Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
After setting off from Kunwai Town from an entire day, Torway’s group headed southeast cautiously.
There seemed to be no end to the green plains, and looked safe at a glance. Aside from sheeps grazing the pasture leisurely, they didn’t run into anything. The rural scene spread as far as the eyes could see, and most of the soldiers slowly eased their tension── however…
「… I feel uneasy. Did I get too used to battles in the mountains during my time in the northern territories…?」
Matthew who was commanding a battalion felt anxious. He would scanned the horizon every minute to check for abnormalities, which gave him a moment of peace── and kept repeating that.
And of course, he felt that he was being paranoid, but didn’t plan to stop doing that. Because the dark haired youth cautioned him repeatedly that his worries were warranted.
「… The terrain is simple, but don’t assume this will be a peaceful trip… huh.」
The slightly pudgey youth muttered as he recalled Ikuta’s warning── The endless plain seemed to be emphasizing that trivial tricks wouldn’t work here. If they encounter enemy forces that outnumbered them, then their defeat would be inevitable. When that happens, they had to escape as soon as possible.
That means detecting the enemy early was the key to survival, and couldn’t be taken lightly. During their march to the Dafuma Province, Ikuta suggested to his comrades:
「Leave the scouting to the advance cavalry platoon to guard against sneak attacks. Don’t stray too far from Torway’s battalion during movement… It will be fine. Yes, no problems there.」
The slightly plump youth nodded repeatedly, as if he was trying to convince himself.
According to their prediction, the largest enemy unit they would encounter should be battalion size. In order to sweep the vast lands of the Dafuma Province, each factions had to make careful use of their forces. With that in mind, the 「Rising Sun Regiment」 sent in two battalion of wind gunners.
Even if they encounter enemy forces larger than a battalion, they could retreat swiftly. As the plan was for sourcing food locally, Matthew’s group was lightly equipped, and could easily escape from other forces traveling on foot. On top of that, unless the enemy was keen on mutual destruction, they wouldn’t start a fight either.
The problem was encountering cavalry units. However, it was hard to imagine them running into a battalion sized cavalry unit. Since the objective was to search for the Emperor, that would be an inefficient use of their forces. So during their search, the largest likely size of a cavalry unit would be company level at most.
If it was one company── which was around 200 horsemen, Matthew’s unit would be able to handle them. It would be tough if the enemy had larger numbers, but if Matthew linked up with the friendly forces nearby, they would be able to turn the tide. A bell would be rang when they discover signs of the enemy, and it would take 20 minutes for reinforcements to arrive── even if they were pitted against cavalry, Matthew could stall that much time.
「… That’s right, we are adequately prepared. We can handle any attacks, we have covered everything. So please── just let this continue without any incident until the end…!」
After scanning the surroundings, Matthew concluded his thoughts with a prayer. As his face was too serious, his adjutant was hesitant on speaking with him── but before the adjutant could make up his mind, the bell sunk the youth’s sincere wishes, as it echoed out under the gloomy and cloudy sky.
「──!」
Matthew stared with his eyes wide, and the soldiers grew tense. The pudgey youth listened keenly to the bell. Twice, once── and then repeats. This bell code meant only one thing:
「A company of enemy cavalry is approaching! Assume square formation to repel the assault!」
Matthew’s order was clear and decisive, and the soldiers snapped out of their stupor and started to move. Four of the five platoons of each company formed a square formation at 90 degrees angle around the company command platoon. The 40 men of the platoon formed three ranks, facing outwards. The three companies formed three square formations with the green plains as its background.
「The enemy is in sights!」「There’s no time, formed up quickly!」
The last platoon formed a circular formation in the middle of the squares, and Matthew who was standing in their middle took out a telescope in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the approaching enemy.
「Distance, what about the distance…?」
A small number of riders sprint through his narrow field of vision. Matthew was surprised for a moment, but they were the scouts that detected the enemy. A few minutes later── their target appeared. A cavalry unit kicking up a storm of dust appeared from the southeast horizon, which made the pudgey youth clicked his tongue.
「They are faster than expected, and is less than 2km away! Fix bayonets!」
All the windgunners in square formation fixed their bayonets. The first rank knelt, the second stood, and the third rank leaned out between the gaps of their comrades, each adopting their own shooting stances. In the middle of the completed square formation, Matthew continued to track the enemy with his telescope. They were close enough for their equipment to be visible.
「The light cavalry── is starting to form ranks… Hey, aren’t they too many of them?」
「There are about 400 of them! That’s two companies, or an unorthodox battalion!」
The scouts misjudged the scale of the enemy forces. Matthew cursed when he heard the correction by his adjutant, and kept his eyes on the enemy── the advantage of light cavalry lies with their light equipment and mobility, and they were mainly armed with sabers and crossbow fixed with spears. They either wore light armor or no armor at all, and compared to heavy cavalry with polearms and plate armor, their charge was weaker, but no other soldier type could match their speed.
「They are readying for a charge! Damn it! They are full of drive, and didn’t even give any warning!」
He was familiar with light cavalry. Not only that, they were the soldier type that was the most prominent on the battlefield. As he thought about this── a fiery haired figure flashed across his mind and froze his thoughts.
── Could this be that guy’s unit…?
「They are in effective range! Battalion commander, your orders please!」
The anxious shout of his adjutant pulled Matthew back to reality. Remembering that there was no time to hesitate, Matthew shout at the top of his lungs, as if he was trying to shake off any hesitation:
「F-Fire in volley! Aim for the horses!」
「Yes, Sir!」「Ready, aim…」「Fire!」
The explosion of compressed air erupted with that order. Countless bullets flew through the air towards the enemy cavalry, felling numerous horses. They repeated the volley several times── but the enemy didn’t falter at all.
「Incoming! Raise your rifles──!」
The charge of the cavalry from up close── their speed and weight was like a tsunami. As fear gripped the hearts of the soldier, Matthew sunk his fingers deep into his trembling shoulder── calm down, we can tide through it with the square formation!
Because of their natural instinct, horses would stop in front of obstacles higher than their eye level, and wouldn’t be able to charge into the fence of bayonets before them. There might be some casualties in front, but the square formation itself would hold…!
As the tense Matthew watched with bated breath, the fore of the enemy cavalry reached the square formation. The soldiers took their stance and braced themselves from the impact. However── they couldn’t feel the heavy weight of the horses on their bayonets.
「──Huh?」
Their vision suddenly turn dim. The sunlight from the sky had been covered by the body of the horses. The troops were dumbstruck by this impossible scene, and the heavy hooves of the horses stamp down on their defenceless heads.
「Ahh──?」
The enemy cavalry jump clear of the bayonet fences easily. The nightmarish scene before him made Matthew recall something.
── Long before the youth was born, during the period when the war with the Kioka was the most intense, the man renown as the fiercest commander in the Empire was proficient in this tactic. By constant training to twist the natural instinct of the horses, his cavalry unit could jump as they charge. They were said to destroy the enemy formation by jumping inside, instead of the outside.
A legend who was known as the Fierce general── Yorunzaf Igsem of the Jump Cavalry.
「── This is bullshit──!」
A protest against the gods came out of his throat. What makes a war a war── according to the dark haired youth, was being illogical and unreasonable. These malicious twins were assaulting Matthew Tetzirich in the worst way possible.
「Ha── Fufufuf!」
The flying dust, splashing blood and crude shouts from both sides filled the air. The sounds of the battlefield was music to the ears of Honorary General Yorunzaf Igsem, and he felt elated to be here. The blood coursing through his body heated up, and it felt as if he had been rejuvenated to his youth.
The old General watched as his subordinates jumped into the enemy square formation. After forty years, he had revived his fangs of old, the Jump Cavalry. The number of subordinates who served with him from back then could be counted with just one hand, so this was basically a brand new unit. However, its prowess was as good as its predecessor.
The expert riders in the front ranks made full use of the agility of light cavalry and jumped right into the inside of the enemy formation. As they disrupt the enemy from within, their allies behind them would charge in and break the formation apart── That was the tactic of Fierce General Yorunzaf’s jump charge. A prey bitten by sharp fangs would flee without even fighting back, however──
「… Hmm?」
The next instant, General Yorunzaf frowned and looked closely. The enemy’s command structure wasn’t as chaotic as he expected.
On closer inspection, he realized the reason was the platoon in circular formation in the center of the square formations. They fought off the cavalry jumping in and rushed to shore up the places that suffered the worst hit. A plump youth who looked to be in his teens was shouting in the center of the circular formation.
「Don’t falter, keep on firing! It’s all over if the square formation crumbles!」
The youth called out to his comrades as he joined in the fight with his bayonet affixed wind gun. Compared to the wind gunners in the square formation, the barrels of these soldiers were 20% shorter, and were hunting troops that sacrifice range for the sake of chaotic fights. That was why they could handle the unexpected melee battle.
