The Kingdom of Hordia is located to the west of the Kingdom of Filat.
It is one of the great powers on the Taliant Continent, boasting the largest territory and population among the nations.
While Hordia was not on bad terms with Filat, unlike with Ranleo, recent trade disputes had gradually soured their relationship.
The incident that sparked the conflict was Filat’s imposition of austerity measures after suffering damage from a Demon attack, which led to a reduction in imports from other countries.
Imports from Hordia, which did not produce essential goods, naturally decreased, causing Hordia to incur a significant trade deficit with Filat.
Therefore, it was not surprising that they were attacked.
“They’re attacking at this time of year? I heard the current King was mad…”
No one answered Karno, the Commander of the garrison at Balderra Fortress, located on the border with Hordia.
The senior officers gathered in the fortress’s strategy room, but none could hide their bewilderment.
There was a long-standing unspoken rule to refrain from waging war for a month before and after the Demonplay.
This wasn’t simply due to Filat’s complacency but also because breaking it would damage relations with all other nations.
Was this the will of the Queen, who had ascended the throne a few years prior and was already known as the “Mad Queen”?
“Well, it doesn’t matter. The envoy declaring war left yesterday, and it takes three days to cross the border and reach here. Reinforcements will arrive in about five days, so we just need to hold out for a day or two.”
Everyone nodded at Karno’s resolute words.
Filat’s defense system involved building fortresses along the border, stationing a certain number of permanent troops, and dispatching reinforcements from neighboring regions and the Royal Capital when attacked.
This was possible due to the unwritten rule that troops could not cross the border until the envoy declaring war had done so. Fortunately, the Hordian army did not seem to have broken this rule.
(Then there is a chance of victory.)
Karno, with only thirty thousand subordinate soldiers, had grounds for his confidence.
This was not the first time they had been attacked by Hordia.
Based on past experience, a large enemy army would take at least until tomorrow to reach this point, and the soldiers needed to rest before fighting.
Reinforcements from neighboring regions would arrive the day after tomorrow, and attacking the fortress would no longer be a priority.
However, that calculation was quickly shattered.
“General Karno! It’s an emergency!”
A soldier burst in, his face pale with alarm.
“What is it?”
“The Hordian army, the Hordian army has appeared!”
“Wh-what did you say!?”
Karno and everyone else were stunned, jumping up in disbelief.
“Impossible!”
“You don’t mean they broke the unspoken rule about declaring war too!?”
“What were the intelligence soldiers doing!?”
Chaos erupted instantly.
The marching speed of Hordia was incredibly abnormal.
The rushing soldier, albeit stuttering, explained the situation.
“Th-that’s the thing… they, they don’t have a supply train.”
Silence fell for a moment, then was broken by an even louder uproar.
“That’s impossible!”
“Are they insane!?”
Indeed, the absence of a supply train would significantly increase marching speed, making their arrival a day earlier not unthinkable.
However, waging war without supplies was sheer madness.
Especially when invading an enemy country.
“Are you sure there’s no supply train?”
The soldier nodded awkwardly at Karno’s question.
Even he could barely believe it himself without seeing it with his own eyes.
“Then how did they get here?”
“Uh, yes. They drank water from the river, hunted beasts, and gathered fruits.”
“I see. So, they thoroughly researched the geography and ecosystem during their previous invasions?”
Karno’s conjecture found no support.
“But, would anyone normally do that? They’re probably an army centered around Slave Soldiers, right…?”
Karno did not answer the staff officer who raised this question.
He himself was also half-convinced.
In Filat, even slaves, with the exception of those convicted of heinous crimes, were allowed the right to live as humans, and those who abused them were punished. However, Hordia was different.
It was the continent’s leading exporter of slaves, where slaves were considered less than disposable items.
There were countless historical accounts of armies resorting to looting when supply lines were cut.
However, dispatching an army from the outset without any supplies was an act of reckless abandon, or rather, foolishness, which was likely unprecedented, even for an army composed mainly of slaves.
