306. The War of Puppets (3)
Fernandez’s journey was anything but smooth. The traditional attire of Kirzat covered almost the entire body to preserve body temperature in the hot, dry land, making it difficult to tell they were from the east if they kept their mouths shut.
Shaksisi ensured the tranquility of the journey. It was the Sultan’s order. All they had to do was ride in a comfortable carriage along the highway. Shaksisi handled all external affairs, and there was no inconvenience during the trip.
“This is a first for me!”
“Hmm. The goddess is pleased. This is what a proper country should be like.”
Kirhas and Freya seemed quite satisfied with the journey. She was right. A leisurely trip like this, progressing as if on a tour without any anxiety, was a first in Fernandez’s operations so far.
-Slow.
‘There are many people. And there’s no reason to hurry. Sometimes it’s not bad.’
Strictly speaking, this operation is just a verification process. It’s a preemptive action. If signs of Karadskar are confirmed as prophesied, we will respond on the spot; if not, we will cooperate with the Sultan to strengthen the defense against the White Country Demons.
Karadskar is a figure after the dark Erik, meaning there are still over 30 years left. Although history has been somewhat twisted by Turgenjin’s assassination by Iron Side, it is unlikely to be a major variable at this time.
Only two years. That’s the time left for Fernandez. And it’s more than enough time to lead negotiations between the two great powers and establish a perfect defense network against the White Country Demons. First, secure the Church’s agreement, then build up the heretics lurking within each country, and slowly clean up…
-Clunk!
“Oof!”
At that moment, the carriage suddenly stopped. Shaksisi, who was inside the carriage, hastily waved his hand. It meant he would handle any situation first.
“We are close to the heart of our country. Lord Sernerd, I will go and check the situation.”
“Hmm. Please do.”
Shaksisi nodded slightly and headed outside the carriage. But soon, the carriage door opened wide, and sunlight poured in.
“What’s going on?”
“You might need to come out for a moment…”
Before stepping out of the carriage, Fernandez lightly placed his hand on the sword hilt and hid his other hand in his sleeve. Outside, he could clearly sense the presence of many armed individuals.
Feeling the same, the rest of the group also secretly prepared for battle and headed outside.
“Don’t be too alarmed. This is not a situation where we intend to harm you.”
Outside, Shaksisi smiled bitterly. But Fernandez said nothing and looked around.
On the highway, armed soldiers on horseback were looking down at them. Through the heavy helmets unique to Kirzat, which pressed down on their entire faces, their sharp eyes gleamed.
Fernandez tightened his grip on the sword hilt and turned to Shaksisi.
“What is this now?”
“If you’re surprised, I sincerely apologize, sir. The great sun of our country wishes to summon you personally. I will explain on the way.”
“To Al Zahra? But first, we need to survey the plains…”
“Your words were correct, sir. The Sultan admires your insight and that of your sovereign and wishes to hear your wisdom. He also wants to secure a promise of future support as you mentioned.”
“What on earth… Wait. My words were correct?”
Though the conversation was brief, the atmosphere and Shaksisi’s forced smile seemed to explain everything. Fernandez couldn’t help but think of the worst-case scenario.
The conditions he had conveyed to Shaksisi were as follows: after confirming the situation of the White Country Demons, they would establish a joint defense line between Leviathan and Kirzat through an agreement with the Sultan. Discussions to secure maritime trade routes for smooth material exchange would follow.
But now, skipping all those steps, even the Sultan’s elite soldiers were personally escorting him to Kirzat’s capital, Al Zahra. Fernandez hoped his hypothesis was wrong, but he sensed it wasn’t.
Somehow, the White Country Demons’ forces had been exposed. And now, mentioning ‘support promises’ at this point… it meant the situation was very difficult.
The shock and confusion were brief. Shaksisi seemed surprised by Fernandez’s demeanor. For a young nobleman in his early twenties, he was too composed and calm.
“How far have they reached now?”
“Truly… you are remarkable.”
