Chapter 260
Southern Front ⑭ - Battle for Ishtar
(The Return of Dublin)
Translator : PolterGlast
On the plains where the new city of Ishtar was
constructed, a chase between cavalry units was unfolding. The chased side was
the Kyle Kingdom Army led by Count Solis, slightly reduced from
1,000 riders. Pursuing them were the 7,000 Iron Cavalry, the strongest striking
force boasted by the Griffonia Empire, almost unscathed.
"Phew, looks like we might escape somehow? Though I
couldn't handle it as well as the Commander would have..."
Count Solis,
muttering this, had numerous scratches on his armor and small wounds all over
his body.
The cavalry unit he led, just before colliding head-on with
the Imperial Army in the same formation, split left and right like a blooming flower,
trying to let the Iron Cavalry charge pass.
However, the difference in numbers was insurmountable, and
the Iron Cavalry groups in the rear turned their horses' heads and attacked the
Kyle Kingdom Army split to the left and right.
They fought desperately to maneuver their horses to parry
the pressure from the flanks and escape the crisis of annihilation. Of course,
escaping was the major premise. In the process, just under 100 riders dropped
out, resulting in precious sacrifices.
"Hmph, good at running away as before, eh? We won't let
you escape so easily this time! We will break through the city gate with
parallel pursuit!"
The Iron Cavalry commander deliberately restrained the
offensive, adopting a posture to chip away enemy strength while running parallel
and rush into Ishtar. They were running parallel while half-surrounding
the fleeing Kyle Kingdom Army, as if wrapping them with both hands from
left and right.
Having gone back and forth to the battlefield and trying to
flee into Ishtar, many of the Kingdom Army's horses were exhausted and
on the verge of collapse. Therefore, even the heavily equipped Imperial Iron
Cavalry could chase them sufficiently.
"I see it, the city gate! Just a little more! Don't
mistake it, it's the central gate, never forget!"
The lead Kingdom cavalry raised shouts of relief and were
seen warning each other of something. The eastern city gate was made
exceptionally large, and all three gates—right, center, and left—were thrown
open.
And the characteristic of Ishtar that Takuhir
previously called『like
an amoeba』: defensive walls leading to each pioneer village spread and
extended left and right from the eastern city gate. Therefore, the pursuing
Imperial soldiers fell into the illusion that the defensive walls on the left
and right were gradually closing in as they approached the city gate.
"Finally made it here. Hmph, my sons and daughter
always work me hard... And on top of that, being worked hard by my son-in-law
too... Well, I suppose he's a fitting husband for Chrisia?"
Count Solis
smiled wryly, stroked his beloved horse's neck, and urged it to squeeze out the
last of its strength. When the pursuers and the pursued reached the city gate
at the apex of the inverted V-shape sandwiched by defensive walls, it happened
suddenly.
"Ring the bell! Longbowmen, Archers! Commence
volley fire! Leave the enemy front ranks alone; aim for the middle ranks and
back to avoid friendly fire!"
At Alexis's command, 1,000 Longbowmen and 500
archers—the entire force remaining in Ishtar—began firing arrows all at
once.
The Longbowmen were hidden on the defensive walls
extending left and right from Ishtar like arms, effectively luring the
Iron Cavalry into their specialty, a defense-in-depth formation. The archers
were waiting atop the front city gate, firing arrows from the front.
The simultaneous fire from three directions was extremely
fierce, and even the Empire's elite Iron Cavalry fell into great chaos.
"E-Enemy ambush!"
"We're being pincer-attacked!"
"R-Retreat..."
To his shaken allies, the Iron Cavalry commander roared.
"Do not panic! The enemy is few. If we advance as is,
we can cross the city gate. No arrows will fly beyond that! All forces, charge
straight through the left and right gates!"
Ignoring the middle and rear ranks suffering heavy damage
from the crossfire of arrows, the lead group passed through the city gate and
finally rushed into the enemy base, the interior of Ishtar. It was
originally a vast area called the outer district utilized as pasture, securing
enough space for cavalry to deploy.
"Good! We will annihilate the enemy soldiers here.
Press and wrap from left and right... Wha-aah?"
Having passed the city gate, intending to use this wide flat
land to rally allies and shift to an all-out offensive, the Iron Cavalry
commander's voice suddenly cracked. His beloved horse suddenly lost the earth
it should have trodden on and flew through the air for a brief moment. And a
few moments later, having fallen and slammed violently into the earth, his
consciousness was closed forever.
There was a pitfall that could be called a huge moat,
camouflaged with cloth and brittle boards. Simultaneously, with a roar, the
ground just inside the left and right gates collapsed all at once.
Many of the Iron Cavalry lead group, chasing and running parallel
to the Kyle Kingdom cavalry, couldn't stop suddenly and fell into the
hole one after another.
