.”

Lea, completely unaware of Kyle’s inner turmoil, assumed it was because he couldn’t exercise.

The words “That’s not it at all” rose up to his throat but remained unspoken.

“I can’t take it. I need to go for a run.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Leo finally jumped out of the carriage and started doing cardio.

Soon after, Lea, saying she needed to burn off what she had eaten, joined her brother in running.

Kyle was trying to resist his Jonathan instincts, which had ruined his moment with the saintess.

But unfortunately, Kyle’s resolve didn’t last long.

“Kyle! Come run with us!”

Lea burst through the carriage door, and Kyle, already conflicted, couldn’t hold out any longer.

After receiving a high-calorie combat ration for lunch, he couldn’t resist anymore.

‘Aaaah!! Damn it!!’

He hated exercising. He hated dieting. He hated everything! But what he hated the most was—

Even though he hated it, he couldn’t give up because he was already hooked!

Oh, God! Why?! How did I end up possessing someone like this?!

Why does a romance fantasy have a character like this?! Damn the author!!

Is this really a romance fantasy?! It’s absurd no matter how you look at it!!

With a desperate scream, Kyle started running after his brother and sister.

“….”

And from a distance, Duke Schrelitz watched them.

The carriage he had provided for their comfort, even one provided by the imperial family, was now abandoned.

They had left it behind, saying they couldn’t do anything while riding in it, and were running instead.

According to reports, they had even scouted the positions of the vanguard and reconnaissance units multiple times.

The vanguard and main force maintained a certain distance in case of emergencies.

Yet, they had run back and forth to those positions several times, just like that.

‘I had heard the rumors, but I thought they were exaggerated.’

Even the most diligent knights didn’t train to that extent.

Training like that would be too much for the body to handle. It could even harm their health.

No matter how intense the training, this was beyond that level.

However, the three siblings from Jonathan acted as if this was no big deal.

They were running back and forth over a distance that would be exhausting even on horseback.

‘This is unbelievable. Truly unbelievable.’

Even Duke Schrelitz, who was always considered the foremost in martial prowess, shook his head in disbelief.

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***

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The news of the Imperial Legion’s departure quickly reached the Western Kingdoms Alliance.

It wasn’t a secret departure, and even if it had been, it wouldn’t have taken long for the information to get out.

The Alliance’s high command, while gathering intelligence, received some strange news.

“Only one Imperial Legion is coming? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Several legions that were initially mobilized have returned to their positions, and currently, only one legion is heading west.”

The number had drastically reduced from what was originally expected.

No matter how much the Western Kingdoms had weakened compared to their past glory,

Even if they were now a crumbling sandcastle, the Empire was still the Empire.

They had never let their guard down against any enemy, in any situation.

It was this relentless strength that had brought them to their current position.

If they had been arrogant due to their increased national power, they wouldn’t have come this far.

Yet, the Empire had only dispatched one legion towards them.

Even though it was a large force of nearly ten thousand, it was far from enough.

The Alliance had tens of thousands of soldiers, numerous knights, and mages.

A single legion wouldn’t even be able to cross the border.

What was even stranger was that Duke Schrelitz and the Brotherhood of the Sword were with that one legion.

‘They appointed Duke Schrelitz to lead a single legion? No matter how you think about it, it’s strange.’

The Schrelitz Ducal Family. One of the three ducal families in the Empire. The Empire’s Sword, the trumpet of war.

They always took the lead whenever a war broke out between the Empire and other nations.

Given their participation in almost every war, it could be seen as natural for them to lead the legion this time as well.

But there was still the pride and dignity of being one of the only three ducal families.

Duke Schrelitz personally participating in a campaign that only involves one legion is unheard of. At least seven legions would be needed to justify the movement of a duke.

But the Empire had sent Duke Schrelitz, and he was marching without complaint.

Considering the political partnership between the imperial family and the ducal family, this was a highly disrespectful act.

Could there have been some friction between the imperial family and the ducal family?

Was this a form of punishment for the ducal family, ordering them to join the campaign?

But that seemed unlikely, given the loyalty and time the Schrelitz ducal family had dedicated.

