TGS - Chapter 155

Chapter 155: One Arrow, One Kill

Now that they had obtained enemy intelligence from Ashino, the key generals gathered once more in the council hall, as expected.

The intelligence from their spies could be false—a deception the Sanur wanted them to see.

But as for the intelligence Ashino brought, there was no time or method to confirm whether it was a genuine defection or a military deception—unless Lotus were to send her spirit form to investigate.

Alyuin never liked to trouble the gods with such matters, but Lotus didn't mind. She dispatched her Silver Mermaid avatar, which flicked its tail and drifted into Digebia City.

This was surely the most high-profile eavesdropper in history, but unfortunately, she was unable to overhear the Sanur princes' conversation.

Lotus suspected the interference of divine power and decided that, in the future, she would shield Solancia's important discussions with a divine field. That way, neither side could use spirit forms to eavesdrop.

However, before deciding to return, Lotus happened to overhear some Sanur soldiers mention Ashino.

"Forget it. The princes don't care, so why bother looking for her?"

"But she's King Hamonge's daughter, after all."

"Ha! That's nothing. King Hamonge has more daughters than sons. Who can she blame but herself for running away?"

"You have a point. But without Ashino, who will be sacrificed to the Wolf God?"

"As long as we win the next battle, we'll have better sacrifices."

The soldiers walked off, laughing and talking.

These Sanur men were completely unconcerned about Ashino's whereabouts and didn't even suspect the possibility of their secrets being leaked.

It was likely just as Ashino had said: the Sanur had never taken her seriously, and no one knew she could speak the language of Solancia.

Ashino's escape was akin to that of an ignorant slave. Her masters wouldn't worry about her leaking secrets; they would only lament their lost property.

…This served as indirect confirmation of Ashino's credibility.

After careful consideration, Alyuin made her decision.

They would strike first, before the Sanur tribe could lay siege.

In truth, the Sanur were not skilled in siege defense.

On the highland steppes, they had no cities. Their few settlements lacked towering walls. The Sanur were nomads who followed the water and grass; royalty and common herders alike lived in tents, distinguished only by their size, quality, and materials.

Their way of life had made the Sanur a pack of hunting wolves, hounds that herded cattle and sheep. Who had ever seen wolves or wild dogs stand guard methodically atop a city wall?

When the Solancian army crested the low hills and appeared before Digebia City, the Sanur men who had been yawning with boredom behind the crenellations shot to their feet. They squinted to make out the scene opposite them, all drowsiness instantly banished.

They immediately lit the beacon fires to alert the city.

He had only just shouldered the burden of command, and now he faced a Solancian assault. The eldest prince's brow furrowed, but he still gave the order to ride out and meet them.

One prince seemed intent on objecting, but a nudge from his brother silenced him.

The eldest prince took in the scene without a word, feeling a sense of helplessness.

Even though he had voluntarily renounced his claim to the throne, the other princes were still not entirely subordinate to him during this war. At least they weren't in complete disarray.

—He hoped these fellows would keep their heads straight on the battlefield.

The Sanur assembled their army with the same speed they gathered a flock of sheep, mustering in the blink of an eye.

The city gates swung open, and Sanur cavalry, scimitars in hand and bows slung over their backs, surged out like a tide.

The two armies advanced on each other simultaneously, like contrasting blocks of color moving across the land. Then, as if by unspoken agreement, they halted a short distance from one another.

On the vast, open plain between the city and the hills, the two sides faced off in silence.

The howling of the wind suddenly intensified, as if determined to provide a soundtrack for the scene, a stirring battle hymn echoing in every mind.

Across the field, the Sanur commander removed his helmet and spoke in stiff Solancian. "Princess of Solancia, you should not have come at this time."

Lotus murmured to Alyuin, "He is Hamonge's eldest son, the prince Ashino said was in command."

Alyuin nodded slightly and called back, "If not now, should I have waited until you were fully prepared to attack Seaton in five days?"

The commander's eyes widened in astonishment. "How did you—"

Alyuin turned her head, a faint, dismissive smile on her lips. "Your sister's Solancian is far better than yours."

Ashino's escape, today's battle.

Connecting the two events, the Sanur princes grew furious. One of them cursed under his breath, "When we catch her, we won't even be able to offer her as a sacrifice! The Wolf God will surely despise such a traitor and refuse to touch her flesh and blood!"

The commander was the calmest among them. He muttered something in the Sanur tongue—roughly meaning "women are indeed unreliable"—before switching back to his clumsy Solancian.

"It's useless. Ashino knows nothing. Here, we will settle this with blades, arrows, and blood."

Alyuin's mocking smile vanished as she raised her eyes to survey the enemy forces.

Beneath the brilliant northwestern sun, her unusually colored eyes were as clear as crystal, yet they held the weighty power of gold and the dazzling radiance of daylight.

"Very well," Alyuin said, her voice quiet yet sharp as a blade. "Then let us fight."

At the same moment, the leaders on both sides raised their weapon hands.

The distinctive Sanur scimitar swept forward.

The longsword forged by Solancia's God of Fire swung down with grim authority.

Receiving the signal to advance, soldiers at the formation's edge vigorously waved their battle flags, charging forward with the main army. The archers on both sides followed behind, and with a single motion, they unleashed a massive volley of arrows.

