Chapter 109 - 9-10
When the Shaal River is hit by heavy rain, the water level rises slowly, the current gains weight, and it can even swallow people whole. Fortunately, there has been no rain recently.
Though it could be called a great river, it is, for the most part, an easy river to manage. While it may flood and soak the lives of the people, it does not rage violently.
This river must have become that way over a long period of time.
Just by looking down from the top of a small hill, one can see the history of erosion and deposition that the river has carved into the earth. From the hazy city of Malfa toward the city of Aver, the land opens up in a wide fan shape. It is a gentle terrain, like the smooth belly of a reclining earth goddess, where silver streaks branch out, making the waves of the flowing river surface flicker.
Geraha Wolf might be looking down at the same sight from the opposite side of the river.
Yugis Necrat thought.
Although the enemy had seized the city of Aver, they had opened several conspicuous large holes in the walls surrounding the city. They had destroyed the walls. In their place, they had installed protective fences and dug trenches on the road leading to Aver.
This must be a preparation in case the Siddim side arrived by ship and landed.
—However, they are not preparing in earnest.
It is a feigned defense.
The enemy Kosa army must have intended to take advantage of it if the Siddim soldiers landed from the sea. They likely planned to drive the soldiers from the sea toward the vicinity of Malfa city, cornering and herding them to use as bait to make Malfa city open its gates for rescue.
A single ideology can be seen in such feints and schemes.
—They want to avoid bloodshed.
Rather than an ideology, it is an unconscious behavioral posture.
This is something he had felt since he personally witnessed the war between the Koroi Imperial Army and the Kosa army in the south. Geraha Wolf essentially loathes war as a means. The army led by Kushitante Zamora committed the atrocity of massacring civilians in the southern city of Attaik, but even that may have been the minimum sacrifice to lead the city of Koroi to surrender.
It is natural to think of minimizing losses on one's own side. Generals of all times and places think of this.
Great King Geraha's Kosa army does not enjoy killing the enemy either. That is true for any soldier. Military affairs cannot be entrusted to a personality-disordered person who wants to kill the enemy indiscriminately. The best general is the general who does not wage war.
However, Geraha's movements go one step further. A silent scream of "I do not want to fight a war" runs through every maneuver.
Yugis listens carefully to that scream.
On the battlefield, not killing the enemy is a luxury. One must fight and shoot the enemy whether they like it or not. To attempt to calculate and control even the enemy's losses under such circumstances means that the Kosa army is simply that strong. Because they are strong, they have the leeway to overlook the entirety of the war.
Making the gates of Malfa city open and rushing into the royal capital mixed with Siddim soldiers is, so to speak, a superficial trick. It can hardly be called a strategy.
The entire Kosa army is exhausting its strength on the success of such a narrow means.
Because if they can infiltrate Malfa city, Siddim will have no choice but to earnestly seek a path to peace. Because the war will end.
In the first place, Great King Geraha came straight to the royal capital without engaging in any unnecessary wars.
He did not take an attitude of twisting Siddim into submission by force and then arrogantly proceeding to seize it after neutralizing Siddim's combat power through destruction.
It was also an attitude of an absolute strongman teaching the weak.
—You cannot win against us.
It is an attitude of making them understand that, and waiting for that fact to permeate over time.
Great King Geraha has expectations for the civilization here.
If the word civilization is an exaggeration, it could be replaced with the degree of social maturity. Even without meeting and exchanging words, he is saying, "Please understand my intention."
—It is useless to try. Please understand.
Your fate rests on that single, thin-skinned wall of the Malfa city you pride yourselves on. Once that is broken, victory or defeat is decided. The reason I leave it unbroken is because I expect that you will understand even without it being broken. It is useless beyond this, please understand.
Probably, ethnicity plays a part as well.
However, in this kindness, there is a thick, damp scent of human personality that drifts, stained into the flesh and blood.
—Is he a kind and timid personality?
Yugis divines the personality of the enemy general, Geraha, in such a way.
If he truly had a kind and timid personality, he would never propose world conquest. Yugis does not understand this point. Regardless of the circumstances, he can only imagine that the man himself was not the type to be involved in such a thing.
If this side truly bared its fangs, what kind of face would Geraha Wolf show?
Siddim must first begin by drawing out the enemy's earnestness.
Below Yugis's eyes, there is a group of people fighting, covered in mud. There is a city engulfed in flames. The earnestness of the Siddim soldiers already looks as if it is wearing the attire of madness, but what about the enemy?