And for them to have succeeded in doing so, Karno deduced that there must be some trick behind the invading army.
“Alright, put all troops on high alert. These are people who have marched this far without supplies. Treat them as elite soldiers, not just Slave Soldiers.”
“Yes!”
“We still have two days until reinforcements arrive. We will hold the line!”
“Understood!”
Upon hearing Karno’s order, the soldiers regained their composure and rushed to their posts.
Though he felt a slight unease about the enemy commander’s skill in leading an army without supplies to an enemy nation without disintegrating.
“We will attack Filat.”
Queen Asteria’s declaration stunned her subordinates.
It was two weeks until the Demonplay, and there was an unspoken agreement not to engage in hostilities during this period.
Violating this could, in the worst-case scenario, turn all the nations on the continent against them.
Hordia, having experienced war with all continental nations once in the past and lost half of its territory, should have avoided such a situation at all costs.
“Y-Your Majesty, what did you say?”
After a silent exchange of glances, Oswald, one of the veteran generals, asked hesitantly.
“Don’t make me repeat myself, you decrepit piece of trash. We will attack Filat now. The target is Balderra Fortress, and the commander is Ign.”
Asteria spun words laced with absolute zero pressure and venom for her uncomprehending subordinates.
It had been said countless times that Asteria possessed beauty comparable to Princess Lovisa of the neighboring country, but she had never received a single compliment.
Her blue eyes held no emotion or warmth, and her musically beautiful voice was said to be a venom and needle that pierced the hearts of others.
“Wait, Your Majesty. Attacking at this time will worsen relations with other countries.”
The Chancellor stood up to protest.
The atmosphere conveyed that he had spoken well, but he was shattered by Asteria’s invisible whip.
“That is your job, Chancellor. If you cannot do it, I will, so hand in your resignation and be gone.”
The Chancellor attempted to argue further, stating it was a matter of grave national importance.
“How do you plan to manage it? If you are going to expend unnecessary effort, why not simply not attack from the beginning?”
Asteria’s well-formed eyebrows shot up.
“You quivering piece of trash who can barely grasp one-tenth of what I explain, yet you are quick to retort. Do you not even realize that the stagnation of national affairs is due to your incompetence?”
The Chancellor was momentarily taken aback by his lord’s verbal abuse, which seemed like slander, but quickly recovered and retorted.
“Th-then why did you appoint me Chancellor in the first place?”
“Because you are all trash beneath contempt. Tax thieves.”
Asteria spat out the words and glanced around at everyone.
Intimidated by the coldness of her words and the pressure of her gaze, everyone lowered their heads.
The number of people purged since the current Queen’s ascension was no less than twenty or thirty.
If her “bloody reforms” had failed, rebellions would have occurred at least ten times.
Despite being called a madman or the Bloodstained Mad King, she had successfully completed all her reforms and greatly enriched the country, which was why many obeyed her, albeit with fear and dislike.
After a period of silence, Ign, who had been appointed Commander, asked a question.
“I humbly beg your pardon. I will obey the order to attack Balderra Fortress, but what is Your Majesty’s objective? Please impart it to this unworthy servant.”
“The objective is Marius Tuban.”
Ign, though momentarily taken aback by the Queen’s answer, pressed on.
“Marius Tubaan? What has become of him?”
“I will confirm the extent of his power with a large army. The future of this country will be decided by the results.”
Asteria answered, not bothering to hide her impatience with her subordinates who couldn’t keep up.
“Even if we attack Balderra with a large army, will Marius actually come?”
“He will come. Balderra is not just a defensive stronghold. Shadapul, a vital hub for western Filat’s trade, is located there. Therefore, Ign, depart today.”
“Wh-what did you say!?”
The hall erupted in a frenzy, but it was understandable.
An army is an organization that takes time to prepare, and the larger the scale of deployment, the more time required.
“What about equipment? What about logistics? What do you intend to do?”
“Are you an infant?”