「Oh～ that’s interesting!」
When he saw the spirited struggle of his opponent, 「One Armed Igsem」 couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He ignored the restrain of his adjutant, pulled the reins on his horse and charged personally into the enemy formation that was flickering like a candle in the wind.
「You aren’t bad at fighting, young chap! I will acknowledge that taking your head is a worthy war merit!」
The old general reaped the lives of several soldiers with his saber along the way before they could register his signature fiery red hair and lone arm. When he cut the third man down, the pudgy youth noticed his approaching opponent, and stared with his eyes wide as if he just saw a monster── and the old General aimed at his target with a faint smile:
「Hyaa!」
As if he was saying that trivial tricks were useless, he charged straight at his prey. The soldiers who realized their commander was the target quickly put up a defence, but they were too late. General Yorunzaf’s horse leapt over the heads of the soldiers blocking his way as if they were just pebbles by the roadside.
「Warrghh!」
He locked eyes with Matthew who was standing stiffly while in mid air── Now, what are you going to do, boy? I will cut you down if you go right, stomp you if you go left, you have nowhere to run!
But the slightly plump youth didn’t choose either options. In that instant, he closed his eyes and braced himself, then rolled under the horse! General Yorunzaf was caught off guard and couldn’t attack the opponent that had disappeared from his sights.
The horse landed heavily onto the ground. As the momentum pushed it forward, the old General felt a killing intent directed at the back of his neck and leaned onto his horse. A bullet flew through the space his head was just a moment ago.
He turned back in surprised, and that slightly plump youth had raised his wind gun with his back on the grass.
「── Hahaha! What a tenacious young fellow!」
Let’s turn back and continue the fight── the general considered the idea half seriously, but the soldiers beside Matthew aimed their muzzles at him one after another, so he couldn’t dwell here any longer. General Yorunzaf charged out from the opposite end of the enemy formation, leaving the square formation on the verge of collapse behind him. Several bullets chased after his back, but none of them hit.
「I’m feeling it, let’s charge again! Let’s put some distance between us first!」
The ravaging cavalry unit completed their first charge and kept going. Understanding the intent of the old general, the troops had reformed ranks several hundred metres away.
「That young chap already experienced intense battles at the frontlines at such a young age! Follow me, bastards! The square formation is falling apart, don’t let your guard down until the very end. Before we deal the final blow──」
General Yorunzaf saw one of his men suddenly fell off his horse mid sentence.
「Huh──?」「Hey, what’s wrong!」
As his comrades looked at the soldier who fell head first onto the plains, another three suffered the same fate. The general noticed something was amiss and scan the area, and to the north of his unit that was reforming ranks── he found the cause of this phenomenon on top of a gentle slope.
「Wind gunners…? Are you kidding me, they are targeting us from so far away!」
It was more than 300m away. Their Air Rifles had a further effective range than what Yorunzaf knew.
「Continue to fire! Don’t give them the chance to reform ranks!」
Torway’s sniper team continued supporting fire from a small hill. The attack from super long range sent the horsemen of the fiery haired general to an eternal slumber.
The jade eyed youth still felt flustered despite seeing the results. Because even from a distant, he could see how severe the damage his comrades had suffered.
「We are late…! One more charge and that square formation will break!」
Torway told himself that he couldn’t miss a single shot for the sake of rescuing his comrades. Torway and his subordinates squeezed the trigger of their Air Rifles, and the shots raining death on the enemy from afar grew more accurate──
The shots fired from afar took the lives of his men slow but steadily. Faced with this chilling sight that was impossible in the battlefields of the past, General Yorunzaf immediately chose to disengage.
「That’s the rumored sniper team…? This is bad, retreat! All units, fall back!」
Without any obsession towards the prey that was ripe for the killing, the old general judged that it was time to withdraw and retreated with his men. The bullets continued to rain down stubbornly from behind, but they didn’t do any damage beyond their effective range.
After pulling back to safety, the 「One Armed Igsem」 relished the new entry in his long history of battles.
「So this is modern warfare…! Like Yatori said, this is a pain to deal with.」
The old General muttered cheerfully. The unexpected resistance and unexpected counter attack. As he trembled from excitement from these facts, his heart was filled with joy.
An easy smile appeared on the old General’s lips. He loved how illogical and unreasonable war was, more than anyone else. Frolicking with these twins was the way Fierce General Yorunzaf lived his life, and his was to fight in a war for his entire life. That was why…
「Ahh── it’s good to live a long life.」
The man said with an innocent expression, as he relished in surviving the battle with his aging body.
As he watched the enemy retreat, Torway’s group stopped firing and rushed down the slope to their allies in square formation.
「Begin rescue operation! Split into sections and tend to the wounded!」
More accurately speaking, it was formerly a square formation. One of the three square formation looked as if a giant’s palm smashed through them, and couldn’t keep up the formation.
「W-Where’s the battalion commander? Where’s Ma-kun…!」
Torway swept his gaze across the groaning casualties with a face of horror. A familiar voice quickly reach him.
「Here, Torway… I’m here.」
Torway realized who was calling out to him, and sigh in relief, his knees almost giving out. He then ran to the pudgy youth.
「Ma-kun, I’m glad that you are safe…! I was worried that I came too late!」
「Yes… to be honest, I don’t even know why I’m still alive. Hey～ will you believe it? The hooves crush the ground on either side of my head. Who else in the world saw the belly of a charging horse from below?」
Matthew tried talking a bunch to ward off the fear creeping up in him. Torway waited for him to calm down a little, then said after looking around him:
「This is serious damage. The enemy are light cavalry, but they managed to damage the square formation so much in so little time…」
「That’s no mere light cavalry, that’s the legendary Jump Cavalry. Commanded by 『One Armed Igsem』 himself.」
When he heard that name, Torway thought it was a joke or just a comparison. However, the slightly plump youth continued with a serious attitude:
「It’s that Fierce General Yorunzaf. Fiery red hair and lone arm, the man himself. An old man in his seventies and retired from active duty charged into the center of the formation and came right at me with a smile… If not for the Captain’s blessing, I might already be dead.」
Matthew said as he took out the compass from his pocket. That was the amulet Polminue Jurgus entrusted to him when they parted ways with the Navy── a keepsake from the Great Captain Garciev, He felt that the luck of the Captain saved his life and was grateful to his descendant of the Pirate Navy.
「… When the cavalry reached our formation, the leading group jumped over our formation. They didn’t charge in, but literally jump. I have never seen such an agile cavalry unit. I don’t think Yatori can emulate that either.」
「How is that possible… No, if the legends are true, then it just might be… Given the current situation, it make sense for them to recall retired soldiers. Hence, General Yorunzaf returned to the battlefield…」
「Even if he did return to active duty, would any sensible man of his standing rove around with a cavalry unit～? I don’t remember the details, but I think he got promoted to the general ranks on his retirement! And after that, he was given an honorary rank of Lieutenant General or General── in any case, he’s a high ranking general! Not someone who should be prancing around in the frontlines!」
Matthew raved loudly. After complaining about the illogical and unreasonable things thrown at him, he turned to his subordinates with a bitter expression.
「One company is almost destroyed, and there is also the issue of tending to the casualties too, so the effectiveness of my battalion will be halved. There are many seriously wounded, if we don’t hurry to the next base for them to rest up…」
「What about turning back… No, we can’t. We have a mission to complete.」
「That’s true, we are closer to the next destination than Kunwai Town too, so we should go on. Judging from the direction the enemy retreated to, there is a good chance our prospective base has not been taken yet… At least, that’s what I feel.」
Matthew said without any confidence. After nodding stiffly in agreement, Torway started directing his men to carry the wounded.
Their units reached their destination in the evening.
Next to one of the sparse forest in the province was a village, and they resupplied there before setting camp on a nearby hill. The south of the hill face the forest, and aside from the advantage of having the high ground, they had the option of hiding into the forest in a pinch. Needless to say, they chose this position to guard against cavalry attacks.
The serious casualties from the previous battle were entrusted to the village, while the lightly wounded were ordered to recuperate in the base. Including the soldiers tending to the wounded, there were more than 200 non combatants in Matthew’s unit.
After suffering terrible losses to his battalion, the pudgey youth sighed:
「Our forces were already smaller than the other factions, and now we lost so many men from the start…」
「Yes, it’s tough… However, Sir Yorunzaf didn’t give any warning before attacking right? In other words, this is also part of their search zone?」
「Sigh, given that 『One Armed Igsem』 is here personally, this must be a important strategic area for them… Which means our search zone will overlap. I don’t want to think about this, but we might have to fight that old man again in the future…?」
The thought of that old general’s ferocious smile made Matthew shiver── at this moment, Torway who was watching the sun setting down the horizon spotted friendly riders coming back with his keen eyesight.
