Otaku Translation: The Amber Sword V3C18

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Chapter 18:

The forest beside the riverbank resonated with a collective hum as countless bolts shot forth from behind the dense underbrush. Like an invisible wall of translucent black spikes sweeping across the stony riverbed, the volley struck the leading unprepared. They recoiled as though colliding with an unseen barrier, their momentum halted. Bodies riddled with arrows lay motionless on the riverbank, like waterlogged stones.

The sudden rain of arrows stunned the cave dwellers. Those in front scrambled backward, while those behind surged forward, caught in the inertia of their charge. Hundreds collided in chaotic disarray on the riverbank, creating a maelstrom of confusion.

A perfect opportunity.

Hidden within the bushes, and simultaneously drew their swords—Yuta’s slender rapier and Frein’s massive greatsword gleaming in anticipation. They prepared to seize this moment, leading their forces in a decisive charge to rout the disoriented cave dwellers.

But ’s longsword leapt from its scabbard at his hip, and with a flick of his wrist, a blade of wind sliced past the two leaders. Leaves and twigs were torn from their perches, scattering before them. Both commanders froze, breath hitching, as they turned to face the young lord.

"My lord?" Frein questioned cautiously.

"Form up in a defensive phalanx and move onto the riverbank," Brandon commanded, his gaze fixed ahead. In his line of sight, ’s cavalry unit was maneuvering around the riverbank, preparing to charge.

"But, my lord—" the red-haired mercenary commander growled, glaring at the chaos among the cave dwellers. Her teeth gritted as she argued, "This is our chance!"

"Your opponents are not human." Brandon glanced at her, his tone concise. He tapped his ear, reminding her that cave dwellers relied on sound to navigate their dark underground environments. These creatures were far more adept at recovering from ambushes than fragile humans.

Even if momentarily disrupted, these beings from would quickly regroup. Their communication relied on shared sonic signals, far faster and more effective than human reliance on banners and visual cues amidst chaos. In , cave dwellers had remarkably short durations of panic after surprise attacks—just one round. fared worst, often unable to reform once disordered, while never panicked at all.

Only elite armies could exploit such fleeting opportunities. To Brandon, these mercenaries were already outclassed.

The two commanders exchanged glances, reluctant to yield, but stepped forward, unsheathing his sword. "We defer to you, my lord," the silver-haired veteran declared, his keen eyes detecting something unusual about the situation. "We lack your experience against such monsters."

Brandon paused briefly, noting the ambition lurking in Clenia’s silvery gaze. But he smiled inwardly, unconcerned with their motives. As long as they sought to follow him, there would come a time when they’d have no choice but to submit.

"If you understand, then act," Brandon replied coolly, lowering his sword. "Execute my orders." With that, he turned toward the riverbank.

The three leaders fell silent. "And what of you, my lord?" Yuta asked hesitantly, her fiery hair framing a look of uncertainty. She still didn’t grasp why the young noble insisted on engaging the cave dwellers head-on.

These were over two hundred—nearly three hundred—soldiers from Yhaggoroth’s depths. Even a full five-hundred-strong regiment of might hesitate to face such foes directly, let alone their ragtag bands of mercenaries.

"I have my target," Brandon answered, his eyes locked on the battlefield.

There—

Tiger Finch’s cavalry charged the thirty-odd cave dwellers and , hooves thundering along the riverbank. The cave dwellers attempted to pivot toward this new threat, but Brandon’s controlled shed their disguises, wings of light unfurling as they engaged the enemy from behind. The battle became a deadlock; two fought evenly against three peak bear goblins nearing Silver-tier strength. Yet entangled by numerous cave dwellers, neither side gained the upper hand.

But this stalemate shifted almost instantly as Brandon launched himself into the fray. Bursting from the forest like an arrow loosed from its bow, he closed half the distance to the battlefield with a single leap. A second bound carried him into the heart of the cave dwellers’ ranks.

