Ancient Imperial Calendar Year 1830
Marilin and her army had safely set foot in the Northern Lands, but the Turvig armies they expected were not there.
This situation relieved the inexperienced fresh soldiers, while the experienced soldiers who had seen many battles became uneasy.
"Why didn't they hold the coastline?"
"There's something fishy here."
Marilin and all of her three and a half million soldiers disembarked from the ships and moved to establish their first encampments.
Near the city of Ordubalık, they finally saw the Turvig soldiers they had been expecting.
Marilin, maintaining her composure, was at the very front lines.
"So this is where they were."
Jack and Osiris were aligned to her right and left to protect her.
The Blood Orphans, one of the three elite units of the Kislavein Dynasty, were also behind them.
As everyone waited impatiently to see who would make the first move, Turvig Dynasty Lord Jarl V Ülgen Han rode his horse towards the center of the field, with no soldiers beside him.
Marilin wanted to advance like Ülgen but was stopped by Jack.
"Stop, My Lady."
Marilin became angry.
"How dare you stop me, Jack?"
"This could be a trap."
"A trap? The former Dynasty Lord, III Kayra, did the same thing at the Battle of Vergilon. He wants to talk."
Jack persisted.
"Then let me go and talk."
When Marilin's patience ran out, she forced Jack to retreat with the intention of killing him.
From that moment on, Jack didn't speak again and withdrew.
Marilin fearlessly rode her horse towards Ülgen, stopping a few steps away.
"I am Kislavein Lady Marilin Kislavein, the Supreme Commander of this army."
Ülgen introduced himself in the same manner.
"I am Turvig Dynasty Lord V Ülgen Turvig. I've heard rumors about you."
Marilin asked, not really caring.
"Oh? What have you heard?"
Ülgen answered with the same indifference.
"The world's most beautiful and powerful woman. A lover who fought for years for the heart of the Kislavein Dynasty Lord. I don't know which ones are true, but your beauty is truly legendary."
Ignoring the compliments, Marilin got straight to the point.
"Alright. I'm listening to your surrender terms."
Ülgen laughed, breaking all seriousness.
"Hahahaha, are you serious? Surrender?"
Marilin spoke in an irritated voice.
"Well, if you're not going to surrender, why did you come?"
"It's sort of a tradition. We meet the enemy generals before the battle so that when we see them in combat, we can take their lives."
"Hmph, we'll see whose life is taken by whom."
Marilin rode her horse back to her army's side. Ülgen watched her.
"Truly a very beautiful woman. I envy you, Kislavein Dynasty Lord."
Ülgen returned to his army, drew his sword, and rode his horse left and right.
The Supreme Commanders of the two armies made passionate speeches. The soldiers were impatient to get at each other's throats.
"ATTACK!"
Marilin and Ülgen gave the attack order simultaneously.
The Westerners and Northerners charged at each other like a galloping horse.
Soon, the two armies clashed. Thousands of people died every second; severed limbs and heads, dead bodies fell to the ground.
Even though it was only the first hour of the battle, the Kislavein left flank had begun to be torn apart at a terrifying speed, suffering uncountable losses.
Confused by this situation, Marilin asked angrily.
"What's happening?"
Osiris answered.
"Those are the Wrath Barons. The strongest infantry unit in the North."
Terman Kislavein asked curiously.
"Wrath Barons? What are those?"
Osiris began to explain.
The Wrath Barons
The 'Baron' in their name dates back to the late period of the Ancient Empire.
After the death of his brother, VIII Harloumen carried out a great genocide in the North.
During this genocide, the bloodlines of countless northern dynasties were wiped out.
Warrior Ivar, who showed great success in these wars, was granted the title of Baron and a small village, and he founded the Harfagr Dynasty.
Ivar discovered a type of mushroom growing in that village and its surroundings.
The Wrath Mushroom
This mushroom increased the physical strength of the person who ate it dozens of times, but there was a cost.
The person who ate the mushroom lost all mental balance and turned into a monster focused solely on killing.
Therefore, Northern Warriors only used this mushroom as a last resort, when absolutely necessary.
Ivar worked on this mushroom for decades and finally found a recipe for eating it in a way that wouldn't destroy people's mental balance.
Ivar passed this recipe down to his 12 sons, who in turn passed it to their children and grandchildren.
The recipe was passed down within the same family for generations.
Thus, the Harfagr Dynasty established the Wrath Barons, the strongest and most dangerous Warrior Infantry unit of the Northern Lands.
For centuries, they served the Ving Dynasty and fought against the Turk Dynasty.
After the union of the Turk and Ving Dynasties, they served the Turvig Dynasty.
"Damn it, Osiris. You hold the center line. Jack, Terman, come with me."
The units under Marilin's command advanced, breaking through enemy lines to aid the left flank.
