Chapter 88 - 8-2
"That was quite a wind, wasn't it?"
The Great King appeared before Pusiteto with a joyful expression.
"Is it always like this around here?"
"No, certainly not..."
If the horse was large, the Great King riding it was larger. Across that body, which resembled a walking mountain range, the dappled sunlight of the forest flowed in mottled patterns. Perhaps influenced by something from the East, the Great King's expression was so serene it could be called meditative. A small leaf was clinging to the Great King's clothing, which gave Pusiteto a strangely otherworldly impression, as if he were detached from the common folk.
"A splendid road, well-made indeed. It shall be open soon, eh?"
Pusiteto panicked. He had never spoken properly with Great King Geraha.
"Great King, welcome—however, safety is not yet—and just now—"
"Forgive my sudden arrival. I was scolded by Nahal for moving without prior notice; if I were to be scolded by you as well, I would be a pitiful thing indeed. Now, pray forgive me."
Great King Geraha Wolf was in high spirits. The line of mounted soldiers following behind the Great King also wore bright expressions, their heads dusted with leaves.
Pusiteto gave a slight bow to the procession, turned his horse, and drew level with the Great King.
"Great King, enemy soldiers are still lurking in this forest. They are hunting soldiers of unparalleled cruelty."
Pusiteto explained the circumstances from the beginning.
"From our side, the intention was to prepare for an amicable relationship. And yet, the other side attacked without question, is that it?" the Great King said.
"Since we entered by cutting down trees, they likely considered it an invasion. From our perspective, this forest belongs to the plains nations, but from the North, it belongs to Siddim. The border is ambiguous."
"Are these hunting soldiers truly that formidable?"
"In the forests, they are all strong enough to be worth a thousand riders."
"If we are the weaker party, perhaps we should first pay our respects. We shall offer gifts and explain our position. That we have no intention of hostility."
"But the war has already begun."
"I see. Then we shall bring things to a state where we can reset the situation. It will not be too late after that to offer sacred sake to these hunting soldiers, and through the mediation of the Roma Church, send envoys to the royal houses of the North."
—How peaceful.
Pusiteto looked up at the Great King's profile. There was a lukewarm aura, like a heat haze rising from the spring sunlight. A redness, like the budding of fragrant flowers, floated upon the Great King's ugly face. The Great King's eyes also seemed to be smiling, like the depicted elephants of the South.
"And so,"
Great King Geraha continued in high spirits.
"Being pressed by my sister-in-law, I have finally decided to take a primary consort."
"Oh, a primary consort—a queen? That is wonderful news!"
Despite being a fat lion (T/N: literal translation of 'futorijishi', implying a plump but powerful man), Pusiteto usually had a small voice, but at this moment, the voice came from his gut.
Indeed, it made sense that the expressions of the cavalry following behind were soft. Upon hearing this auspicious event, one could not help but soften. Looking back, everyone was laughing at Pusiteto's clumsy voice.
"Ufufu," the Great King also let out a laugh. "Of course, I shall consult everyone when the time is right, but I have mostly decided in my mind, and I do not wish to change it."
The Great King took a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket and handed it to Pusiteto shyly. Upon opening it, a lovely young girl was depicted.
"Apparently, she is a princess of Siddim."
"She is most beautiful."
"Do you approve?"
"Could I possibly not?"
Pusiteto answered while returning the drawing of the girl. Having witnessed a scene from the Great King's youth, Pusiteto felt as if he too were wrapped in the spring warmth. Who would oppose such a happy story? If one had to say, perhaps Kirikiri, who would feel dissatisfied that it was not a marriage he brokered,
—or perhaps the tribal chief.
Kushitante, King of the Tawaru, would likely pout if a matter as grave as the Great King's marriage proceeded while ignoring him. If that were the case, it would be better to involve him at an early stage. He could simply be drawn in by telling him that the Great King is facing a romantic problem and that he should be consulted in absolute secrecy.
He should be able to be made an ally.
"I shall send word to the King of the Tawaru myself."
"Hmm." Great King Geraha nodded with satisfaction. "However, for now, keep this talk within this circle. If my schemes reach the ears of the princess of Siddim, there is a risk she might commit suicide."
"Surely not."
Pusiteto had heard a story that a princess of the East, to whom the Great King had once proposed marriage, had hanged herself out of sheer disgust.
"It is because of this face of mine. Even if I gathered the daughters of the whole world, I could not find one who loves me. If that is the case—"
"Great King!"
Affected by the warmth of youth, Pusiteto interrupted the Great King with a powerful whisper.
