Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Chapter 5. Tree and Iron
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Loengrim was the name of the fortress built at the indispensable pass leading into Roengrim, the elven capital beneath the World Tree. As far as Yuda knew, most of the elven forest consisted of flat plains, but the area around the World Tree appeared to be a hilly region where the ground rose up like swells.
Leveraging geographical advantages was the greatest way to offset differences in military strength.
"It would be much better to defend from there. It's not flat land like here—it's hills, and unless you're an elf who can climb trees well, you have to pass through there to reach the World Tree, right?"
"…You're right! How did you know? The World Tree area is almost the only hilly terrain in the elven forest, and to get to the World Tree, you must go through the path up to Loengrim. Otherwise, you'd have to climb the hills or take a long detour. But those paths are too narrow for an army of 210,000 to pass, and since the enemies don't know the terrain, they'll try to break through there."
Via nodded repeatedly at the map, speaking as if explaining to herself to understand rather than to Yuda. But something seemed off, so she furrowed her brow and tilted her head.
"Even so, the steep hills are only 5 to 10 meters high, so anyone who can handle mana could climb them easily. And if there are those who can use magic, they could fill those paths as much as they want."
"We'll worry about that when the time comes. Either way, wouldn't we have more leeway defending there than blocking here?"
Indeed.
Loengrim's walls had been built as the final bastion, making them nearly twice as high as this Brick fortress, with superior thickness, length, and everything else. Completed last after being the first to be piled up following the war's end a century ago, they instilled confidence that they could easily withstand a human assault. Hope welled up in her heart.
"Your expression has brightened. Even with an army of 210,000 bearing down, you think we can win?"
"Think we can win? Wrong."
Without a hint of intimidation, Via smiled lightly.
"We will win. Definitely."
"How?"
"We'll figure that out from now on."
She brimmed with confidence. Far better than moping in despair or defeatism. Yuda met her blue eyes. Just moments ago, they had felt condescending, but now they did not. Though she harbored ill feelings toward humans, she seemed to make an exception for Yuda.
"Nothing more to tell me?"
Yuda pondered briefly at her seeking his opinion. He had no sharp ideas. Stroking his chin, he stared endlessly at the map.
"When evacuating the elves, take all supplies left in villages or fortresses, and burn anything you can't carry."
"Yes? Why…?"
"Leaving them means the enemy will use them. It's midwinter now, and they don't have the World Tree's blessing, right? Nothing more miserable than the cold. Let them suffer until they reach Loengrim where the World Tree is."
Even leaving the fortress intact wouldn't accommodate all 210,000, so it wouldn't make much difference, but it could break their morale. Thinking back, another reason the elves had been caught so stupidly was the panic from a surprise attack whose scale was unknown.
Now, having scouted the enemy's size and route in advance, they had time to prepare—unlike the game's scenario.
'Hold on, this might even be a chance to counterattack?'
Of course, entering the elven forest meant the enemy would be cautious, but they wouldn't expect thousands to strike at once. As Via had first suggested, Yuda proposed dividing the 20,000 troops into ten units of 2,000 or four of 5,000, freely, to launch preemptive guerrilla strikes.
However, they must never be captured, and if detected, flee without hesitation.
He warned not to approach the western force at all, as it had the Spear Saint. Via wondered how he knew the leftmost unit had the Spear Saint but didn't press.
Of course, relinquishing the fortress outright would be a waste, so the forces in this 'Brick' fortress and the other two would inflict maximum damage while buying time, then abandon all if even one fell.
But here, Via looked at Yuda with a puzzled expression. Have the guerrilla forces and those in the intact fortresses flee to the World Tree site the moment one fortress falls?
"Wouldn't it be better to leave the guerrilla units as a separate detachment? Cutting their supply lines could inflict huge damage."
"Good idea, but that's only feasible when forces are evenly matched or nearly so. With such a massive disparity now, it'd be meaningless. And risky—they could turn the tables. Unless you include Spirit Sword wielders like yourself."
That said, they couldn't spare Spirit Sword wielders. The most reliable for defending Loengrim were magic swordsmen and Spirit Sword wielders, and detaching even one from that small number was tough. Via nodded, considering the realistic issue in Yuda's words.