“Check again. Are you certain that only one Imperial Legion is coming? Make sure there are no legions waiting nearby, or perhaps the Empire has already positioned a large force at the western border. Investigate thoroughly, down to the smallest detail, and report back.”

Following the Alliance high command’s orders, the intelligence officer bowed and withdrew.

As the Imperial army continued to approach, they checked and rechecked multiple times.

But no matter how much they looked, all they could see was the one advancing legion.

And it only consisted of Duke Schrelitz and his Brotherhood of the Sword knights.

What was even more strange was that the Empire did not seem to be hiding anything.

It was as if they were telling the Alliance to look all they wanted, to scrutinize as much as they pleased.

This only made the high command even more suspicious.

“Does this make any sense? Just one legion?”

“Our Alliance alone can mobilize well over 50,000 troops immediately. And that’s not counting the garrison forces of each castle. Numbers may not be everything in battle, but they are certainly a significant advantage. The Empire knows this. They have always fought battles where they had the upper hand.”

There must be something else. They are not just targeting a single castle but the entire Alliance.

It’s impossible for their force to be just over ten thousand strong. There must be something more.

Soon, the Alliance high command received several other pieces of information.

“…The Jonathan Barony?”

“Yes. They are said to be extremely troublesome even for the Empire.”

“Jonathan? I’ve heard of them. Aren’t they the barbarians living in the north?”

“I’ve heard of them too. They say they held out against the Empire for several years.”

Upon hearing this, they could roughly predict the situation.

It meant that instead of increasing the size of their army, they were bringing individuals who could compensate for it.

If these were the people the Empire found troublesome, they would indeed be a significant force.

“Still, it’s strange to reduce the number of legions just for a few individuals.”

“Could it be that the Empire’s top ten are among them? It seems like they intend to push through with an elite few.”

However, there was relatively little known about Jonathan.

They hadn’t been active in the Empire for nearly 30 years.

From the Alliance’s high command’s perspective, they were more worried about other factors than Jonathan itself.

“We can’t let our guard down. I’ve heard that a young lady from Jonathan nearly destroyed the academy. That could very well be true.”

“Even if they are at the level of the Empire’s top ten, or slightly below, they are still a formidable force.”

Fortunately, some members expressed these concerns.

They seemed to have judged that nothing should be taken lightly.

As a result, the high command decided to mobilize their top forces as well.

“Send a letter to the Three Heroes. Tell them to prepare to move to the front lines immediately.”

If the Empire had the top ten, the Alliance had the Three Heroes.

It was true that their numbers were significantly fewer compared to the Empire.

No matter how strong the Three Heroes were, it was impossible to face twice as many opponents of similar strength.

However, the Alliance was not overly worried.

They had nothing more to lose and nowhere else to retreat.

The Three Heroes also knew that if they were pushed back here, it would be the end.

The Alliance, having prepared a trump card for such a time, decided to use ‘it.’

“We’ve confirmed its effectiveness several times.”

“Yes. Although it causes extreme mana exhaustion after use, it won’t cause physical collapse like before.”

“We’ve also extended the duration by at least two to three times. It’s sufficient against the Empire’s top ten.”

It was an improved version of the mana overdrive potion previously given to the suicide squad.

They had finally created an effective booster by increasing its stability and potency.

The problem was that it was such a difficult task that, despite all the effort, they only managed to produce three vials.

It would have been great to equip all the knights with this booster, but that plan was scrapped.

All the mages of the Alliance had to work on it, and the cost was astronomical.

The effect was excellent, but the price they had to pay was too high.

The Alliance, already struggling, was further shaken by the production of these three vials.

Thus, the high command instructed that the booster should only be used in the worst-case scenario.

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***

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In the west, at the border between the Empire and the Alliance.

All the forces of the Alliance had gathered to face the Imperial legion.

Among them were the Three Heroes, the strongest warriors of the Alliance.

“Hoo.”

As they looked toward the Empire’s border, both knights and soldiers alike showed signs of tension.

Soon, the Imperial legion would appear in all its dazzling glory from beyond.

They would shout thunderously to exert psychological pressure!

Rustle, rustle—

“…Huh?”

But what the Alliance soldiers saw was not what they expected.

“What the…?”

Instead of the Imperial legion, three unknown individuals appeared.