Chapter 315
Chapter 315
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 315
Chapter Title: War of the Puppets (12)
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Kirzart's forces had assembled smoothly, and the standoff between the two armies was taking place a day's march away. Around fifty thousand cavalry. From the defender's perspective, it was hard to call holing up in a single fortress the right judgment, given how extremely difficult it would be to pursue them no matter which direction they fled.
'They can never abandon this fortress.'
In the long history of the Pale Horse Tribes, no chieftain had ever succeeded in advancing beyond this fortress. During the last invasion, Rahot Fortress had quite literally devoured tens of thousands of tribesmen.
Beneath this solid ground, layers of their ancestors' corpses might even be piled up. They had probably incinerated all the bodies before burial. Therefore, having directly provoked them by exploiting this, their top priority would now be the fall of this fortress.
Fernandez nodded as he surveyed the camp. It was indeed the preparation of a military powerhouse. The soldiers' morale was high, and the quality of their weapons was excellent. There was no risk of it falling in a single blow, and it was even at a level where one could dare to predict victory.
"Sir Cerned."
At that moment, someone spoke quietly from behind him. Fernandez kept his hand hidden in his sleeve and replied without turning his head.
"From the Empire?"
It was in the imperial tongue. Hearing the imperial language deep in Kirzart's camp—especially near the sultan's quarters, which had never been exposed to outsiders—was no ordinary matter.
"Yes. Court Baron Tremule instructed me to deliver this to you."
Only then did Fernandez turn to look at the man. The man, with his deep hood pulled low, looked unmistakably Kirzartian—at least judging by the thick beard visible.
Dressed in the standard Kirzart soldier's attire with a turban wrapped around his head, the man set down the letter and bowed.
"The count has made a difficult decision."
"Yes. The Court Baron requested that you aid the Empire... but Sir Cerned, I... we have come to ask you something else."
"A request?"
-Thud.
In that instant, the man dropped to his knees and bowed his head to the ground. It happened so suddenly that Fernandez froze in bewilderment.
"Please, save His Excellency the Court Baron."
"The loyalty of Ironside exceeds my expectations."
"I know it's presumptuous. His Excellency the Court Baron wished not to disrupt your operations, but right now, his life hangs by a thread like a candle in the wind. Sir Cerned."
Fernandez stroked his chin as he gazed at the man bowing desperately. He soon helped the man to his feet and said,
"There are many eyes watching. Just a few questions. First, I need to know His Majesty's intentions."
"His Majesty has issued a preemptive mobilization order and ordered the evacuation of all territories near Vurang and Rivu."
"A scorched earth tactic. An appropriate measure. But time will be short."
"To buy that time, His Excellency the Court Baron has staked his life. He has also requested aid from the Eastern Kingdom Alliance..."
"That's difficult."
Fernandez cut the man off decisively. It was nearly impossible for the Eastern Kingdoms to support the Empire.
"With King Vicente's retreat from La Mertion, he has lost much of his influence within the Eastern Kingdom Alliance. Excluding the Dane royal family, there are no Eastern Kingdoms friendly to the Empire right now."
"...You are right."
La Mertion. The most prosperous trade city on the silk road connecting the Empire to the Eastern Kingdom Alliance. The moment King Vicente abandoned that city and returned its sovereignty to the House of Bares, the Kingdom of Dane lost its voice in the alliance.
From the Eastern Kingdoms' perspective, it was as if they had given up their nearly sole foothold for advancing inland, free from the Empire's long-standing interference and shadow.
King Vicente had made a 'righteous' decision, as always, but justice has no place in the essentials of politics. At least not justice without profit.
The Eastern Kingdoms would not aid the Empire. There was nothing more beneficial to them than the Empire's fall or a major blow leading to its fragmentation.
"Foolish... foolish! Everyone knows where the enemy's armies will head after the Empire falls...!"
"Foolish? It's embarrassing to say it of the enemy, but the Empire never readily extended a hand to the Eastern Kingdoms in their crises."
"...Sir Cerned."
"Don't misunderstand. I don't desire the Empire's fall either."