Yugis's dark eyes were coldly measuring the enemy's seriousness.
There was no such thing as earnestness or sanity at the scene.
Mire, muddy water, sludge, the stench of rotten water weeds; the splashing mud entered even into mouths and eyes.
The people struggling in the wetlands, sinking up to their knees, had no convictions. Only reality. A reality accompanied by troublesome gravity came to crush each and every person.
"They're coming—!"
The enemy comes. Foreigners come running. They bring weapons. They come before their eyes. They attack. They slash. They strike.
—Don't screw with me!
The Siddim soldiers are not afraid. They meet the enemy with anger. Fear and fatigue can be seen in the enemy infantry. The morale of the opposing Siddim soldiers was high.
It is the wetland area on the south side of Aver city, where the river splits into several streams. This is a battle to seize this river-crossing point. The Siddim soldiers of the Western Army have not yet encountered the Kosa cavalry. Amidst the overgrown reeds, in the mud, both armies shoot at each other and writhe.
The Western Army was superior. The numbers were different.
Separate from the unit fighting in the mire to prevent enemy pursuit, there is a unit planning the crossing to the opposite bank. Their enemy is the river. Most of the split streams are trivial. They are shallow enough to wet the shins, and the river width is narrow.
However, the width of the final river, which is the main stream, was wide. The depth is up to the chest. The current is not fast; it is calm.
Unfortunately, Kosa cavalry are loitering on the opposite bank.
A youth skilled in swimming, with a coiled bundle of rope over his shoulder, stepped into the river. He walked alone, heading toward the opposite bank. Every Siddim person there held their breath, watching the heroic mission.
The Kosa cavalry on the opposite bank were the same. From the opposite bank, the man walking the river looked pitiful. The Kosa cavalry waited for the opportunity while wearing thin smiles.
The stride of the youth carrying the bundle of rope was powerful, and he was already about to reach half the river width.
"It is almost within range,"
one of the cavalry announced.
"Too early. Draw him in. Let's see who can hit him, a contest."
Just as they were saying that, the air changed.
The air tightened and vibrated.
The enemy Siddim archers had released their arrows.
—Oh?
The Kosa cavalry thought. Countless arrows came flying, their tips glittering. The trajectory of those arrows was low. They were not arrows shot high into the air. They came from the front. They had enough momentum to make the river bank where the Kosa cavalry were loitering within effective firing range. Moreover, many arrows flew over the bank.
The fact that the enemy used longbows was, of course, well known to the Kosa army. They also knew the range was naturally longer than the shortbows of the Kosa army's horse archers. However, it had not been a significant difference. The enemy's bows were made of hard materials, lacked flexibility, and though they were strong bows, they were difficult to handle without arm strength.
But now, the bows of the enemy soldiers deployed on the opposite bank of the Shaal River and releasing arrows had clearly been improved. They had probably developed new ones by imitating the composite bows here. They flew arrows with momentum, bending the bows as they pleased.
The Kosa cavalry clicked their tongues, climbed the bank, and stepped back.
Only one rider remained in place, and while dodging the rain of arrows pouring down, he released a single arrow into the river.
The youth crossing the river, who had the bundle of rope slung across his chest, clutched his stomach.
Along with bubbles, while spreading blood across the water surface, the youth sank. After being submerged up to the top of his head, after a while, the youth became a corpse and was carried away by the river current.
However, the rope the youth was carrying was not washed away. It was fixed to the riverbed. It seems he tied it to some driftwood sunk in the riverbed before he died. One should say it was admirable, even for an enemy.
The Siddim soldiers on the opposite bank seemed to gain momentum. Shouts like those of people flying into a rage reached this side across the river surface.
Replacing the cavalry, southern infantry came to the bank. They assembled fences and solidified their defense with wooden shields. The arrows of the southerners were not bad either. Even so, it felt as if the enemy's arrows pierced more sharply.
It wasn't just the bows that were newly developed; the spears were the same. The new spears demonstrated their power in the battle within Aver city.
Aver city was like the crater of a volcano emitting black smoke. If the outside was a hell of mud, the inside was a hell of scorching heat. Fire arrows had already been launched regardless of enemy or ally, and buildings were ablaze. It had become a great fire. The Siddim army and Kosa army left behind there were running around seeking an escape route. Also, there were citizens. Although the Kosa army had liberated the citizens, they had not gone as far as expelling them. Many citizens remained in the city, and they were swept up in this shrieking agony.
