The 5th Army of Dedolant was not stationed in their homeland.
Instead, they were currently bunkered down in Benito, acting as self-proclaimed guardians.
Guardians from a foreign army—sounds a bit weird but, surprisingly, it was fitting.
After all, Benito in the southern theater had practically been crippled, losing most of its main force.
And let’s be honest, when you add a little exaggeration, Benito wasn’t much different from the other southern kingdoms.
So how had Benito even stood up against the Holy Kingdom? Or managed to unite the southern kingdoms, even for a brief moment?
It was all because their sheer power overwhelmed everyone else.
But guess what? That power? Yeah, it’s gone now.
All that’s left is the bare minimum for national defense. Every external move to flex their muscle has crumbled.
If Benito were left alone in this situation, everyone knows what would happen. The southern kingdoms suppressed by Benito and the Holy Kingdom would bare their fangs.
And before them, Benito wouldn’t be able to maintain the same imposing image they once had.
“d*mn fools,” a thought echoed amongst the Dedolant officers. “They made an alliance with us just to appear as overlords of the south.”
From Dedolant’s point of view, they wanted fewer fronts to handle. With Benito occupied looking southward, things would’ve been easier for them. That’s why Prince Georg III made the alliance happen.
But then something strange happened. King Andrea II, who suddenly got overly confident from this alliance, made a blunder.
Had he just quietly stayed put, Dedolant would’ve easily taken care of everything. Instead, he made the bizarre decision to foolishly declare war on the Empire.
And even more ridiculous? This declaration flopped spectacularly.
The experienced soldiers Dedolant sent over to train them? Almost all gone. Sure, there were a few left, but not enough to change the overall outcome.
“So here we are,” thought one of the Dedolant commanders. “The 5th Army is stuck in Benito with a whopping 20,000 troops tied down in this dump.”
The officers of Dedolant follow orders. No matter how difficult, no matter how grueling, they carry them out without question.
But staying stuck in some insignificant corner of the south? That was tough to swallow.
After all, Dedolant’s main force had just dealt a devastating blow to the Empire. If the 5th Army, known for its battle-hardened veterans, had been there, they could’ve achieved so much more glory.
Sitting here babysitting Benito wasn’t what this army was meant for.
The fact that valuable troops were stationed here and couldn’t actively fight was a major problem. No matter how you looked at it, everyone was seething with frustration.
Day by day, waiting for Prince Georg’s order to retreat, the officers endured this stagnant situation.
Then one day, a panicked voice interrupted the monotony.
“Sir! Commander! The enemy is attacking! A large force is advancing toward Benito!”
“An army? What army?”
“Based on the banners, it looks like the southern kingdoms.”
The 5th Army’s commander blinked in disbelief. Even though Benito had lost much of its strength, their defense wasn’t entirely obliterated. There were still elite soldiers and new recruits holding the line.
Most importantly, Dedolant’s 5th Army was stationed here. Though outwardly claiming to be non-combatants, they were ready to fight at a moment’s notice.
So why would the nations that trembled before Benito suddenly attack?
Something was definitely up. Any commander who couldn’t sense this much would have no business wearing their rank.
“Send all scouts immediately to recon the area. This is not the main force of the southern kingdoms.”
“Yes, sir.”
As orders were followed, the commander realized something—this moment of calm had been a mere lull. Soon after, he discovered that the Empire’s 4th Army Corps was heading their way.
“Why aren’t these bastards targeting Dedolant directly? Why come through Benito?”
The commander quickly put two and two together. Dedolant’s involvement with Benito had been an attempt to make allies, to share the burden of war. But Benito had bungled it, leaving them vulnerable, and the Empire had capitalized by doubling down.
“What do you want us to do, sir? We have permission to retreat if the situation gets dire.”
“No. We don’t retreat. Even if it’s bad, we must hold this line. If we retreat, Benito will collapse, and Dedolant will be stretched thin fighting both the south and the empire. Our front lines would stretch too far.”
The aides looked at each other, puzzled. Dedolant already had armies here. Why worry about extending fronts now?
The commander clicked his tongue and pointed at the map.
“The presence of Benito matters greatly. If they fall, the Empire and the southern kingdoms will run rampant through our southern territories. But if Benito stands, it’s a different story.”
“They will grit their teeth and fight to survive,” his aide replied.
