Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Chapter 66

War Proxy Corporation. A mercenary firm with war potential that exceeded the capabilities of those who hired them.

Building an empire of such magnitude was not an achievement that was obtained immediately. The initial goal was evident: to increase the prestige and market value of one’s own group of hired soldiers.

Their first client turned out to be an aristocrat who required the assistance of private troops to dispute a conflict over territorial boundaries.

Although he was initially hesitant due to the exorbitant price demanded, the nobleman fell completely silent upon coming face to face with the militia’s envoy.

«…!»

The famous “Black Prince” stood before him.

No one understood the reason why the successor to the Duchy of Saxon, the future sovereign of those lands, commanded a simple mercenary troop. That was incomprehensible, but in the end, it was of no importance. Faced with a conflagration that would define the future of his domains, no expenditure seemed excessive.

Shortly thereafter, the militias of both noble factions collided in a mountain range zone.

Dale, in his role as commander of the Black Armor Company, was at the site of the actions.

He did not march sheltered by the crow insignias that identified the Duchy of Saxon, but under the banners of the Black Armor Company itself, which displayed the emblem of their dark armor. A warrior protected by custom-made jet-black armor held a greatsword, fulfilling the functions of standard-bearer.

The Black Armor Company was in charge of guarding the left sector. Directly in front of their position, covering the enemy’s right flank, the elite cavalry of the rival house was deployed.

The battle began.

The opposing riders charged violently against the heavily protected infantry soldiers who waited, huddled in a defensive stance on the elevation of the terrain.

«Hold the line! Do not break the ranks!»

«Defend your posts!»

That was the ideal scenario to test the grueling days of training endured in the frozen landscapes of the Duchy of Saxon. However, unexpectedly…

«Barrett M98B, 8.58 x 70 mm.»

Dale pronounced in a calm voice. His dark cloak fluttered in the air, adopting the appearance of a firearm, aiming firmly toward the enemy mounts that were approaching at full speed.

This differed from the simple manifestation of a spell that Dale had executed previously.

On this occasion, making use of the faculties inherent to a sixth-circle dark sorcerer, he materialized weaponry forged with shadows that possessed a structure and lethality never seen before.

The shadow rifle.

Holding that unmistakable piece of technology from another dimension, Dale fixed his gaze from the rear of his armored infantry. He pressed the shadow trigger, directing the projectile toward the helmet of the hostile cavalry commander.

Bang!

«One.»

The hidden shooter’s ammunition hit the mark squarely. The chief of the enemy riders, who was leading the offensive with ferocity, was violently knocked from his mount.

«What… what happened?»

«They have shot down the commander with a single impact…!»

«Was it the work of an archer?»

«It’s impossible!»

Despite the widespread bewilderment, the assault squadron did not stop its march, although a feeling of anxiety began to filter through the ranks.

«It can’t be real.»

It was assumed that a third-circle mystic, present in a minor dispute between low-ranking aristocrats, lacked the necessary vigor to breach the steel protections of a knight. At least, that was the general rule.

«Our leader has eliminated the chief of the opposing cavalry!»

«How? Was it a spell?»

«A third-circle sorcerer is supposed to never be able to pierce the armor of a mounted warrior!»

Cries full of astonishment echoed among the heavily protected soldiers of the Black Armor Company.

«Reload.»

As the distance between the sides decreased, Dale pronounced the words of power again.

The clearer and more accurate the mental representation of the target was in his mind, the more devastating the final effect was. It did not consist of throwing dark projectiles in an uncontrolled manner.

The range, the force, the aim… each property increased by practically a factor of ten.

Although Dale prioritized hand-to-hand combat, he did not underestimate the benefit that a mystic’s long-range attack skills gave him.

Bang!

«Two.»

Dale pulled the trigger of the shadow rifle once more. With each impact of the umbral ammunition, another rider in full race fell lifeless.

The head protections were shattered, the cranial bones were split, the brain masses collapsed, and death occurred on the spot.

«Three.»

Bang!

The mounted warriors, covered by metal plates, were incapable of assimilating the horror of a war scenario where lethal projectiles fell from nowhere. The panic of dying because of an invisible enemy and the dismay of watching their allies collapse inert from a single impact undermined their morale.

Courage, which was the main engine of a cavalry charge, faded before such dread.

«Four.»

In strict terms, the number of casualties caused directly by Dale’s shots was not massive. Just a few. However, the panic sown by those precise casualties proved devastating.

The phobia spread with the speed of an infection.

As the space between the contenders decreased, the expressions of terror hidden under the visors of the enemy helmets became undeniable. The anguish of becoming the next victim was immediately transmitted.

«Five.»

Bang!

An equitable death sentence fell upon them. Regardless of how much one had practiced for war or how tempered the spirit was, it was impossible to ignore the dread of the unknown of death.

After detonating the weapon a few more times, the factions finally met.

However, the opposing riders, dominated by panic, had accelerated too much, causing their formation to lose all cohesion and order.

The lances of the broken cavalry impacted against the defenses of the Black Armor Company’s protected infantry. However, those attacks transmitted insecurity and weakness, lacking the force necessary to break the resistance.

«For our commander!»

In contrast, the contingent that held the onslaught was composed of a hundred heavily equipped infantrymen, whose motivation was at its highest point.

Sir Yones, at the head of the group, raised his voice with vigor.

«For the Black Armor Company!»

«We will defend this ground until the end!»

The members of the Black Armor Company broke into battle shouts. Their positions remained unchanged.

