The Khan's Alliance
The morning after I had matched my soul with Toghrul, the shaman's healing had restored our bodies far too quickly. Today, we sat across from one another at a proper table, eye to eye with no hierarchy between us.
We were discussing the alliance in earnest.
"First, I understand how you'll divert the attention of the Kingdom Alliance and those lords. Once we play it that way, integrating the western plains shouldn't be much of a problem."
"Indeed."
"But… what about right after unification?"
"That part is…"
It was the most obvious question one could ask.
Yes, ending the war after we handled Irente and unified the western plains was never that simple.
In fact, that would be the real beginning. The Kingdom Alliance would launch their offensive without time to stabilize and strengthen themselves.
Lost in thought for a moment, I decided to lay out the bare bones of my plan and spoke.
"I plan to exploit the invisible conflict between the Kingdom Alliance and the western lords."
"Invisible conflict?"
I drew on the history of the Jin and Tatar empires, which I'd prepared as reference before I arrived.
"The Kingdom Alliance, thrown into dire chaos by the forged letters I'd planted, will surely turn their gaze outward to quell the fractures and discontent within their ranks. And with extremely high probability, they'll start stirring up the most vulnerable hunting ground and easy tail to cut off—Irente and all the tribes of the western plains. They've done exactly that several times in the past."
"Hmm… It's the sort of trick the nobles always use."
"Precisely. So we will time our strike for the exact moment they begin pressing Irente hard."
I would squeeze the final drop out of the extreme.
Since we had almost no power of our own, this was the only path left.
"We will smash their front line and then strike from the rear with a pincer attack. Perfectly surround them like a sandwich, cut off every last breath of Irente's men, and then… withdraw without a moment's hesitation."
"Withdraw one step? That means you're just going to abandon the territory you just seized?"
Toghrul's face showed he didn't understand. Sarnai beside me tilted her head too.
I drew a circle on the map spread across the table—the center of the continent's western plains, the richest and widest land Irente controlled.
"The nobles have always been itching for territory and resource disputes, haven't they? We're tossing them a huge bait in the form of this vast empty land and remaining resources."
"…No way."
Only then did Toghrul grasp the meaning of my words.
"Exactly. Just as they have always sowed discord to prevent us from uniting, this time we will drop the massive territory in front of them and let them tear each other apart over it. When the lords send knights to seize the first slice of Irente, the Kingdom Alliance will brandish border treaties and dispatch armies. In other words, let these so-called noble bloodlines choke each other in the mud and spill their own blood."
"……."
A heavy silence fell inside the tent.
Toghrul frowned slightly and chewed over my plan for a long time.
Then a wicked smile, much like the one he'd worn when we matched souls, began to spread across his face.
"Kha-ha-ha! You're not big at all but sly as a fox. Just as you say, once they swallow that huge bait, they'll be too busy guarding their own bowls to pay us any immediate attention. We'll have enough time to gather the remaining tribes and build up our strength."
"During that time, we'll arm the common people and establish a true form of state."
"For us, who have always wandered, gaining a true home isn't bad. But…"
Toghrul muttered in a slightly lowered voice.
"I know that the fundamental problem will still remain afterward. The moment they finish dividing the territory or reach a compromise and turn their swords back to us, we'll have to face the Kingdom Alliance's monstrous regular army head-on—the one we've maintained status as for hundreds of years. High-spirited knights' auras and mages' flames will blanket the entire plain."
As the elder had said.
Buying time by tossing the bait was only a temporary measure.
Eventually, direct collision with them would be unavoidable.
"Exactly. However…"
"Well, if you start shrinking back out of fear, nothing in this plain will ever change."
Toghrul rose from his seat.
His massive bear-like bulk cast a thick shadow over me, blocking the tent's mana lamps.
He rubbed his own swollen belly once, then thrust out a rough hand to me.
"From now on, take care of yourself, young leader."
"…And I wish the same to you, old tiger."
"Kha-ha-ha!! You're as cocky as always. I like that."
***
A few days later.
One after another, the chiefs of the western plains tribes began appearing inside the vast barracks of the Irate tribe.
I, representing the Ibin tribe, and Sarnai, along with Toghrul, the host here, and the chiefs of the Irin, Iyan, Iren, Ichon, and Ikan tribes.
The seven tribal leaders who would lead the western tribes' alliance had finally gathered in one place in earnest.