Pusiteto had not been born with a beautiful face either. Even so, he had a wife and children. He felt there was something he could teach the still-young Geraha Wolf.
"Women are meant to be loved and made happy by a man!"
"Well said!"
The Great King spoke with a voice that seemed to echo through the entire forest, and the birds in the trees cried out and took flight.
Pusiteto was slapped on the back by the Great King's large hand.
"To ensure the princess of Siddim can be at peace, I intend to first construct a capital in Kandasyata that will not lose to Koroi."
"That is a grand vision. It shall become the center of the empire."
"I want to show the world to the princess of the North. Or perhaps, I might be satisfied with just that."
—I have nothing else I want to do, like world conquest or anything.
Pusiteto did not miss the mutter of the Great King, who had suddenly cast his gaze downward.
He wanted to hear more in detail, but the exit of the forest drew near.
Pusiteto adjusted his tone.
"Great King, I am late in mentioning it, and I wonder if this is the right time for such a report, but actually, the truth is, our army is currently in the midst of receiving an attack from the enemy."
"Hmm. I sense something. Pusiteto, come with me."
The Great King manipulated the reins and galloped his horse lightly. The leaves clinging to the Great King's body fluttered away.
Pusiteto immediately followed after him.
"I shall take a lap. If there is anything I do not understand by seeing it with my own eyes, I shall ask you to teach me."
Pusiteto narrowed his small eyes against the brightness.
The Great King, looking back at Pusiteto, was swallowed up into the light of Siddim.
The Northern Kingdom of Siddim seemed to be a land rich in greenery. The grass looked bluer than the green of the highlands. High hills pressed in, and there were two forts at the gaps between the hills, with soldiers filling the space between them.
Kazahana, the giant horse ridden by Geraha, galloped as if leaping, perhaps happy to have returned to its homeland. After taking a lap of the vicinity, Geraha understood that this place was a dead end surrounded by forests and hills.
"Pusiteto."
When Geraha looked back, not only Pusiteto, but several nostalgic faces were lined up.
Behind Pusiteto, while maintaining a certain distance, cavalry of Southerners and Kosa people were lined up densely, bit to bit. Together, they turned their faces toward Geraha. Everyone present was looking at Geraha.
—It seems they have suffered.
An unhideable exhaustion could be seen on their faces. Eyes wet with that exhaustion were glistening. Everyone was likely placing their hopes in Geraha. They must have felt terribly lonely.
"Good work to you all!"
Geraha wanted to reward them, but for now, he was only capable of raising his voice.
After a momentary pause, a roar of voices returned. They were rejoicing, slapping the quivers attached to their waists. Even the horses neighed.
"I shall have you work more!"
—We shall work!
The soldiers replied in unison.
"We shall win!"
—Win!
"We shall win!"
—Win!
"Pusiteto!"
—Pusiteto!
Geraha raised his right hand to silence the soldiers and lowered his tone.
"Pusiteto, we shall make this entire region a trap from which there is no escape once entered. We will lure the enemy in and strike them. First, those tents over there are in the way. Also, there is too much wasted space, so partitions will be necessary. Fortunately, there seem to be logs. Construct a position. It will be hard work for everyone, but I shall have you push yourselves to the limit. By tomorrow night."
Geraha gave Pusiteto detailed instructions.
"Understood," Pusiteto said, looking back. "As expected of the Great King!"
It was a voice with a resonance that surprised Geraha.
Great King! Great King! Great King!
The soldiers' morale rose. Geraha felt tickled and galloped his horse toward the forts, which were the front line.
The infantry held their shields, looking only forward. Geraha rode behind them. For now, the enemy was merely preparing a posture to block them in. Broken arrows were stuck in the walls of the forts towering on both sides.
In front of the infantry, who stood back to back, were barriers made of assembled logs with sharpened tips.
—I want to deploy the cavalry.
Geraha thought so, but he felt uneasy about not knowing the terrain.
He noticed a familiar back nearby. It was Hazab.
When Geraha called out, Hazab's eyes widened.
"Ah!"
Hazab gasped. Since they were within sight of the enemy and he likely did not want to break the soldiers' tension, Hazab spoke in a lowered voice.
"Great King..."
"You have the face of a warrior now, eh. What happened to Brother Mozu?"
"That is—"
From Hazab's mouth, Geraha learned that Mozu Wolf had been captured by the enemy.
Through Hazab's report, he also understood most of the flow of events up to this point.
"I see. I shall assign the forest engineers here. Can you hold out until the end of tomorrow?"
"I shall show you that we can hold."
