Chapter 269 Part 2
Western Front ⑥ — The Solitary Hero
Translator : PolterGlast
In the land of Kleirat, the fires of the raging Mage
Corps were wreaking havoc, burning the positions built by the Kyle
Kingdom in various places, and lightning strikes were crushing the enemy's
defensive facilities. The top brass of the Fearalt Principality Army,
observing the situation from a distance, were smiling with satisfaction.
"Hahaha, the Kingdom soldiers must have learned the
true worth of the real Mage Corps firsthand."
"Even so, Marquis Scuria, although our country
also has many Fire Mages and Thunder Mages, I never imagined the
capability of your country's Mage Corps was to that extent."
Yes, there was a big difference
in power and number of attacks between the attack Lugner saw the other
day and this time. He couldn't help but sigh at its magnificence.
"I suppose so. If it's just being able to use Fire
Magic or Thunder Magic, our country has as many as the stars. That should be
the same in your country too, Lord Lugner."
Told so, Lugner nodded silently.
"But there are differences. In our country, all Mages,
regardless of status, are conscripted equally, receive training, and have their
abilities evaluated. Then we find the excellent ones and give them even
stricter training. In other words, the elite of the elite; only they can become
members of the Mage Corps. That difference is this current
situation."
"I see... so the mindset is different, even for
nobles?"
"Exactly. Even second or third sons of noble families
who would normally be kept as dependents, it's a different story if they belong
to the Mage Corps. They are sought after as sons-in-law preferentially
even by higher-ranking nobles, and even commoners can become nobles. In our
country, the premise for nobles is to be excellent Mages above all else.
If excellent, they may even inherit the peerage over the eldest son."
"Then... the current King who cannot use magic will
never be recognized."
"That is how it is. To begin with, it is only natural
for one who cannot use magic to be
disinherited. To overturn that would overturn the very foundation of the
country!"
Indeed, the members of the Mage Corps appeared to
possess offensive power surpassing even the highest-level Mages of the Kyle
Kingdom. If they functioned as a group, their destructive power would be
immeasurable.
"Now then, they must be frantically trying to
reorganize their formation right now. Send the signal to the
upstream!"
The Fearalt Principality Army moved to the second
phase of their carefully planned
operation.
Meanwhile, the Kyle Kingdom camp under the fierce
attack of the Mage Corps had fallen into great confusion.
"All front-row catapults have been destroyed! Cannot
counterattack!"
"Fires in various places! Extinguishing not in
time!"
"Left Wing Number 2,
numerous casualties from lightning strikes and fireballs! Many Mages are missing!"
"Vanguard Right Wing, the
enemy has crossed by exploiting the submersible bridge! They are swarming our
position! "
"Messenger from Left Wing Number 3, requesting
reinforcements. Repeat, requesting reinforcements!"
"Don't panic! No matter how many of them swarm this
position, it
won't fall that easily!"
After shouting this once, there was someone who calmly
advanced from the command post with a canopy to a position overlooking the
surroundings to check the war situation. And after a moment of thought, she
issued instructions in rapid succession.
"Order all currently intact catapults! Ignore the enemy
crossing the river, prepare for a volley aiming at the enemy Mages
deployed on the embankment! It doesn't matter, as long as it reaches them. Even
if we can't land a fatal blow, the attack
itself will serve to keep them in check. As soon as the enemy's magic attack
ceases, Wind Mages, support the
catapults! Drive the enemy mages back out of range!"
Next, she looked at Corps Commander Schultz and
continued.
"Orders to the Royal
Capital Knights Third Army! After the catapult
attack, execute a
synchronized volley with the Archers!
Currently, only the Knights can move decently. Once you sweep away the infantry
deployed in front, go support the struggling units on the left and right flanks! Commander Schultz, please take command at the front
lines."
Furthermore, she spoke gently to the person waiting on the
right.
"Yuka-san, we’re going to
use that—the item entrusted to us by
the Demon Territory Count. Use the central catapults to fire annihilation
rounds aiming at the position where the enemy Mages have retreated.
Could I ask you for preparation, launch command, and guidance?"
As each ran off after a short reply, she spoke to the person
trembling with a pale face on the spot.
"Chrisia, once the
enemy's magic barrage ceases, could you lead the main camp's soldiers and the Holy Mages in evacuating and treating
the wounded? You must not go out there yet. I know it's painful, but we cannot
move to rescue them just yet. Holy Mages
have a vital role to play in keeping our soldiers alive. Please, do not forget
the procedures the Commander taught you."