「The scouts are back. We can learn the situation around this area now, Ma-kun.」
Less than ten minutes later, the leader of the riders that reconned the surrounding area came to Matthew and Torway to make his report with a salute:
「We have finished reconnaissance of the 2 km radius and the designated areas. We didn’t find any signs of the enemy. According to scout reports, the prospective base 22 km to the east and the designated search area another 20 km to the east had been occupied by other forces.」
「They stole a march on us… Any idea which faction occupied these two places?」
「My apologies, we didn’t manage to find out in our earnestness to avoid enemy detection… We do know the scale of the forces. The former is about two battalions, the latter about one battalion. The former has more infantry, while the latter is mostly cavalry. And of course, this only refers to the troops that were in base at that time.」
「They would obviously send out troops for search and reconnaissance, so both bases should have another battalion. As for the factions, it makes more sense for the closer one should be the Remeon faction, while the further one is Igsem.」
「Hmm～… that should be true if we go by the ratio of soldier types, but that’s not for certain. I will prefer not to guess…」
Torway crossed his arms in deep thought, and came up with a plan soon after:
「… Okay, let’s send a messenger instead of a scout. Go to the closer opponent, if they really are from the Remeon faction, let’s try to make an alliance with them.」
「Yes, we should do that. Ikuta also said that if we don’t find the Emperor, he would prefer the Remeon faction to find His Majesty. I don’t want to fight that violent old man alone either.」
Matthew had no objections. It would be great if they could work together, and just agreeing not to hinder each other would eliminate their enemies by half. However, they didn’t think things would go so smoothly.
「The problem is, will they agree to this? There is merit in trying even though the chances are meagre… Can I leave the negotiations to you when the opportunity arises?」
The youth turned stiff when Matthew asked him that. After a long moment of silence, he nodded slowly:
「Yes, I will do it… No matter what, I’m still a son of the Remeon house.」
As the clear water surface fell into darkness, the cries of the frogs and bugs became noisier than the day. The noise disturbed his thoughts, and made Sarihasrag Remeon click his tongue:
「Tch… That’s why I hate setting up camp next to a lake. It’s so damn noisy at night.」
「Bear with it, big brother.」
「Yes, I know. We set up camp with our backs to the lake to defend against cavalry attack, I don’t want to have that Igsem old man poke us in the ass.」
The eldest son of the Remeon house, Sushuraf, answered his brother with a snort. They set up their base here to counter the threat of cavalry.
Having their backs to the lake not only prevented attacks on their rear, but made it almost impossible to charge in from the front too. As the cavalry would continue to charge forward after running through the base, they would go right into the lake.
On the other hand, having nowhere to run with their backs to the lake was a horrifying weak point. Such terrain had been used since ancient times to inspire unmotivated troops to fight desperately. But they weren’t after this effect this time. They chose this base that offered no retreat because they were confident of being the biggest force in this region, and could count on even more reinforcements.
「Three battalions, 1,800 men… After that old man’s hit and run, our numbers are around 1,600?」
Sarihasrag muttered disgustedly. Like Torway’s group, they were attacked by Yorunzaf when they first arrived at Dafuma Province.
「Never mind, we still have enough numbers to perform our mission. We made the preparation for the next fight too── be it the Igsem faction or the Ikuta Solork gang, I will destroy them all.」
The man’s face was filled with murderous intent. As Sushuraf concurred with a short reply, a subordinate approached him briskly:
「Major, a report! A messenger came from an enemy faction! It’s the 『Rising Sun Regiment』 search team that had set up camp on the hills 22 km to our west!」
Sarihasrag furrowed his brows when he heard that name. He was promoted to Major due to the dire circumstances. He urged his subordinate with a 「Continue.」
「Yes Sir. They are requesting to work together for the search, would you like to peruse the letter?」
After opening the letter given to him, Sarihasrag read the content closely. It states plainly that they wish to cooperate with the Remeon faction to search for the Emperor, and their reasons. The proposal made sense── but when he saw the name used to sign off the letter, veins appeared on his forehead.
「… How dare a traitor request for our cooperation. I haven’t seen him in a while, and he became so thick skinned…!」
When he heard those words, Sushuraf understood the situation without even needing to read the letter. He asked with a calm voice:
「Is their commander Torway? What do they mean by cooperating?」
「Not to interfere with each other’s activity, share information, and work together against the Igsem faction── What kind of joke is this?」
Sarihasrag crumbled the letter, then toss it back to his subordinate.
「Tell the messenger: 『We won’t work together with traitors. Get in our way and we will kill you』.」
「J-Just a verbal reply?」
「You heard me.」
「… Yes Sir!」
When he said that with an icy glare, his subordinate turned and left with a shiver. His brother asked calmly about this refusal to cooperate:
「Is that fine, big brother?」
「What’s wrong with this? Who knows if they suggest the same terms to the Igsem faction? Not interfering with each other, sharing information or working together against a common enemy, we can’t do any of this if we don’t trust them. And I obviously can’t do that. Toruru is Ikuta Solork’s bitch now, who knows what he is thinking.」
Sarihasrag spat out these words before turning and leave. He headed to the command tent with crude steps, and muttered in a deep voice:
「It’s useless to cheat like the mock battle back then. Don’t look down on your big brother, Toruru……!」
On that same night, after receiving that curt reply from the messenger, Torway hugged his head in deep thought:
「This answer… It is definitely my big brother…!」
They lived together since they were young, and the youth noticed this fact with his instinct as a little brother. 「Ughh～」 Matthew’s face contorted when he heard that:
「Captain Sarihasrag is their commander…? Are you kidding me, what is the Remeon faction’s manpower management doing?」
Matthew could remember what happened during their mock battle, no wonder he felt this way. Torway shook his head weakly.
「Ma-kun, don’t look down on my brother. He was taking us lightly during the mock battle, and Ik-kun had the tactical advantage. He isn’t someone that could be defeated easily.」
「Is that so? To be honest, I don’t have any good impression of him…」
Or rather, Matthew’s only impression of him was his unsightly side, but Matthew was hesitant to say that in front of his brother. Matthew then switch topics:
「Anyway, the important thing is what should we do next. Our opponent is difficult this time, any chance we can convince him?」
「…… Sorry to betray your expectations, but persuading my brother is…」
「It’s fine~ I understand. Just want to make sure.」
The slightly plump youth didn’t complain and said with an awkward smile. His gentle attitude towards this failure made the jade eyed youth feel bad.
「Sigh, we have to count on ourselves… no, we still have the option of offering the Igsem faction the same terms, then steal a march on them. But being a cunning linguist is Ikuta’s expertise, it’s hard for us to pull it off.」
「Yes, I agree. But what can we do now…?」
Matthew pondered with his arms crossed, but he didn’t seem anxious or flustered. After experiencing many live battles, he slowly gained the tenacious mental strength to not falter in adversity without even realizing it.
「… We are short on men and cavalry, which mean our search area is small. In short, we are in a difficult situation.」
「Right.」
「Simply put, we are at a major disadvantage compared to the other forces. We can’t win in a straight out fight or in our search. What we should do in this situation── there was a group that showed us that before, remember?」
Matthew raised his index finger and as he said that. After thinking for a few seconds, the jade eyed youth found the answer:
「That’s right, the Shinaak tribe…!」
「Correct. Their numbers and proficiency were worse than us, but they gave us a really hard time. Lieutenant General Safida’s incompetence played a part too── but the biggest reason was that the Shinaak tribe fought in a way suitable for a small force from the very start.」
The pudgy youth turned his gaze as he spoke, and looked out into the endless plains covered by the night. It was a darkness that concealed everything── but in his eyes, that was the most reliable companion.
「This is a good chance, let’s emulate them. We paid an expensive price for that lesson, so we should make full use of it.」
Matthew said like a child that just thought of a mischievous idea. Torway leaned forward as they discussed the details of this secret plan.
Like two delinquent who lack the decisive shamelessness when discussing something devious, they decided on their plans for the future.
「… Hahh～」
In the dim Lantern light, Private First Class Bande yawned as he looked at the horses that had fallen asleep standing.
He was on the two hours night watch, but the fatigue during his search in the day made him struggle against his urge to sleep.
「Hey, cover up with your hand. If the General saw that, he will crack your skull.」
His colleague Private First Class Minguru elbowed him with a warning, but Bande’s eyes remained drowsy:
「… They sure are amazing～ they ran around so much during the day, and can still sleep while standing.」
He muttered as he stared blankly at the horses. Minguru sighed, and chatted with Bande to keep themselves awake:
「To be honest, they probably want to sit down to sleep, and will do so when they get used to the stables here.」
「Horses don’t sleep much either, and will be full of energy after sleeping three to four hours. I want to be a horse too.」
「Then you have to eat grass everyday. Can you live the rest of your live without eating meat?」
「Ah, I can’t. I can’t do it after all.」
Bande answered lazily, and Minguru snickered quietly. They might be outstanding horseman, but this was the extent of their idly chatter.
