Chapter 81 - 7-7
The Kosa army arrived in Siddim following the exact path that Cloden Danforth of Dint had predicted.
However, Cloden had been wildly off in his estimation of their numbers.
The cavalry that entered Siddim numbered approximately two thousand riders.
Mozu Wolf led them.
Mozu had wanted to proceed with the invasion of Siddim cautiously. If possible, he would have preferred to wait for the return of Great King Geraha and seek instructions before invading.
However, Pusiteto had been too eager and had charged ahead.
Hazab had arrived, frantic, at the forest where Mozu's army lay hidden at the eastern foot of the Dwarf Mountains. He had reportedly ridden hard, sacrificing sleep, accompanied by only a few attendants. He entered Mozu Wolf's tent as if collapsing.
"Our army is infiltrating Siddim via the 'Dark Forest' and occupying the southeastern part of enemy territory. Therefore, Mozu-sama, you must deploy immediately!"
"Wait, wait, wait!"
This was no joke; he had his own circumstances to consider. Above all, it was too sudden.
That is what he wanted to say, but Hazab's demeanor was frightening. His gaze was resolute. He looked as if he might commit an act of violence right then and there.
According to Hazab's explanation, they were struggling with road construction in the Dark Forest. There were enemy raids, apparently.
"The interior of the forest is already in an irreparable state!"
To prevent the enemy from entering the forest any further, they would seal the entrance—for that purpose, Pusiteto intended to push through the forest and establish a base in enemy territory.
Mozu had a mountain of things he wanted to say. But he did not say them.
Pusiteto was selfish. That selfishness might stir a wind. Pusiteto was being cornered. The desperation of a cornered Pusiteto, transmitted through Hazab's eyes and words, struck Mozu's nerves. Even the spit Hazab sprayed seemed imbued with desperation, as if splattering onto Mozu's face and his pointed black goatee.
—Should I ride this wave?
This desperation. Or rather, Pusiteto's headlong rush had already begun. There was no stopping it now.
"This debt will not be cheap!" Mozu Wolf shouted at the Southerner,
"In whatever way you please!"
Hazab shouted back, equally excited.
With three thousand riders as the vanguard, Mozu Wolf took Hazab and immediately headed north along the foot of the mountains. The foot was a deserted plateau. In areas with few trees, the terrain was gentle and easy for horses to gallop. The forests consisted mostly of dense coniferous trees, and because the interior was dark, there was little undergrowth. They could proceed on horseback.
They were able to advance faster than expected. There was not a single enemy raid. It was as if the enemy had not anticipated that they would choose a route over the mountains.
At the entrance to the mountain path leading west, twenty scouts sent ahead were waiting with a fire lit.
Mozu ordered a break and listened to the scouts' report along with Hazab.
"From here, it is an ascent. We will have to walk. There is a town in the mountains. I believe it is undoubtedly a town called Tosha."
"How long until we arrive?"
"We will spend one night in the mountains, and we should be there by tomorrow."
"The enemy?"
"There are no enemy shadows. The enemy is not guarding this area at all. However—"
As if urged by the scouts, a man was brought forward.
He was a youth with a stark white face. Mozu Wolf had seen Siddim people in the south, but they had not been this white.
There were marks on the youth's face suggesting he had been severely beaten. He was terrified.
"Are you alright?"
When Hazab spoke to him in the Enagamo language, the youth's eyes became pleading.
"He seems to be a low-level bandit," a member of the scout unit said.
"Bandits? Such things exist here?" Mozu was appalled.
According to the questions Hazab asked the young bandit, the bandits' territory was a bit further north, and this path was apparently used when selling stolen goods to merchants from the plains nations. The youth was merely a lookout.
Mozu could also speak the Enagamo language. "That means we won't encounter bandits on this road, correct?"
"Probably... uh..."
"If bandits appear, it means you lied to us. You won't mind being killed, then."
Rather than being terrified, the youth's eyes sparkled. "You'll let me go home alive?"
"If you guide us well."
The Kosa vanguard dismounted and climbed the mountain path.
