United Front Army's Melancholy
The war council held at the headquarters of the United Front was filled with an even heavier atmosphere than the day before. Today's battle, in which more than 10,000 people were killed in the first battle and nearly 5,000 in the second battle, was another complete defeat for the United Front. Moreover, the number of casualties has reached a mere 10% of the total in just two days.
Although the number of troops is still overwhelming, there are many who feel uneasy about continuing the battle as it is.
King Luine broke the gloomy silence.
"Where is the Nord army?"
He asked the leader of the Platinum Knights, Harisman, who was by his side.
"I don't know. We deployed scouts over a very wide area, prepared to lose lives. If we can't find them, they may have left the area."
"I see……"
This conversation alone made King Luine stop talking and think again.
His opponent, the Nord army, had disappeared. King Luine was at a loss as to how to respond to this situation.
"Several countries have offered to withdraw."
At this point, Heinz brought up another issue. The idea is to decide what can be decided first.
"The countries that took part in the first group, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. The percentage of casualties has reached a considerable number when viewed on a national basis."
Even if the total number of casualties on the United Front is less than 10%, some small countries, with an army of at most 5,000, have suffered 30% or 40% of the total casualties. If it were a single country, the death rate would be so high that the army would have collapsed.
"Fumu. I suppose it can't be helped."
"Then, I will give permission to withdraw."
King Luine simply gave permission to retreat. Originally, he did not expect a small country to be a fighting force. He only allowed them to accompany them because he didn't want them to get any funny ideas while they were fighting in the north with a large army. If the army is worn out, there is no need to worry about that.
"What about the future?"
"The future..."
He was just thinking about that. King Luine has not found the answer yet. Heinz knew this and asked the question. Making it easier for him to express his opinion.
"If there is no solution, how about each country act on its own?"
"What?"
King Luine was surprised at Heinz's proposal. To act individually would be to overturn the strategy of the United Front that had been decided upon.
"It does not mean that we will disband the United Front. We will fight the Nord Empire jointly, but each country will decide how to do so."
"Why such a method?"
"Our movements so far have been completely read by the Nord army. No, we may have been guided into it."
"…Is the information that they are going to intercept us in the former Mercenary territory a trap?"
"Rather than being a trap in itself, wasn’t it the purpose of limiting our marching route?"
"Are you saying that there are preparations ahead?"
"That's right. I think the Nord army has moved on to the next location because all the traps in this area have been exhausted."
"Fumu……"
Here King Luine makes a thoughtful gesture. King Luine has already figured out what Heinz is talking about. What King Luine doesn't understand is why Heinz is talking about individual action.
But Heinz doesn't allow time for that thought and immediately continues with his words.
"It may be a trap to think that."
"If you are that skeptical, that's exactly what they want you to think."
"I know. But I can't judge which one is correct. If so, isn't it one way to move based on many ideas?"
"…It is possible to make it difficult for the opponent to read our actions."
"Yes. And if we march individually, the Nord army will have to spread their army to intercept us."
"...No, they won't."
King Luine cut the words, which was about to proceed at Heinz's pace.
"Why?"
"Duke Ruben has forgotten the purpose of this war."
"Purpose……"
"The purpose of this war is not to take territory. It is not to destroy the Nord Empire. It is to defeat the dangerous individual who is the Nord Emperor. In other words, our goal is the Nord Emperor. Our destination is the Nord Emperor's place.
"There should be more than one path to get there."
"If we do that, we will give the enemy the opportunity to destroy us individually."
"So you want the entire army to jump into a known trap?"
"...What did you hear?"
"Huh?"
"There's something strange about Duke Ruben's proposal. It sounds like you're creating a reason for your own actions."
"Such things..."
"Are you dissatisfied with my command?"
"Not at all. But the result is certainly not good."
"…Maybe you are suspicious of me?"
"That's……"
It is Heinz's youth that made him at a loss for words here. In this case, however, it was a good thing. King Luine, who understood the situation by Heinz's reaction, turned to Heinz with a serious expression on his face.
