The allied forces adopted a similar strategy. They carefully assessed the enemy’s attack range and chipped away at them with small, persistent attacks from outside it. It was a method that inflicted damage slowly, but with minimal risk.
“What are these guys…?”
Several days passed, and Gareth, fighting against the Holdian army holed up in Gearn Fort, could no longer hide his bewilderment. It was natural for the besieging force to take measures to stop the enemy from attacking from afar. Otherwise, a one-sided battle like this would simply continue. However, the Holdian army had been stubbornly remaining inside the fort. It was strange that they had never once attempted to destroy or capture the assault cannons.
(Could they all be utterly incompetent? As if they have no experience defending a castle, or even fighting in a war.)
If that were the case, he could understand why they couldn’t devise a plan to deal with the current situation, but he found it absolutely unbelievable. For Hordia, this war should have been crucial to protect their homeland from invaders. If the border fort were breached, defenseless farmlands and cities would lie exposed. Yet, he himself had warned to be wary of the King of Hordia, who might employ an unimaginable tactic. He had considered the possibility of the road being blocked by obstacles, but this idea was hindered by Hordia’s vast territory, and their spies had not reported anything of the sort. At this point, all he could conclude was that those holed up in the fort were all fools. At this rate, it seemed they would be able to take the fort much faster than originally planned.
“If the enemy is stupid, then we can relax,” said a young general, his carefree remark earning him a rebuke. However, it looked as though Gareth himself would end up worrying for nothing.
“The enemy fears us!”
Remil was in high spirits, drinking alone. Chandler had assigned soldiers for both surveillance and protection, and left him to his own devices. The movements of the Holdian army were too unnatural. Staying holed up in the fort without any innovation was a foolish strategy. He had been wary that reinforcements might arrive so quickly, but there was no sign of them. Considering the King of Asteria’s reputation, he didn’t think they would bother to help those who had rebelled against them. However, if the border fort fell, the soldiers’ morale would plummet, and the populace would be greatly unsettled. This was a situation any king would surely want to avoid. So why weren’t the Holdian army making any move?
“Could they already be fighting demons…?” Randle arrived at a terrifying conclusion and trembled. The strength of demons varied greatly, making it impossible to generalize, but it was said that tens of thousands of soldiers were needed to repel even low-ranking demons. The strongest dragons were of similar power. Or perhaps humans simply couldn’t distinguish their strength. In any case, Randle, fearing engagement with demons, had his scouts thoroughly gather information. The result was a report stating there was no sign of them.
“It seems there are about fifty thousand regular soldiers stationed at Garcide Fort in the Filat area, and about one hundred thousand regular soldiers in the Royal Capital. However, there are no signs of demons.”
“It appears the King of Asteria is traveling with a maid named Isabella, but we don’t know what they are doing…”
Randle seized on one part of the report. “Why? Why can’t you find out?”
“W-well…” The spy hesitated for a moment and stammered, “The security is very tight, and we can’t investigate,” as an excuse. Randle slapped him. “Isn’t that your job! Do you have no pride! Aren’t you ashamed to be a salary thief!” he berated him harshly. Many thought he didn’t need to shame him in front of everyone, but knowing that anything said to Randle at this moment would be futile, they all remained silent. After a barrage of insults, Randle glared at the spy and said, “Because of incompetent salary thieves, I can’t make a proper judgment. For now, attack as usual.” Everyone was concerned about the movements of the main Holdian army, so while they sympathized with the spy, they didn’t defend him. …Several more days passed, and all three forts were on the verge of falling.
“Damn it! Aren’t reinforcements coming yet!” the defending generals roared. The morale of the Holdian soldiers had naturally plummeted to the worst possible level. Besides promising rewards for distinguished service if they fought well, they had also promised to send reinforcements if they “just focused on defending.” Those who had simply stayed put to buy time had been deceived. Those who had naively believed Asteria were now in a sorry state. By this point, they were beginning to realize they had been tricked and used.
“There’s no sign of reinforcements,” the lookouts reported regretfully.
