In a dark room at night in Haan Castle, Hashim was pushing pins into a
map spread across a desk. One by one, the pins spread across the Empire.
At a glance, it was unclear what they might represent. Then...
"Go."
With that curt word from Hashim, a person standing in the shadows
silently disappeared. They were a spy in the service of the House of Chima,
one who supported Hashim in his plots.
After the figure was gone, Hashim let out a long sigh.
"...Brother," a voice hesitantly called out to him from behind.
"Mutsumi?" Hashim turned to see his younger sister, Mutsumi, the wife
of his master. "No, should I call you Your Majesty?"
"Call me...whatever you like." Mutsumi shrugged, pulling up a chair and
sitting down next to Hashim. "Is your plan to invade the Gran Chaos
Empire going well?"
"Yes. Without a hitch." Hashim smiled coldly as he stroked the map.
"Heh heh... I'm grateful to Lord Fuuga. He's let me devise plans I never
would have had the chance to see while living in the Duchy of Chima. The
men, materiel, and allies I have access to are on an entirely different scale.
As a strategist, nothing could make me more excited."
"I'm glad to see you're satisfied... And this is why you cut father
loose?"
"Heh, of course." Hashim laughed at Mutsumi's question. "I made the
decision that Father would have in his younger years. This is how the
House of Chima has always survived and built our name. I'm sure...when
Father died, he entrusted that dream to me."
"Knowing Father, I'm sure he was content with that..."
Given that their father Mathew Chima's last act was to pass Hashim a
list of capable people in the Union of Eastern Nations, he likely recognized
his son's abilities and was satisfied dying the way he did. Still, Mutsumi felt
it was wrong that Sami and others had to be sacrificed, but she wouldn't say
this. Her beloved Fuuga had benefited from those sacrifices, so she didn't
feel she had the right to object.
Mutsumi shook her head and returned to the matter at hand.
"You're using a lot of spies, aren't you? Are their activities going well?"
"Everything proceeds apace. I will seize the initiative with my first
stroke."
Seeing the bold smile on his face, Mutsumi said, "I'll be counting on
you, Brother."
◇ ◇ ◇
Broadly speaking, Souma had taken three military actions since he'd
been given the throne.
First, there was the series of wars involving the traitors Georg Carmine
and Castor Vargas, as well as the Principality of Amidonia. He'd fought
against the former of the two differently than he did the latter, but because it
all happened in a connected series of events, it was understood to all be one
military action.
Second, there was his dispatch of troops to the Union of Eastern Nations
during the demon wave.
And third, there was his dispatch of the fleet to the (then) Nine-Headed
Dragon Archipelago Union to put down Ooyamizuchi.
One thing that proved useful on these three occasions was a type of
broadcast that used jewels. In the war with Amidonia, he broadcast his
defeat of Georg and the rebels to reduce confusion in his own country and
to declare war on Gaius VIII, pulling him onto a well-prepared battlefield.
This allowed the forces of the Kingdom to use their greater numbers to
overwhelm those of the Principality.
In Souma's third action, the dispatch of the fleet to the Nine-Headed
Dragon Archipelago Union, he used the broadcast to hold talks with NineHeaded Dragon King Shana in front of all the soldiers on both sides. Then,
with the "convenient" appearance of Ooyamizuchi, the two countries
formed a joint front to slay the massive unidentified creature. If not for
those broadcast talks, there would have been a delay in coming to a
common agreement, and the soldiers from the two countries wouldn't have
been able to coordinate their efforts.
Truly, broadcasts had a major role in Souma's battles. When word of this
spread to other countries, there were people in those countries who studied
the great impact they could have. You could even say Maria's activities as a
lorelei were part of that. And this wasn't limited to the rulers of countries
like the Empire, Republic, and Archipelago Kingdom that were friendly to
the Kingdom of Friedonia. Hashim Chima, advisor to Fuuga Haan of the
Great Tiger Kingdom, was also a student of Souma's use of broadcasts.
—1552nd year, Continental Calendar—
"People of the Gran Chaos Empire—"
In the fountain plazas of cities small and large across the Empire, the
projected image of Fuuga began to speak. It was a clear day. His voice was
heard in towns, cities, fishing villages, the mountains, military bases, and in
Valois Castle.
"I am Fuuga Haan, king of the Great Tiger Kingdom of Haan."
Hashim's first strike was a broadcast jack. The jewel broadcasts ran on a
sort of magic frequency, and any jewel could project images on receivers
around the continent. This meant that with an insider who knew the
Empire's frequencies, the Great Tiger Kingdom could broadcast throughout
the Empire using their own jewel.
That night, Hashim had been sticking pins in the map to show the
locations of broadcast receivers, and he had used a sizable portion of his
resources on making this broadcast possible.
"People of the Empire. We have risen up to rid mankind of the threat of
the Demon Lord's Domain."