The fire raged mostly in the center of the city, with the Siddim army basing themselves on the north side toward the port, and the Kosa army on the east side around the castle. There should be Siddim and Kosa soldiers on the south side of the city as well, but they were severed by the fierce flames, and there was no way to confirm their safety.
Because the Kosa army was deployed on high ground, they grasped the overall situation quickly.
When night fell and the intensity of the fire waned, the Kosa army entered a siege of the Siddim army at the northern end of the city. The Siddim army, helpless, devoted themselves to defense.
The newly developed spears armed with by the Siddim soldiers were nearly twice as long as conventional spears. It was nothing more than a childish idea that it would be more advantageous to stab cavalry from as far a distance as possible. However, realizing long spears was difficult. To reduce weight, hard wood was used as a thin core, and to maintain strength, light, flexible wood was laminated on both sides.
This worked surprisingly well.
The vanguard held tall boards, followed by light infantry who thrust long spears from behind.
In narrow places like city streets, such a phalanx was stronger. The enemy Kosa cavalry tended to dislike combat in narrow places. If they charged against the spears, most turned their horses back without forcing it.
Of course, it was troublesome when the enemy cavalry charged anyway, regardless. The spears were too long and difficult to handle in narrow places. The enemy would chop off the spearheads with barbarian blades.
The Siddim army, while isolated at the city's port, somehow defended their base.
They repaired abandoned small boats and sent messengers seeking rescue.
What was worrying were the allies attempting to cross the river on the south side of Aver city. The unit attempting the crossing and the unit intending to recapture Aver city complemented each other. They were in a relationship where if one succeeded, the other would also succeed.
—We must hold out here.
The Siddim soldiers waging the urban battle had steeled their resolve.
Bathing their entire bodies in the terrible smell of burning human flesh, their skin reddened by mild burns, the soldiers held their spears and advanced through the streets where heat remained.
Geraha Wolf finally could not endure it and visited Mozu-ni early in the morning.
The terrain was like a shallow plate. Aver city was still emitting white smoke. On the opposite edge of the plate where they were, Lucy Alish must be looking down at the bottom of the plate in the same way.
—If Kohal...
Starting to think that, Geraha shook his head.
He thought that if Kohal had not finished her job, Yugis Necrat might be by the side of the princess of Siddim. Geraha tried not to think about Kohal. If he thought about her, he would become weak.
The Eastern Royal Army could be left to Pusiteto.
For now, Geraha narrowed his objective to striking the Western Army.
The Great King of the Kosa Empire had decided so. The Western Army shall perish.
Assassinating the enemy's chief of staff was meaningless at this point.
Anything is fine, I want her to be alive. Kohal is the only woman in the world who desired the Great King's arms. Geraha thought that she would lead the entire army to welcome him. He cannot lose. The true self, who is merely large in stature and sulky, shall be discarded here. He will win and go to welcome Kohal. As the days passed, Geraha began to want to believe that she is his woman.
"Something like this was brought in."
Mozu-ni showed him the enemy's bow and arrow.
Geraha drew the enemy's bow. He released an arrow toward a place where no one was and was surprised.
—It flies well.
The arrow flew with a momentum as if it were tearing through the blue sky. While maintaining a pleasant speed, it drew an arc and pierced the ground. It is a fine piece of work.
Geraha wanted to ask why they couldn't make the same thing.
Needless to say, it was because he believed that nowhere in the world could a craftsman be found who surpassed the southerners in this kind of craftsmanship.
"I need to revise my thinking a bit."
Geraha said, impressed.
The enemy might be trying to win through the employment of archers. If so, it seems necessary to pay more attention to the elevation of the land than before. Cavalry must always be kept in the rear, and infantry need to strengthen their defenses.
"...In other words, the core of the enemy will be the archers. If the enemy takes the high ground, we must not approach carelessly. Revise the policy so that the Kosa cavalry prioritize stealth."
"Great King, wait, wait," Mozu-ni panicked. "Please, slowly."
"Also, that wetland, have the cavalry go around to the west and attack."
"Their feet will be caught in the mud, and they cannot maneuver well."
"Tell them to dismount and fight."
At Geraha's order, Mozu-ni looked down. "Tell Kosa people to dismount and fight?"
"If necessary, they should do so. If the crossing of the wetland is achieved, the Kosa army in Aver city will be taken from the rear. We must not allow the crossing."
"Our performance in responding to the enemy's crossing is splendid. Even if it seems we are allowing the enemy to cross, it is a strategy to strike them at the water's edge—"
"Of course it is. But it's different. I demand the annihilation of the enemy crossing army. Mozu-ni, if we don't get serious, we'll be overtaken in this."
