Volume 6 Release
Commemorative Special Episode
Battle Towards the
Liberation of the National Territory ② - King Crajyu's Decision
The
infantry unit led by King Crajyu, having parted ways with Gord
and departed the Royal Capital, invaded from the national border closest to the
Royal Capital that very day, and assaulted the encampment of the Istoria Orthodox
Theocracy Army that had built a bridgehead. However, strangely enough, the
officers and soldiers of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy Army did not
comprehend the approach of the enemy army until just before being assaulted.
「Hmph, to begin with, our country too
received a surprise attack from an opponent we firmly believed was an allied
army, and was easily defeated, after all. One might call this a return of
favor.」
King
Crajyu, who muttered so, had lined up the banners captured when they
recaptured the Royal Capital, and had the soldiers in the front row disguise
themselves using even armaments taken from the enemy army. To begin with, the Istoria
soldiers, having thought they conquered the neighboring countries in a rapid,
unstoppable advance and grown complacent, fell into great confusion.
「Push the cowardly invaders all at
once beyond the national border!」
Even
without receiving King Crajyu's instructions, the Lute Kingdom
soldiers launched mercilessly fierce attacks. Because they were uniformly
burning with anger at the enemy army's cowardly methods and the trampling of
their Royal Capital and national territory, it was only natural. Against the
offensive of the Lute Kingdom Army, the invading army began to crumble
at once without putting up much resistance. For this four-country expedition,
the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy pushed themselves to organize an expeditionary
force of twenty thousand, and with the new developments, Castro
organized and sent out further reinforcements; however, even calling the sent
soldiers regular soldiers, many were 『hasty』
recruits, greatly inferior in proficiency and morale. Such soldiers had won and
advanced thus far taking the form of thieves at a fire, and were therefore
filled with arrogance and complacency.
「W-Why is an enemy army attacking
us...」
The
one who was left speechless out of sheer astonishment was the commander leading
the unit deployed in this area; he was one of the Archbishops appointed as
commander by Castro. To begin with, because he was dispatched to proceed
with the governance and plundering of safely occupied territories, he had no
battle experience. Having no means to deal with the situation before his eyes,
he merely stood dumbfounded.
「It's no good! The enemy army is more
than double ours, we cannot hold out! Your instructions!」
「Wha! I... I have not heard such a
story!」
Flustered
by the soldier's report, he threw away even his position as commander and fled
before anyone else. When that happened, the soldiers who were 『hasty』 recruits also chased his back and
began routing. Seeing that state, King Crajyu further spurred on the
entire army.
「They cannot fight properly! Drive
the enemy soldiers down just like this, and make them realize never to trample
our homeland again!」
Riding
the momentum, the Lute Kingdom Army recaptured the stronghold built by
the enemy army, and recapturing all the way to a strategic point established on
the national border as is, they stopped upon invading one of the four southern
counties of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy territory, and set up camp
preparing for a counterattack by the enemy army.
「Heika, from here the enemy country's
capital Tria is right under our noses; let us press the attack riding
this momentum, capture the enemy army's capital, and relieve our resentment!」
To
this advice from his subordinate, King Crajyu shook his head silently.
Then, he spoke to the soldiers as if admonishing them.
「If we press the attack riding the
momentum, we might easily be able to make Tria fall. Because they have
made unreasonable troop deployments and are repeating our mistake. But that...
is nothing more than our retaliation. What we must prioritize is answering the
debt of gratitude; answering our benefactor's expectations and reducing the
burden of our allied forces even a little bit—that is the path we must proceed
on!」
Being
told so, the soldiers burning with the desire for revenge had no choice but to
fall silent. Because originally, they themselves would have been chained in
prison as captives... no, if the opponent they fought hadn't been the Demon
Territory Dukedom, there was a possibility they might not even have
prolonged their lives.
「Leaving a reconnaissance unit in the
direction of Tria, we will advance northeast within the enemy country's
territory as is, and emerge behind the enemy army deployed in the central part!