To the mercenaries emerging from the forest, their young lord seemed to transform into a flickering shadow of darkness. His black tailcoat billowed like a cape as he moved, cutting through the chaos between the bait adventurers, the archangels, the cave dwellers, and the bear goblins in the blink of an eye.

A few cave dwellers turned belatedly to intercept this unexpected foe, but Brandon weaved effortlessly through their attacks, closing in on one bear goblin at the center of the battlefield. Alert, the creature twitched its furry ears and swung its flail in a wide arc. But to Brandon, the movement was agonizingly slow. He sidestepped the spiked iron ball, seized the chain mid-swing, and used its momentum to vault high into the air. Twisting gracefully, he landed squarely on the bear goblin’s broad shoulders.

In one fluid motion, he drove his sword deep into the creature’s throat. A spray of blood arced brilliantly, like a tattered banner against the afternoon sun. Brandon withdrew his blade, and the bear goblin let out a low groan before collapsing with a thunderous crash. For a moment, the battlefield fell silent.

The mercenaries stared, momentarily forgetting time and space. Their breathing grew heavy, tinged with the metallic tang of blood, heat, and a faint whiff of legend. Yet their commanders, though equally transfixed by the young figure at the battle’s heart, couldn’t afford to lose focus.

Frein stepped forward, blocking his subordinates’ view of Brandon. Raising his greatsword, he barked, "Move swiftly! Form ranks and advance. Don’t let them reach the shore!"

Turning back, Frein realized the cave dwellers had already regained order. These beings from Yhaggoroth communicated via some unseen signal in the air. Under the direction of barely a dozen crimson-skinned warrior cave dwellers, the previously scattered horde now reassembled. And they seemed ready to press forward again—all within half a minute.

Frein understood then how wise Brandon’s decision to halt their earlier charge had been. Had they rushed in, they’d have faced a reorganized enemy before even reaching the riverbank. Stopping a charging force mid-momentum was nearly impossible.

Fighting without formation against a superior opponent? Frein needed no further thought to know the odds.

Glancing sideways, he saw Clenia and Yuta, both visibly shaken, maintaining discipline in their respective units.

"What manner of being is that youth?" Frein wondered. "Even among and knights, such prodigies exist—but they’re scarcely better than ordinary nobles."

Yet his thoughts returned to the battlefield, where doubt lingered. Though Brandon’s judgment had proven correct repeatedly, the cave dwellers seemed increasingly insurmountable. Even forming up defensively on the riverbank, facing enemies superior in morale, organization, and individual prowess, victory felt distant.

Raising his hand, Frein signaled the first rank to lower their shields. Behind them, makeshift pikemen and swordsmen braced themselves, while archers and crossbowmen reloaded. But the previous volley had achieved little beyond chaos. Its psychological impact outweighed any tangible effect.

Indeed, fewer than ten cave dwellers fell to the next wave of arrows. The creatures advanced steadily alongside the towering bear goblins, their approach sounding like a grim death march. Frein saw hesitation and fear etched on his men’s faces.

Less than a hundred feet remained. Crossbowmen fired a third volley. Frein watched helplessly as arrows bounced harmlessly off the bear goblins’ thick fur.

Fifty feet.

Yuta clenched her teeth, stepping to the front of her troops. Though she doubted her own strength, she resolved to shield her comrades—the people who called her “Big Sister” and whom she regarded as family. For the first time, regret gnawed at her. Turning back, she glimpsed Brandon slaying the second bear goblin but noticed he hadn’t spared them a glance. Was he truly indifferent to their fate, like so many other nobles?

Twenty feet.

Clenia’s grip tightened on his sword, sweat dripping from his brow. He could now see the folds in the cave dwellers’ skin.

Then, the two forces clashed—or rather, mercenaries collided with cave dwellers. But the outcome defied everyone’s expectations.

Because in that moment, the battlefield fell utterly silent.

Every single person felt it.

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