"That means we are holding that hill, yes?"
Geraha pointed to the series of steep hills that looked like high waves solidified with earth.
"We are holding it. I shall guide you."
"No, I leave this to you. Tell the Southern folk to endure for the sake of creating a new country."
Geraha moved busily.
He returned to Pusiteto and spoke of gathering the forest engineers here to thicken the defenses.
"Understood. I shall call them."
"There is no need to rush, so have them settle the fires; absolutely do not let a fire break out. It would be unbearable if a wind like before came."
"Great King, you can move on your own," Pusiteto said, stopping Geraha. "Please take an attendant. Kijimute."
At Pusiteto's whispering voice, one of the riders reacted. He was a short man with a scruffy beard.
It was Kijimute, who had looked after Geraha when he was a captive of the Tawaru. He approached with a bitter face. Geraha found it amusing.
"You love war too, eh?"
"It has been a long time, Great King." Kijimute seemed embarrassed. "It is not that I love war. I am participating because I heard that once this place is finished, the war will finally end."
While that was not necessarily true, Geraha did not correct him. The conquest of Siddim was the climax, and if this country fell, half of the conquest of the North and West would be over; that much was certain.
"Sorry, Pusiteto. I shall borrow Kijimute."
Geraha and Kijimute galloped their horses to the foot of the hill. After dismounting, he tied his horse to a lonely standing white birch and began to climb the hill with difficulty. A path toward the summit had been formed by the footprints of the infantry. Since the path was nearly vertical, the packed earth footholds were like a ladder.
Standing atop the hill, the enemy nation could be looked down upon.
"By the thirty-six spirits—"
Kijimute, who was also looking down at the enemy nation, could not finish his words.
"They are here."
It was almost as far as the eye could see. Enemy soldiers were there. They stood in formation with spears upright, the whiteness of the spear tips seeming to haze over. The horses were also neatly aligned. The horses were dressed in costumes with the same patterns as their respective military flags, and their uniform appearance was beautiful. They were likely heavy cavalry. The way they pitched tents for camp was the same as the Kosa, but the fabric they used was considerably delicate. Flags were also planted at the tents. The tents were pitched in rows a short distance away. From the orderly overall impression, one felt that the serious nature of the ethnic group could be seen.
A few enemy soldiers, perhaps noticing Geraha's giant body, were pointing this way.
Geraha ignored them and tried to decipher the terrain of the places not visible from the enemy's deployment.
"Um—"
Southern infantry were deployed on the hill. He was spoken to by a man who seemed to be a platoon leader.
"I am Geraha Wolf. Thank you for your hard work," Geraha said.
He listened to the platoon leader's story. The barriers and wooden fences the allied infantry were hiding behind were apparently repurposed from those installed by the enemy. Geraha examined the construction. It looked like careful work, not inferior to the craftsmanship of the Southerners. The enemy seemed to be an ethnic group that could skillfully make anything themselves.
Geraha beckoned Kijimute over.
"I want to launch a surprise attack with cavalry from here," he spoke in a low voice.
"—It is impossible. It is too steep for horses to climb. There is no room to place horses."
"Can it not be managed with earthworks? A path for horses to climb, and a place to gather the cavalry."
"Managed... and besides, what do you intend to do after jumping from here into the middle of the enemy's great army?"
"That hill over there."
Geraha looked down. There was a rounded, low hill. Although covered in trees, the summit was bald and guarded by enemy soldiers.
"We take that base. After that, if we take the hill beyond it, our fire arrows will reach the enemy's tents. If we attack by connecting these three locations—here, that hill, and the hill beyond—we can split the enemy in half. The enemy to the right shall be driven inside the fort and struck down. The enemy to the left shall be attacked from here, and we will somehow force them to retreat."
"You say 'somehow,' but..."
Kijimute's anxiety was justified. The enemy would likely attack like fire from both sides with an unwavering determination.
However, Geraha saw that as long as the timing was not mistaken, the enemy army would retreat. The enemy must want to draw them out from this location.
If the inside of the fort were turned into a fortress, that desire would only grow stronger.
"Please protect the Great King."
Kijimute said to the platoon leader and descended the hill alone.
Shortly after, he returned bringing Pusiteto.
"Kijimute came crying to me, saying the Great King is being selfish."
Geraha was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Pusiteto sat beside him.
"Here, I want you to pull horses up."
"—That is quite something."
Pusiteto nodded while listening to Geraha's explanation.
—I understand.
Pusiteto said. "We have logs. We shall build stairs to climb up here, and extend the floor like a building's terrace to make a gathering place for horses. However, even then, we can place twenty riders at most."
