Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: The Calculation Must Be Thorough (4)
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Traditionally, the forces of the allied cities had always taken the left and right flanks of the Imperial Army.
The primary reason was that the allied forces, with their relatively inferior training and equipment compared to the Imperial Army, could not be entrusted with the center.
“Sir Knight Rocarno, would you be willing to lead half of the allied city forces and take the center?”
The proposal from the young centurion, under such circumstances, left Rocarno Matiasi utterly thrilled.
He considered this decision by the Imperial Army to be proof of their trust in his men, a matter of great honor.
“If the Imperial Army trusts us so, how could we possibly betray that trust?”
“The casualties could be heavy. Are you still willing to take on the role?”
“All the more glorious!”
Thus, he paid little mind to the young centurion’s warning and accepted the proposal on the spot.
“The Imperial Army entrusted the center to our side?”
“Not the left or right flank?”
The mercenary captains, who learned of this later, put their heads together and debated the matter, but they couldn't find anything particularly strange about it.
They had already confirmed that the damage the Imperial Army sustained in the last battle was unexpectedly severe, and they had also verified on numerous occasions that more than half of the centuries within the chiliarchy had been reorganized with reinforcements and stragglers.
The mercenary captains concluded that the Imperial Army’s proposal was an unavoidable decision.
“Did you see the troops behind us? They’re all old. They look like third-rank infantry, and something about this feels off. I have a bad feeling.”
One of the more cautious mercenary captains voiced a dissenting opinion, but it received little support.
“It’s not particularly strange for third-rank infantry to be positioned behind the main force.”
“They’re literally the ones who hold the final line.”
“If anything, the fact that the third-rank infantry is behind us is proof that they have no other options.”
The cautious mercenary captain continued to try and persuade his comrades.
He argued that if the Empire's elites had suffered a blow close to annihilation in a single battle, how could they, with far inferior training and equipment, possibly withstand the enemy's momentum?
“You think they wanted to hand over the center to us? They had no choice, so they had to grit their teeth and do it.”
“What good are elite soldiers if their morale has not just hit rock bottom, but tunneled straight through it?”
“This is an opportunity. The Imperial Army is famous for rewarding achievements generously. The bonus pay might even be greater than our base salary.”
But his persuasion fell on deaf ears.
The other mercenary captains’ minds were filled with thoughts of making a hefty profit from the battle.
“There’s definitely a scheme afoot. Since when would the Imperial Army, of all people, entrust the center to us?”
No one paid his words any mind.
“So what’s the scheme, then? Let’s hear it.”
“This formation is like… it’s like…”
“Like what?”
“…”
The cautious mercenary captain had to swallow the words that had risen to the tip of his tongue.
Excessive caution could often sound like the ramblings of a pessimist.
At best, he’d be branded a coward; at worst, depending on the outcome of the battle, he could end up taking the blame.
“If you’re so worried, why don’t you go and try to convince Knight Rocarno yourself?”
“I guarantee you, the moment you bring it up, you’ll be on the Knight’s bad side.”
His comrades were right.
The situation was already beyond his control.
Stubbornly insisting would only serve to weaken his own position.
Mercenaries were a superstitious lot, especially sensitive to matters of bad luck. If he kept talking, he stood to lose more than he would gain.
Already, he could see a hint of animosity in his comrades’ gazes.
Nevertheless, he attempted to explain his concerns to Rocarno Matiasi.
But unfortunately, he wasn't even given the chance.
“Sir Knight, I have something to say…”
“One more word, and I will cut you down where you stand.”
A chilling warning flew at him before he could even finish his sentence.
Behind his contempt-filled superior, he could see his comrades.
The moment he saw the vile smirks hanging on their lips, he knew instantly.
They had undoubtedly reported his words verbatim to their master.
“Out of consideration for our past acquaintance, I will not expel you from the camp.”
On the spot, Rocarno Matiasi sent him and his mercenary company to the right flank.
“Get out.”
As he was kicked out of the tent without even a chance to explain himself, a voice filled with scorn reached his ears.
“There is no place for cowards in an honorable battle.”
“Your words are wise, sir.”
Shoulders slumped, he led his mercenaries away from the group.
“Hah. Dammit. I even shaved for nothing.”
His stomach churned.
He had gone out of his way to shave and wash his clothes to curry favor, and now he just looked ridiculous.
But the feeling of relief was greater than the feeling of futility.
Becoming a member of a local knightly order was nice, and so was making a fortune, but none of that mattered if you weren’t alive.
He only regretted the time and effort he had wasted trying to win the favor of that scoundrel of a knight.
But his regrets didn't last long.
The moment he saw the formation the Imperial Army had taken after finally halting their march, any lingering disappointment vanished.
“If I’d tried to play it safe and stayed in the center, I would’ve been screwed.”
“Oh? And why do you think that?”
“Because it’s obvious to anyone that the center is the sacrificial pawn—?”
The mercenary captain, who had been responding without thinking, clamped his mouth shut with a gasp.
The young centurion had approached him at some point and was now staring intently at him.
“Why did you stop? Keep talking.”
“I… I misspoke.”
“No, you didn't. Continue. I’m curious.”
He broke out in a cold sweat.
“You’re not going to talk? Then I’ll have to report to the Chiliarch. That one of the allied city commanders is deliberately undermining our army’s morale right before a battle.”
“P-please spare me!”
It was a mistake.
To speak so carelessly in a situation where he should be wary of every falling leaf.
And in front of an Imperial commander, no less.
The gravity of the situation was different from the lighthearted predictions exchanged among mercenaries.
One wrong move and he could be accused of treason.
Worse, he couldn't expect any protection from Rocarno Matiasi. It was a disaster of epic proportions.
“You can say it the easy way. Or…”
“I’ll… I’ll talk!”
Damned if he did, damned if he didn't. He squeezed his eyes shut and blurted it out.
“From my perspective, it looked as if the Imperial Army deployed its forces in anticipation of the center collapsing.”
“Why?”
“S-sir…?”
“Is the question difficult? There must be a reason for leaving the most crucial position, the center, so vulnerable.”
“That… I don’t know for sure…”
He sweated profusely, cautiously studying the young centurion’s expression.
He didn't know why, but it seemed the centurion had no intention of escalating the matter.
“Think about it.”
“About what, sir…?”
“Think about why our army has arranged its formation this way.”
What he received was not an interrogation, but a rather peculiar demand.
“You don’t have anywhere to go after the battle anyway. You’re on bad terms with that lot over there, so you’ll need to find a new patron.”
Who knows? If he liked the answer, he might introduce him to a good one.
“Your deadline is immediately after this battle ends.”
With those words, the young centurion was gone.
The mercenary captain, who had been staring blankly at his retreating back, furrowed his brow.
“Could that brat have instigated it?”
He had thought it was uncharacteristically cunning of his comrades, but now it occurred to him that someone might have influenced their actions.
“By the way… is he really the same person?”
The young centurion he had just seen was so different from the one who had acted like a lapdog, fawning over Rocarno Matiasi to win his favor.
Back then, he had seemed like a sycophant just trying to please his superior, but now, he looked like a battle-hardened veteran, seasoned by countless campaigns.
He had been so overwhelmed by his presence that even when the centurion spoke down to him as if he were a subordinate, the thought of protesting never even crossed his mind.
“That little brat, talking down to me so casually.”
Though he was at fault, a belated regret washed over him. Had he been too submissive?
Of course, even if a similar situation were to arise again, he doubted the outcome would be any different.
“The atmosphere is murderous.”
He shuddered.
To exaggerate slightly, the young centurion felt even more intimidating than Rocarno Matiasi.
Of course, that couldn't possibly be true.
He figured he was just feeling overly timid because of his transgression.
Just as he came to his own conclusion.
“The scouts have returned!”
A soldier with sharp eyes shouted.
Shaking off his idle thoughts, he turned his head in the direction the soldier was pointing.
In the distance, light infantrymen were sprinting toward them like mad.
A desperate dash, as if they were being chased by something.
It wasn't just a feeling.
“Enemy!”
The scouts were indeed being pursued.
Dozens of inhuman creatures were charging after them.
Sometimes on four legs, sometimes on two—a hideous race that was neither dog nor human.
Gnolls.
*Bwooo, bwoooooo.*
The sound of a horn echoed across the field.
“Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”
“Form ranks!”
A moment too late, the commanders began to bellow.
“Huh? Hey? It looks like they’re going to get caught!”
“Run faster, you bastards!”
The soldiers stomped their feet in frustration.
But unfortunately, a human’s pace was far too slow to shake off the gnolls, who alternated between running on two legs and four.
“Javelins, ready!”
At that moment, a portion of the light infantry on the right flank stepped forward.
“Throw on my signal!”
“Hah!”
“Throw!”
At the signal, the light infantrymen hurled their short spears in unison.
*Swoooosh!*
With a sharp whistle, the javelins narrowly cleared the heads of the scouts.
*Kelp!*
The lead gnolls were skewered by the spears and tumbled to the ground.
But a far greater number of gnolls closed the distance on the scouts.
At this rate, it seemed the scouts would all be slaughtered by the gnolls before they even reached the main line.
“Hey! Someone’s going out there!”
Just then, someone broke from the ranks and started sprinting toward the scouts.
In an instant, they were within arm’s reach of the fleeing men.
An unbelievable speed.
“A Knight has taken the field!”
Only after hearing the belated roar did the mercenary captain realize that the person who had charged out of the formation was a knight of the Imperial Army.
*Kelp, yarf, yip!*
Sounds like dogs being put down came from all over, and the gnolls chasing the scouts began to drop one by one.
The knight, who had slaughtered the gnolls in the blink of an eye, leisurely returned to the ranks.
“Waaaaaaah!”
“All hail the Knight!”
The soldiers, who had been anxiously cheering for the scouts, erupted in a massive roar.
Finally, the scouts reached the formation.
“Large enemy force approaching from the northwest!”
“Enemy numbers: five hundred small-sized, three hundred medium-sized!”
Even as they gasped for breath, the scouts continued to deliver their reports.
Their shouts, which sounded as if they were coughing up blood, brought the cheers to an abrupt halt.
“That’s almost the size of a chiliarchy.”
“Where did such numbers come from…”
Everyone seemed shocked by the unprecedented scale of the enemy force.
The mercenary captain glanced around at the murmuring soldiers and quickly compared the strengths of the enemy and their own forces.
“One small-sized is worth one or two soldiers, one medium-sized is worth five.”
At a low estimate, the enemy's strength was equivalent to one and a half chiliarchies; a more conservative calculation put them at over two.
It was undoubtedly a more formidable force than expected, but for now, their side still had the advantage.
“Ugh. Did I get scared and throw away my chance?”
A fresh wave of regret washed over him.
But it was only for a moment.
“Multiple large-sized hostiles confirmed in the enemy’s rear!”
He froze solid at the scream-like report from a scout who was the last to return to the formation.
Large-sized creatures, regardless of type, were monsters that took dozens of skilled soldiers working together to have even a chance of bringing down.
“I-it’s a Troll clan!”
And to make matters worse, that large-sized creature was none other than the notoriously infamous Troll, and a whole clan of them at that.
The mercenary captain instinctively turned to look toward the young centurion.
The helmet, made to look even larger by a red crest resembling a mane.
Beneath it, a single eye from which a chilling, blue glint dripped.
‘…’
His twisted lips moved slightly.
“I’ll burn every last one of them? Until nothing but white ash remains…?”
The mercenary captain was utterly dumbfounded by the muttering, which seemed to carry a hint of madness.