The unit guarding the rear of the Siddim soldiers' crossing party in the wetlands saw the enemy cavalry for the first time.
Surprisingly, those cavalry had dismounted and charged into the mud swamp.
The crossing is not going well. The soldiers defending the crossing spent the night immersed in cold mud. Many are feeling chills. Their shaking will not stop. Mud splashed even into their hair, cracked mud like scales clung under their eyes, and they welcomed the enemy while shivering, drooling, and red with blood overflowing from their gums.
—Don't screw with me.
This feeling has not ceased.
—You have nothing to do with this, right?
The Siddim people wanted to say that. We were progressing at a speed comfortable for us, and we were attempting a society optimal for us. From the outside, it might look backward, but even so,
—You have nothing to do with this.
Kosa people are complete outsiders. We wanted to be left alone. For Siddim to match the pace of Kosa for your convenience, that is unreasonable. We eat our own food. We embrace our own women. We never desired the food of you Kosa people, nor did we lust after your women. We have lived in places where you had nothing to do. We have not caused you a single bit of trouble.
The Kosa people who dismounted came while being buried in mud and drew their shortbows.
Their aim was unnervingly accurate. With one arrow released, one person was injured.
The Siddim army in the mud held up shields to prepare for the arrows and readied their long spears.
"Charge!"
Since the only thing they could do was charge, the Siddim army was also miserable.
However, the Kosa people who had dismounted began to retreat just by hearing that voice.
That retreat was slow. Their feet were caught in the mud.
The charging Siddim army was also slow.
The enemy army, which had been escaping sluggishly, suddenly turned around at some point. Before they knew it, they were close to the edge of the wetlands, and hidden enemy cavalry were galloping toward them.
"Retreat!"
The Siddim soldiers began to retreat all at once.
The arrows of the enemy cavalry were sharp. From the rear, from the right, from the left, they showered arrows as they pleased. The Siddim soldiers became prey one after another. Though no one would want to die in the mud, there were many youths who fell with peaceful faces.
While the enemy cavalry were releasing arrows at the edge of the mud sea, the unit that had been waiting for the order to sortie was approaching. It was the unit of Ness de Syllabus.
It consisted of light infantry, archers, and light cavalry. The difficulty was the lack of heavy infantry. The lack of armor was one of the weaknesses of the Western Army.
However, because the equipment was lightweight, they could maneuver relatively quickly.
The main force of light infantry hurried to the battlefield in a somewhat old-fashioned horizontal line, hiding archers in the rear and accompanied by light cavalry on the left and right.
The light infantry held shields. They were shields that looked as if wood and leather had been layered and pasted alternately; while they didn't deflect arrows released from the enemy's shortbows, they didn't let them penetrate either.
So to speak, this was the only defense against the enemy's arrows.
The metal worn by the light infantry could be said to be only the helmet and chainmail. This defense was primarily to prepare for the enemy's blades and spears in close combat; it could not stop arrows.
If they received a cavalry charge, they would have no choice but to flee. As for the archers, they were completely defenseless. The enemy Kosa cavalry would likely scatter this unit that had come strolling in with the ease of blowing on feathers scattered on the floor.
Or so it was thought.
The unit commanded by General Ness de Syllabus approached from the north, in terms of direction. Before the enemy cavalry at the edge of the wetland noticed, the first volley of arrows by the archers was released all at once. It was a distance where the arrows finally reached. The Kosa cavalry immediately proceeded to crush them.
They were Kosa cavalry. Their momentum was fierce. It was a column charge. They had the momentum as if they intended to become arrows themselves and pierce the enemy lines. Moreover, the enemy released arrows from horseback.
Ness Syllabus, nicknamed the Golden General, appeared there. While raising the military flag, he passed right in front of the enemy cavalry, unheeding of the released arrows. Following that military flag, the Siddim light cavalry appeared.
The Siddim light cavalry's maneuver was to strike the flank of the enemy's column.
It was a maneuver that felt like lightly pushing the enemy's flank. This only looked that way because the enemy cavalry were too fast. The Kosa cavalry collapsed from the light attack. Showing confusion where they could go neither forward nor backward, they were driven into the wetlands in a form pushed by the Siddim cavalry's spears.
The Siddim light infantry boldly entered the wetlands to hunt the enemy cavalry stuck in the mire. The Golden General's unit had crushed the enemy cavalry.