"Wh-What is happening?"
"I-It's a trap! Stop!"
"Impossible!"
To begin with, due to the dust kicked up thicker than usual,
the situation ahead could not be seen clearly. This was also because Alexis
had ordered Wind and Earth Mages to intentionally use dust to blind them, limiting
visibility to the bare minimum.
The entire area was filled with the screams of those who
fell and were crushed by following men and horses. Those who managed to escape
disaster were cut down one after another by the Kyle Kingdom soldiers
who were now overwhelmingly numerous.
"Retreat! All forces retreat immediately!"
Responding to the command of the vice-commander leading the
Iron Cavalry's middle ranks, the middle and rear ranks, stuck outside the city
gate under a storm of arrows, turned their horses immediately and attempted to
retreat.
Of course, it goes without saying that this was an extremely
difficult task.
Having taken a parallel pursuit formation up to this point,
and due to the terrain gradually narrowing because of the left and right castle
walls, the column of men and horses became denser as it advanced, making it
impossible to move back as desired. Lured into a defense-in-depth formation,
they became prey for the Longbowmen boasting rapid fire and powerful
bows.
The Iron Cavalry, which should have been superior in
numbers, was overrun at will, and the place became a harvesting ground for the Longbowmen.
Their heavy armor sometimes deflected enemy arrows. But if
the horse they rode received an arrow and they were thrown off, there was
nothing they could do.
The armor protecting their bodies became shackles hindering
their retreat, and walking unsteadily on foot, they were nothing but obstacles
hindering the cavalry's retreat or targets for sniping.
And when the Iron Cavalry retreated after resolving various
confusions, their numbers were greatly reduced. Leaving behind the dead, the
wounded, and many who were on foot and stuck in a dilemma on the battlefield...
"Phew, with this, I wonder if we've managed to upgrade
from a hopelessly disadvantageous situation to an overwhelmingly disadvantageous
one? Even so... the cleanup is going to be tough..."
Facing a gruesome scene that would make anyone want to
vomit, Alexis dared to joke to gloss over his depressed feelings.
The 7,000 Iron Cavalry boasted by the Griffonia Empire
lost half their number, 3,500, in a single day. Of those, over 1,000 were
wounded and captured as prisoners by the Kyle Kingdom side.
The 12,000 attacking the barrier defended by Count Gorman
also suffered 2,500 casualties and retreated.
Both could be said to be disastrous scenes worthy of being
called overwhelming defeats.
However, even in the Kyle Kingdom camp which achieved
great war results, there was no time to celebrate victory. Although they won,
an enemy army still more than five times the size of Ishtar's force
remained intact.
And Ishtar had another issue.
" I find it
impossible to comply with the Commander's words! You speak of treating the
hateful enemy who slew our brethren? And to set prisoners free for the sake of
burials, of all things... We simply cannot accept the Commander's way of
thinking at all!"
After victory was confirmed, they were enraged by the
post-battle instructions Alexis issued. When he conveyed treating enemy
prisoners with Holy Mages after treating friendly
wounded soldiers, and using enemy prisoners to bury enemy corpses, the
quasi-nobles in question fiercely opposed.
Some of their compatriots had lost their lives in the
enemy's parallel pursuit, and the survivors were boiling with hostility, so
even more so.
"All surviving prisoners should be beheaded to sever
the root of any future trouble! Only by offering them before the graves of
those who died will their regrets be appeased... I simply cannot stomach this!"
『Good
grief, idiots who only have enemies and allies in their heads are really
tiring. How should I persuade them...』
When Alexis was at a loss, there were those who
thundered at them.
"What on earth did you learn by joining us! First,
without the Commander's strategy, we would have been pincer-attacked at the
barrier and annihilated! Second, enemies and allies—if you distinguish by that,
weren't you also enemies when you threw yourselves into the rebel army before?
Third, the Longbowmen who saved us from our predicament are enemies
saved by the Demon Territory Count on the battlefield; are you saying
you don't know that! Those who object to the style of our Supreme Commander,
the Demon Territory Count, should leave this place immediately!"
"It is not just the reason Count Solis stated.
Do you not understand the Commander's deep foresight? Isn't it better to make
enemy soldiers bury the corpses of enemy soldiers than for us to run around
doing it? If corpses are left, they bring death poison. Will you return this
city built by the Demon Territory Count as a polluted city where people
cannot live?"
Yes, a considerable number of enemy soldiers, men and horses
combined, died inside the city gate. The concern of Viscount Cornell,
who dispatches Earth Mages to
various places and is involved in city construction projects, cannot be
ignored.
And again, Count Solis glared at everyone and spoke.