Fernandez shook his head and looked at Robert's letter. Unlike him, it was scrawled hastily on parchment, with ink splatters everywhere, as if explaining the urgency of the situation.
Robert was, in this era—at least excluding heroes not yet born—one of the most precious talents among all living heroes, countable on one hand. Rational, reasonable in conversation, and a man in power. Losing such a person would pain even him.
Half of the intelligence network and influence spanning the entire Empire was thanks to Robert's support. Even if this crisis were fully resolved later, rebuilding the infrastructure Robert possessed after his death would be exceedingly difficult.
'I have to save him.'
-Give up on the Kirzart front?
'Strategy must always be flexible to the situation. First, I need to assess the Tiger Clan Alliance's situation.'
As long as he was operating on the Kirzart front, rescuing Robert and turning the tide in the nearly troopless Great Wilderness was next to impossible. He stroked his chin slowly, then turned around.
"Follow me. There are too many eyes here."
At least three shakshi were surveilling him, based on the presences he sensed. At Fernandez's words, the man bowed his head and followed behind.
* * *
Karadaskar's horde was like a plague. Not only did it devastate every region it occupied, but even its harbingers did.
Their advance was a predictable yet unavoidable catastrophe. Even before their forces came into view, mages could anticipate their march. The leylines twisted, and magic unraveled.
Massive noise began interfering with mana flow, and soon even pre-cast spells shattered one by one. Then came the war of bows and arrows, spears and swords. And from that moment—when magic was absent—cavalry became gods of the battlefield.
-Fwoosh.
Fernandez sat in the darkened tent and quietly formed hand seals. It was tricky, but akin to the sensation of dismantling dozens of mana wedges one by one to cast spells. In other words, counter every omnidirectional magical assault with spells as needed.
Thus, the spell was completed. Ironside seemed slightly surprised by the sight. It was probably the first time he'd seen a mage cast a spell right before Karadaskar's advance.
"Partak. Can you hear me?"
-...!
"Not hearing me?"
Inside the tent, noisy static began emanating from the bonfire that had turned dark green. Communication magic was a delicate spell with many constraints, and failure wasn't unusual. But this reaction suggested it wasn't a complete failure.
Soon, an urgent voice emerged from the noise.
-My lord! Damn it. Why contact now of all times...!
"Report the situation."
-We abandoned Vurang! They're marching straight for the imperial capital! We're holding them off as much as possible in the mountainous regions!
"Was that the Emperor's order?"
-No, my lord. It was the Grand Shamaness's prophecy! The Emperor intended to abandon Vurang from the start. She prophesied that resisting would only hold a few days, so we should retreat and begin resistance.
"The Grand Shamaness? Wise. Is Piel there now, by chance?"
-Yes, Sir Cerned. Long time no see.
Piel's voice soon came through the noise. Fernandez nodded briefly and continued.
"How long can you hold?"
-At most five days. After that, there's no way to stop them from advancing to Paltennoia.
"After five days, do you think the imperial forces can block their advance?"
-If you mean the prophecy, it's fifty-fifty. Even if they do, the damage is hard to gauge.
"We only need to block them once. Piel, how's your mind holding up?"
Silence fell at Fernandez's words. Soon, Piel's voice returned from the bonfire.
-Now I understand what you meant. You were right, sir. Even now, honestly, it's hard to endure.
Piel was a prophet. More academically, an independent information reflector, the highest grade capable of reflecting information on specific events at specific points in time.
And all who possessed that ability had, without a single exception, ended their lives by suicide. It was a type of mental corruption even those with an archangel's spirit couldn't escape.
-Every moment, I forget myself. Overwhelming events erode my soul, and the instant I relax, reality blends with dreams, future with past. As you said, it's painful enough to want to die.
"Hold on just a bit longer."
Fernandez stared straight into the flames and spoke word by word.
"No matter what, I'll save you, Piel. Don't die on me."
-...Heh, shouldn't you say that to your wives, Sir Cerned? But... alright. Anything else to relay?
"Even if it means allowing more forces toward the capital, preserve as many Tiger Clan soldiers as possible. Can you do it?"
-Not difficult. You... trust the Emperor?