「How much longer until the next shift?」
「It’s still early, almost an hour more.」
「We are only half done～… this is terrible～」
Bande lost his motivation and squatted down, and the spear attachment of his crossbow stabbed into the ground. Minguru raised his voice annoyingly:
「Hey, pull yourself together. We are on sentry duty here.」
「I will wake up if I can ride for a little… Just a little～」
「Moron. How can we tire our important warhorses just to perk you up──」
「Neigh!」
Sharp neighs that interrupted Minguru’s admonishment rang out. The two of them looked back in surprise, and a horse that were sleeping soundly started moving in panic. They didn’t run off as its reins were tied, but the noise was waking the other horses. Minguru hurried over:
「Hey, what’s the matter, quiet down! Did a rat bite you?」
As he pat the back of a horse to soothe it, another horse that was sleeping some distance away neigh in the same manner. When they heard that sound, Bande pounced on Minguru, pulling him down by his collar.
「Get down, someone’s shooting!」「What?」
The two of them laid prone on the grass, and could hear the sound of air whistling above them. Bande got up with his body low and ran towards the base:
「Enemy attack! It’s the enemy! Sound the alarm～!」
Everyone who heard the alarm woke up in surprise, and the quiet camp started getting rowdy. The alarm slowly propagated through the area, and the troops whose sleep got interrupted was ready for combat.
「──In the end, you didn’t find the enemy?」
In the morning after the incident, General Yorunzaf who heard the report made this conclusion. The male officer who was in charge of last night’s defences nodded with a serious face:
「Yes… It’s embarrassing to say this, but after the illumination troops and cavalry swept the area thoroughly, we didn’t find any traces of the enemy.」
「What about our losses? How many horses got hit?」
「Four horses are shot in the buttocks or legs, but all of them are light wounds. However, they can’t join i the charge before making a full recovery… It’s fortunate that our losses are so minimal.」
The lone armed old general laughed softly as he watched the relieved face of the officer:
「You think that’s all? Just our horses getting shot in the ass?」
「Huh…?」
The officer didn’t understand and looked baffled. Starting with that officer, General Yorunzaf swept his gaze across the soldiers standing behind that officer, and said without any frills:
「Aren’t all the people standing here all on the verge of dozing off?」
When the general pointed that out, the soldiers looked at each other in surprise.
「You lot are really slow… Never mind, that’s because you lack live combat experience, so it’s not your fault. After I retired, the Jump Cavalry is just being maintained like a hobby of sorts, where flawed soldiers who can’t become cavalry are dumped.」
His smile started to deepen. Even I’m surprised that this ridiculous shenanigans is still going on, the old general thought self mockingly.
「I have honed you into outstanding cavalry. After seeing how skilled you are, those mules in Central will lose their minds… However, good horsemanship is just circus tricks. What I taught you aren’t tricks to gain the applause of audience, but a way to win battles. No matter how fast you can ride or how high you can jump── there is no point if you don’t know war.」
General Yorunzaf stopped his laugher suddenly, and looked at his subordinates with blood red eyes. They straightened their back when this gaze fell on them.
「Compared to you lots, that little brat we fought last time knows how to fight. Am I wrong? Any objections?」
「「「「「Sir, no, sir!」」」」」
「Are you frustrated? ～ That a brat no older than a cadet is acting like your senior?.」
「「「「「Sir, yes, sir!」」」」」
The officers answered in unison. Bam! The old general slammed his hand on the table:
「Then think of a countermeasure before they mess with us again. Prove that you are a little smarter than the animal you ride on. If you can’t do it, then you are not a rider, but a burden. An ugly noisy lump of meat. Are you wasting the efforts of the horses that are carrying you!?」
「「「「「Sir, no, sir!」」」」」
「I hope not! Then go!」
General Yorunzaf yelled, and the officers fled out of the tent. Only the general and a man standing by in a corner was left.
Only slightly younger than his superior── he was one of the few officers who had stayed with the Fierce General Yorunzaf for half a century. As he watched the young men leave, the corners of his lips raised in a wry smile:
「How nostalgic. You admonished like this when I first joined the unit too.」
「Stop pretending to be retarded, Daolon. You got scolded everyday until your fifth year.」
「Is that so… people our age tend to be forgetful.」
「You can forget whatever you want, just remember how to fight a war. If you forget even that, then you are gonna get your ass fired… Get to the point. If you want to talk about old times, we can chat all you want in our graves.」
「I will do just that then── back to the topic, which faction do you think is behind that harassment last night?」
「The rising something faction. It’s always the side lacking in numbers that does something like this. They might be working together with the Remeon faction too.」
「That should be it. But practically speaking, it will be a problem if they keep up this nightly harassment. The troops will lose sleep, and more critically──」
「── The horses will be a problem. Not knowing when the next attack will come would grind away the nerves of the horses. No matter how well trained a horse is, it will be no different from a beast if it gets pushed beyond its limits.」
「We have to deal with this before it gets too late. Is it fine to leave it to the young ones?」
「You think it’s not? What will you do then?」
「If possible, strike the source. There will be no end to this if we keep defending.」
「Good idea, I like it. However, it is difficult to execute. Those fellows will hole themselves in a hill with their back to the forest. It is possible to attack their base, it’s just hard… Furthermore, they are only harassing us at night in small numbers. By slipping near our base under the cover of night, and shoot at bright areas once they get into Air Rifle range. Their attack will be successful if they just land a hit on a man or horse.」
Yorunzaf mimicked the motion of firing a wind gun as he explained. His adjutant stroked his beard.
「Since we can’t cut off the source, we have to address the symptoms. That will be increasing patrols or setting up base at a high ground that can’t be easily sniped from afar. Although both methods will just play into the enemy’s hand of increasing the burden on the soldiers.」
「Their harassment might not be limited to shooting. They will probably use all sorts of tricks from henceforth. The viciousness of their methods would depend on the personality of their commander.」
「Let’s drag the Remeon faction down with us. We can harass them in the same way, and pretend that the Rising Sun Regiment did it. If it works, we might steer the fight into a two on one situation.」
「I’m fine with that, but do we really want to do that? If we did that, the Rising Sun will respond with the same tactic. It will create a vicious cycle with all parties doubting each other. Not only would the efficiency of our search decrease, it will affect the negotiations once we find the Emperor too.」
「I never thought I would hear you worry about tying up loose ends after a war… we have grown old, General.」
「Don’t look down the horizon. Your habit of taunting others is the same as always. I sometimes wonder why I hadn’t lop off your head yet.」
General Yorunzaf said with a shrug, then leaned back on the table with his head looking up:
「… Anyway, we have to give up on that for now. Considering the threat of the Kioka, it will be difficult to keep up the search for long. We will use your methods to make do in the meantime. It’s a good chance to teach the younglings in our unit that in war, things won’t go as they wish.」
「That’s not like you at all. The correctness from a military standpoint aside, we are being played without retaliating. Doesn’t that make you mad?」
「I’m speechless by how you can be so combative at times. You still remember that I’m an Igsem, right? If you can’t, then try to recall. Just once a year will be enough.」
「The same blood flows in you and the Field Marshal’s veins is the biggest joke in all 900 years of the Empire’s history.」
When he heard that, General Yorunzaf’s stomach quivered, as he squeezed out a quiet laugh from the depths of his throat.
「That’s true.」
Chapter 4: The Person The Battlefield Was Set Up For
Hiding in their base during the day, and doing all sorts of harassment to the Igsem camp at night── Torway’s group did that for five days.
Starting off by shooting at the enemy’s horses from long range with Air Rifles, they also set a small fire upwind from the enemy’s base, sent riders banging gongs around the enemy camp, cover the horses drinking trench with mud── they execute every idea they had within their ethical limits and manpower constraints. This slowed the Igsem faction’s progress significantly. But on the dawn of the sixth day, Matthew started having doubts.
