Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Wade Takes Command
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The next morning.
I donned gray armor and began walking through the camp alongside Duke Helian.
The soldiers who saw me started to sparkle with life in their eyes.
"He's here...! Finally! Mercenary Wade!"
"I believed in you, Casper!"
"You're the pride of our cadets!"
"Let's avenge Grand General Dunan together!"
Since Casper had deserted and was absent from the camp, everyone seemed to be mistaking me for him.
Duke Helian, hearing the cheers, shook his head as if nursing a headache before whispering to me.
"Just let that part slide for now. Things might get unnecessarily complicated."
"I don't mind much."
More accurately, it was just tiring to deal with them one by one.
There were easily over ten people across the continent impersonating Wade, not just Casper. From my perspective, he was simply one of them.
Besides, it was boosting morale right now, so I decided to let it be.
To further lift the army's spirits, I deliberately made a full circuit of the camp before heading to the command tent.
Inside the command tent, the core officers of the army stood rigidly, brimming with tension.
They had already heard the story from Duke Helian beforehand, so their gazes upon me were filled with wariness and fear.
"Wade, have a seat here."
Helian seated me at the head of the table and took his place right beside me, as if attending to me.
Perhaps because it was the head seat, the chair felt exceptionally plush.
"Let's begin the military council."
I spoke in a heavily altered, gravelly voice.
The officers seemed to suspect I might be some fake that Helian had brought in as a stopgap, but upon seeing Eonia's intimidating presence standing guard behind me, they swallowed hard.
Eo, who like me had her face concealed by a gray helmet, was struggling to hold back her laughter at the sheer absurdity of being my sole escort in this situation.
"First, let's review the previous battle."
I tossed the after-action report that Duke Helian had given me onto the command table.
"This was a truly idiotic plan. So, is the chief strategist named Gaits, the one who suggested this moronic strategy to Dunan, present?"
"I-I'm Gaits."
"You've got some nerve surviving. You're demoted ten ranks. Start over from the bottom as a junior officer."
"What do you—!?"
"And... according to the report, there was an officer who advised against marching out and insisted on holding position. Who was that?"
The officers exchanged hesitant glances.
Then, one of them spoke up as if making up his mind.
"It was Infantry Captain Als Ilrain, a former cadet. He opposed the march."
"Good. Everyone except you is demoted three ranks."
This time, unsatisfied, the officers began to protest.
But that was.
"Shut your mouths!"
Duke Helian barked, silencing them.
"You lot. Your incompetence killed Dunan! If it were up to me, I'd throw every one of you in prison under military law, but I'm holding back out of consideration for the war situation!"
"..."
"If you have complaints, tell me! I'll strip you of your uniforms right now!"
The tent fell deathly silent.
I shrugged and continued.
"So, where is this Als Ilrain now?"
"Well... We reassigned the cadets who requested it to the rear supply depot. He volunteered to move to the rear after sustaining injuries in the last battle. He's currently recovering from his wounds."
"Return? Is that possible?"
"With all our clerics assigned to the main force to treat the seriously wounded, there are no clerics at the rear supply depot. If you wish, we can bring him back to the main force and prioritize his treatment."
"No need. I was just curious about the one guy who came up with a proper countermeasure. Anyway, make sure to give him a hefty bonus, sooner or later."
Helian shot me a look that said, 'That's not what we discussed,' so I cleared my throat awkwardly and changed the subject.
"In addition, promote the officers of the unit that opened the escape route during the mountain battle—Fuji Ilrain, Felix Derun, and Stina Balstain—by one rank each. Handle it yourselves."
─Yes, sir!
Ah! So this is what power-tripping feels like.
I could have promoted my own rank too, but since it was already unnecessarily high, I decided against it.
"Now, let's assess the current situation."
I closely examined the map spread out by the intelligence officer.
'The situation has changed.'
It was completely different from the opening phase of the war.
For starters, the enemy Tunka i forces were no longer hiding their main base. There was no need to anymore.
They had deployed 50,000 troops right at the front lines, poised to attack at any moment.
'And thanks to Grand General Dunan, we've secured a high-quality terrain map.'
