Chapter 397
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
Southern Front ⑬ –The Essence of
the Demon King
Translator : PolterGlast
For Grat, the next Emperor of
the Gryphonia Empire, this
day became the most astonishing, and an unforgettable day in all the days he
had lived up until now.
First, the primary
surprise was the appearance of reinforcements he hadn't even anticipated, which
showed up just when he was surrounded by the enemy army and had prepared
himself for the worst. While his allies shifted to the offensive, several
familiar faces from among the reinforcements ran up to him and collapsed beside
him.
「Your
Highness, Your Highness Grat!」
「Your
Highness... it's a blessing, it's truly a blessing that you are safe...」
「Thank
goodness, I am truly glad!」
They all shed tears
in unison, rejoicing at their lord's safety and their reunion.
「You
all... have truly done well... I am covered in the dirt of defeat and a ruined
body, but I am safe. This is all thanks to the soldiers... huh?」
While Grat
was responding to them, he noticed the figure of a person who shouldn't be here
walking over on horseback from a short distance away, and his voice cracked
from too much surprise. This was the second surprise.
「Your
Highness Grat, first of all, I am
glad above all else that you are safe. We have also arrived in response to our
friendship with the new Empire.」
Choking on his
breath for a moment, Grat hurriedly turned back to his smiling sworn
ally and uttered words.
「T-Takuhir-dono,
why are you here? No... first of all, I deeply thank you for your assistance,
and the people of the Empire and I will engrave this favor in our hearts and
never forget it for the rest of our lives...」
In the middle of
that, Takuhir intentionally interrupted his words. As if looking like he
wanted to say he didn't need something so heavy...
「Our
battle starts from here! Sieghart-dono is also waiting eagerly at Big Bridge, so let us first make a
triumphant return.」
『As someone who will become the Emperor, you
must not say such things carelessly』, is that what he means...? Grat
misunderstood that he was being considerate in front of the soldiers, and
hurriedly changed the topic.
「But I
believe Big Bridge is also
surrounded by a large army...」
Saying so, he was
made to think deeply once again. 『These
people who are Sieghart's subordinates should have also been stationed
at the fort. How on earth did they get out of the fort? Much less, how did Takuhir-dono
arrive here?』 When he calmed down, he also felt doubtful about that point.
「Ah, that's
right. When we arrived, we kicked about the 30,000 surrounding the fort, but probably by now they are
surrounded again by the Sura
Principality's military forces that have turned back from various places,
so...」
「That
must be so, it wouldn't be so easily... No! Takuhir-dono, what did you
just say! I thought I heard that you entered the castle after kicking about 30,000...」
『No, did I mishear? Because a story like that
is impossible.』
「Ah, I
did say that... but you're certainly right. Accurately speaking, the ones we
kicked about directly were 10,000.
Because they were an enemy three times our size, I devised a plan for them to
self-destruct, and it just happened to go well.」
「Wha...」
『So it is the truth after all! Even though
it's an unbelievable story. Defeating an enemy of 30,000 with 10,000... isn't that a military exploit that sways the war
situation!』
Grat was at a
loss for words from too much surprise. This was the third surprise, and it
continued further.
「However,
on the way back, the Sura Principality
army of about 40,000
has probably also turned back and besieged the fort. So, we might not be able
to enter the castle easily, but we can probably manage somehow with just our
army, right? Well... it will be a slightly noisy castle entry, though...」
Well, if it's just entering the castle, there are a few other
operations, but... using that would probably be the best.
「...」
『No, the enemy army is forty thousand! Why is
the Archduke smiling brightly? He says he's
going to break through that and enter the castle with a military force of ten
thousand? It's absolutely impossible, no wonder the enemy soldiers point at him
and fear him, calling him a Demon King...』
At the fourth
surprise of the day, Grat's mouth remained half-open, as if he had
forgotten to close it for a while.
「Now
then, Your Highness, let us go into hiding once again from here on.
Tonight's... no, tomorrow you will surely be able to rest on a proper bed. So
until then, please bear with it for a little while longer.」
Exactly as Takuhir's
words said, when the Demon Territory
Knights Order led by Weiss who had completely defeated the enemy
army returned, the party that became a total of 17,000 cavalry departed aiming straight
for Big Bridge amidst the
approaching dusk. Accompanied by Grat who was still half in doubt.
※
The Demon Territory Knights Order and the Empire Army, who joined up in
the western direction of Gaitei,
hurried west without dropping their speed even when the sun set and the
surroundings began to grow dark, and even when the sun completely set and it
became pitch black, they lit lights and hurried on their return journey with
the Empire Army who
knew the way taking the lead. And then, deep into the night before dawn, when
they finally came out to the north side of Big
Bridge Fort, he issued a strange request to the accompanying Empire soldiers.