「… I know that this is a plan I proposed and now isn’t the time, but is this really fine? We are just hindering others without making any progress on the search. We did slow the Igsem faction down, but maybe we are just lowering the chances of finding the Emperor…?」
After performing non constructive harassment day after day, it was natural to feel uneasy. Torway knew how Matthew felt, and shook his head firmly:
「Ma-kun, that’s wrong. Ik-kun said that having the Emperor isn’t a necessary condition to stop the coup. This is our advantage, and we are making full use of it.」
「? What do you mean?」
「If we assume that our victory condition is the same as the Igsem faction, which is to 『secure the Emperor』, then this plan would be ineffective. Hindering the opponent at the expense of stopping one’s search, the best result we can get is if we negate each other── But that isn’t so. It’s not necessary for us to find the Emperor, and harassing the Igsem will help the efficiency of the Remeon faction. Based on our victory condition, this is a shrewd move.」
After spending quite a bit of effort to think it though, the slightly plump youth nodded cautiously:
「… I see, you are right. Our victory condition is 『either us or the Remeon faction securing the Emperor.』 In order to meet that condition, we just need to make sure the Igsem don’t find His Majesty. From the start, we didn’t need to be tied to the idea of searching by ourselves.」
「Yes! In this situation, the disadvantage to the Igsem faction is as good as an advantage to us, so I think we just need to focus on hindering them.」
「This is the answer by elimination. It’s hard to search at night, but if we mobilize our forces in the day, we might be attacked by cavalry. The only consistent actions we can take is to keep up the nightly harassment.」
Feeling relieved after understanding this, Matthew sighed deeply. Torway patted his shoulder encouragingly, then muttered something that was on Matthew’s mind too:
「… But if big brother knows what strategy we are using, he will laugh at us.」
But the truth is, his brother’s group couldn’t spare the effort of laughing at others. As the Remeon faction’s unsearched area dwindled down, Sarihasrag’s unit in the southern part of the province had combed the area tirelessly, but had not yield any results.
「… Damn it! Where is he hiding!?」
When he personally led the search on a prospective village that didn’t yield any results, the eldest son of the Remeon house kicked down a tree in frustration. Sushuraf who was usually tasked with soothing his brother fell into deep silence this time too.
「We have searched all the large villages, and had thoroughly asked the residents for news! So why can’t we find any traces of that fox!」
「… Calm down, big brother. Our encirclement is getting tighter, it is just a matter of time now.」
「That’s the problem, we can’t afford to waste time here! We have to conclude this coup before the Kioka realize our internal strife!」
Sarihasrag turned to his brother and smirk his lips.
「The search itself has been progressing smoothly, and we have checked all the suspicious places.」
「Indeed, in the past few days, we have fewer clashes with the other factions. Those bastards probably made less progress than us.」
「I heard there is a suspicious unit causing mischief at night, so they are probably dragging each other down. That’s fine, as long as they don’t get in our way──」
「Major!」
A shout interrupted their conversation, Sarihasrag wiped his irked expression away and turned to his subordinate. The aura around him had been the same since birth, but he had learned restraint now.
「What is it?」
「Sir! The village chief wish to speak with you!」
「Village chief...? I understand, lead the way.」
He answered with a nod and followed his subordinate. No matter how anxious he was, he had to curry favor with the locals. Their behavior here would directly affect the reputation of the Remeon faction. They had just searched all the buildings and even pried open their floors, so they had to take care not to earn the ire of the residents.
The village had led a few chaperones to the southern end of the village. There was a plaza here where the villagers could gather, and there were even traveling merchants making use of this chance to set up stalls.
The village chief was old, but beside him was a woman even older than him. He was a bit surprised, but Sarihasrag still stood up straight in front of them.
「I’m army Major Sarihasrag Remeon, how may I be of service?」
「Thank you for seeing us. Pardon me for being forward, but we have a request.」
「What is it?」
「We would like to send her to a 『Home』. This old lady had no one to depend on… As you can see, she don’t have much time left.」
The village chief looked toward the old lady as he told Sarihasrag quietly. Sarihasrag was a little surprised, but understood what the village chief meant. He was requesting for the blockade to be eased for the old lady to travel.
A religious facility known as the 「Home of Hospice」 were set up all around the Empire, a place where people who felt their days were numbered would gather. People who had no one to depend on were permitted to live there. Many priests from the Alderah Cult were based there to help visitors find peace in their final moments.
「I see, how many of you will be going?」
「Four. These three young men will take turns to push the wheelchair. It will be a tough journey if there are too few of them.」
Sarihasrag nonchalantly observed the people behind the village chief. The small and frail old lady and a the buff young men couldn’t be the Emperor and Trisnai in disguise. After confirming that, he nodded in agreement.
「Alright, I will arrange for your passage. If I recall correctly, there’s a 『Home of Hospice』… close by to the southeast.」
As their search extended that far, the military had grasp the locations of the hospice too. The village chief nodded:
「That is so.」
「Understood. We can’t spare the manpower to escort you, but I will order my men to tighten the security around this area. You might be halted by our forces on your journey there, but it won’t be any problem if you state your reasons plainly── Madam, may you journey in peace.」
Sarihasrag saluted after saying that, and the old lady mumbled something. 「Thank you.」 The wind sprite on her knees said on its mistress’ behalf.
A short time later, a large group came to send her off and say their final farewells to the old lady. When the group set off, the crowd remained behind to watch them leave.
「Grandma Yumari is finally going 『home』, huh… She used to be our village chief too.」
「What about Grandpa Tsugu who went there earlier? He’s probably still alive? Maybe they will meet there.」
「That’s true. Oh, and that guy who is bandaged all over…」
「Don’t be stupid, it’s impossible for them to meet. Even if he is still alive, that’s a contagious disease…」
Two men whispered to each other. Sarihasrag unconsciously stopped in his track. Intrigued by their conversation for some reason, the eldest son of the Remeon house turned towards them:
「… Hey, you two over there.」
His sharp gaze made them shivered. He wasn’t fazed and continued as he walked over:
「Can you tell me the details of your conversation?」
「Huh! Ah…」「No, that’s…」
「Someone went 『home』 earlier, right? What do you mean the old lady won’t get to meet him?」
「That’s… because he is seriously ill.」「T-That’s right, he’s probably dead.」
Sarihasrag shook his head as he glared at the two suspicious individuals:
「That’s not it, correct? You said 『even if he is still alive』. Dead or alive, you don’t think the old lady will get to meet him, right?」
「……」「… T-That’s…」
「I want to know the reason why you think so. Let me ask again, why is that?」
When they heard him ordered with a tone that left no room for negotiation, the two men looked awkwardly at each other. They are hiding something── Sarihasrag was certain of it, and the village chief interjected:
「Major, please don’t bully the young ones.」
「Ah, pardon me. I don’t mean to harass them.」
The eldest son of the Remeon house apologized curtly, but his eyes were still locked on to the two men before him. The village chief said with a sigh:
「It’s only natural that they are hesitant to speak, this is a topic that people are reluctant to bring up… In principle, a 『home』 will accept all people on the verge of death indiscriminately. However, there are exceptions that aren’t easy to speak of.」
「Contagious disease carriers?」
Sarihasrag said it clearly. The village chief nodded with a heavy mood:
「That is correct. Seems like there is no need to hide anymore, I will tell you the truth…」
The village chief slowly recounted what happened. According to him── some time ago, two people visited this village. One of them was a thin man in pilgrimage attire, the other was a bedridden man covered in bandages. He seemed unable to move by himself, and was lying in the back of a wagon when he arrived at the village.
<TL: 巡礼服>
「Because of their strange appearances, I thoroughly questioned their purpose for coming here… And as I expected, that man was a contagious disease carrier who couldn’t stay in his old home.」
As he listened, Sarihasrag felt a chill creep up his back. Since he started the search in the Dafuma Province, he felt something click for the first time when he heard what the village chief said.
「I can’t let him stay here, of course, so I introduce them to a facility. There are few places that will take in such patients, and only one in the vicinity. So I gave them directions there…」
The village chief started getting vague, and the eldest son of the Remeon house held his shoulders firmly:
「In short, that bandaged man was sent to a treatment facility, which isn’t the 『home』 that old lady went to. And that facility is built in a place where others won’t go near.」
「… That’s right. I never told you about this… I hope you will forgive me.」
The village chief said with a groan. According the the taboos of the Alderah Cult, ostracizing contagious disease carriers was a sin as it went against the spirit of indiscriminate charity. However, there would always be places in some provinces that gave silent consent to such behaviour. Leaving aside the righteousness of doing so, the fact was, they had no other choice if they want to prevent the spread of terrible contagious diseases.
<TL: 博愛精神>
「I beg your forgiveness…」
The village chief hung his head low after giving his confession. However, Sarihasrag wasn’t interested in his feelings of guilt, and was excited about finding a credible lead. He pressed the village chief:
「Can you tell me where that treatment facility is?」
「A-As you wish… But like I mentioned just now, it’s not marked on the map, and even the locals don’t frequent there…」
The village chief stammered. And finally, a smile appeared on the corner of Sarihasrag’s lips:
「That’s how it is, Sushu. Isn’t that just swell?」
His brother nodded at his gaze. The feeling of catching the tail of one’s prey made these brothers ecstatic, and their jade eyes shone in the same way.
After getting the information from the village chief, the Remeon brothers set off with their unit, and a traveling merchant who was doing business at a corner of the plaza stood up slowly.
