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The Invincible Duke seemed to fall into deep thought at my request.

Had this been during the last war, he would have set aside his personal concerns and our friendship and approved my request without hesitation. No, he wouldn’t have even waited for me to ask. He would have ordered me to go.

The Invincible Duke wasn’t someone who let his personal feelings affect official duties. He must know that my deployment would increase the chances of killing the Khan.

Yet, the reason the Invincible Duke hesitated was simple. Firstly, I was officially serving as an inspector, not a combatant. The second was because there were too many powerful people tied to me.

There are three dukes involved, after all.

It was obvious to anyone with a bit of sense that the Emperor appointed me as an inspector to ‘participate in combat if necessary’. However, an inspector officially had no obligation to participate in combat.

Now, how would it look if an inspector volunteered to fight the Khan himself and the Invincible Duke accepted it? The Mage Duchess, the Iron-Blooded Duke, and the Wise Duchess couldn’t blame the Emperor, which meant their frustration would be directed at him. Even for the Invincible Duke, a group beating from three dukes was harsh.

“I understand the inspector’s feelings. However, there is no need for you to personally engage in battle. Have faith in the Empire’s soldiers.”

In the end, the Invincible Duke gave a textbook answer.

But at this timing, a textbook answer was just about building justification, not a firm refusal. It was a way to justify allowing me to fight. A way for him to say, ‘I was against it, but circumstances forced my hand.’

“I’m well aware of the soldiers’ bravery, but Dorgon is also skilled at escaping. If we miss him now, the empire’s losses will only grow.”

So, I played along. If he was going to bear the burden of my decision, then it was only right that I make that burden as light as possible.

“And though it’s shameful to move for personal reasons in state affairs, Dorgon must hold a deep grudge against me. My father is on that battlefield, and I can’t stand by and do nothing.”

The Invincible Duke nodded at those words. Normally, bringing up personal reasons in state affairs would be unthinkable, but this was an exception.

The Mage Duchess, the Iron-Blooded Duke, and the Wise Duchess were all family to me now. In this situation, the Invincible Duke could counter them with the words ‘How can I stop him from protecting his father?’ Then, they would have nothing to say.

Just as they protested to the Invincible Duke for the sake of family ties, I too was also moving for the sake of it.

“I permit the inspector’s participation in combat as long as you move with the Masked Unit.”

As soon as the justification was complete, the Invincible Duke quickly accepted. Although the condition of moving with the Masked Unit was added, the Masked Unit was originally my escort and a force that could be effective if deployed to the front lines immediately. It was a welcome condition.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

After bowing to the Invincible Duke, I quickly left the tent.

It felt like I’d regret it for life if I was even a little late and something irreversible happened.

***George, who had been bending at the waist, raised his head while spitting out about a handful of blood.

“Son of a bitch.”

I gently bit my lip at the emotional words. I wasn’t feeling much different.

The nomads had arrived like a storm, their arrows blotting out the sky before they charged with ear-splitting war cries. After all, there was a limit to how much damage they could inflict from a distance against forces hiding behind makeshift defense lines.

As over 10,000 nomads charged, the earth shook and the wind howled. If even I, who had experienced this several times, felt a chill down my spine, then how about the regular troops?

So, I took the lead in encouraging them. I raised my sword against the approaching calamity.

“You’re tougher than I thought.”

However, the calamity before us was too much for two to handle.

“I wasn’t planning to go easy on you, but you’re holding up. You seem to have gotten stronger than before.”

There was a hint of admiration in his voice, and George ground his teeth. It wasn’t just the fact that he had been judged by his enemy that infuriated him. We already knew that Dorgon was stronger.

“Hmm. Or maybe you’re just unfamiliar with that thing?”

It was just anger at how he talked down to us like he was superior, stroking his chin and watching us casually.

Dorgon faced us with a long staff he’d picked up from somewhere. It’d be fine if it were a bow or a spear, but he was simultaneously facing both of us with a weapon he never used once in the last war.

And feeling overwhelmed by such a weapon filled me with self-loathing. George, who just took a direct hit to the stomach from the staff, was panting and barely raising his head.

This isn’t easy.

Though I was prepared for this, actually experiencing it was incredibly frustrating. The fact that this was all we could do to hold him back when there were two of us—wasn’t this a serious gap?

Still, it was fortunate that Dorgon was only showing interest in us. While we kept him occupied, our forces could focus on holding back the nomads with knights and mages. If Dorgon had joined the main battle, our entire frontline would have collapsed in minutes.

“Ah, I remember now.”

