Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System Chapter 265: Victory: Sun’s odd command

Byun let out a low whistle, shadows curling lazily around his boots. "Farmboy, if you keep this up, even the enemy will begin cheering for you."

Tirel flicked ash from her fingers, her grin sultry though exhaustion subtly lined her face. "Let them cheer. I rather enjoy watching him steal the spotlight."

Elise ignored them both, rushing forward, her trembling hands glowing a soft white. She pressed against Jae’s injured leg, mana flowing into the wound. "You need to rest," she whispered, her voice urgent yet steady. "You have pushed too far already."

Jae looked down at her, a faint but warm smirk playing on his lips. "Rest later. We aren't finished yet."

And as if summoned by those words, the enemy ranks rallied. A horn blared in the distance, and their captains shouted orders, attempting to pull their shattered discipline back together.

Their soldiers tightened their formation, dragging their wounded behind the line. With a collective roar, they surged forward in one final, desperate push.

Jae raised his blade high, fire licking the air. "Hold the line!" His voice carried, sharp and unyielding. Every cadet within earshot snapped their heads toward him, instinctively moving where he directed.

And then another voice rose.

"Retreat!"

The command cut across the battlefield, sharp and commanding. Cadets froze, turning toward the ridge where Sun stood tall, his dual swords drawn. His scowl was carved deep, his voice as iron-hard as his father's court. "All units, fall back! Retreat to the ridge at once!"

Confusion rippled through the field. Some cadets took a step back, their instincts trained to obey the crown prince's voice. Others glanced between Sun and Jae, hesitation splitting the line like a sharp blade.

Byun cursed under his breath. "He's throwing it away."

Tirel spat fire into the dirt. "Coward."

Elise's eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face. "Why would he? We can win! We can end this right here!"

Sun's swords glimmered as he raised them high, his Sovereign Vein already stirring in the air like a tide threatening to crash. His voice boomed again. "Retreat! That is an order!"

Jae's red eyes narrowed. For the briefest moment, his smirk vanished. He could see it clearly; Sun wasn't ordering a pullback for strategy or to protect lives. This was about him. About ensuring the battlefield's victory wouldn't belong to Jae.

But hesitation here meant death.

Jae lifted his blade, flames roaring bright once more. His voice cut through the air, louder than he had ever spoken, calm yet utterly unshakable. "Stand your ground! We do not retreat!"

The fire in his words carried more than just mana. It carried certainty and resolve. Soldiers who had begun to step back froze where they stood. The line steadied.

Jae smirked faintly, lifting his blade higher still. "The weakest flank, remember? We said we would make it unbreakable. Now, we finish it!"

A roar answered him. Cadets, their fear burned away in the heat of his fire, rallied with renewed strength. Swords lifted, spears braced, shields locked. The order to retreat dissolved into smoke as the weight of their voices drowned it out.

Jae stepped forward, flames exploding at his heels. His Ember Step carried him into the enemy's charge, Dragonfire Blade sweeping in a blazing arc. Fire consumed the front rank, scattering men who had once moved like wolves into a panicked herd.

"Forward!" he bellowed. "Drive them back!"

And the cadets surged with him.

Byun's shadows whipped through the air, snaring enemy legs and dragging them down for the cadets' blades to finish. "Don't say I never support your reckless plans, farmboy!" he shouted, grinning like a madman as he carved another soldier down.

Tirel's flames spiraled skyward, crashing down in fiery waves that forced the enemy into tighter knots. Her laugh rang out, sultry and wild, even amidst the chaos. "Burn for me, darlings! Burn!"

Elise pressed through the thick of it, her mana flaring, soft but tireless. She caught collapsing cadets before they hit the dirt, knitting flesh, forcing strength back into faltering limbs. Her dark eyes blazed with resolve, her timid nature buried beneath sheer will. "On your feet! We do not stop here!"

The line surged, tighter, harder, unyielding. And everywhere Jae moved, cadets followed, his fire not just burning enemies but searing fear from his allies.

The enemy line cracked. Their desperate push turned ragged, men tripping over one another in their retreat. Shouts of order were drowned beneath screams, beneath the thunder of cadets pressing forward. Jae's blade carved through their rear guard, flames scattering the last of their resistance.

At last, a horn blared again, this time not to rally, but signaling a surrendered retreat. The rival army broke, scattering into the haze, dragging what wounded they could while abandoning the rest.

The battlefield shook with silence, then with the rising roar of the cadets' voices.

No cheers were offered for the retreat that Sun had commanded. Their gazes didn't even drift towards the ridge where he remained, his dominion glowing with a faint luminescence. Instead, all eyes fixed upon Jae, the farmboy, whose blade still blazed furiously at his side.

An eruption of cheers, much like fire igniting dry kindling, burst forth. Names were bellowed, voices crying out his title – not prince, nor noble, nor commander, but hero. The farmboy hero.

Finally, Jae lowered his blade, allowing the inferno to dissipate into wisps of smoke. A faint smirk played on his lips as he ran a hand through his sweat-plastered hair.

His body throbbed, the wound on his leg still searing from Veynar’s spear thrust, yet he stood unwavering. Words were unnecessary. The adulation from the crowd served as his voice.

Byun leaned against a splintered shield, shadows coiling languidly around him. His grin was subtle, weary, yet undeniably sharp. "Congratulations, farmboy. You've officially pilfered a kingdom's army."

Tirel glided closer, her laughter a low, alluring sound. "And their hearts. Be cautious, darling, or jealousy will consume me."

Elise simply placed her hand on Jae’s arm, her healing mana circulating with a gentle, persistent flow. Her voice, though barely audible, reached him clearly. "You were... magnificent."

On the ridge, Sun stood unnaturally still, his swords hanging limply at his sides. His frown deepened, but his eyes blazed not with fatigue, but with a more sinister emotion.

He had witnessed his order for retreat falter, observed soldiers disregard him, and saw Jae seize the very field that was intended to validate his lineage. The acclamations washed over Sun, yet none reached him. He remained isolated, silent, as a simmering hatred began to smolder steadily within his chest.