It was a map drawn by scout infantry under Dunan's orders as they searched the enemy main base.
The giant trees were marked individually, allowing me to infer the terrain's layout.
'The area to the left of their formation is slightly higher.'
It wasn't much of a hill, but the left side was about 30 meters higher, creating a gentle slope from left to right across the formation.
"..."
"What do you think, Wade? In my view, holding position is the right call, given the circumstances."
Duke Helian was an elite from the officer academy.
Before entering politics, he had served in the military, reaching the rank of first-grade staff officer assisting a general.
He was more than qualified for this seat.
"No. Holding position in the current situation isn't even the best option. At best, it's a second-best."
The army's morale was too low, and the enemy had that monstrously powerful warrior.
If that guy rampaged through our lines, no tactics would function properly.
I could tie him down with Anton, but committing Anton reactively to counter the enemy's assault would make our strategy passive.
"Even so, charging out isn't feasible. Do you have some strategy in mind?"
"I do, for now."
"Oh? Tell me."
"Before that... I'll step out for a moment."
Unlike the battles against Madon or the Three Lions War, this one carried massive risks in the stratagem.
Leaving the meeting tent abruptly, I slipped away from prying eyes and returned to my own tent, pulling out two books I'd packed in my gear.
They were treatises on mountain warfare.
"The key to mountain battles begins with seizing the high ground...."
These were transcriptions I'd made of military texts from the modern world.
I trusted my quick thinking in the moment, but like forgetting Erina's name, my memory for minutiae wasn't great. So I had a habit of transcribing essential information.
From the moment I entered Als's body, I'd recalled and jotted down key points from major military texts into books.
They were the strategy manuals that Fuji had been reading in my room last time.
Combined with about 13 modern transcribed texts piled in my study, plus 60 strategy books collected in this world, over 70 military texts breathed in my study.
I'd read them all, but when in doubt, I'd flip through them directly.
I was simulating the stratagem I'd been planning while reading the books.
"It seems feasible if I make full use of the terrain... but there's so much preparation work...."
This was a do-or-die stratagem that would fall apart if the enemy caught on.
Could the enemy read my plan?
It was a gamble, but one with basis.
Kraus Faulkner.
He was a general who led wars with cunning tricks rather than textbook maneuvers.
He had a decent eye for strategy, but nothing exceptional. I didn't think he'd see through this.
If he did, I'd activate Plan B then.
"Alright, let's do it."
Exiting the tent, I first gathered my close retainers.
"Anton, I'm giving you an operations manual. Assemble only trustworthy officers and train them on its contents. They must be ready to execute the operation by the deadline. Understood?"
"Yes, sir! I'll see to it!"
I couldn't trust the Caliper-side officers. There was a chance of Tunka i spies.
Since secrecy was vital, I'd use Anton and the Crossing-origin officers.
"Next, Ymir."
"Yes, young master."
"Gather as much of these as you can."
I showed her the things I'd coincidentally gathered in these mountains.
Seeing them, Ymir's animal ears twitched perkily! But she nodded without objection.
"Understood."
"It needs to be ready in two days. Can you manage?"
"I'll finish in one day."
"Dependable as always. Still, I'm a bit worried sending you alone...."
With Tunka i elite scouts around, I fretted over mishaps.
"Gaspar, you escort her."
"Sure. Uh, but what if I help gather them too? It might be tough for Ymir alone."
"Haha, discuss that between yourselves."
"Urgh... Got it."
Gaspar wore an awkward expression as he began consulting with Ymir.
The rest was just miscellaneous grunt work, so I was about to ask Fuji, but.
Eo, eyes sparkling with "Please give me work too!" was impossible to ignore.
"Good grief. You really want a task that badly?"
"Please! I can't fall behind that guy!"
Sensing instinctively that Anton had been given a major role, Eo was burning with rivalry.
Having shed her pure white armor for gray upon my arrival, she was armed not with sword and shield, but a spear.
The last duel where she'd lost to that monster still gnawed at her, and she was determined to settle it this time.
"Fine, fine. The remaining tasks are yours."