Walking makes one hungrier than riding. The food for these three thousand riders, who had set out intending a reckless plunge into enemy territory, was dried mutton. A sheep was slaughtered, the meat sliced, flattened, seasoned with salt, and smoked. The amount obtained was just enough to fill a leather bag made from the stomach of the same sheep. Each man carried such a bag and chewed the meat whenever he grew hungry.
The sun began to fade.
Amidst the vast mountains covered in trees, the people of the grasslands spent the night huddled together in isolation. The nocturnal darkness in the mountains felt exceptionally deep, possessing a unique eeriness. Because of that, the beauty of the forest at dawn seemed extraordinary.
The Kosa army hurried forward and arrived at Tosha before evening.
The young bandit used as a guide was left rolled over in a grove, his hands and feet bound and his mouth blocked with cloth.
What the soldiers looked up at were city walls made of piled, bleached-brown stone and a blackened wooden gate.
The walls were not high. In fact, one of the scouts brought his horse close to the wall, stood upright on the saddle, and stretched; his head protruded over the wall. The scout simply climbed over the wall. Mozu watched with bated breath to see what would happen. He thought he might hear frantic voices or screams from the inside of the wall.
What he heard was the creaking of rubbing wood. To his surprise, the gate opened. It seemed the scout who had climbed the wall was pushing the door from the inside.
The sun was tilting west. Dazzling light spilled from the narrow vertical gap as the door opened. It was as if gold were overflowing. The light illuminated the grimy faces of the Kosa men evenly, and the men's expressions shone as if blooming.
Within the backlight, there were several shadows of townspeople.
The Kosa men let out cheers and mounted their horses, while the Siddim people began to flee in all directions, screaming in unison.
Mozu had issued orders in advance. In Tosha, there would be no useless slaughter, and acts such as raping women would not be permitted. Above all, they had to hurry. If this was the northernmost point of the eastern side of the Siddim Kingdom, they had to change direction and rush to the Dark Forest at the southernmost point of the eastern side. They would essentially be making a full circuit around the Dwarf Mountains.
"Hazab, I am leaving Molchi Rajif here."
"Molchi is a thousand-man commander, is he not? Do you need a thousand riders? Is that not more than the population of this small town?"
"I am worried about those so-called bandits."
Mozu commanded Molchi Rajif, whom Hazab had brought along.
—First, gather the prominent people of this town and take them hostage.
He also told him to send a messenger to the rear troops to inform them of the situation, and to tell them not to hesitate to flee if anything happened.
Molchi, being still young, nodded with a face full of enthusiasm.
"Also..."
Mozu entrusted a special plan to Molchi.
Meanwhile, the remaining two thousand soldiers passed through the west gate one after another, moving through the town of Tosha. Beyond this was a descent. The road was well-maintained, allowing them to reach the foot of the mountains on horseback. There should be a town called Bist at the foot.
Mozu Wolf had not entered the Siddim Kingdom completely blind. He had conducted interviews with Enagamo peddlers who traveled to every corner of Siddim to sell goods, gathering detailed information on the terrain and roads.
From what he had heard, it seemed necessary to suppress the area from Tosha to Bist. Now, as he followed the single road from Tosha to Bist, Mozu was convinced that his prediction had not been wrong. Cavalry exerts its power through mobility. Narrow roads where mobility is impossible are disadvantageous for cavalry.
Bist was also a small-scale city surrounded by walls.
The town was surrounded by forest. Looking down from a high place, the town of Bist looked like a small island floating in a sea of green. A few streaks of cooking smoke rose, blending into the approaching twilight.
Mozu Wolf and Hazab, with smiles on their lips, entered the forest off the road. The attack would be tomorrow early morning.
A river flowed into the town of Bist.
The woodcutters in this area apparently dropped logs felled in the mountains to the valley floor, floated them on the river, and transported them by boat. The logs were landed at Bist. Bist was a town of timber.
—When night falls, infiltrate the town by going down the river.
This was the secret order Mozu had given to Molchi Rajif.
