Chapter 236
(Kyle Calendar Year 513: Age 20)
The Outbreak of War
Translator : PolterGlast
Upon receiving Count Flame's news, I hurriedly rushed
around to various locations to coordinate a response.
I sent fast horses to Gaia, urgently dispatching Her
Highness Clarice and the Magic Knights—who
had been waiting there for camouflage—toward Kleirat. Simultaneously, I sent
a messenger to the Royal Capital to
explain the new measures I was forcefully implementing.
Then, from Gaia via Aegis, I raced eastward
through the Demon Territory. My
destination was the Southern Gate Fortress, guarding the border, to meet
Margrave Hastburg and my brother. Although my brother's mobile unit
isn't originally stationed at the fortress, they are garrisoned there until the
very last moment before war commence.
There were two things I wanted to discuss with these two.
First Issue:
At this rate, the Western
Front will be in extreme danger. Initially, I had predicted an invading
force of 20,000, not exceeding 30,000 even including internal enemies. However,
in reality, there is a possibility it could swell far beyond 30,000, and if
that happens, our current preparations will be woefully inadequate. The reason
being that the enemy also possesses Mages, their collective combat power
is superior to ours, and our allies are overwhelmingly outnumbered.
In this situation, the initial plan to catch the opponent
off guard... we can no longer afford to say such things. We must construct a
defensive line with all our might, secure a defensive advantage, and prepare
for a siege.
Therefore, rather than waiting for the enemy invasion to
deploy, we needed to set up and reinforce a defensive network regardless of
appearances, even if the opponent detects it beforehand.
I assigned Elan to this task, having him take command
of the construction of defensive facilities. With Elan, a commander
accustomed to fortress construction from past experience, the excellent Mary,
and 30 subordinate Earth Mages, we
should be able to create something substantial even in a short time.
And regarding the Royal
Capital side, I requested not only the Third Army of the Royal Knights but
also the First Army to prepare as a rearguard.
Second Issue:
The issue of the Southern
Front, particularly the left-wing encampment. Normally, the arrangement was
for the First Army of the Royal Knights to
participate on the front lines, the 4,000 Frontier
Knights to act as a mobile force, and the approximately 6,000 archer troops
of Margrave Hastburg and Viscount Kyrias to defend the border
fortress to the death, with the Second Army standing by depending on the
situation in the North.
However, at this point, the possibility has emerged that the
First Army will be diverted to handle the West. If that happens, the Southern Front will become considerably
undermanned.
Worst case, we may need to abandon Burg, the Margrave's
capital, and retreat to establish a defensive line around the Forest of Burg.
In the worst-case scenario, if Burg is breached, there is even a fear of
an immediate invasion all the way to the Royal
Capital.
Most likely, the forces of the Imperial Army's right
wing—the First Imperial Prince—will initially wait and see, but depending on
the situation on the Western and Northern Fronts, they will likely surge
north all at once.
Sieghart's
proposal would only become reality if we were fighting on equal terms; if we
retreat unilaterally, they will undoubtedly bare their fangs.
I wanted to share these matters with the Margrave and my
brother in advance.
After running around dealing with these two issues, when I
finally returned to Aegis, a fast horse arrived from Duke Klein
in the Royal Capital.
"Minister of
Foreign Affairs Duke Klein
sends an urgent report. An envoy declaring war from the Istoria Imperial
Kingdom has arrived in the Royal
Capital. As if timed to coincide with this, an enemy army of approximately
10,000 has attacked the eastern border fort."
I see. So war has commenced on the Eastern side, huh?
Within expectations. Feeling that way, I initially listened to the story with a
relaxed stance.
"The war situation... our allies are reportedly
struggling!"
"Huh?"
I let out a voice of surprise involuntarily.
No, Margrave Hamish has a force of 8,000, and 3,000
reinforcements should be arriving soon or have already arrived. Moreover, they
are barricaded in a fortress advantageous for defense after taking time to make
perfect preparations, and they have a reasonable number of Mages...
Margrave Hamish
is impeccable as a commander. He shouldn't be struggling.
"Details—why is the Margrave struggling? Tell me the
details, as much as you know."
