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“Soim Hao-sama is here.” (??)

She said it.

At that moment, I had a bad feeling. Soim should have been far up north.

“Let him in.” (Yuri)

I said, setting down my pen. Soim, dressed in military attire, was ushered in by the secretary. He appeared to have come straight from the battlefield, covered in dust and grime.

“Milord, I have a report.” (Soim)

He said respectfully, standing at attention. This was how one behaved when strictly adhering to military protocol. It had been only 8 days since Soim had joined forces with the elite cavalry and departed. Normally, he should still be on the mission I had assigned him, so there was no reason for him to be here. His presence indicated that something unforeseen had occurred.

“Speak.” (Yuri)

“The battalion led by Barbetos Nore has suffered 40% casualties due to an attack. Barbetos Nore himself has been killed, and the battalion is in retreat.” (Soim)

“What happened?” (Yuri)

Barbetos Nore was an outstanding tactician from the Hou Household, leading 1000 troops and coordinating with Soim’s unit to launch large-scale ambushes whenever the opportunity arose. Suppressing the enemy’s main force and engaging in elusive warfare was quite a challenging task.

“The enemy showed no signs of fatigue even after our unit demolished their scouts three times. They seemed entirely unafraid of ambushes, so Barbetos-dono and I decided to launch an ambush immediately.” (Soim)

‘So, they acted promptly.’

I had told Barbetos that if the enemy didn’t anticipate an ambush, they should strike hard. Considering his military experience and my impression of him, he didn’t seem incompetent or inclined to reckless charges. Their decision to ambush, made in consultation between him and Soim, must have been the right one. The enemy had left themselves vulnerable, inviting an attack.

“First ambush can be considered a perfect success. The second ambush wasn’t bad either. However, unfortunately, Barbetos-dono perished.” (Soim)

“Hmm…” (Yuri)

‘The ambush was a complete success, yet 40% casualties and the commander’s death?’

“Why was the second ambush conducted?” (Yuri)

“The first ambush succeeded, causing chaos among the enemy vanguard, but their march did not halt. Barbetos-dono didn’t want to miss the perfect opportunity, so he ordered the second ambush. However, compared to the first one, the enemy was slightly stronger… According to reports, it seems they had formidable warriors as well.” (Soim)

“By your tone, both were successful, weren’t they?” (Yuri)

‘If the ambushes were successful, factors like the enemy having firearms became irrelevant. In other words, the superiority of equipment disappeared, and it became a battle of blades. Barbetos Nore’s army was so well-trained that they wouldn’t have fought poorly. They decimated the enemy, but it seems they suffered losses as well.’

“What about the enemy’s losses?” (Yuri)

“In terms of casualty ratio, the enemy should have lost 3 to 4 times more than us. We can consider it a significant victory. However…” (Soim)

I interrupted Soim with a hand gesture.

“I understand. 1000 men weren’t enough.” (Yuri)

“That’s correct.” (Soim)

“I misjudged. I’ve put him in a difficult situation.” (Yuri)

‘It would have been better to assign 3000 or 4000 troops. I thought chances for such an ambush wouldn’t come often, so I thought 1000 men would be slightly more than enough. To think that within a few days of engaging in the operation, they would attack not once, but twice.’

“In other words, the entire Crusade army is prioritizing swift marching regardless of the ambush risk.” (Yuri)

“Yes. They seem to value speed above all else.” (Soim)

‘I see. They’re not fools. They must have understood that if they marched slowly, they would be exhausted before reaching the capital. For such a large group to make such decisive actions is impressive. I underestimated their unity as a coalition army, but Epitaph Palazzo seems to have a grasp on it to some extent. The enemy is quite formidable too.’

“Are there any remnants of Barbetos Nore’s troops being led by someone?” (Yuri)

“Yes! His son is overseeing them.” (Soim)

“Then, let them enter Kotlaha.” (Yuri)

As I said that, Soim’s expression changed slightly. Allowing entry into Kotlaha meant accepting defeat.

“That is…” (Soim)

As expected, he seemed hesitant.

“Don’t worry. From the reports I’ve heard, the situation has changed. Most likely, the Crusade won’t attack Kotlaha.” (Yuri)

“Huh? What do you mean…?” (Soim)

“They’ll station some troops at the city gate of Kotlaha, but their main force will pass through.” (Yuri)

‘It’s troublesome that the enemy is attempting swift resolution without hesitation. Since they saw Mital empty, they’ll probably just pass through, but if they decide to capture it, spending a few days there would be acceptable.’

