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There were about 10 officers gathered in the main hall.
“The number of officers is low.”
This was because there was no senior officer leading our cadets’ unit.
Ironheart General, who had served as Delbadova’s deputy, explained the reason.
“Our command has decided to entrust you with on-site decisions in this war. General Delbadova will take overall command, but in his absence or situations requiring quick decisions, you are allowed to act independently.”
“Independently…!”
“I won’t burden you with expectations. We made this decision because we have high hopes for you. But I believe you will do well. You have the skills. I hope you seize this opportunity to rise higher.”
The cadets barely gathered their composure. It was more a sense of relief from the situation than encouragement.
Ironheart nodded satisfactorily and laid out the current situation.
“In this war, our assigned area is the Kalon Mountains. If the enemy bypasses the Kalon Mountains and attacks from the right, they could cut off the supply route established by Crossing towards Beccabia.”
“Kalon Mountains…”
It was where I first encountered Routege.
Located on the border between Beccabia and Albad, descending to the right through the mountains would lead straight into Crossing’s territory.
“So, we have been assigned the primary task of defending the Kalon Mountains.”
Although it was called defense, given the remote location of Kalon Mountains from the main front lines, the likelihood of actual combat was slim.
This time, the display of the main army was for this reason. That’s why they entrusted the command of the troops to the inexperienced junior officers.
“Alright, this is the basic topography of the Kalon Mountains. Make sure to familiarize yourselves with it.”
When I had gone to find Ruttger in the past, I had roughly memorized the route, but I didn’t know it all.
I checked the topography map.
“The mountains are quite rugged.”
Ruttger didn’t hide Estelle here for no reason. As you climb higher up the mountain, the terrain becomes more complex, and you could easily lose your way.
On the other hand, if you are familiar with the terrain, you can use it to make swift movements.
General Delbadova nodded his head and spoke.
“There is no intelligence indicating enemy advancement here yet, but this is a battlefield. We never know when something might happen. We must be fully prepared for all scenarios. To do that, let’s confirm the troops and formations. First, the 2nd Cavalry Division, Dorosi Grimwood!”
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“Yes!”
“In this defensive battle, the role of your units is more crucial than anything else. When engaging in combat, due to the nature of the terrain, you will often have to make decisions based on your judgment.”
“That…!”
Dorosi was in despair. Ironheart, who was Grimwood’s adjutant, seemed to understand the situation and turned his gaze towards me.
“Alth Ilain. Your 6th Infantry Division will follow and protect the 2nd Cavalry Division.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
After explaining tactics and fortifications, General Delbadova concluded the strategy meeting.
The junior officers left the main tent with tired expressions.
They let out a collective sigh of exhaustion.
“Phew! It’s my first time participating in a Class 1 meeting!”
“The atmosphere is no joke indeed.”
Dannian Gigglish and Joshua Herald groaned.
“Surely there won’t be a battle, right?”
“Of course not. The West is quiet, and Tunkai is the same. There’s no reason for them to come all the way here. Right? Casper. Huh? Casper?”
Casper had been in a sour mood ever since General Delbadova’s sternness.
He seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if considering saying something that seemed obvious, then spoke.
“Don’t be complacent. This is a battlefield. You never know when you might lose your life.”
“R-right. That’s true.”
Upon this, Luan Chaise shrugged his shoulders and said, “If you’re here, you might as well come. In the end, we will be the winners.”
With that, Luan returned to his unit. Others also suppressed their excitement and anxiety and returned to their units.
I also supported the exhausted Dorosi and returned to the unit.
The soldiers were getting ready for bed as the camp was set up.
“If Eoga were here now, they would have prepared a meal for us.”
If Yumir were here, they would have lovingly massaged our legs.
“Perhaps the master wants us to overcome these things on our own. Ah, let’s just get some sleep.”
As I was about to head back to my tent.
“Lord Wade.”
It was a man dressed in Callifer’s military uniform. I recognized his face.
He was one of the Crossing officers sent by Juras during the previous Chimera War.
“…Sent by Juras, right?”
“Anton sent it specifically. He mentioned that you would also need information about the battlefield.”
