Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Checkmate
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A military conference held in the mid-sized city of Belen, located in western Platon.
It was the fifth day of the festival.
'This might as well be part of the festival.'
The war was that flashy. The invasion by the foreign enemy was bait from the start.
'The real war is happening in the shadows....'
The Saintess and the protagonist's group preparing their coup. The Ballast royal family trying to stop that coup. And the other nations moving according to their own interests.
What happened over there was what mattered, so I was just a supporting character making this festival more spectacular.
That was my assigned role.
Hold the front line and keep the enemy from approaching the capital. That was the operation given to me.
It wasn't a particularly difficult order, so I attended the military conference without much worry.
"Everyone's here, I see."
[.......]
The officers greeted me with stiff silence.
New faces stood out among them.
First, from Bekavia, Sophia Veron had arrived with her guard Guinter. Guinter was one of the top powerhouses among the second-years, personally selected by Sophia.
Next, from Toonkai, the hastily dispatched Fourth General Landon Crowe was there. His adjutant was Ash, who was on friendly terms with Landon Crowe.
Third, from Europer, Third General and Olaf's father, Count Jurgen Dresden, had joined with Maesen in tow.
"Ahem!"
Jurgen kept clearing his throat uncomfortably. Olaf had grown out his hair and beard to hide his identity, but it seemed he couldn't fool his father's sharp eyes.
Jurgen glared at Olaf as if demanding an explanation, and Olaf looked like he was dying inside.
In addition to these officers from the three nations, Ballast's Third General, Mainz Ramstrong, was participating from the army camp.
The rest were my retainers. Everyone was gathered except for Ymir, who had returned to Reinpol, and Master Illya.
'What a sight.'
Thinking back to when my only proper retainers were Eo and Master Illya made my chest swell with pride.
I sat in the head seat and signaled the start of the conference.
"Lutger, begin the prepared briefing."
"Understood."
Even Lutger, who usually spoke casually to me, used polite speech given the occasion.
"The enemy's numbers are roughly 70,000 to 80,000. Factoring in the troops needed to guard supply depots and manage occupied territories, we estimate the actual enemy forces we'll face to be around 70,000."
"And their current position?"
"The enemy has taken position in the Sadban Mountains."
"Sadban Mountains...? Never heard of them."
"It's from intelligence that just came in. It's not unreasonable that you wouldn't know."
I checked the map.
Sadban was rugged mountain terrain. It was an awkward spot for the invaders to set up camp.
At that, Ballast's General Ramstrong spoke up.
"They're probably camped on the plateau midway up the mountain. It's an area developed during the Pensilon Empire days for a military fortress. It's exceptionally flat within the mountains, making it ideal for holding position and counterattacking. I hear they practiced slash-and-burn farming there last year. There are plenty of wells dug for groundwater, so it's well-suited for stationing an army."
Looking closely at the map, it was indeed a key position as he said.
The central plateau was shielded to the east, west, and north by high mountains. To strike the enemy there, we'd have to approach from the southern hills, but scaling the hills made proper advancement impossible.
Sophia spoke.
"If the enemy digs in there, we won't have a way to wipe them out. But since they're the invaders, they won't just sit and defend, so no need to worry too much. Right, Ilrain?"
"...."
"Ilrain? What's wrong?"
I felt like I'd been hit hard.
"No way...."
I immediately turned to Lutger.
"Has the enemy commander's identity been confirmed?"
"Not yet. At least, Ballast's military doesn't have that information."
Because much about the Western tribes was shrouded in mystery.
"Anton! Borrow the intelligence department from Crossing right now and find out the enemy commander's identity! Same for Europer and Toonkai. Mobilize all intelligence capabilities to identify the commander! Move now! We'll start with that!"
At my orders, personnel from each nation sprang into action. Landon Crowe took Ash and Lisitea with him, probably to discuss things. Olaf got dragged off by his father.
Meanwhile, Sophia pouted and glared at me.
"Why not ask Bekavia?"
"Because I already know your intelligence capabilities."
"Hmph! We know more about the Western tribes than Europer, at least! Guinter! Ask the intelligence department about this!"
Guinter left the conference room with a sharp salute, showing none of his usual frivolity.
