From start to finish, the Kingdom Army held the absolute advantage.
The Rebel Army had lost ten percent of its forces in the opening strike and collapsed almost immediately once the main charge followed. Militiamen with little morale were the first to desert, soon followed by mercenaries who cared only for gold.
The regular soldiers held their ground to intercept the Kingdom’s onslaught, but by then, their numbers had already been halved. Overcoming an enemy more than twice their size was an impossible task.
One hour after the start of the engagement, the battle was steadily drawing to a close.
"It looks like it’s almost over, doesn't it?"
"Yes, so it seems."
Rest and Dieble conversed leisurely as they looked down upon the battlefield from the Kingdom Army’s main camp.
Having achieved more than enough with the first strike, Rest and the rest of the Marquis Rosemary units had been essentially relieved of duty. Of course, they could have achieved even greater results had they stayed on the field, but that would have been excessive. To ensure they didn't steal all the glory from their allies, they were refraining from further engagement.
"A few pockets of the enemy are still putting up a fight, but it is only a matter of time. More than half have already surrendered or fled."
"Our casualties seem light. This is a total victory, isn't it?"
Against a Rebel Army on its last breath, the Kingdom’s momentum only continued to surge. Their losses were negligible; there had likely been almost no fatalities on their side.
"Since the enemy is still holding on, does that mean the commander-in-chief, Marquis Eiger—no, Prince Rodel—is still alive?"
Although the enemy's main camp had been scorched by Rest’s Amaterasu, the power had been diluted because he had diffused the light rays rather than concentrating them. Any mage capable of using Physical Enhancement with a modicum of proficiency would have been able to withstand it.
Regardless of his personality, Rodel was apparently an excellent mage, and Marquis Eiger was a man who had risen to the rank of Court Mage in his youth. The possibility that they had survived was quite high.
"Hm... things are getting noisy at the enemy camp."
Just when it seemed the matter was settled, there was a sudden shift in the enemy lines. Rest’s vision, sharpened by Physical Enhancement, caught sight of the very man they had been discussing: the Third Prince, Rodel Aiwood.
"We charge the enemy camp! All who can still move, follow me!" Rodel shouted.
He rallied the soldiers around him and came galloping forward on horseback.
"Fire Bolt! Thunderstorm! Burn Stone!"
One after another, he unleashed high-output spells, scattering the Kingdom’s soldiers. Carving a path straight through the battlefield, he hurtled toward the Kingdom’s main camp with terrifying momentum. Allied soldiers moved to intercept him, but they were blown away by his magic before they could even form a wall.
"...I’m surprised. I didn't think he had it in him to lead the charge himself."
Rest had assumed the man was nothing more than a big fish in a small pond. However, Rest didn't actually know that much about Rodel. Perhaps the prince possessed the bravery to personally lead from the front to turn the tide of a losing battle.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"
Even if he was a figurehead, the leader of the rebellion was charging directly into the heart of enemy territory. Inspired, the remaining rebel soldiers followed in rapid succession. Like cornered rats biting back at a cat, the rebels regained their spirit and raced across the field.
"Stop him! Don't let him advance any further!"
"Fire! Fire!"
The Kingdom’s soldiers tried to intercept with magic, but they couldn't unleash anything too powerful with friend and foe so tightly intermingled. Conversely, Rodel, pushing through the center of the enemy's formation, only had to fire forward. He used high-tier magic with lethal output without the slightest hesitation.
"I am Rodel Aiwood, the Third Prince! Witness my power! Behold who I am!"
"...I’ll be damned. He isn't just an idiot prince."
Rest’s opinion of the man shifted as he watched Rodel close in on the Kingdom’s throat as if he had undergone an awakening. He had thought Rodel was merely a spoiled prince—a man whose pride had bloated like excess fat, possessing no skill to match his arrogance.
But here, he had to admit it. At least on the battlefield, Rodel Aiwood possessed the qualities of a hero.
"If he hits the main camp with this much momentum, His Highness the Crown Prince might be in danger."
They could not allow the commander-in-chief to be struck down under any circumstances. In that case, the choice was clear. There was no need to even think about it.
"I'm heading out. I'll intercept Prince Rodel myself."
Just when he thought his part in this war was finished, it seemed there was one more job to do. Following the incident at the Academy, Rest prepared to stand in Rodel’s path once again.