Yugis Necrat, who was watching this situation from the hill, let out a sound of "Ah." Except for Ness, every Siddim person witnessing it must have been surprised.
Yugis saw the response of a counterattack here. He also felt a kind of sense of loss at the defeat of the Kosa cavalry.
On the contrary, Geraha and Mozu were calmer. They were Kosa leaders who knew the characteristics of cavalry. Naturally, they also knew the weaknesses of cavalry.
Cavalry are fragile soldiers. They are delicate like glass. If their flank is struck, they fall easily. If the horse falls, it's the end for the cavalry. In the first place, they are light cavalry. In terms of defense, they are nearly naked. That is why employment is important. Utilizing speed to strike the enemy's blind spot, they make extensive use of arrows to avoid contacting the enemy as much as possible. If employed correctly, their breakthrough power can be the greatest and strongest on the battlefield. But they are also like slender swords that break easily when struck from the side.
Southern infantry are gathering to save the Kosa cavalry struggling and covered in mud.
Geraha seemed to be watching it, but was not. He was thinking. This was the cause of the defeat on this side. He thought the Kosa cavalry on the scene had misjudged the flight distance of the enemy's arrows. It was fine that they proceeded to crush them, but the distance to the enemy was further than expected. The confusion must have originated from there.
—No, more than that.
The timing of the enemy Siddim cavalry was also good, Geraha evaluated.
Cavalry, in the end, is this. Timing.
Whether one can be in the right place at the right time.
Whether one can strike the enemy's opening also depends on luck. A general needs strong fortune. However, since not everyone is always blessed with luck, they begin to seek probability. Luring, diversion, feints, bluffing—they do anything. They draw in the enemy.
In this case, the Kosa cavalry were drawn in by the enemy's light infantry.
It is a common failure, but the loss was too great. It means that Siddim also has cavalry who can rush to the optimal place at the optimal time.
—Should I increase reinforcements?
Send troops to the west bank of the Shaal River and annihilate the enemy soldiers in Aver city and the wetlands from the rear. Since he cannot send troops in small batches, he would have to move a large army.
—Wait, wait.
Geraha, unusually, agonized over a military choice.
Could it be that they are being lured to the west side of the Shaal River? In other words, using this entire battle as a single bait, so that this side is divided centered on the river.
Geraha had also received reports that the enemy kept reserves around Midheim. Even if he increased reinforcements to the west, it wasn't certain that they wouldn't attack.
And then there is the royal capital. He cannot assume that the royal capital Malfa has truly kept its gates closed. When soldiers overflow from Malfa and come to seize the bridges of the Shaal River that Kosa is holding, which unit should he make them face?
Geraha took a deep breath and cooled his head.
This side is not losing. Rushing ahead is also something to consider.
In the first place, why does the Western Army cross the river and aim for the east?
It is likely the intention to divide and surround the Kosa army that advanced into Malfa. They must want to prepare a posture to strike those surrounding the royal capital from both sides. One more thing,
—It's the enemy army in Brazm.
The Western Army wants to merge with the Siddim Royal Army. There must be communication between the two armies, and such a conversation has taken place.
The army before his eyes has high fighting spirit but poor equipment. They probably gathered militia or recruited volunteers. On the other hand, the enemy army in Brazm consists of regular soldiers. Unless they merge with them, there will be no future for the Western Army.
Geraha decided on a total review on the spot. He had been planning to approach Malfa city quickly, plunge a dagger in, and lead them to negotiations, but since it had come to this, it couldn't be helped. He thought of Kohal again. He felt sorry for Kohal, but the Western Army would be put on the back burner. If he quickly rewound, he might still make it. He wondered if he could make it, and Geraha wore a thin smile.
He called a Kijimute to the high ground overlooking the battlefield.
The messenger Kijimute could not hide his anxiety within his earnest expression. Geraha wanted to tease him, so he spoke in a deliberately displeased voice.
"What is with that face? Kijimute, you also have a part in the cause of this."
"Ha. —Eh?"
"What, did you forget? You and I started this, didn't we?"
His connection with Kijimute dated back to when Geraha was a prisoner of the Tawaru tribe.
"What are you talking about? Back then, the Great King was just a scrawny prisoner who kept bragging, 'I will become the Great King.' I, as your caretaker, suffered quite a bit."
"Then, did I start it alone?"
"What is it? Are you lonely?"
Geraha let out a stifled laugh. "How cold, Kijimute."
