Chapter 264
Southern Front ⑱ — The Malice of
History
Translator : PolterGlast
The detached force led by Duke Harry, which aimed to
conquer Ishtar, was initially a major force of 12,000 infantry and 7,000
Iron Cavalry. Compared to Count Gorman's barrier gate defense unit of
1,200 and the Ishtar Defense Army of 2,500, this was overwhelming, and
the Imperial Army's victory seemed guaranteed.
However, several misconceptions and coincidences on the
battlefield favored the Kyle Kingdom faction.
When the detached force advanced, the First Prince
ostensibly deployed warhorses disguised as a supply train towards the Aegis
area, moving them meaninglessly. This was to disguise the fact that the
majority of the Iron Cavalry had left as a large-scale detached force.
Seeing this, Takuhir and the others had fallen
completely for that deception. Initially flustered by the existence of the
detached force, seeing the dust clouds rising before his eyes and the immense
number of warhorses, Takuhir estimated the Iron Cavalry dispatched as a
detached force to be 2,000 to 3,000 mounts.
If he could have had a bird's-eye view of the battlefield
and known the facts, history from that point on might have changed. Facing a
detached force boasting overwhelming numbers and striking power, he must have
overridden the opposition of his aides to split his troops and dispatch
reinforcements, fully aware of the recklessness. Even while knowing it was a
mere drop in the bucket...
Having misidentified the facts and been forced into a
tightrope-walking response, they won the battle on this front due to the
uncertain factors of Ishtar's miraculous victory and the coincidence of Darek's
participation.
"Report from the lookout! Following Yellow-White-White,
Red-White-White! Reports of friendly victory have risen from the barrier gate
and Ishtar!"
Receiving this report, the Aegis main camp erupted in
great excitement.
"They did it! With this, our concerns are gone. We
cannot lose either!"
Seeing the Commander boiling with joy with a relieved
expression, I thought. The Commander himself probably wanted to go as
reinforcement to the Ishtar area the most. But considering me and the
main camp, he suppressed his heart and behaved coolly.
"In that case... I didn't really want to do it, but since it's about time we settled this in one go, shall
we use that? The Iron Cavalry could
be a considerable threat when we go out of the castle walls on the
offensive."
"Report! An express messenger has arrived from the
barrier gate! He seems to carry a message from Count Gorman that he
wishes to inform you immediately!"
"Let him through at once! We want to know the war
situation too."
Apparently, due to the victory in the battle at the barrier
gate this time, they had the leeway to send a messenger through the enemy's
security network. Thinking so, I granted an audience to the messenger.
"Pardon me. The barrier gate achieved victory by
crushing the Viscount Kyrias Army of 1,000 thanks to the participation
of the Frontier Knights led by Lord Darek. The reinforcement
units proceeded as is to pincer the enemy army attacking the Ishtar
area—about 12,000 infantry and 7,000 Iron Cavalry—with the defense forces, and it appears they were victorious. In the Ishtar
area, no organized enemy forces exist, and it seems to have shifted to a
mopping-up operation. Your allies have won a great victory!"
"What!"
Before rejoicing in victory, the Commander and I raised
voices of surprise simultaneously. 19,000 enemy troops participated in the
attack on the Ishtar area?
That was exactly the point we were surprised by.
"Is there no mistake in the total number of enemy
forces?"
"Yes, it is the number observed by multiple lookouts
from the watchtower of the barrier gate. Furthermore, my lord has sent
messengers to Ishtar to confirm the situation... Ah! My apologies!
Adding the Viscount Kyrias Army, the enemy's total number was 20,000. I
apologize!"
"..."
No, our doubt isn't about that...
"My lord also said this: 『Because
a unit of the Frontier Knights suppressed the mountainous area, the
enemy army became rats in a trap, and their combat power is completely lost.
Now that the enemy cannot grasp the situation, it is a good opportunity to
strike the enemy's main camp,』 he says."
"!!!"
The Commander and I gasped and looked at each other's faces.
"Commander! Prepare immediately! We will settle this
all at once here."
"Understood!"
Count Gorman risked danger to send a messenger and
specifically inform us of this precious opportunity. Even so, not knowing this
desperate situation, I had placed a heavy burden on my allies; huh?
"Still, saved by big brother Darek again... but
how did he bypass the battlefield to get here?"
At this time, I did not know of the situational changes
within the Kingdom triggered by the death of Margrave Hastburg, nor the
operational instructions from the Old Raccoon taking advantage of it. This
series of events would later be told for a long time as King Kyle's
decisive judgment and the blade released by Margrave Hastburg as the
protector of the country even in death...
