Chapter 203: Acquiescing to the Imperial Army’s Retreat (3)
“While looking at the dozens of ripples spreading across the water’s surface, I thought, Risel, I’m your friend, right? Unni, you also think of me as a good little sister.”
“Of course.”
“That’s a given.”
“It felt strange for me to say anything after seeing the two of you get along so well. The pettiness I showed when I couldn’t tease you about it anymore, Mother Nature scolded me. The 32-skip stone skipping across the water’s surface told me, ‘Are you really making a fuss over something like that?’”
32 skips this time, huh?
I had to try hard to make a dumbfounded expression. Aila spoke majestically like a mountain, serenely like a clear sky, and calmly like the stars in the sky.
“Haa, so this is what enlightenment feels like. Please forgive the pettiness I showed this morning. It’s not good to spend time like this when we have bigger things to do. I’ll try to be more helpful from now on.”
“Aila is already being a great help. Right, Risel?”
“Of course. I think if she were any more helpful, I’d have nothing left to do.”
Levidian seemed to want to ask me something else. ‘Why are these people acting like this?’ I answered with a smile. ‘I don’t know either.’
At that moment, Lucy, who had emptied his teacup, stood up. He lifted the staff he had placed next to the sofa and spoke calmly with eyes like the surface of a windless lake.
“Sorry, but I’ll be going first. I have something to do.”
“Something to do?”
“Yeah. Aila succeeded in 32 skips, so I’m going to challenge 33. To achieve a higher level of enlightenment.”
I was speechless. But then, Aila stood up.
“I’ll be going too. Lucy, let’s reach the same level together.”
“Okay. That’s a good idea.”
The two of them were about to leave the tent without hesitation, and I hurriedly opened my mouth.
“W-wait a minute. It’s getting dark, isn’t it?”
“It’s okay. Even the darkness that hides everything ahead cannot stop those who seek enlightenment.”
“Gathering the candle-like moonlight and starlight and throwing them onto the water’s surface will create a landmark that shines brighter than the sun. Don’t worry too much.”
They smiled and left the tent side by side. Levidian and I watched them for a while, then let out a sigh of relief at the same time.
“Haa……!”
“Huh……!”
We looked at each other, then back at the tent flap where they had left, and then at each other again.
Levidian finally managed to open her lips.
“Um, is this…… okay?”
“You could say it’s okay, but……”
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment for a while.
And that evening, when I heard that a kitchen assistant, who had pitied them at lunchtime, had made soup with wild mushrooms growing nearby and given it to them, I was able to gain great enlightenment.
No wonder. They didn’t even laugh at my jokes. (Right after that, I was hit by Levidian for saying that the focus was wrong.)
May 18, 378 of the Imperial Calendar.
Lucy and Aila’s frustration and despair were swept under the rug with the poisonous mushroom soup, and the incident where my relationship with Levidian was almost revealed to the entire army was also swept under the rug. I briefly considered rewarding the kitchen assistant.
Anyway, Leading Pioneer Girmina Asin and her unit, along with the 1,500 Guard warriors led by Kun, arrived at the encampment. They showed no signs of fatigue despite having marched a long distance at a forced pace.
The ‘they’ here refers to the 1,500 Grenoian soldiers. Leading Pioneer Girmina Asin reported that she had long given up on seeing them as human.
“Grand General-nim, with all due respect, may I ask a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Thank you. I noticed on the way here, but the language they use is not the Common Tongue. Even when we brought soldiers who knew foreign languages, ancient languages, or dialects, they couldn’t understand their language at all.”
“That’s to be expected. The language they use won’t match any language on the continent.”
She looked relieved to know that her thoughts were correct. Then she tilted her head. I knew what she was going to ask, and I had a sufficient answer to give her when she asked. Leading Pioneer Asin asked.
“I have one more question. Can those who cannot be commanded be used as a fighting force?”
“Yes.”
“How is that possible?”
“Extremes meet. A weakness can become a strength.”
She tilted her head again, but I didn’t explain any further. I approached Kun. The eyes of the Guard warriors turned to me.
Being stared at by 3,000 eyes at once made me momentarily shrink, but I straightened my shoulders and approached Kun, who was standing in front of them.
“Good work, Kun.”