Shaksisi couldn’t help but deeply admire Fernandez’s words. He had grasped the reality from the context of the conversation and the surrounding situation and was already considering future strategies.
It wasn’t just the demeanor of a warrior, noble, or commander. It was closer to that of a seasoned commander. That young man had recognized in that brief conversation that the White Country Demons’ forces had invaded Kirzat.
“The conversation is quick, so I’ll explain briefly on the way. First, five cities near the plains… Ajman, Al Ain, Shayhan, Kahet, and Ismahan are burning, and we cannot predict their future path.”
“Cannot predict…?”
“The five cities I mentioned have no commonality except being near the plains. Their directions, routes, and the importance of preserved goods and trade items are entirely different. They are rampaging like bandits, scattering without any specific strategic targets.”
“It’s a swarm.”
“…What?”
“That’s their tactic. If it’s like that, it means their command is solid. Time is urgent. Hey, you!”
Fernandez turned his head and shouted at the nearest soldier. The man in steel armor was startled by the sudden Kirzat language.
Fernandez continued fluently in Kirzat.
“Lend me your horse. I’ll return it at the Sultan’s palace in Al Zahra!”
Amid the sudden commotion, the cavalryman stammered to find words, but Shaksisi nodded with a bitter smile. The horseman soon dismounted. Fernandez almost flew onto the horse and shouted.
“Time is urgent, so I’ll skip the formalities. The escort is not for my personal safety but for my party’s safety! You, follow me!”
“Si, sir! Ugh!”
Shaksisi was suddenly lifted by Fernandez. Seeing a sturdy adult man being lifted with one hand, the cavalrymen were too stunned to react.
After placing Shaksisi behind the saddle, Fernandez grabbed the reins and spurred the horse. The warhorse almost flew forward.
“Uh… what… Abel, what should we do now?”
“Hmm. Let’s follow for now. It seems something has happened.”
“No, more importantly, the only two people who could communicate here are gone now…?”
The group faced Fernandez, who was leaving, and the cavalry staring intently at them. The chieftain of the wilderness, the ancient dragon, and the northern goddess had no choice but to stand quietly, observing the cavalry of the distant land, unable to exchange a single word.
* * *
On the galloping horse, Shaksisi panted in confusion. As a top-notch spy, he was naturally confident in his martial arts and combat skills. However, in the brief moment of being subdued and dragged away by Fernandez, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the young man’s martial prowess.
“Situation, ugh! Explanation! If you could just slow down a bit……!”
“No time. Be careful not to bite your tongue.”
Fernandez spoke in an almost indifferent tone to Shaksisi, who was struggling to speak while riding at nearly full speed.
“Their strength?”
“Not… not clear yet!”
“First encounter?”
“Reported five days ago! First battle was four days ago…….”
“First capture?”
“Three days ago…! Ugh!”
Fernandez gripped the reins roughly and skillfully kicked the horse’s side to maintain speed. The road was clean, but he was steering the horse off the path toward the wilderness.
The uneven path caused the horse to stumble over rocks, the impact reverberating up to the saddle. Shaksisi urgently shouted.
“The way to Al Zahra is…!”
“This is the shortcut.”
“Have you been here before?”
“I’ve seen a map.”
Diemonica’s animal-like sense of direction was precise enough to guide Zephis and his crew straight through the North Sea. If that was possible on the featureless ocean, it was even clearer on land with plenty of landmarks.
In Fernandez’s mind, the terrain marked on the map was forming a three-dimensional image. Even while riding, he scanned his surroundings, gauging his position and direction based on the sun’s height and time difference.
Shaksisi was speechless at the sight. Fernandez’s situational judgment, execution, and personal martial prowess were beyond ordinary. Shaksisi even felt a hint of fear.
“So, the first encounter was followed by a battle the next day, and the castle fell immediately after.”
“That’s the lord’s incompetence……”
“Of course not. That’s not what I meant.”
Shaksisi tried to explain, not wanting to advertise his country’s military incompetence to an envoy from a hypothetical enemy. But Fernandez shook his head cleanly.