Around the time Takuhir and the others were receiving
the victory report, there were those waiting impatiently for a friendly victory
report. Anticipating that the eastern defense city would fall and lead to the
total collapse of the Kyle Kingdom Army garrison, they had been
patiently enduring the 'harassment' attacks from the Aegis side for the
past few days.
"Still no news from Harry? There has been no
report since he informed us that he would enter an all-out attack
yesterday?"
"Surely he is pursuing the routing enemy army. In a
little while, our Iron Cavalry will appear at their rear via Teigoon."
"Indeed..."
The First Prince, replying briefly, could only suppress his
impatient heart. His misfortune was having no means of communication with the
detached force. Except for running messengers...
If they had known of the detached force's defeat and
disastrous state, they would have swallowed their tears and turned the army
back, or abandoned the Aegis conquest and moved the army to the Ishtar
area.
"It can't be helped. Send a messenger to Harry
just in case. They are helpless fellows, neglecting reports while engrossed in
the bait dangling before their eyes."
The messenger sent out by the First Prince's order never
reached Duke Harry afterward. Because at that time, the Duke himself was
wounded and had become a prisoner of Alexis and the others.
And as for
the invasion route built in the mountains—their only path of escape from this
deathtrap—Darek, having received information from Count Gorman,
had dispatched a detached force of 1,000 cavalry led by Erol, and it was already under their control.
Even in this process, misfortune assaulted the First
Prince's camp.
Before Erol occupied this land, the ones encamped
closest to this invasion route meant to be the retreat path were 1,000 wounded
soldiers placed in the rear and 400 Iron Cavalry entrusted with them. Newly 500
wounded soldiers from the previous day's attack had been sent back to them, and
they bore the role of protecting them.
"Hey! An enemy army of about 1,000 mounts is coming
this way."
"Wh-What! What happened to Duke Harry's main
force? Didn't they capture that fortress?"
"We should retreat from here immediately!"
They were bewildered by the sudden attack of a numerically
superior enemy army. Although their total strength was 400 Iron Cavalry, 200 of
them were the men who had been returned as prisoners of war after being
mobilized for burial and corpse transport duties; they possessed neither horses
nor armor, nor even swords.
"200 against 1,000, it's no contest. We should retreat immediately!"
"Carrying 1,500 wounded?"
"..."
They were perplexed. There was no way they could retreat
carrying 1,500 burdens. At that time, one man raised his voice.
"Do you understand what it means to retreat through the
Demon Territory carrying wounded soldiers! Recall how Marquis Bradley's
army was annihilated, and subsequently how our expeditionary force totally
collapsed. Do you want to lead this battle to defeat and make our allies food
for monsters!"
The story from that time is an anecdote known to everyone,
passed down in the Imperial Army like a nightmare. For a moment, everyone
shuddered.
"However, on our pride, we cannot abandon our
compatriots. We have an obligation to protect those who cannot fight. I will
surrender in exchange for requesting the enemy army to protect and treat the
wounded soldiers. If that is not granted, on the pride of the Iron Cavalry, I
will take as many as possible with me."
Saying so, he raised a white flag and threw himself into the
enemy army. In his heart—and in the hearts of those who shared his
sentiments—remained the memory of the lenient treatment Alexis had shown even to the enemy forces at the outbreak of the
war.
"Oh? The spirit to protect the wounded to the end
without abandoning them is worthy of praise."
The one who muttered so was Erol, dispatched as the
detached force. This also was fortunate for the Imperial soldiers.
If it were Margrave Hastburg soldiers or Farmus soldiers
burning with revenge, they might not have accepted their surrender. But the
soldiers under Erol, who once attacked the Baron Solis territory
as a rebel army and were subsequently pardoned upon returning, took a
compassionate response even toward enemies from their own experience. They
actively lent a hand in nursing the wounded soldiers, and as a result, many
wounded soldiers were able to prolong their lives.
Due to such circumstances, the only ones who should have
brought a report to the main force led by the First Prince also surrendered to
the Kyle Kingdom without fighting.
History, to regain its original flow, sometimes scattered
various calamities as coincidences that did not take shape. Its fangs were not
directed only at Takuhir and the others.
The malice of history, taking the form of accidental
misfortune, also rained down on the First Prince, who in the original
(previous) history was destined to lose the succession to the throne and
disappear from the front stage. The parties involved had no way of knowing
this.
Thus, the First Prince was isolated deep within the enemy territory, inside the Demon Territory, becoming merely a being waiting for the time to decide the outcome.
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