Thick fog filled the air in front of me.
And.. amidst it echoed the loud noise of battle.
In that chaos, General Tilly quickly began rallying the soldiers.
Prepared actions and instructions given in advance for the enemy’s ambush and ensuing chaos.
Though delayed somewhat by the fog, they were beginning to show effect.
“General!”
“Yes, how many soldiers have gathered?”
“Currently, about 3,000, primarily consisting of 1,000 mages.”
“The rest of the soldiers are holding back the enemy at their positions. It will take more time to gather them.”
“That’s enough. Those gathered will follow me. We will sweep away all the enemies that have entered the stronghold.”
“Understood, General!”
Thus, the soldiers began to move as one group at Tilly’s command.
Though their numbers were not overwhelmingly large, the combat power of this group, led primarily by mages, far surpassed that of ordinary humans.
And it wasn’t just because of the flashy magic they wielded…
Like breathing fire, striking lightning, or flipping the ground.
All the mages of the Emperor’s Army here were at least 4th rank, having passed the basic training and reached an intermediate level.
They had mastered the three basic types of magic that any mage familiar with mana would learn.
The three types of magic closely related to the manipulation of mana:
Creating barriers that block attacks with magic, enhancing physical abilities for superhuman strength by enclosing mana around muscles and bones, and the magic of Condensing, which wraps a weapon’s surface in mana, turning even a dull blade into a sharp sword that cuts through anything.
These three basic magics allowed mana-wielders to maintain overwhelming advantages over ordinary soldiers, meaning a single intermediate mage could take down dozens or hundreds of opponents with just their basic abilities.
That’s why renowned warriors in this world are fundamentally classified as mages.
Regardless of whether they call themselves warriors or mages, their paths start from the same place.
And right now…
The Emperor’s Army, composed of nearly 1,000 such mages, began their relentless advance toward the heretic forces they saw before them.
“Everyone, activate Condense! Cut down all heretics who defy the Will of God!”
“Death to the heretics!”
“For the Lord! For the Great Saint!”
Like a lion’s roar, at Tilly’s command, they pressed forward without hesitation.
As they moved toward the place where the sounds of battle echoed, unexpected flags appeared—not those of the Bohemian army.
“Is that the Palatinate army?”
“It seems so, General!”
“Foolish heretics have another group here! Let’s go! After sweeping them away, we’ll deal with the heretics of Bohemia!”
“Yes, General! Advance the whole army! Eliminate the dogs of the Palatinate!”
With that, following General Tilly’s orders, the soldiers charged toward the visible prey.
Though they didn’t make up even half of the Palatinate army, at this moment, no one doubted the victory of this battle.
Despite the Palatinate forces numbering 7,000, their mages barely counted at less than 300, and their level wasn’t particularly high either.
Moreover, leading them right now was none other than General Tilly.
A 9th rank High Mage, capable of cutting down thousands of soldiers by himself.
With him at the forefront, the army began to clash violently with the Palatinate forces fueled with terrifying momentum.
*
In front of Anhalt, leading the Palatinate army, stood General Tilly and his elite forces.
Although the thick fog continued to engulf the battlefield, battles between the Bohemian army and the Emperor’s Army persisted, in this moment, Anhalt was entirely oblivious to the surrounding situation.
“Ugh!”
“Gahhh!”
General Tilly, filled with rage, mercilessly cut down Palatinate soldiers.
With every swing of his sword, several Palatinate soldiers were split in two, while the mages following behind him demonstrated extraordinary power, literally crushing the Palatinate forces.
“Damn it! Attack! Eliminate Tilly! Whoever kills him will receive great rewards! I’ll grant enormous property and status, do whatever it takes to take him down!”
Watching the mad general in front of him, Anhalt shouted in a voice tinged with fear.
Although it was spoken in fright, his words held some significance.
At this moment, General Tilly was the supreme commander leading the Emperor’s army.
If they could take him down, they could lead the war to victory, also gaining unmatched merit in this conflict.
In Anhalt’s frenzied mindset, he thought he had found the ultimate prey.
However…
Unfortunately, at this moment, Anhalt and the Palatinate forces lacked the capability to digest such a formidable target.
“Prepare yourself, Tilly! I, Gatz of the Palatinate, will face you… Gahhh!”
“You scoundrel! I will avenge Gatz! Greenpeace will take your head… Gahhh!”
Mages, once thought notable within the Palatinate, confidently rushed forth.
Yet, their bravado was rendered meaningless as their heads were cut cleanly off by Tilly, causing fear to wash over the Palatinate army.
“Everyone, charge! I shall deliver divine judgment against you wicked heretics in the name of God!”
As Tilly slashed down the mages that came at him, his voice echoed with ferocity.
He then raised one arm skyward, and above his head, a massive red magic circle began to form.
“Is.. is that…?”
“Block it! Do not let him cast magic!”
Anhalt cried out in urgency at the apparitions unfolding before his eyes.
He didn’t know precisely what was about to happen, but witnessing the swirling mana, he instinctively felt something dreadful was about to transpire.
However.. despite Anhalt’s desperate cries, neither the soldiers nor the mages dared to advance.
They too understood, having watched countless comrades die before them.
Anyone who acted recklessly would be the first to fall.
Just then, while the Palatinate forces were thrown into disarray…
A cold smile crept over General Tilly’s face as he completed his spell.
“Vanish! Silly demons of heresy!”
At the end of his words, Tilly pointed his hand forward, and the magic circle above him erupted into a torrent of flame, engulfing the Palatinate forces.
“AHHHHH!!!”
“Fire! Put out the fire! AHHHHH!”
The Palatinate forces were instantly consumed by blinding blue flames.
The flames, which had burnt numerous Palatinate soldiers since their inception, grew rapidly in size, swallowing hundreds of them whole.
“U..UUUAAAHHHHHH!”
In a brief moment, Palatinate soldiers found themselves engulfed in green flames before dying.
Watching them, Anhalt fell profoundly into terror.
At that moment, thoughts of his own soldiers and his lord Friedrich vanished from his mind.
All-consuming was the fear of death.
Consumed by it, Anhalt unconsciously turned his horse and began to flee frantically.
He paid no heed to the soldiers trampled by their own horses or the generals dying behind him.
All that filled his mind was the need to escape the green flames that pursued him.
Thus, Anhalt and a handful of Palatinate soldiers following closely behind began their fortunate retreat to the north.
And… a few days later, a letter arrived before Emperor Sijip Ferdinand, presumably hastily penned by the fleeing Anhalt on the day of the Battle of Baeksan.
The letter contained a whiny plea for forgiveness, confessing he had served the wrong lord.
