Chapter 348
Chapter 348
Iron Emperor — Chapter 348
"As expected."
On the peak of a small uninhabited island near the burning sea, Gerard and Jang Bogo, who had been leisurely surveying the battlefield, nodded as though events were unfolding exactly as they had predicted.
"It seems the Holy Empire was attempting to stall the amphibious landing even slightly, but the effect appears minimal."
"Indeed. There was little substantial damage to the actual transport fleet."
Despite putting up a reasonably fierce resistance, the Holy Empire, its naval power weakened by the Gauri expedition, was simply crumbling helplessly before the combined fleet of the two empires.
"Judging by that, their intention seems to be to drive the battle toward a land engagement regardless... I hardly see the point of this farce."
Gerard clicked his tongue as he watched the Holy Empire's fleet sinking, and Jang Bogo, after thinking for a moment, cautiously spoke up.
"There certainly seem to be multiple intentions, but might it not be an attempt to lure them into complacency?"
"They sank that many ships just to lure someone into lowering their guard?"
When Gerard retorted in disbelief, Bogo scratched his head and gave a hearty laugh.
"Well, perhaps they meant to buy time while using the battle to gauge how well the empires have coordinated their alliance?"
"Tch. Naval combat is always led by the Maritime Empire anyway. In every imperial war until now, when the Federal Empire and the Maritime Empire allied, the Maritime Empire has always taken charge of naval battles. The Federal Empire's warships fall under the Maritime Empire's control. There's no need for power struggles, so historically they've operated reasonably well."
At Gerard's lengthy explanation, Bogo nodded as he again surveyed the battlefield.
"True, while I wouldn't call it excellent, the chain of command is remarkably well-organized for maneuvering a grand fleet of over five hundred ships."
"Right."
As Bogo spoke, smacking his lips, Gerard smiled bitterly and returned his gaze to the battlefield. Because regardless of the outcome, both the Holy Empire and the Empire Coalition were effectively enemies to the fleet that Gerard commanded.
They could not afford to make an enemy of the Empire Coalition right this moment, but someday those powers would inevitably come to pressure them as well.
Outside their relationships among themselves, there was little difference between how the Holy Empire and the other two empires treated the surrounding kingdoms. Consequently, this was far from a desirable development for Gerard's fleet.
"In any case, I have a nagging feeling the Holy Empire is aiming for something more..."
Watching the ships slowly sinking, Gerard wore an expression of lingering unease.
* * *
On the morning of the first battle with the Empire Coalition, Emperor Millior, clad unusually in his imperial battle armor, was strolling among the nobles arrayed in the great hall with his hands clasped behind his back as if taking a leisurely walk.
Opposite the civil officials, the military nobles stood with expressions that looked far from pleased. As time passed, a wizard entered the great hall, paid his respects, and approached Millior.
"Word has just arrived, Your Majesty."
"They held out quite a while."
Unlike the grim-faced wizard, Millior blurted out in a tone of mild surprise as though he already knew the outcome without even hearing the answer.
"Admiral Pou's fleet fought bravely against an enemy fleet numbering nearly five hundred large ships alone, and roughly seven hundred including smaller assault craft... however..."
Perhaps finding the wizard's lengthening report tiresome, Emperor Millior waved his hand dismissively and posed the question directly.
"Enemy losses?"
"Approximately eighty enemy vessels were reported heavily damaged or destroyed, Your Majesty."
"They acquitted themselves reasonably well."
"......."
The wizard could say nothing before the emperor's satisfied expression and merely bowed his head. More than two hundred ships had been sunk that day alone to damage the eighty-odd enemy vessels, and the dead numbered over forty thousand by rough estimate.
"Has the Magic Corps returned?"
"Of the eighty-plus dispatched members, twelve failed to return, Your Majesty."
"Hmm, a pity."
At Emperor Millior's conduct—showing regret for the lives of twelve while treating forty thousand lives as no great loss—the military men might well have grown angry, yet none dared show such emotion; they merely kept their heads bowed in silence.
After all, the failure of the Gauri expedition had become a heavy burden for the military nobles. Even if the Emperor had conceived the operation, hadn't it been the military men who actually refined and executed it?
Had the expedition succeeded, there would have been no need for the reckless gamble they faced now.
"With bait that large, those fellows will surely be flushed with arrogance by now."
"The loss was too great to treat as bait, Your Majesty."
When Duke Schung spoke regretfully, a cold smile crept onto Emperor Millior’s lips.
"Precisely because the loss was too large for bait, it serves as bait. Wouldn't you agree, Schung?"
At the Emperor's question, Schung could only answer briefly. Emperor Millior, who had been walking among the bowing nobles in the great hall, came to a halt.
"My lords! I wish to become the victor in history."
"......."
Emperor Millior smiled deeply, baring his white teeth.
"To achieve that, a great gamble is necessary. If your first hand has collapsed, then for your next hand you must brace for commensurate losses. Just like now."
The nobles felt a chill as they beheld the Emperor's deepening smile.
"Your Majesty."
"Speak."
The wizard, apparently having yet more to report, addressed Millior once more.
"A message has arrived confirming that Northern Supreme Commander Duke Quire, Southern Supreme Commander Marquis Kenicle, and Duke Shaiwan of the Capital Army Corps have all reached the front lines."
"Well-timed."
Duke Quire, Marquis Kenicle, Duke Shaiwan...
Every Sword Master in the Empire, save the recuperating Marquis Luchia, had gathered on a single battlefield.
