Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Vampire's Northern Subjugation Battle
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Northwest sector.
Alensia Unit.
Command tent.
Alensia received the battle report.
"What's the status of Elwin's unit?"
"It's good."
"Good?"
"They've built a fortress in the ogre territory. They're luring the ogres there and taking them down."
Defense is easier than offense.
And not just any defense—this was defending a fortified position, which made the battles far simpler.
"Ogres should still be tough, though?"
Even with walls, it was hard for regular soldiers to handle ogres.
Especially if there were as many as on Monster Island.
"The hunters are controlling the ogres."
"Controlling them?"
"They're scattered across the areas, monitoring the ogres and directing their movements or luring them as needed."
She pictured Elwin's unit in her mind.
Building a fortress in monster territory.
It was an impressive feat.
The idea itself was brilliant, but completing it in such a short time was astounding.
But that alone wasn't enough.
The key is the hunters.
Elwin was dominating the battlefield.
On terrain favorable to him,
at times of his choosing,
against numbers he could handle,
that's how he fought.
And the reason he could do that was the hunters.
Among the three units, Elwin's—which had the weakest forces—was fighting the best.
But... can he maintain this situation?
Knight and mages used mana to take down ogres.
What about Elwin's main force, the ballistae?
They consumed large arrows with every shot.
Mana recovered on its own, but large arrows didn't.
Even if they recover some, they'll run out eventually.
"Does Elwin's unit have enough arrows in stock?"
"No need to worry about that either."
"No worries?"
"The supply unit is passing through the Vampire Duke's territory."
Elwin's strength wasn't just the soldiers here.
His true power was
the massive farm where crops grew even now,
the mines extracting iron ore,
and the workshops producing all sorts of weapons and gear from it.
"And the merchant group transporting it all."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Just talking to myself."
"The supply unit's bringing ballistae too."
"Ballistae as well?"
This wasn't mere resupply.
Elwin's unit was growing stronger amid the war.
Thanks to the production facilities in the rear.
She recalled what Elwin had said back at the garrison.
Did I say I didn't trust him?
His words had been true.
Elwin had already made ample preparations.
From strategy to logistics.
She was the one who had underestimated him.
"Let's step up our game too. We can't fall behind Elwin's unit!"
"Understood!"
**
**
Northeast sector.
Elwin Unit.
Command tent.
"Heir! Fresh news has arrived."
"What is it?"
"Lady Alensia's unit has increased their advance speed."
"What!? Why!?"
They'd just adapted to the current situation,
and now Alensia was speeding up.
"Starting tomorrow, increase the number of ogres we lure."
"Understood!"
Are we falling behind Lady Benia? Is that why she's speeding up?
The next day.
They increased the number of ogres lured.
At the same time, they scouted a second operational area.
They needed to clear nearby monsters and move to the next zone.
"The supply unit?"
"They've entered monster territory. Arriving the day after tomorrow."
"Good. Tell the hunter unit to secure the supply route."
"Yes sir! They're already doing it."
He'd planned to stay longer,
but they had to match Alensia's unit.
"Once the supply unit arrives, we move to the second operational area."
"We haven't finished clearing the surroundings yet."
"Split the unit in two. Leave some at the first fortress to handle monster cleanup and secure the supply route."
"Understood!"
With the fortress complete, they didn't need many troops.
He planned to leave the core ballistae and some mercenaries,
along with a few slave soldiers to repair the fortress.
With extra ballistae from supplies, there shouldn't be any big issues.
Two days passed,
and the supply unit arrived.
Along with food, bolts, large arrows,
five ballistae arrived.
At the first fortress, he left 200 slave soldiers,
30 mercenaries,
and 10 ballistae.
Second operational area.
They began constructing another fortress.
Elena's complexion, and those of the students, had worsened again.
Proof of how rapidly they were expending mana.
"Hang in there. Once the fortress is done, you can rest."
Pfiuu.
Booom!
Kaboom!
Even as they built the fortress, signal flares and explosions echoed from the surroundings.
The sounds of hunters luring ogres.
"Heir, basic construction is complete. It has minimal defensive capabilities now."
"Good work."
He moved the command tent inside.
And continued the meeting there.