“Alright. I was curious as well. How is the situation on that front?”
Having moved to a remote location, I compiled the information sent by Anton.
It was reported that Juras’ 100,000 troops had taken their positions a fortnight ago and engaged in a full-scale battle a week ago.
“The Supreme Commander divided the army into groups of 30,000, 40,000, and 30,000 to station troops at key points and launch operations to recapture the strategic points taken by the enemy. In response, the Western Alliance also divided their forces into three branches to counter.”
There were five major battlefields.
Two battlefields where Tunkai’s 60,000 troops clashed with Beccabia’s 80,000. And three battlefields where Crossing’s 100,000 faced off against the Western Alliance’s 100,000.
“100,000? The Western Alliance supposedly mustered 130,000 troops. What about the remaining 30,000?”
“I do not know. The enemy is so massive that it is difficult for us to make an accurate count. Some of the forces may be guarding the supply lines in the rear, or it could be simply an error in our count.”
“Is there a possibility of a reconnaissance unit being formed?”
“I do not know, but as of now, there have been no reports of reconnaissance units being detected.”
“Hmm. How does Juras plan to achieve victory?”
“That part is…”
“Alright. They must be cooking up something as usual. So, is that all?”
“One more thing. It’s about the enemy commander.”
“Finally, the identity is revealed. Who is it?”
The Supreme Commander of the Western Alliance.
“They call him Hanneman Noiers.”
“Hanneman…!?”
“Does that ring a bell?”
It does.
If it’s Hanneman, he was a politician who suddenly appeared in the Brulang Union in the game.
That was all I knew. The rest had not been updated.
“Could it be that Hanneman, the Western traitor, infiltrated the Brulang? The power possessed by a traitor infiltrating the Brulang seems subtly strong.”
Now, with the assassination of the Brulang King causing difficulties in covert actions from behind, it seems appropriate for him to come forward.
“What about information on him?”
There is not much known yet, but in the West, they refer to him as ‘Thousand Guests.’
“Thousand Guests?”
It was a peculiar nickname for a general.
* * *
The western city of Vilak in Beccabia.
The Western Alliance, who had occupied this place, was discussing their response to Crossing’s involvement in the war.
Their military meeting room was a grand banquet hall owned by the lord of Vilak.
It wasn’t out of vanity or extravagance that they did so.
It was simply because they couldn’t accommodate everyone otherwise.
There were over 200 officers participating in the military meeting. Most of them were senior officers.
“Hmm, is everyone here? Just waiting for attendance alone feels like an eternity.”
Though he said that, Hanneman’s face was filled with satisfaction at the number of attendees.
“Well then, shall we all discuss ways to defeat those Crossing fellows?”
Thousand Guests, Hanneman.
He exuded more of a politician than a general. Rumor had it that over ten thousand people owed their lives to his family, hence the saying “a thousand generations” was coined for him.
“The Croxings have split their army into three. Moreover, since our numbers exceed theirs, if we push with force, they will have no choice but to retreat.”
“Hmm, I like the aggressive opinion, but it seems that the opponent, Juras Pamelion, is an exceptional figure. Though I don’t know much, according to Jemuto Gong, he’s considered a monster from beyond. Rumor has it that he not only predicted our invasion of Beccabia but even lured us in.”
“Well, surely not…”
“I couldn’t believe it either, but seeing Croxings actually engage in battle, one must consider it true. Do not underestimate him.”
Around two hundred officers huddled together to devise the best strategy.
Too many cooks spoil the broth. While many opinions often led to inconclusive decisions, this time was different.
The reason he, who was merely a politician, could become the army’s leader was due to this insight.
Among the chaotic tactics, strategies, and schemes put forth by the two hundred officers, he had the ability to catch only the right answer.
He was like a control tower.
“Your Highness, I have a plan.”
“Your Highness, I have not yet ascended to the throne, Barret.”
“It’s just a matter of time.”
“Fine. What’s the plan?”
“We will utilize the Caliphran army.”
“The Caliphran army?”
Barret proposed a strategy using the Caliphrans, who were ostensibly offering support.
Only one person raised an eyebrow at this strategy.
