Chapter 279
Expedition ③ — Decisive Battle at the Royal Capital
Translator : PolterGlast
The day after liberating Salaam, we left 1,000
infantry in the city as a garrison and advanced into the surrounding area of Salaam.
There was a reason for this. It was due to a request from
Count Flame, who had joined us at this point.
After the Kingdom Army's victory at Kleirat, he had
returned to Kylar once to check the situation on each front. Confirming
victories on all fronts—South, North, East, and West—and knowing there were no
concerns in the rear, he had rushed all the way to Salaam.
For us, unfamiliar with the internal affairs of the Principality,
the banners of nobles, and the situation within the territory, his presence offered
benefits such as stabilizing the border and providing information on the
surrounding nobles.
Count Flame also aimed to rally the King's faction
nobles, who were in a predicament as a minority unable to move as they wished,
and to bring in those who had decided to sit on the fence.
Thinking that would benefit our objective of desiring border
stability, we are cooperating with him.
And one other person—it couldn't be helped, but a promise is
a promise. As a result of suppressing Salaam, accompanying a bold change
in force deployment, we invited Princess Clarice to Salaam.
There was also the reason that pacifying the surrounding
area was indispensable to ensure the stability of Salaam.
At this point, we revised our troop deployment and assigned operational
areas again.
- Barrier
Gate Defense: 1,000 men (Expeditionary
Force)
- Salaam: 1,000 men (Expeditionary Force)
- Western
Area: 1,000 men (Expeditionary
Force)
- Northern
Area: 1,000 mounts (Royal Capital
Knights Third Army)
- Southern
Area: 4,000 mounts (Demon Territory
Knights & Third Army)
For the barrier gate defense, we appointed a general
recommended by the Princess, and advanced the army that had been handling perimeter
patrol to Salaam.
The infantry unit that participated in the Salaam
capture advanced west along the highway and deployed at the docks of the great
river connecting upstream to Fairy. I appointed Her Highness as the
commander of these two armies.
Of course, I have absolutely no intention of sending her to
the front lines. This was the barely acceptable concession I could make.
I appointed Gord as the captain of this Western Area
unit and gave him separate orders.
What I feared most was an attack on Salaam from the
west by descending the waterway from Fairy.
Therefore, at the docks at the end of the highway heading
west, I deployed 1,000 infantry and also dispatched Elan and others to
construct defensive positions.
And I instructed Commander Gord to abandon the
defense of the docks if the war situation became unfavorable, take the Princess
in Salaam, and retreat to the barrier gate.
Also, I asked the commander of the Third Army to lead
cavalry, move north along the highway, and secure key points leading to the
barrier gate and Salaam.
Only after all these deployments were done could our main
force advance south.
And as we started moving south, changes in the situation
began to occur within the Fearalt Principality as well.
The fact that we, the Kyle Kingdom Army, controlled
the border and suppressed Salaam and its surroundings meant that the
rebel army's expeditionary force of 30,000 had been defeated. While
broadcasting this fact within the Principality,
we slowly extended our sphere of influence to the south.
This influence was enormous, and just as Count Flame
had calculated, Principality nobles south of Salaam
who had not yet clarified their stance, and the King's faction noble armies that
had been fighting isolated battles, began to gather at Count Flame's
side all at once.
"Count Flame, I heard you have an urgent
report?"
Three days after leaving Salaam and beginning our southward advance, Count Flame, who had
been proceeding a little ahead of us, visited our camp personally requesting a
meeting.
Approaching within a day's distance of the Royal Capital, an
army of nearly 6,000 was already gathering under him, having rallied
surrounding forces.
"Yes, the situation in Fairy and the southern Principality
has finally become clear, so I came to report."
"Good news, I assume?"
Seeing the Count's bright expression, I could guess the
general situation. The rest is... a matter of degree.
"Exactly as you say. According to intelligence gathered
so far, the safety of my King has been confirmed. Currently, adding the First
and Third Armies of the Royal Guard Division and 10,000 troops from southern
lords, avoiding the river on the west side which is a natural moat, they are
confronting the rebel army of 30,000 on the plains east of the Royal Capital Fairy."
"Oh, so they survived the worst-case scenario initially
assumed, huh?"
"Yes, it is as Commander Weiss says. If the Demon
Territory Count's army and my army, totaling 10,000 troops, can choke the
rear of Fairy, the battle line where equal numbers were glaring at each
other will move all at once. Actually, I came to ask for that this time."
"If we settle this, all this war disturbance will end.
Lord Takuhir, the enemy army probably cannot grasp the situation
accurately and is becoming suspicious of the information brought to them. I
think we should march at once now and settle this war."
"On behalf of His Majesty the King, I also ask.
Please..."
"Understood. I would like to ask Count Flame to
select only fast cavalry and guide us to the decisive battlefield. We will also
increase the speed of our march from here. This time I intend to go all out
with that and that, but what do you think, Commander? Leaving too
many grudges for the future isn't a good policy either."
"That and that, huh?
Then we shall take the vanguard. In the presence of the Fearalt King
renowned for his valor, we will show a battle worthy of his
reputation."
Saying so, the Commander and I smiled fearlessly.
Opposite me, Count Flame was left alone, looking
blank, unable to grasp the content of our conversation. Well, that and that,
you know...