Sophia studied my face and cautiously asked.
"You're acting uncharacteristically urgent. Why? We have no reason to rush."
"I thought so at first too."
But after seeing the enemy's first move, I was certain.
If the enemy moved as I suspected, this war would be a checkmate—in a good way or bad.
*
*
*
The Western tribes' army stationed in the Sadban Mountains.
They were busily at work.
Not preparations for invasion.
The opposite, in fact.
"Hurry and move the supplies! We don't have much time!"
Soldiers inside the camp began constructing a fortress. Overseeing the fortification was a woman.
A slender woman. Even with her age, her bewitching beauty was enough to captivate any man's heart.
No one dared steal lustful glances at her, though. They desperately avoided eye contact. They knew what happened if their eyes met by mistake.
"Heh."
The woman, Tetora Anistri, enjoyed the atmosphere.
Beneath her hips lay a middle-aged man.
He was on his knees in prostration, bearing her weight. For a full hour.
"Urgh...!"
Finally, his arms trembled and gave out, collapsing flat. Tetora spoke to him while still seated on his back.
"Hey, trash."
"Y-Yes.... Heavenly Mother."
Heavenly Mother. The name her forces called Tetora.
Mother sent from the heavens. Recipient of divine revelation. She had no qualms about deifying herself.
"What do you think is the true intent of this operation? I'll listen, so speak."
"Th-That is...."
Invading then immediately fortifying for defense— Tetora's actions baffled the man.
'Why infiltrate enemy territory just to go on the defensive?'
The greatest risk was encirclement and supply cutoff, but Tetora had accounted for that by hauling massive amounts of food.
As if she'd foreseen this exact scenario, they began storing a month's worth in underground granaries within the camp.
Plus, the wells from slash-and-burn farming meant no water worries.
Even if encircled, they could hold out a month without supplies.
So why?
"Don't you have other reinforcements? Like the faction planning the coup...."
"Hmph. That's as far as a grunt's brain can go."
"Kuh...!"
The man wasn't some mere grunt.
He was Zeke Wilter, one of Byulang's Five Generals.
During the last Tail War, he'd been dispatched to repel the Western tribes' invasion, only to lose to Tetora and get captured.
Unwilling to die, he'd surrendered on the spot. Now he lived as her slave.
"This is a test for that Wade bastard."
"Test...?"
"Wade didn't prepare at all for our invasion. Of course not. Ballast isn't his country. Even the Ballast fools who should've prepared were caught flat-footed. But I knew in advance and prepared everything from one to ten! That's why this situation arose. The enemy can't do a thing and gets checkmated."
At "checkmate," Wilter furrowed his brow in confusion.
How did going on defense lead to checkmate?
"Heh heh, hehehe...! I can't wait to see how Wade handles this no-win situation."
Imagining Als trapped and despairing in the dilemma she'd set filled her with ecstasy, wriggling in delight.
Just then, a man in black armor approached and reported.
"Heavenly Mother, all preparations are complete. We can start the operation at your signal."
"Fast work. As expected of Dielrum's bloodthirsty beastmen? What about Guderian?"
"...He refused this operation."
"Hmph, acting all high-principled. Fine, begin. Let's toast to Wade with blood."
"Yes!"
Signal to commence. At her order, 10,000 troops vanished from the 70,000-strong camp like ghosts.
*
*
*
Day 2 of the war, Day 6 of the festival.
I felt with my skin that the worst scenario was becoming reality.
"The enemy commander's identity is confirmed! She's a woman called the Heavenly Mother from the West, name Tetora Anistri!"
The one Guderian had warned me about. One of the Western tribes' leaders, the overall commander who invaded Byulang.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
'The difference in preparation for this war was on another level.'
To be fair, I'd been too indifferent to Ballast's war. Even if I'd paid attention, there wasn't much I could've done.
Either way, I'd taken a massive hit.
Noticing my expression, Sophia asked.
"Why've you been like this since yesterday? Is the commander's identity that important to this war?"
"Very. It's a guess, but it lets me figure out the enemy's tactics."
"So you've figured out the enemy's tactics. Tetora Anistri.... Tetora Anistri...?"
