Chapter 380
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
Northern Front ⑰ – Signs of a
Fracturing Defense Line
Translator : PolterGlast
While Marquess Gorman and Marquess Solis were
struggling in hard-fought battles, the warriors fighting on the easternmost
sector of the plain had also fallen into the same suffocating circumstances.
Because the fanatical masses of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy Army,
wielding a military force of 20,000 doubling theirs, had perfectly synchronized
their timing to launch a simultaneous macro-offensive.
Azel, thinking
it was the exact right time for the deep-cover infiltration unit he had dispatched to Kusanagi hidden amidst the
'Apostles of God' to be disrupting the rearguard, seized upon this golden
opportunity to go on a full-scale offensive all at once. Deployed on the
farthest right side of the active front, they advanced along the lower
foothills of the mountain range separating the borders, driving their steps
straight toward the front lines held by the 5,000-strong elite cavalry unit
selected from the Royal Knights' Third Division.
「 From here on, the operational
command of the field is officially entrusted to you, General. They consist
exclusively of cavalry; originally, utilizing that mobile advantage, they would
probably think they have plenty of chances to extract a victory even with half
our numbers. 」
Saying so, Azel offered a cold, fearless smile as he
turned his face toward the vanguard commander entrusted to him by Cardinal Castro.
「 Exactly as the Cardinal says, 」 the General responded with a
vicious grin. 「 I have
heard that your Eminence also personally served in the fires of the previous
border war across these exact coordinates. This land shall become the absolute
ritual altar to wring out our vengeance and clear the lingering grudges of our
compatriots who fell in regret. 」
The historical "previous war" the General proudly
articulated referenced that legendary battle where Takuhir had served in
the military to manifest his total innocence, systematically and flawlessly
shattering the absolute, certain-kill formation the Imperial Kingdom boasted until there was nothing left. Furthermore, this
specific valley nestled in the mountains was a place where one side was blocked
by the unyielding foothills of the mountain range, and the other side was
defined by a rugged terrain rich in undulations where a cavalry unit could not
freely deploy and execute maneuvers. It gave them the absolute geographical
advantage to unleash their favored, specialized defense tactics.
Prior to forming the foundational formations of this massive expeditionary unit,
Azel had purposefully dared to take on a disorganized, motley unit of
auxiliary conscripts. It was in exchange for the singular strategic purpose of
keeping the meager 2,000 elite Longbowmen securely under his direct command.
「 You have the auxiliary conscript
infantrymen prepare one log each, exactly as I
instructed, correct? 」
「 Yes, report! Every single man has
secured his wood. We will forcefully teach the enemy army that our absolute,
certain-kill formations are not just about lazily waiting around either. 」
「 Magnificent! Then we shall commence
the first phase of our operation from here on! 」
Under Azel's absolute orders, the massive vanguard unit of 6,000 temporarily drafted auxiliary conscripts began to
move with logs tightly gripped in their hands. Deploying immediately across
their front was a protective screen of 2,000 regular heavy infantrymen, and
following behind them in a disciplined alignment across the rear were 2,000
elite Longbowmen.
After advancing to a certain extent, the initial 1,000 men
firmly supported the logs, and the remaining 5,000 set them aggressively into
the earth to rapidly made a massive
line of Abatis defenses, ensuring their sharp tips directly faced the enemy
army. During that time, the 2,000 regular heavy infantrymen remained deployed
across the front, their shields locked in preparation to intercept any sudden
assault from the enemy. Advancing a little further, a secondary cluster of
1,000 conscripts assumed custody of the wood, while the remaining 5,000
aggressively set up the secondary interlocking line of abatis.
At this point, the proud heavy cavalry of the Kyle
Kingdom confronting them had also intercepted reports detailing the enemy
army's aggressive vanguard movements and set their mounts into motion to
confront them; yet, beholding a staggering formation of 2,000 sharp abatis spikes already firmly rooted across
the plain, the riders forcefully checked their reins, avoiding a mounted charge
and watching the situation instead. Leveraging that hesitation with flawless
synchronization, Azel's units closed
the spatial distance and systematically set up the third and fourth
interlocking layers of lethal abatis structures. And then…… Finally, the
precise fraction of a second they approached up to a distance of 600 meters
away from the defensive front, the common conscripts dashed out into a full-scale
sprint all at once, holding one log between three people.