Amidst all this, Dorgon, who was still stroking his chin, opened his mouth again.

“Wilhelm Krasius of Tailglehen and George Hiden of Horfeld. That was it, wasn’t it? I could remember everything else, but for some reason, your names kept slipping my mind. It was driving me insane.”

I could feel George going even more berserk at those words. The enemy he’d been fighting with all his might didn’t even know his name. It was enough to deal emotional damage.

“Don’t take it the wrong way. I just couldn’t remember the names, but I know you’re worthy opponents.”

“And yet you’re swinging around that stick?”

“Don’t be so offended. This is also a spear, just without a blade.”

His smug tone almost made me swear out loud. It was a trivial comment, but it oddly grated on my nerves. Was his personality so messed up because his father died?

I sighed while glaring at Dorgon and gripped my sword tighter. Unfortunately, strength and character don’t always correlate. There were strong bastards with rock-bottom personalities, and those bastards survived the longest.

We won’t last much longer.

I glanced at my left hand holding the reins, or more precisely, at my shoulder. The pain had been nagging at me for a while.

It was only natural. An arrow had struck the same spot not long ago, and now, Dorgon’s staff had slammed into it as well. Even with healing magic, there were limits to what a body could endure.

For now, I could hold my reins. But the longer the fight dragged on, the more I wouldn’t be able to ignore it.

Just a little longer, and they’ll retreat.

Fortunately, the screams echoing across the battlefield were only terrible at the beginning; they’d somewhat subsided now. This wouldn’t be possible if intense fighting were still ongoing, meaning the nomads were refraining from a long-term offensive.

If so, this battle was more of a probing attack, and they’d retreat after fighting for a while. And unless the nomads pulled the bizarre move of retreating while leaving only their leader behind, the calamity before us would soon withdraw as well.

I never expected to win in the first place. So just a little more, just until they retreat—

“Time to wrap this up.”

As soon as I heard those words, my vision tilted.

“Wilhelm!”

I heard George’s shocked voice, but I doubt he was more surprised than me.

...What a monster.

By the time I realized what had happened, my mouth was filled with blood. The guy who had been on horseback the whole time suddenly leaped forward with just his body and thrust the staff, piercing the horse’s neck and reaching my chest.

It didn’t make sense. Did he use the stirrup as a foothold and leap? Or did he simply dismount and charge? Either way, it should have taken considerable time, but I didn’t catch it with my eyes. I didn’t see even a moment of that long process.

When the gap was this big, it was almost laughable. This monster had grown even stronger in these three years.

Damn it.

The ground rushed toward me. My dying horse collapsed, and my body lurched forward. I couldn’t move properly—my chest wasn’t pierced, but that attack seemed to have shaken up my insides.

Even so, I instinctively curled my body, tucking my head. Falling from horseback like this would result in severe injuries, but I could avoid instant death. And as long as I was alive, there was still a chance.

Of course, it was a futile action. It wouldn’t matter if I survived the fall because no one left an enemy alive when they were already on the ground. As proof, Dorgon, having pulled out the staff that pierced the horse, swung it again.

I can see it this time.

I felt like laughing bitterly. Had my eyesight improved as I faced death, or was he moving leisurely because I was a dying man?

I’d rather it be the first. A warrior was always prepared to die. But to die because my enemy spared me?

How many times have I fought this monster?

Suddenly, Carl’s face flashed through my mind. While I, his father, collapsed in an instant against this monster, Carl fought him as an equal several times. Unlike his incompetent father, he was truly an extraordinary son.

...I would have felt more at ease if only my son hadn’t joined this expedition. I should have stopped him more forcefully.

But even that was a meaningless thought. No matter what I said to Carl then, he wouldn’t have listened.

I’m placing another burden on a struggling child.

That was what saddened me most. Instead of being helpful to my son who joined the expedition because he couldn’t let go of the North, I was about to become another burden.

...Or maybe I was giving myself too much credit. What kind of great father have I been for my death to be a burden to that child?

Thinking that way made me feel a little better—

“Oh.”

Suddenly smiling, Dorgon exclaimed and passed by me.

“You’ve come, Carl Krasius!”

...?

Who?

My thoughts stopped at the unexpected name, and the flashbacks flickering before my eyes suddenly disappeared.

Had I misheard? Was this just my mind playing tricks on me in my final moments?

“It’s been a while, you fatherless brat!”

The voice I heard next was unmistakably Carl’s.

“If you’re so lonely, you should’ve just died and gone to see your family! Why the hell are you trying to make more orphans?!”

The words were somewhat strange, but it was definitely Carl.