They could simply put the horses on boats and enter the town from the river. Boatmen to operate the vessels could be procured in Tosha. That said, he had heard there were water gates in the river at Bist. Those water gates were simple mechanisms that merely dropped wooden fences to the riverbed. They could either cut the wooden fences with saws or sever the ropes suspending the fences.
They should have been able to infiltrate.
Despite this, the next morning, nothing had changed in Bist even after the sun rose.
Mozu clicked his tongue. "It seems something happened in Tosha."
"Yes. Anyway..."
Hazab started to speak, then narrowed his eyes.
Bist looked unchanged until then. Then, he saw human figures, like grains of beans, moving. Chaos was erupting within the town.
Hurriedly looking at the river, he saw several boats floating there before he had noticed them. They must have been hidden in some blind spot. The boats were few enough to count. Perhaps ten. Even if one boat carried two riders, that was only twenty riders.
Mozu recalled the youthful face of Thousand-man Commander Molchi Rajif, whose beard had not yet fully grown. As expected of the son of Patai Rajif, the young head of the Rajif clan. He had guts.
"Let's go, Hazab! Attack all at once!"
Ridiculously, Mozu Wolf's army entered the town without receiving any resistance.
It seemed to be a more prosperous town than Tosha, with a greater number of buildings. However, there was no sign of people. It did not seem as if everyone was hiding inside their homes, either.
When he asked the unit that had charged in from the river, they said the people had evacuated to a corner of the town. Guided to that evacuation site, Mozu clicked his tongue.
One section of the town was partitioned off by a wall. The people had fled into this section.
While no facility that could be called a fortress was visible, fitting for a timber town, wooden watchtowers stood in a forest beyond the stone walls. Archers were atop the towers, firing arrows at them.
Furthermore, inside the section, white smoke rose in a straight line. This was undoubtedly a signal fire. They were notifying nearby areas of this attack.
—How inconsistent.
That was the impression Mozu Wolf received.
They had placed almost no troops in this region, which could be called the back door of Siddim.
On the other hand, they had made these kinds of preparations.
—Perhaps Siddim is not a monolith.
Regardless, it was pointless to have them holed up in a place like this. He had no time to spend effort on reducing the stronghold. If Bist could not be suppressed, he would have to give up on Tosha as well.
Mozu called the captain of the assault unit.
"Return to Tosha immediately and tell Molchi. Molchi's unit is to withdraw and merge with the following forces, return to Nahal Bas's main body, and await the Great King's command."
"No way!" The captain was a comrade of Molchi, a youth named Nisa. "Are you abandoning them here? What did we do? We will go with you!"
"This kind of war," Mozu said, lowering his voice, "is better left to the old men. You all are the generation that will walk with the Great King."
"If we withdraw, Tosha will be blocked by enemy troops, and the General's escape route will be gone."
"We'll return by way of the south. Just do as you're told."
Nisa obeyed the order with a reluctant look.
To be honest, he didn't want the young ones to learn anything from such a reckless operation. A situation where they plunged into enemy territory without rear support must never happen again. Moreover, from here on, the strength of veterans with war experience would be what was truly needed.
Hazab gathered the townspeople who had failed to escape and extracted information.
"It seems the troops are gathering in a town called Nordvist. They are coming from the road heading south."
"In that case, we should take the road heading west."
Normally, he would send scouts, spend a day here, and wait for the report.
However, this was not a situation where he could afford to follow principles.
"General, may I borrow about a hundred riders?" Hazab had a fearless light dwelling in his black eyes.
"Are you motivated?"
"I will pin the enemy troops to this town."
In other words, he intended to go down the highway heading south and lure the enemy.
If one were to put on a bluff, half-heartedness would not suffice. Rather than a hundred, he would end up leaving about a thousand riders.
Since rear support could not be expected, he could not leave that many troops, and since this was only the beginning of the invasion, it was not the time to divide his forces. Hope lay only in moving forward.
However, Mozu Wolf was pleased.
"I accept your spirit, Hazab. For now, follow me. Let's go; our destination is the Dark Forest, the enemy general's main camp!"
When the messenger from the watchtower arrived in Nordvist, the central city of Belgau, Haider Skyner was at the Skyner House. He had been reviewing the defense system together with Aram Danforth.
