Chapter 66

The surprise attack on the lakeshore led by the Rheazen Knights collapsed along with the ice road, with their swords at the throat of the Meiard Kingdom. More than half of the three thousand elite troops confined to the Celta Peninsula never set foot on their homeland again. The death of the Knight Commander Gran, who led the invasion, threw the Clayest Kingdom's army into disarray.

Half a day after the encirclement battle at Raga Cape, the surviving Rheazen knights were desperately trying to sort out the chaotic situation. Having lost their top knights, Gran and Cyance, the command of the Meiard expeditionary force fell to the third in line of succession, the top knight Rausch.

"Renato and Eusey are both dead, and Hase fell off the ice road and is missing... What about Magnus?"

"Magnus has just passed away due to worsening burns."

"Who among the senior knights is still intact at the eastern tip of the peninsula?"

"Only Olof, who is deployed at Raga Cape, and Johanna, who has withdrawn from the lakeshore."

The knight groaned at the depletion of the command structure. Olof was preoccupied with leading the assault, and while Johanna, skilled in personal combat, could handle the troops within her sight, she could not do more. Rausch, who was now in charge of the entire army, was also in an unsuitable position. The top knight assigned to the siege of Sarevo Fort was tasked with cutting off the enemy's communication lines and preventing reinforcements from outside.

Rausch was confident in his ability to complete the siege alone. However, taking command of the expeditionary force made the burden much heavier. It was not just a matter of personal qualities. If he had troops and commanders under his command, things would have gone more smoothly. However, the troops and commanders he should command were scattered across various locations, and he had to inherit command from a distance. The attacks on the six fronts had been halted, and Rausch was consolidating the remaining and defeated troops that had not crossed the ice road.

"Can't you talk to Olof directly?"

"…No, the communication is poor. His voice doesn't reach. We can only relay messages through intermediaries."

"Mount Zerebes, blocking not only the troops but even the voices."

Even the magical communication devices that could transmit voices over long distances were not infallible. Their use required the overworking of magic soldiers, and the rare devices were only distributed at a ratio of one per thousand troops. Moreover, in the rugged outer line of the Zerebes Mountains, it was often impossible for voices to be heard. To issue orders to the fragmented and branched-out units at the end of the line, people were indispensable. Originally, the personnel allocated to the siege of the fort were now being used to control the troops.

"Many of the troops returning from the ice road have lost their weapons and armor. The captured and reserve items are insufficient. We are transporting equipment from the primary assembly point of the provisional border line, but it will take time to rearm them."

"We have received word from the Leven Mine siege force that they have accepted Rausch's command. They will continue to monitor and restrain the mine garrison."

"The main fleet of the Liberian Commercial Federation Navy has withdrawn from the battlefield. The naval battle ended in a draw. We cannot expect support from the sea."

Reports of the results of battles and the current situation from various fronts came in rapid succession. The delay in communication and the uncertainty and ambiguity of the information were like a thin mist covering the battlefield. Rausch, who was trying not to lose his composure, changed his expression at the ominous news mixed in with the reports.

"Is this true?"

"Yes, many of the knights' bodies, including the Knight Commander, were displayed on Kokuro Slope two hours ago."

"Filth!"

War. People die. That's how it is. Rausch had no intention of pretending to be a saint. However, he could not tolerate the baseness of desecrating bodies even after death.

"…This is not the refined and cowardly way of the Meiards. It must be the advice of the Haiselkans."

The uncouth act of displaying bodies brought to mind a familiar method. The Haiselk Empire and the Meiard Principality, brought together by the war, were in a honeymoon phase. The Haiselkans, who had been tempered in the crucible of war, were clumsy in diplomacy and commerce but skilled in inciting the masses, especially the troops. They would display bodies like pilgrims, to boost the morale of their allies and demoralize the enemy.

"Deputy Commander Rausch, we have an urgent report from Kokuro Slope."

"What is it now?"

"A group of Ferius militiamen at Kokuro Slope has betrayed us! It's a rebellion. Senior Knight Nicolas has been killed."

"…Those bastards, this was their plan. Crush them immediately! Leave no rebels alive."