Björn Harfagr, commander of the Wrath Barons, saw Marilin approaching him.
"Assume defensive positions!"
The Wrath Barons formed a shield wall and went on the defensive.
Marilin channeled her mana into her legs, leaped from her horse with a jump spell, and created a long, thick whip enveloped in flames made of aura.
She swung her whip several times. With each swing, thousands of Wrath Barons in the shield wall died.
"Damn it! What kind of woman is this?! If this continues, she'll slaughter all my soldiers!"
Björn launched an attack towards Marilin, blocking the whip strikes coming at him with his shield.
"Hit all you want. This shield is made of ice stone. No attack can break it."
Marilin dropped her whip and drew her sword.
"We'll see."
Marilin and Björn engaged in a duel, she with her sword, he with his axe made of ice stone.
Although the duel had just begun, Björn was being pushed back by the powerful blows he received.
"If this continues, I'll die. Ice magic... Yes, those of Turvig lineage have strong ice magic. No matter how powerful this woman is, I can win."
Björn opened his mouth and spewed glacial winds towards Marilin, patiently waiting for her to freeze.
"Did you really think this would work?"
Marilin delivered a powerful kick. It was so strong that the shield made of ice stone shattered into pieces. He was pushed back meters, crashed into the soldiers behind him, and caused them all to fall.
"BROTHER!"
Björn's brother, Halfdan, ran and stepped in front of his brother.
"I've run out of patience. First the brother, now the other."
Marilin swung her whip fiercely, cutting both brothers in two.
The Blood Orphans under Marilin's command were cutting through the Wrath Barons as if they were butter.
Terman, commanding the army, had cut down thousands of Wrath Barons like butter.
Things were going well on the left flank.
However, this time, the Kislavein Center and Right flank began to collapse.
Marilin acted quickly. Leading the cavalry, she moved through the Turvig left flank she had broken and attacked the Turvig army from behind.
Uruz Turvig, commander of the rear forces, tried to block the incoming attack but was killed by Marilin with a single whip strike.
V Ülgen was surprised by the attack from behind.
"What the hell is Uruz doing? Entrusting the rear to him was a huge mistake."
Ülgen quickly reviewed his plans.
"My plan was quite good. The Wrath Barons would attack from the left flank, keeping Marilin and the elite units busy, while I, with my own elite unit, the Children of the Steppe, would break the Kislavein Center and Right flank. Where did things go wrong?"
While Ülgen was thinking about how to win the battle and killing Western soldiers, two people caught his attention.
"Wait a minute. Those two are commanding the center and right armies and are starting to reorganize the troops. If I can kill them, I can scatter the center and right armies."
Ülgen gave orders to his soldiers and commanders.
"Kapgaba, you kill the commander leading the right army."
He fixed his eyes angrily on Osiris.
"I'll kill that guy over there."
Ülgen attacked Osiris, while Kapgaba attacked Andrew Johanson, Jack's father.
Osiris and Andrew, seeing the armies charging towards them at full gallop, maintained their composure and prepared for defense.
From atop his horse, Ülgen swung his sword with all his might.
Osiris felt death approaching.
"Damn it, am I going to die?"
Right at that moment, his father, Seth Isman, and the soldiers of the Isman Dynasty leaped forward to protect Dynasty Heir Osiris.
Ülgen killed them all with a single move.
When Osiris saw the lifeless bodies of his father and soldiers, he went mad with rage.
"FATHER!!!!"
Osiris attacked Ülgen with all his strength.
"Fool! Despite the sacrifice of all those soldiers and your father, you charged at me. You did exactly what I wanted. I'll kill you and scatter your armies."
After easily parrying a few of Osiris's attacks, Ülgen left a deep cut on Osiris's body with a single move.
As Osiris lay on the ground, bleeding, his friends stepped forward to save him.
"Do you call yourself a commander? Instead of fighting and dying with honor, you live through the sacrifices of your friends and family."
Dornas, Deon, and Javier, with their agility, managed to distract Ülgen, but all three were repelled one by one.
Dornas shouted an order.
"Take the commander away! I'll distract Ülgen!"
Ülgen attacked with all his might.
"I won't allow it."
Ülgen killed Dornas in ten moves.
While Javier and Deon, with tears in their eyes, carried the mortally wounded Osiris away, the right flank of the Kislavein army also began to collapse.
"Well done, Kapgaba."
Kapgaba Turvig had killed the right army commander and Jack's father, Andrew Johanson. Jack, just like Osiris, was mortally wounded and carried away by his soldiers.
"WE'RE WINNING!"
Ülgen had let out a premature victory cry, but he had forgotten one thing.
"ÜLGEN HAN!"
Marilin, who had attacked the rear of the Turvig armies, had encircled the back of the Turvig army, slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Turvig soldiers, and gotten close to Ülgen.
