Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Iron Emperor — Chapter 71
Contrary to Risel's initial worries, the war preparations left no visible gaps. In fact, war preparations were precisely where they could demonstrate their full capability. Perhaps because of that, the Gauri soldiers directing the civilians moved with rationality and efficiency.
"Your Majesty."
"What is it?"
After that day, all the commanders had adopted military protocol for their reports, keeping ceremonies brief. The letter Mong Ryu-hwa brought contained reports from Beron and Darun, who had been dispatched with the trading company that departed from Gowin Domain some time ago out of the need for better intelligence.
[At present, North Roselin has made a sudden declaration of war, and South Roselin has also deployed all its forces to the border, where they are locked in fierce confrontation. Because the border they face is narrow, the fighting has produced no easy outcome so far, as with any war, and South Roselin seems to expect that it can achieve a defensive victory in this conflict.
However, the problem is ......(omitted)...... there are rumors quietly circulating that they intend to bypass the Holy Empire and strike South Roselin from the rear, exploiting their complacency. Credible evidence of this is that our trading company, despite holding the sales rights for the war supplies, is now heading toward South Roselin rather than North Roselin. Since a company authorized by the Holy Empire would have no reason to travel to South Roselin, it is clear that the rumor is, to some extent, accurate. We will verify further and dispatch another letter.
— Darun —]
Jin-cheon, having read through the letter, looked back at the soldiers moving busily about. Timing was the most critical factor in war. He could feel his own impatience growing. Even so, he did not open his mouth to hurry anyone. Because that fact was already known to everyone.
* * *
The Roselin border.
At the border that divided north and south, vultures circled, pecking at the eyes of corpses to fill their hungry bellies.
The sight of bodies lying scattered everywhere was enough to make a living person frown. There is nothing more foolish than a human raising a blade to kill another human.
But these were times of war. To stay alive, you had to kill. From bodies sprawled with swords driven into each other's hearts, to a corpse missing an arm and both legs yet still gripping a blade in its one remaining hand. They had fought to their very last moment.
"Damn it, this thing won't come loose."
"No time. Just cut it."
A soldier clearing the battlefield was trying to pry a sword from a dead soldier's hand. The dead could not be helped. The living needed weapons if they were to keep surviving on the battlefield. The quickest source of iron for making weapons was also the battlefield itself.
"Fucking North Roselin bastards."
Thwack!
"Khaak, pteh!"
A curse burst out roughly.
Having cut off the dead soldier's fingers to free the sword, the man kicked the corpse and spat. The word "kinsmen" was meaningless once blades were drawn. They were nothing more and nothing less than beings bent on taking your life.
"Hey! Let's move, hurry."
"Wait, bring that cart over there!"
Today, South Roselin had won, which was why they could scavenge spoils from the bodies littering the field.
"These bastards, getting beaten every day and still so persistent."
"Right."
The South Roselin army had fought three engagements since North Roselin's declaration of war and had won all three. So the soldiers' morale was soaring sky-high.
"Come on, let's get back before dark."
"Let's."
"Pull back!"
The veteran soldier's shout echoed across the quiet battlefield.
Despite three successive victories, the South Roselin camp maintained a solemn atmosphere.
"How is the soldiers' morale?"
"They haven't let their guard down yet. After all, aren't they the finest elite troops of South Roselin?"
"Mm."
Marquis Helios Baikal, the commander-in-chief of the South Roselin army, heard his adjutant's report, yet his expression refused to relax.
"Don't you find it strange?"
"In what regard?"
His adjutant, Baron Silen Bels, cautiously returned Marquis Baikal's question.
"It's too easy. Wouldn't you agree?"
"......."
Baron Bels seemed to share a similar feeling, maintaining silence for a moment. Then a voice broke in.
"An envoy has come from North Roselin."
"Grrn."
At the knight's report upon entering the tent, Marquis Baikal's brow furrowed. An envoy had come without fail on the day of the first battle and again on the second.
"Well, what is it?"
"A demand for surrender. Your rank will be guaranteed, they say......"
"Heh heh."