The image of Fuuga was addressing the Empire's populace.
"I have unified the Union of Eastern Nations, and thrown myself into the
struggle to liberate the Demon Lord's Domain for years now. I am sure you
all know the task is more than half done. The Great Tiger Kingdom's reach
has spread far to the north, and we are now the sole nation shielding
mankind from the monsters of the Demon Lord's Domain. However! What
has Maria, who issued the Mankind Declaration—claiming the nations of
mankind must unite against the Demon Lord's Domain—been doing all this
time?"
Fuuga pumped his fist into the air as he made this impassioned speech.
"If I was feeling generous, I could say she was fortifying her defenses.
But the fact is, she did nothing to further the liberation of the Demon Lord's
Domain! Without proper equipment, we took in the weak and dispossessed,
and reclaimed a huge swath of land with our passion alone! There's no way
that the Empire, the largest and most powerful of all mankind's nations,
couldn't have done the same! And yet Maria did nothing!"
If Souma were listening, he'd have said "framing is everything." Yes,
Maria could have liberated those territories, but it would be costly to
maintain them. Making other regions foot the bill for this would have bred
discontent. If the Empire were a group of people with nothing, like Fuuga's
forces were, then the people would be used to austerity and think nothing of
it. However, under Maria's rule, the people of the Empire had enjoyed a life
of stability, so there was great risk in dissatisfying them that had to be
avoided. That was why Maria had worked with other nations to fortify their
defenses and ensure things didn't get any worse. But for those who didn't
understand this, Fuuga's words only stirred their emotions.
"She took in refugees, but never tried to take back their homelands! She
trampled on the feelings of those who longed to return north! This is idle
complacency! We are trying to fully liberate the Demon Lord's Domain and
truly save mankind, but for as long as someone so complacent rules this
great nation, mankind can never be united! The people of the north have
endured and endured! But they have limits! They can wait for Maria to act
no longer!"
Fuuga thrust his fist forward.
"That is why we will raise an army to pull the complacent empress
down! This is a battle to remove Maria and bring the Empire under our
command. If the Empire follows us, the Maritime Alliance will too. I've
wed my own sister, Yuriga, to Souma, leader of the Maritime Alliance. If
the will of the people is focused on conquering the Demon Lord's Domain
—as a man who sees the flow of the times—Souma will go with us too. All
mankind can embark on the conquest of the Demon Lord's Domain! Our
allies in the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State and Mercenary State Zem have
already raised their troops to fight with us!"
When he said that, Fuuga stepped aside and Anne, dressed as a Lunarian
Orthodox saint, appeared in his place. Anne put her hands together in front
of her and quietly spoke.
"Empress Maria of the Empire has falsely assumed the title of saint. Yet,
despite this, she has done nothing against the Demon Lord's Domain. Lady
Lunaria would never forgive such a person. Faithful believers of Lady
Lunaria, please return to the correct path. I beg you, give your strength to
the holy king, Lord Fuuga."
These plainly spoken words were a powerful blow against the Empire.
Unlike how the Kingdom of Friedonia had done, the Empire had yet to
sever the believers in their country from the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State.
Because of this, the faithful inside the Empire were confused whether or not
they should heed Anne's call. And the nonbelievers had to question whether
those believers might be collaborating with their enemies. Hashim had used
Anne to hammer a huge wedge into the Empire.
The image changed again as Fuuga took Anne's place once more.
"We will march on Valois, where Empress Maria is, with our allies.
People of the Empire! If you would join us in this great endeavor, we will
welcome you! If you would reject and resist us, then we will answer you
with our swords! The choice is yours!" Then, raising his voice, Fuuga
declared, "The Great Tiger Kingdom of Haan, the Lunarian Orthodox Papal
State, and Mercenary State Zem hereby declare war on the Gran Chaos
Empire!"
◇ ◇ ◇
The combined forces of the Great Tiger Kingdom of Haan, Lunarian
Orthodox Papal State, and Mercenary State Zem (hereafter referred to as
Fuuga's forces) crossed the border and invaded the Gran Chaos Empire.
Their forces totaled roughly 350,000 men.
Of those, 200,000 were from the Great Tiger Kingdom, 80,000 were
Zemish mercenaries, and 70,000 were from the Orthodox Papal State.
Because of the size of this force, they could boldly march down roads large
enough to accommodate rhinosaurus trains, but they came to a stop at the
Empire's Jamona Fortress.
"Hmm, in front of us, the fortress is like an iron wall. And far to our rear
is a river, huh?" The Wisdom of the Tiger, Hashim, was at the very front of
Fuuga's forces, giving them orders. There was an open area in front of the
fortress where he could deploy a great army.
However, the river was not far, and they would need to cross it to
invade. Jamona Fortress, which had been built to repel invaders, was built
between steep mountains, and they had changed the flow of the river to
make retreat difficult for their enemies. It was an impregnable fortress with
nature itself on its side.
