***Arc 5 The One Who Obstructed, Chapter 103 Obsession With Life***
The right wing of the Christand army was the Second Corps led by Kolkis, 7000 strong.
And on the left wing was the Third Corps led by Terrius, 6,000 strong.
Selene leads the 5000 on the central rear and sets up camp.
In contrast, Salva――Caldera's army was 12,000 on the left wing against Kolkis.
8,000 in the center and 10,000 on the right wing.
The main line of 5,000 was positioned near the right wing and headed for Selene.
From the position of the enemy's main camp, Christand army judged that the enemy's attack would be made mainly on the right wing and in the center.
Salva knew the Christand army.
Kolkis led a small group of 7,000 out of 12,000——but he knew that more than half of them were veteran fighters who have passed through numerous battlefields.
Naturally, the Christand army thought that he would not make the foolish mistake of aiming for a frontal attack here.
The 12,000 were led by two corps commanders, one of which was Gran Agrand.
It is reasonable to assume that they are bait to nail Kolkis, which in turn means that the enemy was forced to stick 12,000 troops to the 7,000 Kolkis’s corp.
It's not a bad story, Selene and the others accepted the enemy's invitation.
As a result, the enemy's losses were about 5,000, while their losses were about 2,000.
If this battle was considered as a battle to maintain the front line until Verreich’s army defeated the enemy, the current situation was favorable.
――This was the night of the day when Krische’s assault succeeded and decapitated the body double.
It happened at a meeting.
"...Nakirus Felizar. In this situation, an increase of 5,000 high-quality troops is painful."
"It's my responsibility. …If I had made a breakthrough today, the situation would have changed.”
"My decision was slow. It's not your fault. …And the result is satisfying."
A messenger from Nozan informed them of enemy reinforcements this afternoon.
At least, the situation was not a problem if only defense was considered. and Selene, who was wondering whether to go on the offensive or go on the defensive, decided to attack based on the report.
She ordered the right wing and center――Kolkis and Eluga to counterattack.
Nonetheless, the enemy must have expected that they would counterattack like this while they were on the offensive.
The enemy was rather poised to take a mobile defense as if inviting them.
They wanted to lure them in and take out Kolkis.
In the end, without much time left, just cutting down on the enemy's protruding military force was the best they could achieve――judging from the flow of the enemy's movements, it was safe to assume that the enemy's reinforcements had been planned from the beginning.
And they had read how the Christand would respond to their reinforcements.
It was troublesome.
Many of the current problems were due to the existence of Salva, the former adjutant of Terius, the commander of the
Third Corps, and Gran, Kolkis’s son.
The two were originally close to each other, so they know Terrius and Kolkis's moves, and they also have a deep knowledge of Christand’s tactics.
"... Phew"
Selene sipped on the strong black soybean tea, its bitterness relaxing her mind.
Strong black soybean tea.
The tea was made by Anne, who was careful because it is nighttime, but it was still very strong even for waking up from sleep.
It was quite a hardship to drink it, but it was the only drink in front of Selene.
After finishing the drink, Anne immediately poured another glass into the empty cup. Naturally, it was thick.
The drink's refill speed felt half like harassment, but Selene interpreted it very favorably, thinking that it was not bad because it had a punch to wake her up from sleepiness.
Gallen, next to her, drank the thick black bean tea with a completely calm face and even nodded to Anne as if he was impressed by her thoughtfulness.
And Anne was also Anne, her cheeks blushed as if embarrassed, and seeing her like that, it was quite difficult to ask her to change the tea.
Sighing, Selene moved on to the main subject.
"I wonder, what is the reason for moving the 5000 to me instead of General Verreich?"
“First and foremost, to disturb General Verreich――and maybe if they were lucky, Verreich will send some of his force over here as reinforcements?”
Eluga folded his arms and stroked his chin.
"――However, considering today's movements, it might be better to assume that we’re the target from the beginning.
Today's defense was not improvised, it was well thought out."
The enemy was in a mobile defensive posture, deliberately opening holes in the middle guard, rather than simply blocking their offensive.
The mobile defense was an offensive defense that intentionally creates holes in the defense to lure in and strike back at the enemy――the same tactic that Krische had used in the retreat from Bernaich.
Eluga, who had noticed this, immediately sent a message to Kolkis not to pursue too far during the attack, and Kolkis, who had also felt a sense of unease, quickly switched tactics and escaped the situation by cutting down the enemy’s troops instead of breaking through.