Because of the heat from the bonfire in the center of the barracks, or perhaps the weight of the coming war, the air inside felt heavier than expected.
I spread the detailed map of the western plains across the table and spoke.
"Everyone has come a long way. Let's get straight to the point. Our first goal is the complete isolation and annihilation of the Irente tribe."
Before my words had even finished, Irente tribe's chief Jebe fired back immediately.
"I've come all the way here agreeing to chop those bastards' heads off. But what exactly are you planning? We don't even have enough iron weapons in hand or enough warriors for the front."
"Jebe is right!"
At his words, Kasar, chief of the Irin tribe, raised his voice too.
"Those traitors have scraped together mountains of resources by acting as the Kingdom Alliance's lapdogs. They've got dozens of knights mimicking auras on their backs and the mages who cast spells even carrying those behind them!"
"……."
Yes, every word the chiefs said was true.
A crushing gap in strength.
Perhaps those who understood that despair more bone-deep than I, who was only an isekai'd soul, would be better positioned.
But if a plan like this were to be blocked by that little bit, I never would have started.
"Of course. If we fought head-on, we'd be left as the plains' fertilizer in less than half a day."
I showed the most calm face I could manage.
"A fresh-faced kid like you wouldn't have dragged our heavy asses all the way here just to get us depressed."
"Exactly as you worried, they've received a lot from the Kingdom Alliance—solid armor and weapons, and even auras and magic that are at best a fake. But… they've lost the most important thing for the western plains tribes by clutching those meager toys."
"The most important thing?"
"Overwhelming mobility and the destructive power of horseback archery, which can keep shooting arrows one-sidedly from beyond the enemy's range until the bowstring snaps."
"……."
"……."
Everyone in the tent fell silent at once, as if on cue.
"They've grown accustomed to fighting while wearing heavy iron armor, standing in place chanting spells, and forming lines behind walls as shields. They've cut their own mobility and fallen from plains wolves to pampered guard dogs of borderless fiefs."
"That means…?"
I smiled thinly and continued.
"We will not fight them head-on."
Chinggis Khan had been familiar with mobile warfare and field battles when he unified the Mongol steppes.
But conquering cities of settled peoples with high, solid walls was an entirely new challenge.
So, before they could strike the great enemy of the Jin, they began seriously raiding Western Xia from 1205 to stabilize their rear and gain siege experience.
And the walls of this world were even more solid—solid stone plus every siege weapon made with magic and engineering.
Therefore, we absolutely had to complete our experience and technique through Irente—after receiving some of their technology—before any war with the Kingdom Alliance.
"While they struggle to maintain formation while gasping from the weight of their armor, we will pour arrows from outside their range and slip away like the wind. We will begin true plains hunting, nibbling at the outer edges day and night until they collapse from exhaustion."
As my explanation continued, even the urgent Jebe began to look more serious, and Kasar began sitting straighter to listen.
Sarnai, arms crossed beside me, was laughing with pure delight at whatever she found so amusing.
"Good. Let's say we harass the Irente bastards with our superior mobility. But even in chaos, no kingdom is going to just leave Irente to fall. They know better than anyone that if Irente collapses, the entire western plains will be uncontrollable."
Toghrul withdrew his boisterous tone and pointed out seriously.
I nodded.
"Exactly. Some kingdoms have always regarded the west as a latent threat even right now, especially here, the Irate tribe led by you, Chief Toghrul."
I continued speaking and drew a line with my knife from the Irente tribe's border with the southern Kingdom Alliance.
"Therefore, before we make the Kingdom Alliance and lords attack Irente themselves, and for perfect preparation, we will divide roles. The remaining chiefs here—press the outer edges of Irente gradually and sap their morale. While you do that, we Ibin and Irate will step forward."
"Step forward? Where exactly?"
"The connecting route between the Kingdom Alliance and Irente. We'll strike it without pause, cut off their supply lines, and eventually sever their arteries completely."
"……."
"……."
Silence once more.
The chiefs' atmosphere and expressions, which had been complaining or groaning until moments ago, had changed completely.
I looked each of them straight in the eyes without losing my usual manners toward adults.
"Raise the warriors who were once hesitant to grip a spear again after dozens of defeats and hardships."
"……."
"The first victory to cut the vicious defeatism will be ours, from Ibin and Irate."
Battle Strategy