This fortress was constructed because the Empire had been prioritizing
expansion to the north at the time—not into the infertile lands of the
Republic of Turgis and Zem, or into the Orthodox Papal State, whose
religious authority made them difficult to handle. Jamona Fortress was there
to keep the nations of the east from interfering as they expanded north, so it
was the hardest point in the Empire's defenses.
This also meant they were fully reliant on this fortress to deal with
invasions from the east, so they didn't have any defensible positions behind
it. If the enemy ever broke through here, they could walk through
essentially empty plains all the way to Valois.
Jeanne's 200,000 soldiers had come to the fortress to fight off Fuuga's
forces. They had somewhat less than Fuuga, but many of them were loyal
supporters of the Euphoria sisters like Gunther, and morale was high.
Although Hashim's broadcast jack had shaken up people inside the Empire,
it hadn't had that effect on these forces.
A messenger rushed into the forward camp where Gaten the Flag of the
Tiger, Moumei the Hammer of the Tiger, and Nata the Battle Ax of the
Tiger were serving with Hashim.
"I have a message! The Imperial forces have come out of Jamona
Fortress!"
"What?! They're coming out to meet us?! Awesome!"
Nata hefted his ax bravely, but the messenger hurriedly shook his head.
"No! The Imperial forces have come out and are forming into ranks! It
looks like they plan to face us on the field instead of in a siege!"
"Huh? They aren't settling in for a siege even though we outnumber
them?"
Nata looked perplexed by this report. He'd expected the Empire to shut
themselves up inside the fortress because they were at a numerical
disadvantage. However, contrary to most expectations, Jeanne had led her
soldiers out of the fortress to fight a field battle.
"Ha ha ha! The Imperials sure are bold!" Gaten, the showiest man in
Fuuga's forces, said with a jolly laugh. "What do you think they're playing
at, Commander?" he asked Hashim, who was beside him, looking through a
telescope.
Hashim had been entrusted with commanding the front lines by Fuuga,
so he was in charge of the brave and fierce warriors assembled here. He set
his telescope down and snorted.
"Now I'm sure of it. This area in front of the fortress is too wide open.
Normally, the road would narrow as you approached a fortress like this, but
this place has enough room for two great armies to clash. And the river is
too far to serve as a natural moat."
"So that means?"
"The terrain lets them fight a field battle before the fortress is attacked.
And if the attackers are defeated and try to retreat, the river will be in their
way. It's a well-designed layout."
"Do they think we're not worthy enough opponents that they need to use
the fortress?" Gaten asked, and Hashim patted the telescope next to him.
"There's nothing strange about that. Like us, the Empire has expanded
by invading other countries. Their recent rulers have been on a defensive
footing, but they understand an army is most valuable on the field of
battle."
"I see. They're not good at defending, then?"
"No, I couldn't say one way or the other. But they must be confident in
their ability to fight a field battle. They may be thinking that rather than
holing up, they'll be able to defend better if they can beat us once on the
field of battle first."
"That's how it is, huh... We really can't afford to underestimate them."
Gaten crossed his arms and groaned. "So, Commander, how do we attack?"
Hashim smirked. "Let's make this straightforward at first. We'll face
them in a straight-up skirmish."
"Oh-hoh. I trust you'll let me lead the vanguard."
Despite the show-off's request, Hashim shook his head. "That, I can't
do, I'm afraid. It would be foolish to send you, who won't underestimate
the Empire. We must have our men who are underestimating them learn
what we're up against."
"So deliberately let them feel the pain?"
"Exactly. After winning all our battles, we're becoming arrogant. They
think Fuuga's forces are invincible, we have double the enemy's number,
and the Empire is an Empire in decline, unworthy of their fear."
"And you see it differently, Commander?"
"This skirmish is to teach them otherwise. Although, it would be best if
we could simply tear through them... Sir Moumei."
Hashim called over Moumei, who was leading the Zemish soldiers on
Fuuga's behalf.
This mountain of muscle, riding a giant steppe yak and swinging a giant
hammer, looked like he had dumped all his stat points into power, but he
was also learned enough to be trusted to rule in Zem. He was a talented
commander, and the best example of not being able to judge a man by his
appearance in all of Fuuga's forces.
Once Moumei slowly walked over, Hashim told him, "I want Zemish
mercenaries in the vanguard. But you—you're not to get too far forward."
"So you mean to teach them to fear the Imperial soldiers..."
"Precisely. Of all our forces, the Zemish mercenaries are the most likely
to underestimate the Empire. They probably still think of themselves as
swords for hire. To them, the vain Imperial soldiers are no more than a
source of money."
"You must be right. I understand what needs to be done." Moumei
bowed and walked away with lumbering steps.
