Chapter 465 - Episode 448: A Foregone Conclusion
The eastern and western armies of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg had each pushed the opposing Betumia Republic defense forces back to the outskirts of Osterreich.
Furthermore, the supply and communication lines connecting Osterreich to the royal capital of Lichthagen had been severed by the mobile units of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg and the Kingdom of Reveland.
And the supply network from the Betumia Republic mainland had been almost completely crushed by the royal navy and the forces of the County of Kivileft. At a certain point, the supply fleets themselves stopped arriving altogether.
Once it came to this, the battle became one-sided.
"Now then, Your Excellency. Let us begin for today as well."
"Yes, let us do so... Yuri."
"Sir."
Morning. Noein exchanged words while standing beside Marquis Bittenfeld, the General of the Eastern Army, and gave Yuri a glance. Receiving Noein's signal, Yuri issued instructions to Dant, who served as the commander of the ballista unit. On the side of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg's Eastern Army, officers relayed Marquis Bittenfeld's orders, and their ballista units moved.
The Eastern Army's ballista units used ballistae fixed to wagon beds, allowing for rapid movement. The Grand Duchy of Arqvist's ballista units coordinated with the Claymores, achieving swift and flexible movement by having golems pull the ballistae.
The ballista units of both armies advanced after completing their firing preparations. They brought the enemy's defensive line within range. Then, they loaded the bolts—this time, they loaded standard bolts, prioritizing range.
"Fire!"
Dant shouted at the top of his lungs, and bolts flew simultaneously from the Grand Duchy's ballistae. From the side of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg's Eastern Army, bolts were also released following the orders of the nobles in command.
The rain of thick bolts poured directly onto the enemy camp. Though the number was limited, the power was immense. They pierced through shields, tents, and even simple barricades to strike the enemy soldiers.
There was no immediate counterattack from the Betumia Republic army. To counter the long range of the ballistae, they had no choice but to use weapons of the same type, but they could not quickly aim their bolt-throwers at ballista units that deployed rapidly using wagons and golems at random times and positions.
Before the Betumia side could adjust the aim of their bolt-throwers, the ballista units, having finished their volley, retreated beyond the enemy's range.
"Hurry! Change direction!"
"If you dawdle, a counterattack will come! Come on, move it!"
While Gustav and Alain hurried them along, the Claymores pulled the Grand Duchy's ballistae and began to move. In the meantime, infantry units emerged from the enemy camp to pursue, but the crossbow units accompanying the ballistae intercepted them under Rick's command. The Kingdom of Rhodeberg's Eastern Army ballista units were similarly protected by crossbowmen.
The ballista units, having retreated while keeping the enemy's pursuit at bay, eventually reached a safe zone. Once they retreated near their own main force, the enemy could no longer pursue.
"...Once again, there were no problems at all."
"Yes. Next, in the afternoon, let us execute it again at an appropriate time."
Noein spoke with Marquis Bittenfeld in a relaxed tone.
By conducting ballista attacks regularly like this, they further exhausted the enemy army, which was already suffering from a lack of food and in distress. Even if the damage from a single attack was small, if unavoidable attacks flew in periodically, the enemy could not maintain morale.
It was a battle like a foregone conclusion at the end of a war, similar to what Noein had experienced during the previous Betumia war seven years ago.
"Your Excellency, it seems Radley has returned."
Told by Yuri, Noein looked in the direction he pointed. There, indeed, was the figure of Radley merging with the main force while leading his own unit.
As Noein walked toward him, Radley gave a salute.
"I have returned, Your Excellency."
"Good work, Radley... it looks like it was a big catch this time as well."
Radley's unit was leading about a dozen Betumia soldiers tied together in a chain with ropes.
At this stage of the battle, there were almost no opportunities to clash head-on with enemy soldiers. Therefore, Radley's unit, which excelled in close-quarters combat, took on the role of hunting enemy deserters.
A significant number of deserters were appearing from the enemy camp, and if those soldiers were left alone, there was a possibility they would become bandits in the future. To prevent that, it was Radley and his men's duty to capture them now.
"These guys give up and surrender before we even chase them much. It's an easy hunt for us, but there's no thrill to it."
For Radley and his men, who usually hunted monsters in the Bezel Great Forest, capturing exhausted human soldiers was a trivial matter. Every time, they returned having achieved great results like this.
From the Kingdom of Rhodeberg's side, several small units, including those of Baroness Lamprecht and Viscount Queul, were also engaged in capturing enemy deserters.
"Ahaha, I suppose it seems that way to you... it's easy for the main force over here too."
Noein answered with a laugh.
Up until now, there had been no deaths in the Grand Duchy of Arqvist army. Not even a seriously injured person had appeared. The rematch with the Betumia Republic was proceeding with surprising ease.
However, this was not something grasped simply by luck.
The augmentation of military strength and the strengthening of the nation that served as its premise. The strengthening of relations with surrounding nations such as the Kingdom of Rhodeberg, the Kingdom of Lancel, and the Kingdom of Reveland. And the seeds of chaos planted within the Betumia Republic. This was the result because there were things that Noein had built using all the time since obtaining the Arqvist Knight's Fief.
Noein believed that this country, and this southern part of the Adleon continent, had acquired everything necessary over a long period of time to achieve these results. There was no way they could lose to the Betumia Republic's desperate invasion driven by political reasons.