“No problem, Risel. I’m glad to be of help.”
“Did you pick the people as we discussed?”
“Of course.”
I nodded. Good. As expected of Kun. In some ways, he gets things done as neatly as Aila. I patted his shoulder a couple of times and then spoke to Leading Pioneer Asin.
“Leading Pioneer Girmina Asin, there is a designated campsite for them. Guide them there. And don’t let any soldiers approach them. Kun, tell them not to leave the campsite until I give the order.”
“Yes, Grand General-nim.”
“Understood, Risel.”
Leading Pioneer Asin and Kun returned to their respective groups, and I moved away from them. I could hear murmurs behind me. When I was at a suitable distance, I spoke to Sispa.
“Inform all the general-level officers. The meeting starts at 4 pm. The topic of the meeting is the strategy for capturing Pelasion. Any officer who is late is in charge of cleaning up afterwards.”
“Yes, understood.”
Sispa saluted and ran towards where the messengers were. I slowly calculated things in my head, and then suddenly, a thought occurred to me, and I looked south.
It had been more than three days since the dust cloud that had risen had cleared. This meant that Pelasion was ready to defend itself against the Kingdom Army.
It’s just the right time. This place will be ready soon too.
Let’s have a go at it when we’re fully prepared, Artshever.
I explained the outline, objectives, and execution methods of the operation. The officers, who had initially listened with puzzled expressions, soon opened their mouths wide in surprise.
During the question and answer session that followed, questions about feasibility poured in, and I pulled out answers from the Q&A document I had prepared in advance.
It felt like an academic seminar for a moment, not a military strategy meeting, and by the time I declared the seminar closed, more than half of the attendees had acknowledged and understood the operation.
“Then let’s all go have dinner. If you don’t understand something, ask your comrades for help, and those who understand it well should help their comrades understand. You should understand it by tonight, and by lunchtime tomorrow at the latest, you should be able to give orders to the key officers about the operation. Dismissed.”
A rather un-military, scholarly atmosphere would be floating over the Kingdom Army’s encampment tonight. I had to make them understand this way so we could move on to the next step.
Half of the officers left the meeting room with their heads in their hands, and the other half left with their arms around their comrades’ shoulders. And the ones who remained were Lucy, Aila, and Levidian.
Aila was touching her chin with an intrigued expression.
“It’s certainly an interesting operation. If we had more time, we could have fine-tuned the details or even conducted training.”
“Sigh. I’m going to have a hard time again. Well, I guess it’s still fortunate that I’ve done this kind of thing before.”
Lucy shrugged, and I smiled. It’s always better to have someone with experience when you’re doing something.
Levidian seemed to be calculating something with her fingers for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
“Hmm, it’s a unique mission. I’m sure everyone will like it. They’ve been doing too many monotonous tasks.”
“I don’t think it will be impossible. In fact, the chances of success are high. Moreover, even if there are weaknesses, it’s an unfamiliar method to the enemy. They’ll probably be quite surprised. It will be difficult for them to find the weaknesses, and even if they do, it will be hard to exploit them.”
There is no such thing as a flawless tactic.
If you spend a long time analyzing and researching, any tactic will develop weaknesses. But sometimes, the weaknesses disappear. For example, this is the case when a tactic that is completely different from the existing system appears on the battlefield for the first time.
There is no time to analyze or research, so you can’t find the weaknesses, and if you can’t find them, they don’t exist.
There are two major battles left, but will they be able to find the weaknesses in the tactics I’ve proposed in the meantime?
“Lucy, when will it be possible?”
“Hmm, give me about 6 more days. The research I’ve been doing for two weeks is starting to show results.”
“Good, then the attack date is a week from now. Aila, will you be able to manage in that time?”
“Well, soldiers are so thickheaded. The older they get, the more their brains solidify, and the speed at which that happens in soldiers is terrifyingly fast. 6 days is a bit tight, but even a blockhead can carve it into their head if they spend that much time on it. I’ll need a sharp chisel and a sturdy hammer, will that be alright?”
It’s a figurative expression, but the imagery is quite clear. I apologized inwardly to my officers for a moment and nodded.
“I delegate full authority. Do as you please.”
“Good. You can look forward to it.”