At this point, Nata stood up, unable to sit still any longer.
"Hey, Hashim, my bro. You don't mind me going too, right? I wanna
have a go with some Imperial soldiers!"
"We had another idiot here..." Hashim sighed, waving at his brother
dismissively. "Oh, very well. Go and do as you please."
"Aw, yeah! I'm gonna scatter those Imperial losers!" Nata grinned now
that he had the go-ahead. He hefted his ax and left in a jovial mood.
"Was that all right?" Gaten asked as he watched Nata go.
"Even the finest doctors have no cure for idiocy," Hashim said bluntly.
"It will do him good to almost die at least once."
"Ha ha ha..."
Even Gaten, who was known for his raucous laughter, could only smile
wryly when he heard that.
Getting back on track, Hashim gave orders to the waiting messenger.
"This is a message for all non-Zemish units! We will be fighting a battle
with the Imperial soldiers in front of us. When the mercenaries make
contact with the enemy, we will support them! However, this is a skirmish
to determine the enemy's strength, so don't move too far up! Steel
yourselves for battle!"
Thus began the first battle between Fuuga's forces and the Empire.
"Let's cut into the Imperial forces! Show those soldiers from the
Empire, the Great Tiger Kingdom, and the Orthodox Papal State the might
of Zemish mercenaries!"
"""Yeahhhh!"""
Moumei the Hammer of the Tiger gave the order, and the Zemish
mercenaries eagerly charged towards the Imperial forces. To support their
charge, the archers and mages of the Great Tiger Kingdom and the
Orthodox Papal State let loose on the Imperials as well. The Imperial forces
returned fire on the Great Tiger Kingdom and the Orthodox Papal State,
starting a long-range battle.
"Have at 'em, boys!"
Meanwhile, the Zemish mercenaries left the shooting to their allies and
rushed headlong at the Imperials, polearms at the ready. They blocked the
hail of arrows with the bucklers fastened to their arms and prayed that the
magic wouldn't strike them as they ran forward.
An infantry charge. It looked reckless, and a cavalry charge would
scatter them in an instant, sending them fleeing in defeat. However, the
Zemish mercenaries were expecting that cavalry charge. Because, as
mercenaries, the cavalry was their golden goose.
There was a sharp glint in their eyes as they looked at the Imperial
forces.
"I want someone real showy to come at us!"
"Because the higher their rank, the more ransom they pay!"
"The Empire's wealthy, so we'll make a killing!"
"They'll probably pay good money just to get the heads back!"
"Their weapons and armor'll sell for a good price too!"
"If we can't get ransom money, we'll sell them as slaves. And if we
catch any female knights... Ga ha ha!"
"Maria's little sister, Jeanne, was it? She's a fine woman! I wanna
capture her!"
The mercenaries made their money on the battlefield. Half of what they
were paid went to the country, but whatever they could plunder in terms of
weapons, armor, and prisoners was theirs to keep. Career soldiers made
money even in peacetime, but mercenaries wouldn't be paid until they
moved on to their next battlefield. Their need to earn enough to support
themselves during peacetime made them fight harder and act more
fiendishly.
In Machiavelli's The Art of War, he said of mercenaries, "War makes
thieves, and peace hangs them." When people are unable to make a living
any other way and are unable to find someone to hire them as soldiers, they
become highwaymen in peacetime. That's why the Republic of Florence,
which Machiavelli belonged to, worked to establish an army of the people
when they attacked the city-state of Pisa.
When she saw these rapacious mercenaries coming at her, Jeanne's face
remained calm.
"We know how Zemish mercenaries fight. And their weaknesses... Sir
Gunther."
"Yes, ma'am!"
As Gunther stood tall at her side, Jeanne gave him his orders.
"Take command of the Magic Armor Corps and crush the Zemish
mercenaries. However, if they begin to flee, don't overextend to pursue
them. Just chasing them off for now is fine."
"Yes, ma'am."
With that short acknowledgment, Gunther donned his helmet and
shouldered his big shield before quickly walking away. Jeanne watched him
go before looking back to the battlefield.
"Fuuga's forces are sacrificing the mercenaries, so we will sacrifice
them too."
The Zemish mercenaries specialized in clustering together with long
spears, surrounding their enemies to defeat them. In a way, they were a sort
of highly mobile phalanx. The magic armor soldiers of the Empire's Magic
Armor Corps wore heavy mail that was stained black. They clustered close
together with similarly stained black shields and pikes, marching towards
the enemy in a neat formation that was either a proper phalanx or a push of
pike.
Strangely, this had turned into a battle of polearms versus polearms.
"If they're clustered that tight, we can't surround them! Split 'em up!"
the mercenaries shouted when they saw magic armor soldiers on the front
line. Those who had bows or could use magic moved forward and began
unleashing on the magic armor soldiers.
Countless ranged attacks rained down on the magic armor soldiers.