“Looks promising. Alright, Barret, I’ll leave this task to you. Attach Fisher as your lieutenant. Bring us victory.”
“Yes!”
The battlefield began to move in earnest.
The battlefield was now compressed between Hanneman and Juras, and Baron, the military strategist.
***
As we entered the Calon Mountains, we established a base camp at the heart of the mountains. Since the likelihood of a battle was slim, to us cadets, it felt more like a field study.
However, on the 18th day of the campaign, the 3rd day of our Caliphran army’s encampment in the Calon Mountains, a sudden emergency struck our camp.
As the commanding officer, I received the information directly.
“Enemy forces have been spotted at the reconnaissance point! The 6th Infantry Division must prepare for battle immediately!”
“Enemy forces…?”
It was a perplexing situation.
There was no reason to disturb our army, which was observing from the sidelines.
“Oh, Alts! What should we do?”
Dorothy asked, her expression pensive.
“Gather the troops first. Since we’ll be joining our division anyway, we should march together.”
“Thank you! Grimwood Archers! Assume formation!”
Soldiers swiftly formed ranks.
We ventured out to the edge of the mountains to confront the enemy forces. I stood watching with Dorothy’s archers.
Marching soldiers approached in unison. Their uniforms were unfamiliar to us.
“I see. Are those the Western ethnic uniforms rumored in the intelligence?”
They advanced unabashedly towards our position. General Delvadova sent a messenger to halt them, but their pace did not falter.
Instead, they drove the messenger away with arrows.
Upon this, General Delvadova did not hesitate and shouted, “Prepare for battle, everyone!”
The enemy forces were approximately 20,000, similar to ours.
“So, they did organize a skirmish unit.”
The standoff between the West and Crossing began cautiously, and a large-scale battle did not erupt on either side.
Therefore, it was not difficult to speculate that the operation through the skirmish unit would be executed by turning our gaze away.
I shouted in place of Doroshi, “All archers, ready your bows!”
Archers drew their arrows.
“From the 1st to the 5th row, fire!”
Pew pew pew! Arrows whistled through the air. The enemy raised their shields in formation, but due to our advantageous position, the arrows had a significant impact.
“From the 6th to the 10th row, fire! The rest, reload!”
And I called for our unit’s Delas.
“Delas, as I mentioned before, prepare the crossbows.”
“Understood!”
Under Delas’s command, 200 soldiers positioned themselves in front of the archers. One hundred lay prone, while the other hundred knelt to reload the crossbows.
Crossbows are not typically well-structured in regular armies. Despite their strong firepower, they are not widely used due to cost and efficiency issues. Above all, the major problem is the reload time. While the reload time for a bow can be up to 5 seconds, crossbows can take over a minute, and even the shortest time is around 15 seconds.
Moreover, compared to bows, crossbows are more prone to malfunctions.
These drawbacks were particularly pronounced in battles with cavalry. Due to the intervals between shots, they couldn’t effectively deter the cavalry’s approach.
The same applied to battles with infantry. The rate of fire is slower, allowing for quicker approaches.
Expensive, difficult to supply, and varying in efficiency depending on the terrain, crossbows faced challenges in large-scale battles like the current one with tens of thousands of troops engaging.
Hence, crossbows were used as auxiliary weapons or favored among mercenaries.
Those mercenaries were in my unit.
“We’ll concentrate fire on the enemy’s vanguard! Crossbows, fire preemptively! Next, archers from the 1st to the 5th row, fire!”
Tee tee tee thwack! Bolts aimed at the enemy’s vanguard flew first.
Unlike arrows blocked by shields, bolts pierced through, striking the enemy’s bodies.
“Aargh!”
To the soldiers who dropped their shields in pain, arrows swiftly followed.
The enemy’s vanguard faltered.
“Keep it up! Reload the crossbows! Archers from the 6th to the 10th row, fire!”
“We won’t fall behind! 1st Archer Division, fire!”
Supporting fire from General Delvadova’s 1st Archer Division made the enemy’s movements noticeably falter.
“That’s it! Alas! We’ve held them off!”
Excited, Dorothy shouted.
But at that moment, the enemy began to show a strange movement.