Chapter 384
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
Northern Front ㉑ – Midnight Interlude
Translator : PolterGlast
On the night when the armies of the various nations
violently clashed on their respective fronts and fierce battles were fought
everywhere, Alexis once again convened an emergency war council. When
the invited generals entered the command tent, they let out a simultaneous,
stunned chorus of surprise. For there, occupying the seat immediately adjacent
to Alexis, sat the Frontier Duke Hastburg himself—the
indomitable, famously valiant Darek—his features completely composed as
he spectated the assembly.
Naturally, the absolute first soul to lose his composure,
involuntarily blurting out a voice of pure shock, was none other than Marquess Solis,
the direct father of the two prominent sons anchoring the top of the desk.
「 Hmph. It appears that my old bones
have grown thoroughly senile without realizing it. Not only do I permit myself
to receive a brief ballista concussion and tumble from my saddle, but
standing here today, it has become a routine course to politely look up from
the dirt and receive directives from my own flesh and blood like this. 」
Though the veteran Marquess cloaked his words behind a
slightly displeased, gruff tone to
preserve his noble dignity on the spot, the corners of his lips relaxed,
entirely unable to conceal the profound, burning joy expanding inside his
chest.
「 You are an exceptionally fortunate,
blessed bastard, Darren. Your household has provided the country with an Archduke and
a powerful Frontier Duke, and to complete the ledger, your
brilliant daughter has secured a magnificent, peerless husband who operates as
an undefeated commander to inherit your house. A common kite birthing a
magnificent array of hawks…… No, to speak with absolute candor, the lady wife
who single-handedly steered their childhoods and sent them into the world is
the true, ultimate Hawk. 」
Normally, Marquess Gorman would have locked his features
behind a stoic mask, offering nothing more than a chilling, detached glare; yet
right now, he was in a spectacularly high humor, casually throwing these
playful jests to tease his long-time comrade. The absolute catalyst behind his
roaring good spirits was an identical, beautiful reunion that had just
manifested inside the main camp.
His most cherished daughter, Yuka, had temporarily visited the front
line, personally spearheading the advanced transport columns to process the
wounded to the rear. Having successfully locked down a stable blueprint to
govern the reception arrays for the ten thousand Istoria Orthodox Theocracy
refugees across the checkpoint, she had driven her boots forward out of Kusanagi
to reinforce the medical grid, accompanied by the expert Holy Mages Chrisia
and Sior.
「 Ahem. Now that the prominent
generals anchoring our divisions have
assembled, we shall officially commence the war council from here on.
Receiving the timely vanguard injection led personally by the Frontier Duke Hastburg,
our integrated defensive grid has finally achieved absolute numerical parity
against the invading coalition. Therefore, for our subsequent move, our main forces shall boldly go on the offensive and thoroughly purge the
invaders from Empire's soil! 」
「「「「 OOHーーー!!! 」」」」
Like starveling wolves who had eagerly awaited this moment,
the assembled generals let out a thundering roar. Wielding the newly integrated
cavalry legion, the active manpower under Alexis's command had
successfully vaulted to a formidable pool of 36,000 combatants, allowing his
strategists to match the 40,000-strong invading forces
on numerically competitive parameters.
「 Evaluating the raw data, the two forces confronting our center remain rigidly frozen inside their
fortified enclaves, exhibiting zero dynamic movements. Therefore, leveraging
this precise temporal opportunity,
we shall execute a sweeping Re-Alignment of Formations—deliberately
pre-configuring our lines in response to anticipate the upcoming
macro-offensive. 」
「 Allow me to interrupt from the
side, Commander-in-Chief, 」 Darek’s deep voice cut through the tent. 「 Do you truly project that those two nations will silently permit our columns to re-align without a
single counter-intervention? 」
「 The Frontier Duke's skepticism is flawlessly accurate, 」 Alexis responded, offering a respectful nod. 「 However, having tasted the terrifying ferocity of our
long-range Estol
Bow volleys, their high command is wide
awake to the reality that our defense grid is an unbreakable stone wall.
