The Republic of Misra’s army numbered 130,000, led by General Gareth.
The Kingdom of Barshark had 120,000 troops, with Grand General Remir as their commander.
The Kingdom of Vester’s army consisted of 100,000 soldiers, under the command of Grand General Randle.
With a combined force of 350,000, the three allied nations launched their assault on Hordia.
After crossing the borders, they rendezvoused in a sparse, unclaimed plain known as Fasha.
“First, shouldn’t we decide on an overall commander for the alliance?”
This was the first suggestion made when the generals of each army gathered for further discussion.
Gareth inwardly scoffed at Remir, who had voiced the suggestion, but responded dutifully.
“It’s meaningless. We are, after all, a mere coalition. Our command structure cannot possibly be unified.”
“I concur,” Randle agreed with Gareth.
“Hordia’s territory is vast, with many potential points of attack. I believe it would be best to advance from three different locations simultaneously. What do you think?”
Remir, rejected by the other two, replied with a flushed face.
“But, with such a large army… Hordia must surely have prepared a significant force as well.”
Gareth, wondering why such a person had been sent, explained it as if to a student.
“They have the advantage of being the defending side, and their unified command structure will be intact. Conversely, we cannot coordinate effectively, failing to leverage our numbers. There’s a high probability we’ll be defeated piecemeal and suffer a crushing defeat.”
Randle added to this explanation.
“If we split up, they will likely split up as well. As long as we have to fight independently, there’s no risk of being held back.”
In essence, they prioritized creating a situation where their own forces could perform effectively.
Remir mumbled incoherently, but since he could not come up with a counterargument, he remained silent.
“Lord Randle mentioned that if we split up, they would too, but I don’t necessarily believe that’s the case.”
Randle, feeling his point refuted by Gareth, asked calmly, though with a hint of displeasure.
“Then what do you propose?”
“Well. For instance, they might leave a minimal number of soldiers at a fortress and concentrate their main force to crush one of ours with all their might.”
A moment of silence enveloped the tent.
It took Remir several seconds to grasp Gareth’s implication, and he retorted with a gasp.
“Th-that’s absurd… It’s illogical!”
“However, that is precisely the kind of illogical opponent the Mad King of Hordia is,” Randle stated, sighing. He conceded that Gareth’s scenario was a plausible possibility.
At the very least, Hordia possessed enough troops to enact such a drastic maneuver if they mobilized their entire army.
“B-but, even if they mobilized thirty thousand, wouldn’t that be sufficient… Not their entire force.”
Remir was reluctant to accept this. The unexpected events were quickly piling up, and his mind was reaching its limit.
“That’s what our superiors back home say. However, we who are responsible for the lives of our soldiers on the field cannot cling to such assumptions,” Gareth said. Randle nodded in agreement.
Ultimately, they agreed to dispatch numerous spies and intensify intelligence gathering.
After the meeting dispersed, Randle, watching Remir leave in a hurry, made a sarcastic remark.
“Why would they appoint someone like that as commander? Is Barshark not serious about this?”
“Don’t say that,” Gareth chided him.
“He’s a relative of Queen Jessica and merely a figurehead. I heard his副将 (fukushou – adjutant/vice-commander) is the battle-hardened General Chandler. He is likely the true commander.”
“Hmm. If that ‘Slaughter General’ Chandler is at the helm, I suppose we can expect it not to be a complete disaster. Let’s hope so,” Randle said, shrugging as he departed.
The hastily formed alliance, united only by the alignment of their interests, was already showing signs of disunity.
When Gareth returned to his troops, his adjutant approached him.
“Welcome back, sir. How was the meeting?”
“The commander of the Barshark army is a figurehead, with potential in his adjutant. The Vester commander is capable, but untrustworthy. That’s my impression for now.”
Being too fixated on first impressions can lead to one’s downfall. In battle, one never knows what might prove fatal.