To be honest, the words of the messenger in response to my
question were something truly unbelievable that left me astounded.
The story goes back about nine days. It was a night of the
new moon when an abnormality occurred on the border between the Kyle Kingdom
and the Istoria Imperial Kingdom.
Deep in the night, suspicious noises began to echo from the
groves scattered across the grasslands advancing from the border into Istoria
Imperial Kingdom territory. Since it was pitch black and the distance was
considerable, details were unclear, but Margrave Hamish made an
immediate decision. He placed the entire army on alert standby and dispatched
several groups of scouts.
"Reporting! Not a single scout team has returned! The
distance is considerable, but there is a possibility that a significant number
of enemy soldiers are lurking in the darkness!"
"I see... It cannot be helped. We cannot afford any
more sacrifices. Advance the reconnaissance squad to 300 m beyond the fort and
light bonfires! Then retreat immediately. Do not advance any further than that.
Also, units stationed on the castle walls and rock walls are to keep watch
while staying under cover. If you expose yourselves carelessly, you'll be prey
for Longbowmen. Deal with it calmly. The fortifications of this fort and
rock walls are an ironclad defense network; they won't be breached so
easily!"
Saying this to calm his shaken allies, the Margrave himself
was assailed by an indescribable anxiety.
As if to amplify that anxiety, sounds like axes striking
tree trunks—Clang! Clang!—were heard from several places in the dark
night.
Then the disturbing sounds ceased. As the eastern sky began
to whiten and gradually brighten, and the outlines of the earth, trees, and
rock surfaces became slightly clearer, silence returned to the surroundings.
And the moment the morning sun rose from the east, dyeing
the earth red, the situation changed abruptly.
Multiple objects suddenly flew over the heads of the Margrave's
soldiers who were lurking in the shadows of the fort, scouting the
surroundings.
"E-Enemy attack! Wind
Mages! Hurry, de-fen—..."
The shouting soldier's words were cut off by a rain of stone
projectiles. They rained down simultaneously on three locations: the area east
of the fort, and the fortifications built on the rock walls to the left and
right.
"Everyone, retreat to cover! Wind Mages, defend with Wind Magic! Identify the firing positions
and counterattack with catapults! Cavalry, split into small groups and conduct
reconnaissance in force!"
Before the Margrave's instructions could be executed, a
second volley, more accurate with corrected aim from the first shot, flew in.
Moreover, this time, they were not stone projectiles, but containers filled
with a grim-colored powder.
The containers shattered with jarring crashes in various
places, scattering the powder all around.
"Blocked by the morning sun, we cannot identify the
firing positions!"
"En- Cough, Enemy, Cough, W-What, Cough,
..."
The reporting soldier also let out a scream-like cry. And
the soldiers who had been bathed in the powder seemed to have difficulty
breathing; their reports did not form words.
"Everyone retreat to cover under a roof! Wind Mages, blow the powder to the
east! Can you still not identify the firing positions?"
"From the forest about 800 to 1,000 m away from here!
It seems to be fired from those four locations, but details are unknown!"
Having already been bathed in attacks up to the fourth
volley, the situation on the rocky areas to the left and right, which had only
makeshift roofs, was gruesome. Among the deployed Wind Mages, some were injured by stone projectiles, while others
were bathed in powder and rendered combat-ineffective.
And an abnormality occurred with the cavalry who had split
into several groups and gone out for reconnaissance in force. Bathed in a
volley of fire from enemy archers who suddenly sprang from the earth, men and
horses alike fell one after another.
"Regrettable... Was I arrogant...? To think I couldn't
imagine the enemy army would adopt the same tactics we did..."
Margrave Hamish
trembled his hands in regret and bit his lip. His body, having stood at the
forefront to continue commanding, was wounded in various places and seeping
blood.
Archbishop Castro
had been studying the tactics of his enemy, Takuhir, who had driven him
into a corner, for the past few years. Fortunately, he was able to hear details
from the returned prisoners as well.
Based on lessons learned, he adopted five points.
First, develop catapults that are larger and have a longer
range than those of the Kyle Kingdom.
Second, push forward with coordinated training between
catapults and Wind Mages, specifically
aiming to extend range.
Third, adopt trench warfare into archer tactics.
