Chapter 26

“It didn’t work, m’lady.”

“What didn’t work, Frank?”

The infantryman glanced upwards. Joachim followed his gaze to the bare cliffs above.

“The spider that came along yesterday,” Frank said. “I tried taunting it so it wouldn’t get away, but nothing happened.”

“It used an Ability, most likely,” Lady Zahradnik replied. “One that allows it to withdraw to a safe place with its prey uninterrupted.”

“How’d it learn somethin’ like that?”

“It’s probably just instinct,” the Baroness told him. “Everything has Abilities but people aren’t usually raised to consider them as such. Humans tend to think that one needs to learn things as they do with Skills and Martial Arts. Under that logic, they decide that ‘unintelligent’ creatures don’t do anything more than what they think they can. Even when the Giant Tarantula used an Ability right in front of you, it probably got bundled into some vague idea of ‘things that Giant Tarantulas do’.”

“If we know, we know, yeah?”

Joachim silently agreed with Frank’s thoughts. Most people – be they civilians or soldiers – categorised what they saw into easy-to-reference ‘bundles’, as Lady Zahradnik put it. Understanding the nuances of everything that one perceived wasn’t necessary to get by in life.

“It restricts your thinking,” Lady Zahradnik said. “Reality becomes obscured with common belief and poorly-founded assumptions. As a soldier, you can’t afford to think that way because ‘that shouldn’t have happened’ can come just before you or one of your comrades are wounded or killed.”

“That sounds complicated.”

“It can be complicated depending on the subject,” the Baroness admitted, “but understanding what can happen and knowing how you can influence what happens is far better than waiting for things to happen to you. Being entirely unaware of something that has absolutely no precedent is not one’s fault, of course, but many problems can be prevented or solved by possessing the correct knowledge and using it to think one or two steps ahead.”

As nice as it sounded, Joachim wasn’t certain how regular soldiers could be expected to think that way. Especially when their heads and hands were full of the Sixth Legion’s rushed training and the unfamiliar surroundings of the wilderness.

The day’s march led them along a route just under the mountain peaks as they headed north along the same range they had ascended. Their objective – the Demihuman-occupied pass that blocked the advance of the Fourth Division – was not far off. At the same time, General Ray was keeping the tribes further east reeling with the rapid advance of his battalion. How the General could be so aggressive with so few men was beyond Joachim, yet his strategy appeared to be effective.

Lady Zahradnik noted that the pass that they were securing for the Fourth Division was not explicitly being taken to help them, but to bring more men in to help consolidate General Ray’s gains and to keep their enemies from focusing entirely on his offensive. The Demihumans’ unexpected move had stolen the initiative, but while the other Commanders cautiously digested developments, General Ray acted as quickly as possible to steal the initiative back.

Everyone was caught up in his energy – or more accurately dragged along – including the Demihuman tribes.

『Hold.』

Captain Seris stopped them just before the pass above the Fourth Division's encampment. Strangely enough, while the vegetation became more sparse the further north one went, the saddle between the peaks before them was heavily wooded.

『There’s a little lake down there that we can’t see through the trees. The Demis that held off Captain Cheswin are camped all around it. Let’s clean up what we can on the outskirts before we move in.』

Once the company finished gathering, they crept down through the conifers as quietly as they could. Joachim’s squad stepped over the corpses of several Goblins felled by Silence-enchanted arrows before coming close enough to see their enemies moving along the rocky shores of the alpine lake. Joachim and the rest of the squad did their best to hide behind the trees and shrubs as they waited for everyone else to get into position.

“Ah, shit.”

He and several others looked towards the sound of Destin’s muttered curse.

“Troll comin’ this way.”

The rustle of something coming through the brush drew closer. About thirty metres away, the Troll in question drew to its full height, sniffing at the air.

『It’s about as strong as that big Owlbear from the other day. Joachim; Redwyn: can you cast Silence on the area around us?』

Joachim nodded in Lady Zahradnik’s direction.

『Alright, we’ll let it get closer bef–』

Shouts filtered through the trees to the north, growing in intensity with each passing second. Captain Seris’ voice rang in his head.

『That’s all the prep we get! Finish up your fights and push for the lake. For the Empire!』

“For the Empire!”

Voices around the woods rose in response to the Captain’s battle cry. The members of Lady Zahradnik’s bodyguard emerged from their hiding places, fanning out to surround the Troll. The three-metre tall Demihuman looked about in confusion at the sudden turn of events.