"If you are dissatisfied with my command, I will always hand over command. But before that, I would like to hear from you. What did you hear?"
"...Rumor has it that the Izrim Magic Kingdom was set up by King Luine."
"I knew that kind of talk would spread."
"It's not true?"
"Of course. Sending out a detachment was a failure as a result. I'll admit that. But how can you predict that the river will be set in a trap, and that the Nord will go all out to intercept the detachment?"
"That's right."
"Incidentally, where did this story come from?"
"It is spoken among the returning soldiers of the Izrim army detachment."
"How?"
"In the first place, it is strange that only 10,000 were offered to the detachment. It's as if they were offered to the Nord army."
"I see. Did they come to that point? But do you think you can increase the number of detachment units that must be kept secret? In the first place, 10,000 is twice as many as the enemy."
"......Indeed. Then this is Nord's plan, too."
"This is what I mean by being on your guard and not letting your guard down. Prince Charles, I would like you to quickly erase that rumor in your army."
"No, that's..."
"Are you still suspicious of me?"
"No, it's not that. But there's more to the rumors."
"More?"
"The hero who realized that fact, tried to reduce the casualties of his own army even a little, and confronted the Nord army alone."
"So?"
"He engaged the Nord emperor in single combat and came within a hair's breadth of defeating him. The Nord panicked, gave up the pursuit, and turned back, saving their lives."
"Is that true?"
"That's what I heard. It's just that the hero was killed."
"What!? Is Jin dead!?"
Prince Charles's words make Heinz's words hoarse. They had been reasonably close during their days at the Academy. It is an unavoidable reaction.
"No, it wasn't the 1,000-man general who was killed, but his deputy, Akira Mita."
"Akira... from Class C?"
"That's right. I only know him as one of the heroes who accompanied him."
"Really? He..."
Compared to Jin, the contact is much less, but still, he is not a completely unknown face. Heinz fell silent.
This is where King Luine went back to the topic.
"So what's this rumor about?"
"There are many people praising him as a hero who saved his own army, and the morale of the army is greatly increased thanks to that."
"Along with hostility toward our country."
"That's……"
"If we deny the rumors, we deny them. Then the troops won't accept it."
"Yes, I think so too."
Prince Charles looks blatantly relieved. King Luine was irritated by that attitude.
"...I wonder if the soldiers who are just spreading rumors are properly identified?"
"For what purpose?"
"Is it really your country's soldiers? I think there is a possibility that Nord soldiers are mixed in."
"...I'll look into it immediately!"
Without any instructions from Prince Charles, General Burks, who was standing behind him, rushes out of the tent in a panic. Seeing this, King Luine was more astonished than dismayed.
He had meant it as a sarcastic remark, but he had not expected that they had not checked. Knowing that they had been so careless, King Luine made up his mind that he should not rely on the Izrim Magic Kingdom in this war.
"What kind of person is the Nord Emperor?"
Suddenly, King Luine threw such a question at Heinz.
"What do you mean?"
"If you think you're good at plotting, even at tactics. If you think so, it's another plot. How can he play around with us like this?"
"That's... I haven't had the chance to talk to him that much either."
"Then what about the Mage Commander? Do you know anything about him as you both came from another world?"
"It seems that Manami can explain it better than I can."
"Who is Manami?"
"They were in the same class at Church Academy. One of the few students who were close to Ren-kun."
"Fumu. I'd like to hear directly from that person."
"You can't talk to her right now."
"Why?"
"There was a time when Manami was working with Jin. That's why she was good friends with Mita-kun, who passed away. She's in no condition to talk about it now."
"……I see."
"According to Manami, Ren-kun seems to be sensitive to people’s feelings."
"People's feelings?"
"Originally, he was sensitive to people's malice. But before long, he was able to read all emotions. No words make sense in front of him. No matter what we say with our mouths, he seemed to be able to see right through them."
"…Are you saying that he can read people's minds?"
"I didn't go that far. But what do you do and how do people react? He wonders if that's what people are thinking of."
