Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: A Thorough Calculation (1)
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On the first day of my return, I slept like the dead.
Normally, I should have reported first, but thanks to the Cheonbujang's consideration, I was able to focus on resting.
After sleeping for a full day, I woke up and headed straight for the command tent.
In a meeting with the high command, I reported on the events that had transpired.
“Killing the orc chieftain and the shaman was surprising enough, but you routed another two hundred non-humans?”
“This is the greatest military achievement since the 13th Legion’s founding.”
Thanks to the soldiers who were evacuated earlier relaying the general situation, the report itself was a simple matter of confirming the facts and adding a few additional battle reports.
One surprising fact was that the shaman’s head was valued as a much higher military achievement than the orc chieftain’s.
The orc chieftain's individual martial prowess was overwhelming, but on a battlefield where large forces clash, the shaman was apparently a much trickier opponent.
Considering the shaman's influence over the masses, it wasn't an unreasonable calculation.
The problem was that I, the one who had beheaded the orc shaman, had surpassed Rangfin Haime to become the most decorated individual.
A squire receiving more attention than a knight was not a pretty picture.
In the worst-case scenario, Rangfin Haime could have considered it an insult.
“You don't seem to have to worry about that.”
As if he knew my inner thoughts, the Cheonbujang relayed the man's own words.
“He said your contribution to killing the orc chieftain was significant and insisted that it should be added to your achievements as well.”
A knight yielding his military honors.
It was as unbelievable as an orc giving up meat.
But that unbelievable thing had actually happened.
I was so bewildered it felt unsettling.
“So, are you not going to take the credit?”
“Me? No. Of course not.”
Of course, that didn't mean I had any intention of refusing what was being offered.
It wasn't like I was fabricating achievements out of thin air.
If they give it, I should take it.
Besides, it didn't seem like the awarding of merits would happen right away.
Our forces were currently facing a major battle.
In such cases, the awarding of merits was usually postponed until after the battle was over.
Indeed, the Cheonbujang verbally promised me a reward and postponed all official commendations until the war was over.
“Now, if anyone has an opinion, speak freely.”
Having concluded the general report, the commanders put their heads together and began discussing the future.
For the time being, I just listened in silence.
Through their conversation, I was able to quickly grasp our army's situation.
The forces currently stationed at the base numbered just over three thousand.
A thousand of them were from the 2nd Thousand-Man Corps, their numbers supplemented by soldiers from the 3rd Thousand-Man Corps who had returned from the plains, while the remaining two thousand were troops dispatched from a nearby allied city.
In terms of size, it could be seen as an increase, but the size of the force did not necessarily equate to its combat strength.
The troops dispatched from the allied city were predictable.
Nine times out of ten, they would be mostly conscripts with little combat experience and poor equipment.
Considering various factors, our army's combat strength was actually worse than it had been during the first attempt to retake the plains.
But the same was true for the other side.
In the first battle, our forces killed one hundred and fifty enemies, and in the process of recovering the stragglers from the 3rd Thousand-Man Corps, we killed another two hundred and fifty.
At this rate, it was safe to say we had wiped out the enemy's forces that were active on the plains at the start of the war.
“The enemy has only two options left.”
“Either they scrape together their forces scattered across the plains to challenge us,”
“Or they divert some of the troops besieging the fortress to the plains.”
The commanders of the high command continued to pour out their predictions.
“Either way, it's not bad for us.”
In short, the former was advantageous because we could gain numerical superiority, and the latter was advantageous because it would give our isolated troops in the fortress some breathing room.
It made sense.
But if you were to ask if I agreed with their predictions, the answer would be no.
“New forces will be arriving at the front soon.”
The high command was still underestimating the Valkyries' capabilities.
Their power to conscript across species was by no means this limited.
“……”
The Baekbujangs frowned.
They wanted to rebut, but given my accomplishments, they seemed to be holding their tongues.
“Come to think of it, you accurately predicted the enemy's feint in the last battle.”
Before anyone could speak rashly, Baekbujang Bravos stepped in to remind them of that fact.
“And it was the Centurion who first informed us of the unheard-of existence of the Valkyries.”
To top it off, the Cheonbujang, who had been listening to the Baekbujangs' conversation from a step back, subtly lent weight to my words.
The situation was that the most senior Baekbujang and the Cheonbujang had both taken my side.
The Baekbujangs' expressions slowly softened.
After thanking the two of them with a nod, I continued where I had left off.
“As long as the non-humans in this area aren't wiped out, the Valkyries will continue to pour troops onto the plains.”
Even if we were lucky enough to win again, all that awaited us was a relentless flood of enemies.
And our army could not afford a war of attrition.
It would be the same even if, by some miracle, reinforcements were sent from the mainland.
Our situation was different from theirs; they could forcibly conscript troops and throw them onto the front lines.
There was no telling how long it would take for the mainland to decide to dispatch reinforcements and send them to the front.
But one thing was certain: by then, there was a very high probability that Alias Fortress and the entire plains would have fallen into enemy hands.
“The outcome is obvious anyway, so let's just give up the fortress, the plains, everything, and save our remaining troops. That's what the Centurion's words sound like to me right now.”
One of the Baekbujangs, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
It was Quantana, the Baekbujang of the 21st Hundred-Man Corps.