"Ho, a signal fire?"
Upon receiving the messenger's news, a flash of tension crossed Aram Danforth's usually jovial face.
Haider, who had been sitting in an armchair, stood up.
Ever since he heard that the offensive and defensive battles had begun in the Dark Forest, Haider had made it a point to walk around wearing chainmail and a breastplate. He had cleanly cropped the blonde hair that had grown to his shoulders. He placed a helmet on his head.
"Then, I shall be going."
With a bow, he left Aram Danforth's office with the messenger.
The Skyner House was the former residence of the Skyner family. It was the home where Haider had spent his childhood.
Now it had been handed over to the Danforth family. The interior of the house had changed completely. Walls here and there had been removed, leaving it hollow. Even seeing this, Haider showed no expression whatsoever.
Neither Haider nor Aram had failed to consider the possibility that enemy troops might come by way of the north. If the enemy happened to come, they would simply dispatch troops from Nordvist and strike them down. That was the policy.
'In the first place, the Royal Army believes there will be no mountain crossing. Even if the enemy crosses the mountains, they will be a small force.'
Aram Danforth had said so, sounding as if it were difficult to say.
Both Haider and Aram had thoroughly read the materials regarding the Kosa army distributed by the Royal Army. If one read the booklet properly, it should have been clear that it was entirely possible for the enemy to push through with a large army from around Tosha.
Still, troops could not be placed in Tosha. Tosha belonged to the Toldo family, the Earls of Tosha, and the Toldo family intensely disliked interference from Belgau.
What about Bist?
Bist had defensive walls within the town. The people could simply hole up here and wait for reinforcements. A large army would likely occupy it, but a small force would surely pass right by Bist.
If that small force headed west along the highway, it would no longer be under Belgau's jurisdiction. Kraff and the Ganlord army would intercept them, and Belgau would block the enemy's rear.
If they came south along the highway, that would be the time for the Belgau army to show its skill.
"Could you take me to Nordvist Castle?" After leaving the Skyner House and entering the stables, Haider turned back to the messenger. "Let them sound the signal for an enemy attack."
Saying "immediately" in a loud voice, the messenger mounted his horse.
The castle was right next to the Skyner House.
Haider also mounted his favorite horse and set off. Near the gate of the Skyner House, he spotted an unexpected person.
It was Freedia Bell, accompanied by a maid. She was Haider's fiancée. She had grown into a figure completely befitting a young lady.
"Freede!"
Haider called out while riding his horse.
"Haid-niisama—"
Freedia glared up at Haider atop his horse.
Without slowing his horse, Haider said, "Go back home!"
"Wait! Niisa—idiot! You idiot!"
Haider heard Freedia's abuse behind his back. Thinking that she probably didn't actually mean "idiot," he found himself grinning.
The sound of a trumpet echoed from the direction of the castle. Following that, the clamorous sound of bells rang out.
Eventually, the churches throughout Belgau, hearing the castle's signal, began to ring their bells to announce the enemy attack.
When he returned to the Hikage House, about twenty knights who had come alone were gathered. They brought no attendants, carried no shields, wore light armor, and did not even have spears. They were the light cavalry Haider had secretly organized. Though not to the extent of the Kosa, they had trained to fire arrows while riding.
"Young Lord!"
Seeing Haider, Gallan, the captain of the light cavalry unit, brought his horse close.
"From where?"
"From the north," Haider answered.
"Bist, then? I will go ahead!"
"I leave it to you, Gallan."
The finger-whistle Gallan blew echoed loudly through the valley.
The waiting light cavalry manipulated their reins and galloped their horses. All of them gave Haider a nod of respect as they rode away, scattering the grass-mixed soil.
They were scouts, and depending on the situation, they would lure the enemy toward Nordvist.
By afternoon, the heavy cavalry were ready, and the infantry had also lined up.
They were all local troops. The Danforth family's troops remained in Nordvist. The war preparations of the Belgau troops were flashy. They were influenced by the Gilmond family of Kraff's territory.
The horn for deployment was blown.
