CHAPTER 282: THE GRAND DUKE’S RECKLESS CHARGE

A black light burst out, and just as it was about to engulf Jaren, he stepped back as if he had anticipated everything, moving out of the black light’s range.

’... You knew?’

Surely, that couldn’t be the case...

Siana could only watch in bewilderment as her precious strength was wasted. She had never imagined that Camilla would follow Carl instead of Yusuf.

Kwaaaaang!

A deafening explosion erupted from the torrent of power, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.

Everyone could see it clearly.

Even Carl, who was far away, noticed it.

"Follow me!"

"Huh? What—huh? Huh? Huh?!"

The commander of the light cavalry on the right wing was startled by a rider who suddenly broke formation and charged ahead wildly.

The reason he didn’t immediately curse at the reckless rider was that he had just heard the unmistakable voice of His Excellency, the Archduke, coming from the very man waving the flag.

Whoosh.

Thud! Thud!

The rider at the front threw away his helmet.

The helmet flew far away, rolling across the ground to avoid interfering with the cavalry’s movement.

The hood that had covered his head and face, shielding him from the sand and dust, came loose, falling behind as if unwilling to follow him any longer.

Even against the red glow of the setting sun, his flowing hair was unmistakably golden, gleaming like threads of pure gold.

The man with golden hair turned back.

His green eyes seemed to glow.

"Here is the one who plants the laurel tree!"

"Wow!"

"Your Highness!"

Carl’s shout echoed like thunder, even overpowering the thunderous rumbling of hooves.

The soldiers widened their eyes and erupted into cheers.

But the commander of the light cavalry, who had been riding at the front, had no choice but to vent his frustration.

The sight of His Highness, the Grand Duke, charging recklessly at the head of the cavalry, riding a fatigued horse, was beyond reckless—it was madness.

"Archduke Carl is over there!"

The battlefield shifted in an instant.

The Hardion cavalry, led by Carl, galloped bravely, poised to charge the enemy at any moment.

Meanwhile, Siana’s cavalry sharply turned, now setting their sights on Carl at the front.

"This is ridiculous!"

Carl’s scream was almost inhuman, shocking Siana even more as she watched from a distance.

A grand duke, disguised as a light cavalryman, fighting in the heart of a battlefield without even proper armor?

It was beyond reckless—it was lunacy.

However, Carl’s maneuver perfectly countered Siana’s strategy.

As the battlefield grew more chaotic, Carl distanced himself further from Siana’s reach.

Had he remained hidden in the rear command post, he would not have been able to escape Siana’s curse.

"This fucking little punk!"

The furious exclamation did not come from Siana but from none other than Marquis Govan of Davron.

He sprang up in his stirrups, grabbed his helmet, and glared at Carl, who was charging ahead.

Surprisingly, Carl had told only a few people about his plan—Jaren, Milton, Catherine, Billford, and Dillon, who were accompanying him.

For the rest, especially Govan, it was as if a natural disaster had struck.

If Carl were to die here, the entire Laurel Union—including Davron, which had staked everything on him—would fall into the abyss.

It was understandable for Carl to lead in a smaller skirmish.

But here?

In a battlefield where over 100,000 men clashed, leaving Jaren behind, wearing no armor, riding a fatigued horse, and charging toward the enemy lines like an arrow?

"Charge! Charge! Save His Highness, the Grand Duke!"

"Turn around!"

"Wow!"

Govan immediately mobilized the entire left-wing cavalry reserve.

Meanwhile, the right-wing cavalry, which had been thrown into confusion by the earlier attack on the command post, also began to charge toward the battlefield.

"His Highness, the Grand Duke, is fighting!"

Carl wasn’t simply in the cavalry line—he was at the very front, leading the charge against the enemy.

This time, he kept his promise.

At the forefront, ahead of everyone else, moving toward victory.

Anyone who followed him could see it.

"Wow!"

"Target Archduke Carl! Capture him at all costs—even if you have to kill him!"

The Hardion army’s morale soared, while the already crumbling morale of the Siana army plummeted.

A grand duke—a member of the royal family—was fighting in the thick of battle.

It was madness.

No one would even consider such a move unless they were absolutely confident in victory.

The Siana army commander, desperate to turn the tide, focused all remaining forces on Carl.

If Carl had remained in a safe position, he would have given up.

But seeing Carl charging toward the enemy’s rear forces, he thought there was a chance.

Meanwhile, Charles led his light cavalry along the battlefield’s edge.

This unexpected maneuver and Charles’s sudden appearance caused the enemy cavalry to make a critical mistake—crossing the battlefield from left to right, exposing their flank.

"Fire!"

Shhhhh!

The Hardion heavy cavalry executed a complex maneuver outside the battlefield.

Carl, however, veered even further outward, riding east along the southern flank.

The Siana cavalry, now forced into a long, thin line stretching from north to south, struggled to adjust.

"Ah! Turn—!"

The panicked Siana cavalry commander issued a desperate order to turn, but it was too late.

Pubbuck!

Hehehe!

"Aaaahhh!"

The Hardion cavalry, galloping east, rained arrows upon them.

The Siana cavalry, caught in a deadly crossfire, charged straight into the slaughter, as if leaping off a cliff.

The Hardion cavalry, now spread wide, focused their firepower on a single point, mercilessly cutting down the enemy.

Running in a straight line while firing arrows was a fatal mistake for the Siana cavalry.

Only a few at the front had the proper angle to fire.

The ones in the back, aiming forward, ended up shooting their own allies in the heads.

Carl’s strategy had worked.

By revealing himself, he had baited the enemy into overcommitting.

With a single bold maneuver, he had overturned their numerical disadvantage and completely crushed the enemy vanguard.

"Turn around!"

"Turn around! Turn around!"

Charles, leading the light cavalry, waved his flag high.

Billford, riding behind him, did the same while shouting orders.

After inflicting heavy losses on the enemy, Hardion’s right-wing light cavalry pivoted sharply to the right.

Since they rotated clockwise, they maintained an advantageous angle for archery, allowing them to safely retreat while keeping an eye on the enemy’s reserves.

"Wow!"

The Siana army, having committed all remaining reserves yet failing to capture Carl, was now beyond salvation.

No troops remained to counter Hardion’s fresh reserve forces.

"Charge! Charge!"

"What should we do, Your Highness?"

"His Majesty would want us to charge!"

"Then what are you waiting for?!"

"That’s right!"

The Hardion left-wing cavalry reserve, initially moving to reinforce Charles, changed course.

Instead, they charged straight into the enemy infantry’s rear.

Panic erupted among the Siana soldiers.

The friendly cavalry that should have covered them had chased after Carl instead, leaving the rear completely exposed.

"Ha, I surrender! I surrender!"

"I surrender!"

Though they still outnumbered the enemy, morale had collapsed.

Between the devastating fire magic and Carl’s unpredictable tactics, the Siana soldiers began surrendering en masse.

"This...! This damn...!"

Siana, now surrounded by Jaren and his knights, frantically searched for an escape.

She had fallen into another trap.

Her power was almost gone.