She did not falter despite her lord’s contempt-filled words.
“War is not something that can be decided on a whim!”
“The soldiers will be primarily Slaves. Equipment will be distributed at the border. Each soldier must procure their own food on site.”
All eyes focused on Asteria, as if she were a being of disbelief.
“Your Majesty… are you saying we should fight without supplies!?”
Asteria answered the obvious question without a single flicker of her eyebrows.
“What have you all witnessed in Filat’s past wars?”
The collective agreement to the incredibly unreasonable order to be self-sufficient did not happen smoothly.
If they remembered the geography, they knew where they could find food and drink, and it was possible to invade without starving.
Asteria’s characteristic was her ability to lend credence to excessively unreasonable orders.
Ultimately, all those who tried to dissuade her were refuted, and the soldiers were organized.
Of course, not all of it was due to Asteria’s power.
Many had considered a plan where, should this matter fail, Asteria would bear all the responsibility and abdicate to avoid turning the entire continent into an enemy.
They feared escalating the conflict but were utterly indifferent to the reckless use of Slave Soldiers as expendable pawns.
From Hordia’s perspective as a whole, the loss of one hundred to one hundred fifty thousand slaves would not be a significant blow.
If it meant understanding Marius’s true worth, it was a small price to pay; Asteria was not the only one who thought this.
After the envoy carrying the declaration of war had departed, Asteria declared to the assembled soldiers.
“Soldiers. Ravage Filat. Your advancement will be limitless if you do. Destroy, burn, kill.”
“OOOOH!”
The assembled Slave Soldiers erupted in excitement at Asteria’s encouragement.
They were even more ignorant and uneducated than regular soldiers.
While they had reservations about invading without supplies, Asteria’s confident assurance of success and her promise of advancement immediately led them to contemplate their own futures.
The treatment of slaves in Hordia was at the bottom rung among the nations on the continent, with one exception.
That exception was achieving merit in war.
Those who achieved great merit were freed from slavery, promoted to officer ranks, and promised wealth, nobility, and honor.
These “success stories” served as commanders of the slave units, so the slaves strived to become like their immediate superiors.
They considered this operation difficult but with great rewards, and when told this directly by the Queen, whom they regarded as a celestial being, the slaves were greatly motivated.
Only a few noticed Asteria’s significant glance at specific individuals.
Thus, the Hordian army’s lightning invasion of Filat began.
With a speed that exceeded Filat’s predictions, the Hordian army captured Balderra Fortress on the very day of their arrival.
Marius heard the news of Balderra Fortress’s fall that evening while eating dinner at the encampment, having departed after merging with twenty thousand reinforcements from the Royal Capital.
It was a crushing defeat, with over twenty thousand soldiers, including the defending general Karno, killed in action.
All who surrendered were killed, and fewer than a thousand managed to escape.
Marius felt nothing upon hearing of the death of someone he had never met, but he became enraged when he heard that all who surrendered had been killed.
He empathized slightly with the soldiers who swore revenge, tears of anger streaming down their faces.
“However, with Balderra Fortress fallen, our strategy must change.”
Yaders, who was dispatched alongside Marius to be the commander of the reinforcements, had flushed cheeks from anger and frustration but remained remarkably calm.
“I’ve heard that Lord Marius has no combat experience and has never killed anyone. Forgive me for saying so, but could you return to the Royal Capital and consult His Majesty?”
Marius’s initial objective in being dispatched was deterrence and intimidation, so that was deemed acceptable.
However, now that the fortress had fallen and the strategy had changed, Yaders stated that someone who could not kill would only be a hindrance.
Moreover, there was the hope that Marius, with his magic, could travel back and forth instantaneously.
While Marius had no intention of seeking revenge, he nodded, angered by Hordia’s methods.
He returned to the royal palace using “Teleport” to obtain permission from the King to participate in the campaign.
(Next chapter, planned preview)
“Marius vs. the Hordian Army”
*This is a planned preview.