The heavy cavalry filled the road completely, blocking the enemy's southward advance. The infantry marched through the forest, raining arrows on the enemy from the flank.
The Belgau army proceeded steadily along the road to Bist in such a formation.
About halfway through the journey, a cavalryman came galloping toward them at a fierce speed. He was alone. The rider must have noticed them, as he immediately raised a messenger flag.
Haider ordered a halt and waited for the messenger.
"Young Lord!"
"The situation?"
"The enemy passed right by Bist. Their direction of travel is west. The scale is two thousand cavalry. They are Kosa!"
—Two thousand riders.
How should this be evaluated? It seemed few. However,
—Any evaluation is dangerous.
Haider thought, considering his own low experience level.
Even so, they were Kosa. Those Kosa. A legendary calamity from two hundred years ago, a people he had only read about in books, had just brushed past his nose. He knew intellectually, of course, that they existed beyond the mountains. Still, thinking that they truly existed made him feel something pressing in his chest.
—If only Yugis were here.
He would have jumped for joy.
"Where is Gallan?"
"The captain has gone to scout the western direction," the messenger answered.
If that was the case, they had to hurry to Bist. Haider called his vice-captain, Lampert Bell. He was Freedia Bell's father and the man who would eventually become his father-in-law.
Haider told his father-in-law that he would leave the troops to him and intended to pursue the Kosa cavalry himself.
"Father-in-law, while strengthening the defenses of Bist, let us take this good opportunity to seize Tosha."
"Hmm. The Bell family is a vassal house under the patronage of the Skyner family; if the young lord of the main house says so, I am not averse to it."
"It is fine. I have aligned my understanding with Aram Danforth. Besides, if the Earl of Tosha had maintained a responsible defense, this would not have happened. Let us stay there until an explanation is given."
"Understood," Lampert smiled. "I cannot let you go alone; will you take my son with you?"
It was Vimherik Bell, whom he had known since childhood. In terms of individual combat, such as swordsmanship and mounted lances, he was certainly far more skilled than someone like Haider.
"I would be grateful; it is reassuring to have Vim."
Vimherik had come in light gear, having removed his horse's equipment and entrusted his own armor to an attendant.
Four knights of the Bell family were also with him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Young Lord!"
The dark-skinned Vimherik flashed white teeth. It was the same smile as when they were children.
The seven of them, including the messenger, galloped their horses toward Bist.
Thanks to that, they arrived at Bist while the sun was still high. The people were still remaining in the walled section. They probably did not trust the Skyner family, who had arrived just now. They had tasted the terror of the Kosa army infiltrating the town. It was only natural. One could say that being cautious was a good thing.
Haider didn't mind and passed through the gate heading west.
Since Gallan was chasing the tracks of the enemy cavalry, Haider was technically in a position where he should wait for the report at Bist. However, the opponent was Kosa cavalry. He wanted to confirm the situation with his own eyes. If possible, he wanted to decide the battle on a narrow path in the forest.
—The enemy's light cavalry is two thousand.
If so, he could win.
On a narrow road, the mobility that the Kosa army excelled at would be sealed off.
If his own heavy cavalry blocked the rear and Dico Thora's troops of Ganlord arrived in the front, the enemy would have no choice but to scatter, even within the forest. Then, his infantry would hunt the foreign people in the woods.
However, what Haider Skyner, heading west, encountered on the forest road was Gallan's unit returning despondently.
Haider urged his horse with his legs and increased his speed.
"Gallan!"
"Young Lord!"
The Belgau light cavalry unit surrounded the seven of Haider's party.
"What happened? The Kosa army?"
Contrary to Haider's enthusiasm, Gallan had a gloomy expression.
"The thing is—"
The scouts each looked back toward the end of the road.
Haider followed their gaze. The road curved gently, so he couldn't see far, but he heard a sound. It was the sound of cavalry marching. What appeared in his sight was a procession of heavy cavalry.
They were flying the Thora family flag. It was the Ganlord army.
Haider was stunned. His body moved on its own, and he galloped his horse forward.
"Haid! Hey!"
He heard Vimherik's voice.
A particularly tall man at the front of the procession raised one hand. The youth next to him turned around and shouted, "Halt!"
