Chapter 356
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
The Three-Nation Allied Army Enters the War
Translator : PolterGlast
The remarkable advance of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy
army gave a shock to many people. Since the outbreak of the war, they had won
consecutive victories, biting deep into the Third Prince's mandate territory,
and continuing a rapid advance to the point of threatening even the border of
the Westlights Demon Territory Dukedom. This was merely that the Demon
Territory Dukedom army had abandoned several bases according to Alexis's
instructions, and the army that was supposed to intercept had voluntarily
retreated. However, war results are often exaggeratedly trumpeted.
There were two people who seethed upon receiving this
report.
「Harry, did you hear? Those you managed did it splendidly! Fufufu,
their army is suffering consecutive defeats, losing several bases and
retreating, they say.」
「Yes... I have heard that as well,
but... isn't that a bit too fragile?」
「What are you saying! I can clearly
see the flustered state of those who have gotten carried away up to now! It
means that after all, they are inferior in numbers, cannot gain the advantage
of the terrain, and can do nothing without the ally called the Demon
Territory.」
「However, Your Highness, is the
report of a 30,000-strong military force true? Moreover, it seems those three
countries are not yet included.」
「That's right, they are not included
yet! Therefore, the ones attacking the brat are not a mere 30,000. It means at
least 60,000. Delightful, delightful, with this the north is checkmated. The
rest is just how to settle things post-war.」
「Will it be settled?」
「That is precisely why you ensnared those three nations to begin with, is it not? Just
as you schemed, in order for those three nations to suffer a blow so
devastating that they can never recover, we need that brat to fight as hard as
he can. If this remains so one-sided, we will get nowhere.」
「Your Highness, more importantly, we must...」
「I know, I have already issued a
manifesto to the entire Empire. It's
about time for us to take over Ende too. At this rate, it might be
stolen by the Sura Principality.」
「Yes, contact has also come in from
the messenger. Because it seems the fox (Sieghart) didn't request
reinforcements from the brat (Takuhir) either.」
「Hahaha, as expected of a clever fox.
He must have given up on the brat, seeing him as useless.」
Even looking at his master (Glorious) laughing
lightly, Harry could not suppress the anxiety welling up from the bottom
of his chest. Would those terrifying men who played them for fools so much be
defeated so easily?
Having traversed battlefields for many years, Harry
himself knows very well that the Goddess of Victory is capricious, and that the
excellent one does not necessarily become the victor. The history of the Empire up to now has also been like
that. Even the current Emperor was once the Fifth Prince, an existence far
removed from the imperial succession. If only the First Prince, who was
considered the most likely candidate and was renowned for his martial valor,
had not struggled to attack the Lute-Ville-Cain
Kingdom and failed in capturing it... No, accurately speaking, rather than
a failure, it is said he planned to pull back his army because they were
unexpectedly stubborn, rebuild his posture, and fight again. But seizing that
opening, the current Emperor, who was the Fifth Prince, attacked and destroyed
the Roland Kingdom in a blitzkrieg
operation. With that military achievement, the Fifth Prince’s succession to the
imperial throne was decided, while the First Prince, conversely, fell from
power. In the aftermath, the First Prince was left to rot away in
exile on the frontier, and the influential nobles who had supported him and
wielded immense power also fell from grace, entering a path of irreversible
decline.
『We will never expose such an
unsightly living shame.』
That was the
absolute resolve that Harry and the others had forged from the lessons of history.
「Your Highness, the true crucial
moment is from here on! There are still many things we must accomplish...」
Against the First Prince who was elated as if victory was
already certain, Harry strongly admonished him. So far, everything is
proceeding according to plan, no, better than expected. But depending on how
they maneuver from here, they could end up falling into a hole they dug
themselves.
「Hmph! I leave the trivial details
that follow to you! For I must prepare for my departure immediately.」
「Please wait! Moving soldiers
requires corresponding preparations. Until that is ready...」
「Haven't you been preparing
extensively up to now? What on earth have you guys been doing until now! Because
I cannot wait any longer, I will lead only the cavalry and go ahead to Ende!
You can come after making what you call preparations!」
Harry saw off
the First Prince, who stormed out clad in anger, with a large sigh. Drafting a
troop dispatch plan and the actual preparation for troop dispatch are
completely different things. If they prepare provisions and supplies and move
personnel, their movements will surely be exposed to the Third Prince's camp.