Fourth, utilize Earth
Mages for trench excavation to secretly and rapidly install trenches on the
battlefield.
Fifth, do not spare Mages; employ concentrated
operation.
He was actively practicing these in this battle.
Even in the battle on the western border, which was a diversion,
they would thoroughly crush
the Kyle Kingdom Army in the
opening engagement. Driven by this unwavering resolve, all twelve apostles,
including Archbishop Castro, were mobilized for this battle.
To install the giant catapults in the forest, they first
secretly cut down trees in the area for the foundations. They carefully chose
days with poor visibility and heavy rain that would drown out minor sounds.
Then, after struggling to transport the giant catapults made
within the Imperial Kingdom to the border, they secretly installed them
in four locations within the scattered forests. Originally, they only had a
range of about 500 m, but by coordinating with Wind Mages, they could keep targets between 800 and just under
1,000 m within range with reasonable accuracy, at least for stone projectiles.
And their placement was calculated to barely bring the open
spaces of the umbrella walls of the fort built by the Kyle Kingdom on
the border, as well as the rocky areas on the left and right, into range.
Consideration was given to hide the catapults behind trees
in the foreground so their exact positions wouldn't be known. Castro's
operation was thorough from start to finish, such as cutting down only the
trees obstructing the line of fire immediately before firing.
Furthermore,
utilizing even the morning sun to their advantage, they not only concealed
their firing positions, but as the approaching enemy scouts and attackers
struggled against the blinding glare, 5,000
archers
lying in wait in the trenches would mow them down with a massive volley.
They planned such attacks and executed them.
I listened to the messenger's report in a daze. Yes, this is
my responsibility as well.
I was arrogant about my cheats and let my guard down. The
enemy isn't stupid either. They can incorporate lessons learned and think
properly.
『Our
tactics will eventually be imitated and the blade turned back on us.
』
『To
shoot means eventually, to be shot. 』
Hadn't I said that myself on a daily basis? That should have
always been in a corner of my mind.
And yet... what on earth was I doing? Wasn't I just floating
on air, being flattered as the Demon Territory Count after rising in the
world?
"Even the eastern border, which I thought was the most
solid, is in this state...? I have gone beyond careless and am a colossal
fool."
Muttering that was all I could do. I fell into a cessation
of thought due to regret and self-reproach.
But then, for just a moment, I felt a gentle scent and the
sensation of soft, warm skin from behind.
"Everyone knows that you have been making desperate
efforts, Takuhir-sama. Please do not blame yourself so. And, for a lord,
such a face in front of retainers and messengers is strictly forbidden."
It was a momentary embrace from behind, with a movement so
casual those around us didn't notice. With Anne's
words, I was finally able to return to myself.
"I'm sorry. Could you tell me our damages and the
subsequent progress?"
"Yes. The Margrave Hamish Army lost 500 cavalry
in the opening battle, and nearly 1,000 archers are combat-ineffective. The
enemy army's attacks continued sporadically until the next day, after which
there was a lull. However, due to the stone projectile attacks that continued
until then, the upper structures of the fort were heavily damaged, and since
oil and burning coal also rained down, fires broke out in various places. I
hear the damage to the eastern front of the fort and the rock walls on the left
and right is particularly severe, greatly impairing defensive functions."
"Does that mean catapult attacks ceased from the second
day onwards?"
"Yes. What I have been informed of is the war situation
until the morning of the second day, but I hear from subsequent messengers that
from the afternoon, long-range attacks using catapults died down and switched
to sporadic archer raids."
"I see. Thank you for your hard work! Please convey my
gratitude for the report to the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, and ask for continued war situation reports from each
location. Tell him that."
Likely having gathered enough attention, the Wind Mages who were the core of the
attack have withdrawn from the front lines and are thought to have circled
north. In that case, these attacks are not the main thrust.
"There is one more thing I would like you to convey to
the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The
main force, the Mages, have likely already moved. He should understand
what that means. I'm counting on you."
I knew it. History's counterattack is vicious. It means not
only the numbers but the content has leveled up.
But we will absolutely not lose! I discarded all arrogance and expectations leading to naive judgments, and renewed my resolve.
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