"I would not call that sufficient. They shall have to be fierce."
The role of the cavalry here was to take the enemy by surprise and force open a path for those following. They were the vanguard for the infantry following behind. To seize the hill below, infantry were absolutely necessary.
Looking suddenly, it seemed the enemy soldiers were making a commotion while looking up this way.
Telling them it was time to return, Geraha descended the hill.
Next was the fort.
It was called the Twin Forts, and it seemed they had seized it after the enemy constructed it. Kijimute explained it that way.
The structure was simple; the raised part of the hill's gap was enclosed in a semi-circle by wooden fences and a moat. Surprisingly, the outer moat was filled with water.
"At first it was a dry moat,"
Kijimute said.
Perhaps due to the influence of rain that continued for several days, water that fell on the mountains had seeped out, he explained.
There was also a well inside the fort. Water was abundant; it likely gushed out if one dug.
Upon entering the fence, about three Kosa tents were pitched. Kosa people liked to build tents wherever there was a gap. That said, those staffing the fort were Southerners who were skilled at sieges. Because Geraha stood out, he drew the attention of the soldiers. The Southerners widened their eyes upon seeing Geraha, but said nothing. They simply followed behind Geraha.
The soldiers followed only as far as the entrance of the tower.
Beyond the tents, a splendid stone main tower towered. Geraha and Kijimute climbed the tower. The archers at the arrow slits were focused outward and did not even glance toward Geraha.
Going out onto the roof, he looked down once more at the enemy's formation.
Geraha then cast his eyes far into the distance.
—I see.
The terrain of the country called Siddim was, in short, complex. There were forests, green hills, grasslands, fields, and roads. Those elements of terrain intersected with each other, drawing exquisite curves, overlapping the green of the grass and the black of the earth like patterns, whitening as they went further, and melting into the space between the blue sky and the clouds.
The way the grasslands formed undulations was the same as the Kandasyata Highlands. However, the land of the highlands was far flatter and gentler compared to Siddim. Siddim was cramped, and the land was bumpy. Because the forests covered it, it looked complex and had poor visibility.
—This is a war of seizing positions.
The fort itself was based on that very idea.
Seizing a base and advancing inch by inch, or defending a base with desperate resolve.
The fighting over bases was as barbaric as a fistfight with bare hands. It was merely painful and rarely produced results. In exchange, casualties occurred in heaps.
The function of the cavalry would be limited. Cavalry is a refined unit that delivers a crushing blow to the enemy, breaks the enemy's main force, and decides the outcome. If one wins with cavalry, the losses for both sides are conversely fewer. Or perhaps, because of this terrain, the enemy's style of war had not reached that level.
"Kijimute."
"Yes." Kijimute was waiting behind.
"Go through the forest and return to the plains. Could you bring Kirikiri? I absolutely need that old man's wisdom."
"Are you using a Mukuri person?"
"Depending on the case. If I say I want to drop many forts, Kirikiri will likely arrange everything to go well."
When Geraha looked back, Kijimute was laughing.
"What is it?"
"I do not know. I am just exceedingly happy."
"It is because you love war."
"War is not interesting at all. But, somehow, I feel like things will go well. I shall go immediately. I will be back in a flash."
"When you return, I shall pat your head."
"Don't be ridiculous."
Kijimute descended the tower while laughing.
Since there were soldiers on the tower roof as well, Geraha was not alone. He nodded to the archers who were looking at him with bewildered expressions to reassure them, and then Geraha sat cross-legged on the spot.
—Is this really it?
He asked himself.
Was it alright to proceed by dropping forts and cities? There seemed to be no way to win easily. If one feared the increase in casualties, one would lose. That said, was it alright to adapt to the enemy's way of doing things?
—Ganlord, was it called?
The center of eastern Siddim, as he had heard from Hazab.
If he surrounded that, the enemy center would begin to consider surrender.
First, the east. Occupy it entirely. It was not bad.
—I can spend this winter in Ganlord.
Geraha tilted his head.
No, as expected, it was wrong. Geraha did not like it. This war should be won in the Kosa style. There was no need for his side to adapt to the crampedness of the enemy land. Certainly, in any battle, it is the standard way to change the method of fighting to suit the terrain.
It is the standard way and the safe measure. Caution is needed with steady plans in war. Because they are read by the enemy. A plan that is almost too risky produces more effect.
Even if the terrain has bumps and hollows, it does not mean horses cannot run. Geraha thought. If horses can run, that place is Kosa. A Kosa war can certainly be fought.