Chapter 12
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The Siege of Aristapo
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Episode 12
The vanguard of the demon forces, the main Uruk army, finally breached the old Republic's Inferno Line.
The Haltene (Republic Provincial Army) stationed in the fortresses suffered devastating losses and either collapsed or retreated to nearby cities.
“At this time, the old Republic's strategically important locations were narrowed down to two. The cities located at the left and right ends of the Inferno Line.”
The southeastern capital, <Tervenople>.
The southwestern port, <Aristapo>.
“These places were crucial strongholds for both humanity and the Uruks.”
If both of these places were lost.
The Uruks could open a supply route deep into the mainland through the southern sea lanes and secure naval supremacy.
After that, they would aim for the central strategic point, <Aurelinople>, and if the last of the seven great cities, <Aurelinople>, also fell, the old Republic would be completely ruined.
“The Uruk land forces, which had been scattered by tribe, were consolidated by region. The <Tervenople> assault force led by Valkrush, and the <Aristapo> assault force led by Kiral.”
The war, which had continued sporadically for four years, was finally transforming into an all-out war as the subsequent demon forces gathered.
The First, Camilla Alter Aradamanthel.
The Second, Sharon Alter Tassalpo.
And at that time, the battlefield where these two senior FakeWarriors, these two heroines, were urgently dispatched was this very place, the port city of <Aristapo>.
“And as you all know, Kaisen Alter Aradamanthel was also here at this time. The history we will learn today begins right here.”
The End of Childhood,
The Siege of Aristapo (3)
“The Inferno Line…”
The fortresses they passed on the way down to <Aristapo> were all horrifically collapsed, the bloodstains and bodily fluids seeming to testify to a brutal history of struggle.
“Hey, My Lady, you mean we have to walk from here?”
“What do you want, you son of a bitch? The railway's completely destroyed.”
“Heeing.”
The railways that connected the Inferno Line like a single fortress were also thoroughly destroyed, so the time they could travel comfortably by train was extremely short.
“This is the problem with railways built by demi-humans. They're only useful in peaceful times; in an era like this, they're fucking useless.”
“That's why you should have raised cavalry, Camilla. Look at my children. How well-behaved they are, not complaining once.”
Sharon's Black Rose Brigade was an elite unit of 988 mounted gunners.
They wielded pistols that could be used freely from horseback, and also carried long guns strapped to their saddles, sometimes performing the role of infantry.
Perhaps because ten Imperial knights (said to have originally been her family's retainers) served as the vanguard, their breakthrough power was astonishing.
‘They can act as both cavalry and infantry… that seems quite efficient.’
That's how it seemed to Kaisen, but Camilla just snorted and gave her the middle finger.
“Cavalry can go eat shit. When fighting demons, what's important isn't breakthrough power, but stopping power. You have to fight from fixed positions.”
“I wonder if we're losing the war because the higher-ups are afraid of change, just like you, Camilla.”
In reality, the FakeWarriors formed and acted with brigades that suited their own personalities.
For example, the Seventh, Ryunel Alter Gaumris, commanded an armored brigade centered on giant soldiers who piloted golems.
Camilla, based on her countless victories under Raminea, was one to push the theory of the all-powerful line infantry.
“What kind of brigade are you thinking of forming in the future, Kaisen?”
“Me? Why would I form a brigade?”
“You're Lady Camilla's disciple. There's no precedent for a man becoming a FakeWarrior, but even so, the influence that comes from being her disciple is absolute. The number of troops who'll gather under you will be enormous.”
“I told you, I'm not her disciple.”
As he shook his head in annoyance, Ria showed a look of incomprehension.
“Do you really not know what it means to be taught swordsmanship under a FakeWarrior? Seriously?”
“I'm just a useful errand boy for Camilla. It's a transactional relationship.”
“Kaisen, Lady Camilla is the First FakeWarrior! She doesn't need an errand boy. You don't really think someone of her martial prowess needs an errand boy like you or me, do you?”
Ria was being so serious that Kaisen was taken aback.
Camilla's martial prowess…?
It was true that someone with Camilla's skills probably didn't need an errand boy, but hadn't he helped her out with this and that?
“There were people who shed tears just for a chance to learn swordsmanship from her, but they were all turned away. But you, Kaisen? You were chosen by someone incredibly great.”
I often think that I should have treated Camilla with more respect when I could hear such words.
As is the way of human life, you only realize the value of a treasure after it's gone.
As they neared the Aristapo front, the heat intensified, and the thick, scattering volcanic ash and the smell of sulfur stung their faces.
‘Summer.’
The sun's heat was strangely refracted and amplified within the volcanic ash, making the summer sun feel like a seizure.
Amidst that seizure, beads of sweat formed on the soldiers' foreheads, and *chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp*... the cicadas cried mournfully.
They knew they had arrived at the front lines when the screams of the cicadas were completely drowned out.
“Kke────!”
At the Uruk chieftain's command, the counterweights of the crude, poorly made catapults all tilted at once with a *thump*.
The launching arms drew large arcs in the air, and the types of projectiles were truly diverse.
Boulders, barrels of fire.
And the corpses of men and horses.
