“Damn it all. Those filthy, despicable, beastly scoundrels!!”
Duke Sephor gritted his teeth so hard they might shatter as he rode his horse. Around him, the remnants of his principality’s forces marched, looking like a defeated rabble.
It felt utterly miserable. Not a single battle had been fought. Not even one.
“How far have those filthy half-breeds advanced?”
“Bülrang still stands, but Lailen, Moras, and Hafen are under siege.”
“Damn it! Lailen is right in front of Bülrang!”
No retainer dared to answer the Duke’s outburst. The capital was within reach, the justification was clear, and the capital’s forces were barely a handful. Until news arrived of the opposing forces rising in Ribue, the morale of the principality’s army had been sky-high.
“Ha, six thousand? Even if we gather all the capital’s militia, it won’t reach ten thousand. I heard they barely scraped together a force from the wasteland, and that’s all they have? This is good news. It’s a chance to show how strong the men of Bülrang are!”
Indeed, Duke Sephor had been overjoyed at the news of Duke Erbe’s advance and spurred his own march. He would protect the capital, which was struggling to maintain order due to the lack of troops. His obvious plan was to seize control of the military power near the capital by force and transfer the throne.
And there was no opposing Duke to stand in his way. Those who might have opposed him had conveniently been caught up in the rebellion of the Second Prince.
“That fool wants to kill his own father? I should lend him a hand. Ah, Shield, the crown is calling me!”
The Duke had never considered failure. But now. The militarily empty region of Bülrang was burning, suddenly attacked by a band of marauders.
“Screech…….”
The cry of a hawk echoed from somewhere. Bülrang frowned as he looked at the mountain path. His forces were nervously entering the narrow pass.
“This doesn’t feel right.”
“Huh?”
“Any news from the scouts?”
“Grand Duke Carvelier is still stationed near Paltennoia. There’s news that the Chieftain of the Beastman Nobles has led some of their forces toward Ribue.”
“Good. That lowly woman will soon have her chance. That’s fine.”
Sephor spoke as he gazed at the dense mountain. Early summer evening. Once they clear this mountain ridge, a wide plain stretches out. That means, if anyone were to attempt a night raid, there’s no better place than these hills…
‘There are no enemy forces nearby to attempt a night raid.’
Sephor shook his head, trying to dispel his thoughts. Duke Erbe hadn’t sent any detachments, and the Chieftain’s cavalry numbered only three to four hundred at most, while his own forces were a grand army of fifteen thousand.
‘But something feels off…’
Fernandez sat on a tree, watching the soldiers walking below the mountain pass. Faijashi sniffed mischievously and teased.
“Smells like defeat.”
‘It’s going to get stronger, what are you talking about?’
Faijashi and Fernandez chuckled together. The most important factors in noble society were ‘justification’ and ‘face,’ and Sephor was retreating, having lost the battle of justification.
Sephor’s initial justification was ‘protecting the Imperial Palace.’ He intended to fill the security vacuum in the Imperial Capital with his own military force. But the fact that he mobilized fifteen thousand troops and led the entire army himself naturally implied other intentions.
In response, Duke Erbe also claimed ‘protecting the Imperial Palace.’ When two nobles with the same justification clash, the one with the greater military force usually wins. Thus, a battle seemed inevitable.
Fifteen thousand versus six thousand. Not all wars are decided by numerical superiority, but fundamentally, battles are a numbers game. An absolute disadvantage in numbers can never be overturned by individual skill.
Hence, the ‘battle of justification.’
“Partak. How far have the ‘raiders’ advanced?”
“As you commanded, they are attacking all urban areas except Bülrang.”
“Any successful sieges?”
“Not likely.”
A chuckle came from the torch Fernandez was holding. Partak spoke in a grim voice.
“No matter how much those beastman raiders boast, they can’t bring down city walls. And the warriors who joined the raid are just a bunch of nobodies.”
Fernandez smirked at those words. Officially, the beastman warriors attacking Bülrang are ‘rebels’ opposing Kirhas’s rule. And though they are causing a great stir across the territory, their numbers are few.
The real main force. The true main force of Kirhas’s tribal warriors is advancing from the Great Wilderness. No matter how meticulously prepared, it takes time to gather troops in a tribal society.
Thus, those currently looting are nothing more than a ‘detachment.’ The ‘invincible’ legion the beastmen boast of is probably just now in the eastern region of the Great Wilderness.
It’s a battle of justification. Will a man who can’t even protect his own territory bring his entire army to support the Imperial Capital? This kind of mockery will spread through noble society. Duke Sephor’s face has already hit rock bottom.
For the sake of face alone, Duke Sephor had to head to Bülrang. Moreover, didn’t Kirhas say it herself?
“Those who oppose my rule are traitors, and I will personally judge them.”
Judging them is fine. But where will that be? Since the traitors are in Bülrang, doesn’t that mean she intends to lead her main force to Bülrang? From Sephor’s perspective, it’s enough to drive him mad.
‘He’s fallen into his own trap.’
Kirhas moved her troops with the exact same logic as protecting the capital. There’s still some time before they arrive, but in the worst case, they might have to prepare for a battle.
If a battle occurs within the territory, the surrounding regions will burn and turn to ruins. The territory’s productivity will plummet to less than half. Sephor had to quickly suppress the rebels within his territory and destroy Kirhas’s justification.
Since we’ve taken care of the rebel judgment, we expect compensation. This kind of scenario would be best for him. Therefore.
“If he wants that, do the opposite.”
In his previous life, Sephor was the second man to burn the capital.
And Faijashi was the third man to burn the capital.
And the first man to ‘destroy’ the capital.
“Now, let’s teach them a lesson.”
With his words, the three hundred cavalry waiting on the mountain ridge began to charge down the slope.
Kirhas’s most powerful cavalry, the ones called ‘beasts’ in civilized society.
For the first time, they began to bare their fangs at civilized society.
