Chapter 207
Chapter 207
Iron Emperor — Chapter 207
Sssshhhhh.
The cool rain pelted the two men who had come to a halt.
"Cough."
Reeling backward, Count Krian stared down at his heart with a look of regret.
"A shame......"
The black cold-iron rod had driven through his armor and was lodged in his heart.
"I nearly died."
Dupyo, who had barely saved his own life by a hair, clutched his bleeding throat with one hand, wearing a relieved smile.
Count Krian's body was collapsing.
Grab.
Count Krian looked at Dupyo, who was supporting him.
"It was a pleasure."
"Cough—the same goes for me."
Blood flowed back from his mouth as Count Krian answered Dupyo. Dupyo spoke again to the dying count.
"You and I have both taken far too many lives. Hell is clearly where we're headed."
"Heh-heh, cough. I'm sure you're right."
Something about Dupyo's words must have pleased him—Count Krian was laughing. Seeing that smile, Dupyo grinned back and whispered quietly into the count's ear.
"Let's...... have another go at it in hell."
Listening to Dupyo's promise, Count Krian breathed his last with a bright smile.
Chapter 64 — Flight of the Hawk
Capital recaptured.
Those who had stubbornly survived amid the ruins of war cheered into the pouring rain.
People running between fallen corpses here and there, shouting with joy......
The bright faces set against a scene straight out of hell were bizarre beyond words, but to those who had lived under oppression, that did not matter in the slightest.
Once the capital of South Roselin was retaken, the other small domains also began driving out the North Roselin forces on their own, and scattered troops streamed toward the capital day after day.
"Your Majesty, Supreme One of All Heavens, we offer our respects! Salute!"
Clang!
"Salute!"
The sound of a military salute rang out as one voice across the ruins of South Roselin.
Into that very center, Go Jin-cheon and the Black Armored Ghost Cavalry slowly made their entry at the head of some twenty thousand elite soldiers, who filed in one after another.
The losses suffered in the preceding battles had been considerable, but the flood of incoming troops was far greater—more than enough to fill the places of the fallen.
"You're wrecked."
"......."
Those were the first words Go Jin-cheon spoke to Samdopyo, who had come out to greet him. With the addition of twenty-five thousand troops, the already soaring morale of the South Roselin army swelled their confidence still further.
Although Jin-cheon had just ridden a great distance, he assembled his commanders the very day he arrived and went straight into a council.
Talks of battle losses came first, followed by reports on the movements of the North Roselin army.
"The North Roselin forces that were garrisoned in South Roselin have already lost their main fighting core and are retreating repeatedly, unable to put up effective resistance. Rearward units are being annihilated one by one. However, the forces that remained north of the capital have pulled back without heavy losses and are constructing a massive fortified camp on the Conrad Plains to the north."
"Hmm."
At Daesaja Gowin's report, Jin-cheon nodded quietly. Gowin indicated a spot on the large map and continued.
"Here, the enemy's main strength is estimated at roughly forty thousand, but troops escaping from the rear are rallying at this location, so we assess that the numbers will grow with each passing day. Furthermore, North Roselin, which had already been struggling to replenish its ranks due to the aftermath of losing the war against us, is now drawing conscripts from across the whole of North Roselin through the Conscription Decree—because word of the fall of their southern capital has spread."
Gowin had been giving a lengthy explanation, but Jin-cheon's silence was steadily ratcheting up the tension among the commanders. As the silence stretched on, King Alsein began to grow nervous.
Truthfully, with the recapture of the capital, South Roselin was already beginning to revive. The problem lay with the North Roselin force on the Conrad Plains. If that force pushed south while South Roselin was still not properly reorganized, no one could say what might happen.
Of course, with Gauri troops present, there was no need to worry about their threat. But the Gauri army could not remain here forever. It was precisely this that worried Alsein, who understood Gauri's own circumstances—their absolutely insufficient population.
"In short, the longer we wait, the more the North Roselin force controlling the Conrad region can grow."
"That is correct."
Gowin answered Jin-cheon's question without hesitation. It was an obvious assessment for anyone conducting a war, and Gowin was nearly certain. As questions and answers were exchanged and the situation was analyzed, Yeon Hwi-garam quietly opened his mouth.
"What will you do?"
"Hm."
The ones who tensed at Hwi-garam's question were King Alsein and Marquis Baikal.
Everything they had achieved so far had already been a stroke of incredible luck. Yet with an element of instability still before them, requesting renewed aid from Gauri was a delicate matter—and neither could they simply stand by and watch them turn back.
Amid the prolonged silence, Jin-cheon rose from his seat and strode toward the map.
"A vexing position."
When Jin-cheon said that with a slight frown, King Alsein and Marquis Baikal felt a surge of hope.
If they could just drive out the force on the Conrad Plains, North Roselin—already dealt a massive blow—would no longer be able to continue the war. King Alsein, who had been watching Jin-cheon as he studied the map deep in thought, carefully opened his mouth.
