Chapter 57

"Still, I think we should go out of this town and meet the punitive force head-on."

At Sōma's words, everyone exchanged glances.

Just the other day, Sōma had said something similar. And the ambush proposed then had ended in failure, so no one understood his true intentions in repeating the same thing here.

While looking at everyone's silent faces, Sōma said,

"Of course, I don't think my idea is absolute. If anyone has a better idea... well, any thoughts or questions, please don't hesitate to speak up!"

Encouraged to speak, no one could remain silent.

First, Garam, who had actually seen the punitive force and felt the disparity in strength, voiced his opposition.

"I think it's impossible to meet such a large army outside the town..."

"I agree," Zūg also concurred. "Is it really necessary to go out of the town to meet them? I think it would be better to follow our original plan and wreak havoc inside the country."

When the two leaders of the Zoan expressed their negative opinions, others also chimed in with agreement.

"Perhaps it would be better for us to attack the towns and forts in the rear and throw the country of Holmea into chaos?"

"I think that would be the best way to maximize the Zoan's mobility."

However, Sōma rejected this.

"I don't think that's an option anymore. —The punitive force is already close to this town. Even if we cause chaos far behind, the punitive force will come to retake this town before they retreat. Without the main Zoan force, we can't defend the town."

Sōma paused here, then, after looking at everyone present, he stated firmly,

"And if we lose this town, it will be our defeat!"

◆◇◆◇◆

"What's wrong? Are you surprised that the rebels are coming out of the town to meet us?"

At Darius's words, Marius, whose face showed surprise and doubt, quickly covered the lower half of his face with his palm and composed his expression.

"I apologize, sir. I was out of line."

No matter how close they were personally, during military operations, there was a clear distinction between the supreme commander and a messenger. Marius bowed his head to show his apology.

Darius raised a hand as if to say it was no big deal.

"Hmm. This is a good way to pass the time. —Marius, what do you think the rebels will do?"

Occasionally, Darius would ask young officers such questions. Marius, familiar with this game, relaxed his body, thought for a moment, and then answered.

"Well, if I were the leader of the rebels, I would use the Zoan to disrupt our rear."

The specific content Marius continued to describe was to bypass the punitive force and attack the forts and villages in the rear. This was almost the same strategy that Sōma had thought of.

"Indeed, that would be a threat. —However, I believe the leader of the rebels will not do that."

"Why is that?"

"We are already so close to Borinis. Even if the Zoan head for the rear, I will first take Borinis. Once that happens, the rebels will be finished. They wouldn't be so foolish as to not understand this."

As Darius said, Borinis was now just a short distance away. After coming this far, it would be impossible to retreat without any results just because the Zoan were gone. First, we would retake the town of Borinis and then head to deal with the Zoan in the rear.

Marius understood this, but he didn't understand why it would lead to the Zoan's defeat.

"But the Zoan were originally a nomadic race on the plains. Even if they lose the town they captured, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

On the contrary, Marius thought that the existence of the town of Borinis was a burden to the Zoan. With the Zoan's ability to move as fast as horses over short distances, it would be much more terrifying if they could raid throughout Holmea without a fixed base.

"Yes, if this rebellion were just retaliation for the invasion of the plains, that would be the case."

"What do you mean?"

At Marius's question, Darius chuckled as if recalling something interesting.

"The leader of the rebels who commands the Zoan has been making grand statements."

Marius had also heard the speech the rebel leader made in the town of Borinis.

"If that's the case, I've heard about it. Something about creating a country for different races..."

"Exactly!"

Darius said firmly.

"If it were only the Zoan, they could raid and plunder towns and villages without a fixed base. However, there are also dwarves and dinosauroids among them. While they might be able to continue moving and fighting for a short time without a place to rest, their stamina won't last. And if the dwarves and dinosauroids fall behind, the meaning of the country the rebel leader is trying to create will be lost."

Darius snorted.

"Once the group loses its meaning, it's just a band of bandits. While a band of bandits can cause significant damage to villages, they are not a formidable opponent."

Darius was certain.

The truly terrifying enemy is a group, even if small, that acts with a clear goal. And the rebels now occupying Borinis are precisely such a formidable group.

Initially, Darius was unsure whether the rebels were just bandits or a true enemy of Holmea. What convinced him was the ambush at the river.

The two squadrons led by Borgs that Darius had hidden were a kind of litmus test.

If the rebels were driven only by hatred for the invasion of the plains or anger at being enslaved, they would recklessly charge at the punitive force. Even if they had some strategic thinking, they would either destroy and plunder Borinis before returning to the plains or invade Holmea in search of new prey.

However, if the rebels were serious about creating their own country, they would attack the punitive force during the river crossing, the only good opportunity to defend their base, the town of Borinis.

And that's exactly what happened.

"If the rebel leader wants to create the country he speaks of, he can't abandon the dwarves and dinosauroids. And most importantly, he can't abandon the town that will serve as the foundation of his country."

While saying that the rebels were not just bandits but a formidable enemy, Darius's voice trembled with joy.

"But couldn't they just get a new base to replace Borinis?"

From Marius's perspective, Borinis was already on the verge of falling. It seemed better to abandon it and secure a new village or town as a base.

"That's not possible."

But Darius also rejected this.

"In this incident, the number of Zoan who attacked Borinis was less than a thousand. Considering the Zoan's situation, where they must capture the town, this is likely the maximum force they can deploy at this time."

Despite knowing that he was the main reason for the Zoan's decline from their former strength of tens of thousands, Darius felt a sense of sorrow.

"The Zoan, called the rulers of the plains, are not good at siege warfare. It's impossible to capture a well-fortified town with just a thousand or so. That's why they incited the slaves to open the gates from the inside. —No, they couldn't have captured it any other way.