"Yes... Your Highness."
"Even so, they really did it. Was the previous one merely intended as a rehearsal? This attack is incomparable in
both power and number."
Saying so, she spoke to Chrisia. Despite the dire
situation, her dignity was not lost at all, and Chrisia was awed by her
dignified appearance.
This is the battlefield Brother spoke of. Real war... And does it mean commanders, Father, Brother Darek,
and Brother Takuhir have also overcome such predicaments countless
times? For me... it's impossible. I
can't command at a time like this...
"Now, let's counterattack!
Now is the time to show the enemy army the wisdom of the Demon
Territory Count!"
After a while, bells began to be rung rapidly on the
battlefield. And Yuka was atop the watchtower established at the central
catapults with the Mages.
"Kaul-san, Aira-san and I will defend against fireball attacks, and lightning
strikes will be handled by lightning rods. Please supply ammunition with peace
of mind. Crawla-san, ignite on my signal! Please set the line of fire and
command the launch according to my flag."
"Understood!"
Spheres called annihilation rounds, which Kaul had
stored in space storage, were taken out one after another and carefully lined
up on the large receiving tray of the catapult. By that time, following Clarice's
instructions, a rain of stones was pouring down in various places on the heads
of the Mages on the opposite bank, and they were gradually retreating.
Confirming that the current was heading in one direction to some extent and seeing the
loading complete flag, Yuka sent the signal indicating direction and
range, and the signal for ignition preparation.
Shortly after, the flag for line of fire setting complete
went up.
Confirming that, Yuka measured the timing and issued
the ignition instruction.
"Ignition instruction confirmed! Igniting!"
When the ignition signal was shown, Yuka counted
slowly in her mind. This is one of the launch processes repeatedly trained in Ishtar.
Below, Crawla and the others watched the fuses sparking while
alternately watching the flag on the watchtower.
"Flag confirmed, fire annihilation rounds!"
The spheres launched vigorously from the catapults flew
through the blue sky with force due to the steel arms swung down greatly.
Simultaneously, Yuka activated wind magic, squeezing out all the power
she had to perform precision guidance.
The Fearalt Principality's Mage Corps had
regrouped at a position about 500 m away, thought to be outside range, to avoid the catapult
attacks. The predetermined objective had already been achieved, heavy damage
had been inflicted on the Kyle Kingdom Army's defensive positions, and
infantry had begun to approach to the enemy positions in various places, so
further attacks could result in friendly fire.
Their retreat was rather a planned action. It could be said
they had sufficiently fulfilled their role for further attacks later. It was
when the 200 members of the Mage Corps participating in this attack were
gathering at the assembly point.
Over a hundred spheres released aiming at the assembly point
flew over their heads with a sound cutting through the wind. And just before
many of them landed on the ground...
The area was enveloped in ear-splitting roars, blasts, and
flames. Before they could even scream, one after another were swallowed by the
blast and blown away, suffered severe burns, or were struck down by something
slicing through the area.
"Ugaah! My leg, my leg!" "It hurts! It
hurts!" "My eyes! I can't see, I can't hear anything, anything!"
After a moment of silence, the surroundings were filled with
screams and groans, and the whole area turned into a hellscape.
"Wh-What is it? Is this... the Kingdom's Fire
Magic?" "I-Impossible, such... absurd?"
Those lucky enough to be unharmed stood stunned. Due to the impact of the explosion, the ringing in their ears wouldn't stop,
and they couldn't hear any surrounding sounds.
This was the last secret plan entrusted by Takuhir,
bombs using gunpowder developed through years of research.
Details and development history of this will be told
separately, but in reality, it didn't have explosive power enough to be called
a bomb; its actual state was closer to a firework that couldn't fly on its own.
The big difference from fireworks was that what was packed
innumerably inside to scatter with the blast was not gunpowder balls called
stars, but small caltrops (iron spikes), which rode the blast to scatter around
and kill or injure those in the vicinity.
Until now, Takuhir himself had great hesitation in
using this gunpowder. If this goes out into the world, the means of fighting
would change completely, and it could become a weapon of mass destruction. Of
course, there is a possibility that its fangs could turn against themselves.
It is said that he would not have used this weapon, which he
kept thoroughly secret, without the just cause of protecting those he loved.
Therefore, this time too, he extracted a promise from Clarice
not to speak of it at all, and did not allow anyone other than trusted
companions and subordinate Mages to handle it.