The Ganlord heavy cavalry stopped. Haider also stopped his horse in front of the army.
"Was that your scout loitering in front of us?"
The tall man spoke. He was about forty, with golden sideburns connected to his mustache.
"Indeed," Haider answered. "Haider of the Skyner family, Belgau. The enemy?"
"I am Sibel, under Dico Thora. Is the enemy not in your direction?"
"Have you not seen them? They should have headed that way."
"I haven't. We deployed immediately upon confirming the signal fire, you know?"
"We did as well."
"Are you saying they vanished? Wait. Our scouts should have headed toward Bist."
"No. They have not arrived."
At Haider's words, Captain Sibel's eyes widened, and he looked around anxiously.
Vimherik lined up next to Haider. "Young Lord, let us return to Bist."
Haider looked at his childhood friend's serious face. The enemy had left the road and was hiding in the forest—Vim might be thinking that.
"Vim, the enemy isn't hiding nearby. They passed through this road and emerged onto the plains."
"—No way."
"The enemy isn't treating us as opponents. But what speed."
The Kosa cavalry's stay in Bist must have been almost instantaneous.
That meant they hadn't even sent out scouts to confirm the safety of their destination.
Even though the enemy might be waiting at the end of a single forest road, they departed as soon as they reached Bist. That level of responsiveness.
Such recklessness probably worked because they had absolute confidence that the Siddim soldiers could not keep up with that responsiveness. In fact, Haider had been too slow. The excuse that the Kosa cavalry's agility was extraordinary would not hold. If such an excuse were acceptable, they would never win.
—It's narrow.
To the Kosa, a place like Siddim was probably a country as small as a toy.
The enemy cavalry could gallop freely and boundlessly across this narrow land.
For the next two days, the Kosa cavalry vanished.
It wasn't that they were able to move without being seen by anyone at all; many Siddim people witnessed the Kosa cavalry galloping down the roads with thundering hooves. Farmers and children, merchants and clergy, housewives and travelers all saw the Kosa.
Mounted warriors of unfamiliar appearance were moving in groups.
Many felt it was strange and reported it to nearby military or administrative facilities.
However, nothing had been stolen, and no harm had been done. Nothing was left as evidence. They simply appeared like the wind and vanished. The reports of the people were held by the officials in each region and never reached the ears of Sedias Thora.
The only exception was a town in Ganlord called Famana.
Two hundred Kosa cavalry had revealed themselves boldly.
The one commanding this was Hazab, who had parted from Mozu Wolf.
Hazab had received orders from Mozu to wander around eastern Siddim, intentionally catch the eye of enemy troops, and confuse the enemy.
It was a miserable march where the available food only decreased, but Hazab worked on the operation with bravery.
It wasn't just that he wanted to be of help to Mozu Wolf; Hazab wanted to save General Pusiteto and the General's Southern Forest Army.
Whether Hazab's determination reached them or not, hesitation had arisen in the heart of Sedias Thora at the front of the Dark Forest.
"Dint?"
Sedias asked his adjutant, Lubeck, back.
In the eastern quarters of the Twin Forts, Sedias had just woken up and had not yet finished changing. It was still dark outside.
"That is correct," Lubeck answered with a gentle face reminiscent of a civil servant.
"Ramirez?"
"No. Danforth's son. He says there are fifteen to twenty thousand reserves beyond the mountains. He says a portion of them have entered Siddim as a vanguard."
"Wait, wait... there was a report from Dico. Some said they saw something like enemy shadows, some said they didn't..."
"Yes, in Famana."
"The infiltration route?"
"According to Cloden—Danforth's son—he thinks it might be Tosha. However, he also says that if it really is Tosha, Belgau should have already taken measures."
"Belgau..."
—Danforth, then.
If it is Aram Danforth, he can be relieved for now. Dico Thora is also in Ganlord.
He didn't need to think about the twenty thousand reserves for the time being. However, he also thought that the possibility of enemy infiltration could not be ignored.
"Did Danforth have a prediction for the enemy's destination?"
Lubeck shook his head. "He thinks it might be a western route."