“Are they stopping sending reconnaissance cavalry?” (Yuri)

“No, they are not.” (Soin)

“Then, send another hundred riders. Join up and continue the mission.” (Yuri)

“Yes, milord! Understood.” (Soim)

“I’ll arrange for a replacement force for Barbetos. However, it will be south of Kotlaha.” (Yuri)

Mital had already fallen. The members of the Rube Household had prepared large ballistae, large crossbows, for the upcoming battle and installed them on the walls. They probably wanted to use what they had prepared, but since there weren’t many defenders, they couldn’t withstand the continuous attacks day and night, and the city fell in less than a week. They had prepared some gunpowder in advance to destroy part of the city wall, then escaped by overcoming the broken wall instead of the heavily guarded city gate, coordinating with cavalry raids at night.

I quickly wrote down orders and handed them to Soim.

“The hundred riders will depart today. It’ll take about four days to reach you. Where’s the best meeting point?” (Yuri)

As I said that, Soim approached the wall and looked at the map hanging on it.

“Ortony should be suitable.” (Soim)

“Got it. Meet at Ortony in four days and incorporate them under your command. Any other reports?” (Yuri)

“None.” (Soim)

Soim, eager like a young officer, couldn’t wait to return to the battlefield.

“Please give my regards to Barbetos’s son.” (Yuri)

I said while writing military orders on the paper and stamped it, then handed it to Soim.

“Alright, go.” (Yuri)

As I said that, Soim saluted and said, “Yes, milord! Excuse me!” Then he left the room.

I, too, had a new task at hand.

—

The Rube Household army was stationed in a small town near the royal capital. Though it had been a temporary refuge for many residents, the vast army couldn’t fit inside houses, so they camped outside the city under tents. Arriving in that town on White Sunset, I landed at the magistrate’s mansion.

“Your Excellency Yuri! Welcome!” (??)

Soldiers from the Rube Household greeted me. There was a sense of formality distinct to each household, and the Rubes seemed more formal than the Hou Household’s.

“I wish to see Kien Rube-dono. Is he available?” (Yuri)

“Yes! I’ll confirm right away!” (??)

The soldier who responded promptly dashed inside the mansion. However, it seemed unnecessary. A window on the second floor of the mansion opened, and Kien gestured for me to come up. I walked toward the mansion. After crossing the entrance and ascending to the second floor, I met the soldier who had returned to guide me.

“Huh!?” (??)

“It’s fine. Please show me the way.” (Yuri)

“Y-yes.” (??)

With some hesitation, the soldier turned back, and after about seven steps, he led me to the room.

“His Excellency Yuri has arrived.” (??)

“Come in.” (Kien)

The door was opened, and I entered the room.

“Excuse me.” (Yuri)

“Yuri-dono, how are you?” (Kien)

The door closed behind me with a voice saying, “Excuse me.”

“This may take a while. May I sit?” (Yuri)

“Yes, of course.” (Kien)

I settled onto the sofa provided for guests.

Originally, this house had likely belonged to a magistrate from the Witch’s clan. As the Witches insisted on residing in the capital and showed little interest in managing territories, these lands were often controlled by appointed magistrates. Sometimes, they were even granted as estates to high-ranking guardsmen. The room’s interior had a somewhat Witch-like vibe.

“Do you know a man named Soim Hao?” (Yuri)

“Ah, you mean the Dark Knight Soim. I heard he’s your spear mentor.” (Kien)

‘No matter how many times I heard it, that nickname sent shivers down my spine. It seems the Second Army guys came up with it, but they must be out of their minds. And the fact that the man himself seemed to somewhat like it was even more worrying.’

“I assigned some cavalry to this Soim and sent them out. He just returned with a report. The gist of it—” (Yuri)

I summarized Soim’s report.

“Hmm… So, the enemy is in such a hurry.” (Kien)

Kien’s eyes narrowed, as if he were glaring.

“If they don’t slow down at all, it’s troublesome. I need a bit more time. Well, the enemy must be pushing forward due to some difficulties.” (Yuri)

“I see. For them, losing about 5000 soldiers to a 1000-man ambush isn’t a big deal.” (Kien)

‘It may not be insignificant, but they likely made the decision to press on despite the risks. It’s proof that our strategy is effective, but their decisiveness is impressive. They probably have made some significant decisions while being held up at Mital for a few days.’