「── The two gentlemen over there, excuse me.」
「Hmm? You mean us?」
The peddler was talking to the duo who got questioned by Sarihasrag earlier. He approached with a pleasant smile, and took out a map:
「I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I happen to overhear your talk with that soldier… if it’s not too much trouble, can you mark the location of that treatment facility on this map?」
「H-Huh…? Did you really heard us? That place takes in people with contagious diseases. Why would you want to know their location?」
「It’s a good business opportunity. Since there is a treatment facility, there must be a director there. They take in a lot of patients, and will need supplies. Even more so for a place where normal merchants will avoid.」
「… I don’t mind telling you, but after you go there, stay away from our village for the time being.」
「That’s right. You are free to catch those diseases, but don’t drag us in.」
After the two men warned him, they marked the spot on his map. After receiving the marked map, the peddler faced the two of them with a face of satisfaction:
「Thank you. It’s not much of a gift──」
He pointed to the open air stall behind and said with a big smile:
「── I will give you all the goods in my stall. It isn’t much, but please share it generously with everyone.」
「What?」「What did you──」
「Take care, and farewell.」
The peddler turned and ran to a small wagon after saying that. He loosened the rope tying the horse to the wagon, and rode on the horse that was freed from its burden. Before the people around him could even take a second breath, he had left all his tools of the trade behind, and charged off.
「A treatment facility that takes in patients with contagious diseases? This might be a blindspot, General Yorunzaf……!」
… Each faction had split up into small teams to search the area. As they continued their sweep, the search zone shrinks gradually. A strong lead that points to the whereabouts of the Emperor── and the fact that two factions got hold of this information at almost the same time.
The situation was as good as two hunters rushing towards a common prey in the center.
The condition for a final battle had been met.
The Remeon faction suddenly set off from their camp to the south. When Torway and Matthew received this report from their scouts, they looked at each other blankly.
「… What do you think?」
「They probably… got hold of a clue to His Majesty’s whereabouts. Since they mobilized such a large force, big brother must have found a strong lead.」
「If that is so, then his actions are too careless! Such an obvious mobilization would definitely agitate the other factions. Since we noticed, the Igsem faction definitely did too, and will hinder them before they begin their search. If it was me, I would act more conspicuously.」
「Yes, I feel the same… So I think that is just a bold misdirection. Big brother is trying to draw the Igsem faction and us to the south, and use their remaining forces to search another key area.」
「I can understand such a move. But where might that be?」
「I don’t know. But I know what we should do. Since the Remeon faction found the Emperor, we should help them.」
The slightly plump youth concurred with a nod, then laid out his map:
「Then we should watch the Igsem faction’s reaction carefully. How will they move?」
「If they get drawn to the south by that diversion, then we won’t get the chance to do anything…」
「The problem is if they didn’t get tricked. That’s tough… If that happens, where should we send our forces?」
Matthew crossed his arms in deep thought. The youth continued:
「The possibility of the Remeon faction failing, would be they getting attacked by the Igsem faction who saw through that diversion. To prevent that from happening, we need to stop the Igsem faction right now, but…」
「Stopping them… But they are cavalry units. In this terrain, any witless attack will just get repelled── No, it won’t even be a fight. They had no reason to engage us, and will just continue their pursuit of the Remeon faction.」
「Then, what about following the Remeon faction and acting as their escorts?」
「We need to follow the unit going to the 『strong prospective place』, and not the south diversion unit, correct? We have no idea where that unit is. If they sent the battalion in their northeastern base out as a diversion, that meant the two battalion out on search duty will head to that 『strong prospective place』.」
They didn’t have any clue about the present location A of the Remeon unit, which was heading to an unknown location B. This was the only downside of their strategy of hiding in their own base.
Leaving Matthew who was in a mental deadlock aside, Torway continued thinking:
「Then… We can only deduce it. According to geological constraints, the progress of their search and the personality of big brother── and adding other conditions, we might deduce where the 『strong prospective place』 is to a certain extent. We don’t have to know the exact location, and can just head for the general vicinity, then send out scouts along the way to figure out the place…」
「That’s something Ikuta will say… instead of playing blind chess, this is closer to gambling.」
「That’s true. But our options is to 『do nothing』 or 『make a bet』, right?」
「You are using that move…」
The youth presented two choices with a clear answer, which was too combative for his style. Matthew wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead with the back of his palm, and made up his mind.
「… We have no choice, let’s go for broke. On second thought, our chances aren’t that low. Captain Garciev is watching over me.」
Grabbing the compass under his uniform, Matthew put up a strong front. He turned back together with Torway and looked at the pioneers bustling behind them.
「In that case, we might finally put this to use. The trump card against cavalry── how’s the progress?」
On his urging, one of the soldiers showed him a completed product. The two of them inspected it carefully, and nodded as it met the standard they requested.
Under the gloomy sky, soldiers marched in ranks with steel colored wind gun barrels resting on their shoulders.
This was the Remeon brothers’ unit, two battalion of windgunners── After discounting the forces they mobilized for a diversion, this was all the forces they could muster.
「Tch, this terrain is really annoying. Only the cavalry gets to show off, while we can’t even walk properly.」
Sarihasrag grumbled in the middle of the group. Due to the skirmishes with the Igsem faction, their two battalion actually numbered less than 900. Sushuraf beside him nodded in agreement:
「This should be the last day we have to bear with this lack of freedom. If we can secure His Majesty, then the matter will be over. That forest is just around 10 km away, big brother.」
「Yes, it’s our win when we reach that forest, I hope no one gets in our way before that.」
「The unit we sent to the south should be able to hoodwink them. Whether they fall for it or not, they will need some time to grasp our location, and is unlikely they will──」
At that moment, a loud gong interrupted their conversation. A rider section scouting the outskirts had sounded the alarm.
As the troops turned rowdy, Sarihasrag swept his gaze around the area in shock:
「Enemy attack…? Are you kidding me, I don’t even see a scout out there!」
「Two, two, one── A large cavalry unit is approaching! Big brother, square formation!」
On the orders of the Sarihasrag who was the commander-in-chief, the soldiers started forming up.
With a forty men platoon on each side, the four sides formed a 160-men square formation. Four such squares were formed side to side. The geometrically sound formation had been mathematically proven to be effective against charges.
「All units, fix bayonets! First rank, raise your pikes!」
That wasn’t all, their square formation was armed with pikes this time. Of the three ranks that formed each side of the formation, the 13 men in front held 2 meter long pikes instead of their windgun affixed with bayonets. They were primitive weapons that didn’t even have a steel tip.
「Raise the tip to 15 degrees! Dig the end of the pike into the ground, and don’t let go! This is your lifeline!」
The eldest son of the Remeon house cautioned loudly, and wasn’t panicking anymore. If the enemy attacks, they just need to engage them. Including this assault, they had prepared countermeasures for everything that might happen. Ever since his defeat to those rookie Warrant Officers, he had cast aside his arrogant attitude and made adequate preparations.
「They are here! From the northeast, prepare to fire!」
The enemy appeared on the horizon, and the horde of cavalry kicked up a cloud of dust on their approach. The soldiers stared at the enemy, and gulped as they aimed down their sights.
The cavalry led by Fierce General Yorunzaf charged through the storm of dust. They were 600 strong, and also all the forces the Igsem faction could mobilize right now.
It wasn’t a coincidence that they caught hold of the enemy’s position, this was clearly the result of their strategy. On the next morning after Torway’s group started their harassment, General Yorunzaf knew that his work efficiency will fall, and made adjustments to account for that.
Simply put, he was riding the coattails of the other faction’s search. He sent soldiers disguised as traveling merchants into villages and towns to steal the Remeon faction’s intel, and used them in his own search efforts. For the Igsem faction that had the advantage in mobility, this was super effective. They would always be a step behind since they had to depend on stolen data, but they made up for it with their speed.
「We are 600 m away from the square formation! The enemy appears to be holding up pikes!」
「Oh, how nostalgic! It reminds me of when I just joined the army, when pikemen were still an active army vocation!」
「Are we going to charge? The pikes should be a countermeasure against Jump Cavalry!」
「Don’t ask stupid questions! Aside from charging, you lot don’t know any other methods!」
He lashed out pointedly, which made his men laugh. As their excitement was at their peak right before a battle, the old general drew his saber and announced the start of a deadly battle:
「All units, draw blades! The enemy is right before us! Ram into them with all that you have got!」
「「「「「「「Sir, yes, sir!」」」」」」」
With that shout as a signal, the cavalry spread out from file formation into horizontal ranks. As they charge towards the four square formation, a tsunami would be an apt way to describe them, displaying the violence of speed combined with mass. They were the strongest soldier type on the battlefield in history, and bared their fangs with the legendary Fierce General leading them.
「「「「「「「Uwoooahhhhh!」」」」」」」
Charging through the hail of bullets, the cavalry reached the square formation with a howl. The vanguard responsible for leaping into the enemy formation was well trained horseman that embodies the name of the 「Jump Cavalry」, all of them capable of jumping clear of swords and spears.