But the involvement of the slave rebellion in the fall of Borinis is now known throughout the cities of Holmea. The same tactic can't be used again."

Indeed, in the city of Luoma, the closest to Borinis, the surveillance of subhuman slaves had become stricter.

"However, more importantly, if the rebel leader is serious about creating a country, he can't abandon Borinis."

Marius tilted his head slightly at this.

"Why is that?"

"Look at the map. The Solbiant Plain is surrounded by rugged mountains on all sides except the south. These mountains serve as a natural barrier. And the town of Borinis, located on the southern side where this barrier is broken, is the gateway to the Solbiant Plain.

If we control Borinis, the Zoan can neither return to the plains nor leave them. Conversely, if the rebels control Borinis, we can't touch the plains. In other words, controlling Borinis is equivalent to controlling the lifeblood of the plains."

Darius spread his arms wide.

"Moreover, the Solbiant Plain is vast. If cultivated, it could become a granary capable of supporting a million soldiers. Surrounded by mountain barriers, it would be a granary free from the threat of enemy forces, making its value immeasurable.

The Solbiant Plain is truly a land that can serve as the foundation of a country.

If I were to create a country, I would also try to secure the Solbiant Plain. For the Zoan, the plains are their ancestral land, which they cannot abandon.

Therefore, the rebels cannot abandon the town of Borinis."

◆◇◆◇◆

At Sōma's explanation of the value of Borinis, those in the room were speechless for a moment.

"Indeed, if this town is so valuable, the enemy will surely aim straight for it," Garam said regretfully.

Zūg scratched his head.

"If that's the case, I don't want to split even a small number of warriors. Especially not for a rear disruption that won't be effective. It might be better to ignore the losses and attack the rear of the punitive force."

Against such an opponent who could set traps for our ambush, the supply units would be well-protected. Attacking them would likely result in a disastrous defeat.

Garam glared at Zūg, accusing him of wasting warriors, but Zūg shrugged and smiled wryly, as if to say, "I'm not serious."

"But I still think it's reckless to go out and meet them..."

At Banuka's uncertain words, Garam and Zūg groaned without a word.

"Shouldn't we fortify ourselves in this town and wait for the enemy's momentum to wane?"

Dovārin, who believed that the town would not fall even if surrounded by ten thousand troops, suggested this. He was even confident that if the punitive force attacked, he could annihilate them.

"No, I think that's the worst strategy."

However, Sōma firmly rejected the idea of fortifying.

"If I were in charge, I would do this. —I would set up camp out of arrow range and call out to the townspeople. 'We've come to help. Let's fight together. Open the gates.'"

Sōma and his group had followed Marclonis's advice and tried to pacify the townspeople, but they had not gained their support. To the townspeople, Sōma and his group were still invaders who had suddenly attacked the town. They were only being quiet out of fear. It was like waiting out a storm from inside a house.

If the punitive force came here and called for the town's liberation, the townspeople would welcome them with open arms.

"Such townspeople are not worth fearing! A group of scum like them can be easily driven away with a single glare!"

Instead of Dovārin, who was at a loss for words, Jahāngir boasted. However, Sōma shook his head at the snorting Jahāngir.

"Suppressing them with fear is only temporary. The more they are suppressed, the more anger builds up among the townspeople.

If the town has ten thousand residents, half of them are men. If one-third of the men who are not elderly or children can fight, that's over a thousand and five hundred. But if the entire town rises up, even women and children will join, making it thousands. Facing thousands of enemies inside the town while dealing with seven thousand punitive force troops outside, I don't see any chance of winning."

Even Jahāngir, who was usually confident, could only groan in frustration without a counterargument.

Garam then offered his opinion.

"Then, shouldn't we retreat to the plains and wait for the right moment?"

Sōma was right; fortifying was not an option.

However, there was no need to take the risk of meeting the punitive force head-on. It would be painful to abandon the town they had captured, but retreating and waiting for the right moment was a viable strategy.

But Sōma also rejected this.

"That would only delay our demise."

◆◇◆◇◆

"Still, isn't it most likely that the Zoan will retreat to the plains?"

Darius's suggestion that the rebels would come out of the town to meet them was hard for Marius to believe.

Indeed, considering the rebels' goals, it seemed they wouldn't abandon Borinis. But if they lost Borinis, they could still protect the Solbiant Plain, which would achieve their goals. Therefore, it seemed reasonable to retreat to the plains rather than clinging to Borinis.

"Indeed, that would be the wisest choice."

After retreating to the plains, the Zoan would likely engage in a protracted resistance.

Using the vast Solbiant Plain to their advantage, they would launch persistent attacks on the long supply lines of the Holmea army invading the plains, tearing them to shreds. If the supply of food and other necessities was disrupted, the morale of the soldiers would plummet, and they would be unable to fight effectively.

To counter this strategy, the only option would be to gradually expand our influence in the plains by building multiple forts.

However, implementing this would require enormous funds, labor, and time, likely causing significant delays in Holmea's plan to develop the plains.

The Zoan could then patiently wait for the opportunity to invade the plains again.

"But I think that strategy is just prolonging the inevitable."

The key issue is the disparity in strength between the Zoan and Holmea.

The Zoan, who have been driven from the plains, have all significantly weakened. This is evident from the fact that, while they gathered over twenty thousand warriors thirty years ago during the great war on the Solbiant Plain, they had fewer than a thousand when they captured Borinis.

While the Zoan must continue to hunt and fight Holmea, the latter, by pushing the Zoan back to the plains with Borinis, will only widen the gap. When this gap becomes decisive, the Zoan will face their final demise, and the plains will be completely under Holmea's control.

"Therefore, I believe the leader of the rebels will take the risk and launch an attack."