Consequently, their current movements indicate an absolute, defensive
calculation strictly devoted to a strategy of not losing. Naturally, we shall systematically prepare a high-speed
immediate-response detachment to insure our flanks before initiating the shift.
」
「 I see…… excellent. Please continue.
」
「 The enemy's primary operational
objective—which was to ruthlessly weaponize their overwhelming numerical
superiority to defeat us in a
blitzkrieg—has officially been reduced to cinders. Even though they
remain entirely blind to the information
that a cavalry legion from the Royal Capital has freshly arrived, now that they
know our archers possess a means of long-range attacks not inferior to theirs,
they will never dare risk stepping forward carelessly. My intention is to
violently strike at that exact gap. 」
Saying so, Alexis swept his hand downward, prompting
his aides to fan out a massive strategic chart mapping the enemy's formations
across the table.
「 We shall deliberately spread our
central front lines thin, leaving bare-bones structural checks. Concurrently,
we shall deploy the mobile brawn of the Royal Knights' Third Division to
anchor this precise nexus for emergencies, and leave the Empire Allied Forces
on the western quadrant to keep the Ville King's movements in check, but
the totality of our remaining armies shall silently migrate toward the Eastern
Quadrant. 」
「 Hmm…… Which implies my direct
household legion will make a massive, wide-angle detour around the battlefield,
surgically driving our top speed to hammer straight into their flanks and rear,
is that it? 」
「 Precisely. This is a guess, but I
believe General Golpa's ballistas are structurally calibrated to lock
their sights strictly toward the front and the immediate left and right flanks.
Even in the unlikely event they have deployed a pool of artillery to defend
their rear, the total volume of fire they can unleash will be catastrophically
limited. The exact fraction of a second Darek-sama's attack forces their right wing into a panicked retreat, I
would like Commander Schulz to ruthlessly utilize
the mobile brawn of his cavalry to launch a high-speed pursuit. 」
「 What will we do about the
twenty-thousand-strong main unit of the Istoria
Orthodox Theocracy Army during that time? 」
Answering Darek’s question, every drop of warmth
instantaneously evaporated from Alexis’s features, and he continued with
a grim expression filled with pure, predatory bloodlust.
「 Since our intelligence has
finalized verification that the hidden remnants of the Clan of Darkness are
actively involved and pulling the strings behind that army, we shall assume an
overwhelmingly advantageous stance…… and definitively annihilate them. Because
we absolutely cannot permit a single one of them to escape this time, our high
command shall boldly forgo a two-front operation to prioritize their absolute
deletion. 」
The exact second the name of the Clan of Darkness was
released, a violent shudder of pure dread
walloped the generals. For the proud knights who had formerly anchored the camp
of the late Frontier Duke Hastburg, those denizens of the deep shadow
were the architects of terror whose insidious conspiracies had caused massive
casualties, directly leading to the tragic assassination of their beloved
former commander……
「 Indeed.」 「 Hmph, we shall not permit a single soul among them to
return alive! 」
「 To
satisfy the lingering regret of our late Frontier Count…… this time for sure! 」 「 For the sake of the countless brave soldiers who scattered
due to their maneuvering…… let them burn! 」
Marquess Gorman, Marquess Solis, Count Falmus (formerly Kreitz), Viscount Bold, and the
others all simultaneously clamped their gauntlets into iron fists, their
muscles shaking violently as they poured out their unyielding feelings across
the table. Darek added his words to that resolve.