"YOU KILLED MY FRIENDS. I WILL KILL YOU."
Marilin attacked with all her might. In both hands, she held long, thick, and dangerous whips wrapped in aura, capable of cutting a person in two with a single strike.
Marilin leaped from her horse and swung her whips hundreds of times per second.
She spent her mana like water, casting countless spells.
"Haaaaaa... So strong. As strong as me, maybe even stronger. So my husband's killer's wife is this powerful."
The duel lasted an hour. In the end, Ülgen fell to his knees, coughed up blood, his body covered in cuts and burns.
In a cold voice, Ülgen said:
"Kill me."
Marilin dropped her whips and drew her sword from its sheath.
"With pleasure."
Turvig Dynasty Lord Jarl V Ülgen Han was beheaded by Kislavein Dynasty Lady Marilin Kislavein.
Marilin impaled Ülgen's severed head on the tip of a spear and raised it into the air.
"I, Marilin Kislavein, have taken the head of Turvig Dynasty Lord Jarl V Ülgen Han."
The Turvig armies began to retreat upon their Lord's death. However, the Turvig armies led by Kapgaba Turvig continued to fight the soldiers on the Kislavein right flank instead of fleeing.
In a tired voice, Marilin gave an order.
"Terman, bring me that scoundrel's head."
"As you command, My Lady. Haaa!"
Terman fixed his eyes on Kapgaba, spurred his horse into a full gallop, and advanced, cutting down Turvig soldiers.
"Who is this guy coming at me? Well, whatever. Another Western noble bastard eager to die."
Kapgaba rode his horse towards Terman, creating a long spear from aura and aiming directly at Terman.
"Wait a minute. I've got an idea. I'll kill you in the most dishonorable way, you Northern barbarian."
Terman sheathed his sword and created a spear from aura, but he didn't aim at Kapgaba; he aimed at his horse's neck.
"Why is the spear tilted? No, wait!"
When Kapgaba realized the plan, it was too late. Terman's spear pierced Kapgaba's horse's neck, causing it to fall.
Crushed under his massive horse, Kapgaba began to scream in pain.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU DISHONORABLE BASTARD!"
Terman dismounted, thrust his sword into Kapgaba's neck.
As Kapgaba coughed up blood, blood streaming from his neck, and died, Terman, in a mocking voice, uttered the last words Kapgaba would hear in this life.
"You're right, Northern Commander. I didn't fight with honor. But you did. And you lost. And I won."
When Kapgaba breathed his last, Terman pulled out his sword, cut off his head, impaled it on the tip of his aura-spear, and raised it high.
"I, Terman Kislavein, have avenged Andrew Johanson."
The victory belonged to the Kislavein Dynasty, but the losses were great.
Three important figures of the Kislavein Dynasty and eight hundred thousand soldiers had been killed.
In return, the Turvig Dynasty had lost two million three hundred thousand soldiers, including their Dynasty Lord, Jarl V Ülgen Han.
"How many soldiers do we have left?" Marilin asked while healing her wounds.
Terman examined the calculations and answered.
"Two million seven hundred thousand, My Lady."
In a tired voice, Marilin asked again.
"How many soldiers do our enemies have?"
Terman calculated again and answered.
"Two million seven hundred thousand. But that's only the number of those fighting us. If we count the three-million-strong Turvig army that went to fight our allies, the Ashterah armies, then this war is dangerous for us."
Darwyn, Terman's son and also Ricardo's nephew, who was in the tent, voiced his concerns.
"If the Ashterahs lose the battle and the two Turvig armies unite, can we win the war?"
Terman placed his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Don't be afraid, my son. Our Lady and our Lord are worth hundreds of thousands of people. As long as they live, no one can defeat us."
Though still anxious, Darwyn found courage in his father's words.
Marilin watched the father and son with a smile.
"I hope one day Ricardo and Richard will be like this," she thought.
When Marilin left the tent, she saw that the other soldiers shared Darwyn's anxieties.
"Everyone is anxious and afraid. We lost so many soldiers in the very first battle. I wonder if Ricardo is alright... Actually, who am I worried about? If he uses all his power, he can destroy entire armies. Haha."
She took a deep breath.
"SOLDIERS, LISTEN TO ME! WE ARE NOT GOING TO CRY AND WHINE LIKE CHILDREN AND MOURN. WE ARE THE KISLAVEIN DYNASTY. WE FIGHT, WE WIN, AND WE CELEBRATE. EAT, DRINK, AND PRAY FOR THE SOULS OF THE DEAD. TONIGHT, THOSE WHO DON'T CELEBRATE ARE NOT ONE OF US!"
The Kislavein soldiers cheered enthusiastically. The men and women in the army ate, drank, made love, and partied until morning.
A very short time after this night, the two-million-strong Ashterah army clashed in battle with the three-million-strong Turvig army.