Moreover, at the news that the Northern Army Corps, Southern Army Corps, and Capital Army Corps accompanying them had all already arrived at the anticipated landing zone to meet the Empire Coalition, the Emperor expressed his satisfaction.
Duke Schung had tried his utmost to dissuade the Emperor when he first conceived this plan, but the Emperor was immovable and refused absolutely to listen.
If three army corps moved at once, a massive gap would instantly open in the front holding back Gauri's Four-Nation Alliance. And wasn't the northern region adjacent to Maritime Empire territory?
Of course, perhaps in preparation for this very moment, troops mustered through the general mobilization order proclaimed against the Four-Nation Alliance were filling those positions, maintaining a roughly plausible numerical frontage.
But the actual disparity in combat power was like heaven and earth. Yet the Emperor dismissed Duke Schung's opposition with two arguments.
First, regarding the north: the terrain made the probability of a large army gathering and descending extremely low. The reason the Maritime and Federal Empires had always prosecuted war by sea was precisely with such considerations in mind.
Meanwhile, the southern problem was somewhat different.
Even though the expedition had failed, the Four-Nation Alliance would lack the capacity to push north. If they had intended to advance, there should have been some movement when the Empire Coalition declared war and led its fleet south.
Of course, there had been movement.
However, that movement had in fact manifested as actions pulling back from the front. In reality, close to forty thousand Gauri troops had withdrawn, and the remaining allied nations were seen consolidating supplies and otherwise preparing to pull their lines back.
This was plainly interpreted as preparing for a protracted war in anticipation that the empires' strength would diminish after the imperial war.
That assessment had further hastened this decision.
Furthermore... a collection of kingdoms gathering to target an empire?
On this point, even Schung himself found it unconvincing. Even so, Emperor Millior's current strategy was far too audacious.
Commit the entire grand fleet of two hundred fifty ships.
Over forty thousand soldiers, all treated as bait...
That battle was plainly a certain defeat for the Holy Empire. Naval warfare would traditionally be led by the Maritime Empire; that much was obvious. It was a conclusion easily drawn simply by reviewing the supreme commanders of both empires, as provided by imperial spies.
The Maritime Empire, having crowned the naval battle with a great victory, would cede command of the land battle to the Federal Empire. This was what Emperor Millior intended to exploit.
What Emperor Millior was targeting was the cockiness of the Maritime Empire's soldiers, already savoring a major victory, and the pressure weighing on the Federal Empire's supreme commander, who would feel the need to prove something.
No matter how the two empires had allied, there had never been an occasion in history when the Northern and Southern Army Corps converged alongside the Capital Army Corps as they did now.
After all, even the Western Army Corps, currently handling coastal defense, was itself sufficient strength if solely committed to defense.
It was a sweeping stratagem leveraging the weighty name and distinct character of an empire.
An outlandish strategy that no one else could execute—that only Emperor Millior could.
Yet unfortunately, it was also a strategy with a high probability of success. If this plan came to fruition, Emperor Millior could indeed obtain the outcome he desired.
The war against the Four-Nation Alliance was not Millior's grand objective.
It was merely a pretext—no more than the first stepping stone toward what he truly sought to achieve.
"To catch a great hunter, the bait too must be large. Do you understand, Schung?"
Duke Schung could read the thick scent of ambition seeping through Emperor Millior's gaze.
The ambition he harbored was the path of continental unification.
Precisely that.
* * *
Whoosh—!
Small boats were lowered from the hundreds of ships in the fleet, and soldiers and supplies were loaded onto them at speed. Ahead, dozens of vessels were already alongside the pier, disgorging troops and matériel.
Only the traces of fierce resistance remained around the wharf. But a force of barely two or three thousand could not pin down their advance. In the end, after resisting for a time, the defenders had receded like an ebbing tide.
"As expected, the defensive garrison on the wharf itself was light."
At Duke Shuo's remark, delivered with a faint smile, Marquis Millium, who had been inhaling deep lungfuls of the land's air, replied with a visibly lighter expression.
"That is because the terrain here is disadvantageous for repelling an attack from the sea. It is also difficult to station a large force."
"That is apparent to the eye as well."
At Marquis Millium's explanation, Duke Shuo nodded as he surveyed the surroundings. Marquis Millium continued his explanation for Duke Shuo.
"The enemy has likely established their position on the Palancia Plains, just beyond the harbor hills. That side will be far easier for troop deployment and defense."
"Hm, I am aware of that as well. Is that not a perennial battlefield of the imperial wars?"
When Duke Shuo answered with a slight wrinkle of his nose, Marquis Millium, who had been rambling, let out an awkward laugh.
"Ho ho ho, it seems I was being overeager to display my knowledge."
"In any event, I shall handle the unloading of supplies here, so from now on, show us your skill, Marquis Millium."
Duke Shuo spoke with a visibly encouraged expression, and Marquis Millium mounted his horse as he replied.
"Heh heh. I, too, should win enough glory to stand beside your victory, Duke Shuo."
"I shall look forward to it."
Leaving Duke Shuo's voice behind him, the smile vanished from Marquis Millium's face as he began spurring his horse forward.
'He acts as if he's already won, against an enemy not even a third his size...'
The Holy Empire's true strength lay precisely in land warfare. Marquis Millium therefore judged that the outcome of this war would be decided according to his own capabilities, and his assessment was accurate.
Nevertheless, it was an undeniable fact that Duke Shuo's victory grated on him, however slightly.