Chapter 261
Southern Front ⑮ — Battle for Ishtar
(Dissonance)
Translator : PolterGlast
Chronologically, this goes back a bit to the time when battle
commenced at the barrier gate defended by
Count Gorman, and at Ishtar.
Around the time fierce battles were unfolding at the barrier
gate defending Ishtar from the Demon Territory side and
surrounding Ishtar, Takuhir in Aegis was worried about
their safety and the outcome of the battle, fretting over his inability to take
concrete measures.
Since morning, I had been pacing aimlessly atop the castle
walls of Aegis. I just couldn't calm down. I couldn't help but worry
about the reaction to the warning I sent and the movements of the Imperial
Army's detached force.
"How is it? Any reply since then?"
"Yes! The reply from the barrier gate has the Z Flag
raised, but there seems to be no reply from Ishtar yet."
"I see..."
I could only respond curtly to the soldier in charge.
Please, Alexis, realize it...
He spent a long time with me at the academy. As a friend
with whom I discussed tactics and talked extensively, he should surely realize.
Thinking so, I continued to wait for reports as if praying.
"Commander, what do you think about dispatching
reinforcements to the Ishtar area?"
"To put it bluntly, it is
exactly as you are thinking right now, Takuhir-sama..
Together, we can only pray for their good fight, and fulfill our duties
here."
"Right..."
In the worst-case scenario, I have strictly ordered both Ishtar
and the barrier gate to retreat to Gaia without fighting to the death or
conducting unreasonable defense battles. I have deployed necessary horses for
escape for that purpose, enabling all personnel to move on horseback. Also,
hidden passages (tunnels) and such are prepared in various places, properly
leaving retreat paths even if surrounded by enemies.
If I panic and move now, that is likely one of the enemy's
aims. If I send my meager forces to the barrier gate, there is more than enough
possibility of being ambushed on the way. And if we confront an enemy army more
than double our size in a field battle without a plan, we will surely lose. The
power of numbers is ruthless. Rather, there are more cases
where clever tactics can do nothing against it.
The one thing I must not do right now is panic and move
recklessly based on the premise of defeating the many with the few.
Just then, the reply from Ishtar via the barrier
gate, followed by the report of battles commencing at the barrier gate, and then at Ishtar, came in
rapid succession.
"The defenses of the barrier gate are extremely solid.
Even assuming the worst—that the gate itself were seized and thrown open—it
would still be incredibly difficult to capture the superstructure and the
barrier complex as a whole. Takuhir-sama, you had it built to be that solid, renovations included, did
you not? Count Gorman is a veteran
of a hundred battles, and his subordinates are all fierce warriors. If it is
just for a few days, they will defend it to perfection."
I was encouraged by the Commander's words.
"Then Commander, shall we make preparations to go on
the offensive, so as to lighten their burden even slightly? Let's
start that attack with the catapults."
"I think that would be good."
I was swinging between joy and sorrow at the battle reports
from the barrier gate, but ultimately...
Yellow-White-Red (Enemy attack at barrier gate repelled
completely, battle situation advantageous)
Red-White-Red (Enemy attack at Ishtar repelled
completely. Battle situation advantageous)
Receiving these reports, I regained my composure.
In this situation, we cannot afford to lose either, and must
do what needs to be done. The harassment attacks and prevention of enemy
attacks carried out since morning were steadily producing effects.
That was using catapults to scatter the innards and blood of
monsters, which we had collected and stored in advance, aimed at the locations
where the Imperial Army took positions as their front lines. With this, it will
become difficult for them to attack with Mages or ballistae. After all,
the gathering positions for conducting attacks have become danger zones where
monsters gather. If they lose their patience over this and try to scale the
walls, they will be playing right into our hands.
In this way, I repeated a war of nerves with the First
Prince until sunset.
As dusk approached, messengers from the Imperial Army
visited the city of Ishtar. One of those visiting Alexis and the
others as a messenger was an Imperial soldier taken prisoner who had been released
from Ishtar prior to this to serve as a messenger.
"We have come bearing a letter from Duke Harry,
Vice Commander of the Imperial Left Wing Army. First, we express our gratitude
for the courteous treatment of our compatriots, and at the same time, we offer
our humble condolences for your army's war dead."
The letter from Duke Harry they brought contained the
following:
『To
the Demon Territory Count Solis and the Commander of the Ishtar
Defense: I express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks for the compassionate
treatment of the Imperial soldiers.
Taking advantage of your kindness, from tonight until sunset
tomorrow, we will devote ourselves to burying the remains of our compatriots
courteously and comforting their spirits. I declare in advance that during this
period, we will suspend all military actions not only at the burial site but
also in the entire area inside the Demon Territory.
After that, we intend to face a decisive battle carrying the
fate of our respective motherlands fairly and squarely, but if your army has
the intention to surrender, I pledge on the name of an Imperial Duke to protect
your honor and prepare a place where your lofty aspirations can be utilized in
this country even after the war. In that case, please do not hesitate to speak
up. We would welcome you as friends.』
"So, Duke Harry
is a man of high pride who hates to lose—is that what it was
saying? "
Reading the letter once, Alexis laughed as he said
that.