But...
Plink, plink!
"Wha?!"
They could hear their attacks make contact, but the magic armor soldiers
continued unfazed—their steps beating a steady rhythm. When they saw
this, the mercenaries finally understood what they were facing.
"Magic and arrows don't work on these guys!"
"There's no mistaking that black armor! They're a heavy infantry unit
meant for anti-magic combat!"
"The shields of the Empire...the Magic Armor Corps?"
The Magic Armor Corps all wore armor enchanted to nullify magic and
marched forward with iron defenses, trampling the enemies of the Empire
underfoot. While their march was slow, it was said to be impossible to stop
them with ranged attacks.
Gunther, who was in the center of their formation, lifted his spear and
said, "Crush them."
"""Yeahhhh!"""
With his command, their raised pikes swung sharply down on the
mercenaries who were looking up in shock.
"Gyargh!"
"Gwugh!"
The pikes didn't stab them, they bludgeoned them to death with a heavy
mass of iron. The strikes were powerful enough to cave in their iron
helmets, and many mercenaries fell, bleeding from their heads. The magic
armor soldiers then marched over the bodies or kicked them out of the way
as they advanced.
"If they split us up, we're done for! Form up and push back!" one
mercenary shouted.
The other Zemish mercenaries massed together in a line of spears to
match their opponents. Many of them had muscles for brains, so it was easy
for them to jump on the first suggestion someone made in a rapidly
developing situation. This did mean they weren't thinking for themselves,
but you could say that it allowed them to work together efficiently. In fact,
by forming a line of spears, they were just barely able to stop the magic
armor soldiers' advance.
However, once they were massed together... Boom! Ka-blam! Suddenly,
a black mass came down on them.
It blew apart the mercenaries at the point of impact before digging into
the ground. The mercenaries who escaped peered into the newly formed
hole to see a cannonball there. The moment they processed what had
happened, they felt the ground vibrate under their feet.
They looked up to see a number of creatures with armaments mounted
on their backs lumbering towards them. It was the Empire's cannon
rhinosauruses—a seemingly self-propelled artillery. The cannon
rhinosauruses accompanied the infantry and provided supporting fire.
The mercenaries couldn't have known this, but when Souma was
occupying Van, the capital of the Principality of Amidonia, he and Hakuya
didn't know what to do when they saw the magic armor soldiers and cannon
rhinosauruses surrounding the city. Those were the same cannon
rhinosauruses that Jeanne had sent along to support the magic armor
soldiers.
After being bombarded with cannonballs when they were already under
pressure from the magic armor soldiers, the mercenaries couldn't take
anymore. They were ready to flee at any moment.
"Out of my way!"
Suddenly, a big man charged through the mercenaries to the front. Then,
using his big ax, he came out swinging at the magic armor soldiers.
"Take this!"
Simply put, he swung the ax with all his might. However, with that one
strike, he struck first blood against the as-yet-unharmed magic armor
soldiers, knocking some backwards and sending them colliding with ones
positioned in the rear.
"Oh. You're just hard, that's all."
Shouldering his ax and glaring at them, it was Nata, the Battle Ax of the
Tiger. The magic armor soldiers swung their pikes at Nata, but he deflected
them with a powerful swing of his ax, and his next strike sent more of them
flying.
"You're relying on how hard your armor is? That's not gonna stop me!"
When Nata swung his ax down, his blows were powerful enough to
deform their armor, even if he couldn't cut it clean in half. It was horrible
enough that whoever was inside couldn't survive. Because the magic armor
soldiers advanced in formation, it was difficult for them to take on a single
opponent. The rhinosaurus cannons that were supporting them couldn't
target an individual either.
If you looked at the larger picture, the magic armor soldiers were
pushing back the mercenaries, but there was a strange indentation in their
formation where Nata was.
Elated to finally have the chance he'd wanted to let loose, Nata roared,
"Who's next?!"
"I won't let you do this."
Clang! Gunther knocked Nata's big ax away using only his shield. The
deflected blow tore into a mercenary who happened to be in its way.
"Gwargh!"
"Damn it! Who are you?!"
"Gunther... The Euphoria sisters' shield."
Having answered Nata's question, Gunther cast aside the pike he was
holding and drew his sword.
Nata watched him with the eyes of a predator. "So you're a renowned
general. This is gonna be fun! I'll take you on!"
"You cur."
The sound of the impact echoed as Nata's ax and Gunther's shield
collided. Gunther used his shield to redirect Nata's ax, looking for an
opening to strike back with his sword—which Nata avoided as he kept on
swinging. With each swing of Nata's ax, Gunther's shield became more and
more crushed. The power between these two men was incredible.
"Sir Gunther!"
"Ngh?!"
A person appeared behind Gunther and used his shoulders as a
springboard to leap over Nata's head and get behind him.
"What?!"