We will sever their retreat path, annihilate the enemy army all at once, and
liberate our homeland!」
「「「「「Yeah!」」」」」
Following
those instructions, the Lute Kingdom Army began an orderly movement
northeast within the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy territory. However...
this decision by King Crajyu would bring about an unexpected result.
※
Around
the time the five thousand of the Lute Kingdom Army were marching within
the Orthodox Theocracy territory, Tria had fallen into great
confusion. This was because the Archbishop who had fled first in the previous
battle, and the few soldiers following him, had fled back in a sorry state.
「W-What is the meaning of this? Is
such an absurd story possible!」
It
was no wonder Castro was surprised. According to the reports thus far,
he had heard that the dispatched army led by Lugner and the others
caused the Royal Capital of the Vile Kingdom to fall with lightning
speed, took the Royal Capital of the Lute Kingdom on that momentum, and
was moving to subsequently occupy the Cain Kingdom. Moreover, in
addition to the four thousand sent as reinforcements for them, the seven
thousand newly incorporated Holy Knights were also sent out, serving
also to rid themselves of nuisances. If so, a fighting strength of at least
over thirty thousand was sweeping across the three countries; because of that,
feeling secure enough to even empty Tria, he had dispersed and sent out
six thousand soldiers from three directions to proceed with the governance of
the new territories.
「What are Lugner and Azel
doing! Where are the Holy Knights wandering about! There should be five
thousand garrison soldiers in the Royal Capital of the Lute Kingdom,
shouldn't there!」
Honestly
speaking, it was nothing but stories he couldn't understand. However... the
rebuked Archbishop, with his entire body drenched in sweat, answered timidly.
「With all due respect... we were hit
by a surprise attack from an enemy army of o-v-e-r t-e-n t-h-o-u-s-a-n-d, we
were outnumbered and had no means to resist. Perhaps the enemy army possesses
an army beyond imagination, and has launched a full-scale counteroffensive...」
「Impossible...」
Assuming
that were true, merely a fighting strength of less than a thousand remained in Tria.
All the rest had been sent to the invaded three countries, or were pasted to
the forefront against the Istoria Imperial Kingdom. To begin with, the
reporting Archbishop himself had greatly exaggerated the enemy's military force
to hide his own blunder, but there was no way for others to know that. To a
dumbfounded Castro, new evil tidings flew in.
「The enemy army that invaded the four
southern counties is turning its army north! Could it be... they intend to
completely sever our retreat path?」
「!!!」
If
that happens, their escape routes will be completely blocked and they will be
surrounded, and Tria, which has only a small number of soldiers, will be
as good as fallen. Castro was crushed by that terror.
「Your Eminence, as a temporary
measure, how about moving your residence to the previously occupied Isra?
Fortunately, Isra is the forefront with the Imperial Kingdom, our soldiers are stationed there,
and it does not share a national border with the Lute Kingdom either.」
Just
as the Archbishop said, recently the Pope of the Istoria Imperial Kingdom
had felt danger to his person, abandoned Isra, and fled to the three
northern counties, and the four central counties had all come under the control
of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy.
「However... when the situation of the
expeditionary force is also unknown, are you telling me to abandon Tria
and flee?」
「We are not fleeing. To begin with, Isra
was the Royal Capital of the Imperial Kingdom for many years, and an
indispensable city for the Church as well. It is merely a matter of
transferring the capital to a city of higher status. If the expeditionary force
is safe, it will be fine to simply order the recapture of Tria anew.」
Receiving
those words, Castro convinced himself. Even if the expeditionary force
was healthy, if Tria was attacked now, danger would reach him and there
would be no guarantee of his life. If that happens, he himself will become the
sacrifice of the battle, and the clown buying the most ridicule.
「I-Immediately carry out the transfer
of the capital! Those moving can be a small number; urgently load the wealth
onto the baggage trains, pass through the westernmost highway, and aim for Isra!」
Under
this instruction, the Church upper echelons who knew the circumstances and the
majority of the soldiers protecting Tria secretly abandoned the city and
fled to Isra. And then... in a form King Crajyu had not intended,
the four southern counties of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy became a
blank zone.