"Hmm, I suppose the condescending attitude is
unavoidable... "
"Indeed, the other party is a Duke, after all.
Moreover, of the Empire. The Demon Territory Count is treated as a Margrave, so he is several ranks lower in hierarchy. And dealing
with small fries like us..."
Viscount Cornell also responded with a laugh to Count
Solis's point.
"Anyway, it was fortunate that we gained a time
reprieve as the Commander read. I must say, you are indeed the man Chrisia
chose."
"No... that is, I am embarrassed."
"So, how does the Commander intend to use this
time?"
"Yes, Count Solis. They will learn of our
tactics from the returned prisoners and the generals who retreated, and next
they will attack in a form that seals those tactics. Therefore, we will set
traps responding to that."
"Oh, it seems the Commander possesses a fountain of resourcefulness not inferior to the Demon
Territory Count."
"No, no, Viscount Cornell, mine is all
secondhand from Takuhir-sama, so the source is all Takuhir-sama."
"Even so, gaining a reprieve of a full day in various
senses is fortunate. Nay, it was a splendid feat."
"I am very happy to receive Count Solis's words
for my untalented self."
Neither Alexis who answered so, nor of course Count Solis
or Viscount Cornell, nor anyone present there at that point could even
imagine that the weight of this one day they earned would lead to a momentous
event that would change history.
And while the next day during which the temporary ceasefire
was held seemed to pass peacefully at a glance, a small problem was arising
within the Griffonia Imperial Army.
"What did you say! The soldiers' morale is dropping?
What does that mean!"
Duke Harry showered the reporter with an angry voice.
"Yes. We received the return of over two hundred
prisoners with light wounds from the enemy army. Under the pretext of
transporting the corpses of the war dead and securing the safety of the resting
place. Centered on those released prisoners, voices are rising that fighting
the Demon Territory Count any further is futile."
"The Iron Cavalry... the proud elite of the Empire?"
"Yes, precisely because they are proud. They are deeply
moved by the treatment by the Demon Territory Count's army: rescuing and
treating without distinction between friend and foe once the battle is over,
and burying corpses courteously even if they were enemies crossing swords just
moments ago. Many are impressed by these acts... Due to the enemy army's
strategy, they harbor war-weariness."
"What! Does this mean they foresaw even this and went
so far as to release prisoners against common sense..."
Duke Harry could only be speechless.
But the facts were slightly different from their
imagination. Actually, those seeds had been sown before the battle began.
Baron Durul; this man was originally one of the
nobles belonging to Marquis Bradley of the First Prince's faction, and
due to his family lineage, he had many acquaintances in the First Prince's
Royal Guard. After the prisoner return, he switched to the Third Prince's
faction, then distinguished himself in the battle against the Principality of Sura, was promoted to Viscount, and steadily solidified his
footing within the Third Prince's faction.
When he learned of this expedition, he was furious like a
raging fire and immediately went to remonstrate with the Third Prince. Then, after learning the Third Prince's true intentions, he sheathed his
spear and next went around visiting acquaintances belonging to the Left Wing
camp led by the First Prince.
He preached the favor of the Matsuyama Method the Demon
Territory Count performed for Imperial soldier prisoners, asking them to
refrain from participating if possible. If they did participate, he persistently
went around persuading them, citing the favors they once received from the
residents, to treat even enemy soldiers with compassion on the pride of the
Imperial Army, and absolutely never to commit unreasonable acts against the
residents (Rosa) of occupied territories.
Naturally, influential officers of the Iron Cavalry laughed
at him, saying 'What naive things are you saying before a battle,' and paid him
no heed. But when events exactly as Viscount Durul said actually
occurred to themselves or those around them, it was a different story.
"As proud knights, we ought to repay the favor. They
are people far too worthy to simply be crushed beneath our hooves."
Such words were rising from various places. Therefore,
accurately speaking, it was not war-weariness; the will to fight itself had not
waned, but hostility had greatly decreased. Harry and those who reported
to him did not understand this point and were making a huge misunderstanding.
"In the battle at the barrier gate, many wounded also
appeared. However, we cannot advance carrying the wounded, so leave the wounded
to those blown by the wind of cowardice; we will advance tomorrow morning to
capture the enemy fortress. We will question the crimes of those with low
loyalty to the Empire later; for now, leave them here along with the
burdens!"
Due to such circumstances, 1,000 infantry wounded in the
barrier gate battle, 200 disarmed Iron Cavalrymen returned as former POWs (Prisoner of
War), and 200 Iron Cavalrymen who
sympathized with them remained as their guards at the main camp.
"Terrifying bunch. That is precisely why we must crush
them completely. To establish a new government in this land..."
Duke Harry realized anew the terror of the enemy army and strengthened his hostility even further. And the battle that would be the climax of this Southern Front was about to begin now.
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