It wasn’t about the lord or the border troops’ incompetence. It was the opposite. The enemy had launched a perfect surprise attack, and the fact that the lords had led their troops out to counter it proved their military competence.
They had acted swiftly and wisely by not just defending the castle but actively engaging the enemy. But their opponent was bad.
They likely suffered near-crippling losses in the first battle. Seeing the enemy forces surrounding the castle, the command inside probably decided to surrender. A city’s castle is different from a fortress. Its fall would mean the annihilation of its citizens.
Civilized nations don’t annihilate cities after capturing them, even if they loot. There’s no point in occupying a city if it can’t function. So, the castle’s command likely surrendered, offering wealth in exchange for the people’s lives.
And Karadskar kills everyone taller than a cartwheel. They’re a calamity, beyond human logic.
“I understand. The first encounter was likely a small cavalry unit, which would mean the enemy’s scouts.”
Assuming a typical cavalry formation, encountering enemy cavalry would suggest their total strength.
But if that scouting force annihilated our troops, and the cavalry surrounding the castle exceeded common sense in numbers, the lord would naturally overestimate the enemy’s strength. Even if they chose to defend, they wouldn’t last more than a day.
The lord requests a meeting and opens the gates. The enemy enters, laughing, enjoying the city’s wealth and luxuries. Shortly after, the disarmed city turns into a slaughterhouse.
Cities ignorant of the enemy’s nature, even dismissing the Bai Kingdom’s nomadic tribes as mere poor nomads, faced an unstoppable disaster. So, it was inevitable.
“By any chance, could we meet Iron Side stationed in Al Zahra?”
“Ah, there’s no Iron Side in Al Zahra!”
“I figured as much.”
“……”
Shaksisi frowned and lowered his head. The Empire surely had spies in Kirzat, and Kirzat naturally knew their identities. The reason they didn’t eliminate Iron Side within was simple: visible spies are safer than invisible ones.
This is a common intelligence strategy in civilized nations. Even if exposed, enemy spies aren’t assassinated without special reason, just thoroughly monitored.
Nations like the Empire and Kirzat, which rigorously cultivate intelligence resources, now distinguish between overtly designed spies and covert real agents. So, Fernandez’s request was to meet such individuals.
“You’re an agent trained by Iron Side, aren’t you?”
“No. I just have some connection with Count Tremule of the court.”
“……!”
Count Tremule of the court was widely known as the head of Iron Side, a great noble, guest of the Elf unified dynasty’s monarch, the Empire’s secret envoy, and Tremule’s close friend? Shaksisi shook his head, finding it increasingly hard to grasp the man before him.
“Iron Side’s reports are the fastest channel to Count Tremule’s ears among all the Empire’s reporting means. And Count Tremule would never ignore my words. This is the only way to respond to this situation as quickly as possible.”
“Why the rush? Their advance is faster than expected, and their forces are fierce, but our country is not weak. A couple of surprise attacks might have worked, but ultimately, their legions are cavalry-heavy, and we have numerous anti-cavalry strategies.”
“Five cities have fallen, you said.”
“……Yes.”
“How many more do you think will fall by the time this conversation ends?”
Fernandez spurred his horse onward.
“And their formation isn’t just focused on cavalry anymore. It might have been before, but not now. If five cities have fallen, all the weapons stored there have been seized, and they can now switch troop types more flexibly than any legion before.”
The Bai Kingdom’s nomadic tribes are poor. Except for their skill on horseback, they’re hardly more effective than well-trained conscripts.
But. Not being specialized in a particular troop type means they can be utilized as any type with the right equipment. Even more skilled on horseback than anyone in civilized society.
Give them bows, and they become archer cavalry. Arm them well and give them spears, and they’re shock cavalry. Equip them with full armor, and they’re heavy cavalry; light armor and swift horses make them light cavalry.
Their danger lies in their infinite flexibility, something never seen before. The resources they swallow directly contribute to their troop diversity.
With Karadskar’s arrival now certain, these are the foes civilized society must face.
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