The mobile defense, if successful, would inflict the greatest damage on the opponent, but since it intentionally created a hole, if it was read, the vanguard would simply be isolated, and the defender would suffer tremendous damage.
It was only because Eluga, who was skilled in tactics and had a broader vision than anyone else, that he was able to notice the situation at the last minute, but even so if they had made a mistake, they would have suffered a major blow.
The enemy's tricks were that clever.
“Blindly going offensive――I thought it was just incompetence on their part, but the enemy must have been luring us to let our guard down and counterattack. That We're going to counterattack after receiving a report of reinforcements——they must have read that and prepared meticulously.”
"Do you think so too? Though, I also thought it was going too well."
Eluga nodded.
Terrius, commander of the Third Corps, made a frown and said.
"The policy for tomorrow should be decided based on that. Offense or defense——?"
"...or retreat"
It was Gallen who said that.
The corps commander and their adjutant——most of the eyes in the room turned to him.
"It's not just a retreat, after going to the west within today, we'll see the movement of the enemy again after passing Kielzaran."
“...Gallen, are you going to let them tear up the rear?"
"Depending on the situation. Let's keep the distance at most 40 ri (~16km)——half a day."
Galln pointed with his finger to the hill where Krishce and the others were stationed.
“The whole point of this battle is to hold out until General Verlich wins. We don't need to cross blades for nothing, we just need to keep a reasonable distance and buy time. Even if the enemy raids the rear, it’s not like they’re another country's army. If they loot, they will lose their just cause, so they will keep it in moderation."
Garren's eyes sharpened as he manipulated the pawns that marked his army and the enemy's.
"If the enemy is aiming our rear, we can keep them at a distance where they cannot have complete freedom, and let them follow them around our tail. The purpose is to seal the enemy army. Then the 5,000 reinforcements would also be meaningless. …In that case, His Highness’s army will just be wasting their 5,000 soldiers. And General Verreich can face the enemy in a better situation than expected."
"What if they chase after us, Gallen-dono?"
When Eruga asked, Gallen replied that it was the same.
“We will use that place as a place for a rematch. If we move at night, the soldiers will be able to endure it. We can let them rest until the enemy arrives. Whatever the case may be, it will give us half a day's time without crossing blades with the enemy, even if they are chasing us.”
"... That's a nostalgic tactic."
Kolkis laughed.
The idea was to lure a portion of the enemy, draw them away, and then attack the main target with the main attack.
It was a guerrilla tactic in the woods with small units of one hundred to a few hundred men, but it was something Gallen used to do when he was leading his unit.
At that time, Gallen was mainly responsible for attracting the enemy, and Bogan was responsible for the main attack――Gallen, as a commander, focused on avoiding unnecessary battles.
“Whatever the enemy is thinking, they suffered a painful blow today because of the failure of their plan. They will not be in a state of mind to make a night pursuit without waiting for reinforcements――they will definitely be wary of our movement as a trap."
"So you're saying that it's fine to grab the supply when we’re near Kielzaran?"
Eluga examined Gallen's proposal and sipped his black bean tea.
The idea was more of a combat technique than a military strategy or tactic――but it was too good to just dismiss with a laugh.
Gallen was a trained soldier with no experience in commanding large armies, and while there were points where he was unsure of how to judge his abilities, his thinking was surprisingly flexible.
Moving a unit is very different from moving an army.
However, Gallen understood the difference and managed his army to operate in a unit that he was good at.
A centurion to whom Bogan has the utmost respect――a (step) grandfather to whom Krische held dear.
As an individual, Eluga felt a sense of comradery for him who doted on the same girl, but he once again recognized that
Gallen was an excellent soldier.
"... In that case, shall I act as the rear? If they’re going to chase, then I will just lure them and openly show the trap that the other side will be worried about."
“I don't think Gallen's suggestion is a bad one either. …Well, I'm not sure I'd like the idea of showing our ass to that brat, but…”
Kolkis folded his arms and said.
“If I had to say one thing, it also wouldn’t be a bad idea to go out and just attack like this. If we can receive the same kind of support from Corps Commander Faren tomorrow, we can easily break through the right wing. Enemy reinforcements are at most one corps――if we attack before they can gather their pace, there is a good chance that this battle will end.”
"... If anything, I agree with that. After the enemy flunked their plan and received a heavy blow——they should be busy regrouping themselves right now. Now is also the chance."
Terrius agreed with Kolkis.
Both plans had their merits, and the place was divided between Gallen and Eluga, and Kolkis and Terrius.
Speaking of when the chance to annihilate the enemy, they can’t miss tomorrow morning.