Before Nata could turn and swing, the person in question had closed in,
placing their palm on his muscular torso.
"Hahhhh!"
With a cry of exertion, they unleashed a bolt of lightning. The stabbing
pains that raced through Nata's entire body made him grunt and stumble as
he tried to cut his assailant down.
Gunther held up his battered shield and charged in, knocking the larger
Nata away.
Standing with the person who had arrived safely behind him, he said,
"Madam Jeanne... What did you come here for?"
"Because I'd be in a tough spot if anything were to happen to you so
early in the battle!"
The person who'd intervened was none other than the Little Sister
General of the Empire, Jeanne Euphoria.
Jeanne saw this first exchange as no more than a skirmish for them to
gauge each other's abilities, but Nata had charged in despite it being that
early stage. When she saw Gunther struggling against him, she'd rushed in
to prevent the worst from happening. Although Gunther was angry at her
recklessness, he restrained himself.
"When we return, I'll have Lady Maria give you a talking-to," Gunther
said.
"Normally, it's the other way around. I wouldn't mind something
different for a change."
Jeanne smiled, but she didn't take her eyes off Nata. Her point-blank
lightning and Gunther's powerful tackle had hit Nata hard enough that he
still couldn't move very well yet.
"Damn it all!"
He might have broken a rib. However, he was still eager and willing to
fight.
"I'd say it's about time..."
Meanwhile, Moumei, who had been watching from the rear, decided the
mercenaries had seen enough to instill a proper fear of the Imperials in
them.
He raised his hammer aloft, and shouted, "We're done here! Everyone,
retreat! And don't forget to retrieve Sir Nata!"
With the order to withdraw given, the mercenaries fell over one another
fleeing. Some mercenaries were slow to retreat and ended up taking a magic
armor soldier's pike in the back, but the scattered withdrawal actually made
it harder for the slower magic armor soldiers to give chase. As Moumei,
Nata, and the mercenaries fled, the forces of the Great Tiger Kingdom and
the Orthodox Papal State pulled back too.
After watching this, Jeanne and Gunther pulled their own forces back
into the fortress.
It was fair to call this first exchange a victory for the Empire.
The battle between Fuuga's forces and the Empire's raged on. The once
enthusiastic Zemish mercenaries grew cautious after their initial loss, and
followed Moumei's (and by extension Hashim's) orders. In a winning
battle, mercenaries were courageous in order to maximize their profit and
accomplishments. But in the face of a tough opponent, saving their own
lives took priority. They wanted money—just without risking their lives for
it. They were just being true to that natural human instinct.
Nata the battle maniac was sent to the rear with the heavy wounds he
took on the first day, so there was no one left on the front line to charge in
like a barbarian. The attackers didn't overextend, and the defenders were
careful. In a straightforward battle like this, it was the forces of the
Orthodox Papal State that proved most effective.
"This is a crusade for Holy King Fuuga," Anne, the saint of Lunarian
Orthodoxy, said to her countrymen. "Defeat the pawns of the false saint
Maria and offer victory to our Lady Lunaria."
Anne wasn't large, but her voice carried well. Her expression was
unchanging—her tone bereft of emotion, as if a doll were speaking, but in a
way that lent her an unearthly air.
To the believers, her words were a literal message from the heavens.
"Ohh! Victory to our Holy King! And to our saint!"
"The blessing of Lady Lunaria is upon us! What do we have to fear?!"
"Even if we die, we will be taken to Lady Lunaria's side!"
The forces of the Orthodox Papal State included many volunteers in
addition to the regular military. They were peasant soldiers without proper
equipment, but they lived for the faith, and would gladly die for it too. They
attacked the Imperial forces prepared to do so.
"Here they come! Defend!" Gunther ordered the magic armor soldiers.
The Empire's magic armor soldiers were terrifyingly strong, and
Fuuga's forces would not forget the terror of that first day. But the Orthodox
Papal State's forces charged in without hesitation.
"Bring God's judgment on the evil Empire!"
"For Lady Lunaria! For the saint!"
The people who shouted these things—carrying equipment that paled in
comparison to the mercenaries'—rushed heedlessly onward until they were
impaled on a wall of pikes. They believed dying here would let them go to
Lady Lunaria's paradise.
The two main pillars of Lunarian Orthodox teaching were mutual
support and helping the weak. It was simple and easy to understand. And
yet, religious leaders interpreted the teachings to their own benefit, creating
a system of holy war and believers who would fight for the faith. Their
religious zeal meant they didn't fear death. That's why they would charge in
regardless of who they faced. Like the Ikko-ikki of Japan's Sengoku period.
Naturally, the Orthodox Papal State's forces took heavy losses. It looked
like a massacre or even a mass suicide. However, faced with these men
who, unafraid of death, climbed over the dead bodies of their brothers-inarms to attack them, the elite magic armor soldiers were worn down and
pushed back.
