Chapter 316

315. The War of Puppets (12)

The forces of Kirzat had smoothly gathered, and the confrontation between the two military camps was taking place a day’s distance away. About fifty thousand cavalry. No matter which direction they fled, pursuit would be extremely difficult, so from the defender’s perspective, holing up in a fortress was hardly a wise decision.

‘They can never abandon this fortress.’

In the long history of the White Demon Tribe, no chieftain had ever succeeded in advancing beyond this fortress. During the last invasion, Rahot Fortress literally ground down tens of thousands of tribesmen.

Beneath this solid ground, layers of their ancestors’ corpses might be piled up. They probably burned all the bodies before burying them. Therefore, since they had directly provoked them by using this, their top priority must have been the capture of this fortress.

Fernandez nodded as he surveyed the camp. It was indeed a military powerhouse’s preparation. The soldiers’ morale was high, and the quality of their equipment was excellent. It was unlikely to be captured in one fell swoop, and they might even dare to predict victory.

“Sir Sernerd.”

At that moment, someone quietly spoke from behind him. Fernandez, hiding his hands in his sleeves, spoke without turning his head.

“From the Empire?”

It was the Imperial language. Hearing the Imperial language deep within Kirzat’s camp, especially near the Sultan’s camp, which had never been exposed to the outside, was not an ordinary occurrence.

“Yes, Count Tremule of the Palace has sent a message for you.”

Only then did Fernandez turn his head to look at the other person. The man, wearing a deep hood, looked like a Kirzat at least from the visible parts.

A man dressed in the uniform of a Kirzat soldier, with a turban wrapped around his head, bowed his head over the letter.

“The Count has made a difficult decision.”

“Yes, the Count has requested your help for the Empire… but Sir Sernerd, I… we have another request for you.”

“A request?”

-Thud.

At that moment, the man knelt down and bowed his head to the ground. It happened so suddenly that Fernandez was momentarily stunned.

“Please, save the Count.”

“Iron Side’s loyalty exceeds my expectations.”

“I know it’s presumptuous. The Count also did not want to hinder your operation, but right now, the Count’s life is like a candle in the wind. Sir Sernerd.”

Fernandez stroked his chin as he looked at the man bowing earnestly. He soon helped the man up and said,

“There are many eyes watching. I’ll just ask a few things. I need to know the Emperor’s intentions first.”

“His Majesty has issued a summons to the Elector Counts and has evacuated all territories near Bülrang and Ribue.”

“A scorched earth tactic. A proper measure. But time is short.”

“The Count has risked his life to buy that time. He also requested support from the Eastern Kingdom Alliance…”

“That’s a tough one.”

Fernandez cut off the man’s words and stated firmly. It was nearly impossible for the Eastern Kingdom to support the Empire.

“With the retreat from La Merthion, King Vicente has lost much of his voice within the Eastern Kingdom Alliance. And excluding the Dane Royal Family, there are no countries in the Eastern Kingdoms friendly to the Empire now.”

“…That is correct.”

La Merthion. The most prosperous trading city on the Silk Road connecting the Empire to the Eastern Kingdom Alliance. From the moment King Vicente abandoned the city and returned its sovereignty to the House of Bares, the Dane Kingdom lost its voice in the Kingdom Alliance.

From the perspective of the Eastern Kingdoms, they had given up the only foothold to shake off the Empire’s long-standing interference and shadow and advance inland.

As always, King Vicente made a ‘righteous’ decision, but justice is not an essential element of politics. At least not justice without interests.

The Eastern Kingdoms will not help the Empire. If the Empire falls or suffers a major blow and splits, nothing could be more beneficial to them.

“Foolish… it’s foolish! Everyone knows where the enemy forces will head after the Empire falls…!”

“Foolish? It’s almost embarrassing for me to say this, but the Empire has never readily extended a hand during the Eastern Kingdoms’ crises.”

“…Sir Sernerd.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t wish for the Empire’s downfall either.”

Fernandez shook his head and looked at Robert’s letter. Uncharacteristically scribbled on parchment, the ink splattered here and there, seemingly illustrating the urgency of the situation.

Robert was, in this era, one of the most valuable talents among all living heroes, excluding those yet to be born. Rational, communicative, and a figure of power. Losing such a person was painful even for him.

