Return of the Thunder Emperor
Ren chose the site of the decisive battle not in the former territory of the United Kingdom of Mercenary...... but in the Glenaden Hills near the northern border of the neighboring Shamir Kingdom, which is located to the south of it.
The Shamir Kingdom is not a participant in the Northern Alliance. Ren chose this hostile territory as the battlefield. Moreover, he had the audacity to launch the battle before the armies of the countries of the Northern Alliance arrived.
The result was an overwhelming victory for the Nord side.
The damage to the united front was small compared to the whole. The 3,000 troops of the Royal Army of Shamir, which was leading the battle, suffered only a devastating blow.
The impact on the united front, which had lost its first battle, was great, although it was only a matter of 250,000 becoming 247,000. Moreover, the Nord forces remained stationed near the northern border in the Glenaden Hills.
The boldness of the Nord army was so eerie that the united front did not attack immediately, but instead deployed their positions and held a war council.
"What were the results of the reconnaissance?"
The commander-in-chief, King Luine, presides over the war council. In the end, the command was like this.
"Ha. The Nord army isn't just setting up a camp on the high ground of the hilly area, it seems that they are making some preparations around it."
"What kind of preparations?"
"There are several moats extending around the camp, and fences have been set up in various places.”
"When did they make such preparations? What else has changed?"
"There seems to be a river behind the Nord camp. It's not so much that one can't cross it."
"Fumu. There's water too? Anything else?"
"That's all for now."
"Alright."
According to the reconnaissance results, it is prepared but not to be feared. If that's the case, then they can attack them.
"I want to hear your opinion"
King Luine did not make a decision immediately. Too much defenselessness instead gave birth to vigilance.
"Should we attack immediately?"
Heinz insisted on the offensive.
"I would like to hear your reasons."
"At night, I don't know what they will do. The darkness of night is on the side of the Nord."
"...That's true, but."
There are also those who are strong at night on the Luine Kingdom side. But it hasn't been made public yet. It is better not to let it be known that they are borrowing the power of the demons.
"I don't mean an all-out attack. It is one way to attack from a distance with the mages as the main force."
Heinz misunderstood King Luine's indecisive words as a warning to the Nord and immediately announced a safe plan.
"Is this a good way to probe without taking any risks?"
"I don't think it's a good idea to do nothing. The current situation may actually be a desperate measure taken because the Northern Alliance is lagging behind."
"If so, we are fools. Shall we go with Duke Ruben's idea? How about Prince Charles?"
It was Prince Charles who led the Izrim Magic Kingdom. They cannot send out Elected King Selim to serve under King Luine. Even so, they don't want to send out a vassal and become the lowest rank among the three countries. Then it was Prince Charles' turn. The unofficial Prince Charles is originally lower than Heinz, but other countries don't know that.
"I have no objections."
"Then, can I leave it to your country?"
"Yes?"
"No, when it comes to magic attacks, I guess it's time for your country's mages."
"That's……"
It is not harassment by King Luine. When it comes to attacking with magic, it is only natural that the Izrim Magic kingdom, which claims to be the magic kingdom, would do it.
"Why don't we contribute from each country instead of our country alone?"
Instead of Prince Charles, who was at a loss for words, the man behind him spoke. Leif Tenniel, leader of the Black Mages of the Izrim Magic Kingdom.
"The chain of command will be complicated."
"There is no need to force unification. It is magic. And if we are going to attack, we should inflict maximum damage. In the absence of our Elected King, we have the best mage here."
"Me, huh"
Mei also participates in the war council as the commander of the Lemberg Empire's Demon King Division.
"I've heard rumors. As a mage, I definitely want to see your power."
"Fine. Then our mages will also participate."
"Fumu. In that case, our country cannot afford not to participate. Then, the Mage Corps of the three countries will attack the enemy position. The operation will begin in 30 minutes. Mage groups, prepare to sortie."
"Ha" "Yes" "Yeah"
Thirty minutes later, on time, each mage corps began to move toward the Nord army's position.
It's the beginning of the second battle.
"That man is going out."
Mei muttered hatefully. Ahead of her gaze is the figure of Ren, who is wielding a sword as he gallops his horse.
"Commander, it's dangerous! Get back!"