「 I see. First we lock down and
defeat the two conventional nations across the front, and then my unit puts an
immovable lid on their absolute rear to seal the cage. Is that the play? 」
「 As you have insightfully deduced,
my Lord. For that reason, I want the First, Second, and Third Divisions to move
and draw the eyes of the enemy in front of them, in concert with the eastern
maneuver. At this stage, your sole obligation is to permanently tie them down
and hold them in place. 」
「 Consider it done. 」 「 Very well. 」 「 By your command, Sire! 」
「 Lord Darek, commencing
tomorrow morning, please seamlessly converge with the main body of the Royal
Knights heading here and shift into active operational deployment. From here
on, I will share the custom sequence of geometric flag signals corresponding to
the operation with the generals. I implore everyone to always remember to
monitor the northern sky, at the very least. 」
「「「「 OOHーーー!!! 」」」」
After this, Alexis and the generals conducted detailed explanations and meticulously confirmed
the structural synchronization of the deployment arrays, and then the war
council was officially adjourned into the midnight air.
※
Concurrently, General Golpa, who was examining new
tactical countermeasures while gazing at the enemy that had shown movement on
the front line, was inwardly exasperated by the visit of a high-handed, troublesome
messenger for the umpteenth time this day. The old marshal had repeatedly feigned
absence, but the newly arrived messenger shook off the restraint of the
personal guards and barged straight into Golpa's inner camp with haughty arrogance.
「 I speak under the absolute
authority of a Direct Royal Decree! 」 the lackey declared loudly at the very start. Checking the
intervention of the surrounding sub-officers, he puffed out his chest haughtily
and spoke down to the General.
「 General Golpa, leave two
thousand soldiers at the front line, and have the remaining eight thousand men
sent to the rear immediately! 」
「 Well now…… you say unhinged things. Has His Majesty decided on a total
macro-retreat or something? If we pull back eight thousand soldiers at this
point, maintaining the defense of this place
becomes an impossibility…… 」
「 I haven't heard any such talk! This
is an ironclad Direct Royal Decree! I have received strict mandates to
immediately dismiss you as General and arrest you if your lips dare utter any
objections! 」
Against the unyielding weight of a royal decree which he
could not possibly object to, Golpa could only lock his lips and hang
his head silently. Seeing that state of the veteran kneeling before him, the messenger formed a faint,
chillingly triumphant smirk and continued his words.
「 What are you agonizing over so
dramatically? Is it not an exceptionally simple matter? The General only has to
siphon the troops to the rear. Is it not sufficient if the General and the Lute
Kingdom Army hold this land with the remaining two thousand soldiers? 」
「 F…… foolishness. What in the world
does His Majesty consider us…… 」
Just as the old general’s voice began to crack with intense
frustration, a single burly, massive silhouette revealed his figure, stepping
straight out from the shadows of the camp curtain.
「 Whoa there, that is a remarkably
hazardous matter I cannot let slide. Wasn't the absolute agreement to push our
armies forward to the front lines and go on the offensive officially decided at
the joint war council held by the four nations previously? Or what? Has some
new, secret agreement been made between the crowns in a place completely behind
my back? 」
「 Ahーー?! No…… that is…… 」
At the words of the First Prince of the Lute
Kingdom who suddenly appeared, the messenger became greatly panicked and
mumbled his stammers. In response to that, the First Prince violently
kicked the central map table up into the air.
「 You insolent, worthless wretch! 」 the Prince roared, his eyes burning
with unbridled rage. 「
Are you, a mere court lackey, ordering me, the First Prince leading the Lute
Kingdom Army, to remain stationary at the front lines just to become an
absolute meat-shield for the King of Ville?!
There is a limit to being presumptuous! 」
「 Hii, hiiieeeーーー!!! 」
Faced with the exploding First Prince, the
messenger's legs completely power-failed and he collapsed backward onto the
dirt floor. Because he too perfectly knew the horrific, unvarnished rumors of
the First Prince, that he was a crude, uncontrollable savage beast.
In front of the messenger who was trembling and rattling,
the First Prince looked back and intentionally flashed a sharp, covert
wink so that only the dumbfounded Golpa would understand. And then once
again, he stepped haughtily in front of the messenger, continuing with a
wrathful expression that looked like he would explode again and strike him at
any moment.