“Of course not.”
I shook my head.
If Alias Fortress fell here, the same events as my past life would only repeat themselves.
The front lines would collapse, the Empire would fall, and eventually, the whole world would become a battlefield.
I didn't want that.
“Could you tell me the biggest reason why everyone gathered here is worried about Alias Fortress?”
“It's obviously because of supplies. The troops stationed at the fortress are elites, to be sure, but there's no army in this world that can fight empty-handed without eating.”
“So you're saying it could become dangerous if the war drags on. Have I understood you correctly?”
At my words, Baekbujang Quantana frowned.
“If you have something to say, just say it. There's no one here who won't understand you.”
The Baekbujang's rebuke made me feel awkward.
It seems my habit of dealing with simple-minded knights had come out without me realizing it.
“If the war drags on, it will become a problem.”
After clearing my throat once, I got straight to the point.
“Then if the war doesn't drag on, doesn't that solve all our problems?”
“What…?”
“No war of attrition on the plains, no need to worry about Alias Fortress's stockpiles running out. It's simple.”
The Baekbujangs, who had been staring at me blankly, let out a dry laugh.
“Who doesn't know that? We're in this mess because there's no way to do it.”
“Talk is cheap.”
A few of them were even openly sarcastic.
“I can't listen to this anymore.”
“I tried to listen quietly out of respect for your past achievements, but it seems it was a waste of time.”
“After achieving so much at a young age, does war look like a joke to you?”
The commanders, led by Baekbujang Quantana, looked as if they were about to leave the tent at any moment.
But in the end, they couldn't bring themselves to leave.
“……One time.”
The commanders looked at me.
“If we win just one decisive battle.”
I declared before them.
“This war, we will win.”
That a single victory was all it would take to seize the initiative in this war.
* * *
The meeting, which could be called long or short depending on your perspective, was over.
All the Baekbujangs who had attended the meeting had left.
But the Cheonbujang and the most senior Baekbujangs remained in the tent in silence long after the meeting had ended.
“We got schooled.”
It was Baekbujang Quantana who broke the silence first.
“Strictly speaking, it wasn't just once, and this isn't the first time either.”
Baekbujang Bravos retorted as if he'd been waiting.
His subordinate Sipbujang had been humiliated, and the honor of the most decorated Hundred-Man Corps had been snatched away; wasn't this more than just getting schooled—wasn't it more like getting thoroughly beaten?
Normally, Baekbujang Quantana would have flared up immediately, but this time, he didn't argue.
“I admit it. Honestly, I've been beaten so badly my head is spinning.”
The young Centurion's words—that he wouldn't let this war drag on—were no empty boast.
The young Centurion had a plan more than capable of making it a reality.
The problem was them.
“It's a method I've never heard of or seen before. It'll take a lot of attention to detail to do it right.”
“Ugh. It's going to be hectic for a while.”
The Baekbujangs let out groans.
But even as they grumbled, their expressions were far from dark.
“I'm not very knowledgeable in these matters, so tell me, were the things discussed in the meeting really that amazing?”
The Cheonbujang, who had been watching them, belatedly asked.
He was clearly frustrated at not being able to follow the two Baekbujangs' conversation.
“Amazing doesn't even begin to cover it. If it goes according to plan, our forces will not only retake the stolen plains but also completely eliminate the enemy threat in this area.”
“And if luck is on our side, the territory beyond the fortress, where we've been stalled for so long, will also fall into our hands.”
Despite the Baekbujangs' answers, the Cheonbujang still looked unconvinced.
“I guarantee you, this battle will go down in the Empire's history.”
Seeing the Cheonbujang's expression, the Baekbujangs added an explanation.
From the formation's composition to the deployment of troops.
They said that in the future, commanders on every front would use this battle as a textbook to establish new tactics.
It meant that a single battle would change the very combat doctrine of the Imperial Army.
The Cheonbujang, who had been staring blankly at the highly excited Baekbujangs, finally came to a conclusion.
“……In any case, you're saying this god-awful mess will be over soon. That's good enough for me.”
It seemed the explanation hadn't really resonated with the Cheonbujang, who was more of a civil official than a soldier.
Baekbujang Quantana and Bravos were about to say something about his overly simplistic conclusion, but the Cheonbujang didn't give them the chance.
“I'll have to be busy for a while to prepare, so I'll be going now.”
As they watched the empty space where the Cheonbujang had vanished without giving them a chance to stop him, the two Baekbujangs' gazes met.
“The Cradle of Stars…”
“To think they were nurturing such talent. Their reputation is well-deserved.”
“The other cadets must be formidable talents as well.”
For a while after that, the Baekbujangs continued to trade praises about the Cradle.
“I heard the situation on the front lines has been dire lately. This is reassuring.”
“The Empire's future is truly bright.”
They said they were already looking forward to the day the Cradle's cadets would complete their training and pour out.
There was one serious flaw in their thinking.
The very premise that all the Cradle's cadets would be like the young Centurion they praised so lavishly was a delusion.
It wasn't just them; everyone in the 13th Legion who had experienced the young Centurion was under a similar delusion.
But there was no one here now to correct that delusion, so it would be some time before they learned the truth.