The battle was at a standstill. The attackers couldn't push through, but
the defenders couldn't push back. It was a war of attrition.
Saint Anne was watching it unfold from the Orthodox Papal State's
main camp. The men she'd stirred up fought, shed blood, and fell dead. She
had simply performed her role as a saint, and as a tool. But as she stood
there, unable to do more, she heard a voice that was still echoing in her
ears.
"Do you understand the fate that awaits you?"
They were the words of Mary, who had fled the Orthodox Papal State.
Anne remembered their brief meeting in their homeland. She recalled
the mixture of sadness, hesitation, and pity in Mary's eyes as she'd regarded
her. Anne didn't understand why Mary looked at her that way. She'd been
chosen as a saint, so she would fulfill her duties as one.
Even now, Anne was doing as people expected of her, assuming the
attitude of a saint. Her voice delighted the believers, allowing them to cast
aside their fear of death and go to the battlefield. She was being useful. It
gave her a reason to exist. For Anne, an orphan who'd had no place in
society, this was something to be happy about. Yet, why had Mary looked at
her that way?
"Once you see the broader world... In the Kingdom, you'll be able to
find a life other than as a saint."
That's what she'd said as she extended her hand to Anne.
But Anne couldn't see the value in what she was proposing. After that,
Mary had left the Orthodox Papal State with a large number of other saint
candidates. They were excommunicated, but the church of Lunarian
Orthodoxy in the Kingdom of Friedonia took them in.
If I took Mary's hand then, would it have changed anything?
That was what Anne pondered in the copious amounts of free time she
had after sending the soldiers to the battlefield. Though, think as she
might...there was no answer forthcoming, so she stopped.
As she did, a soldier, pale of face and bleeding from the chest, was
carried in. He must have taken a serious wound on the battlefield.
"Ah! Your Grace!"
"Please, leave!"
Ignoring her bodyguards, Anne approached the wounded soldier. He
groaned in pain, but his joy was evident when he saw Anne's face.
"Ohh... Your Grace... I'm sorry to show myself before you in this
piteous state..."
"There is nothing piteous about it. You have fought well as a believer in
Lady Lunaria."
"Thank you for your kind words... Now, will I be able to go to her
side...?"
He reached out his right hand, seemingly bloodied from holding his
wounds, towards Anne. The guards tried to come between them, but Anne
held her ground, taking the man's hand without hesitation and unconcerned
as the sleeve of her white raiment was stained with crimson.
"Yes. Lady Lunaria sees everything you have done," Anne answered in a
calm voice.
The man seemed satisfied with this. He smiled and said no more. Anne
placed the hand she'd taken gently on the man's chest, and then he was
carried away.
Anne clutched her bloodstained sleeve. The man had looked so
incredibly peaceful. As a saint, she had sent him to his death. As a saint, she
was able to grant him salvation. Both were her job as a saint.
However...Anne neither regretted nor relished any of it. She had merely
played the role she had been given.
"Lady Anne... Do you require a change of clothes?" one of her guards
said, unable to watch her just stand there.
"This is the blood of a noble spirit who fell for our faith. How is that
unclean?" Anne said, looking to the battlefield once more.
Souma struggled with the title of king, and Maria with the title of saint.
But despite this, they never stopped thinking as normal people. Even if the
weight of their positions nearly crushed them, their love for their countries
made them hold back at the brink, never falling into just playing a role.
Anne, on the other hand, shut her heart off, committing to the role of
saint entirely, in order to protect herself. So that even as she got blood on
her hands, she could continue to be a saint.
One night, after several days of fighting...
"Well, the Empire sure knows how to put up a fight," Gaten said with a
hearty laugh.
Inside a large tent with a campfire, Hashim, Gaten, Moumei, and Kasen
were holding a council around a model of the battlefield and the
surrounding terrain.
"Their defenses are hard, and their morale high. None of them are
intimidated by Lord Fuuga's glory. They're definitely the toughest
opponents we've fought so far."
"It's nothing to laugh about, Sir Gaten," the serious Crossbow of the
Tiger, Kasen Shuri, remonstrated him.
"Their tactics are precise too. We tried to send a detachment around the
back of the fortress, but were intercepted by troops who'd anticipated the
move. They're limiting their losses while gradually grinding us down. I
thought that maybe the Empress's little sister got her post through nepotism,
but she's no ordinary general," Kasen said, frustrated because he was the
one to lead that detachment.
Jamona Fortress was built on naturally defensible terrain, making it
remarkably resilient against a frontal attack, but there were narrow gaps in
the mountains that looked like they went through to the other side. Kasen's
detachment had used those narrow paths to try and attack the fortress from
the inside, but there had been enemies lying in wait, forcing them to retreat.
The experience had given Kasen an idea of what Jeanne's goals were.