She said confidently, cracking her knuckles. I’ll have to buy the officers some expensive liquor after the battle to properly acknowledge their hard work.
“Levidian, will the reconnaissance activities be alright? It will be troublesome for us in many ways if you’re taken hostage.”
“Oh my? How do you see me? I may be immersed in the pink air these days, but I haven’t neglected my training to the point of being distracted by it. Don’t worry, it’s my specialty.”
“Good. Joey and Namias have been assigned to heal the wounded for the time being, so now all that’s left is to wait for the time to pass. Then, I’ll be counting on everyone from tomorrow. I have something to think about in the meantime, so let’s each focus on our own tasks for now.”
And so, I declared the secret meeting closed. Levidian, Aila, and Lucy nodded and left the meeting room.
If it had been an ordinary meeting, Levidian or Aila would have stayed behind to have dinner with me and chat, but as I said earlier, I have something to think about separately from this operation.
The decisive battle is approaching, so I need to polish the final key to securing victory. In terms of cooking, it’s like having the ingredients but missing a few recipes.
What is Artshever’s real name, and who is he?
I have to think about that during the remaining time.
Although the battle is still some time away, I’m already in the midst of a fierce battle. I have to fight fiercely against the logic within me.
“Now, let’s begin.”
I lit a cigarette.
May 25, 378 of the Imperial Calendar.
Ignoring the voices of the generals telling me to stay in the rear and focus on overall command, I stood here.
An ominous atmosphere hung over the north and south sides of the Pelasia River. Although the Imperial Army could not approach within 50 meters of the riverbank, they had dug trenches and built fortifications behind it, as if they were determined to kill us as soon as we crossed.
For several days, I had kept this place in a stalemate. And in one place, I had rafts built and a makeshift shipyard constructed to build landing craft.
The atmosphere that the decisive battle was imminent was already clear.
And today. Right now, as the sun sets, fifteen landing craft are quietly drifting down the river.
Without making a sound, as if carried by the current, the landing craft are gliding across the surface of the water, as black as the night sky.
Today is a half-moon, and it’s cloudy. Visibility wouldn’t be satisfactory, and the landing craft, completely at the mercy of the current, drifting diagonally from upstream to downstream, would not be easily visible.
The lapping water will occasionally hit the boats, but it’s not much different from the sound of the flowing water.
Not long after the landing craft departed, I could no longer see them, so the enemy would be in the same situation. And the moment the landing craft reach the other side, a bridgehead will be established.
The soldiers are holding their breath. I too am waiting nervously for the signal to go up.
My fingertips are itching. I’ve been fighting only with my head so far, and now my body’s cry to move is reaching its limit. The suppressed urge led my right hand to the hilt of my sword.
Where would they be by now? They must have drifted to about the middle of the river, right? Then I just need to wait for about half the remaining distance……
At that moment, like the blooming of an orchid that blossoms silently, a flower of light bloomed in the sky. Fifteen foreign objects were clearly revealed on the river. Anyone who wasn’t blind or cross-eyed would be able to see them.
And someone on the other side of the river gave the order to attack.
Flaming arrows, magic, ordinary arrows, and occasionally heavy ballista bolts flew through the air, falling on the landing craft that were stranded in the middle of the river.
The fifteen landing craft, not knowing what to do, charged forward as they couldn’t turn back. Under the flower of light that shattered the night, things meant to kill and destroy flew around.
“Grand General-nim……!”
“The operation is a failure. The enemy already knows everything……”
“Stop. Stop talking.”
That bright light would be shining on us too. They had gathered by the river, preparing rafts in an attempt to surprise us, but now that the landing craft had been exposed, there was no visible means of crossing the river.
I stopped the officers from talking with a grim expression. And I narrowed my eyes and looked at the landing craft under attack.
Burning, riddled with holes, destroyed. The leading landing craft was already slowly sinking, obstructing the path of the other boats. With this, the fleet of landing craft was stranded in the middle of the river.
I bit my lip as I watched. And I silently recited words that were like a magic spell in my mind.
Yes. Keep going. Keep shooting. Sink them all.
Because they’re decoys!
When the second and third landing craft sank, I quietly called out my friend’s name.
“Lucy.”
“Hehehe! Leave it to me.”
Our best mage grinned.
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