Chapter 257
Southern Front ⑪ - The True Conquest
Objective
Translator : PolterGlast
Late into the night at the Imperial Army encampment in the
Demon Territory near Aegis, there were still those discussing the next
day's operations. They were confirming the progress of another front and
discussing operational moves based on that.
"So, it will be completed by tomorrow morning, or
during the day at the latest?"
"Yes, the 12,000 men who infiltrated the inside are
working through the night in three shifts at breakneck speed."
"Is there no possibility of exposure to the
enemy?"
"Yes, 4,000 men have advanced into enemy territory and
are keeping watch over the surroundings. Their scouts have no leeway to enter
either. The remaining 4,000 are working on construction, and 4,000 are resting,
rotating shifts. Once dawn breaks, leaving the 4,000 on perimeter watch, 8,000
men will deal with the dangerous zone on the Demon Territory side all at
once."
"I see. Then tomorrow too, we must act as flashily as
possible. Is the deployment of ballistas complete?"
"Yes, although it involved some danger, we feigned a
retreat and finished the installation under cover of dusk. During the day, we
placed the carcasses of monsters slain so far in misleading directions, so the
response was completed without sacrifice. As expected of one who dwells on the
edge of the Demon Territory; Lord Kyrias's advice was accurate."
"I see. The Kingdom guys probably still think of us as
fools who know nothing of the Demon Territory. Even though people learn from
bitter experiences and gain wisdom to utilize it. So he was somewhat useful
after all."
Saying this, the First Prince laughed. As if shaking off the
humiliation he had once received.
"Harry, I entrust the 7,000 Iron Cavalry to you.
I'm counting on your command there. Now, I rely only on you."
"Yes! The mission to open the path to Your Highness's
glory—I have certainly received it. Please, do not overexert your precious
self."
"I know. I was saved by you today as well. I shall
strictly discipline myself not to get heated."
What they intended would become clear the next day, but the
vague anxiety Takuhir and his group harbored would prove correct in the
worst possible way.
On the second day of the opening battle for the Left Wing
camp, Takuhir, who was taking a nap during the predawn hours, was
awakened by a loud impact sound. In addition to the impact sound presumed to be
a physical attack, the shock of successive magic attacks assaulted him
immediately after he got up and tried to run out.
"Tch, an enemy attack? Even so, when did they deploy
siege weapons?"
Hurrying to rush out onto the castle wall at the very tip of
the star-shaped protrusion of the fortress, a sight that made me want to cover
my eyes spread before me. The Commander, who was on duty and had arrived at the
scene a step earlier, was running around shouting instructions. Apparently,
this happened immediately after Shannon reported hearing footsteps
moving in the enemy camp and a security alert was issued.
"Do not panic! Each Mage, be vigilant for
further magic attacks and prepare to deploy defensive umbrellas at any time!
Transport the wounded to the rear for first aid! A second volley from the
ballistas might come. Treatment comes after transport! Everyone, evacuate to
the rear from here immediately!"
When everyone, including those transporting the wounded,
evacuated from that corner at the Commander's instruction, a fierce second
volley from the ballistas struck. Simultaneously with the impact, sharp objects
attached to the tips bounced around the area.
Adding insult to injury, Fire Magic and Thunder Magic
assaulted the corner of the defensive wall protruding into the Demon Territory
in a star shape.
"Commander, this is..."
"I apologize. They got us. This is likely the enemy
attack that assaulted the Margrave. A simultaneous attack by nearly 100
ballistas cannot be underestimated. To aim for the gap when our attention was
diverted by this attack and add magic attacks..."
"Everyone, listen up!
This fortress won't budge from an attack of this level. If we're hit, we just
hit back! The enemy attack is coming from about 300 to 400 mels from the tip of
the fortress, around there for sure. Shannon! Roughly is fine, do you
know the distance and direction?"
"Yes, between Right 2 and 4. Distance, 300 m!"
"Everyone who can use a bow, volley fire according to
command! Wind Mages, guide to Right 2 through 4 at 300 m respectively! Beat
the gong repeatedly!"
Thanks to Shannon beside me wittily amplifying my
voice, instructions reached many. Confirming they raised their Estoll Bows
all at once, I issued the attack order.
"Gong, begin three strikes!"
The gong, which had been beating repeatedly, stopped for a
moment and began beating three strikes slowly. And on the third strike, arrows
were released all at once.
"Prepare for second and third volleys
immediately!"
Saying this, I spoke to the Commander waiting beside me.
"Commander, I leave the command from here to you."
Telling him that, checking the surrounding situation, I
started running. Before I knew it, Anne
and Sigurd were running alongside me, slightly ahead as if to become
shields.
Normally, as part of the Commander's training, we have
trained extensively to jump up from sleep and counterattack, and to estimate
direction and shoot into the darkness at night. Also training to aim accurately
from any position in the fortress by numbering directions that serve as targets
to some extent.