※
Meanwhile,
the Lute Kingdom Army, ignorant of the enemy country's circumstances,
was dashing through the enemy country's territory amidst the approaching dusk.
It goes without saying that regarding the enemy territory adjacent to the
national border line, they too had grasped the topography through years of
intelligence activities, which supported their swift march. When the sun fell
they camped, and at dawn when the pitch-black sky began to lighten, they
commenced moving again. And after moving for half a day, they finally emerged
behind the enemy army that had advanced into the central part. The Orthodox
Theocracy soldiers deployed in this area were also 『hasty』 recruits, and as a result of that, not bound by military
discipline, they committed every atrocity imaginable in neighboring villages.
「They have already ravaged the
neighboring villages, and their merciless deeds are equivalent to the likes of
bandits. We shall annihilate them and liberate the people who have tasted
hardships. Entire army, charge!」
「「「「「Yeah!」」」」」
Under
the command of the new King, it goes without saying that a merciless, one-sided
battle unfolded here as well. As a result, the unit led by King Crajyu
destroyed the enemy army that had invaded from two directions, built a
bridgehead on the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy side beyond the national
border, and while preparing for future counterattacks, began collecting
information via scouts.
※
And
a further day later, they joined up with Gord's unit, which had
destroyed the enemy army that invaded the northernmost part. At that time, Gord
was dumbfounded by the battle results he heard from the new King.
「Good grief... despite leading only
infantry, I cannot hide my surprise at Heika's god-speed troop
deployment. I never thought the enemy who invaded from the center ahead of us
would also be destroyed.」
「No, the enemy army was also off
guard, the soldiers' proficiency was low, and they couldn't even perform
coordinated movements. I must say their true strength was far removed from the original
regular army we had faced for many years.」
Although
he spoke so modestly, the fact that he moved dozens of km in a short period of time with only
infantry and won a series of battles was astonishing to Gord as well.
Because he never thought there was a general capable of pulling off such a feat
other than his own lord.
「By the way, General Gord, for
the convenience of defense we have occupied one county of the enemy country and
are investigating the movements in the surrounding area, but... it seems there
are incomprehensible movements.」
「Incomprehensible... you say?」
That
was due to reports from the unit left behind for intelligence in the direction
of Tria when the new King moved to another battle.
「It seems the ringleader of the enemy
army judged that Tria was difficult to defend, abandoned the city, and
fled into Isra. Almost all the soldiers followed suit, and now the four
southern counties seem to have become a blank zone.」
「What!」
Gord was dumbfounded by the unexpected
situation, but looking closely at the topography, it was a reasonable story.
「I see... as a result of forcing a
troop dispatch disproportionate to their stature, they ended up in a situation
where they couldn't even protect their headquarters. If so, I believe Heika
should requisition the four southern counties, which have become empty houses.」
「We are those who were saved by Archduke-heika. As those who received
reinforcements, invading the enemy country and acquiring new territory seems a
bit too selfish to me...」
Gord could fully understand those
feelings as well. However, under a certain thought, Gord deliberately
decided to offer 『forward』
advice.
「If it is a requisition rather than
an invasion, shouldn't it be no problem? Securing the territory to use as a
bargaining condition hypothetically when post-war negotiations are held—I
believe you should think of it that way.」
「I see! This too is territory to be
presented to Archduke-heika,
so you're saying we should requisition it for that purpose. If so, let's deploy
soldiers at the border between the four southern counties and the four central
counties. So that eventually it can become the territory of the Demon
Territory Dukedom.」
「......」
The new King's decision was appreciated, but Gord himself thought the future would not turn out that way. He independently thought of the best future and kept the contents of his advice to his lord hidden in his heart. And the result of that would become clear shortly. On the day Takuhir and the others defeated all the invading armies and returned in triumph to the Lute Kingdom...
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