There was little accuracy to speak of; pre-battle volleys were more for suppression. A sufficiently dense shower of arrows could hinder the enemy's advance, and this applied to both sides.

But Alyuin seemed unaffected. Her eyes, sharp as a golden eagle's, locked onto her target. She went straight for the Sanur prince, her sword clashing fiercely against his scimitar, sending sparks flying.

With the two locked in close combat, the archers on both sides dared not rain arrows on their position. Hitting the enemy commander was one thing, but what if they accidentally struck their own?

For a moment, the two duelists seemed oblivious to the outside world, every strike of sword and scimitar aimed to kill.

Lotus wasn't actually worried. At least in one-on-one combat, she had never seen Alyuin at a disadvantage.

Besides, even if there were an accident—Lotus's gaze fell upon the Princess's snowtu-shaped amulet, where a blue chalcedony bead glowed faintly amidst the petals.

Like the wolf-fang necklace that had allowed the Sanur King to escape the Princess's arrow, this amulet was now imbued with protective divine power.

According to En, once a war that would decide destinies began, amulets bestowed by the gods could indeed protect one from a fatal blow, but this protection was not without limits.

First, not just any object containing divine power could serve as an amulet. It had to be a significant item described in mythology, one the god had possessed since their birth or awakening.

Second, the protection could only be used once, like a disposable gorget. It could block any fatal injury, but it would be rendered useless afterward.

Finally, a person saved from death in this way could not benefit from another amulet; it would be nothing more than an ordinary object to them.

When Lotus had asked for the specifics, the God of the Sky had turned, glanced at the Princess's amulet, and said pointedly, "Haven't you already given her one?"

Lotus said thoughtfully, "You mean the bead."

En nodded.

"But when Alyuin was attacked by the venomous snake, it didn't—" Lotus stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing the primary condition was that the protection only activated after the war began. The incident in Senna City, of course, did not count.

So, even the blue chalcedony bead she had given Alyuin long ago would automatically activate once the war began?

Lotus was speechless.

Honestly, if the amulets could be stacked or given repeatedly to the same person, she would have taken all the blue chalcedony she carried and given Alyuin a whole bag of them.

Back in the present, the sounds of slaughter echoed across the plains. Both sides had suffered clear casualties, and the commanders were still locked in combat.

The Sanur prince had inherited his father's physique and was in the prime of his life. He was clearly a better fighter than his father, whose stamina was beginning to decline.

Even so, he could not escape his ultimate defeat.

The sword swept horizontally between his helmet and breastplate, severing his head cleanly and without resistance—the Wolf God had not given this prince an amulet.

The moment before his death, the commander's expression remained stern and calm, showing only a flicker of sudden astonishment. Then his head, still encased in its helmet, tumbled to the ground with a clang.

Alyuin gave her sword hilt a shake, her expression impassive. She raised her head and glanced swiftly at the walls of Digebia.

A row of spherical objects hung from the top. At this distance, their features were indistinct, but everyone knew they were the heads of Digebia's commanders.

"One..."

Alyuin murmured.

Immediately, the Sanur realized that their commander of only a few days had been slain. With howls of rage and grief, they unleashed a volley of arrows at Alyuin.

The Princess deflected the arrows with her sword while spurring her horse into a swift evasion.

On the battlefield, her longsword returned to its sheath.

She retreated into her army's formation to a position less easily targeted, took up her bow, and began searching for the other Sanur princes.

The eldest prince was not a true commander, after all. Even with his death, only his own faction fell into disarray. The other princes continued to lead their men into the fray.

The enemy was indeed in disarray, yet their chaos was surprisingly orderly.

Lotus's voice guided her. "There's one, on the piebald horse. He's completely exposed."

Alyuin narrowed her eyes, loosed an arrow, and struck the unfortunate prince squarely in the throat. He tumbled from his horse.

One arrow, one kill. She switched targets.

Wherever Lotus pointed, a life-taking arrow flew. The Sanur had always been the people most skilled at mounted archery, priding themselves on their skill, yet today they suffered another devastating blow.

The core of each contingent fell one after another. Alyuin was like a perfectly calibrated weapon of war—precise, steady, and unhesitating.

Just as she aimed at another target, a cavalry soldier's spear pierced the man's chest first. It was Lena.

Lena stared at the wolf's head embroidered on the prince's leather armor, the hatred in her eyes nearly overflowing, so much so that she failed to notice an attack from behind.

In an instant, Alyuin shifted her aim and released the string.

The attacker fell dead. Without time for even a glance back, Lena threw herself back into the fight.

Every battle exacts a heavy price, from victor and vanquished alike, but one side always breaks and retreats first.

When only two of her targets remained, the Sanur finally decided to fall back.

One contingent galloped back to Digebia, lowering the city gates behind them. Another, unable to make it back in time, skirted the city and fled toward their tribal lands beyond the border.

The Solancian army gave chase for a short distance before halting.

Alyuin withdrew her gaze from the retreating figures and looked up at the high gates of Digebia.

The city, occupied by the enemy.

Putting away her bow, Alyuin's voice was as cold as iron.

"Clear the battlefield. We make camp in the rear."

—Prepare for the siege.

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