So, I thought the Imperial side who conducted the surprise
attack should be the ones confused, receiving a counterattack that paid no heed
to it. The reason I ran out defenselessly was that I anticipated this and
judged there would be no further attacks.
After receiving the initial series of attacks, I went out
onto the defensive wall and, seeing the subsequent enemy second volley, held a certain
conviction.
After the top of the castle wall was illuminated by flames
from Fire Magic, they changed their sniping position. Although they scattered
the attacks to some extent, the enemy's aim is likely the watchtowers at
various points of the star-shaped protruding tips. If that prediction is
correct, there is a possibility they are doing something they don't want seen.
Reaching the very tip of the fortress protrusion where
debris was scattered everywhere, I strained my eyes. And I put the portable
simple telescope to my eye.
What I saw there was... Faint dust clouds continuing toward
the east from the place the Imperial Army used as an encampment far away.
"I knew it! The enemy's aim is surely Ishtar,
not Aegis! Damn it! I've been had, huh..."
It didn't sit well with me that there had been no movement
since the report early yesterday morning that the enemy had attached to the
mountainous area on the Ishtar side. Nor the half-hearted attack on Aegis
the enemy conducted yesterday.
"Sigurd! Hurry and instruct them to raise the
balloons! Two balloons: Red-Red-Blue, and Yellow-Red-Blue!"
Alexis, Count
Gorman, please realize the meaning I want to convey. I stared at the
eastern sky as if praying.
Around the time Takuhir was astonished by the
Imperial Army's intention, there was someone on the side of the Imperial Army
who conducted the surprise attack who couldn't hide his surprise either.
"Tch, to think they would conduct an immediate,
coordinated counterattack despite receiving a surprise attack. Make the units
deployed on the front lines and the Mages retreat to the rear
immediately! At this rate, the losses won't be trivial."
It's no wonder the First Prince was surprised. With this
surprise attack, they were able to inflict what could be called a severe blow
on this fortress for the first time.
But they came out for a counterattack immediately. And with
accurate shooting. The fact that magic attacks got through means there must
have been some agitation in the enemy army from the first strike of the
ballistas. Yet they recovered immediately.
" Hmph, so
this is this fortress's defensive power. Certainly, as that old man said, it
cannot be underestimated. To think I initially intended to attack this place
head-on. Thinking about it now makes me shudder..."
After muttering that, he raised his head again.
"But there is no reason to willingly attack an
impregnable fortress. You lot can barricade yourselves there and boast of being
undefeated until this Kingdom perishes. If you get impatient and come out onto
the plain, that's when we will overrun you!"
The First Prince declared as if Takuhir and the
others were right in front of him, puffing out his chest.
Yes, he had adopted a bold and fearless tactic regarding the
conquest of Teigoon.
The main unit he led was 3,000 Iron Cavalry and 8,000
infantry. Totaling only 11,000. The detached force was 7,000 Iron Cavalry and
12,000 infantry who secretly left the encampment taking advantage of the
earlier attack. Totaling 19,000. This is a superiority of more than five times
against the entire combat power of the Kyle Kingdom side defending Ishtar
and the barrier.
Although he acts as a decoy to attack Aegis, he still
holds double the combat power of the defenders. Through prior espionage, they
had roughly grasped the military strength of each sector and allocated troops
to be most advantageous and ensuring they wouldn't lose on either side.
To begin with, the mountainous area leading to the Ishtar
sector has steep cliffs and abatis deployed everywhere, and since only infantry
who can remove obstacles by hand and climb cliffs can enter, horses and
monsters cannot pass. The First Prince responded to this premise with human
wave tactics of 12,000 people.
First, on the first day, pretending to attach to the
mountainous area, he let only one unit cross the border to keep watch, while
making the rest work to construct a passage accessible from the Demon
Territory.
At night, everyone advanced from the Demon Territory side
into the Demon Territory Count's domain to ensure safety, and conversely
proceeded with construction to open a passage toward the Demon Territory
direction. They worked through the night cutting down steep cliffs, removing
abatis, and piling up sandbags to create a road passable for cavalry. To
execute the operation of advancing Iron Cavalry, said to be undeployable on the
Ishtar side, and crushing the defense army with numbers and rushing
power.
This is the full picture of the attack plan established by
the First Prince.
Although similar yet different from the strategy Sieghart
told Takuhir several years ago, it was tactically similar.
Sieghart's
strategy was to ignore Ishtar, rush through the Kingdom territory left
undermanned by troop deployment as if running through uninhabited fields, and
aim for the Royal Capital. The First
Prince aimed to annihilate Ishtar, invade the Demon Territory Count's
domain from the rear, and destroy it thoroughly.
Because of this major difference, it became something
similar yet different... But the depth of the misplaced resentment he and the
army he led held against the Demon Territory Count became a major
shackle.
Thus, Takuhir and the others, the Kingdom's Right
Wing Defense Army, especially the Ishtar Defense Army led by Alexis,
faced their greatest crisis here.
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