「 This is catastrophic! We must not
let them construct a fortified camp right before our eyes! All cavalry
divisions shall execute a full-scale charge from here on and not let them build
their camp! 」
Surgically realizing their terrifying intent, Grand
Commander Schulz attempted to forcefully execute a massive kinetic
offensive to reclaim the initiative all at once, but the cruel mathematics of
the board dictated that he had already missed the timing. Because to the left
and right boundaries of the 6,000-strong construction unit, a specialized
detachment of 1,000 auxiliary shortbowmen each deployed and simultaneously
initiated a rapid-fire suppression salvo, while from the rear of the construction
unit, the 2,000 master Longbowmen unleashed a terrifying, long-distance
suppressing fire to systematically blanket the plain.
『 Are
we not in time……?! 』
Absorbing a brief split-second of agonizing hesitation, Schulz
violently reversed his previous order.
「 Abort the charge! All divisions,
execute an immediate tactical retreat to lock down a coordinate 500 meters
behind the enemy's vanguard abatis! Move, immediately! 」
His veteran intellect fully and flawlessly understood the
unadulterated psychological terror of the Dublin Strategy used by the
master Longbowmen. He had witnessed its horrific metrics both at the eastern
border skirmishes, and in the total annihilation battle across the Forest of Burg conducted by his own ally, Takuhir.
As a direct consequence of that retreat, both armies placed
a spatial margin of 500 meters and rigidly froze their lines, glaring at each
other at the absolute, tense limit. Furthermore, occasionally a fanned-out
squad of Longbowmen would advance beyond the abatis lines and fire arrogant,
long-distance provocation arrows as if to continuously provoke them. Due to
this brilliant, multi-layered scheme
by Azel, the single most mobile, high-velocity striking force upon the
board was completely neutralized and pinned permanently to the front lines of
the mountain valley.
※
On the other hand, across a separate coordinate of the
eastern plain, the unit composed of regular troops under the direct command of Lugner
had also begun to move. Lugner himself was heavily aware of the
terrifying penetration and power of the modernized crossbows (Estol Bows)
equipped by the enemy army. To completely survive
against that specific threat for this grand expedition, he had issued a
directive equipping all the soldiers under his command with massive, reinforced
Tower Shields. Due to their extreme physical burden, immense weight, and
poor mobility, until now they had no choice but to load them onto packhorses
in place of essential military rations. Fortunately, however, the swarming
'Apostles of God' had aggressively robbed rations from various prosperous
places and delivered them straight into his encampments, so his logistics lines
had the absolute leeway and luxury to transport the shields in that manner.
「 Then we too shall commence our
grand march. The enemy army, the devil's minions anchoring their lines, do not
even possess half our raw numbers. Convey this to everyone! Hold up your tower
shields, close the distance, and ruthlessly trample them with the unyielding
power of our superior numbers! 」
At Lugner's sharp command, the 10,000-strong
fanatical forces aggressively attacked the Third Division led by Acting
Commander Mars while hoisting their massive tower shields into an
interlocking testudo formation. They gradually and systematically closed the
distance while enduring the relentless, cascading rain of arrows by holding up
their heavy iron barricades.
The weakness of the Estol
Bow lies in its loading time. By the masterful command of Lugner,
who knew this blind spot thoroughly, the soldiers gradually closed the
distance, and then began to violently rush and plunge straight into the enemy
camp all at once while raising a towering, bloodthirsty cheer. The moment a
systematic engagement dissolves into a frantic melee, the raw difference in
numbers speaks as the absolute master of the board. Even the Third Division,
whose combat morale was violently rising to avenge their late commander, was
being mercilessly enveloped by a military force more than double theirs, and
the tide of battle was gradually turning against them.
