Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Dragon Slay
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Esperia Kingdom's capital, Ordo ba.
"So you're saying we've lost Serona, Adense, and La Leon—all three?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
"Ha ha..."
King Julio Tosar let out a hollow laugh as he stroked his beard at the messenger's report.
He turned his gaze to Francisco Casas, who had advocated for this war and now hung his head low.
"Duke Casas. How long has it been since the enemy launched their offensive?"
"...Twelve days as of today."
"Twelve days... When will the mercenary recruitment be complete?"
"It'll take at least another week."
"Didn't you say the fortresses could hold out long enough? Wasn't our strategy to combine the mercenaries with the fortress garrisons and strike at Manzheim?"
"You're right. I seem to have underestimated the empire's forces. I'll gladly accept any punishment."
Francisco bowed his head again in response to the king's rebuke.
He hadn't anticipated the three fortresses falling so quickly, so rather than make excuses, he accepted the criticism.
This was also calculated on the knowledge that even if punishment was mentioned, the king couldn't truly impose it.
Indeed, Francisco's vast territories, connections, and influence made it impossible for the king to touch him lightly.
Julio glanced at the nobles' watchful eyes and relented.
"Sigh... Punishing you won't recapture the lost fortresses. What do you believe is the root cause, Duke?"
Satisfied with Francisco's humility, he smoothly shifted to discussing countermeasures.
"The 5th Legion under Volker Rommel couldn't breach Serona Fortress as we predicted. In fact, reports say Rommel attempted a reckless siege, took an arrow, fell from his horse, and was carried to the rear."
"...Then how did forces without even a commander break through our fortresses?"
"They had no impact on the fall of the fortresses."
Francisco gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"The culprits who toppled all three are the Red Dragon Legion dispatched by their emperor. They're said to be 10,000 strong, all armed with new weapons... Sir Manuel Pedro, who survived on-site, can explain better. Sir Pedro."
"...Yes, sir."
Manuel, a cavalryman who had fought in both the Battle of Adense and the Siege of Serona, stepped forward with unsteady steps.
"...Are you alright?"
"Yes. I want to speak for myself."
Sancho Gonzalez worried over his hollow eyes and trembling hands, but Manuel nodded firmly.
Seeing the resolve in Manuel's gaze, Sancho backed off without pressing.
"The Red Dragon Legion consists of infantry armed with guns, heavy cavalry, mounted dragoons who dismount to shoot, and artillery using siege cannons."
Manuel cleared his throat and began his explanation very slowly to avoid stumbling.
"...I'll start with their main weapon, the gun. It's a combination of wood and a long metal tube..."
However,
"...They lined up sideways and fired in unison! A thunderous roar engulfed the battlefield..."
As he recalled the horrors of the battlefield, he gradually lost his composure,
"...The walls completely, entirely collapsed. Gasp, huh... Th-that... siege cannon..."
"...You just explained the siege cannons."
"Did I? Then..."
"I think that's enough explanation, Sir Pedro."
Seeing his shaking gaze and ragged breathing, Sancho stepped in again and sent him to the break room.
"...The Red Dragon Legion's strength is clear enough. What should we do?"
Julio sorted the chaotic situation and asked Francisco.
"They're regrouping at Adense. Likely targets are Ceres Pass, which they must pass to reach Ordo ba, La Tredo to block flank attacks from Pharis Kingdom, or the detour Al Cante. For now, we strengthen defenses and monitor their movements."
"Hmm..."
"To that end, I..."
"One moment..."
As Francisco began outlining countermeasures, Carlos Lopez, one of those who had received Theodore's letters, approached him.
"More letters have arrived. Have you read them?"
"...Letters? Ah, right."
Francisco instantly understood from Carlos's whisper,
"For now, we fortify our defenses. We'll decide our response once the imperial forces make further moves."
"...Understood."
He wrapped up the full assembly appropriately, read the arrived letters, then gathered the nobles who had received them.
"...Letters like this came before?"
"Yes."
Sancho, who hadn't received one because Victor had intercepted it, was there this time as well.
As a show of respect to the elder whose voice grew stronger in wartime, Francisco treated him courteously.
"It's about the guns. Bullets work best when perfectly spherical and larger in diameter than the barrel. No idea what that means."
"Siege cannons require extensive preparation between shots. They took over ten minutes to ready the next barrage..."
"...This part is illegible. What do the other letters say?"
They cross-checked their letters' contents.
Letters in a similar format to Theodore's contained more technical details on guns and cannons, imperial internal affairs, and offensive plans.
"One mercenary said tighter-fitting bullets make shots stronger and more accurate. We've hired mercenaries who use guns, so we can verify with them. I'll ask separately."
"...I see."
"During the Serona siege, the other legions fell back. Seems like issues between them."
"..."
Comparing battle reports from the three fortresses, separate noble investigations, and the letters,
"For now, they seem credible."
"...We must be cautious. We don't even know the source."
"I'd like to doubt it, but excluding unverifiable parts, the reliability looks high."
"Agreed. Can't trust fully, but too valuable to ignore."
"..."
At a level they could verify, most contents rang true.
With no better alternatives, they decided to trust the letters to some degree.
"If discord between the 5th Legion and Red Dragon Legion is real, their advances might be separate operations."
"The previous offensive was solo by the Red Dragon Legion, so probably the same here?"
"...Countering these weapons right now won't be easy."
"Serona and La Leon's walls collapsed..."
As Victor intended by reducing variables, their discussion proceeded based on the letters.
The cannon power was exaggerated, and gun weaknesses listed didn't apply to the improved Red Dragon Legion.
But exaggerated reports and outdated mercenary gun records backed the letters.
"What if we target the Red Dragon Legion directly? Their weapons need long prep for combat, so we strike first."
"What about Dronado Forest?"
"Dronado's terrain favors ambushes, but no guarantee they'll hit La Tredo. How about Al Verdo Pass? They must pass it for Ceres."
"Al Verdo... Good for hiding troops."
Thus, ambushing while the enemy was unprepared gained traction over repairing walls.
"We need to hire heavily from mountain specialists like Heron Mercenaries or Nieb Mercenaries."
"...Nothing's confirmed. They could change plans anytime."
"True. But we agree to consolidate scattered regional defenses, right?"
"Yes. Small forces sufficed before, but now..."
Their heated debate stretched on.
"Hm. If other legions move faster than expected, we need contingency plans."
"Of course. The 5th lost most siege gear at Serona, so they won't breach fast like the Red Dragon Legion."
"Ultimately, the Red Dragon Legion's the problem."
Sancho, especially haunted by broken survivors like Manuel, joined actively,
"...When it's time to execute, I'll inform you."
"Good."
The plan named 'Dragon Slay'—ambushing the separate Red Dragon Legion—took solid shape.
After much deliberation, I selected eight soldiers from the scouts. They received flintlock rifles and trained mainly in light gear, traversing terrain to precisely target enemies. Elite among elites, the scouts adapted quickly. -Bang!
"...Oh."
"Not bad, right?"
Thanks to precise metalworking, After training, they could hit targets precisely at hundreds of meters. They even sniped enemy scouts on my orders, achieving results. Prep's done. Perfect timing—the kingdom's forces are gathering near Ceres Pass on the minimap.
"Prepare to advance. Deputy Legion Commander Axel Ryubek. Adaptation training complete?"
"Yes. Not fully adapted, but no loss of will or collapse."
"Good. Three days after we advance, follow suit."
"Understood."
Time to move.