Chapter 367
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
Southern Front ⑥ – Thoughts of
Repaying Debts of Gratitude
Translator : PolterGlast
By the time the First Army under Marquis Gorman
and the Second Army under Marquis Solis had thoroughly shattered
the Cain Kingdom army and
were raising their victory anthems, the Empire forces under Viscount Durul, confronting the
ten-thousand-strong Ville Kingdom
army positioned at the absolute westernmost sector, were enveloped in a
delicate, suffocating tension. Confronting an enemy unit of ten thousand with
his own force of eight thousand, they were virtually evenly matched. Mutually
recognizing the other as a formidable adversary, both armies remained
completely locked in place, staring each other down without making a definitive
move. To be precise, there had been numerous minor feints, provocations, and
probes, but because both sides read the field flawlessly and reacted with
instantaneous precision, they systematically neutralized each other's strategic
baiting traps. As a result, the engagement had dissolved into a perpetual
stalemate, resembling an endless game of "Sennichite" (a repetitive, deadlocked position in Shogi/Chess).
「 Your Excellency, is it truly wise
for our army to simply continue staring down the enemy unit in this manner? We
have already received confirmed updates that the two generals under His Majesty
the Archduke's direct command have utterly crushed the Cain Kingdom army and secured an absolute
victory…… 」
The man offering this counsel was a warrior named Dlements.
He had originally served as a knight under Marquis Bradley, but after
being taken prisoner alongside Viscount Durul during the grueling siege
to capture Teigoon, they had spent their captivity together as
foundational members of the Imperial
Comrades Association. Following their formal return to the Empire's service, he had remained at
the Viscount's absolute right hand, braving the brutal campaigns against
the Sura Principality by his side. To
him who had supported him with excellent capability time and time again,
Viscount Durul had exceptionally selected him as his second-in-command in this
battle.
「 That too is our vital role, 」 the Viscount responded calmly. 「 From what I can deduce, the army
deployed before our eyes is the single most formidable opponent on this entire
front. Keeping them completely pinned down so they act as idle troops, entirely
unable to contribute to the shifting wider warzone, is itself a paramount duty.
」
「 A reasonable point…… We absolutely cannot afford to let them break this
containment and advance any further to the west. 」 Saying this, Dlements let out a confident smile as
he looked upon his commander.
「 I—Indeed, 」 the Viscount cleared his throat, a sudden stiffness
entering his posture. 「
We must stand as an unyielding defensive wall for the western sector. Most
specifically, we cannot permit a single enemy soldier to trespass into the
mandate territory governed by Count Kampfer. 」
「 Naturally, Your Excellency. I
highly doubt any of those reckless bandits possess the sheer lunacy required to
overextend their lines all the way into the Lorelei region…… right? 」
「 O—Of course not! We must absolutely
prevent it at all costs. Even if it demands my very life…… yes. 」
『 What
an easy-to-understand person,
』
Dlements thought to himself, thoroughly amused. 『 He
is clearly sick with worry over that beautiful lady. Ever since I departed from Teigoon, I have not
been uniquely blessed with an opportunity to meet her firsthand. Yet, I
too am an individual whose very life was salvaged by her grace. Even if
the rest of us do not harbor a secret romantic longing like His Excellency,
every single one of us holds an extraordinary, deep-seated devotion toward her
and her companions. 』
In this specific northern campaign, besides Dlements himself, all 120 of the elite Empire soldiers who had been formally returned after the prisoner-exchange
and now served the Third Prince's camp had passionately volunteered to march.
Driven by a fierce, unyielding desire to repay the immense debt of having their
lives saved, and to return the profound kindness they received during their
care at Teigoon, they had steeled their souls for this war. Furthermore,
Alexis had formally imparted
into his reports the critical intelligence that Rosa had personally
departed for the ruined capital of Lorelei, dedicating herself to
persuading the stubborn local church, the orphanage, and the residual citizens
to evacuate.
『 That
person truly treats even the common citizens of the Empire without a shred of discrimination, her entire being
overflowing with profound benevolence.
The passage of time has done nothing to alter her beautiful heart. It
seems she has gone and added yet another immense debt of gratitude that we can
never repay…… 』 Within Dlements's chest lay
a deep, reverent affection for Rosa, operating on a slightly different
wavelength than Viscount Durul’s pure romantic longing.
In the midst of their quiet exchange, an entirely
unanticipated cascade of urgent scouting reports walloped their headquarters,
striking the command structure with an immense shock.
「 Urgent report! An urgent report has
just arrived from our espionage unit! A massive hidden detachment from the Ville
Kingdom army, which lay concealed
deep beyond the border lines, has initiated a sudden, aggressive advance and
broken straight into Count Kampfer’s mandate territory! Their numbers……
are estimated to be roughly five thousand troops! It is highly projected that
their marching trajectory is locked directly onto Lorelei! 」
「 Reporting! The ten-thousand-strong
enemy army deployed right before our eyes has initiated a brand-new maneuver!