"Listen well. Our perspective and the Commander's are
different. Releasing enemy soldiers with the corpses will convey the solidity
of this city's defense to the enemy army and bring fear to them. If the corpses
are formally returned, the enemy army will suspend the invasion for burial,
buying us time. Have your heads become so empty with anger that you cannot
understand this meaning?"
Severely reprimanded by the two superiors, they hung their
heads low. Alexis sighed in great relief at the words of his supporters
and continued.
"First, prioritize the rescue of the wounded, and ask
those with minor injuries to lend a hand saying it is to bury their
compatriots. Then, next, let's pull up the men and horses from the moat. We
will gather the corpses at a place at least 5 km
away from here. For transport, use usable horses among the warhorses abandoned
by the Imperial Army, and regarding horse carcasses, borrow the power of Fire Mages
to burn and bury them outside the city."
"Yes, understood."
At these words, Count Solis and Viscount Cornell
were the first to kneel. Following them, all officers and soldiers of commander
class followed suit. Of course, including those who had been complaining until
now.
Duke Harry,
who had set up his main camp east of the barrier, beyond the mountainous area,
was stupified by the dire news flying in one after another.
They were in an overwhelmingly advantageous situation, and
the progress of the operation should have been smooth as planned. But...
"Is it tr-true that half the Iron Cavalry was lost? We
are overwhelmingly superior in numbers, and they are the Empire's elite.
Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
He felt an eerie fear toward Demon Territory Count Solis,
whom he had called a brat and despised until now.
Thinking about it, the attack that captured the fortress
defended by the enemy's chief commander, Margrave Hastburg, so
easily did not work on the Demon Territory Count at all. This time too,
despite arranging victory conditions where he could absolutely win, he ended up
accepting an overwhelming defeat. The battle is still in the early stages, and
although his camp's superiority is unshakable, he could not wipe away
indescribable anxiety.
At this time, a
new messenger visited him.
"I beg to report! Several members of the Iron Cavalry
who were prisoners have returned carrying a letter from the enemy side. They
request an audience with Your Excellency."
"Hmm, there is nothing suspicious, is there? If there
are no suspicious points, let them through."
Harry, granting
an audience to the messengers, was further surprised. The letter contained the
following:
『Regarding
today's battle, although we bear the missions of both countries, we offer our
deep condolences to the victims of your country. As the plenipotentiary for the Demon Territory Count, I
notify your army:
First, that we are gathering the corpses of your army's
officers and soldiers who died in today's battle in one place. Second, that preparations to cremate them are arranged
at that location. Third, that we promise not to add any attacks against
your army mourning the dead at that location.
Please mourn courteously so that the heroic spirits who
fought and died for their motherland may sleep in peace. Some soldiers of your army who cooperated in
transporting the corpses are left to guard that place and will be returned as
is.
Furthermore, regarding your army's wounded soldiers, we
notify you in advance that we are conducting appropriate treatment after rescue
and are prepared for prisoner exchange after the war. Since the facility housing the wounded soldiers flies
the captured Imperial Army flag, take care not to attack it by mistake.』
Such content was written.
"What naive things on a battlefield... Kuh, does this
mean we are inferior to them in caliber as humans?"
Muttering so, Harry recalled the deeds his army
performed at the Southern Gate Fortress.
The corpses of Kyle Kingdom soldiers were gathered in
one place, thrown into a hole, and merely buried. They did not provide relief
to prisoners, and paid no heed to those who died from battle wounds. To begin
with, in the Empire and neighboring countries, prisoners are either beheaded
or, if there is leeway, taken back as slaves and used until they break.
Their response was beyond comprehension, more than enough to
be called unconventional.
"Do you know the contents of this letter?"
"We do not know what is written in the letter itself.
However, when we were released as messengers, we were told of the subsequent
response in the form of the Demon Territory Count's thoughts."
"Hmm, we've been had..."
Normally, he could ignore the contents of the letter and
continue the conquest. But there are those among his own who know the enemy
army's offer. Most likely, those guarding the corpses as well.
Harry was made
to realize anew that future responses had already been set as an established
course by the enemy army.
"We might be dealing with an outrageous man. Ignoring
the world's common sense, the King of Monsters ruling the Demon Territory...
Are we dealing with such a guy..."
A soldier who overheard Harry's unintentional mutter
whispered involuntarily.
"King of the Demon Territory... Our opponent is the
King ruling monsters, the Demon King Count... There's no way we can win
against such an opponent."
This soldier's mutter and the treatment of Kyle Kingdom
prisoners, wounded, and war dead spread in the blink of an eye among the
Imperial soldiers, even under a gag order. From this time on, Takuhir
became an existence secretly feared by the Imperial Army as the Demon King
Count beyond the logic of the world.
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