That said they were to retreat, there was no way they could miss today.
Selene, who had been pondering her options, leaned back against the backrest.
She raised her hands and stretched gracefully.
Perhaps because she has spent so much time sitting these days, her hips quickly become stiff.
"...Corps Commander Faren, How’s the reinforcement Felizar?"
“He’s a boar. …That said, his ability is certain. If the enemy's target is Selene-sama, then it's better to regard the unit he leads as the elite."
"That so. On top of that, Commander Agrand, what are the chances if the enemy sends the reinforcements to the left wing?"
"It will be difficult to break through ...If I can get reinforcements from the main camp, then I can aim for Ferizal's head. We have met on the battlefield several times. If we fight head-on, I can kill him. In terms of the quality of the troops, my corps will have no problem with that."
The possession of magical power beyond a certain realm, no matter how large or small, could sway the battlefield.
If they're going to fight, they'll have to get rid of the well-known Felizar as soon as possible.
And conversely, it was absolutely necessary to avoid a situation in which Kolkis would be defeated.
Kolkis might appear to be a simple man, but he had the ability to calmly assess the difference in power between his opponent and himself.
Otherwise, Bogan Christand, who was a complete meritocrat, would not have entrusted the corps to him.
She had a certain amount of faith in his words.
"Then what about you?"
"I don't have the confidence of General Agrand. I can't boast that I can go out and aim for Felizer's head."
In the center was the strategist Eluga, and in the rear was the main camp of 5,000.
It was unlikely that the enemy would target this area——in that case, it would be the Third Corps of the left wing.
Terrius traced his eagle nose and said.
“However, there should be no problem if it is just to stop the breakthrough. Until Commander Agrand penetrates the enemy, it is possible to stop them even if the enemy concentrates their force here.”
"Your former adjutant is the enemy, you know? In that case, the Corps Commander Faren in the center will support Corps Commander Agrand, so please think that I'm the only one you can rely on."
"I see a certain amount of leeway. Please rest assured."
Those powerful words.
Kolkis and Terrius.
The biggest problem was that these two might be too enthusiastic about this battle.
A son and a former adjutant――if those two were to be opponents, they would definitely put their minds to it.
The problem was whether the two of them have calmness and composure.
Naturally, if they could defeat the enemy here, then that's fine.
That's the best answer, and the best result that Selene wanted.
――If it was Krische, she would surely choose that without even having to think about it.
Krische was so talented and can do anything.
She thinks Krische's more adorable than anyone else, but at the same time, she's a rival to compete with.
Krische would fight. She didn't even have to think about it.
She wanted to catch up with her.
Then, what should Serene do?
The desired result with the best possible result――but was Selene Christand’s current ability worthy of being evaluated to the extent that she can make the same choice as Krische?
“…If the person sitting here is Krische, she will surely choose to counterattack without even thinking about it. The worry that I think of——no matter the worst-case scenarios I imagine, I’m sure Krische would be able to handle them without any problem at all.”
That the enemy's objective was here, and the reinforcements were sent with every conceivable elite to take her head.
Furthermore, that the information that Gildanstein was over there was wrong and that he was actually here.
If she assumed the worst, then the worry and anxiety would be endless.
"Mia, why are you here?"
“!? Y-yes!”
Mia, who had turned into a stone statue at the edge of the tent due to the situation where she couldn't intervene, jumped and saluted at the sudden words.
Kahlua, who was standing next to her, looked down, wanting to laugh but unable to.
"I-in case of emergency, protect the General."
"What kind of situation is it?"
“The situation is such that a larger-than-expected force is heading toward us, making it impossible to maintain our defense. Um, I was ordered to always consider the possibility that His Highness would go this way, and to not leave the General's side."
They didn't think the information that the messenger conveyed was a lie.
Over there――at the time of separation from Felizer, the figure of Gildanstein walking with Felworth Keithriton certainly existed over there.
However, information is always delayed.
The information they have now was from the night before yesterday——militaries always focused on hunting each other's messengers.
Especially in the current situation where the enemy is sandwiched, it was necessary for the messenger to bypass it to run a long distance.
In terms of a straight line distance, the distance was about 100 ri. The distance would have taken half a day if the messenger had been on foot, but a whole day was taken up by the detour.
There have been no reports since then, but it was not clear whether he was still over there, or whether a messenger was in the process of running here.
It was not certain at this time.
Information is always worth considering.
But there was nothing more foolish than to rest on one's laurels and be reassured by a delayed information.