They are maintaining their rigid tactical formation but are systematically
drifting their entire line further to the west! 」
「 This is bad! Rosa-sama is in
danger! 」 The exact
instant the words left the messenger's lips, Viscount Durul surged to
his feet, his chair scraping violently against the earth.
Yet…… the main enemy unit directly before his eyes was
already moving in tandem. If he were to recklessly detach his forces to launch a rescue mission, the veteran general steering the Ville forces was hardly naive
enough to let such a glaring vulnerability slide. His rear division would be
instantly smashed, or worse, the enemy would sweep southward to ruthlessly
strike the exposed flanks and rear of their allied forces.
「 Guh! What should I do…… 」 Caught in a suffocating vice
between his deepest human emotions and his absolute, unyielding responsibility
as a military commander, Viscount Durul froze for a single, agonizing
second. He felt a crushing weight wallop his chest, his heart hammering
violently against his ribs as panic threatened to seize his mind.
「 Your Excellency, please allow me to
humbly present a definitive tactical proposal! Lead one thousand elite cavalry
and depart for Lorelei this exact instant! That person is the ultimate
benefactor to our entire Empire.
Under no human circumstances must we allow even a shadow of catastrophe to
befall her! 」
「 B—But, Dlements! If I leave—
」
「 If you
cannot even protect the very person you care about, what will you accomplish?!
Furthermore, she is the benefactor of our people! Even at this very second, she
has placed her own life on a dangerous front line specifically to ensure the
escape of our Empire
citizens! 」
「 But…… this is a purely personal
matter, and as a commander…… 」 Viscount Durul continued to falter, trapped in
immense hesitation, entirely unable to make a decision.
「 Your Excellency! 」 Dlements bellowed, his voice cutting through the tent with absolute
intensity. 「 To
protect the people of the Empire—this,
too, is an important, sacred role entrusted to us directly by His Excellency
the Chief of the General Staff, Sieghart! Do you honestly mean to
suggest that we, who survived the fierce, unyielding meat-grinders against the Sura
Principality, would fall behind just because 1,000 cavalry are missing?! If
those 1,000 cavalry act as an iron shield, it mathematically guarantees we can
let them escape into the safe zone! If you are going to continue to agonize
like that, I shall go! 」
Confronted by the sheer, unyielding weight of Dlements's
roar, Viscount Durul’s hesitation shattered, and he made his decision. 「 I'm counting on you…… 」
To Dlements, that brief, absolute command was more
than enough. Gracing his commander with a crisp, brilliant smile, he snapped a
sharp military salute. Without wasting another breath, he hurried out of the
command tent, instantly issuing commands to organize the soldiers.
※
The Ville Kingdom
army, which suddenly began moving from the deadlocked confrontation, also had a
corresponding set of internal circumstances.
「 Good grief…… What a troublesome
person, even though I explicitly advised him so much not to advance too deeply.
No matter how much there is no enemy army deployed west of here, one never
knows what will happen in enemy territory. 」
Letting out a massive, weary sigh toward his close aides,
the old general had begun dynamically shifting his military formations to match
the rapidly developing situation. He had also not been informed in advance that
the main unit led by the King would make a deep advance that could be called a
reckless act.
「 Even so, it seems the commander
steering the opposing military possesses a remarkably flawless grasp of reason,
」 the old
general muttered, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the horizon. 「 I systematically exposed multiple
glaring openings and left tantalizing gaps in our formations specifically to
bait them into a reckless frontal assault, yet they refused to swallow the
bait. As expected, the military forces of a country used to fighting are quite
something. Completely different from the greenhorns of Lute and Cain.
」
「 Indeed. Had they politely launched
a brute-force charge against our lines, we could have used that weapon
to systematically annihilate them all at once…… 」
「 Well, a campaign simply does not go
as one thinks. Let us devote ourselves to whittling down the enemy army while
closing the physical distance with His Majesty's
army just in case. The detachment that went out earlier was about 1,000
cavalry; no matter how foolish they are, they won't fall behind 5,000 against
1,000. 」
The latter half of those words was driven strictly by the
old general's desperate expectations—no, rather, a silent prayer echoing in his
soul. Turning his aged eyes toward the western sky where his master the King
must be advancing, he let out yet another deep, heavy sigh.
「 Just in case…… huh. Yet, I can
hardly sit idly by and watch him march to his doom. What a high-maintenance
person. 」 Muttering
this to himself, he began to issue a string
of brand-new operational instructions across his lines.