Even without Manami, Mei was able to talk about Ren without hesitation. That's how concerned she was about Ren, and she was analyzing the situation in her own way.
".......I see, I understand a little. If he knew that we were going to take a position in the former mercenary territory, he would take the safest route of advance and set up a trap there. If he set up a seemingly defenseless position with only 5,000 men, we would be wary that it might be a trap and would send out a probing force."
"Actually, I don't think it's that simple. There are many branches in Ren-kun's head, and he's thinking about how to deal with each."
"That's obvious."
That's what King Luine does on a daily basis. However, Mei's next words opened the eyes of the King of Luine wide.
"But what if there were hundreds or thousands of branches on that?"
"No way... that many?"
"I'm joking. I don't know that much about Ren-kun."
And with these words, a slightly unpleasant color appears on the face of King Luine. For Mei, it was meant as a light joke, but for the recipient, it was an insult.
"...You are joking at a time like this?"
"If you have time to get angry, I want you to decide what to do from now on. Or have you already given up command right now?"
"...I can give it away, but can they win with that?"
"It seems like they can win."
"At least I haven't used any tactics yet."
"Heh. You have tactics."
"Just in case"
"Well, I hope you're ready to use it."
"There is a right time and a right place to use it. It's the same with the Nord Emperor's plan."
"...I see. Then, when the time comes."
"I will do so even if you don't tell me."
Mei's casual provocation prompted King Luine to make a decision. The decision to do whatever it takes to win.
King Luine had originally gone into battle prepared to play a dirty role. For the sake of Crown Prince Albert, who will take over him.
◇◇◇
While the upper echelons were holding a war council, a funeral was held secretly in a corner of the camp. The funeral is not doing anything special. They're just mourning the other person's death.
A sword stuck in the ground. It's a substitute for a gravestone. In front of it, Jin was standing still with tears in his eyes.
"Jin. We can't keep doing this forever, right?"
"...It's my responsibility."
"I've already heard that. And it's not Jin's fault."
"If only I had listened to Akira."
"I heard that too. What choice do you have? Who knows how an army of ten thousand could be swept away in such a small river?"
"Still, if I didn't get washed away..."
"Isn’t Jin quite unmanly?"
"Whatever."
No matter how many times Yuya asked him to leave the place, he kept going on like this. Once he gave up trying to persuade him to leave, Yuya returned to the place where the others were gathered. But the mood there was still gloomy.
"Hey, Manami. How long have you been crying? Crying won't bring him back to life, so stop crying now."
Maki and Rina comfort Manami, who has been crying for a long time. The reason why the comforting is a little cold is because they are getting tired of comforting her.
The two were originally classmates, but now that they have been through the Church Academy and later life, they do not feel the same sadness in their hearts as Manami does.
"'No matter how close you were, you hadn't seen each other for years."
Yuya also looks amazed at Manami that never stops crying.
"Friends from school days are special, aren't they?"
"If you say that, it's us too."
"We were in different classes."
"Is that so?"
"That's what it is. Even Kisaragi-kun, you'll be even more depressed if Takamiya-kun dies, right?"
"...Well, I guess so."
"See. Besides, Manami spent a lot of time with Mita-kun."
"I see. But it's complicated."
"What?"
"Because she was on good terms with the person who killed him, right?"
With these words from Yuya, Manami's cry became even louder. Seeing that, Maki and Rina glared at Yuya.
"Um..."
"Insensitive. Can I say that now?"
"But it's true."
"Yes, but it's not something to say now."
"Why?"
"Why?"
"He's the enemy. We're here to kill him."
"What does that have to do with Manami being friends with him?"
"All I'm saying is, don't let the past keep you from doing what you're supposed to do."
"You just thought of that, didn't you?"
"...No, it's not."
He came up with a word that seemed like it and tried to use it on the spur of the moment, but it was easily seen through. Yuya was perplexed by their lack of reaction. He couldn't believe that the women in front of him didn't show any signs of interest in him.
"If you're going to talk like that, why don't you just go out there and fight?"
"What?"
"You haven't been to the front yet, have you?"