“The ambush will be conducted in the forest. It’s a strategic maneuver that can’t be carried out by a mere rabble of troops. In the outskirts of the royal capital, your army is the only one capable of doing it.” (Yuri)

‘We could do it with the Hou Household as well, but assembling such a highly trained large force from them would take time since most of them are in the Hou Household’s territory. Kien’s army is the only one that can depart today.’

“I’ll take it on. So, how many troops should I send?” (Kien)

“All the troops capable of fulfilling their duties.” (Yuri)

‘If surprise attacks are sure to succeed, it’s a much better exchange than using them in open-field battles. The more troops exchanged, the better.’

“In that case, it’ll be about 5,000.” (Kien)

“5,000, huh…” (Yuri)

‘It’s quite a small number.’

“If it’s too small, I can increase it a bit…” (Kien)

Kien looked troubled.

“Is there a problem?” (Yuri)

“We only have 3,000 from the battle at Hot Bridge. They arrived here just the day before yesterday. If they march continuously, morale will drop. They’re still exhausted, and we can’t expect a good fight from them.” (Kien)

“I see. In that case, sending 5,000 is fine.” (Yuri)

‘Here, it would be better to rest and use the troops that were used in the battle.’

“Also, there should be troops retreating from Mital.” (Yuri)

“Yes, there are. There are 1,600 infantry and 500 cavalry, but they—” (Kien)

“I know.” (Yuri)

‘Currently, the troops north of Kotlaha consist of the retreating forces from Mital, Soim’s independent cavalry unit, and the remnants of Barbetos Nore’s troops. Kotlaha only intended to defend with a minimal suicide squad at the sturdy city gate, so there are only 300 soldiers inside.’

“I want them to enter Kotlaha. Let’s somehow arrange for them to have provisions, arrows, and ammunition for the siege.” (Yuri)

“Kotlaha…?”

Once again, Kien looked puzzled.

“Of course, send the cavalry back to Sibyaku. Only infantry will defend the city.” (Yuri)

“They won’t be able to fight much. If they enter Kotlaha, it’ll be a hopeless situation.” (Kien)

Kien looked troubled. It seemed he was opposed to the idea.

“They are in a hurry. They’ve been hit with surprise attacks twice in a short period. They probably have a vague sense that Sibyaku is the battleground.” (Yuri)

“Well, that might be true.” (Kien)

“If there are sufficient troops in Kotlaha, will they dare to fight? It takes about two days to prepare for a siege, similar to what happened in Mital. They might not even bring siege weapons. In that case, it would be better to leave about 10000 troops behind to close the gates and eliminate the threat from the rear, allowing the main force to advance.” (Yuri)

‘Even I didn’t think we could take Kotlaha in a single day when I first saw it. The city gate had such a strong presence. While Kotlaha’s walls had flaws, even if the gates were breached, there were towers on either side of the city gate where defenders could hold out independently. It didn’t seem feasible to conquer it in just one or two days.’

“We’ll also send Barbetos Nore’s remaining troops to Kotlaha. That makes 2500… not bad at all.” (Yuri)

“But Mital was besieged. Why are you so sure Kotlaha won’t be?” (Kien)

“I’m not absolutely sure.” (Yuri)

‘It might be besieged. However, if they’re willing to take their time and siege properly, that’s fine. No, that’s probably not going to happen. They’re in a hurry precisely because they don’t want to take that much time.’

“It’s just my intuition. But it’s bound to be correct.” (Yuri)

‘Explaining such complex decisions to others was always challenging. If they could act without understanding, showing results was easier.’

“Well, well… if you’re that confident, Yuri-dono, I’ll comply.” (Kien)

“Thanks. I’ll summon troops from the Hou Household’s territory and attempt another ambush north of the royal capital.” (Yuri)

“Understood. But if the enemy is in such a hurry, is the Noza Household territory going to be okay?” (Kien)

‘By “going to be okay,” he means if the Noza Household troops can be mobilized to the vicinity of the capital in time. Distance-wise, the Noza Household territory is the furthest.’

“No worries. The notification has already been sent out, and they’ve begun moving. Even if the enemy hurries, they will have gathered a week in advance.” (Yuri)

“Good to hear. Right then.” (Kien)

Kien slapped his knee and stood up from his chair.

“I’ll start gathering the troops immediately.” (Kien)

“Thanks, I rely on you.” (Yuri)

I also stood up.

‘Today, I need to head to Karakumo and consult with Dimitri about arranging an elite unit. It’s going to be a busy day.’