※
There were several critical circumstances as to why the Ville
King’s direct army, which initially deployed outside the Third Prince's mandate
territory to watch from a high vantage point, began moving. The 1,000 troops
placed as their vanguard, completely ignoring the collection of spoils and
plunder, were spending all their time preparing out of concern for the crisis
of the allied forces. Although it was an advance route he had personally chosen
and commanded, there were only few
notable towns and prosperous villages, leaving his direct spoils of war
profoundly lacking. He was violently driven by envy and a severe sense of
impatience upon learning that the other two nations had already obtained
corresponding supplies through their own ruthless looting. The Cain Kingdom army had been thoroughly
defeated, and the vast majority of the defending military turned towards the Lute Kingdom army furthest east. It became
clear through espionage that the enemy army could not place a proper standing
garrison anywhere across the western sector. And above all else, if they pushed
themselves a little and executed a deep advance, there was the Royal Capital
Lorelei of the former Roland Kingdom. The direct army led by the
King of Ville was composed solely of cavalry and light infantry, without
carrying extra heavy decisive weapons. Consequently, their speed of march was
exceedingly fast compared to the other three invading units. Much less, because
they were moving directly along the main highway connecting the Empire and the Demon Territory
Dukedom, their speed was absolute. Therefore, the King intended to pierce
the gap in the enemy army, intrude deeply into hostile
territory, and conduct looting exactly as his black heart desired in the former
Royal Capital.
※
Rosa, who had
successfully secured the clergy's
agreement to depart Lorelei, was growing severely frustrated that the
church's preparations were progressing at a staggeringly sluggish
pace. With the local church making its stance clear to abandon the city, the
remaining residents of the regional town also prepared for evacuation
individually and departed early on. However, the clergy was actively attempting
to load a mind-bogglingly massive amount of cargo, demanding a considerable,
absurd window of time just to finalize their departure.
『 Good grief! What part of this is a
minimum of sacred cargo?! This is the maximum! They've literally packed
everything! 』 The reason Rosa inadvertently grumbled so was that
she had reached the absolute limit of her patience with the church side's
slyness and unvarnished audacity.
「 Rosa-sama, since their evacuation trajectory has been officially
finalized, I believe your paramount objective here has been successfully
achieved. I strongly advise that we too evacuate the danger zone early on,
but…… 」 The advice presented by the elite soldiers Alexis had assigned
to serve as her personal escort was fundamentally reasonable. But there was a reason Rosa remained unable to move.
「 I know, you are entirely correct.
It's just…… the children…… 」
Had they permitted the immediate, swift escape of the
orphanage ahead of the convoy, Rosa and her hundred-man knightly escort
would have also followed them and left the city. Deeply paranoid of that exact
scenario, the corrupt clergy had actively mobilized the innocent children,
forcing them to labor as pack-mules for the work of loading the massive items
to be taken out!
『 The absolute second this war
concludes, I am permanently banning anyone from mediating jobs for those
people. Surely nothing good will come of it.
』
Rosa steeled her heart with a fierce vow.
At that exact juncture, the loading preparations were
finally completed.
「 Alright, listen to me, everyone! We
are going to hurry through the main highway and move directly to Kusanagi!
Once we get there it'll be safe, and we won't have to worry about food! 」 Saying this, Rosa forcefully
cheered and encouraged the children.
Yet…… the walking pace of a massive convoy dragging very
young, fragile children is structurally bound to a torturously slow velocity, a
crisis severely exacerbated by the many horse-drawn wagons loaded with a
massive amount of heavy cargo. The march progressed sluggishly, and they were
physically incapable of generating any legitimate distance. Taking her position
at the absolute rearguard alongside the soldiers protecting her, Rosa
did everything possible to forcefully accelerate their collective pace. Yet,
the universe proved entirely merciless. Looking across the long horizon, a
dense column of dark, billowing black smoke was confirmed rising from Lorelei
far in the rear. Simultaneously, a massive, towering cloud of dust kicked up by
a thundering storm of pursuing hooves rose rapidly catching up to them……
The exact instant the King of Ville penetrated the
streets of Lorelei, he simultaneously discovered several still-fresh
wheel ruts that seemed to have carried a massive amount of cargo. Without
wasting a single second, the King dispatched a high-speed strike force of 300
elite cavalry to reconnoiter, while simultaneously arranging to send
overwhelming reinforcements at any time.
「 Rosa-sama! We will somehow hold them off! For now, abandon the cargo
and pull back! If possible, please evacuate not on foot but on horseback from
here on! 」
「 I am truly sorry…… please,
everyone, never push yourselves too hard! 」
Urged forward by her desperate escorts, apologizing to them,
she instantly took the children along and started sprinting forward. The church
personnel who had accompanied the horse-drawn wagons quickly gave up on the
heavy cargo they had been so particular about, and had already fled like rats
into the wilderness.
『 This
is my fault…… Because I was careless…… everyone, I am truly sorry. 』
Clutching the trembling hand of a tiny child in her own, Rosa sprinted forward on foot, not yet on horseback. She was utterly incapable of executing a personal escape on horseback while abandoning the many children fleeing on foot. Within her chest, a relentless cascade of silent apologies walloped her heart, her thoughts consumed by the soldiers and the innocent souls beside her. And then, shortly after, the terrifying screams of charging warhorses and the violent, metallic screech of clashing swords began to be heard from right behind them.
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