"West? If there are enemies, shouldn't they be around Famana?"
"According to Cloden—"
"Has any report arrived from the west?"
"No."
Sedias crossed his arms in his nightclothes. Right now, he didn't want to move a single soldier. Soldiers with expressions as if they had seen hell were returning one after another from the 'Dark Forest.' Many were near death. Synthesizing their stories, it was thought that the enemy army would arrive within three days.
That said, if the enemy had infiltrated from the north, this could not be taken lightly.
"Send scouts to the west."
Sedias made his decision.
"Understood."
"Send a portion of the reserves north and arrange them. Also, send someone to Ganlord to get accurate information."
"I understand."
"This is no joke, at a time like this."
The enemy was approaching from the front. Sedias wanted to concentrate on this. The other side knew that, so they were aiming for his back.
—Even if they crossed the mountains, they are a small force.
It is impossible to cross the Dwarf Mountains with a large army. The Kosa do not know horseshoes, so they should be unable to pass through roads with poor footing with horses.
—A small force. Even if they pushed through, it would be five hundred at most.
Sedias tilted his head.
"Forget it."
He decided to reverse his previous statement.
"No more being stingy. Deploy all the reserves to the north. With that much, Dico Thora and Dint will be satisfied."
"No, but. It will be necessary to rethink the organization."
"Do it. Five thousand cavalry for the reserves will be enough."
Rearranging troops is not as simple as moving a unit from the right to the left. As Lubeck said, the organization had to be considered. Logistics had to be arranged, and a system for self-sufficiency on the ground had to be constructed. There were various tedious matters.
That is exactly why he did it. If war is about launching things the opponent dislikes, then not being shaken even when the opponent launches things you dislike is also what war is.
Naturally, Mozu Wolf also did things the opponent disliked.
Of the cavalry reduced to two thousand, Mozu entrusted two hundred to Hazab and headed west with the remaining one thousand eight hundred riders.
They moved cautiously for about two days, hiding in forests and such, and from the third day, they began to rampage flashily.
In the east, there were forts and stationed troops everywhere they went.
They circled the perimeter of those forts on horseback and provoked the enemy. When enemy soldiers took the bait and came out of the forts, they teased them by firing arrows from a distance. They would wrap things up at an appropriate point and head to the next fort.
Repeating such military actions about three times in two days, they moved west, and before they knew it, they had apparently reached the central part of Siddim.
"That is—"
Mozu narrowed his eyes and smiled atop his horse.
He had reached a place where he could see in the distance the city of Malfa, the greatest city in the north, which the Enagamo peddlers praised incessantly.
Indeed, the royal capital Malfa was a city that shone like a jewel, its roofs reflecting the sunlight.
—This was a fine sight to behold.
The Great King will like it. He wanted to capture it while it was as beautiful as possible.
"It is about time to go to the Dark Forest and surprise the enemy's main camp."
Mozu spoke to Huchi Bas, who was by his side. He was the older brother of Nahal Bas, who had risen to become the Great King Geraha's right hand, and was a brave man.
"If things are going well, Pusiteto should be about to engage the enemy."
"Then we must hurry."
Perhaps because of the continued camping in the open, a small leaf was stuck in Huchi's beard.
"No, we will split into two groups here. I will go to the southeast of Siddim with a thousand riders. You continue to confuse the enemy with eight hundred riders. Let us merge around the Dark Forest in three days."
"Only a thousand riders?"
"Only a thousand. More importantly, you've got something here."
When Mozu pointed to his own black beard, Huchi rubbed his beard and knocked the leaf off.
Huchi looked at the fallen leaf with a wry smile.
"Understood. In three days."
"Yeah. In three days."
Mozu changed his direction of travel south with a thousand riders and galloped his horse.
Huchi said "only a thousand," but that was wrong. Both Huchi's unit and Hazab's separate detachment were enemy troops to Sedias Thora.
If enemy troops appeared in separate locations, wouldn't a giant army form in Sedias's imagination? Even if not that much, it would be enough if Sedias Thora overevaluated the separate force that had entered his rear even slightly. He would surely be flustered.