“Exactly. We can’t give up this region. If we do, Prince Georg’s burden will only grow heavier.”
Fortunately—or so it seemed at first—the opposition was weak. The southern kingdoms’ armies were mere sticks compared to what Dedolant faced before. And even the Empire’s 4th Corps was smaller in size.
Here, Dedolant’s army numbered 20,000, and Benito had managed to bring its forces back up to 30,000.
The attackers had barely over 30,000 troops combined. Meanwhile, the defenders held more than 50,000.
Clearly, the defenders had the advantage. Staying put and defending would reduce Dedolant’s burden significantly.
“Send word to the high command. No need for reinforcements yet. In fact, we could spare 10,000 from the 5th Army and send them back home.”
He felt confident. Benito would be fine—easily defensible.
But mere days later, the commander had to revise this assessment.
“What nonsense is this? Why would enemy forces suddenly swell to 50,000?!”
“I know it’s hard to believe, sir, but it’s accurate reconnaissance. And those 50,000 do not include the existing Empire 4th Corps or the southern kingdom armies!”
“How could this be possible?! Why send 50,000 troops here, to the south, instead of Dedolant itself?!”
How was any of this feasible? Even the Empire couldn’t just mobilize 50,000 troops out of thin air overnight!
Sure, the Empire was vast, with immense resources, but armies aren’t just numbers. If poorly trained masses were thrown into battle haphazardly, even small losses could turn into chaos.
This was basic knowledge. There was no way the Empire’s command structure didn’t understand this.
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, the Empire managed to gather some semi-trained troops capable of putting up a fight. Then why wouldn’t they use them to fill the larger gaps on their western fronts instead? Why pivot their main effort to Benito instead of Dedolant?
“Quickly, revise the report and send it back up the chain.”
“Yes, sir. How should we frame it?”
“Expect a large-scale assault on Benito. We might not hold out with just the 5th Army. In preparation, we need another army on standby for the southern front.”
“But sir, I’m not sure if the homeland has the resources to send reinforcements.”
“If Benito collapses, this will be a must. Hurry up!”
The aide gave a crisp salute and rushed off to relay the message. As he disappeared, the commander of Dedolant’s 5th Army let his forehead rest on his palm. What on earth was going on here?
Why was the Empire committing fully to Benito, not Dedolant? If those 50,000 weren’t hastily conscripted peasants but rather veterans or minimally trained soldiers…
Combined with the existing 4th Corps, they could overwhelm Benito harshly.
Perhaps the 5th Army alone wouldn’t suffice. They might need to request reinforcements. Whether the upper command would send them was a question, but it was better to mention it. At least this way, high command could preemptively prepare for anything.
Back in Dedolant’s command center, the situation was growing increasingly chaotic. Streams of reports from every direction flooded in.
The north of Artria was being ravaged by the Nobogorod’s massive armies. Central Dedolant was still in disarray, with reconnaissance attempts thwarted by large-scale magic.
Only the southern front seemed relatively stable, which gave the strategists some breathing room. Or so they thought.
Suddenly, a series of shocking reports emerged from the south.
[Empire’s 4th Corps, southern kingdoms converge on Benito. The 5th Army can handle it.]
[Previous report revised. Expect an additional contingent of 50,000 Empire troops following.]
[Recon confirms large-scale Imperial movements. Expect a major offensive push in the south.]
Just days ago, the Empire seemed intent on Dedolant’s homeland. But now they sent a massive army of nearly 100,000 troops southward?
“Are they planning to open a southern theater?”
“Are they aiming to take down Benito first and devastate us from the south?”
If Benito fell, what would Dedolant do then?
In response to this alarming news, Dedolant’s leadership quickly began drafting contingency plans. Unfortunately, this delayed the necessary reorganization of the central armies.
Meanwhile, in a completely different report, something even more unconventional came to light.
[Received by the Imperial War Department]
[Seeking painters, sculptors, advertisers, architects, theatrical makeup artists, and actors.]
[No combat skills necessary—basic conscripts also acceptable.]
[To create false impressions of troop movements and bases for the enemy.]
[Establishment plan for the Ghost Legion: ‘Ghost Army’.]
[Sent by the Chief of the Imperial Staff and Acting Chief of Staff for the 1st Army: Kael Klauwitz.]
The war was getting weirder by the day.