「I
apologize, but starting with Your Highness, I would like everyone in the Empire Army to wait here with
our army's main force until our signal. From here on, we will lead two thousand
elites and go prepare the flower path
for Your Highness's return. Because it will be a slightly lively return, I ask
that everyone dismount your horses, wait on foot, firmly grip the reins, and
try to calm the horses. Because horses experiencing it for the first time will
surely be surprised and act violently...」
Grat could
not understand what that explanation meant at all.
·
Does he mean he will clear the way with a
military force of merely two thousand?
·
Furthermore, in this darkness, how on earth is
he going to kick about the enemy country's army?
·
What on earth does he mean by the horses acting
violently?
『Damn it! For me to be like this, I can't
understand anything at all.』
Thinking so, he
couldn't help but call out to Takuhir who was about to depart.
「I am
sorry for causing you the trouble of coming for our sake. By the way, Archduke, what on earth do
you intend to do?」
Certainly, if
carrying out a night attack, a small number of people is harder to expose and
easier to throw the enemy army into confusion. But... against the enemy army,
this number of people is far too few. This King, who generates terrifying
tactics one after another, must be intending to do 『something』
completely different. Grat became wanting to know what that 『something』
was.
「No,
well, we will just have the uninvited guests waiting outside the gate exit
once. We will prepare a grand flower path
to drive them out, so I think it would be fine if Your Highness makes a
dignified return taking that as the signal.」
Bothered by the way
of speaking as if intentionally hiding something, Grat pressed Takuhir
again.
「I am
fully aware this is an impudent request, but... couldn't I also accompany the Archduke and be allowed to
observe the operation by your side? I promise I will absolutely not get in the
way.」
「Hmm...
let's see. But, you know...」
At Grat's
offer, Takuhir looked down and thought deeply for a while. His dilemma
had two major premises.
First, he wanted to
fight so that the expeditionary dispatched army this time would not produce
casualties as much as possible. Although it was an action that would ultimately
link to the Demon Territory Dukedom's
defense strategy, he did not want to pointlessly produce casualties among many
officers and soldiers when it wasn't even a defensive war of their homeland.
Even knowing how arrogant that thought was while surrounded by an enemy several
times their size. If so, he wasn't reluctant to use his trump card, the
concealed weapon, which was a tactic to win easily.
Second, even if he
were to use it, he wanted to keep the existence of the concealed weapon a
secret as much as possible. Once a weapon is used, the tactic is exposed, and
it is undoubtedly imitated by human wisdom and will bare its fangs at oneself
next time. Even suppression bullets using catapults were like that. The Istoria Orthodox Theocracy Army
flawlessly imitated it and used it towards the Kingdom in the next battle. And a 『first-time kill』
tactic has no next time once it has been used once.
『However... even if I cover the eyes of the Empire Army here, Sieghart will probably be watching from
the fort. If so, is it smarter to obtain a pledge from the highest person in
power here, and forbid all snooping?』
Reaching that
conclusion, Takuhir turned back to Grat.
「Understood.
However, Your Highness, there are three conditions for you to accompany us.
·
First, only Your Highness and a limited
entourage will accompany us, and you will follow operational actions.
·
Second, I cannot answer any questions regarding
what you see from here on out.
·
Third, I would like you to state clearly that
you forbid the Empire
side from snooping regarding our tactics from now on.
If you can agree to
these, I will comply with your intentions.」
「A-Ah,
of course. The Archduke's
conditions are perfectly reasonable. Staking the honor of the Grifonia Empire, I promise upon my name
to respect and protect the secret arts of the Demon Territory Dukedom.」
『Hehehe, I got the pledge after all.』
Takuhir said
so in a quiet voice that couldn't be heard by Grat, and slightly raised
the corners of his mouth. The light of the lamp, lit slightly so as not to
stand out, boldly colored that expression. Almost like a Demon King, easily reaping tens of thousands of lives...
At this time, even
though he was an ally, Grat could not help but feel an unfathomable
terror upon looking at Takuhir.
Thus, the troops of over two thousand dismounted their horses, and secretly crept in the darkness to the rear of the enemy army deployed 2 km ahead and arrayed on the north side of Big Bridge Fort. After this, the fifth event crossing over into the next day, the one that would make Grat the most astonished and make him fully realize the essence of the Demon King, was right now about to begin.
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