The day after the three of us conversed, we were able to
emerge southeast of the Royal Capital Fairy, at the rear where the rebel
army was laying a heavy formation on the battlefield confronting the King's
Army.
A force totaling 5,000 mounts—our 4,000 and the 1,000 led by
Count Flame—suddenly appeared on the plain that would be the decisive
battlefield.
Crossing the hills surrounding the plain, we could overlook
the state of the battlefield.
"Our Southern Front was blocked by the trees of the Demon
Territory and we couldn't overlook the entire battlefield, but this is
amazing. We can see the opposing armies, totaling 60,000, in a single glance."
Surprised by the sheer scale, I unintentionally muttered a
word of admiration.
From here, we could see in
the foreground, the rebel army units are largely divided into three groups
confronting the King's Army. According to Count Flame, the flag of the
Left Wing is the Second Army of the Royal Guard Division, the Center is the
unit led by the rebel leader Duke Ifris, and the Right Wing; each unit
of 10,000 is deployed in an encirclement formation extending greatly to the
left and right, the so-called Crane Wing Formation.
Against that, the King's Army is probably in a Fish Scale
Formation divided into units of 5,000 each—no, maybe a Rotating Wheel
Formation. The entire army was divided into six groups, forming a formation.
I remembered the Fourth
Battle of Kawanakajima and my heart raced.
"Commander, wouldn't you also like to command once on a
decisive battlefield where such large armies clash?"
"Hahaha, indeed, I have thought about moving an army of
tens of thousands with my own hands someday. But that must be under this flag;
I cannot compromise on that."
Saying so, the Commander looked up at our military flag, the
Demon Territory Knights flag, and smiled proudly. On jet-black fabric, a
hawk grasping a sword and flapping its wings dyed in white, bordered with gold
thread; our flag received the wind and fluttered powerfully westward.
"Besides, manipulating ten thousand with an army of a
thousand; that is somewhat thrilling for us tacticians."
Right... although he's following up, the Commander
originally commanded an army of tens of thousands. And he commanded an elite
cavalry unit of 20,000, moving them like his own limbs.
A year ago, before the truce agreement expired, he refused
the messenger who visited for recruitment, at
the will of the Third Prince of the Griffonia Empire, without a second
thought, and stubbornly stayed by my side.
"Commander, this time is an eccentric path, but I will
also do my best so that someday you can definitely command an army of tens of thousands."
"Hahaha, I look forward to it. But I, no, everyone in
the mercenary corps, is grateful that following you was an unmistakably correct
choice and truly a good thing. Please be assured on that point."
"Ah! I have one request. The rebel army's Left Wing,
the group furthest left from our view; although swept away by the intentions of
the upper echelon, they are those placed in the same Royal Guard Division as
us. They surely won't move. Therefore, please, I ask that you refrain from
attacking them."
Hmm? What does that mean? Even though they are the Royal
Guard Division, I heard from Count Flame himself that they were the ones
who betrayed the King first... Well, whatever.
"Count, understood. However, if they launch an attack
on us, we will counterattack without hesitation. Is that acceptable? "
"Yes, please do."
Count Flame's face full of confidence was quite unnatural
in this situation, but there is no time to discuss that now.
"Then Commander, shall we start soon?"
"Sir! Orders to the Demon Territory Knights and Royal Capital Knights Third
Army! Descend the hill while maintaining counterattack formation, and close in to 1,500 m from the enemy formation."
"Roger!"
We ran down the hill and redeployed around 1,500 m in front
of the enemy center. And behind the cavalry lining up to form a wall, Earth
Mages like Astor, along with Bart and Kaul, began to
move busily, proceeding with preparations for the operation.
"Um... charging an army of 30,000 with 4,000? The enemy
army surely has a Mage Corps as well, and while they may not be on the
same level as them, they still have a considerable number of Mages.
Isn't protruding meaninglessly too dangerous?"
"Lord Flame, please observe the style of the
army led by the Demon Territory Count thoroughly."
Despite the Commander's smiling words, Count Flame
looked considerably anxious.
The Count himself probably had thoughts that our role on
this battlefield should be not to participate in the battle line needlessly,
but just to choke the enemy's rear and behave as reinforcements of the King's
faction newly appearing on the battlefield.
"Lord Takuhir, preparations are complete in all points. All blue flags are up."
"Then Commander, I leave it to you."
"All Cavalry! Confirm loading of Estol Bows and spare
crossbows, conduct long-range mobile attacks. Prepare to charge in column
formation!"
"Bell, start rapid fire!"
"Charge!"
With the Commander's signal, the 4,000 cavalry began to
charge toward the thickest part where the enemy army center was positioned. The
killing spear charging in column formation was released toward the rebel army.
The decisive battle held on the outskirts of the Royal
Capital Fairy this day came to be told for a long time within the Fearalt
Principality.
The Kyle Kingdom's Killing Spear, the Kyle Kingdom's Non-Killing Spear, the Kyle Kingdom's Annihilation Magic, and along with the Annihilation Mage Demon Territory Count who led them, with the alias of the Black Hawk of the Gale...
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
-
[Gold]
B random
Nepheos
ShitaiNoKootoRyuu
[Silver]
Corey Hicks
Creris
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Jake Seagraves
Matthew Fraser
Xavier O'Donoghue
Anton Lim
Austin Lorenzo
Ctdela
Curious Panda
Didntpassit
nick nasca
openope
SD Fox
Yosua Lumbangaol
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
