Volume 5 Release Commemorative Special Episode
The Former Master and Servant ① - Large-Scale Detour Tactic
Translator : PolterGlast
Grat, the Third
Prince of the Imperial Army, and Weiss, who gained the
moniker Black Hawk of the Gale in the second world—on this day, the two
lined up their pieces for the first time and wielded command on the
battlefield. It was almost as if... it was reminiscent of the original history
from the past, which has now been altered.
Here, the story shifts its scene to an event that occurred
in the past, a battle waged while Takuhir was living his second life,
and the chance meeting of the two men involved in it. To the tale of a former
master and servant who, in Takuhir's third life, did not become master
and servant due to his intervention in history...
During Takuhir's second life, when he was nineteen
and struggling against a large-scale drought, this master and servant were
facing a formidable enemy on the exact same battlefield as now, the wetland
region known as Big Bridge.
◇◇◇ Second Life, Kyle Calendar 512 (3 Years Ago)
Having driven out the Principality of Sura Army—which
had at one point surged close to Ende—from Imperial Territory,
and having overcome bitter battles at various places along the border with a
succession of victories, the master and servant had now pushed the enemy forces
far to the southwest, advancing the front line all the way to the marshland
region called Big Bridge. On the other hand, the Principality of Sura
Army, whose numbers had been reduced to ten thousand, laid an ambush in
this marshland region called Big Bridge and lay in wait for them.
「Even so... Big Bridge is an
ironic place name.」
It is no wonder the Third Prince muttered so. Far
from a big bridge, there was absolutely nothing here that could even be called
a bridge. To traverse the vast marshland, there was only a low, crude
bridge—merely planks of wood lined up just wide enough for people to barely pass
each other—stretching endlessly across the center of the swamp.
「The bridge itself is certainly so.
However, in terms of its length, narrowness, and the difficulty of capturing
it, it would not be an exaggeration to call it a 『big thing』.」
The one who was asked had no choice but to answer with a wry
smile mixed in. While being self-aware that it was, in a sense, an ironic and
forced explanation...
「Hahaha, a bridge laden with a big
problem, huh. Even so, General, thanks to your efforts we were finally able
to advance the army this far, but... they really fled into a troublesome place.」
「It is likely the correct choice for
the enemy. We cannot deploy troops in the marshland spread out here, let alone
attack across that narrow bridge. In that case, we have no choice but to bypass
the marshland and attack from the left and right, but...」
「If we do that, we play right into
their hands... They will advance troops from their fortress line in the rear
and strike our flanks while we are engaged. If we ignore them, bypass the area,
and proceed with capturing the fortress line, then the enemy soldiers who fled
into the marshland will strike our rear this time. Quite a villainous method.」
Indeed, although they had been victorious in their battles
thus far, the Principality of Sura was also a major power; apart from
the enemy before them, they still possessed over sixty thousand troops. Because
fifty thousand of them were holed up in a fortress line spanning three
locations, watching for an opportunity to reinvade at any moment...
「Well... thinking with common sense,
it could be said to be the optimal tactic. It is a simple and narrow-minded
method of dedicating themselves to fleeing, focusing solely on buying time, and
surging forward when we pull back, after all.」
The man called General replied thus, evaluating the
enemy's tactics with an expression that could even be considered insolent.
Without even clouding his expression in this seemingly dead-end situation.
『What a mysterious man... He is not
only brave and daring but also extremely excellent in terms of tactics, a
hard-to-come-by general. But why was a man of this caliber buried in the Kyle
Kingdom? To drive him out, are they nothing but idiots?』
The Third Prince could not help but think this anew.
To begin with, his encounter with him dated back ten years. He was the
commander of a mercenary group, leading those who had volunteered as
mercenaries while living a wandering life, but he had only a mere ten members
under his command, a situation where even calling themselves a mercenary group
was a cause for hesitation. However, this man's skill with a sword was
tremendous; despite the fierceness of his merciless swordplay when fighting, he
was usually a man of few words with a calm demeanor, knowing moderation and never
displaying a rough attitude. The Third Prince took a liking to this man,
who possessed an atmosphere with a hint of shadow, and suddenly selected him as
a general to lead a thousand men. The man did not betray those expectations; he
continued to show remarkable performances in the subsequent battles and was
promoted, eventually coming to be called a General commanding ten
thousand cavalry.