※
The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Alexis, was surveying
the shifting parameters of the war situation at a secure, elevated intermediate
point where the Second and Third Divisions were deployed in the rearguard. And,
meticulously watching for the precise opportunity, he intended to dispatch his
treasured striking force, the Special Fire Corps. Yet…… reports
were being frantically brought to his central command desk one after another.
「 Emergency report! Viscount Kamin army on the absolute furthest
right wing is falling into a lawless routing state after receiving a fierce,
devastating attack from the enemy's artillery! 」
「 Report! It seems the Dlements
army is also violently engulfed! They are receiving a fierce
flank attack from a hidden, detached force of the Ville Kingdom army! 」
「 Report! The First Army under
Marquess Gorman cannot hold up against the suicidal rush of the Cain
Kingdom army! Their central vanguard lines are teetering and it seems they
will be broken through shortly! 」
「 Report! The Second Army under
Marquess Solis has been completely surrounded by the reorganized
10,000-strong Lute Kingdom regular army and is receiving a fierce,
crushing attack! 」
「 Report! The Third Division—the
direct veterans under Gale's command—continues to be systematically and
completely pushed back by the enemy army! 」
「 Report! The Royal Knights under
Grand Commander Schulz are completely immobilized and paralyzed before
the enemy's abatis camp! 」
The reports announced by the frantic messengers were close
to raw screams of unbridled terror; their divisions were already being
compressed and pushed back across the entire battlefield, in a horrific situation that looked like they were one
step away from a total, irreversible frontline collapse. All the high-level
strategists and staff members present in the command tent were staring at Alexis
in silent, paralyzed desperation with pale faces.
「 Phew…… we got thoroughly
outmaneuvered and beat, haven't we? To speak with absolute candor, it's a
completely terrible, horrifying situation across the board. It's all caused by
my own poor, short-sighted command, though…… We have to initiate our
counter-strike soon, don't we? 」
Saying so, he calmly let out a slow, remarkably measured
sigh. His veteran intellect calculated that if he panicked here, the soldiers
would become even more anxious and their psychological endurance would shatter
into cinders. Driven strictly by that profound realization, he intentionally
made a composed, unbothered gesture before his staff. Although, just a short
while before this, when the unverified false report announcing his beloved
father-in-law Marquess Solis's sudden death in battle was brought, he
had involuntarily stood paralyzed in a catatonic, hollow daze of pure despair,
but…… That too had now been officially proven a false alarm, and hearing
intelligence that Marquess Solis himself had awakened from his faint and
vaulted back into vanguard command despite some bleeding injuries, he had
successfully regained the absolute totality of his composure.
And right now…… He closed his eyes for a single second and
meticulously pictured the shifting vectors of the war situation directly onto
the inner canvas of his mind.
『 Looking at the raw geometry of the
field, the one in the most immediate, dangerous state of volatile collapse is
undoubtedly the Kamin army, but…… the absolute structural lynchpin whose
fracture will trigger the annihilation of our entire army is entirely
different. The critical lynchpin to this entire board is…… 』
After turning those final tactical thoughts over to their
definitive conclusion, his crimson eyes snapped open with an intense brilliance
and he stood up vigorously from his command chair.
「 Issue immediate operational orders
to the Special Fire Corps! Execute a
full-speed mobilization and depart for the front lines with me from here on! 」
「 The Supreme Commander-in-Chief
himself exposing his vessel to the absolute front lines…… is it?! 」
「 Right now, every single square inch
of this plain is the front lines! Besides, do not forget I am also a Wind Mage.
The communication unit serving as the headquarters will remain anchored here. Immediately fly a balloon and hoist the grand Z-Flag! Second
from the top, don't make a mistake! 」
No sooner had he said that, Alexis drove his boots forward, leading his elite units to fly out from the encampment like a whirlwind. Deep within the main command, a massive brass bell was repeatedly and furiously struck, its thunderous toll serenading his back. And right on cue, rising majestically, a Z-Flag slowly unfurled and fluttered in the azure sky, broadcasting its absolute message across the battlefield.
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