Chapter 71 - Monster of the Northernmost Territory II_004_It's Hard When Worries Never End
This is a work of fiction.
Any resemblance to actual persons, organizations, or names is purely coincidental.
■■■■■■■■■■
004_It's Hard When Worries Never End
■■■■■■■■■■
A group of thirty people riding horses under cover of night. They are the Jabaru Kingdom's assault force.
The Jabaru Kingdom, which had been forced to swallow bitter experiences at the hands of the Kuodo Kingdom, was pinning its hopes on a comeback with this operation.
That operation was to dig a tunnel through the Boldos Mountains, and through that tunnel, send a force into the territory controlled by the Kuodo Kingdom.
To dig the tunnel, they gathered those with root powers capable of working earth and rock, such as "Excavation" and "Digging," and even then, lacking enough, had many people acquire those root powers.
It was a large-scale operation prepared over the course of a year, using three hundred people with root powers and five thousand personnel without root powers.
Fortunately, the southern side of the Boldos Mountains was under the Jabaru Kingdom's control, a vast enough land to conceal even the mobilization of fifty-three hundred personnel.
Of course, they also took strict measures against enemy spies. Preparing cautiously yet boldly, that was how they readied themselves.
About twenty other units of the same scale as this assault force were being deployed. A total of six hundred men, an assault force composed solely of cavalry.
The plan was for the main army to attack the Kuodo Kingdom the next morning, and then these assault forces would disrupt the rear, aiming for the head of the enemy commander-in-chief.
The Kuodo Kingdom side was unaware of this operation. The operation would succeed, and they would reclaim lost territory — of that they had no doubt.
"We'll take the enemy commander-in-chief's head, men!"
"Yes sir!"
The assault force advanced spiritedly through land that was once theirs.
Heading north from the tunnel, they detoured around a small village. This village had at times been under Jabaru Kingdom control.
Leading them was Gumun, a soldier in his forties familiar with the geography of this area. He was the captain leading this assault force.
Gumun was born and raised in the Gardadia Region, but twenty years ago he had the bitter experience of losing his homeland to the Kuodo Kingdom and fleeing south—a veteran soldier.
This time, I will definitely reclaim my homeland.
With strong resolve in his heart, Gumun spurred his horse onward.
Tragedy was about to befall that Gumun, but he did not yet know it.
When Gumun changed course to the right, he raised his right arm; when to the left, he raised his left arm to signal his subordinates.
Even now, he raised his left arm and gently changed their course.
—That was when it happened.
Pshun — something grazed past Gumun's ear. A sound he recognized. Gumun instantly lowered his posture and tried to raise a warning voice, but from behind came a scream and the sound of someone falling from a horse.
"Arrows! Arrows are coming!"
"Enemy attack!"
"Where from?!"
Voices of alarm like roars reached Gumun's ears.
Even now, arrows flew over Gumun's head. Several of his subordinates fell victim to those arrows, letting out muffled cries.
A few likely fell from their horses, but thankfully, Gumun was not hit. And then he saw those loosing the arrows.
Their numbers aren't great. If we don't wipe them out here, the operation will be exposed.
Gumun, having crossed battlefields many times, was also well acquainted with the Kuodo Kingdom's military. From that experience, he judged in an instant that this was not the national army but a unit from a noble's army.
I don't care if it's the national army or a noble's army. Try taking our charge!
Gumun sent the charge signal to his subordinates and kicked his horse's flanks. Speed increased.
Even for a veteran soldier, after loosing an arrow, it takes about five seconds to nock another. In that time, he would close the distance at once.
The sight of enemy soldiers trying to nock arrows flowed by in slow motion.
I'll make it!
Keeping low, he readied a short spear easier to handle on horseback. That was when it happened.
A giant of a man wielding a battle axe appeared before the enemy archers, and before he knew it, Gumun was flying through the air.
As he saw the sight of his beloved horse's two front legs severed, upside down, his body slammed headfirst into the ground, and Gumun's consciousness was severed.
▽▽▽
"Archers, fall back! Spearmen, advance!"