"Great King, you might have been the only one to start it," Kijimute sat down on the grassy land and crossed his legs. "But everyone followed you. You started something great. Is this current situation a climax, or the beginning? I don't know, but you must not let it end without remaining great. Because everyone is doing this with that intention."
Geraha liked that good grass. He also sat down and faced Kijimute.
"Yes, yes. Certainly, it won't be rewarded unless we win. For that, Pusiteto must work hard."
—Annihilate the enemy army in Brazm.
Geraha said.
"Until now, in my haste to rush forward, I neglected the rear too much. The time for showing a soft face to the enemy is over. First, we clear out the regular soldiers of Brazm. We will establish our sphere of influence right in the middle of this country's territory."
"Even if you say establish, the Western Army before us—"
"Mozu-ni will handle them. In any case, a posture already exists where I and Pusiteto can pincer the Siddim Royal Army, the enemy's main force. It is something I left undone, but if we clear this, the east and west of this country will be deeply severed and the royal capital will be isolated."
"There is the Eastern Army. If they block the Twin Forts, which are the key to our lines of communication, our lines of communication will also be severed."
"I will send Kirikiri. Let him make the cities and forts of Ganlord fall in order and attack deliberately."
"Isn't Kirikiri-sama in charge of Malfa city?"
"Malfa can wait until after the safety of the east is secured. Siddim will probably surrender."
Kijimute was a good listener. While talking, Geraha's thoughts became organized.
—Then.
After talking down to the fine details, Kijimute corrected his posture and prostrated himself.
"Together with Kirikiri-sama, I shall go to Brazm, to the east."
"I'm counting on you."
That day, he pitched a tent in a place far from the front line and stayed for one night.
Early the next morning, Mozu Wolf came to Geraha, who had finished changing. It was still a dim hour. Within Mozu-ni's mud-stained face, only his two eyes seemed to shine brightly.
"Great King..."
"We were overtaken."
"I am deeply sorry."
"No, let us praise the enemy instead."
Geraha mounted his horse and headed to the place where he had talked with Kijimute yesterday.
Crossing a river is a dangerous operation. Especially if one intends to cross in front of the enemy, a large number of soldiers are required. There are various keys to the success of a crossing operation. However, the most important can be called willpower.
—I will get to the other side no matter what.
The approach of a crowd of people who have decided this is a terrifying thing for the side defending.
What is required to defend this through to the end is not, for example, a superficial trick like retreating slightly to evade the enemy's willpower.
—Defend to the death.
It is a will more powerful than the enemy's.
The reason willpower could not be injected into the soldiers was that Mozu-ni, as the general, lacked it. The reason Mozu-ni's will wavered was that Geraha, as the commander-in-chief, had hesitation and had not shown the reason or purpose for maintaining will.
In other words, Geraha lost. He admits that.
—I lost here, but.
However, there is no more hesitation. The policy is decided. He will plunge the entirety of Siddim into the chaos of war.
He thought they were an opponent who understood, but it seems they won't understand unless he does it.
Since he was the one who started it, he has an obligation to make them understand.
Geraha and Mozu Wolf arrived at the high ground overlooking the battlefield. The dawn light began to shine into the gently hollowed lowland, making the river streaks that looked like a cast net glitter. Geraha gasped and looked at the battlefield.
He was stunned by the number of dead.
In the plate-like land that sank toward the rivers while deepening the green of the grasslands, people lay dead as if sesame seeds had been scattered. The brownish grains were likely enemy soldiers. The blackish grains mixed in here and there were Kosa soldiers. Arrows were stuck in both corpses and the ground; the whole area looked bristly. Soldiers were buried in the mud of the wetlands, immersed in water, and fallen on the grasslands. The water-soaked corpses in the Shaal River were swaying, being pushed to the shore or colliding with each other while staining the current red. He felt as if he might be sickened by the haphazard number of corpses and the way they were powerlessly washed by the waves.
Near Aver city, Siddim soldiers were gathered, occupying trenches and fences.
They are shouting something.
Geraha manipulated the reins and descended the high ground. Mozu-ni and the escort cavalry beside him followed. Without having to descend much, the voices reached him.
It was a chant.
'Lucy! Lucy! Lucy Alish!'
The enemy soldiers were raising their fists and uniting their voices. Had the enemy general already arrived at Aver city?
Geraha stood stunned on his horse.
—I see. I lost to that beautiful princess.
Passion surged up. It was a sense of humiliation. As a general, it is unforgivable to lose to a woman. He had a premonition that this might be a situation that was not simple.