However── the enemy had pikes this time, and they couldn’t jump over it. They knew that very well, so what should they do?
The conclusion was, they wouldn’t do anything different. They only yearn to be faster stronger, wilder.
The makeshift pikes blocked the charge. The pikes caught between the earth and the body thrown against it didn’t depend on the strength of the one bracing it, and could take the full weight of the impact. The fresh blood spraying them and the screams of pain in their ears made the soldiers holding the pikes lose control of their bladder in fear. The pike defence work── but they weren’t aware of this fact, and were overwhelmed in horror. Stunned by the horrible fact that the enemy didn’t slow their insane speed despite knowing they would get impaled!
「「「「「「「Woaahhhh!」」」」」」」
Not only did they turn a blind eye to the terrible state of their comrades, the cavalry behind even used this chance to continue charging. Their comrades in front had already covered the tip of those damn pikes with their body. They pushed these lumps of meat from behind, and the pikes broke in half, disabling the anti cavalry equipment. Most of the makeshift pikes prepared by the Remeon faction was rendered useless in the first wave of attack.
With no pikes blocking their way, the cavalry charge over the corpse of their comrades and pouced gleefully into the enemy’s base. Realizing a massacre was about to begin, the soldiers from the Remeon faction started screaming in horror.
「──T-This is madness!」
Sarihasrag who was in the middle of the square formation described the enemy cavalry surging forth with just these words.
That was only natural. The pike he prepared was a defence meant to scare off the Jump Cavalry. The purpose was to give a psychological deterrent, and not meant to fully defend against the full wrath of a cavalry charge. The pikes breaking was to be expected.
Both men and horses fear death. This was natural instinct that was difficult to overcome, and many tactics were built on this assumption. However Yorunzaf Igsem didn’t have such fear. They only know how to charge madly in reckless abandon. They love to trample, ravage, and lose themself in this destructive torrent.
And of course── This was the true nature of the Jump Cavalry under Fierce General Yorunzaf’s command. In the end, their outstanding horsemanship was just a decoration. Since the founding of the unit half a century ago, their superior officer only ask for one quality from his men. Which was courage, or in another word, madness. Just the abnormality of performing insane action in the face of danger.
「Keep your chin up, big brother! If we don’t take any countermeasures, our square formation will get overrun!」
「……!」
His brother’s warning snapped Sarihasrag back to reality, and he quickly searched for a way to get out of this situation. But the more he looked at it, the more lost he got. Even if he wanted to make a tactical retreat, there were only plains and hills around them, and it would take too much time to move while they were in square formation. If they showed an opening like that, the enemy would definitely aim for it.
「Checkmate」 flashed across his mind. What the hell! He resisted with his raging emotions, but he couldn’t think of any methods to turn this inevitable defeat around──
The cavalry ran through the formation like a violent tempest. They turned around at the opposite end of the formation, and started charging again, and the gaps in the four square formation started widening with each attack. The enemy was in a terrible state, and couldn’t even retaliate, which made Yorunzaf clicked his tongue with dissatisfaction as he rode with his men.
「How unsightly, how unsightly! Aren’t you losing more and more terribly!? If you have the guts to stage a coup, then don’t sully the Remeon’s name on the battlefield! It makes us look like fools for treating you seriously!」
「「「「「「「Woooaaahh!」」」」」」」
The old general roared as he craved for an even more intense battle. The cavalry with him also let out a feral yell, yearning more violence and blood. The madness that one man tapped on as his source of life had infected the entire unit. And now, they were a hellish army that would charge into the end of hell on his command.
His way of living was the same as his time during active duty. The achievement of One Armed Igsem had always been earned through the same madness of the battlefield.
──Yorunzaf Igsem is not to be promoted to the General ranks.
The one who decided that was the previous Igsem head. And so, even though Yorunzaf accomplished much more than others, the highest rank he reached during his active time was Brigadier General.
Even the rank of Brigadier General was only given when he was about to retire. He spent most of his military career as a company grade and field grade officer. The military granted him an honorary rank generously, but that was after he retired from the frontlines. But Yorunzaf had no complaints. As he loved living in the frontlines, the safety of headquarters for high ranking generals would just cause him pain.
Yorunzaf knew very well why he was kept away from the military’s high command. He was too passionate about war, and would even lead his men down a hellish warpath. If such a person was promoted to the top management of the military, it would twist the very nature of the organization. A combative commander would turn the view that ‘war is a necessary evil’ on its head.
The incident when he lost his left arm made him understand just how hopeless he was. During a cavalry charge, a projectile falling from the sky hit Yorunzaf in the shoulder.
His arm wasn’t severed, and if he retreated and right then to treat his wounds, he could probably save his arm. His adjutant also advised him to do so.
But he didn’t── because the enemy was right before him, and they were really strong. It would be a pity to flee at this crucial moment, and he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Who knew when they would meet again!?
So, Yorunzaf did so crude first aid to stop the bleeding, then joined in the fray until the very end. When he heard the doctor diagnose that his left arm had to be amputated, he nodded understandably with a 「as I expected～」. He valued the fleeting moment of exhilaration in battle over saving his left arm── for him, this was a choice he would make without any hesitation.
「Fu──」
Everytime he recalled this, the old general couldn’t help laughing at himself. Born in the Igsem house that was the incarnation of military order, he lost an arm because he loved fighting too much, and couldn’t wield the signature dual blade of the Igsem anymore. The entire matter was like the heavens branding him with 「you are a heretic」.
Yorunzaf knew very well how accurate that evaluation was── Which was why he felt so gleeful about it. Even though this was a civil war between fellow imperial soldiers, that didn’t quell his enjoyment of the fight at all.
The past or the future didn’t matter. Only the war happening in the present.
「──Fuhaha…!」
However── the old general who had lived more intensely than anyone else had yet to receive one thing from war. The swan song of a warrior that should be given to him before his retirement.
「It seems that the day of my death is still far──!」
Yorunzaf gave the order for his dispersed unit to form up. The enemy unit was at their limits of maintaining a square formation. They would last just one more charge, or two at the most. Then he would finish things up by accepting the surrender of the enemy commander.
「── Hmm?」
The old general was already thinking about the end of the battle when he felt a prickly sensation on his neck. He remembered this feeling. He felt the same thing when he lost his arm, this was a warning from his instinct as a warrior.
Yorunzaf shift his gaze from his subordinates preparing for their charge and swept the surroundings. He looked at the far horizon beyond the square formation in front of him── and found it. The source of his prickly sensation came from a small ovalish hill about two km wide, right behind the Remeon faction.
「Oh── that’s right. Still being far away is nonsense.」
The glee in his heart made the old general raise the corner of his lips── How could he not be? A guest that would make this battle more meaningful has arrived.
「This is already too close. You all can send death from so far away…!」
「──This is…」
Did he make it in time or was he too late? The scene before him made it hard for Torway to decide.
Looking from the top of the hill, the situation was clearly one sided. The four square formations were in shambles, and countless corpses laid in the open plains. The Igsem cavalry that made this terrible scene were forming up some distance away, ready to deal a final blow once they were ready.
With the battle nearing its end, it was hard to say for certain if his two older brothers were safe. But the fight is still on, there is still a chance to turn the tide── after making that conclusion, the jade eyed youth gulped bitterly and made up his mind.
「… Deploy the third unorthodox square formation! Commence support fire on the spot!」
The soldiers started executing his orders, running down the slope to their posts. At this moment, one of the men tasked with observing the enemy shouted loudly:
「E-Enemy unit is moving at high speed! They went around the Remeon faction’s square formation and is coming our way!」
Postponing the fatal blow they were about to deal to the square formation before them, Yorunzaf turned towards the new enemy forces that appeared on the hill. Rushing in to save an allied unit on the verge of defeat by laying down support fire from a hill── the situation was strangely similar to their previous encounter.
He could ignore them and take care of the Remeon faction first, but doing so would expose them to enemy fire from above. Considering the possibility that even more enemy might be hiding behind the hill, it would be prudent to destroy that windgun unit first. The old general made that decision.
「General! The enemy went halfway down the hill and formed a square formation there!」
「On the slope? Oh…!」
Yorunzaf was a little surprised. To maximize the advantage of the high ground, it would be better for them to wait on top of the hill. Horses would inevitably slow down when charging uphill, lowering the impact of the cavalry charge, and prolonging the time for them to shoot.
What was the reason they gave up on this advantage and formed a square formation on the slope? After pondering about it, the old general came up with an answer:
「… That formation will allow them to commit more than half of their soldiers into the shootout!」
Because of the limits of the formation, less than half the members of a square formation could fire on the enemy attacking from any one direction. Even if the soldiers on the other side wanted to fight, they would be blocked by the bodies of their comrades.
However, the square formation on the slope was different. Because of the difference in elevation, the soldiers behind would have an unobstructed line of fire.