With an expression that said he had expected as much, Marquis Baikal let out a laugh. His adjutant, Baron Bels, however, was hot-blooded; his face flushed crimson with fury.
"I'll take his head right now—!"
"Stop."
Marquis Baikal restrained Baron Bels, who was about to rush out drawing his longsword, and told the knight to wait while he wrote a reply.
"......."
"That'll do."
Marquis Baikal rolled up the parchment, sealed it with his signet, and handed it to the knight.
"Take this carefully and deliver it to the envoy."
"Yes."
Once the knight had respectfully taken the letter and departed, a smile spread across Marquis Baikal's face.
* * *
[To His Grace, Duke Camillien Perren Roselin.
Was there something to scavenge that you crawled into North Roselin?
Was living here with a full belly and a warm back not enough?
That you would urge me to surrender — it seems you cannot remember who has been the victor and who the vanquished these past three days. This marquis is greatly concerned for Your Grace's senility.
Yet since you have urged me to surrender, I shall set a condition. If I should surrender, would you grant me all of North Roselin as my domain? In that case, I shall consider it. Ah! For that, I would desire His Grace Duke Perren's fresh head; if it is all the same, would you oblige by severing it as well?
No?
Then I shall see you on the battlefield tomorrow.
— Helios Baikal —]
"You son of a biiiiiiitch!"
Crash!
"Huff, huff, huff!"
"Do calm yourself."
Perhaps because he had read it to the end, Duke Perren's face was burning red. A faint smile flickered at the corner of the mouth of the man restraining him.
'If it were only your head, I would trade it to Marquis Baikal this very moment.'
Outwardly consoling him, Count Seilr Muien inwardly sneered. Duke Perren, a duke in name only, was far less appealing to him than Marquis Baikal, the War God of the East.
"Count Muen, can you see this and still stay calm!"
"Duke Perren, it is mere mischief meant to provoke your anger. Why do you grow so agitated?"
"Count Muen! No matter what, he was once a duke of South Roselin!"
Watching Duke Perren fuming, Count Muen clicked his tongue inwardly.
'A man who holds the title of a nation's duke coveted the throne and, when he failed, defected to an enemy kingdom — what madman would look kindly upon that?'
On the contrary, Count Muen found Marquis Baikal's letter rather satisfying. The man called Duke Perren was utterly good for nothing.
His own kingdom had deliberately given him the title of supreme commander and placed a suitable force under him so that he would ruin everything by himself. It was not the main force, of course. It was a phantom army with numbers roughly inflated.
With a phantom army and a phantom commander, there was no chance the war would be fought properly. The past three days had amply demonstrated his capability. One fortunate thing was that Duke Perren was a coward.
South Roselin's Eastern Army, led by Marquis Baikal, numbered forty thousand troops. Duke Perren's force tasked with attacking it had initially been seventy thousand. Yet under Duke Perren's command, ten thousand were devoured in the very first clash. While Marquis Baikal's Eastern Army had suffered only around two thousand casualties.
Two more engagements followed after that, but unlike the first day, each resulted in only around three thousand casualties. This was not because Duke Perren's command had suddenly improved by leaps and bounds. It was because, the moment the lines began to crumble, he spouted nonsense about a tactical withdrawal and always fled first.
Thus the time was too short for the soldiers to even be cut down properly, and South Roselin's Eastern Army watched the fleeing North Roselin troops with wonder shortly after each battle began. He was probably the commander who had executed the fastest retreat in the annals of North-South Roselin warfare.
'Well, as long as the objective of buying time is met, it's fine.'
Count Muen consoled himself in his own way.
* * *
In Hebrion Palace, located at the heart of the South Roselin royal capital Roselian, the news of victory from the battlefield eased the anxious hearts. The Eastern Army had fought well against a force numbering seventy thousand.
"Ho ho ho, as expected of Marquis Baikal."
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
With three consecutive days of victory, the tension seemed to have loosened somewhat; King Dislion Elyuan Roselin wore a constant smile. The expressions of the other nobles filling the great hall were also bright. One noble stepped forward from the side, bowed to King Elyuan, and spoke.