"Check everything meticulously, one by one. No room for even the smallest gap."
There hadn't been a single casualty so far.
Not because their unit was strong.
Because they'd analyzed thoroughly
and only fought planned battles.
"Everyone goes home alive. No letting your guard down until we crush River."
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
.
.
One day became two,
two became four.
A week passed,
then two weeks.
Over that not-short period,
with the tension of crossing a cliff,
checking ten times over as they advanced.
And then...
Trouble erupted elsewhere.
"The supply unit was attacked!?"
"They were ambushed while passing through Frontier Viscounty."
The incident happened between River and the Vampire Duke's territory,
in Frontier Viscounty.
"How could that happen?"
It had been human land for a long time.
Not many monsters there.
Even if ambushed, their own escorts should have sufficed.
"The investigation suggests it was humans."
Humans?
Who attacks a supply unit fighting monsters?
In Frontier Viscounty, the heir's supply unit no less!
No way...?
Two names came to mind.
Brilda and the Silnia Merchant Group.
The Silnia Merchant Group had reason to attack the Island merchant group.
They were competing over Frontier's trade routes.
Brilda too.
She always had reason to strike at his forces.
No, maybe I don't need to think of them separately?
Brilda and the Silnia Merchant Group were on the same side.
Both could be involved.
"Heir, what should we do?"
"Hire mercenaries for now... no."
This was the chance to make it crystal clear.
That mercenaries were part of his forces.
"Issue defense mobilization orders to the Salamander Mercenary Corps and Chase Mercenary Corps."
The Chase Mercenary Corps ruled the fourth city, Yuran.
They'd aggressively absorbed Island hunters.
Thanks to that, they'd hunted masses of monsters and become lords of Yuran.
Village defense via hired mercenaries,
culprit hunt via city-lord mercenary corps.
This was to show the enemy.
Attacking him meant fighting major mercenary corps too.
"And contact Grandfather. Ask him to find the culprits no matter what."
"Understood."
He asked his grandfather, once the greatest hunter of his generation.
If anyone could find them, it was him.
The rear's handled for now. The problem is...
He'd promised to show Alensia a changed side.
But this problem cropped up.
He gripped the pen tightly and wrote the letter.
[To Lady Alensia.
...
We've hit a snag with supplies, making further advance difficult.
...
I request you delay your advance until the next supply timing.
...
Northeast sector commander. Elwin.]
At the end, he pressed so hard the pen nearly snapped.
Once this is wrapped up, I'll deal with those backstabbers for good.
**
**
Northwest sector.
Alensia Unit.
Everyone was exhausted from the recent relentless assaults.
Alensia, as commander, was no exception.
In this situation, Elwin's letter arrived.
She read it fully, then folded it carefully and set it aside.
"Elwin's asking us to halt the advance."
"Ooooh!"
"Really!?"
Her subordinates' voices brightened.
To the point where their earlier fatigue seemed fake.
"If the northeast unit stops, we must match pace."
"Yes. Advancing like this leaves our flanks exposed."
The commanders were worn out.
Knight, mages, soldiers—everyone was.
Plus, our recent push has us ahead of Benia's pace.
It'd be fine to rest.
"Halt the advance and regroup. But deploy some troops to clear nearby monsters."
"Understood, Lady!"
"Understood!!"
Her subordinates replied with vigorous voices.
**
**
While battles raged in the Vampire's north,
River was moving swiftly too.
Per Elwin's defense mobilization order,
the Salamander Mercenary Corps and Chase Mercenary Corps assembled at River.
Even hunters not deployed to war were called up.
Total command fell to School Principal Campbell.
No one grumbled, given his past as an elite hunter
and his status as Elwin's grandfather.
"You've all heard the news. The Island merchant group was attacked in Frontier Viscounty."
As his explanation continued, anger filled Campbell's voice.
"Thirty-one merchant group members and forty escorting slave soldiers—all dead. The enemy even stabbed the corpses again to confirm kills, committing that atrocity."
A total of 71 dead.
The ballistae, weapons, and food being transported were stolen too.
"Our task is clear. Find the culprits. And..."
Campbell trailed off.
He met the eyes of everyone gathered, one by one.
"Exact bloody vengeance."