「 I deliver my absolute mandate to
the messenger. Take the precise queries I just asked and thrust them straight
back into the face of your lord! And you
would do well to tell him this exact phrase: 『If he feels so intensely anxious because there are no
soldiers around him, that is a pitiful story. It would be fine for his
personage to come all the way to the active front lines to join us!』 Otherwise, tell him to lock his lips and stay quiet in the
rear! 」
「 Hii, y-yes, Your Highness……! 」
The messenger, having violently triggered the reverse scale
of the legendary beast, scrambled to his boots and fled back to his master's
side as if running for his life in a wretched frenzy. Watching his back
dissolve into the midnight fog, Golpa let out a large, sweeping sigh.
「 Well…… infamy is also something that comes in handy at times
like this, eh, General? But it seems your exhausting troubles are endless as
well. 」
「 No, thank you for your timely
intervention to save my men this time. Under the command of an absolute imbecile,
the path required for the soldiers to return alive would be permanently closed
off…… 」
By this point, Golpa's inner mind was already
definitively set, and he had absolutely no hesitation remaining in calling his
own sovereign lord an imbecile. The previous royal mandate was exactly that.
Under the command of such a person, it would be thoroughly doubtful to win even
a localized defensive check, and it would systematically end up causing many
horrific sacrifices among the soldiers.
「 Think nothing of it. Since your
brilliant heart went to the trouble of making up your mind to lock arms with my
banner, we are officially brothers steering a singular vessel, and I
have no intention of sparing any assistance for a true friend. 」
『 A
friend……? This magnificent, royal prince…… chooses to call an old veteran like
my own person a true friend?!
』
Golpa felt a
violent tremor wallop his soul at the unvarnished words the First Prince
had casually uttered. In the back of his mind, a long-dormant, nostalgic memory
from several decades ago, yet one he would flawlessly never forget for the rest
of his life, surged and revived vividly.
Yes…… in the ancient yesteryears, the legendary King
Divide the Great had also passionately called the generals who fought the Empire army
together with his friends, talking on the battlefield countless times, throwing
their arms around each other's shoulders and tilting their cups. Across that
historical era, my physical vessel was still nothing more than a lowly
subordinate, but even looking from the sidelines, the radiant majesty of that
sight was intensely, beautifully blinding to my eyes. How profoundly
nostalgic……
There was absolutely no
doubt remaining inside his intellect: this magnificent man standing before his
eyes had truly inherited the undiluted bloodline and spiritual legacy of King
Divide the Great. If this person were the ruler governing the three
sovereign nations, my steel would gladly…… And looking across the board, the
single person to whom the common soldiers could entrust their futures from now
on is none other thanーー
In Golpa's mind floated a wish that wasn't supposed
to come true, and a future he wanted to realize. And before he knew it, he felt
a sudden, hot moisture that had involuntarily overflowed sliding down the deep
ruts of his cheeks.
「 ……General? Is something the matter?
」
「 Hahaha! No, no, Your Highness,
forgive the sudden, senile daze of an old man and my rudeness. By the way,
regarding our future strategic response, according to the information secured by our scouts, it seems the enemy is moving
something under the cover of the midnight darkness. Most likely around tomorrow
morning, it is certain they will go on the offensive by some means. 」
「 I see…… and, exactly how does you
intend to receive their breach, General? 」
「 Yes, I have a definitive counter-plan. Tonight, we too shall execute our own covert deployment…… 」
Saying that much, Golpa, whose aura had instantaneously returned back into the chilling face of a peerless warrior once again, began to passionately and meticulously discuss the newly drafted strategy with the First Prince. From here on, the absolute second the rays of the rising sun breached the horizon, a brand-new, complex phase where Alexis and Golpa have each piled up their strategic deliberations will violently collide upon the reality.
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