Manami shouts out loud when he notices that Mei is standing still. That voice reminded Mei of how dangerous the place she was in, and she hurriedly ran behind her.
While remembering the frustration of the unexpected defeat.
As they approached the Nord army's position to some extent, each of the mage groups on the united front launched an attack at once. The number of mages who went out to attack was 500 from each country. It was a simultaneous attack by 1,500 mages.
As for Mei, she suddenly unleashes the greatest amount of magic without mercy. The Nord army camp was inflamed and damaged enough to change the terrain.
However, only the base was damaged. The moment after the mage's attack stopped. Lightning pours down along with the sound of thunder that shakes the area toward the troops of the Luine's Black Iron Knights, who were on the front line as escorts. With just one blow, the army was almost destroyed.
The sudden lightning attack stunned the united front. Then, from a blind spot on the hillside, a Nord cavalry unit of 100 cavalrymen surged forward.
The mages who were approached had no way to resist. The mages fell to the ground one after another under the attack of the Nord cavalry.
The united front did not sit idly by and watch. They immediately sent their follow-up forces to support the Mages and tried to bring the whole army forward to a frontal decisive battle.
However, as if to ridicule it, the Nord army's cavalry appears from all directions, launches attacks aimed at the mage corps, and disappears in the blind spot again.
The united front side also sent out cavalry to fight back, but there was no effect at all. The horses' legs were so different that they couldn't even catch up.
The Nord army's offensive stopped after King Luine decided that the united front side would abandon the attack and single-mindedly hold their position.
When there were no more openings in the united front's formation, all Nord forces disappeared from sight. Then, the Nord Empire's military flag stood again at its original position.
The second battle also ended with the victory of the Nord Empire.
◇◇◇
A somber atmosphere was in the war council. They had unexpectedly suffered two defeats in a row from the Nord army of only 5,000 troops. It would be strange not to be depressed.
However, there were exceptions, and instead of being depressed, there were those who were excited about the event.
"How does one create a lightning strike? Should I have been a little closer to check? No, if I had been closer, I wouldn't be here now. But to be able to see the Thunder Emperor's magic with my own eyes. It was worth participating in the battle."
Mage Commander Tenniel of the Izrim Magic Kingdom speaks alone about Ren's magic.
"Tenniel-dono, could you please be quiet?"
Unable to resist, William Sefa, head of the Mage Corps of the Luine Kingdom, warned him.
"Ah, what do you think, Sefa-dono? Do you think that magic deviates from the logic of attribute magic? Or"
"Enough! Many of our people have lost their lives! I have no interest in discussing such matters right now!"
Tenniel's insensitivity was irresistibly infuriating. This is normal for humans.
The damage done to the mages of the various countries that had gone out was horrendous. The number of dead was about 700. Nearly half of the mages who went into battle were dead, and many were seriously wounded. The number of deaths is expected to increase further, as there are many who cannot be healed with healing magic.
"As Mages, we should not forget our research at any time. But to be the head of the Mage Corps of a country? As a Mage, it is shameful."
Unfortunately, Tenniel was no ordinary person.
"If you want to do research, can you do it alone? I have a lot to think about."
"Ah, I understand. Fumu, then excuse me."
Mei's magic also surprised Tenniel. He obeys those who are better than him. Tenniel was such a man.
"What should I say... I'm sorry."
Prince Charles, who was left behind after Tenniel left, couldn't think of any good words to say, but he said sorry for now.
"Are all the mages of the Izrim Magic Kingdom like that?"
"Not all, but many. Many have no interest in anything other than magic."
"...I've never felt better than now that my contract partner was the Lemberg Empire."
"Certainly not recommended for women"
"Why does gender matter here? I thought there was no gender discrimination when it came to magic."
"There is no discrimination. It's the same for women."
"...That kind of thing"
She is female and has the same personality as Tenniel. Mei believes in gender equality, but this is different. Mei has no intention of giving up her happiness as a woman.
"Now, have you calmed down a bit?"
King Luine, who was silently watching the surroundings, finally opened his mouth.
"Thanks to you, I suppose?"
"It seems to be fine. Let's start the war council. Let's start with the analysis of this failure. What's the problem?"
"We lost sight of our goal."
"And why is that?"
"Why? What do you mean?"
"If we don’t do something about the cause of our failure, we will repeat the same failure. But it's no good having a war council if you're just going to reflect on what went wrong."