This would be an effective defence against the cavalry charge, and at the same time, maximize the effectiveness of Air Rifles── the enemy commander was greedily chasing two birds with one stone, and was a failure in Yorunzaf’s eyes.
「I want to compliment the amount of thought you put into this── but that’s a bad move. Unfortunately, we are not incompetent wild boars that can only charge in a straight line!」
On the old general’s instruction, the galloping cavalry swiftly change direction from going straight for the enemy on the hill to going around to their back.
From this moment forth, the square formation on the slope lost its purpose. All the soldiers could only shoot together if the enemy charge them from the front, but if their opponent scaled the hill from the back, this tactic will work against them. The enemy would gain the high ground, and the windgunners on the back row would have a harder time firing compared to being on the plains.
「Enemy cavalry is flanking us! They plan to go around to the back of the hill !」
Torway who was standing in the middle of the unorthodox square formation could see what his subordinate was reporting.
「……」
The youth didn’t move. If he continued waiting, the enemy that ran up the hill would charge down with destructive force, aided by the pull of gravity. Despite knowing that, he remained unmoved.
As the time passed agonizingly, his anxious subordinate asked in a trembling voice:
「I-Is it time yet, battalion commander?」
「Not yet!」
The youth was adamant on waiting. The riders trailing behind the cavalry was still within sight. That meant they could still see this place── so he didn’t move. If he didn’t wait until the enemy was completely gone from his sights, they might see through his goal.
He could feel his heart racing even faster as Torway ran simulations and calculated── The time needed for the enemy cavalry to reach the other side of the hill. How long they needed to change direction and spread out in their ranks. Considering the tactics he was using, he had little buffer time. The thought of that made him stood up in anxiety.
However── right before the limits of his patience was reached, the enemy was completely gone from sight. With the hill blocking the view, the next few minutes would allow both sides to take action without being seen. The youth shouted at the top of his lungs:
「Switch to pincer attack mode! Change formation now, hurry!」
Free to move again, the soldiers frantically started taking action. Torway ran alongside them.
This window was less than two minutes. The action they take during this time will decide the outcome of this battle.
When we went around to the other side of the hill and looked up, Yorunzaf frowned:
「──What? No ambushes here?」
He clicked his tongue in disappointment. Contrary to his expectations, aside from the tip of the square formation, he couldn’t see any signs of the enemy on the hill top. Which meant the wind gunners he saw earlier was the entire enemy forces. One square formation── which meant one company of around 200, which was much lesser than last time.
「The tip of the square formation extends to the hilltop. They are trying to move up to engage our detour, huh──」
「We won’t give them the chance.」
Yorunzaf said without any hesitation, and started charging after correcting the approach path. The top of the hill was about 600 m away. He could imagine the panic faces of the enemy on the other side of the hill rushing up the steep slope.
「Spread out the ranks! The slope isn’t too steep, so don’t slow down! Charge them with maximum force!」
「「「「「「「Wooahhh!」」」」」」」
The hellish cavalry charged with a howl. The hail of bullets meant to stop them never came. The enemy was probably insisting on holding with their square formation, and only a portion of the soldiers reached the hilltop.
They were almost at the peak. A few seconds before they reached, the faces of the enemy forming a corner of the square formation appeared before them. Surprisingly, their faces didn’t show any signs of giving up, as they raised their guns with a determined face.
The hellish cavalry found their courage praiseworthy. Were the troops on the other side of the hill wearing the same expression? Their punishment for their tactical mishap was incoming, but they planned to battle until their very last──
「……?」「Huh… ah!」「What──」「Ahh──?」
However──when the cavalry reached the top of the hill, the enemy’s reaction was completely different from what they expected. With the riders almost on top of them, their opponent toss aside their windgun and lay prone onto the ground with something like a short table on their backs.
The hooves stomped onto the turtle shell like things all over the place. It was probably made with exceptionally tough wood, and could withstood the stampede of the horses, which continued on their way after going through that area. They didn’t have any target to swing their blades at. The riders charged over the heads of the enemy with stupefied faces── and the next instant, all of them were surprised by the scene on the other side of the hill.
The square formation was gone. The formation that should have stretched to the other end of the hill was missing,
「T-This is…」
A few quick witted men thought of the answer. The 40 men taking the postures of turtles weren’t a corner of the square formation, but an isolated group used to give the appearance that there was a square formation. That was why they didn’t have any will to fight. After luring the cavalry to charge at them, they had accomplished their mission.
「Ah──」「Ugh…!」
At this point, the hellish riders finally saw the trap in its entirety. The square formation was gone── but the enemy was still here.
They formed up in neat rows to the left and right of the charging path. They set up a cross fire on the slope their enemy charging down, making sure their line of fire wouldn’t hit each other. Keeping some distance from the open space that now served as a hunting ground, they waited silently for their prey to rush into their trap.
This was like a welcome party for the cavalry’s triumphant return. The only difference was the nature of the gift presented to the cavalry by the audience. It wasn’t compliments or blessings, but curses in the form of a hail of bullets──
「Volley fire, begin!」
With the signal of the youth, the sound of countless air explosion reverberated in the air.
It was the start of a one sided hunt. The bullets fired from the muzzle hit the galloping riders from their flanks, taking the lives of men and horses. A charging cavalry couldn’t change its direction suddenly, and their greatest weapon was turned on them. They had no choice but to endure the bullet hail fired at their sides.
And worst of all, they couldn’t relay what they saw to the riders behind them. All of them could only follow the leading elements and charge ahead.
On the other hand, Torway’s unit didn’t even need to aim, and just need to keep firing at the enemy caught between their crossfire. They focused slowly on their mechanical execution, with no regards for the clash that their enemy was hoping for.
「Phew…!」
The youth continued squeezing his trigger, executing the movements he ordered his men to perform. 「Remeon of the Gun」 used his precise shooting to tell the crazed legendary cavalry what ice cold slaughter was──
「Ohh──?」
In the middle of the ranks that was getting shot down from the sides, Yorunzaf Igsem was shivered with joy at the bold tenacity of the enemy commander that beat his expectations.
The enemy on the hill, the square formation on the slope, and the small amount of soldiers that were visible at the hill top── all this was just a disguise to make him think the square formation extends all the way to the other side of the hill, a set up to trick the foolish enemy to charge into this trap.
Realizing the dire situation he was in, Yorunzaf laughed with extreme excitement:
「Fu── Fuhahahaha! A trick to take me down, huh! To lure the One Armed Igsem into the trap of pride and fame, and then hunt me down like a beast!?」
In the endless hail of bullets, the old general didn’t even need to brace himself again. He didn’t have the option of slowing down── stopping here will just extend the amount of time they were targeted. If he didn’t want that to happen, the only way was to charge straight out of their range and regroup.
At this point, Yorunzaf also realized that the enemy expected him to do just that.
「…? G-General! The enemy before us…!」
The old general’s premonition proved true, the scene before him changed. The hopeless Remeon faction they cast aside── all the survivors of the square formation they destroyed were charging at them with reckless abandon. They didn’t even form ranks, and were just charging ahead like rats forced into a corner.
Their commander probably realized that this was the last chance to turn the tide of battle, and launched an all out pincer offence with no regards for defence. What a decisive move── Acknowledging the grit of the enemy, Yorunzaf opened his blood red eyes wide:
「… Try me if you have the guts! This is a good day to die! My beloved partners in life, the beautiful twins of illogical and unreasonableness! Try to make me cry out loud in my death throe～～!」
「── Full speed ahead! Close in now, don’t let those damn cavalry catch their breath!」
The only tunnel that leads out of death and defeat. The eldest son of the Remeon house led his wind gunners and charged towards the ray of hope that appeared unexpectedly.
In the corner of his mind, he thought about the square formation on the hill top that disappeared. A mirage that was gone in a matter of minutes. But the instant he saw that, Sarihasrag understood the identity and intent of the new unit. There was no way he could miss that.
Using the terrain of the hill, and a pincer attack with the third form of unorthodox square formation. A tactic their father Terushinha Remeon used to turn the tides against a superior Kioka cavalry. When Sarihasrag was a child, he pleaded his father who was reluctant to actively share his past exploit. He and his two brothers would listen to their father’s tale with sparkling eyes .
「So you are using this move, Toruru…! You bastard who betrayed the Remeon house!」
Sarihasrag groaned with anger, jealousy and many other complicated emotions in his heart. His younger brother Sushuraf followed him closely, and the two pair of jade eyes watch the cavalry charging towards them through the bulletstorm.
「The cavalry is coming straight for us… Big brother, stay close to me.」
「Don’t look down on me, Sushu. At times like this, you just need to say 『I will leave my back to you』.」
After the brief exchange between the Remeon brothers, they raised their guns fearlessly at their approaching foes.
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