Half of the intelligence and influence that could spread across the Empire was largely due to Robert’s support. Even if this situation were fully resolved, rebuilding the infrastructure he had after his death would be extremely difficult.

‘We must save him.’

-Should we abandon the Kirzat front?

‘Strategy must always be flexible according to the situation. First, we need to understand the situation with the Federation of Nobles.’

As long as he was active on the Kirzat front, rescuing Robert and reversing the situation in the Great Wilderness, where there were almost no meaningful forces, was nearly impossible. He slowly stroked his chin and turned around.

“Follow me. There are too many eyes watching.”

From the sensed presence alone, at least three Shaksisi were watching him. At Fernandez’s words, the man bowed his head and followed him.

* * *

Karadskar’s forces are like a plague. Not only do they devastate every region they occupy, but even their precursors.

Their advance was a predictable yet unavoidable disaster. Even before their forces came into view, mages could anticipate their advance. Ley lines twisted, and magic disintegrated.

Massive noise began to interfere with the flow of magical energy, and soon, even pre-cast spells shattered one by one. Then, the war of bows and arrows, spears and swords arrived. And from that moment, from the moment magic was gone, cavalry became the gods of the battlefield.

-Whoosh.

Fernandez sat in the darkened tent and quietly touched the beastman. It was a tricky task, but it was similar to the sensation of using spells while dismantling dozens of magical wedges one by one. In other words, it meant responding to omnidirectional magical combat every time a spell was cast.

Thus, the spell was completed. Iron Side seemed slightly surprised by this. It was the first time they had seen a mage using a spell just before Karadskar’s advance.

“Partak. Can you hear me?”

-…!

“Can’t you hear me?”

Inside the tent, noisy sounds began to mix from the campfire, which had turned dark green. Communication magic was a delicate spell with many constraints, and it wouldn’t be strange if it failed. But this reaction suggested it wasn’t a complete failure.

Soon, a frantic voice came through the noise.

-My lord! Damn it. Why are you contacting us only now…!

“Explain the situation.”

-We are in Bülrang…





They have given up! They are advancing straight towards the capital of the Empire! We are currently doing our best to delay their advance by holding the mountainous regions!

“Was that the Emperor’s order?”

-No, my lord. It was the prophecy of the High Priestess! The Emperor had already decided to abandon Bülrang. No matter how much we resist, we won’t last more than a few days, so the prophecy suggested retreating and starting our resistance elsewhere.

“The High Priestess? Wise. Is Piel with you right now?”

-Yes, Sir Sernerd. It’s been a while.

Soon, Piel’s voice could be heard amidst the noise. Fernandez nodded briefly and continued.

“How long do you think we can hold out?”

-At most, five days. After that, there will be no way to stop them from advancing towards Paltennoia.

“After five days, do you think the Imperial forces can stop them?”

-If we’re talking about the prophecy, it’s a fifty-fifty chance. Even if we do stop them, the damage will be hard to gauge.

“We only need to stop them once. Piel, are you holding up?”

A brief silence followed Fernandez’s words. Soon, Piel’s voice came from the campfire.

-I finally understand what you meant. Your thoughts are correct. Honestly, even now, it’s hard to hold on.

Piel is a prophet. To put it more academically, she is an information-reflecting entity, capable of reflecting information about specific events at specific times. She is a top-tier information-reflecting entity.

And all who possessed such abilities have, without exception, ended their lives by suicide. It was a kind of mental corruption that even beings with the spirit of an Archangel could not avoid.

-At every moment, I forget myself. The vastness of the events erodes my soul, and the moment I let my guard down, reality and dreams, future and past, all mix together. As you said, it’s painful enough to make me want to die.

“Hold on a little longer.”

Fernandez looked straight into the flames and spoke word by word.

“No matter what happens, I will save you, Piel. Do not die.”

-…Haha, shouldn’t you be saying that to your wives, Sir Sernerd? But… alright. Do you have anything else to say?

“Even if we have to allow a significant number of enemy forces to head towards the capital, we must preserve as many noble soldiers as possible. Can you do that?”

-It’s not a difficult task. You… trust the Emperor, don’t you?

“There are few others to trust. You know that.”

-The Emperor of that era was a great hero. Understood.

If the Emperor responds appropriately, we can stop the first wave even if we have to endure some losses. Rene Philippa is a capable person, and the Empire is not so weak.