“At this point, there’s no need to hold back. Let’s surrender,” proposed one, and the others readily agreed. If they were to fight for Asteria and their country even as pawns, they would not have sided with the noble faction in the first place. “In fact, perhaps surrendering now and helping conquer Hordia would lead to advancement,” expressed their true feelings. They possessed no loyalty; they simply wanted to live well. They had followed Asteria because they believed their desire to return to their former lives, after being freed from slavery, would be fulfilled. If that wasn’t going to happen, they had no hesitation in switching to a faction that seemed more likely to grant it.
“All right, let’s surrender. Raise the white flag.” The defending generals felt the same way. They were only concerned with themselves. They never even imagined there would be no one to watch them if they betrayed their side. Even if someone had imagined it, it was only a fleeting thought like, “Perhaps Asteria is foolishly kind-hearted.” They would soon receive the reward for their foolishness. Their surrender was not accepted.
“Even if it’s not a lie, the actions are the same. Annihilate them all.” Gareth, Randle, and Chandler, coincidentally, issued similar orders on the same day. The soldiers also accepted and followed the orders when they were given the reason. Nobody wanted to die as collateral damage. The Holdian soldiers were flustered.
“W-why…?” Why was their surrender ignored? There were still about ten thousand soldiers left, and it should have taken time to annihilate them all. To begin with, there was no need to annihilate the enemy in war. Victory was achieved once the victory conditions were met. In this case, if the Hordia side surrendered, the allied forces should have met the victory conditions, making the refusal unnatural. Various thoughts and emotions swirled and disappeared. Then, after a while, one person suddenly noticed the blue collars they were wearing.
“M-might it be that the same magic is applied to these collars…?” They knew about the magic used during the attack on Valdera.
“I-impossible. That can’t be used from such a distance, right? There’s no one who can activate it.” One person raised a doubt, but another said something that dispelled it. “B-but, how can we prove it?” A heavy silence fell inside the fort.
“Asteria! That woman!”
“From the beginning, she intended for us to be annihilated!” Finally, they realized it.
“H-how cruel. Will the people allow such a thing?” As one person grumbled, another retorted. “N-no, if we all die, only the invaders will remain. The people will believe her words more than the invaders’ words.” Who would the people believe: their own king who had invaded their country, or the invaders? It was a question that needed no thought, and Asteria had clearly known this when she inflicted this treatment upon them. Meanwhile, the allied forces’ attack continued, and the Holdian soldiers died one after another, uttering curses and cloaking their faces with hatred for Asteria.
That being said, the allied forces had similar thoughts about Asteria. “A cruel deed,” Gareth spat out. There was no joy in achieving their primary objective. The soldiers also wore similar expressions, and the victory cheers that usually erupted were absent. Gareth could well understand the soldiers’ feelings.
“Why? Why isn’t anyone rejoicing?” Remil was exuberantly alone, truly perplexed that no one followed suit. He simply thought that since they had won, they should rejoice. Chandler lacked the energy to explain. It was natural that the soldiers couldn’t rejoice. Even the elite, who had endured rigorous training and honed their skills, would not have found pleasure in unilaterally killing those who wished to surrender. Moreover, they hadn’t even engaged in a proper battle.
“Damn it,” Randle groaned. This battle had been terrible. The enemy soldiers wouldn’t come out, only staying holed up, and their own side only attacked from a safe distance. There was no sense of victory. He finally understood why the Holdian army hadn’t attacked. Furthermore, they couldn’t capture the forts, nor could they plunder. They couldn’t even have women. Nothing happened that would boost the soldiers’ morale. The words “a fruitless effort” crossed his mind. Randle, Chandler, and Gareth shared a common concern: had they truly gained an advantage in this battle? Despite winning, they gained no strongholds or supplies, and their morale dropped. Frankly, the atmosphere was not that of a victorious army. Hordia, on the other hand, had cleanly disposed of the traitors. They had managed to wear down the enemy without losing any regular soldiers. While it might seem a small price to pay for losing three forts, they had succeeded in disrupting the initial momentum of the allied forces. Despite their initial setback, they had captured the forts, and the three generals decided to gather to discuss their next move. There was no need to explain why Chandler, not Remil, had come.