『Frank is one; Igvel, two. Get on either side of it – you’ll be flipping it between you. Cavaliers: surround the target and attack on my call. Redwyn: suppress its regeneration with a fire spell every thirty seconds. Destin; Gaston: eyes out for incoming.』

A cool sensation washed over him as Lady Zahradnik calmly issued her instructions. It was a different feeling from the impassioned orders of imperial army officers: one that worked in counterpoint to the tempo of battle, instilling them with clarity of thought and steely purpose.

Frank came forward first, shield held out before him. The Troll required little prompting. Rancid odours of rotting meat joined its putrid stench as it roared and lashed out with a fist as large as a man’s chest.

“「Fortress」!”

The thud that came with the massive impact was all in Joachim’s head as he winced and examined Frank for damage. A second fist came crashing in.

『Thrust!』

“「Thrust」!”

Seven spears plunged in from different angles. A globe of flame struck the Troll in the face. It cried out in fury, turning to its nearest attacker.

『Two!』

“「Challenging Shout」!”

The Troll twisted towards Igvel; the attack meant for Merg sent towards him instead.

“「Fortress」!”

『Thrust!』

Spears lanced in again. The Troll seemed to only grow more enraged from their combined assault.

『Thrust!』

『One!』

Just as the Troll flailed out with an arm, its attack was redirected towards Frank.

『Thrust!』

The next round of attacks sent the Troll crashing to the ground. The men stabbed it repeatedly with their spears until Redwyn cast one last spell, lighting the fallen Demihuman aflame.

『Moving on! Watch out for Goblins. Destin, find us the next Troll.』

They formed up and advanced through the trees towards the nearby lake. Dozens of metres to either side, the squads of the Tenth Company were locked in their respective battles, their foiled preparations leaving Captain Seris’ men spread thin. After the Baroness’ bodyguard felled another two Trolls, the Goblins that had been ineffectually pestering them with crude stone arrows scattered to find more likely targets. Lady Zahradnik stopped to scan the trees.

“Something’s not right,” she said. “The squads are still fighting independently. Has anyone heard from the Captain?”

Heads shook silently in reply as her gaze touched each of them.

“There’s a bunch of somethings west of us,” Gaston said. “More Demis headed over.”

『Moving.』

They went eastward in the direction that the Ranger indicated. Along the way, they hit a group of Ogres and Goblins squared off against another squad. The Demihumans were overwhelmed in a single charge and Lady Zahradnik turned to address the other squad’s Sergeant.

“Can your men still fight?”

The Sergeant glanced back at his Clerics.

“Sixty.”

“Half.”

“We’re a bit roughed up,” the Sergeant said, “but we can still fight.”

“Is Captain Seris alive?”

“I didn’t feel him go down, m’lady.”

The Baroness nodded.

“Catch up with us once you’ve seen to your men’s wounds.”

Lady Zahradnik turned away after the Sergeant nodded in understanding, leading her bodyguard further east through the trees. They picked up three more squads before finding half of the Tenth Company positioned defensively on an outcropping of stone. Surrounding them were well over a hundred Demihumans, howling up at the beleaguered Imperial Knights in bestial challenge.

“There’s gotta be a dozen Trolls in there,” one of the Sergeants with them said. “Three times as many Ogres. We can’t take all those Demis on by ourselves.”

『Don’t attack. I’ll deal with this.』

The men gaped as Lady Zahradnik walked up to the wall of Demihumans.

“Excuse me.”

Joachim’s steps faltered as the Trolls, Ogres and Goblins nearby turned at her voice. They looked incredulously at her for a moment before the nearest Troll reached out for her.

Lady Zahradnik grasped its wrist. The Troll suddenly stopped, frowning in confusion. Then it screamed in pain as the Baroness stepped forward and bent its arm back at a weird angle.

The Troll’s heavy steps shuffled over the carpet of pine needles, accompanied by whining noises as it was forced back towards the outcropping. Every eye from both sides fastened onto the strange sight. The Baroness released the Troll, who scrambled back to its fellows. She faced the half-circle of Demihumans.

“I’d like to speak to your boss,” Lady Zahradnik said.

The Imperial Knights watching from behind all wore expressions that must have matched Joachim’s own. What was she saying? Was she trying to negotiate? It wasn’t as if–

Footfalls thudded into the air as a massive form appeared from out of the Demihuman throng. Covered in a thick, pebbled grey hide was a hulking figure that bore only a passing resemblance to the Trolls they had fought. Though hunched over, Joachim believed that the giant Demihuman would be over five metres tall at its full height. It was a species mentioned in the Imperial Army’s training but next to unheard of in the lowlands of the Empire – one with a form as large as a Hill Giant: a Mountain Troll. They were much stronger than their lowland cousins who dwelled in the swamps and forests.