Rausch's voice, ordering the suppression, was tinged with frustration. The loss of a senior knight in a leadership shortage was a blow, but it was not enough to cause panic. What truly worried him was—

"Kokuro Slope, a large-scale counterattack by Meiard! We are losing our foothold."

"Indeed, they were in cahoots."

The sudden assassination of a commander could be an accident caused by personal grudges, confusion, or a fit of rage. It was still tolerable. The problem was that the enemy army launched an organized counterattack in conjunction with the rebellion. The poison of the Knight Commander's death was spreading.

"…Rebellion has also broken out at Orzeka Slope."

The voice of the communication officer echoed clearly in the tent. Rausch shuddered at the ripple effects of the spreading rebellion. He had to make a decision. Moving his dry lips, he issued an order.

"Abandon the footholds at Kokuro Slope, Tarmakane Pass, and Asarina Slope. Retreat the western flank units to the secondary assembly point."

"Deputy Commander, what are you doing? Are you going to let Meiard recover?"

"Our numerical superiority has not yet been broken. The enemy is also divided and surrounded."

"Please reconsider! What was the point of all the sacrifices?"

The knights and strategists gathered in the camp urged him to reconsider. Rausch shook his head and rejected their pleas.

"Have you forgotten? Even with numerical superiority, half of the expeditionary force is made up of former Ferius people. And we have lost more than half of the elite troops under the command of the Knight Commander. They are no different from ravenous wolves without their collars."

Excluding the forces besieging Sarevo and Leven, the Clayest Kingdom's army attacking the Celta Peninsula had been reduced to 22,000. Of these, 8,000 were Clayestians, and the remaining 14,000 were former Ferius people. In ten or twenty years, complete integration might have been possible. Despair and reality had made them belong to the Clayest Kingdom. However, only two years had passed since the fall of the Ferius Kingdom. It was too short a time to change their ingrained nature.

The Meiard Principality's forces opposing them at the six fronts had been reduced to about 9,000, and their defensive facilities were in ruins. However, in the Celta Peninsula, the numerical difference between the Clayestians and the Meiards was not only even but also at a disadvantage. If the Ferius people, who were in a position to influence the battle, realized this, the Haiselkans would whisper sweetly—turning now would bring the return of their former territories and rewards to them alone.

Naturally, they would weigh the territories and rewards promised by the Clayest Kingdom. Both were empty promises, but the mad love letter of the Knight Commander's body would surely sway them. They would jump at the exaggerated battle results and mixed real and fake battle situations. The gap in command succession had given them this opportunity.

"Is there any objection? Reorganize the troops at Kokuro Slope, Tarmakane Pass, and Asarina Slope, and Johanna's unit into a decisive battle force, and tighten the collars."

The current expeditionary force could not hope for a decisive battle or the breakthrough of the six fronts. It was completely on hold. The last top knight of the expeditionary force, Rausch, had a firm spirit and a clear vision. What was lacking was time and space, elements always desired on battlefields throughout history.

"Kyuhooh! From Sarevo Fort, the enemy army has marched out... including the Jief cavalry regiment!"

Until now, the ominous news had been brought through magical communication devices. But this time, it was delivered by a half-mad lookout. A formidable enemy that had to be stopped with all one's might. Rausch kicked his chair and stood up as if propelled.

"What is their route!?"

"Straight towards us! The vanguard has already been overwhelmed."

Rausch rushed out of the tent and glared at Sarevo Fort. The small hill, which provided a good view of the surroundings, clearly showed the cavalry group galloping like a sharp sword. Dust and flames were rising from the forward positions that had been built out from the fort for surveillance.

"Gluttons. Do they intend to devour me along with the reorganized command network?"

At the Battle of Eidenberg, the headquarters of the commander, Winston Ferius, were overwhelmed by the Jief cavalry regiment, causing the entire army to collapse. The superior forces of the Ferius-Meiard alliance, having lost their head, were individually torn apart. The same mistake could not be repeated.

"Their vanguard is reinforced with magic soldiers. If the vanguard is broken by attack magic, they will exploit the gap and break through! Send a hundred-man unit from Jacob's right wing and Henri