"She's left gaps deliberately because she knows the narrow paths well.
It's easier for her to do damage to a small detached force than it is against a
full-frontal assault by the main army."
"On top of that, she has the guts to charge in solo like Nata. She's a great
general with both brains and brawn," Moumei offered a few words of praise
for Jeanne.
Gaten shrugged in exasperation. "I guess that makes her like our
Shuukin? Could we have Sir Shuukin come here from the rear?"
Shuukin was in the rear, defending their supply lines. He'd been placed
there because the debt of gratitude he felt towards the Kingdom and the
Empire for saving him from Magic Bug Disease raised concerns that it
might blunt his willingness to fight. Hashim was unwilling to trust someone
hesitant to manage the front lines, and Fuuga didn't want to lose Shuukin to
any blunders caused by that hesitation.
However, that conservative decision had proved effective.
Hashim shook his head and said, "The Empire never misses an
opportunity. If we neglect to defend our rear, they will target us there in no
time. If our supply lines are cut, we would struggle to maintain such a large
army without food. We need a great general like Sir Shuukin defending
them."
"In other words, we have to do something about the front line
ourselves," Gaten said, shrugging.
"Oh, it won't be much longer now," Hashim retorted, a smirk forming
on his face.
"I have a report!"
As if spoken into existence, a messenger came up. They saluted, then
approached Hashim to whisper in his ear. As he listened, the corners of
Hashim's mouth turned up to form a shape like a crescent moon. That
deranged grin sent chills down the other three commanders' spines.
Hashim rose to his feet and told them, "The preparations are complete.
Let's go put on the finishing touches."
To make tomorrow's sun the setting sun of the Empire.
The next day...
Jeanne and Gunther stood on the walls of Jamona Fortress, surveying
the camps of the Imperial forces.
"We're pushing them back...for now," Jeanne said to Gunther, who was
beside her. "Their assault is fierce, but if we keep knocking them back,
they're the ones who'll run out of breath first. We need to hold out as long
as we can and wait for their morale to decrease."
"That is the only way we can win, after all," Gunther said gravely. Maria
had called for a common front between all of mankind, so she had no
intention of counterinvading the Empire. That forced them onto a defensive
footing.
At the same time, as the mightiest of all nations, they had no allies they
could ask to support them. Even the Kingdom of Friedonia, which they had
a secret pact against the Demon Lord's Domain with, would have had
trouble moving against the Great Tiger Kingdom. If the Empire was going
to win this and achieve something in this war, they had to win the battle of
attrition, then pursue the enemy as they fled and deal major damage.
Jeanne crossed her arms and touched her chin. "What concerns me is
that no one has seen Fuuga yet. I heard he was a wild man who enjoys
fighting on the front lines..."
"Would it not be a bad idea for the commander-in-chief of a composite
force like theirs to go too far to the front?"
It was true that while Fuuga was used to fighting alongside the soldiers
of the Great Tiger Kingdom, there were also Zemish mercenaries and
soldiers from the Orthodox Papal State in his current army. If he went to the
front and went down like Nata did on the first day, that would be a major hit
to his forces' morale. Were Jeanne his advisor, she'd have told him in no
uncertain terms that he absolutely should not go to the front. Nonetheless, it
still concerned her.
"Fuuga's forces sent a diversionary force to the north too, right? I'm
suspecting that Fuuga could be with them..."
"Given the intensity of their attacks, I'd say the bulk of their forces must
be here."
"Agreed. I don't doubt this is their main force."
Even if Fuuga was with the diversionary force, he wouldn't be able to
lead a vastly inferior army to any great military victory. Krahe alone ought
to be enough to deal with him.
Still, Jeanne couldn't wipe her concerns away. And they would prove to
be well-founded.
On that day, even once the sun rose, there was no attack on the fortress.
Jeanne was wary, wondering what was happening. In the afternoon, she saw
a massive water ball forming over Fuuga's camp.
Jeanne ordered her forces to remain alert as she glared at the ball.
They must mean to use the broadcast again, she thought.
Before this battle, Hashim had used it to sow confusion inside the
Empire, so Jeanne expected more propaganda.
But what are they going to broadcast now...?
Now that the broadcasts had been used to sow confusion once, if the
Empire was shown information they already knew, the viewers would
simply think, "This again?" The effect wouldn't be as strong the second
time around nor cause the same chaos as before.
Does he have another trick up his sleeve?
Suddenly—
"Ah?!"
When they saw the scene projected on that ball of water, Jeanne and
every other person in Jamona Fortress gulped. It was a shocking image, but
there wasn't pandemonium. That was because the scenery they were shown
was unbelievable.
"This is absurd! Fuuga's main army is here!" Jeanne shouted, punching
the edge of the fortress wall.
Gunther's eyes were wide too. For the image projected in the water ball
was Valois, surrounded by a massive force...