Episode 90: Clash
The Eastern Front Army broke through the outer perimeter of the Western Legion’s encampment almost unscathed and successfully infiltrated.
But they understood it too.
The real battle was just beginning. Ahead, the enemy’s defensive line awaited them.
In orderly formation, they marched toward the enemy camp–.
“Hmm–”
Riding his beloved horse Noctis at the forefront, Siegfried. A smile played on his lips.
“So, they cut down their own allies to rally the troops.”
“Hm? Did you say something?”
Leon, advancing right beside him, asked back. Siegfried responded with the smile still on his face.
“I’m talking about the enemy’s commander. Apparently, he cut down allies who tried to flee. I could hear the enemy spreading the word about it.”
“…You can hear that well, huh.”
Leon strained his ears, but all that reached him from afar was mere clamor.
It was a voice that only Siegfried, enhancing his hearing with magic, could catch.
“Well, any commander who cuts down his own subordinates can’t be a decent guy.”
“No, not necessarily.”
Siegfried quietly shook his head.
“Cutting down fleeing soldiers and using fear to control subordinates is one effective method on the battlefield. Violence to maintain order… You could say it’s a commander who understands the essence of that.”
“…I can’t really get behind that.”
For Leon, who valued bonds with his comrades, it was hard to accept right away.
“In any case, this should allow the Serodonia side to regroup. And once the enemy gets their formation in order–we’ll be at a disadvantage in terms of numbers.”
The exact number of the enemy forces was unknown, but from the size of the encampment and the number of tents, their total was roughly around 20,000.
“What’re we gonna do? Can we win?”
“–Of course we’ll win. And it’ll be a crushing victory at that.”
◇
“Enemy forces approaching! We’ll be in combat any moment now!”
A soldier from the Western Legion shouted in a trembling voice.
Closing in before them were infantry with spears at the ready, and knights on horseback–numbering about 10,000.
The Western Legion’s forces to meet them were also 10,000 strong.
And–the two armies finally clashed.
“Alright, let’s go! Now that we’re here, all we can do is charge forward!”
“Uooooh!”
The soldiers of the Kirchhen Kingdom Army raised a battle cry and thrust their spears forward.
On the other hand, the Serodonia Kingdom Army met them with full force.
“D-don’t run! Hold your ground here and push them back! If you fall back, it’ll be desertion in the face of the enemy… You’ll be killed!”
“We know!”
The terror of ‘Laughing Mad Dog’ Mauricio glaring from behind pushed the soldiers forward.
The Serodonia Kingdom soldiers desperately raised their spears and faced the enemy. But there was a decisive difference in morale between the two armies.
On the Kirchhen Kingdom side, in addition to the fear of ‘execution if they lose,’ they dreamed of the glory beyond victory: ‘win and become heroes.’
On the Serodonia Kingdom side, there was only fear.
Thus–in terms of morale, the Kirchhen Kingdom Army had the upper hand.
However, Mauricio didn’t budge an inch, continuing to glare at the battlefield with sharp eyes.
(The unit in the enemy’s rear… Could that be the commander? The one to break is–there. Heh…)
Assessing the battle situation, he quietly issued an order.
“Captain Iago… Lead two hundred cavalry and launch a surprise attack on the enemy’s rear–that unit.”
“Yes, sir!”
The one who responded was a rugged man with tattoos etched on his face. One of Mauricio’s longtime subordinates and among his most trusted.
Iago moved immediately, leading two hundred cavalry to sortie.
They made a wide detour around the front line, racing along the outer edge of the encampment while hiding in the shadows of the tents.
His destination was–.
“Eek…!”
The one who noticed the approaching enemy and let out a short scream was Vice Commander Almants.
He had left the actual command of the battle to Siegfried and retreated to the rear of the army–a safe place.
However, Mauricio had targeted exactly there.
“Protect me, protect me! Hey, hurry up and protect me!”
Responding to Almants’s shouts, his confidants blocked the path of Iago’s cavalry unit.
“Out of the way!”
Iago swung a curved blade known as a scimitar, mercilessly slashing at Almants’s subordinates.
He had survived countless battlefields alongside Mauricio, while Almants’s soldiers had been soaking in lukewarm waters–the difference was stark.
“Gyah!”
“Guah!”
Without putting up much resistance, Almants’s soldiers sank one after another into sprays of blood.
“Hiii…!”
Almants’s scream echoed.
Both Mauricio and Iago had already sensed that he was the ‘ornamental supreme commander’ in the army.
The one truly in command was someone else.
But even so, there was great significance in cutting down Almants here and now.
Even if he was just a figurehead, the shock that would ripple through the entire army from losing their supreme commander was immeasurable.
(Got him!)
In the instant Iago was certain of victory–a knight with flaming crimson hair flowing in the wind charged in on horseback.
“Who the hell are you!”
With a roar, Iago swung his sword down toward the knight.
The blade that met it clashed, scattering sparks with a sharp metallic clang.
Equal sword pressure–both were pushed back by their blades and created distance.
“Knight Commander Beatrice! Are you alright!?”
Following the red-haired knight… Beatrice, several knights rushed in. Further behind, infantry could also be seen.
“Tch…”
Iago clicked his tongue once.
He intuitively understood that not only Beatrice but the following knights and soldiers weren’t mere fodder.
And rightly so–they were knights and soldiers trained by Beatrice.
“You guys… Stay sharp.”
Ordering his subordinates that, Iago raised his sword again and began a standoff with Beatrice and the others.
◇
“…To think there was an enemy capable of stopping Iago.”
Watching the battle from his own position, Mauricio muttered lowly.
Though greatly inferior to Siegfried, he could also enhance his vision with magic, allowing him to see the front lines to some extent.
At the end of his gaze, Iago and the red-haired knight continued their standoff, each watching for an opening.
“Well, fine… That red-haired knight is probably the enemy’s top fighter… Just keeping her occupied is enough… In the meantime, our formation is coming together…”
As his words suggested, soldiers were steadily gathering on the Serodonia Kingdom Army’s front line. Their total number… already exceeding 17,000.
But then, a shout of report came from a soldier.
“Smoke signals rising again from Forssa Fort!”
“…What’s the message?”
Mauricio asked back calmly, without flinching.
“Enemy reinforcements approaching! Numbering… 3,000!”
“Heh…”
Mauricio twisted his lips and let out a chuckle.
“Just 3,000, huh…”
Even including this reinforcement, the enemy forces totaled no more than 13,000.
“According to Commander Volfirio… The enemy has about 2,000 more soldiers they can mobilize…”
Mauricio had been informed by Volfirio that the enemy army’s total strength was roughly 15,000.
That information came from a secret deal with Bertram, making it highly credible.
On the other hand, while the Serodonia Kingdom Army had suffered some losses in the defensive battle, they still possessed nearly 20,000 troops.
(We have the advantage in numbers… The momentum is gradually shifting our way too. Now, I’ll make my move at the decisive moment and settle the battle. And after that… It’ll be a fun, fun time of slaughter.)