That is precisely why they had intended to make the final preparations after
the matter was decided.
But the impatient First Prince ignored Harry's
restraint and departed Griffin leading only 10,000 cavalry. The
remaining Harry, to make perfect preparations, departed the Imperial
Capital Griffin a few days later, accompanied by a military force of
20,000 rallied from various parts of the Empire.
The destination both aimed for was the city of Ende, the Third Prince's
base. From here on, the southern front plunges into its second act.
※
The royal palace of the Ville
Kingdom—one of the
three nations said to hold the very key to the trends of the northern front—was
in an absolute uproar over the reports that were flooding in one after another.
「Everyone, did you hear? They say
those guys are winning consecutive victories, invading with a rapid advance,
and now possess the momentum to close in on the Demon King's territory!」
「Yes, it seems so.」
「Is this the time to be calm! We must
also immediately dispatch our army from the border! The deployment of the
entire army is finished, isn't it?」
「Yes, over 10,000 soldiers have
already gathered at the border, and the additional 5,000 to be dispatched will
also be able to depart the Royal Capital shortly. I will immediately convey
that to the military commander on the front lines.」
The impatient King of Ville
harbored a wicked, underhanded motive. To outwit his brother countries and
stand in an advantageous position...
「Ah, no... wait! What are the
movements of those guys (the other two countries)?」
「According to the notice that arrived
earlier, the Lute Kingdom and the Cain Kingdom seem to have each prepared
a military force of over 10,000, and the Crown Princes of both countries are
leading the armies.」
「What! Why didn't you say that
sooner! If it's an army led by royalty, our army will end up being the lowest
in rank!」
「No, we firmly believed Your Majesty
would personally lead them... Also, if the army becomes 15,000, I thought we
would be overwhelmingly superior and could assert priority...」
『Tch! Are you telling me to go to the
battlefield?』
At the Minister's words, the King of Ville clicked his tongue in his heart. Because he himself was
thinking of snatching only the results from within the safe palace. But now, he
had no choice but to give up on that as unachievable.
「O-Of course! There is no problem
whatsoever because I will lead a military force superior in numbers. But...」
The King of Ville's
anxiety was common among the three countries. For all three countries,
experiencing actual combat was a quarter of a century ago, and since then they
had always maintained a distance from fighting. In other words... Almost all
the officers and soldiers serving in the army do not know actual combat. Just
as it was once with the soldiers held by many nobles in the Kyle Kingdom...
「Your Majesty, please do not worry.
In our army, the veteran generals who once fought against
the Empire's First Prince's army are
alive and well. If you encourage them on the battlefield, they will demonstrate
their power however you wish.」
For the King
of Ville, that was actually his
greatest source of anxiety. They were the ones who had opposed the deployment
until the very end and voiced their dissent; yet, because they knew the
realities of war, they held the deep trust and devotion of the soldiers, making
their instructions absolutely indispensable when it
came to tactical operations. Precisely because of this, the King—who had
initially declared that he would lead the army himself—had changed his mind to
avoid the bothersome exchanges with the veteran generals. If anything, he
intended to loudly publicize his own achievements if the invasion succeeded,
and, in the unlikely event of failure, hold them accountable to weed them out
entirely. Possessing an ambition that far outstripped his actual capabilities,
ruling over a country whose national prestige was in terminal decline while he
himself felt suppressed, he was, so to speak, a third-generation ruler who had
never known hardship. He was a man of such small caliber that Lugner had easily preyed upon the
darkness in his heart.
「Hmm... then I shall... lead the main
camp with an army of 5,000 as the Supreme
Commander of the three armies. The vanguard shall be served by the over 10,000
troops from each country.」
He was finally able to make that decision. With this
arrangement, he could fulfill his original desires while remaining completely
safe in the rear.
「Then, as soon as preparations are
complete, urgently advance the army to the border!」
Due to the King of Ville's decision, the northern front also transitioned to a new phase.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
-
[Gold]
B random
Nepheos
[Silver]
Corey Hicks
Creris
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Jake Seagraves
Matthew Fraser
Tbaum56
Xavier O'Donoghue
Anton Lim
Austin Lorenzo
Baelee
Bloodyemperor
Ctdela
Curious Panda
David Bankole
Enrique Miranda
nick nasca
SD Fox
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