“The future of the allied forces doesn’t seem very bright. We can only attack Hordia while they’re rebuilding, so in that sense, the government’s decision might have been right,” the adjutant remarked with unusual cheerfulness. Gareth’s expression did not clear.
“Only if they are truly rebuilding. Can we really trust the gap presented by a Mad King whose actions defy logic?” He lowered his voice. If the commanding general, Gareth, were to voice pessimism at this stage, the soldiers’ morale would plummet. Gareth held that much influence.
“Even a Mad King should adhere to human reason and the common sense of nations. Perhaps he is hoping that someone as overthinking as yourself will appear,” the adjutant suggested.
“…It’s pointless to keep thinking about it.” Gareth gave his orders, albeit reluctantly.
Vester would attack Fort Luchinika, Barshark would target Fort Shahí, and Misra would aim for Fort Giyarn. The pre-war predictions indicated that each fortress would be defended by tens of thousands of regular soldiers and slave soldiers. This strategy, which could be described as standard military doctrine, did not inspire much confidence in Gareth. Their opponent was King Asteria, the Mad King, who acted illogically. He suspected that operations that they couldn’t imagine would be employed. However, the reaction to Gareth’s insistence on this point during the military conference was chillingly cold.
“Even General Gareth seems to be afraid of Hordia.”
“What a shame. That such a cowardly and despicable person holds the highest position in their country.”
They didn’t say it to his face, but they insulted Gareth loud enough for him to hear. Gareth felt less shame or anger than sheer shock.
(If I leave this to people like them, my country will surely suffer a great blow.)
Gareth had only accepted the role of overall commander out of a sense of crisis. King Asteria’s pronouncements were indeed inexplicable and difficult to understand. However, others did not seem to grasp the horror of the unpredictable occurring on the battlefield. He believed that while winning was the primary objective, in the unlikely event of a crisis, his duty as a commander was to ensure as many soldiers as possible returned home alive. At the very least, he felt he wouldn’t have much influence if he couldn’t capture Fort Giyarn. He told himself that he sought influence not for personal gain, but to protect the lives of his subordinates, unlike the higher-ups who sought to satisfy their own desires.
The fortresses of Luchinika, Shahí, and Giyarn, standing on Hordia’s border, were all considered poor defensive positions. Given the disparity in national power, attacking them would predictably lead to repulse, and they were located far from towns and fields ripe for plunder. Considering the potential damage, it would be more profitable to trade rather than attack. This calculus was overturned by the rising momentum for an invasion of Hordia among the three allied nations, which reduced the perceived risk for any single country. Furthermore, Hordia had undergone significant internal changes, making it appear ripe for invasion from an external perspective. The leaders of each nation concluded that if they could dominate Hordia’s vast territory and large population for an extended period, the profits would be substantial.
“I hope it doesn’t become a case of counting the meat of a game we cannot catch,” Gareth mused sarcastically. He was quoting a common saying used by hunters to mock the foolish.
“This is Fort Giyarn.”
A report came from the lookout, and Gareth’s expression turned serious as he urged his horse forward. Having experienced how different reality could be from information, Gareth avoided making judgments without seeing things with his own eyes.
“Is that… it?”
The walls were not particularly high, and the overall impression was one of shabbiness. While it wouldn’t be strange for it to have remained uninvaded by political power rather than military might, Gareth felt an inexplicable unease and summoned a spy. He questioned the spy who arrived with a stern expression.
“What’s happening inside? Who is the enemy commander?”
“Yes. The enemy force is approximately 40,000 strong, led by a man named Dogan. Their morale appears to be generally high, but there seem to be many weaknesses.”
The unfamiliar name only heightened Gareth’s anxiety. Had they abandoned this location and shifted their main force to another fortress?
“What is Dogan’s background, and the composition of the enemy army?”
“Yes. Everyone, including Dogan, seems to be someone King Asteria has enslaved. They were wearing red collars.”
“You’ve done well. You may be dismissed.”