"There aren't many more trustworthy. You know that."
-The Emperor back then was a great hero. Understood.
If the Emperor responded appropriately, they could block the vanguard even at some cost. Rene Philippa was capable, and the Empire wasn't that weak.
The problem was that it was merely the vanguard. Fifty thousand on the Kirzart front, forty thousand on the Empire front. Assuming that much was marching through the Great Wilderness.
That was only half of Karadaskar's legions. A despairing observation, but cold reality. Even annihilating all protruding forces now, Karadaskar could project that many again northward.
But that meant dragging the war into a prolonged conflict. And the Empire's true worth shone in prolonged wars.
Superior conscription, overwhelming wealth, the broadest territory of any unitary state, and the numerous populace beneath it. Even an advanced system to manage each citizen.
Once in a protracted war, the Empire possessed combat capabilities superior to any civilized nation. Unless it collapsed in one blow, the Empire would never fall.
"This war ends when we bring down Karadaskar."
"We've already dispatched so many assassins that it's no longer feasible, Sir Cerned. With all those failures, victory lies only through war now."
Ironside was at least the finest assassin group in the eastern civilized lands, but assassinating Karadaskar directly was impossible. Fernandez hadn't held great hopes for it either. Even Darian at his peak hadn't assassinated Karadaskar.
Fernandez looked at the grim-faced Ironside and said,
"Would you stake your life for your lord?"
"That's why I sought you out."
"Even if it means certain death?"
"Even if you strike off my head, if it saves His Excellency the Court Baron, I'll gladly offer it."
"Good. Then relay this to Karadaskar."
Fernandez stood, gathering his gear, and said,
"'I killed your son, so if you want me, come to the Empire.'"
-...!
The reason Karadaskar couldn't be assassinated: not just his personal prowess, but he never exposed himself outside the main camp. Protected by nearly a hundred thousand cavalry in an ironclad formation, holed up in a ger with no external dealings, killing him alone was nearly impossible.
His death would fracture the Plains Clans, so he never recklessly endangered himself. To draw him out required a powerful provocation.
Minimize pressure on Kirzart, redirect their full forces to the Empire front. That was the first move.
"But the Empire is in a desperate crisis just blocking their vanguard, and His Excellency the Court Baron is staking his life to block their supply lines and reinforcements! And now, to draw their main force to the Empire?!"
"If it becomes a prolonged war, the Empire can certainly hold them. We just need time."
"How do you plan to buy that time?!"
"Me, personally."
Fernandez wiggled his fingers and released lightly.
"If we buy time, they'll be rats in a trap. They'll halt force projection on the Kirzart front, and the Sultan can annihilate them and ravage their rear. Meanwhile, if the Empire assembles its main force and pressures them, we can finish them in the Great Wilderness."
The key point in this plan was 'delay tactics.' Buy time for the Empire to prepare, while Kirzart strikes their rear. The Sultan completely eradicating their supplies. That was the second move for victory.
"What forces are in the wasteland to block their advance?!"
In his past life, Kirhas Hearttaker's greatest achievement was halting Karadaskar's great northern advance. She succeeded in buying time in the Great Wilderness solely with the Tiger Clan Alliance's power until the Empire's legions were ready and Kirzart's struck from behind.
It was nearly a feat of arms. In military logistics, he could never match peak Kirhas. But just as she couldn't match peak Feizashi.
If certain conditions were met, Feizashi could achieve the same result in a completely different way.
"There are already sufficient forces slumbering in the Great Wilderness. Don't worry—relay my words."
-Wait, Fernandez. You're not going to use that method, right?
'Why? It's the best.'
-Ah, damn it. That's too humiliating!
'Necromancy is a great discipline. Don't be ashamed. Doesn't it seem more biased that ensorcery has no necromantic spells at all?'
-The conclaves can handle corpses and skeletons! Don't ruin our noble... aesthetic of destruction!
'You can lose proudly, and I'll win shamefully. That work?'
Recalling those few conditions for raising a legion in the barren wasteland, Fernandez chuckled softly.
Delay tactics through necromancy. That was the best—and final—move he could prepare now.