Sora shouted the order from the depths of his belly, as it was unforgivable for an order not to reach his subordinates on the battlefield. To the ten soldiers equipped with long spears, he gave the command loudly.
The school he had attended until recently had taught him these basics thoroughly.
"Elbert. Don't charge ahead."
"I am aware."
Even as he said that, Elbert surged forward step by step.
"That guy, he doesn't understand at all..."
Sora sighed, but he couldn't afford to let Elbert be isolated there, so he ordered the ten long-spearmen to support Elbert.
At the same time, he deployed the shield-bearing soldiers to left and right, keeping a wide watch on the enemy.
"Left! One cavalryman! Incoming!"
The four shield-bearing soldiers reacted to Sora's words, staking the tips of their shields into the ground, crouching, and bracing their entire bodies behind the shields. All four were warriors of the Blue Wolf Tribe, and their strength needed no explanation.
Moreover, the shields were designed to withstand cavalry charges. A combination that wouldn't budge even under a cavalry impact.
"Right! One cavalryman! Engage!"
The shield-bearing soldiers deployed on the right were not of the Blue Wolf Tribe but ordinary humans. However, they possessed defensive root powers like "Toughness" and "Hardening," so they too had defensive power capable of enduring a cavalry charge.
The cavalryman from the left had built up speed, but with exquisite rein handling that barely avoided collision, he evaded the shield formation.
The ability to handle reins like that was surely the fruit of rigorous daily training.
But as he tried to pass the side of the shield formation, a short spear extended from a gap in the shields and tangled around the horse's legs.
The horse fell forward, and the soldier controlling it tumbled head over heels, losing consciousness.
The Blue Wolf Tribe normally did not use weapons. Their bodies were weapons and armor. But after they began serving the Forbus Marquis family, they adopted organized attack and defense, and thus came to use shields and short spears as well.
When the strong-bodied Blue Wolf Tribe began using weapons, they grew even stronger. That likely played a part in the advancement of the Forbus Marquis family.
The cavalryman coming from the right, unable to avoid the shield formation, crashed into it. The arm of the shield-bearing soldier groaned, but by activating "Hardening," he endured.
The cavalryman leaped from his horse upon impact with the shield, but carried by momentum, he rolled across the ground several times. There, the soldiers lying in wait subdued and captured him.
Meanwhile, the knight Elbert swung his battle axe freely in all directions, showing a performance that could be described as a Rakshasa or a demon.
He slaughtered cavalrymen until the battle axe drank so much blood it turned dark and black.
"Gwahahahaha! Sora-sama, a good omen, is it not!"
Having more or less dealt with the enemy unit and been able to rampage, the knight Elbert was in high spirits.
"Elbert, you charged too far ahead. I had no choice but to send the spearmen forward to keep you from being isolated."
"What are you saying, Sora-sama? I alone slaughtered all those fellows!"
This guy, he's too muscle-brained. I dread to think what lies ahead.
Wiping the blood from his battle axe with a cloth, Elbert spoke without a single thought in his head.
In a melee, he was a reassuring presence, but he was the type of combat idiot unsuited for organized operations.
From now on, I need to factor in this guy's muscle-headedness when making plans.
"Sora-sama. What shall we do with these prisoners?"
One of the soldiers — Zargan, the oldest among the forty Sora had led this time — confirmed how to handle the six prisoners.
They had confirmed twenty-two bodies this time. It seemed a few had fled, but the Blue Wolf Tribe had been ordered to pursue them.
"First, interrogation. If I leave it to Elbert, he'll kill them all, so I'm entrusting the interrogation to you, Zargan."
"Understood."
Watching the soldiers' movements from the rear, Sora could tell. This Zargan skillfully directed the other soldiers.
Zargan was a soldier serving the knight Elbert, and perhaps because he was troubled by his muscle-headed superior, he seemed to have grown into an excellent adjutant.
Thank you for your continued patronage.
We hope you will continue to support this work.
Also, please consider adding a 'Bookmark' and 'Like.'
If you enjoy it, please leave a rating.
You can rate using the ☆☆☆☆☆ ⇒ ★★★★★ below. Minimum 1 star, maximum 5 stars.
'★★★★★' would make me happy (＾◇＾)