After the spy bowed and retreated, Gareth gathered the main generals and staff officers.
“King Asteria truly has a terrible disposition, just as rumored.” Gareth spoke first, and a staff officer voiced his agreement.
“Indeed. It seems to be a strategy to first wear us down by throwing slaves at us.”
“Then, when we’re exhausted, their regular army will strike… I’d prefer to avoid that.”
“Nonsense. It’s not a significant stronghold, and the enemy isn’t their regular army. It’s fine to be cautious, but if you go too far, you’ll miss out on your achievements.”
“Who are you calling a coward?” Gareth suppressed the burgeoning argument with a slight display of authority.
“Did you bring the catapults?”
“Yes. We anticipated an attack on Hordias Castle. We also have siege rams.”
“No, only the catapults are necessary.”
Unable to grasp the intent of Gareth’s order, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
“You said the enemy consists solely of slave soldiers.”
“Yes.”
“Then we must not bring our soldiers too close. Have you forgotten about Balderra Fortress?”
“Ah…” Everyone had completely forgotten.
“If I may be so bold.” A young, hot-blooded general voiced his dissent.
“I don’t think it will be the same this time, but…”
Gareth’s response was cold.
“Then let me ask you: can you distinguish between them? Between those who can launch surprise attacks and those who cannot?”
“Th-that… I cannot,” the young general replied dejectedly. To minimize friendly casualties, they had no choice but to attack from a distance where self-destructive attacks could not reach.
Next, a staff officer raised an objection.
“But Lord Gareth, the activation range of magical attacks must also have its limits.”
“Then explain Hordia’s activation range. And give me a reason to definitively state that there is no one nearby to activate it.”
This objection, too, was easily dismissed. The chief of staff asked hesitantly.
“If they activate it nearby, they’ll be caught in it themselves… It’s possible they haven’t been told the truth by the King of Hordia.”
He had answered his own question. Normally, it would be avoided, but a woman known as the Mad King might do so without hesitation.
“The safest options would be a water assault or a siege.”
At this point, a spy who had been standing aside spoke up.
“They had enough supplies for a full year of siege.”
“Naturally,” the chief of staff nodded. It would be unnatural if they hadn’t prepared for such a contingency if they intended to delay the enemy army at Fort Giyarn for as long as possible. With the shadow of demons and Demon Lords looming, they wanted to avoid a protracted war as much as possible. More importantly, their home country might not even be anticipating a long-term conflict here. The others were beginning to understand, albeit late, why Gareth had been so unenthusiastic about this campaign. It seemed unlikely that the plan to “trample upon a disordered Hordia through joint action by the three nations” as their home countries had envisioned, would come to fruition.
“However, there is still hope. We must simply disrupt the Mad King’s calculations.” Gareth declared forcefully, as if to do so himself. He did not wish to lower his allies’ morale.
“As long as they are human, they will make various miscalculations, big and small. And it is our strength to cause them.” As Gareth reasoned, the darkened atmosphere changed, and the expressions of everyone present brightened.
“They cannot possibly guess the extent of our preparations. Even if spies investigated, there wouldn’t have been enough time to prepare.” The morale of the soldiers was a significant factor in determining victory or defeat in war. Unless they possessed individuals as capable as Marius or weapons like ballistae, the morale of the troops could not be ignored.
“Let me show you the power of the Misra army.”
“Hooh!”
The situation had changed so drastically that one could almost hear voices asking, “What was that all about just now?” The Misra army was characterized by high soldier morale when their generals were filled with fighting spirit. Even now, Gareth found this situation undesirable. However, he had to do his best, and that included boosting the fighting spirit of his comrades. Otherwise, this war would be a difficult one. The fact that all enemy soldiers were slaves meant that surrender would not be permitted. The risk of them killing their own soldiers after a surrender was high. This had already been proven by King Asteria of Hordia at the previous battle of Balderra Fortress.