"Yes... I could see that. But."
Even though Mei is an excellent mage, she has not been trained as a soldier. She was not used to this sort of thing.
"I was too wary of the trap and made the mistake of keeping our distance. That's probably why I didn't notice the enemy's camouflage."
Seeing that Mei didn't give an answer, Heinz expressed his opinion.
"Yes. I think so too. We were alert to the trap and fell into it. So it would have been all right if we had kept a closer distance?"
"I think we should ask those who actually went to the front line about that?"
Heinz also has an opinion. However, he felt as if his abilities were being tested by King Luine's question, and decided to avoid answering.
"Fumu. Then"
"I have received a report about that from my subordinates, so I will."
Mei was the only one who was on the front lines here. Harisman Platinum Knight Commander himself offered that it would be useless just to ask Mei.
"Right. Then Harrisman. Explain."
"Ha. Even if the distance is shortened, I have judged that we will receive a surprise attack."
"Reason?"
"It's their cavalry's legs. Nord cavalry, I regret to admit, is far more mobile than my order's cavalry. I think the result will be the same.”
"In other words, when the mages were sent to the front line, they were caught in a trap."
"It would seem so."
"We were too cautious, and that opened the door for them."
"As a result"
"Even so, is it safe to assume that we were able to measure the strength of the enemy?"
"We know that they have an excellent cavalry. And then there is the power of the Nord Emperor."
"It's part of his power. The title of Thunder Emperor's disciple was true."
"If that was his disciple, what was his master like? Some of the soldiers are already clamoring that the legendary Thunder Emperor has returned."
"That's a bad trend."
"Yes. I'm not sure we should let our fear of the Nord Emperor get too big."
In the end, if you think you lost the battle, you lose. No matter how many there are, if the soldiers lose the will to fight due to fear of death, the army will collapse. King Luine and the leader of the Platinum Knights, Harrisman, are afraid of that.
"We can't afford to lose any more. No matter how small the loss."
"Ha"
"Then how will you deal with tomorrow's battle?"
"We will push forward with a large army from the front in a fair and square manner. I think that will leave the fewest gaps."
"They may be preparing a trap."
"That is why I think we should choose a straightforward attack. Even if there are traps, we can push through them by sheer force of numbers."
"It's a brute force technique... but it's not wrong. Prince Charles, Duke Heinz, what do you think?"
"I have no objections."
"Me too"
"I see. Then let us push forward at once from dawn tomorrow morning. Divide the whole army into five armies, with one army defending the main camp and the other four taking turns to attack. Take your time over the course of the day and exhaust them."
"Ha, Your Majesty"
"What?"
"Night will come before that. How should we prepare for that?"
"...Night?"
The invasion operation by the Polaris Knights led by Yuya was exhausted by a surprise attack at night. It was natural to assume that they would take the same measures this time.
"Can we use it?"
"It hasn't arrived yet."
"I see... In that case, we need to be vigilant against night attacks. It's also dangerous with ordinary vigilance."
"Yes"
"It can't be helped. Five shifts of guard duty before a four-army offensive."
"Is that much caution necessary?"
"Wait a minute. Are you going to put 50,000 people on the watch at night?"
Heinz is surprised and asks after hearing the conversations between the two people in the Luine Kingdom.
"Five Armed Forces. In other words, 20%. Considering the percentage, it's not surprising."
"...That's true. Still, if it's 50,000..."
"The darkness of night is on the side of the Nord. Our army has already experienced that to the point of frustration. No matter how careful we are, they will creep up on you before you know it. That's what they are."
"Demons..."
"If each country is defending its own position, there will always be a place where the defense is not strong enough. That's one of the reasons we're doing this."
"I understand"
With that, the war council ended.
But then came the hard part. One army was organized around each country's leaders, and the remainder was divided into four. After the formation was complete, the chain of command was set up, and the encampment was arranged in a way that made it easy to keep a watchful eye.
Fifty thousand guards are placed around the encampment. This is not the usual density. They stand at equal distances so close together that even in the darkness of night they can clearly see their allies on either side of them. If a bonfire is built on top of this, a formidable guard is created, one that no cat will be able to penetrate.
After all that was over, silence finally came to the camp. In such a position, Mei went out of the tent and stared into the distance.