The problem is, that’s just the vanguard. Fifty thousand towards Kirzat, forty thousand towards the Empire. And if we assume that’s the number of troops advancing through the Great Wilderness…

That’s only half of the forces Karadskar possesses. It’s a despairing observation, but it’s also a cold reality. Even if we annihilate all the current forces, Karadskar can project the same number of troops towards the north again.

However, that means he intends to drag the war into a prolonged conflict. And the Empire’s true strength shines in prolonged wars.

With excellent conscription systems, overwhelming financial power, the largest single-nation domain, and the numerous people living under it. Even an advanced system capable of managing each of those people.

In a prolonged war, the Empire has superior combat capabilities compared to any other civilized nation. As long as it doesn’t collapse in one blow, the Empire will never fall.

“This war will end if we defeat Karadskar.”

“We’ve already sent as many assassins as possible, Sir Sernerd. With all those attempts having failed, the only path to victory is through war.”

Iron Side was at least the best assassination group in the eastern civilized nations, but assassinating Karadskar directly was impossible. Fernandez didn’t have high hopes for it either. Even Daryan in his prime couldn’t assassinate Karadskar.

Fernandez looked at Iron Side, who was wearing a somber expression, and spoke.

“Can you risk your life for your lord?”

“That’s why I came to you.”

“Even if it means certain death?”

“Even if you were to cut off my head, if it would save the Palace Lord, I would gladly offer it.”

“Good. Then deliver this message to Karadskar.”

Fernandez stood up, gathering his belongings, and said.

“‘I killed your son. If you want to find me, come to the Empire.'”

“…!”

The reason Karadskar couldn’t be assassinated. Not only was his personal combat prowess exceptional, but he never exposed himself outside the main camp. Protected by nearly a hundred thousand cavalry, even holed up in a Ger that roamed without any external interactions, killing him alone was nearly impossible.

His death would lead to the fragmentation of the Plains Clans, so he would never easily put himself in danger. To draw him out, a powerful provocation was needed.

Minimize the pressure on Kirzat and turn all their forces towards the Empire. That’s the first step.

“But right now, the Empire is in a desperate crisis just trying to stop their vanguard, and the Palace Lord is risking his life to cut off their supply lines and rear forces! And in the midst of that, you want to draw out their main force and direct them towards the Empire?”

“If it becomes a prolonged war, the Empire can surely stop them. All we need is time.”

“How do you plan to buy that time?”

“I’ll do it myself.”

Fernandez wiggled his fingers and spoke lightly.

“If we can just buy time, they’ll be like rats in a trap. They’ll stop projecting force towards Kirzat, and the Sultan can annihilate them and ravage their rear. Meanwhile, the Empire can prepare its main force and start pressing, finishing them off in the Great Wilderness.”

The most crucial point in this operation is ‘delaying tactics.’ Buying time for the Empire to prepare, and during that time, Kirzat must strike their rear. The Sultan must completely eradicate their supplies. That’s the second step to victory.

“What forces are there in the wasteland to stop their advance?”

In her previous life, Kirhas Hearttaker’s greatest achievement was stopping Karadskar’s northern advance. She succeeded in buying time in the Great Wilderness using only the power of the Federation of Nobles until the Empire’s forces were ready and Kirzat’s forces could strike their rear.

It was almost an art. In the realm of military strategy, he could never match the Kirhas of her prime. But just as Kirhas could never match the Piejashi of his prime.

If a few conditions are met. Piejashi could achieve the same result in a completely different way.

“There are already enough forces sleeping in the Great Wilderness. Don’t worry, just deliver my message.”

-Wait, Fernandez. You’re not planning to use that method, are you?

‘Why not? It’s the best option.’

-Ah, damn it. That’s too humiliating!

‘Necromancy is a great discipline. Don’t be ashamed of it. In fact, isn’t it more biased that there’s no necromancy in Ensoery?’

-Raising corpses or skeletons is enough for the Conclave! Don’t ruin our noble… aesthetics of destruction!

‘You can lose with dignity, and I’ll win with shame. Isn’t that fine?’

Thinking of the few conditions needed to raise an army in the barren wasteland, Fernandez chuckled.

A delaying tactic through necromancy. That was the best, and his last, plan he could prepare now.