"Your Majesty, the fifty thousand reinforcements dispatched from the capital will join the Eastern Army tomorrow, so we may consider the war as good as over. No, if we manage this well, we could even aim to recover our lost territories."
"However, the war is not yet over. I ask that everyone keep that firmly in mind."
King Elyuan's expression grew cautious as he addressed the surrounding nobles with a prudent demeanor.
"What do you lords think the course of this war will be?"
At the King's question, he saw the nobles hesitating. The sight made King Elyuan feel frustrated. Finally, a noble of military background, who had been standing by silently, rose with a bow and began to address King Elyuan.
"Like Your Majesty's concerns, your humble servant also has a few suspicions."
"Oh, Viscount Hebeok, speak."
King Elyuan's face brightened as he looked at Viscount Manyuon Hebeok. Yet, in contrast to the King's bright expression, the Viscount's face seemed troubled, as if something did not sit right with him. King Elyuan was not one to miss that.
"Viscount Hebeok."
"Ah, my apologies."
Only when King Elyuan prompted him once more did the Viscount bow his head and begin to present his opinion.
"First, under the present circumstances, I believe it would be best to withdraw Marquis Baikal to the rear and place someone else in his position."
"What do you mean by that?"
King Elyuan's eyes widened enormously at the Viscount's remark.
Would it not be incomprehensible to remove Marquis Baikal when he was fighting so successfully? Yet King Elyuan, in the interest of prudence, asked the Viscount again as if to confirm.
"Viscount Hebeok, surely you have a reason?"
"It is not yet certain, but a piece of intelligence of grave significance has been received."
"What is it? Tell us."
Having piqued the King's curiosity, Viscount Hebeok began his explanation with an apologetic expression.
"First, there is the matter of the enemy's reported strength of seventy thousand."
"Mm."
"Looking at the way that army has been fighting, it is abundantly clear that, except for the first day's battle, they have been deliberately buying time."
"Such localized battles have occurred before."
Another voice cut in, interrupting Viscount Hebeok's explanation. It was Count Miyol Sejar, the commander-in-chief of the capital army. Viscount Hebeok composed himself and carried on.
"Of course, similar localized battles have occurred before, but the situation then was different. While the previous battles were simply localized engagements, this time a man who coveted the throne has entered an enemy kingdom."
"......."
"Given that situation, the current offensive can only be regarded with suspicion. Now that the Holy Empire has openly thrown its support behind North Roselin, the battles fought so far can be seen as little more than a stalling tactic."
At Viscount Hebeok's words, looks of doubt passed over the nobles' faces.
"According to the intelligence I mentioned, merchants from the Haian Kingdom are not heading to North Roselin but are coming toward South Roselin. That is the strange part."
"What is strange about that? In a situation where supplies are short, is it not welcome that they come here carrying goods we would have to buy at a premium?"
Viscount Hebeok felt exasperated with Count Sejar, the capital army commander. With the Holy Empire openly backing North Roselin, there was no reason it would stand by and watch supplies being sold to South Roselin.
"Even if that trading company came to sell us supplies, do you imagine the Holy Empire would look on idly?"
"I have already concluded a secret agreement with that trading company. They are companies that have pledged to send supplies to me."
"......!"
"Ohhh!"
At Count Sejar's words, astonishment appeared on the faces of the nobles in the great hall. Even Viscount Hebeok, who had just been speaking fervently, showed a flash of bewilderment.
"Hmm. Your Majesty, you need not worry. In the east we have Marquis Baikal, and here in Hebrion Palace, I am guarding."
With matters having reached this point, Viscount Hebeok could say no more and had to withdraw.
'That cannot be possible.'
Even from an objective perspective, South Roselin was a dying flame. Yet would there really be a trading company willing to take such a risk, no matter the profit? One from Haian Kingdom, at that. Viscount Hebeok bit his lip and looked at the nobles laughing in the great hall. What was evident from the laughter resounding through the hall was one simple fact: the word "if" did not exist in their minds.