"Yes! Leave it to me!"
"Eo, from now on, lead the Caliper soldiers and...."
She gripped her spear shaft, brimming with anticipation for some grand mission.
But at my next words, she froze in shock.
"Cut down every tree around here."
*
*
*
The news of Mercenary Wade's appearance had already reached the Tunka i camp.
"He's shown up after all...."
Kraus grinned slyly.
He'd killed Dunan, and now the chance to capture Mercenary Wade had come.
He could almost hear his bounty rising.
"Mercenary Wade? Who's that?"
Grandis asked, as if hearing the name for the first time.
"It seems the news hasn't reached the west. He's a mercenary commander who appeared about two years ago. He has some fame, but it's mostly hype."
Wade had gained renown for defeating Kaien in the Three Lions War, but Als had directly faced Bekavia's forces then.
He'd tricked Kaien, but strictly speaking, Juras's功劳 in disrupting intelligence while facing Kaien was greater.
Defeating Julian Craig in the war against Madon was commendable, but Julian was a grand general who hadn't cracked the top 20 warlords.
"No greenhorn hyped as a supernova for beating Bekavia and Madon rabble is my match. Hahaha!"
"Heh, indeed. This ambush stratagem was brilliant. You've grown as a general, Kraus. She'd be pleased to see this."
"...Ha, haha. Y-You think so?"
"How about paying her a visit? She'd be happy to see you."
"M-More importantly!"
Kraus hurriedly changed the subject.
He pointed to the man standing behind Grandis.
"Lex it, was it? Impressive prowess. Killing a weary Dunan in just 30 exchanges."
"What choice? He's one of the west's proud Three Great Generals."
"Three Great Generals...?"
Kraus unconsciously furrowed his brow.
'There was no such thing as Three Great Generals when I was in the west.... Damn it, two more monsters like him? The west's strength is bottomless....'
Kraus resolved to flee as far as possible from the west once this was over.
"Boss!"
A Tunka i soldier burst into the tent.
"What is it?"
"The enemy's started some bizarre maneuvers!"
"Bizarre maneuvers? What are they doing?"
"Well... They're indiscriminately chopping down trees!"
"..."
Even after the explanation, Kraus couldn't comprehend, so he went forward himself to witness the Caliper army's antics with his own eyes.
Thud! Thud! Craaaack! Trees kept toppling.
The Caliper forces were felling not just trees in their own lines, but all nearby ones, stripping the mountain bald.
With over 10,000 soldiers logging, the mountain soon bared its pale flesh.
"What in the world...."
Unable to read Als's intent, Kraus narrowed his eyes.
Beyond bizarre, it was stupid.
Clearing trees exposed their camp fully and left them vulnerable to arrows without cover.
"Oh ho, not an ordinary general, it seems."
"Grandis...?"
"Kraus, no matter how bizarre the tactic, reason it out and the answer appears. Abandoning defensive advantages means only one thing. They're coming to attack."
"Even so, no reason to chop trees."
Trees actually made attacking easier.
Less worry about arrows, easier to hide troop numbers and formations.
Grandis continued.
"But without trees, they can more easily concentrate their forces. No obstacles to forming ranks. Of course, that's not the real intent."
"The real intent... What is it?"
Grandis smirked.
"The enemy's true aim. It's a fire attack."
"Fire attack!?"
"Can't you feel it? Chopping trees has shifted the wind toward us."
"Ah...!"
Kraus startled at the flower petals blowing his way.
"Artificially altering terrain for a fire attack. Mercenary Wade. Quite the amusing fellow."
"..."
Kraus shuddered.
The hidden intent behind the bizarre act was shocking, but Grandis's insight in seeing through it instantly was terrifying.
"Soak the forward trees thoroughly. Prepare fully for firefighting too. That alone will render their scheme useless."
Grandis's perfect counter-read.
A fitting reputation as a western powerhouse.
However.
From afar, seeing Tunka i soldiers sprinkling water to soak the trees, Als smirked.
"They couldn't read it after all. Oh well, ignorance means defeat."
Als muttered as he began full preparations for the operation.