"The North Roselin army on the Conrad Plains cannot be left alone. That area is also where the Eastern Army was once positioned. It's a region from which one can advance on the capital swiftly—and also a region that requires considerable troop strength to defend."
"It would be."
Jin-cheon nodded at King Alsein's words. The rear of the Conrad Plains was a mountainous area with only a single withdrawal route, which had allowed the Eastern Army to defend it easily even when outnumbered. Toward South Roselin, however, the plains spread out like an open fan, making it easy to reinforce the Eastern Army. Under present circumstances, though, the difficulty lay in the opposite requirement—that a large force would have to be permanently stationed there in order to block that wide plain.
"Of course, if we combine the troops now rallying at the capital, it might be manageable with South Roselin's forces, but......"
In a voice thick with regret, King Alsein was impressing upon Jin-cheon the gravity of the situation.
"Then my forces are not especially needed."
"......."
In an instant, the great hall turned cold.
At that single sentence from Jin-cheon, King Alsein, who had been earnestly making his case, felt as though he were plummeting off a sheer cliff. He had been explaining why Gauri's forces were still needed, so Jin-cheon saying they were unnecessary was nothing short of a death sentence.
"Gowin."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Utterly indifferent to the panicking King Alsein's feelings, Jin-cheon summoned Gowin. Placing Gowin beside him and pointing at the Conrad Plains, Jin-cheon continued.
"The Hawk Corps will defend this place."
"You mean this place?"
Gowin questioned Jin-cheon's words.
King Alsein's face, by contrast, brightened with color. The strength of the Hawk Corps was more than enough to fill the gap. But Jin-cheon had not finished speaking.
"While the Hawk Corps holds the line and ties down this force, our main body and the South Roselin army will circle around the mountains and advance into North Roselin."
"Into...... North Roselin, you say!"
It was King Alsein who asked back in a startled voice at Jin-cheon's explanation. Not only King Alsein—even Marquis Baikal and Gye Ung-sam's party looked slightly taken aback.
"But even if the main army is large, the existence of Tremble Castle and Belwan Castle, which sit behind the Conrad Plains, is a threat. It would be better to deal with the Conrad Plains force and press forward step by step."
With a cautious expression, Gowin raised an objection to Jin-cheon's proposal. At that, Jin-cheon spoke in a resolute voice.
"We do not have the time for that."
"But we would be caught between attacks from front and rear. If that happens, heavy losses are an obvious certainty."
Undeterred by Jin-cheon's firm tone, Gowin continued to voice his opposition. Jin-cheon turned and looked at him.
"I am aware. That is precisely why I am leaving the Hawk Corps behind."
"Then......"
Gowin could see Jin-cheon's intent.
Trusting in Gowin's Hawk Corps, the coalition army of Gauri and South Roselin would advance. And the Hawk Corps left behind would have to grapple with a force more than double its size and refuse to let go.
It was easy to say, but if the enemy's attention was lost for even a moment, the coalition army would be struck in the rear and suffer a devastating blow. It was an operation in which Gowin and the Hawk Corps held the coalition army's lifeline.
"Your Majesty, this operation......"
Gowin lifted his head, meaning to mention the danger of the plan, but an iron curtain had already fallen across Jin-cheon's expression—a look that said no further words were necessary.
"......I will stake my life on carrying it through to completion."
"Good."
Only then did Jin-cheon let a broad smile touch his lips. Gowin, on the other hand, felt a crushing weight settle onto his shoulders and had to sag back into his chair.
"This war is not merely a war for the restoration of South Roselin."
Jin-cheon slowly swept his gaze over his subordinate commanders and spoke.
"You must understand that, above all, this campaign is a punishment for North Roselin, which dared to raise a blade against us. I mean to give a clear demonstration of what becomes of those who draw a sword against Gauri."
A flat, level voice.
The Gauri commanders listening were doing so with expressions that said this was only natural.
"This is not a war that is won by simply holding them back. The continent has already begun to stir. We must show our strength so that no one will ever dare covet Gauri again. That is what makes this war all the more important. It is not merely punishment—it is a warning sent to the entire continent."
It was only then that King Alsein understood why Gauri was pressing the war to such an extent. There were probably very few troops left to defend Gauri itself, but that fact would be known only to the Gauri army and to himself. The continent's other kingdoms, however, would assume that this force was not the whole of Gauri's military strength.
If they had merely held the line, the continent might have judged that Gauri's capacity ended there. But by going beyond that, retaking South Roselin, and further striking deep into North Roselin, it was certain that the other powers of the continent would deal with Gauri cautiously.
Everyone was nodding in understanding of Jin-cheon's underlying design when his finger touched a point on the map. At the same moment, King Alsein's eyes went wide.
"Our objective is here."
"You don't mean......"
Even Marquis Baikal parted his lips in surprise and lifted himself from his chair. Jin-cheon's next words confirmed what had startled them.
"The capital of North Roselin—Partean."