They should realize it. Their own strength, which protected peace and desired happiness. Noein thought this while wearing a gentle smile.
...
"..."
In the command tent, General Donald Patterson looked down at the war map with an expressionless face.
A point retreated somewhat south—rather than the outskirts of the royal capital Lichthagen. The central main force of the Betumia Republic's invasion force was completely stalled.
The forces, which initially numbered fifty-two thousand, had now decreased to forty thousand. The rest had either died in battle, suffered serious injuries, or become prisoners of the enemy.
After the failure of the first offensive, the Betumia Republic's main force launched offensives twice more. In both cases, they suffered heavy casualties before the enemy's strong field fortifications.
It was not even possible to properly transport the wounded back, and consequently, people continued to die from exhaustion. Even the wounded who were still alive could not receive proper treatment due to a shortage of medicines and healing mages.
Before medicines, there was hardly any food left. They had limited food rations in anticipation of the future, but there was a limit to how long that could last. They sent idle soldiers out for looting and hunting, but people and supplies had been carried out of the surrounding villages and small towns, leaving them nearly as empty shells, and they could not obtain enough food from hunting in the forest to satisfy tens of thousands of soldiers, so the situation did not improve.
The soldiers were starving. Morale cannot be maintained in a hungry army. Deserters were appearing in succession, and there were times when hundreds of people had vanished after a single night.
At this rate, the soldiers might start eating the corpses of their comrades. That was how desperate the situation had become.
"...Your Excellency."
The adjutant asked in a stiff tone. Donald understood what he wanted to say.
There was no room for the situation to improve even if they remained here any longer. Although their numbers had decreased, they still had forty thousand soldiers, so the central army of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg would not launch an easy offensive, but the other side had a supply base in the royal capital in their rear and could obtain cooperation from the surrounding lands. It was different from their situation, isolated in the middle of enemy territory.
If they began a retreat in this state where the soldiers were completely weakened, they would likely suffer great losses under the enemy's fierce pursuit. However, the longer time passed, the weaker the soldiers would become, and the losses suffered during retreat would only become worse.
Give up. This is the end. Donald told himself this and opened his mouth.
"...We will retreat to Osterreich. We will merge with the rear units, defend Osterreich to the death, wait for transport ships, and return to the mainland."
Currently, even the 'Far-Talk' communication network had been severed along with the supply line to Osterreich, so it was unknown what the situation on the mainland was, but this was a gamble. He could only hope that the coup by the traitors had failed and that supplies and troop transport were continuing.
He didn't know what kind of future awaited him if he returned to the mainland after suffering a crushing defeat. Most likely, the politicians of the Wealthy Nation Faction, the wealthy merchants who backed them, and the military high command themselves would end up socially ruined, even if the coup had ended in failure.
Even so, many soldiers could return to the mainland alive. He was the commander. Once there was no longer any prospect of winning, it became his duty to keep as many soldiers alive as possible.
At Donald's decision, the adjutant and the general officers present showed expressions of relief. Those of them close to the Wealthy Nation Faction were also near their mental limit.
"Load the wounded onto wagons. Leave behind unnecessary equipment. Prepare for movement taking only the minimum weapons, camping gear, and the remaining food—"
"General, what are you talking about?"
The one who interrupted was the political advisor, Representative Dickens.
"I told you at the beginning. There is no path for us other than advancing. And this is a retreat? Have you gone mad?"
At his words, the military men showed stunned expressions. Their expressions told him that he was the one who was mad.
"...Political Advisor. We no longer have a chance of victory. No matter how we struggle, we cannot grasp victory. You should understand that as well."
Representative Dickens was a politician, even if he was rotten. He shouldn't be a fool. Thinking this, Donald answered.
"Whether there is a chance of victory or not is irrelevant. I am saying there is only advancing. There is no road behind us."
"..."
Representative Dickens' eyes were fixed. He was different from Donald and the others. He was not just a soldier tied to the Wealthy Nation Faction. He was the Wealthy Nation Faction itself. His obsession was likely on a different level than that of Donald and the others.
However.
"Political Advisor. It is already useless. No matter what you say, it will not be a threat to us. I am the commander of this invasion operation. I decide what to do."
Resolutely, Donald answered. As a soldier, for the first time, he clearly defied politics.
The others also looked at Representative Dickens with dignified attitudes and sharp expressions.
"...Do you intend to oppose the Wealthy Nation Faction?"
"What meaning do domestic factions have at this late hour? First of all, in this situation where we don't even know if the Wealthy Nation Faction still exists in the mainland, what power do your words have?"
The deduction that this situation was a trap orchestrated by the traitors in the mainland and the Kingdom of Rhodeberg, and that a coup or something had likely occurred in the mainland, had already been told by Donald to the others.
In the first place, Representative Dickens had made the same deduction on his own, even without Donald telling him. Representative Dickens himself should have known that his words were meaningless.
However, Representative Dickens would not accept it.
"Guh, you bastard, don't mess—"
Representative Dickens drew a short sword for self-defense, but an officer nearby struck him in the back of the head. Representative Dickens, whose brain was shaken, lost consciousness, and another officer caught him as he was about to fall headfirst to the ground.
Donald and the others no longer had the time or the mental leeway to deal with Representative Dickens' rampage.
"...Restrain him for now. The rest of you, hurry and begin preparations for retreat. We leave here tomorrow."
Following Donald's order, everyone began to move.