Joachim tensed as the Demihuman walked right up to Lady Zahradnik, a stone-headed cudgel as long as she was tall dragged along in one of its dangling hands. As Lady Zahradnik only stood about as tall as its waist, she had to look up to address it.

“Good afternoon,” she smiled. “I’m Baroness Ludmila Zahradnik. How might I address you?”

“OUGH!”

The Mountain Troll’s deep – probably male – voice resonated in the air, echoing off of the peaks on either side of the pass.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ough,” Lady Zahradnik’s smile remained unchanged. “I’ll get straight to the point: submit.”

Ough’s stony face crinkled into something much uglier than it already was. He leaned forward, tilting his head as he examined the Baroness. After several moments, he let out a guffaw. Joachim’s squad glanced nervously about as the Demihumans joined in the Mountain Troll’s mirth.

“Hey Gaston,” he whispered, “how strong is that Mountain Troll?”

“Stronger than the Ogre Lord from the other day,” the Ranger replied in a low voice. “Too high for me to be accurate about, but around Difficulty Rating Seventy-Five?”

Audible swallows sounded from around him. In a normal situation, Ough would be the target of an Orichalcum-rank commission – possibly Adamantite. Within two days of their advance onto the plateau, they had run into something that could single-handedly destroy half of a Legion.

“Will not!” Ough declared, “Soft Human; soft name! Good to EAT! Your wargear, mine!”

“I don’t think it would look very flattering on you,” Lady Zahranik replied. “Since that is your position, however, I suppose that a challenge is in order.”

The laughter stopped. Ough looked up at the Imperial Knights on the outcropping, then back down at the young noblewoman.

“You?”

“Yes,” Lady Zahradnik drew her glaive from the magical container under the tasset on her right hip. “Simple is best, don’t you agree?”

Ough looked around one last time before stepping back and bringing up his cudgel. The weapon slapped twice against his palm before he suddenly raised it in an overhead swing. Savage cheers rose from the spectating Demihumans as the Mountain Troll struck the ground, sending a cloud of dried soil and pine needles into the air. He charged through it after Lady Zahradnik, who had drifted back several paces.

The Baroness led Ough backwards in a circular path, glaive jabbing out to draw a dozen shallow cuts over the Mountain Troll’s forearms. He didn’t seem to care at all, continuing to swing wildly in her wake as his regeneration recovered his injuries.

“Stand still, little Human! Get smashed!”

In response, the Baroness slashed open the Mountain Troll’s left knee, causing him to stumble onto his hands. Cheers rose from the Imperial Knights and Joachim frowned over the fact that no one seemed to care that they were treating the deadly duel over the mountain pass like a match in the Grand Arena.

Ough rose to his feet with a snarl, sweeping his weapon out towards the Baroness before charging again and overshooting her former position. His target continued to lead him around on light steps.

“Oh, I get it,” Himsel said.

“Get what?” Winson glanced at his fellow Cavalier.

“Why she’s goin’ ‘round like that. It’s like fightin’ someone who keeps leadin’ your horse in a circle. If it’s too tight, you can’t get momentum or power into your attacks. Lady Zahradnik’s makin’ that Troll do ten times more work and he’s goin’ face-first into all of her cuts and stabs.”

“Sure, but he’s regenerating the damage.”

A howl filled the air after a wild swing left Ough exposed to a stab in the eye. Recoiling from the strike only earned him a slash that opened his throat. The Baroness stepped around the Mountain Troll’s renewed advance and aimed a thrust at his ribs, but the strike was batted away. She withdrew into her evasive pattern again, but Ough stopped following.

“Ready to give up yet?” Lady Zahradnik asked.

The Mountain Troll answered with a vicious snarl and lunged, jabbing forward with its cudgel. Lady Zahradnik drew back with the attack, raising the tip of her glaive over the crude weapon before bringing it down to hammer its stone head to the ground. She stepped forward with a lunge of her own, driving the silvery blade of her polearm up under the Mountain Troll’s jaw.