“A terrifying woman,” Gareth began, and the other two chimed in.
“Normally, one wouldn’t be able to carry out such a thoroughly ruthless act. He was rightly called the Mad King,” Chandler said, and Randle continued.
“Indeed, she seems to have lost her sanity as a human. To deliberately abandon three forts, even if it was to crush our morale.”
“No, in hindsight, it’s a valid strategy, provided there was a way to prevent them from being occupied.” Gareth’s point was understandable. The objective of the three nations was to use the captured forts as bases and secure supplies. This had been completely thwarted. Furthermore, recapturing a fort once occupied by the enemy was not easy. Hordia’s strategy itself could be considered very effective. It was premised on piling up a large number of corpses, but only Hordia, with its largest population and slave numbers, could afford to do so.
“Honestly, I am skeptical,” said Chandler. “However, I must admit that it was effective in this instance. Our soldiers’ morale has not improved.” The fact that they didn’t directly fight the enemy was also a significant factor. The idea of “winning without fighting is better” was something only generals could appreciate; ordinary soldiers wanted to fight and defeat the enemy. Their dreams involved earning merits for rewards, seizing loot, and taking women. It was understandable that their morale wouldn’t rise when none of that could be achieved. They understood nothing of battlefield tactics or stratagems. At worst, they just wanted to punch and defeat the enemy in front of them. The idea of the enemy intentionally losing or not fighting was beyond their imagination. And when things didn’t go their way, they quickly became skeptical and confused. It was the general’s duty to lead such individuals, defeat the enemy, and lead their side to victory.
“According to the spies’ reports, there’s no movement from the regular army. What are they planning next?” Gareth offered the most likely scenario in response to Randle’s statement.
“To spread rumors among the populace that we are terrifying beings and to have them evacuate. Then, they will move taking all their gold, valuables, and food,” Chandler nodded, but amended it. “It’s possible. However, based on the spies’ reports, they may have already done so. There’s no major movement reported.”
“Good grief. So we’ve rushed headlong into the middle of an enemy that was meticulously prepared for us?” Randle’s sarcastic tone lacked its usual sharpness. Unpleasant possibilities flashed through his mind. Why did they feel like losers despite winning? Supplying their army solely through national finances was a heavy burden and not ideal. Even with thorough preparations, plundering Hordia to some extent was the assumption.
“One thing is certain: they won’t come through conventional means. That’s all,” Chandler’s definitive statement was enthusiastically agreed upon by Gareth and Randle. The three of them would report the results to their respective superiors. They would be grateful if they were ordered to withdraw, given the sufficient fruits of their labor, but they all knew that wouldn’t happen. Despite winning, they had obtained no forts, no treasures, no women, no supplies, and no land. In this case, the war expenses would have to be calculated as a direct loss. They would likely be told not to return until they had acquired enough wealth and territory to recoup their expenses. Those who didn’t know the battlefield, the civilian officials, would see it as insignificant that they couldn’t secure the forts, couldn’t plunder, and their morale was low. They would say that if the army was faltering, it was because the general was incompetent. However, about 350,000 troops were far from enough to conquer the vast Hordia. They would need reinforcements. To occupy Hordia’s land would require a tremendous number of personnel and an enormous amount of food. However, their home countries, considering the conquest of Hordia to be worthwhile, would likely send reinforcements quickly. This would place a significant strain on the nation’s finances, leading to demands for even greater results. The three felt they were on the verge of a negative spiral and hastily dismissed the thought. It was all worst-case scenarios, they told themselves. Asteria might not be as terrifying as they thought. They were aware of their own foolishness, thinking such things at this juncture. To expect the enemy to fail or be incompetent, even while aware that they were caught in their stratagem—what could be more foolish than that? Gareth glanced up at the sky and saw clouds beginning to form. It felt like a bad omen for them.