"……That's right, but"
"A hero hiding in the back. So lame."
"I'm not hiding!"
"I wonder?"
"It's just that my Order's turn doesn't come. As long as I go to the front line, I'll defeat him right away."
"Then get out quickly. Rumor has it that the Luine Kingdom is thinking about the future and trying to conserve its own army and only let other countries' armies fight?"
"That's absurd."
"In fact, the Mage Order that we created is in tatters in the first battle. Even in Izrim, the Knight Order has taken a lot of damage. Only Luine is unscathed."
"…………"
Yuya rarely attends military meetings, even though he is a Knight Commander. The only time he attends is for briefings after everything has been decided. He does not know what kind of agenda the country has.
That's why he couldn't completely deny Maki's words.
"Yes. Stop right there."
"Commander!"
Mei, who has finished the war council, appears in front of Yuya, who has fallen silent.
"Don't talk about it anymore. I don't know if it's true or false, but it could be a ploy by the Nord."
"The Nord?"
"You know how it works, don't you? To create a rift between us and Luine. It's going well."
"...I'm sorry. The situation is going in Luine's favor, so I think it's true."
"Maybe it's true. I can't deny the possibility that King Luine forced it on the Nord. But what I do know is that it's not the time to be at odds now."
"Yes"
"And it seems that others have died. Watanabe-kun and Sakai-kun. Are they in Class B?"
"……That's right"
As for the two of them, it's not because they are in different classes. They were classmates at Church Academy. As if to prove the words she said, Maki is showing a depression that is incomparable to when she learned of Akira's death. It was the same for Rina next to her.
"It looks like it's not clear yet. It seems they are in the vanguard of the first group, and it doesn't look like they're coming back."
"The first vanguard unit was hit by fire..."
"The body will probably never be found."
"Yes……"
"I'm actually a little shocked myself. I thought Ren-kun was fighting for revenge. I thought the only targets for revenge were us in Class A."
"It's war."
"Yes, but..."
She knew it was a naive idea. Even so, Mei still had a strange feeling that if it was Ren, he would show that he could handle even revenge perfectly. She had no intention of making him do it perfectly.
"I don’t think those two in Class B are targets of his revenge."
"Manami?"
"They were in the middle of an attacking army. To Ren, an enemy is an enemy. I don't think he would think about who they are."
"That's true."
"But Akira. I don't know why Ren fought against Akira. Akira was one of the people who was deeply saddened by Kazuki's death."
There was no way that Manami, who understood Ren the best, could answer what she did not understand. Mei and the others thought so, but the answer came from an unexpected person.
"Isn't it because he's stubborn?"
"Huh? Yuya, what do you know?"
"Even I know something. No, you can't understand this."
"...Then tell me."
"Since I was summoned to another world as a hero, I want to engrave my name in the world no matter what. Isn’t that what he did?”
"...Make your name known to the world?"
"Maybe not the world, but he left his name, didn't he? I'm sure the soldiers of the Izrim Magic Kingdom will remember his name as the hero who single-handedly stopped the collapse of his own army."
"For such a thing?"
"A man loses his life for such a thing. You women don't understand. Well, in my case, I'm going to make my mark on the world, and then I'll live to see my fame rewarded."
"...So that's what it is."
"What?"
"As expected, the rumor earlier was a ruse by the Nord. Luine is innocent."
"…Why are we talking about that?"
"Yuya’s words are the rumor spread among the soldiers of the Izrim army, right? Along with that, there are rumors of Luine's betrayal."
"...He's the one who told the rumors about Mita?"
"I don't know? I don't have to answer that, do I? Mita-kun became a hero in the Izrim army. That's what it means."
"...Yeah. That's right."
Even if it was a made-up story of heroism, it made no difference that Akira had stopped the Nord army from pursuing them. Although Mei and the others were unaware of the circumstances up to that point, their desire to give meaning to the deaths of their comrades did not allow them to pursue the facts of the case any further.
As a result, that would lead to further tragedy, but at this point, there was no way they could have figured it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment