Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: The War Begins
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The Empire showed no particular reaction either. Proclaiming they had been attacked would only tarnish their image.
However, despite the halted trains, intelligence reports continued to pour in, stating that troops were steadily gathering in Livria.
Just because the trains had stopped didn't mean the war could.
The same was true for the Northern Alliance. Having gained some breathing room, they moved with even greater urgency.
Hattie Shaw dispatched the agents who had come with her across the entire continent. Until recently, agents had been stationed only in the capital and major cities, but now they needed to gather information from all corners of the land.
The mages went about their respective tasks, repairing and reinforcing the castle walls.
The White Mercenary Corps was also preparing for its role.
"Wow, this is ridiculously tough. Breaking through this... is that even possible?"
That was his exact impression upon seeing the walls of Rzhev. In fact, he couldn't think of anything beyond that.
"Hey! What do you mean, ridiculously tough? This is a work of art."
Dwalin, who had approached from behind, smiled fondly as he admired his beloved creation.
"With this, even those Imperial bastards won't break through easily."
A long moat was dug in front of the walls, and the walls themselves were fitted with devices to prevent ladders from being easily placed. Moreover, the gate, seemingly reinforced with an alloy, had dark patches here and there.
The mages who had arrived yesterday were engraving defensive magic circles all over the walls, the finishing touches were being put on catapults aimed at the enemy, and piles of stones were stacked like mountains in various places.
Dwalin had every right to be confident.
"Even so, we can't let our guard down. We don't know what tricks they'll pull."
Magi, test subjects, black magic. The variables were endless. On top of that, there was the overwhelming disparity in troop numbers.
The tenacity they had shown with Van Helsing was, quite literally, beyond imagination.
"That's a given, of course. Still, everyone has made thorough preparations."
Krain Rzhev approached, letting out a laugh. It was a laugh laced with a deep-seated anger.
"They will never break through. Not before I'm dead, at least. We'll show those Imperial bastards exactly why this place is called Rzhev."
Rzhev, too, must have had quite a bit of pent-up resentment.
"Anyway, it looks like you're leaving now."
"We need to leave quickly. We have to travel diligently to make it on time."
When the appointed time came, mercenaries began to appear one by one at the gate. My unit, the 3rd Company, along with Glen Pendley, the mercenaries who had gone to the southern mountains, and the other survivors from that day.
The number gathered, one by one, reached a hundred. Then, Peri Batoni walked out slowly, his expression grim.
This mission was entirely voluntary, and these were the handpicked few chosen from among the volunteers.
Lost in their own thoughts, their faces showed little emotion. They were simply rigid and stern.
But they were all likely thinking the same thing: revenge for their fallen comrades.
Their shoulders bore not only their own mission but also that of their surviving and fallen comrades.
"Is everyone ready?"
And last of all, Mike Hoare walked out slowly.
"Hoo..."
Mike Hoare let out a deep sigh. A hundred men. A hundred handpicked elites.
And he was not among them.
"I assume you all know the mission."
Everyone snapped out of their deep thoughts, their eyes glinting sharply.
"Normally, it would be right for all of us to go together."
But that was impossible. The defense of Rzhev was just as important as revenge.
As Mike Hoare's martial prowess was a significant asset to the Northern Alliance, he had to defend this place—their new home.
"I'm leaving it to you."
The annihilation of the old White Mercenary Corps. This was their first mission.
"Show everyone that the White Mercenary Corps is still standing strong, and remind them of the terror of the Mercenary Nation."
Then I met the eyes of Dwalin, who had come to see them off. I hadn't forgotten the task he had requested, so I nodded. Seeing this, Dwalin turned and headed back to his workshop.
"For the sake of our comrades who died with knives in their backs, this mission must be—"
Mike Hoare gripped the pommel of his sword tightly.
"—unconditionally, you must all come back alive. I'll be waiting."
All he could do was wait. This was not just a simple act of revenge; it was also a part of the war.
"Everyone, listen up. I will be commanding this mission. If something happens to me, you are to follow Kratos's command. If Kratos takes command, the top priority is the survival of our members."
"Understood."
Everyone nodded. No one questioned the fact that Kratos, who was practically a newcomer, had been given such a position. He had proven his capabilities time and again.
"Alright then, let's move out—"
The gate opened, and the members, mounted on their horses, rode out in neat rows and columns. They had a long way to go, as they needed to take a detour to avoid the Empire's eyes. They couldn't even stop in any towns along the way.
They had stuffed their subspace pouches with as much food as they could hold.
By the time they reached Ashar, Rzhev would likely have become a battlefield.
Only Peri Batoni and Kratos knew that their mission did not end with simple revenge.
The plan was for the main force at Rzhev to hunker down and defend, while this detachment would strike various locations within the Empire.
In coordination with them, the Holy Kingdom also planned to simultaneously destabilize the Empire from multiple fronts.
***
War had broken out. Now, everyone on the continent knew. The Empire's forces had been summoned, and the nobles had answered the call, leading their private armies north.
Many predicted the war would not last even a month. On the surface, the Empire's power was that overwhelming.
Moreover, this wasn't just a small mobilization of troops; forces from across the continent were on the move.
Rumors were rampant that hundreds of thousands had already gathered.
But rumors were, as always, not to be trusted.
"Several domains have sent replies stating they are unable to comply. They claim they are too busy fending off monster waves... However, we suspect some are preparing for independence."
*Grind—*
The sound of grinding teeth could be heard.
"Insolent fools. Just because the Northern Alliance declared independence, they think they're something special?"
With the declaration of war, the Empire transitioned to a wartime system. The Commander-in-Chief was, of course, the Emperor, but the one actually leading this war was Ludwig Brandt.
However, with discordant notes sounding from all over even before the war had truly begun, Ludwig Brandt was in no good mood.
The Holy Kingdom, which had remained quiet until now, was now vociferously calling for the punishment of heretics.
"That old fox."
They must have timed it to coincide with the North's movements.
"Deploy more troops to the Holy Kingdom's border. If those bastards invade, we must stop them decisively. Make damn sure a disaster like last time doesn't happen again."
"Understood."
"Check the troops' mental fortitude again as well. Make sure they have no room to retreat."
The incident where the entire garrison at the border was annihilated by Van Helsing was simply absurd. To think they could be wiped out by a single person.
There's a limit to how lax military discipline can get.
"We'll crush the North first, then deal with them. Once the experiment is finished... once that is complete."
The moment one sets foot in their lands, holy power would seep into their bodies. But that was just a temporary delay; it wasn't as if they could never invade the Holy Kingdom.
"Hmph. What a mess this has become."
Fritz Schäffer was abducted and killed, and those damn mages escaped from the capital. On top of that, the central control room for the trains was completely destroyed, rendering the trains unusable.
The rails leading north had been severed by magic, and it would take considerable time to repair them.
Their reputation was in tatters. The Central Intelligence Bureau existed to catch such intelligence, yet they had been completely clueless about the terrorism within their own capital.
But war was different. This was, quite literally, a state of war.
And a state of war was a situation where the nation's orders took precedence over all else.
"Proceed with the research we've been putting off."
"The research... you mean?"
"Pick up the pace."
With information under control, the disappearance of a few dozen people could simply be blamed on the enemy.
"Select a suitable village and procure test subjects. The disappearance of an entire village can be blamed on the enemy. Send them all to the labs."
"Understood."
War was an opportunity.
"Levy supplies from all the merchant guilds. Conscript soldiers as well."
They could get the supplies they lacked by shaking down the merchants. And they could conscript the common folk to serve as cannon fodder.
"Relay this to every department. Tell them to cooperate fully with the war effort. Send letters to the nobles as well. Tell them to send more troops. Gather everyone except for a minimal defense force."
This was the time to make a clear example of them. So that no one breathing on this continent would ever dare to raise a hand against the Empire again.
"Split the forces we gather and send them to the domains that didn't send troops. Wipe them all out."
"Do we proceed with this at the same time as the Rzhev campaign?"
"No. Maintain the front line with the Northern Alliance. We'll deal with the others first. And all those killed or captured will be sent to the labs. Not a single one exempt."
He planned to use fear. After making an example of those with similar inclinations, he would spread rumors to the Northern Alliance.
If the common soldiers saw how the others were dealt with, their morale would surely plummet.
"There will be severe backlash."
"Crush it. From now on, any disobedience to an order will be treated as treason."
"It will be done as you command."
This was war. He could steer everything according to his will. For the sole purpose of making 'Him' a more perfect god.
There was nothing he couldn't do.
Whatever it took.
***
"We've arrived."
The familiar, hot desert wind wrapped around my body. From Rzhev to Ashar. We had ridden without rest.
The state of the war had changed significantly in that time, but they paid it no mind. That was the responsibility of those back in Rzhev.
Their duty lay with the bastards remaining in the Ashar Desert—and with revenge.
"The Empire still hasn't made a move?"
I had heard rumors that the standoff had already lasted for over two weeks. For whatever reason, the Empire wasn't moving, simply maintaining the stalemate at a visible distance.
"Apparently, they're just busy crushing other regions."
The fact that we were hearing rumors even while on the move meant it was obvious how they were spreading across the continent.
"The Empire planned this well."
"It's to instill fear. A psychological push, wouldn't you say?"
"It's obvious. Such shallow tactics. Only the other domains are going to suffer."
"But it's effective. Fear is highly contagious."
"True. Rzhev has surely heard these rumors by now."
Peri Batoni trailed off, lost in thought during a meeting with me before the decisive battle.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind."
"Ah."
Shaken from his reverie, Peri Batoni turned his head in the direction of the place that had once been their home.
"I was just thinking about how we can crush those bastards to spread the best rumors."
This old man was truly something else. To be looking for a way to turn the tide of rumors from here.
"Isn't that simple?"
Propaganda and fabrication based on facts.
There was nothing better.