"Wh-Wh-What! What on earth is that... what is
happening!"
The effect of the attack Yuka and the others carried
out was immense. At the Fearalt Principality main camp, everyone was
speechless and lost for words.
Of the 250 Mage Corps members, 150 were killed or
injured, and 50 suffered major hearing impairments despite light injuries. The
uninjured were only the 50 placed in other locations.
And the psychological shock of receiving a one-sided
slaughter for the first time was also great for them, who usually trampled the
enemy one-sidedly from a long distance.
"Your Excellency, please calm down. The enemy army
cannot perform that attack many times."
"I-Is that so? Does that mean Lesser was also
hit by that attack? And that it is not something that can be done many
times?"
"Yes, that is correct. Thanks to that, I was able to
survive."
Lugner's
statement was incorrect. Count Lesser had been guided to a place like a
minefield prepared in advance and simply ignited. This time was completely
different, but the existence of the weapon itself exceeded the range Lugner
could understand.
"I-Indeed. Then we must also bring the situation under
control and prepare for the all-out attack ahead. Issue instructions to the
whole army! Tell them not to panic, as this attack won't happen often!
Reorganize the formation while rescuing and transporting the wounded! The
Kingdom Army will crumble significantly soon. Matching that, cross the river
all at once with the whole army and capture that
unruly horse of noble blood. If we do that, we can win two battles!"
Thanks to
Marquis Scuria's words, even the Principality's
main camp, which had momentarily plunged into chaos, brought the disorder under
control and began to regain its composure.
The 8,000 reserve troops waiting at headquarters stifled
their fear, advanced, and took up positions on the floodplain.
Clarice
overlooked the progression of the battlefield from atop the defensive wall of
the high ground where the main camp was set.
On the floodplain of the left bank on the opposite side,
newly advanced soldiers were lined up. They all held up simple canopies made of
shields and wood, enduring the stone bullet attacks fired from catapults.
Moreover, because they were spread out over a wide area—and with our own
catapults now reduced by half—we were unable to effectively sweep them away.
And looking roughly around the river basin to this right
bank side, nearly 15,000 soldiers were already
on the verge of completing their crossing. Some enemy soldiers had already gained
a foothold on the defensive wall, and many enemy soldiers had advanced more
than halfway across the river, engaging in a fierce back-and-forth struggle as
they attempt to storm the fortifications.
Although Corps Commander Schultz dispatched troops
under his command to the left and right flanks, managing to push the enemy back
and hold the defensive line—if only barely, given the heavy casualties
sustained thus far, they have been unable to decisively wipe out the invaders.
"That is... what?"
She muttered
in spite of herself, her eyes fixed on a cloud of dust rising from the right
bank, far upstream. Just then, a scout burst in,
his face pale with panic.
"Urgent report! The detached force deployed upstream is
routing under attack from the enemy's detached force. The enemy is pursuing to
annihilate us! Please send reinforcements immediately, they say."
"As I thought... the burden was too heavy for them, huh? I can't send reinforcements in this situation... I'm
sorry. Orders to the Left Wing unit! Leave
the enemy in front to the Vanguard! Counterattack the forces closing in from
the left and hold the line!"
She issued the order immediately, but as the scene gradually
came into view, her anxiety only deepened. Kicking up clouds of dust as they
surged forward was an enemy army of overwhelming numbers.
It seemed there were 5,000 of them. They were advancing along this very bank, surging down
from upstream like a flood of people.
Then, as if
in perfect sync, approximately 8,000 soldiers on the left bank's floodplain
began to cross the river all at once
"This is bad! At this rate, we will be semi-surrounded
and annihilated!"
Clarice was stuck
for an answer to the person who raised their voice. She felt her heart, which
she had desperately tried to keep taut to behave resolutely until now, was
about to break.
Faced with unexpected developments occurring one after another,
her mind—usually so sharp—ground to a complete halt.
Until now, she had scolded herself many times in her
loneliness as a commander and clung desperately to the situation. She was
praised by those around her as having caliber too good for a woman, but inside
she was just a 16-year-old woman with shallow life experience.
Pride as royalty, her own dignity, and above all the feeling
of wanting to protect this country; she felt these were about to crumble away now.
『This
is a little, no, really bad... What should I do? Someone, please, tell me... Takuhir,
please...』
Clarice somehow
swallowed the words that were about to come out of her throat.
The Western Front was on the verge of shifting once more,
the tide of battle turning decisively toward the absolute advantage of the Fearalt
Principality.
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