‘――Doubt your power, Selene. What can you do and what can Iyounot do? Whether or not you can win a bet, and even if you lose, whether or not you can make up for it. Always spend time questioning everything you are capable of. A general can never be overconfident or careless. Do you understand?’
“A war is not a duel. If you can win by running away, don't be ashamed to turn your back on the enemy. It is not a glorious and honorable defeat that we should seek, but a humiliating and unsightly victory. …I've been told that so many times by my father that my ears are breaking.”
Selene muttered her father's words and sighed.
If it's Krische, she would fight here.
Even her father might do the same.
She turned her blue eyes toward the ceiling and picked up a tuft of her flowing golden hair.
She let it spills from her palm.
Here is golden hair, different from Krische’s.
‘――Selene, what will you do?’
She asked herself and pull out her answer.
“I'm still inexperienced, and I'm still dependent on all of you. I am a general in name only, and I am too weak to help you both if something unforeseen should happen.”
She was still being carried――yes, to them and to Krische.
She took a breath and looked at the three corps commanders.
They all looked Selene in the eye.
“If it had been Krische here, or father, they might have chosen to fight. But I am a coward, and I am not as capable as the two of them.”
She wanted to live up to their expectations.
She wanted to say that she've got their backs and that they can rest easy.
To them——to Krische too.
But she was still too inexperienced to tell them that.
"... As Garen suggested, if possible, I would like to buy time without fighting, even if it is half a day. What do you think?"
What she should seek now was not the best result.
Just survive until Krische’s victory——such a miserable, minimal result.
Eruga smiled wryly and nodded, and Kolkis laughed.
"Haha, I, who served a hero, can assure you that Selene-sama is a more splendid general than anyone else.... I have nothing to say about Selene-sama's decision."
Terrius made a reluctant face, but then relaxed and smiled softly.
“——Selene-sama must have her reasons for concern as well. Compared to me, Selene-sama thinks about this battle much more calmly."
"... I'm sorry. However, if they come here after half a day——I personally think it's more likely that the enemy will come towards us rather than aiming at the rear. He came to target me because he thought he couldn't beat my little sister."
Serene smiled like a little girl, a smile like that of a big sister.
"I trust clichés as much as I believe I'm immature. I'd rather bet on her winning than on me going head-on and winning here. Please protect me until then... I'm sorry for relying on you all the time."
"Yes ma’am, I have no objection."
Terius smiled wryly, and Gallen clapped his hands.
"――seems it’s settled. If we move, the sooner the better."
"Yes. As I have said, I’ll be the rear. If something happens to the General, I won't be able to face Krische-sama.”
"Fufu, I’m counting on you. Guess I have to tell Krische that Corps Commander Faren worked very hard."
"Kuku, then I have to make an effort not to make that a lie."
He lifted the corner of his mouth.
Countless wrinkles were carved deeply, and Mia, who had been watching from afar, slowly stepped back.
Anne, who was also frightened by Eluga's evil appearance, quietly swelled with a mysterious sense of comradery seeing
Mia like that.
Eluga stood up and placed his hand on Serene's shoulder as he walked to her side.
“…In a place like this, there aren’t many people who can say that clearly without being overwhelmed by the situation or being dazzled by honor. I think that cowardice is yours is a virtue that should be cherished above all else."
"...I wonder if father would be laughing if he was watching?"
"Haha, he might be laughing...but that would be a laugh of pride, boating about his daughter.”
He had a scary face――but it's understandable why Krische like him.
Selene nodded and said thank you.
"I'll leave it to you, Corps Commander Faren."
“Of course. Leave it to me. …and Gallen-dono.”
"...? What is it, Corps Commander Faren."
Eluga told Gallen, who was looking at him with a good-natured look on his face.
“I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time, actually. After the war is over and havecalmed down a bit, perhaps we could have a drink together?"
"Haha... that's a very welcome invitation. Corps Commander Faren has been kind to Krische... I wanted to thank you once again. I will gladly accept it."
"Yeah, we've got plenty of side dishes to go with the sake. Let's do our best as fellow old people to not lose to the youngster."
Eruga, who was close to 100, and Garen, who was about 60.
There was an age difference of about 40 years, but there was no difference in appearance from Eluga, who possessed magical power.
Looking at his wrinkled hands, Gallen smiles wryly. It was a trivial thing.
There have been many things that were more than enough to make him feel his age.
"Certainly. There are enough sake dishes. ……It seems that the day when I become a side dish for sake is still a long way off.”
Gallen nodded, smiling sadly, and nostalgically.