A scream-filled roar erupted from the direction of the city gate where Uruk skirmishers were pushing a battering ram, but the sound was lost, scattered by the beat of the drums.
“Look at those things.”
Camilla looked down on the battle situation with her arms crossed, as if it were pathetic.
“They've practically made a wall of flesh, haven't they?”
It was from an old Republic watchtower.
This place, built on a ridge, should have been the city's primary defensive point, but when the brigade arrived, it was occupied by an Uruk outer unit.
“Huhu, what should we do?”
Sharon said.
There were currently seven active FakeWarriors.
At a time when the power of each and every FakeWarrior was needed on every front, the fact that two were deployed simultaneously meant the situation was that much more urgent.
“Camilla, shouldn't it be enough if the two of us just kill a thousand each?”
“Stop bluffing, you crazy bitch.”
It was around then.
That a mage from Sharon's brigade spoke up.
“I've finished my assessment.”
Watching the sight of light butterflies, Ludiyens, gathering and dancing around her, Wolf was once again filled with admiration.
It was because she was a mage from the School of False Light, a very rare discipline among the Empire's countless mages.
Humanity, unable to wield light and miracles, sought to imitate them with magic, and the result was False Light magic. Its founder was the Dragon Sage, Rain Ludwig.
‘That's why some call them the descendants of the Dragon Sage, one of the Three Great Sages...’
It was famous for being difficult and harsh to learn and use, and its practitioners were all masters of information warfare.
“The clan in charge of the great chieftain is Kiral, as per our intelligence. They are currently commanding the entire battlefield.”
“Hmph, those fucking Kirals. Zkan, is that old man still the chieftain?”
“Yes.”
A cold sneer formed on Camilla's lips.
My master should have killed that senile Uruk bastard last summer, but he managed to crawl back alive.
The mage continued.
“It's not just Kiral; Oxigar and Holdrim of the High Tarks are also here.”
“Three top-tier High Tarks?”
“Yes. The outer forces are led by Kishun, a young leader of the Kiral. He leads a cavalry that rides Blashwurfs.”
“Huhu, just Kishun? The Kiranzki Gaga will be there too, of course, won't they?”
The Kiranzki Gaga referred to the six strongest warriors of the Kiral clan.
The title wasn't tied to specific individuals but changed frequently depending on the situation.
For instance, if a member died in battle, or if another warrior achieved a great feat and replaced them.
“The forests and fields were littered with the corpses of human soldiers. It seems they came as reinforcements and were annihilated by the cavalry.”
Johan Wolf Frost stroked his chin and sighed.
“The scattered Haltene are gathering, but they're in a situation where they can't even communicate with the city command...”
“All 100,000 elite troops from the west have entered the city. Reinforcements from the Kingdom of Valand are also on their way—”
The mage let out a cry that was close to a scream.
“Oh my god.”
“What is it?”
“Trolls, it's trolls! Trolls wearing full plate armor…”
Trolls.
A giant race reaching fifteen feet in height.
Later on, their use as armored units would be taken for granted, but the psychological shock at this time was indescribable.
“Trolls? You mean they're using trolls as siege weapons?”
“I've never seen trolls equipped with armor like that. The battering ram… Ah, the city's south gate!”
The mage's explanation was cut short, but it wasn't hard to predict what happened next.
Intense vibrations, a deafening roar, and battle cries erupting from the Uruk siege lines.
Kaisen saw Camilla's Aradamanthel hum, *woong*, and shuddered unconsciously.
‘Aradamanthel, have you also scented the blood that is soon to be shed...?’
The battle accelerated.
There was no time to wait for the defense forces to gather. This handful of troops was all humanity had.
Facing nearly a million enemies, they had to wage a war of annihilation with just this handful.
“The odds are too low, Lord Marshal! We must retreat now.”
“He's right. If we lose these troops as well, the central front will be beyond saving!”
Marshal Krauzan was an old general of 62, but the killing intent that permeated his body was immense.
As the Minister of War for the Dunos Dynasty and a general of the Allied Human Forces, he was a renowned commander who had led one of the five great battles during the 'Black Summer' to victory.
It was also a well-known fact that the Migratory Bird Formation, designed to counter the Uruks, was his creation.
It was no exaggeration to say that all the infantry tactics used by Raminea Alter Aradamanthel were derived from his.
“Hmm, if it were up to me, I'd want to retreat too, but the truth is, there's an urgent letter from the Papal Office.”
“An urgent letter, you say?”
“The directive was that there is a tactical weapon in <Aristapo> capable of turning the tide of the war, and we are to secure it no matter what.”
A tactical weapon.
A tactical weapon. The officers just listened blankly, unable to even voice the question of why it hadn't been used sooner.
Never before had such grandiloquent rhetoric been used in an official document from the Papal Office.
“FakeWarriors.”
At the marshal's call, Camilla and Sharon raised their heads.
“It would be no exaggeration to say that the outcome of this battle now rests on your performance.”
“Hey, you old pervert. Why do you say that like there was ever a time it wasn't the case?”
“Hahaha, as for me... I'd like to stop losing for a change. I want to stop losing to those filthy demons.”
