The Shadow of Granuuk Hill
“……What?”
Ulgraak’s expression hardened in an instant.
It was well past midnight. The scout who should have returned on schedule to make his report had not come back.
A Kar warrior continued speaking.
“I sent warriors that way just in case…… but it seems we’ll need a little more time before we learn what happened.”
“……”
Ulgraak fell silent. The fact that the scout had not returned even this far past midnight meant……
“So they’re moving after all.”
In the present situation, what Ulgraak considered most important were noon and midnight—two reports a day. There was no way Korgash, who had gone out with the scouting party, would have failed to keep that schedule. In the end, the situation was sliding toward the worst possible outcome.
Swoosh.
Ulgraak rose from his seat. Korgash’s failure to return could only mean that the warriors there had already been wiped out. Yet one thing still struck him as strange.
Wiping out a hidden scouting party…… means there’s someone nearby who knows the terrain well?
It was a situation that defied ordinary thinking. The Imperial bastards had occupied the southern reaches of Elbarphiel Lake before, but they could not possibly know the terrain here completely. And to find and annihilate an ambushed scouting party?
“……”
An incomprehensible situation had unfolded. Yet Ulgraak did not dwell on it long. Whatever the cause, the situation had already come to pass. That meant he had to restructure the operation to match the present reality.
Ulgraak strode straight out of the tent and called for his deputy.
“Moldur!”
At his shout, Moldur burst from a nearby tent as if springing from a bowstring. His bound hair was tangled from sleep, but his eyes were razor-sharp.
“What is it, Taman?”
It was the hour when everyone except the sentries was resting. In this period when recovery was desperately needed after the recent battle, being summoned so suddenly could only mean something critical had occurred. And as expected—
“Assemble the warriors. The Imperial dogs are coming this way.”
“……Understood.”
They were moving far faster than he had anticipated. He had believed they could buy at least another week. The one fortunate point was that, considering the scale of the Imperial forces, it would still take them at least two or three more days to reach this place.
“I’ll prepare at once.”
Before then, they had to secure their position perfectly and ready themselves for battle. As Moldur hurriedly gathered the warriors and began preparations, Ulgraak turned and re-entered the tent.
The situation was clearly unfavorable. But it is the same for them. If they fought under equal conditions, there was no reason to lose. They were warriors renowned for their bravery even among the Kar tribe. Moreover, this was their territory. If the Imperial dogs set foot here carelessly, they would suffer the same great catastrophe they had endured before.
Thud.
Inside the tent, Ulgraak unwrapped the bandage around his left shoulder and rewound it. Pain throbbed beneath the tightly bound cloth, yet he donned his armor as though nothing were amiss.
“……”
A few more days of recovery and he would be able to use his left arm freely. Knowing there was no leisure for that, however, he too hurried back outside.
“All assembled, Taman.”
The eyes of the warriors gathered with Moldur gleamed with fierce light. Some among them bore minor wounds, yet they seemed not to care in the slightest. Ulgraak nodded.
“Have those who cannot move continue their treatment. The rest will all move to Granuuk Hill.”
Granuuk Hill lay a little closer to their own formation than the place where the scouting party had been attacked. The southern formation of Elbarphiel Lake was shaped like the groove of a hook; Granuuk Hill, nestled in its corner, was the place best optimized to block the Imperial army’s advance. Of course the Imperials would know the danger and proceed with caution.
But knowing does not mean they can stop it.
Once they came that way, the path would narrow while a high wall rose on the left. It was a place where forming proper ranks was nearly impossible for the Imperial army. Therefore—
“We seize Granuuk Hill at once. If we fight there, they will have only the narrow flat ground to use. We take position and wait for the Imperial army.”
“Understood.”
If it was the Imperial main force, their numbers would easily exceed a thousand. Naturally their formation would stretch long.
“If they cannot form ranks, we will cross the hill and strike their flanks and rear at the same time.”
If they made good use of the ambush, they could minimize their own warriors’ losses and annihilate the Imperial army. At Ulgraak’s words the Kar warriors’ eyes flashed with savage light. They had suffered a recent defeat, yet they still carried the memory of a great victory against the Imperial main force. It was time to imprint that terror upon them once more.
As the Kar warriors moved toward Granuuk Hill, an indescribable resolve settled thickly across their backs.
“……”
Hadel stared at the head of the Kar commander and felt his words catch in his throat. He had never imagined the Kar tribe would be running scouting parties this quickly.
Considering the scale of their losses…… right now they should be hard-pressed just to reorganize their main force.
Pulling a dozen warriors aside to operate a scouting party meant—
“They were already certain we would move?”
“That seems likely.”
Arteon, who had brought the head of the Kar scouting party’s leader—Korgash—nodded at Hadel’s words. Nothing else would explain a scouting party moving so soon. Moreover……
If it was him……
Arteon was certain that was exactly what Ulgraak would have done. And perhaps the Kar warlord already grasped their advance and was preparing even now. They had crossed blades only once, yet—
He was no ordinary opponent.
