Chapter 318
Chapter 318
Iron Emperor — Chapter 318
"I told you it doesn't matter if only the land itself is left. What is it, Schung? Out with it."
"Your Majesty..."
Duke Schung, reading the destruction and cruelty in Emperor Millior's eyes as the order was delivered with a faint smile, thought that this command might earn him the worst assessment in all of history.
"As you command."
Duke Schung, unable even to dissuade the emperor, bowed his head and withdrew.
* * *
"Good."
A cold smile settled at the corner of Marquis Bello von Luchia's mouth as he concluded the communication through the wizard. He had been no less startled by the news that the Gauri main camp was not withdrawing. But that had only spurred his competitive instincts.
Besides, it had vexed him that an army corps of the Holy Empire, which boasted the finest fighting power, seemed to be treated on the same level as the dregs of North Roselin.
"Earl Pelloman."
"Yes."
"See that the troops are issued ample food today. The siege will commence the moment we arrive at Gaemun Mountain Fortress tomorrow."
"Understood."
Once Earl Pelloman had acknowledged the order, Marquis Luchia added one more point.
"Also inform the soldiers that any matériel within Gauri territory shall belong to whoever loots it, and that the women likewise shall be the property of whoever takes them first."
"Understood."
"Make sure the troops also understand that they needn’t bother taking prisoners."
Marquis Luchia was ordering wholesale plunder and slaughter. Even though Earl Pelloman was visibly, markedly taken aback, Marquis Luchia, as if it didn't matter, spoke in an even more brutal tone.
"They're all to be exterminated in any case, so I may as well bestow them upon the soldiers."
"......."
Even with an eye toward governing after the fact, a measure of restraint in looting was preferable.
But Earl Pelloman offered no opinion of his own against the marquis's orders now.
Because under the marquis's orders, the troops' morale was certain to climb sharply. No opinion beyond that was necessary.
Because it was the emperor's will...
Chapter 107: The Battle Begins
The heat thrown off by countless soldiers seemed to push back even the blazing sun overhead. The defenders of Gaemun Mountain Fortress might have been intimidated by the Holy Empire army drawn up in full display below, but instead the sight only stoked their fighting spirit.
"It looks like they're a little short of forty thousand. Thirty-seven thousand at most, if I count generously..."
Munso, Geom Muhyul's deputy, had said under forty thousand, but the force visible now was only the advance element. On top of that, the Gauri side had done everything possible to slow the Holy Imperial Army's advance, yet the Imperial Army had simply ignored the damage and raced forward.
Seeing that the Holy Empire had split its forces and quickened its pace this way, they clearly weren't going to wait for the main body to arrive. They planned to keep pressing relentlessly right now, while Gaemun Mountain Fortress's own preparations were still incomplete.
"About thirty-seven thousand enemy troops against seven thousand of ours..."
And even subtracting the two thousand civilians who had volunteered as support, the purely defensive force amounted to only five thousand. Of the original six thousand troops, close to a thousand had long since thrown themselves away to slow the Holy Empire's advance...
"No reason that's a bad thing."
Muhyul's eyes blazed with battle fervor.
The number of troops that could attack at any one time was always limited. On that point, forty thousand or beyond made no great difference. No, it would actually be better if they waited for their follow-up force before attacking.
But if they meant to wait and assault with the main body, they wouldn't have split their forces in the first place.
"Damn it. At this rate, they're about to storm in."
"It means they won't give us any more time to prepare rather than letting their own men recover from the march."
Boooo-wuuu!
A long horn blast sounded, reaching the ears of the two men as they spoke with grim expressions.
"Wha—what! They haven't even sent an envoy to announce battle!"
"Damn it, Munso! Sound the alert to the troops!"
The attack horns signaling battle had sounded without even the customary formality of an envoy demanding surrender before the fighting began. Even the soldiers who had been burning with pre-battle fervor looked faintly disconcerted. Watching Munso rush down, Muhyul ground his teeth and stared out at the Holy Imperial Army Corps beginning its steady advance.
"They're saying even a call for surrender isn't necessary?"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The footfalls of the Holy Imperial soldiers, each step synchronized as if measured, shook the very ground.
Marquis Bello von Luchia stood gazing out at the forward movement of his army's formation. But Earl Pelloman's expression at his side was dark.
"You clearly disapprove of skipping the call for surrender and sending no envoy to open the engagement."
"It bothers me somewhat."
To Marquis Luchia's question, Earl Pelloman answered candidly.
"The orders that reached us from the homeland might as well have said to wipe Gauri out. And we rushed here ignoring our soldiers' casualties to deny them even a moment's respite. Should we still be observing trifling formalities?"
"No."
His head understood, but his heart did not. Unlike Marquis Luchia, who was ruthless and granted his opponents not even mercy, Earl Pelloman was a knight of the classic mold.
"Besides, those savages who came from who-knows-where should feel honored that the Great Holy Empire went so far as to launch a surprise attack on this scale against them."
The corner of Marquis Luchia's mouth crept upward. He continued.
"And by entering into battle at once—do you not see that the enemy formation, which had been waiting for the envoy that should have arrived, is showing a touch of confusion?"
At Marquis Luchia's words, Earl Pelloman narrowed his eyes and looked up toward Gaemun Mountain Fortress. He could see soldiers moving in a flurry. Unlike earlier, when they had been blazing with fighting spirit, they now appeared distinctly hurried.