“I agree, huhu.”
“If <Aristapo> falls, the south will surely fall with it. But, if we can just get our hands on this 'ultimate weapon' the Papal dragons spoke of…”
It was a single ray of hope.
An era where one could not live without a sliver of hope.
Was this 'ultimate weapon' from the Papal Office just a measure to unite the allied forces on a battlefield thick with the stench of defeat?
The tone of Krauzan, who always wore a relaxed smile, grew heavy with gravity.
“Can you two get inside that city and bring it back?”
The black volcanic ash fluttering about, the Uruk combat units pouring through the collapsed city gate.
Impossible.
Unrealistic.
Unreasonable.
As everyone held their breath, watching the two heroines, Kaisen also watched Camilla in silence, engraving the scene into his heart.
A Warrior does not speak of the impossible.
A Warrior does not die.
A Warrior does not fail.
Though they may be fakes, if they are Warriors, they must uphold these principles.
Because that is what it means to be a Warrior.
And so, to pledge and promise all of this, the two Warriors offered a sharp salute.
“What are you waiting for? Just give the order like you always do.”
* * *
*Bwooooooo...* The iron horns blared harshly, and the sound of drums guided the soldiers' steps.
120 golems advanced, leaving large footprints, serving as the first breakwater of the assault formation.
Following them were the two-meter-long Parzenon longspears. They would serve as the second line of defense.
“The objective of this operation is not to retake <Aristapo>. It is to buy time for the FakeWarriors to enter the city.”
Four years. It has been four years.
For four long years, humanity has been trampled, trampled, and trampled again by the demons.
The Golden Dragons said that the key to reversing this entire war lay within that city.
“We must retrieve it at all costs. To raise the curtain on humanity's counterattack. All units, prepare for battle!”
In the distance, red flags spread out, covering the horizon.
They were flags made from human skin. Flags stained with the blood of someone's parents, friends, and children.
Riding an eardrum-shattering battle cry, the enemy's outer forces charged.
“First rank and artillery, prepare to fire.”
“First rank, prepare to fire!”
“Artillery, prepare to fire! Load the shells!”
*Ch-ch-ch-ch-chak...*
As the musketeers arrayed behind the spearmen raised their guns in unison, Kaisen steadied his breath on his horse.
‘The exhilaration just before battle.’
The tension that sharpens every sense in the body.
The cold, metallic scent emanating from the sword.
When that scent fills the depths of the lungs, the body's veins turn cool in response.
“We will begin our flanking maneuver the moment the cannons fire. Everyone, get ready.”
The vanguard of the breakthrough force was Sharon Alter Tassalpo's Black Rose Brigade.
The members of Camilla's brigade, lacking experience in mounted combat, were organized as the main force's reserve and excluded from the breakthrough unit.
Except for one person: Kaisen.
“Looks like I've got another piece of homework for you.”
“?”
“Follow Sharon. It's an important mission. You know what you have to do, right? Bring back that special weapon, or whatever it is, even if you have to do it alone.”
In that moment, Ria couldn't believe her ears.
Giving him such a momentous and impossible mission? But what was even more absurd was Kaisen's reply.
“This one's a big job. That'll be two forms.”
“I don't have any more forms to teach you, you bastard. There's only one left. The so-called ultimate technique.”
Ah, so that's how it was?
Sharon smiled as if the situation was quite amusing. *He's really trusted by Camilla, isn't he.*
“You're not lying, right?”
“Do I look like a liar to you?”
Kaisen eyed Camilla suspiciously, then finally sheathed his attitude and stood up.
‘The ultimate technique of the Ten-Character Sword.’
Does this mean I've learned everything I can? If so, maybe I can go kill Valkaro after this operation is over…
“Well then, everyone?”
Sharon looked back at her subordinates and gave them a sincere smile, different from the mask-like one she usually wore.
“May victory be on the path we walk together today.”
No more and no less was needed.
The sincerity shown by the greatest FakeWarrior to her subordinates right before battle.
All her subordinates knew their commander's sincere heart, so they were neither surprised nor flustered.
“My Lady, you should try saying a cool line like that sometime.”
As Long Gun Jin rolled his eyes slyly, Camilla shot him the middle finger.
“Fuck off.”
It seemed this incident would end with Jin getting a good beating, as usual, but Camilla suddenly looked back at her unit members.
“The brigade rules haven't changed. Any pathetic or useless bastards get left behind.”
“Yep, as it should be.”
“But you guys were hand-picked by me, one by one, so there are no pathetic or useless bastards among you.”
“...?”
“So this time is the same as always. No one gets left behind.”
Was there anyone in that moment who didn't doubt their own ears?
The always violent, fierce, and cold Lady Camilla…
The next moment, starting with the beastmen soldiers letting out a roar, the mercenaries' morale soared.
“Artillery, fire!”
*Pshhhhhhh!*
Following the sound of the large steam cores attached to the cannonballs heating up.
*Kaboom...* The heavy sound of cannon fire cut through the waist of the volcanic ash and echoed out.
“Advance!”
Taking that as the signal, Sharon spurred the flanks of her horse.
“Charge!”