In his previous life Arteon had fought the Kar tribe for a very long time. Even so, he had rarely seen eyes like those. Insight that seemed to pierce straight through a situation—knowing exactly how to inflict a fatal wound, sensing the precise moment an opponent was weakest. That was why, in their last battle, every one of Ulgraak’s nerves had been fixed on Arteon. The warlord had been certain that this young boy would one day inflict terrible damage upon them.
Arteon could not forget the look in Ulgraak’s eyes. A desperate resolve to kill him even at great cost. I still don’t know what he saw in me…… That gaze had been so intense it bordered on obsession. Of course, they were enemies who had to kill each other, so it was only natural in a way……
If we meet again, I’ll find out.
What mattered was that if a Kar like Ulgraak survived, he would become a grave threat later on. Arteon spoke to Hadel.
“If they have already grasped our advance, they will be preparing as well.”
“But they hardly have enough time to prepare properly.”
“If they could send out a scouting party this quickly, I doubt there is anything they cannot do. And once we enter this way……”
Arteon fell silent. The southern side of Elbarphiel Lake. To move toward the Kar formation, they would have to pass a certain place without fail.
They chose ground advantageous for themselves from the start.
The path running beside Granuuk Hill was narrow and stretched a great distance. With a large force moving as they were now, the army would inevitably be vulnerable to defense. That was why they had to locate the enemy first through scouting. After that they would need to divert a small guerrilla force onto the hill or cut off any enemy troops trying to circle to their rear……
And for that, time is required.
Arteon said to Hadel,
“First we must determine how the enemy has formed their ranks.”
“I’ll slow the vanguard and increase the scouting parties. If we push forward recklessly before we know their positions……”
Hadel’s expression darkened. This was the correct course, yet the problem was that the commander was Leorn Valtroon. In the previous battle he had ordered a reckless advance and inflicted irreversible losses. A commander with no grasp of tactics whatsoever, filled only with Imperial pride. This time they had to stop him.
Hadel looked at Arteon.
“Have the current scouting party hold its position. Reporting to the commander comes first.”
“Understood.”
Arteon set the head down and withdrew. As Hadel said, in a situation like this procedure was more important than ever; they had to proceed with the utmost caution.
I hope the conversation goes well.
Yet considering Major Leorn’s nature, it would not be easy. Now that the main force was already on the move, he would want a swift resolution.
Just holding the northeastern Fourth Defense Line without it being breached until now…… should already be considered remarkable.
Seeing it firsthand, the place was an absolute mess. Arteon let out a quiet sigh and returned to where his platoon waited. From here on he had to leave the rest to Hadel. And……
“……?”
Leorn looked at the suddenly halted army with a puzzled expression. Had something gone wrong with the vanguard? Then he saw Hadel riding hard from the distance and rose to his feet.
“What is it? Why has the vanguard stopped?”
At Leorn’s question Hadel explained the situation ahead. Yet—
“Their forces have already been greatly reduced, have they not? Reports said the wounded were in serious condition as well.”
“Even so, this is terrain familiar to them. Advancing blindly when we have no idea where or how they might be ambushing us carries far too much risk.”
Hadel pressed on. Simply focusing on the enemy’s weakened strength ignored the fact that their own forces were far weaker than before as well. As Hadel spoke firmly, Leorn rubbed his chin and pondered.
“Hmm……”
In his heart he wanted to advance at once and sweep them away, yet the losses from the previous clash of main forces had been beyond imagination. Nearly half the main force had been cut down. If something like that happened again, they would not merely fail to take Elbarphiel Lake—they might have to surrender the Fourth Defense Line itself. Still—
“Captain Hadel.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Your words have merit. But if we simply wait after seizing the initiative like this, we only give them time to recover.”
“……?”
Hadel’s pupils wavered. What was he about to say? Then Leorn raised a single finger.
“One day. Send out scouting parties for one day to assess the situation. After that I will advance the main force again and wipe them out completely.”
“……”
Hadel barely managed to swallow the curse that nearly burst from his mouth. One day?
“That is far too short. Simply reaching the areas where we expect ambushes will take considerable time.”
“……Then how much time do you claim is needed?”
“To survey the surrounding terrain and confirm enemy ambushes, I believe four to five days will be required.”
“……Four to five days?”
Leorn’s face twisted for a moment. Then he sighed and spoke.
“I will give you three days. In three days we move the army again. See that you understand.”
Hadel felt a stifling frustration at Leorn’s incomprehensible words. There was no reason to hurry, so why was he rushing like this? Yet—
“……Has the report arrived?”
Leorn moved behind the soldiers and looked at the adjutant following him. The man had narrow, snake-like eyes that left a strong impression. At Leorn’s question he nodded and answered.
“They are expected to arrive within a week at the latest.”
“We must finish this entire fight before then. If we had not started it would be one thing, but now that we have begun, I will not share the credit for this battle.”
Leorn already knew that reinforcements were coming from the west. Because this was a major battle to seize Elbarphiel Lake, a messenger had arrived from the northern corps commander, Velkain.
If the reinforcements arrive…… we could crush them more thoroughly, but even without them we can win easily enough.
If this battle ended in victory, the merit would be incomparably greater than anything that had come before.
“Assemble the scouting parties and order them to move at once. We advance again in two days.”
“Understood.”
At Leorn’s words, thick with greed, the adjutant bowed his head with a faint smile.