「So, General, how do you read
what lies ahead?」
「Let me see... The terrain here is
not suited for an attack by cavalry. Moreover, I believe the enemy army's
calculation is to gradually retreat while exhausting us, luring us into the
fortress line they have built.」
「What a troublesome matter. With
this, no matter how much we repel them, they will ultimately hole up in their
fortress line, and if we pull back, they will come out again. It's endless...」
Just as the Third Prince said, if the Imperial
Army achieved a certain amount of battle results and retreated, it was
clearer than looking at a fire that the Principality of Sura Army would
sortie from their fortresses once more, begin advancing north, and close in
near Ende. In contrast, the military force led by the Third Prince
was only thirty thousand, and they could not remain in the occupied territory
of an enemy nation for long. Precisely because they understood this, the Principality
of Sura Army, which boasted a total military force of over sixty thousand,
was repeatedly surging forward and pulling back.
「To deal them a decisive blow, we
must destroy that fortress line and achieve victory. However, at the same time,
capturing that fortress line from the front is likely a monumental task. Denka, you would need at least
another thirty thousand soldiers.」
「If I had such a military force,
matters would be simple, but...」
Both Weiss and the Third Prince understood
that this was an impossible demand. It would be a different story if the Third
Prince had the authority to command the entire Imperial Army, but in
the current situation, both he and the faction opposing him could only mobilize
military forces of about thirty thousand each.
「Perhaps the enemy, and the enemies
among our allies as well, are expecting that Denka, having run out of patience, will move to capture the
fortress line. However... the defense utilizing the geographical advantage is
solid, and capturing it with our current fighting strength is likely
impossible.」
Saying so, Weiss stared at the map in his hand.
Beyond passing through Big Bridge, a steep mountain range stretching
north and south across the Principality of Sura lay in a row. To pass
through that mountain range and move west, they had no choice but to go through
the only three available bypaths, but the principality's army had fortified
those three locations and constructed a robust defensive line. With the
military forces on hand, they could at most capture only one location, but if
they did that, they would be struck in the flank and rear by enemy forces
advancing from the other two locations. Therefore, even to capture one, a
fighting strength sufficient to cap the other two locations was indispensable.
「So, what will the General do?」
「To dare strike head-on against a
solid fortress line is the act of a fool, but simply sitting idly and
maintaining the status quo will likely leave this expedition without much of a
result, won't it.」
「And that is exactly why that guy (Glorious)
is resting peacefully in the Imperial Capital Griffin, merely waiting
for my self-destruction, right?」
「Most likely... On their side as
well, there is a close aide (Harry) who cannot be let off guard and who
can see the times. If we force an attack, the damages will be great, and
contrary to that, the results will be small. Even if we force the capture, it
will merely give them material to condemn Denka.」
「Then what should I do?」
「Even without capturing the fortress
line from the front, a large-scale detached force will make a major detour and
strike their vitals. If we do so, the enemy soldiers holed up in the fortresses
will surely panic and retreat. If Denka's
main force strikes there...」
「However, detouring is not as simple
as it sounds. There is a high possibility that the detached force will be
isolated amidst the enemy, caught in a pincer attack, and annihilated.」
「Normally... that would be exactly
right. However, we will march at an absurd speed, secure strategic points, and
then buy time. Taking advantage of that, Denka's
army will...」
Answering so, Weiss floated a fearless expression and
smiled. As if to say he would prove he could do what was considered utterly
impossible, his expression was brimming with confidence.
「Hahaha, so that is the display of
the true worth of the one called the 『Black Hawk of the Gale』? Can you do it? If my movements do not coordinate
perfectly, it's a strategy that will only result in being surrounded and
annihilated by an army of tens of thousands, you know?」
「Because I believe in Denka's command.」
For Grat, these words were enough. In the battles up
until now, he had heavily favored Weiss, who had been nothing more than
an unknown wanderer, and Weiss too had answered that trust, accumulating
battle results, to the point that he had now come to be called an
ever-victorious General. Between these two, a strong bond surpassing the
trust between master and servant had been forged.
「In that case, shall I also believe
in the General and send you off? How about entrusting ten thousand
cavalry to the General?」
「It is more than enough.」
After this exchange between master and servant, a Large-Scale
Detour Tactic—which would normally be called reckless—and the
accompanying diversionary battle were put into execution. Staking the fates of
the two of them...
On this day, ten thousand cavalry soldiers secretly disappeared from the Imperial Army. And with astonishing speed, they bypassed the desert region spreading across the territory of the Eral Knight Kingdom, and suddenly appearing within the Principality of Sura, they pulled off a large-scale detour operation to the point of being absurd. The Black Hawk of the Gale, true to his name, seized the heart of the Principality of Sura Defense Army with his talons. This very battle was the beginning that would later sway the fate of the neighboring country, the Kyle Kingdom. However, that was a story that even they, the parties involved, did not yet know. Here, a new history entangling the Griffonia Empire, the Principality of Sura, and even the Kyle Kingdom had begun to move.
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