"…If we all retreat to Loengrim at once, the enemy forces splitting into eleven paths would converge in one place."
"No, these two will head straight to Loengrim. Without passing the fortresses."
In this situation where fates had twisted in many ways, blindly trusting the game scenario would be silly, but the big picture was following script, so Yuda spoke with conviction. The leftmost unit with the Spear Saint and the one expected from Calypso would bypass the fortresses and go directly to Loengrim with the World Tree. Thus, to tie down the enemy briefly at the three fortresses ahead, they needed to temporarily halt those two detachments.
'What a headache. Blocking anywhere leaves elsewhere vulnerable anyway.'
Yuda knew no military tactics formally, but from countless games since childhood, he grasped the basics through strategy titles. Thus, he knew how dire and hopeless this was.
'Should Via handle the Spear Saint side, and I block the ones from Calypso?'
But no matter how he thought, both were tough. The Spear Saint and Sword Saint were masters at their weapons' pinnacles; astonishingly human, the Spear Saint matched Via in a duel with immense potential and skill.
If the Calypso force was the Rangritsa Magic Tower's combat clan <Santache>, they'd surely bring the Thunder Lord, one of Baekje's mountain valley Imperial Hawks, another pain. Lining up Spear Saint and Santache, pick the easier? Santache, but with Thunder Lord, still not easy.
"Via, since we're defending Loengrim anyway, how about this? I'm just broadening options—you don't have to take it…, but if possible, this seems much safer."
"…? I'll hear it."
A 'go ahead' reaction.
"It might be better to abandon the fortresses. No, burn them down completely."
"Yes?"
"Elves might protest, but now's not the time for that. The enemy won't attack the day they arrive. Harsh winter, plus ongoing elven guerrilla strikes—they'll approach on edge, fatigued."
Yuda continued explaining, circling and lining the map with a quill pen.
"They'll surely rest the day they arrive, attacking early next morning. Hope they lack siege weapons, but after nearly a decade preparing war, they'll have them—disassembled, portable. Anyway, pretend to defend for a day, then before dawn the next, set fires throughout the fortresses and retreat. All at once."
"Why?"
"Without you and me, Loengrim can't hold. Even with Lusen Ardahan, it lacks an owner and linked fragments, so it can't exert full power. These two forces—Spear Saint's and the two combat clans from Calypso—can threaten Loengrim despite fewer numbers."
"…Got it. I'll consider. No, I'll call a meeting right away and discuss with the other elves."
Yuda nodded. He'd said all he could. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes. Via stared at the map longer, scribbled with the quill, then stood holding it.
"Thanks for today. I'll tell you the meeting results in the morning—rest in your room."
Via left after those words. Alone, Yuda sat blankly a moment, then returned to his room and slept again. Awakening in the morning, he sensed noisy clamor outside the fortress.
The accumulated fatigue must have been severe; Arhil still slept. Grabbing a passing elf, he learned all fortress residents were preparing to evacuate. Everyone bustled, carrying things.
Yuda leaped to the inner wall atop the citadel. Though 'inner,' several meters high, he ascended lightly, startling the armed elves atop. Understandably—he was human. But known for arriving with Via and rescuing the elf held by Uruun, they were wary but didn't demand he leave.
Leaning on the wall, surveying the citadel, all seemed busy. Even houses before the inner keep loaded unknown carts with goods.
'Looking like this, humans and elves aren't so different.'
Magic devices took most cart space. Calypso's influence on elves too? From electric stoves to refrigerators, stands. Of course, forms differed from those circulating continent-wide from Calypso.
'Dissonant.'
Propping his chin, he muttered watching blankly.
Sometimes certainty hit that this world was game-based.
Cultures differ wherever, yet common language.
By modern standards, obvious; medieval backdrop, yet high hygiene awareness.
Magic aside, tech and culture advanced notably.
Magic devices from magic stones enabled mass production/distribution; advanced printing meant books everywhere. In ways, modern-believable.
But achieving such progress, magic stones notwithstanding, impossible without game origins.
"……."
…Anyway, not important now, no need to care.
Pointless musing. Shaking his head to avoid deep doubts, he stood. Elves might unnerve seeing human him atop walls, so Yuda returned inside.