«Existence is simple when one is born into opulence.»

Dale commented as if he were speaking of a distant reality.

At nightfall, a celebratory banquet was organized in the premises of the South Fortress of Roosevelt, with the purpose of entertaining the triumphs obtained by the Black Armor Company.

Expensive drinks, food, ladies. Pleasures that common soldiers of fortune rarely enjoyed were placed at their disposal.

«It has been magnificent, leader!»

«I never imagined receiving the attentions proper to a nobleman inside a fortress!»

A combatant, who had a woman on his arm, exclaimed with joy while savoring the food provided at the banquet. There was no more pleasant place for men of his condition.

«Do not lose your heads over this. You will live through similar situations quite frequently.»

Dale added, maintaining his habitual detachment.

«Heavens, you really are Prince Dale!»

«My father told me about your feats in today’s combat!»

«It is said that you alone dismantled the enemy riders using your cunning!»

The flatteries coming from the descendants of Baron Roosevelt, seated next to him, were overlooked.

«You possess great distinction and courage!»

«The merit belongs to the performance of my men in the field.»

The interest of the young women was evident.

And it was logical. They were next to the successor of a ducal lineage. For the lineage of a lower-ranking aristocrat, the mere fact of exchanging words with a figure of such relevance constituted an extraordinary event. The Roosevelt young women did not act out of mere appreciation. That was how interactions were governed in the social stratum to which they belonged.

The distance that mediated between the nobility and the common people, and even between the different ranks of the aristocracy, was immense. However, did this differ from his previous experience? Probably the power structures were repeated on any plane.

A highly disheartening certainty.

At the dawn of the next day.

Sir Yones, experiencing the discomforts proper to the excesses of the previous night, regained consciousness and saw his young superior sitting in front of his position.

«Commander!»

The dependencies of the South Fortress of Roosevelt, where the celebration had taken place, showed the consequences of the loss of control. Sir Yones and the rest of the combatants were lying on the boards of the tables or scattered on the rock-block floor.

«Do they behave like beasts or like warriors?»

«I will take care of waking each one up and I will form them immediately!»

While Dale expressed that with disdain, Sir Yones raised the tone of his voice with haste to apologize.

«It is not necessary, let them rest. They lack experience in this kind of entertainment. Allow them to prolong their comfort a moment longer.»

Dale made a slight negative gesture with his head.

—I stayed here because I need to discuss a matter of importance with you.

«With me, my lord?»

«Indeed.»

Dale corroborated with a gesture.

«Once we return to the domains of the Duchy of Saxon, I will designate specific instructors to take charge of your preparation.»

«Of my training, excellence?»

Disconcerted, Sir Yones tilted his face denoting doubt.

«In the times to come, as we consolidate a fame that eclipses the current one, and with the successor of Saxon figuring at the forefront of this militia… The feudal lords of these lands will delegate their contingents and battle plans backed by said prestige.»

«Certainly, it is what is to be expected.»

An armed group with strategic capabilities superior to those of their own employers. That constituted the fundamental goal of the Black Armor Company.

«However, assuming that the situation goes well now, who will assume the direction of this group to ensure triumph in the battles when I am not available?»

«Attending to my rank of second in command, said task would fall on me.»

«For that precise reason it is indispensable that you learn. You must understand the way to ensure victories, the way to maneuver before diverse scenarios and the ideal moments to present battle. In this way, even in my absence, the Black Armor Company will maintain its promise to obtain victory in the war.»

Dale continued with his explanations.

«As soon as we are back, the military commands of the Saxon dynasty will subject you to rigorous lessons without rest. Likewise, do not neglect your practice with the sword under the tutelage of our elite warriors.»

«What is the reason for choosing me, sir?»

After listening to Dale’s proposals, Sir Yones expressed his concern again.

He did not ignore the gravity that entailed the fact that the warlike guidelines of such an influential noble lineage were entrusted to a second son of an aristocrat without great relevance. He perfectly evaluated the magnitude of such a commitment.

«You were simply in the right place.»

Before his eyes unfolded an opportunity to prosper that neither his father nor his brothers would have managed to imagine.

«Is there not any other reason behind this?»

«What did you expect, that we were linked by affective bonds or something similar?»

replied Dale with his habitual coldness, maintaining his previous stance unaltered.

«Under that logic, would it have been the same if any other individual had occupied my position?»

Despite Sir Yones’s insistence, Dale replied categorically.

«Who else besides you could have been in this position?»

«Well…»

Sir Yones held back his words, finally assimilating the profound meaning of his commander’s expressions.

At the moment when the leader of the Duchy of Saxon called his allies and subordinates to contain the progression of the underworld hosts, Sir Yones was part of that call.

At the age of sixteen, he had left his home with the desire to forge a future as an independent warrior, starting from the lowest rungs until reaching the head of a militia of a hundred effectives.

He maintained the firm belief that those devoid of fortune could impose themselves on those who possessed cradle privileges. Guided by that certainty, he measured his forces against the “Black Prince” of Saxon and was defeated. However, it was precisely that setback that caused Sir Yones to be in the position of privilege that he currently held.

«Commander… rather, Prince Dale.»

Fully understanding the goals set by Dale, Sir Yones knelt on the ground silently and lowered his face in a profound testimony of submission and respect.

«Kenneth Yones, second in command of the Black Armor Company. I swear to you that I will not disappoint your expectations, Prince Dale.»

Chapter 66