Episode 16: The Battlefield of Deception

At the same moment Siegfried and Fen made contact.

The army of the Arving family, led by Patrick, was supposedly advancing toward the beastman settlement via a different route from Siegfried and his forces.

But the truth was different.

After feigning an advance along a separate route, Patrick’s forces had doubled back to the entrance of the valley. Then, they began marching along the same path as the Kreving family’s army. Yes, trailing behind Siegfried and his men.

“The horn still hasn’t sounded, has it, Lord Patrick?”

The knight commander, Ludre, whispered to Patrick in an impatient tone.

“Shall we send out scouts, then?”

“Don’t rush, Knight Commander Ludre.”

Patrick spoke leisurely, stroking his beard.

“There’s no doubt Siegfried and the beastmen will clash. If we carelessly send out scouts and they catch wind of our intentions, everything will fall apart.”

“Hah. Quite right, my lord.”

Just as Ludre nodded in agreement with his lord, a low, damp sound of a horn echoed through the valley. Patrick and Ludre exchanged glances.

“Good. That’s the signal from Siegfried. Let’s move, Ludre. But slowly.”

“Haha!”

The Arving family’s forces, led by Patrick, deliberately took their time advancing through the valley.

And as the sun set and the surroundings began to grow dark… Patrick’s forces finally caught up with the Kreving family’s army.

“Oh…!”

The moment Patrick saw the scene before him, a gleeful expression spread across his face. It was as he had expected… no, it was even more catastrophic than he had hoped.

The area was a relatively open space within the narrow valley. Countless bodies lay scattered across it. Their numbers reached roughly the hundreds.

Some were soldiers of the Kreving earldom, clad in iron armor, while others were beastmen wrapped in leather armor. Most appeared to have already lost their lives, lying motionless.

Swords were plunged into the ground, and arrows littered the earth. The scene bore the unmistakable traces of a fierce battle between the Kreving forces and the beastmen.

“Marquis Patrick…?”

A voice called out from beyond the fallen bodies. But the darkness made it hard to see clearly. Protected by his soldiers, Patrick urged his horse forward. A soldier beside him raised a torch.

Illuminated by the flickering flames was Siegfried’s form. And beside him, a beastwoman—Fen—holding a dagger to Siegfried’s throat, her figure emerging in the light.

“Don’t come any closer!”

Fen shouted at Patrick.

“I’ve taken this man hostage. Move, and I’ll kill him!”

“Oh my, oh my…”

A sinister joy twisted Patrick’s lips.

“To think Lord Siegfried would be taken hostage… for things to unfold so perfectly, it’s almost frightening.”

“What’s that supposed to mean…?”

Siegfried’s voice was faint. Upon closer inspection, Patrick noticed traces of blood on Siegfried’s neck. Likely a wound sustained in battle, he assumed.

“Very well, Lord Siegfried. As a reward for dancing so beautifully to my tune, I’ll let you in on the truth.”

With a smug, triumphant expression, Patrick declared.

“This was all a trap I orchestrated, Lord Siegfried. A scheme to pit you and the beastmen against each other.”

“Hoh…”

In his moment of supreme confidence, Patrick failed to notice. A faint smile curled at the corner of Siegfried’s lips.

“I kept this from you, but I had planned to capture the beastmen of this settlement and sell them as slaves. That’s why I launched an attack on their village. The so-called beastman rebellion? A lie. However, their counterattack was fierce, and my forces took heavy losses. So, I changed my approach. Why not let another noble’s army and the beastman warriors destroy each other, leaving the non-combatant beastmen for me to claim? And the one I set my sights on… was you, Siegfried.”

Casting aside even the barest pretense of courtesy he had shown the Kreving earldom until now, Patrick continued with smug satisfaction.

“Your Kreving family’s territory borders my Arving family’s lands, and we’re kin, besides. Conveniently, you, the new head of the Kreving family, are still young, unwed, and childless. In other words, you have no heir. Now, what do you think happens if the head of the family—you—dies in such a situation?”

“The Arving family, as kin, would likely take over governance of the Kreving earldom’s territory. At the very least… the chances are high.”

It was not uncommon for a noble family’s head to die suddenly without an heir, leaving a relative to assume control of their lands. If Siegfried were to die here, Patrick stood a strong chance of inheriting dominion over his territory. In other words, Patrick could expand his own domain with minimal effort.

“Exactly, Siegfried. I’d gain both the beastman slaves and your territory—a perfect two birds with one stone. And you played right into my calculations. For that, I offer you my heartfelt thanks.”

“No…”

Illuminated by the flickering torchlight, Siegfried raised his head. In the depths of his blue eyes gleamed an abyss so profound that even the torch’s glow could not pierce it.

“The thanks are mine, Patrick. Your smug, villainous performance… it was quite entertaining.”

“…What are you blabbering about?”

Patrick was utterly convinced of his victory, certain that everything had gone according to plan. Yet, a chilling sensation crept down his spine. Shaking it off, he shouted.

“The game is over! Someone, kill Siegfried!”

“Yes, sir! Allow me!”

A soldier near Patrick stepped forward.

“It’s the end for you, Lord Earl… Now, time to die!”

The soldier, wearing a sadistic grin, nocked an arrow and drew his bow. Just as he was about to release it.

Siegfried snapped his fingers with a click.

The next moment, a whistle—the sound of an arrow slicing through the air.

“Gah… ah…!”

The one who let out a cry of agony was the knight who had aimed his bow at Siegfried. An arrow was lodged deep in his throat.

“What…! Who did that?!”

Patrick frantically scanned his surroundings. And then, he saw it. The Kreving soldiers and beastmen, who should have been dead, rising from the darkness.

“Now… rejoice, Patrick. Your true moment in the spotlight begins now.”

Siegfried’s lips curled into a villainous smile, as if savoring the culmination of a battlefield woven with betrayal and intrigue.