"Indeed they are."
Earl Pelloman's face brightened just a little. If he could reduce the soldiers' casualties, even slightly, he could push the aftertaste of his qualms into a corner of his mind.
"Furthermore, as you well know from the war's outcome between our Holy Empire and the Four-Nation Alliance, those people have a record of viciously dragging out time by exploiting even their envoys. You wouldn't be unaware that was among the causes of our defeat in that war, would you?"
"My thinking was shallow."
Earl Pelloman could make no rebuttal to Marquis Luchia's continuing words. None of them were wrong.
"And keep this firmly in mind. This battle is, to the very end, an element of a surprise campaign."
"Yes."
Marquis Luchia's conduct, pursuing naked pragmatism with terrifying intensity, had ceased to cast any shadow over Earl Pelloman's face. As horn blasts echoed again and again in their ears, the voice of the noble commanding the vanguard rang out.
"All forces, at the double!"
As if in answer, the war cries of the Holy Imperial soldiers rose as they quickened their steps.
"They're coming!"
Geom Muhyul's expectation—that accounting for envoys coming and going would allow them a little more time to prepare—had been shattered in spectacular fashion. The archers, hastily in position, plucked out the arrows planted at their feet.
"Yudonno ready!"
"What of the catapults!"
"Loading in progress!"
The catapults were already positioned, but the stones to fire from them had not all been fully moved. Even as the enemy drew near, shouting battle cries, old men and youths were still hauling over the boulders and stones for the catapults.
"Magic corps!"
A sentry in the watchtower shouted loudly as the wizards of the Holy Empire rose visibly into the air. Even without a shouted warning from the watchtower, the sight of the wizards climbing the sky casting a blue curtain was menacing enough.
"Prepare for sniping!"
"Yes, sir!"
The small number of Pyeonjeon archers answered in a ringing chorus.
Muhyul listened to their reassuring answers. Because Pyeonjeon archery was difficult to master, very few of the newly trained archers were proficient with it yet.
The men who had just answered were, at least, original Gauri soldiers who had come to this land together with Go Jin-cheon. Those who had lost legs or suffered other debilities in the wars fought since had been training archers, then came out and took their places on the battlefield as battle grew imminent.
They had insisted that with two arms alone, they could still shoot a bow. Surely after they sniped the enemy wizards, they would be targeted with the highest priority.
When that happened, those men with their broken bodies would certainly die.
Was that why?
Every one of them had changed into clean clothes and now looked at Muhyul with serene smiles. And they were easing the tension of the newer archers who had learned Pyeonjeon but were still lacking.
"Munso, were siege engines confirmed in the enemy column?"
"Nothing, for certain."
It was impossible to haul siege engines over such a distance at this speed. He had asked knowing that, but just in case. In truth, given the magical combat power of this magnitude, siege engines might not have been that necessary to begin with.
"Yudonno, prepare!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers answered loudly and spurred on the orcs. The orcs' pig-like squeals filled the top of the fortress wall. The soldiers steadied their breathing as they waited for Geom Muhyul's command.
'I’m counting on you.'
A large portion of the soldiers were seasoned veterans who had survived the bloody war against North Roselin. Perhaps from that, their earlier agitation had also noticeably subsided. It must be the confidence of men who had overcome a force even larger than this one.
"If only we could have at least replaced the bows..."
Muhyul's regret-laden words carried on the wind.
Because materials for the unique Gauri composite bows were difficult to procure, all of the higher-performing ones had gone into the hands of the expeditionary force. These soldiers had been using ordinary composite bows while waiting for the new bows being supplied from the rear.
Of course, even those gave them an edge over the enemy, but the regret was unavoidable.
"General."
The deputy approached carefully and spoke.
Instead of replying, Muhyul drew his Hwandudaedo. The rumbling of the Holy Imperial Army Corps' rapid steps was drawing closer. They had entered Yudonno range. Muhyul's Hwandudaedo, raised high overhead, swung down with fierce power and opened the prelude to battle.
"All Yudonno, fire!"
Twang-twang-twang-twang-toong!
Answering Muhyul's shout, the deep thrum of the Yudonno strings rang out like the notes of a musical ensemble. Then they filled the sky with logs and arrow canisters.
"Already?"
Earl Pelloman's eyes widened with surprise as he watched the logs and arrow canisters arc high into the sky.
"So that's it. Definitely more threatening than anticipated."
Marquis Luchia offered a brief assessment as he watched Gauri’s siege projectiles hurtling toward the Holy Empire army, which had not yet accelerated.
But having already analyzed the war with North Roselin, they had expected this much. Only the longer-than-expected range of the launch had surprised them.
"All forces, shields skyward!"
As the commanders' shouts rang out in the same instant, the wizards—who had taken to the air at fixed intervals—released the spells they had prepared in advance.
"Wind!"
"Protection from Missile!"
The sight of the fierce wind blasts weakening the force of Gauri's siege projectiles filling the sky, and then the spells of Protection from Missile blocking them, would have drawn exclamations of wonder from anyone, were it not for war. But magic was not all-powerful.
The fierce wind rose, and arrows began to pour down en masse from the scattering canisters. Some were blocked by the wizards' defenses and dropped to the ground, robbed of momentum, but others fell relentlessly upon the soldiers.
"Advance at full speed!" came the shout. For troops to shift into such a defensive formation while on the run was something meager training could never even imitate.