Chunks of brain and bone exploded from the back of Ough’s skull. A great shout rose from the Imperial Knights as the savage Giantkin crashed backwards to the ground. Their jubilation was cut short, however, as he rolled over and pushed himself back up to his feet. Joachim watched aghast as what surely should have been a fatal wound closed in seconds, the Mountain Troll’s regeneration replacing even the missing fragments scattered over the ground.

Lady Zahradnik clearly outclassed her opponent in skill, but the Ough’s natural advantages seemed to mock all of her training and discipline.

“She knows how to stop that regeneration,” Redwyn said. “Even told me to deal with those Trolls from back before. Why’s she not doing anythin’ about it?”

“Maybe she doesn’t have anything on her to deal with it,” Winson said.

“That’s impossible,” Pol scoffed. “She’s probably got a whole damn wagon in her bags.”

Joachim shook his head, unable to comprehend why Lady Zahradnik was fighting the way that she was. The Troll’s reach made it difficult for her to go on the offence, but, at the same time, he readily exposed himself to her attacks. Between her powerful-looking equipment, seemingly flawless defence and advanced Martial Arts, there shouldn’t have been any contest. All Ough had was raw physical might, crude animal hides, a primitive club and a Troll’s resilience.

Lady Zahradnik personified the vaunted discipline and skill that the Imperial Army’s recruiters and trainers always talked about: the edge that the Imperial Knights supposedly held over the savage tribes and monsters that they protected the Empire against. Yet before them was a woman who far outstripped the best of their battalion’s Captains, unable to gain ground against advantages that a Demihuman was simply born with.

Did racial traits truly count for so much? If so, how could the Humans of the Sixth Legion prevail over such powerful foes in the wilderness without champions of their own? It seemed that they were always one monstrously-strong foe away from being one-sidedly obliterated.

A parry rang into the air as the Baroness blocked an overhead blow of Ough’s massive club. She pivoted while maintaining her bind, shifting the Troll’s weapon outwards. Her left hand slid her glaive forward under the Troll’s armpit and her right pushed the blade upwards, detaching Ough’s right arm at the shoulder. The limb and weapon thudded to the ground.

“What the – she switched her grip,” Yohann shook his head. “I didn’t even notice.”

Neither did the Mountain Troll – who also seemed to not care – taking a huge swipe at Lady Zahradnik with his left hand. The attack was predictably blocked by the haft of her glaive, then a kick sent her airborne. Groans from the Imperial Knights and cheers from the Demihumans erupted into the air as the Baroness skipped twice over the forest floor before smashing into the tip of an exposed boulder. She spun like a spindle for a good three seconds before hitting the ground.

Despite suffering what would have been a crippling injury to anyone else, the Baroness immediately pulled herself up to her feet. While she did, Ough took advantage of the opportunity to recover his arm. Joachim fought down his disgust at the sight of the Troll’s severed limb reattaching to the mangled stump at his shoulder.

“So you do have more than brute strength.”

Lady Zahradnik’s words came with an almost-warm smile and a bright gleam in her dark eyes. Maybe she was some sort of battle maniac on top of everything else.

The Baroness smoothly gathered her steps in a purposeful advance, the blade of her glaive leading the way. Ough worked his reattached arm before grasping his cudgel with both hands to meet her.

She stepped offline with her right foot, pivoting as she redirected the Mountain Troll’s overhead smash with her glaive. The cudgel skidded down the polearm and thudded to the ground beside her left foot. Lady Zahradnik released the leading hand on her weapon. A silvery flash glimmered across the clearing as she drew the polearm up to split her opponent’s grotesque face in half. She didn’t stop there, whipping her glaive around to take both of Ough’s arms off at the elbow.

Ough stared dumbly at the stumps of his arms for all of one second before a Blossoming Iris blasted him off of his feet. His abdomen erupted from the impact, entrails splattering everywhere as he hit the ground. Even after sustaining such a grievous injury, however, the Mountain Troll fought to right himself with the remains of a waist that could no longer support him.

“Finish him!”

A call from one of the Imperial Knights near the outcropping sounded out.

“Kill that bastard off!”

“Don’t let him get up again!”

More calls rose to end the fight. The crowd fell silent as Lady Zahradnik stepped forward to stand over Ough. His monstrous regeneration was nowhere near close to recovering him to a proper fighting state.

She wordlessly looked down at the Mountain Troll and his struggles ceased. His ragged breathing filled the air for several seconds before she turned to sweep her gaze over the gathered Demihumans. The Baroness’ cool voice sounded out over the clearing.

『On your knees.』

As one, the Demihuman tribe knelt.