That was when it hit.
"No way!?"
It was Ash.
With a fierce look, he asked me.
"Als, you don't mean...?"
"I'm the overall commander here? Use polite speech."
"Forget that! What you're saying.... It has to do with Klaus Faulkner, right?"
The bandit-turned-general Klaus Faulkner.
He'd learned strategy from Tetora Anistri, according to Caliper's military intel from interrogating him as a POW.
Toonkai, where Klaus had served, knew this too.
"Yeah, Tetora Anistri, Klaus Faulkner's strategy teacher. Their basic tactics are probably similar. That lets me guess what the enemy is planning."
Civilian massacres.
Sure enough, a pale-faced messenger burst into the military conference.
"Urgent report! The territory near the front line, Horadim, has been raided! The enemy occupying Horadim executed all residents regardless of age or gender!"
Silence fell over the conference room.
It wasn't the only such report.
Reports of massacres poured in one after another.
With their main force in position, the enemy had sent detachments to plunder all nearby territories.
The detachments numbered roughly 10,000 to 17,000.
And it didn't end there.
The plundering started at dawn; by noon, when we got the reports, several wagons arrived at our garrison in Belen.
Eerie driverless wagons pulled by three horses each.
The wagons were splattered in blood, blood dripping from the windows mixed with flesh and bone.
A soldier who opened one door collapsed in horror.
Chunks of meat slid out. Heads, legs, arms—everything, even entrails.
"U, uwaaaah—!"
The soldiers recoiled from the wagons in terror.
The procession didn't end there.
More wagons loaded with corpses kept delivering to our camp.
"What the...."
Even the experienced Lutger couldn't find words.
Eo and Lisitea averted their eyes instinctively at the horror, and Sophia couldn't hold back her vomit.
"Wh-What is this...."
Aegert wailed. As a commoner, he knew these dead people well. The friendly neighborhood uncles, grandpas, aunties. Kids. All massacred indiscriminately.
"G-Gorgeous Commander. Th-This...? What the hell!"
"What else? War. Olaf!"
I called him and gave orders.
"Select veteran soldiers. Entrust them with handling these wagons."
"But Als, Ballast doesn't have many soldiers like that."
"Then no choice. Ballast must be hiring lots of mercenaries right now. Hire some to handle the wagons. This is urgent. Hurry."
"Got it!"
It hit a sore spot.
Most Ballast soldiers lacked combat experience. If our officers saw this horror, they might panic, desert in fear.
Even rumors could tank morale.
Managing the corpse wagons was essential.
The problem was, that was just a side show. The enemy was doing this for fun.
Sophia, finally done vomiting, realized everything and spoke to me.
"I get it now...! That's why you were urgent. In this situation, we can't do anything!"
Normal nations have evacuation systems for this: fortresses doubling as shelters everywhere, where civilians flee to buy time.
But Ballast was vulnerable there. They hadn't fought a war since founding.
Civilians barely knew about the fortresses, which weren't even maintained.
Ballast's initial response sucked too. Too busy with the coup to care.
They issued evacuation orders but didn't guide anyone or explain how.
They just dumped it on me, neglecting what should've been done in advance.
"...."
As I stayed silent, Guinter swallowed hard and asked Sophia.
"Princess, what does that mean? We can't do anything?"
"Exactly that. We're stuck watching this massacre. To stop it, we'd have to dispatch rescue detachments."
But we're outnumbered. Sending detachments risks getting counterattacked. Or the enemy main force could send pursuers. In the chaos, we'd lose with our smaller numbers.
To send detachments safely, we'd need to wipe out or encircle the enemy main force first.
But the enemy main is fortifying in Sadban Mountains. Breaking that defensive advantage requires at least 1.5 times their numbers.
That's 90,000 to 100,000. We have 60,000.
"W-Wait!"
It was Olaf's father, Jurgen.
"Doesn't this mean the enemy won't advance? At least we achieve our operational goal."
Our goal: hold the front, keep enemy from the capital. Jurgen wasn't wrong.
That was the enemy's aim.
They'd let us succeed—but watch over a million civilians get massacred with thumbs up our asses.
Good or bad, only one path forward.
Checkmate.