"Can't sleep?"
When she turned around at the sudden voice, Jin was standing there.
"A little."
"I'm glad today's battle went well."
"Me. My subordinates got hit a lot."
"I see……"
"This is the first time I've made such a sacrifice."
"That's right. It's a losing battle if the Mage Order engages in close combat with the enemy."
"That losing battle. I was beaten by Ren-kun."
"Ren. He's the emperor of another country. You can't call him that."
"You want me to call him Emperor? No kidding. There's no difference between me and him."
"So?"
Jin was surprised to learn that the name she thought was used in a friendly way was actually for pride.
"Yes. I know it's just a stupid thing to do, but it's not over yet. I'm not finished yet."
"...What are you thinking?"
"Variously."
"I see."
What Mei is aiming for is still ahead. The only thing that Jin could understand was that. And also that what she lacks is the strength of mind.
"Are you leaving tomorrow?"
"Of course. It's the second group."
"I see. I'm in the third group. And Luine is the fourth group."
"...The first group is prepared to make sacrifices."
"You're still being naive. It's for our own survival."
"I understand that. But I wonder if it's possible for a hero to survive at the expense of others."
"...... Are all the people around you kind? Or are they all hypocrites?"
"What do you mean?"
"In this world, heroes are just tools of war. No one thinks they are worthy of respect."
"I know that."
"But they don't know it. They know it as knowledge, but they don't understand it. That's why they have an illusion about the hero."
"You are as harsh as ever."
Jin's thoughts stem from his desire to be just. In that respect, Mei's words are out of line, but Jin does not deny that it is not wrong in his mind.
"I'm just telling the truth. Ah, yes. I'll tell you more. Champions are respected in this world. That's why there's a Church of the Holy Heroes."
"I see"
"Do you remember? Ren-kun said this too."
"......Come to think of it."
"He had given us several hints. But we were told we were heroes and got so excited that we didn't even take it seriously. Do you still hold it against him?"
"...I know. My feelings for Ren are just jealousy. It's not just jealousy, either. By resenting Ren, I was trying to keep him at arm's length from me."
"You know that much, huh?"
"Yeah. I knew that, I just didn't admit it."
"But now you do. Why?"
"Ren... that would be a hero, wouldn't it?"
"...Did you think so after seeing today's battle?"
"Yeah. My body trembled. It wasn't fear, so I can't find the words to say it."
"I see."
Mei answered as curtly as possible, but in fact, she was just like Jin. When she saw Ren riding his horse across the battlefield, Mei's body trembled and she couldn't move. She had to escape, but she couldn't take her eyes off Ren's heroic figure. However, Mei's pride denied her this feeling.
"But he's not a hero yet. And Ren will die tomorrow. A loser can't be a hero."
"...That's right."
"I'm going to sleep now. Tomorrow is the decisive battle."
Jin throws good night words to Mei's back as she walks towards her tent. Mei responded by simply raising her hand while her back was facing him.
Jin felt a weight on her back that he didn't have. Mei, who is the head of an organization, and what she carries on her back must be different. Thinking that, Jin thought of someone who was carrying something even heavier.
He turns his eyes in the direction where that person might be. All he could see was the light of a bonfire floating in the air.
◇◇◇
Where Jin was looking, Ren was also looking at a distant place. A shadow approached behind him without making a sound of footsteps.
"Your Majesty"
"…………"
"Your Majesty?"
Once again, the shadow called out to Ren who didn't react.
"...How's the enemy formation?"
"There are quite a few lookouts. They surround the entire camp at even intervals at a fairly close distance."
"Can we break through?"
"It's not impossible."
"If you push yourselves too hard though... I understand. There will be no night raids. Allocate personnel to guard our own camp."
"Ha"
Following Ren's instructions, the spy disappeared from the spot without making a single sound. The remaining Ren also started staring at the hill a little ahead.
"Ren……"
A worried voice came from next to him. Luna appeared and gently held Ren's hand.
"…You killed them yourself. But your friends are a little selfish."
The darkest of nights, but it is precisely because of the darkness that Ren can see them. He could see a number of beings staring at him resentfully from afar.
Even when they are far away, Ren can understand the feelings of those spirits.
Resentment toward Ren for killing them. It was the first time in his life that he had ever felt such bad feelings from a spirit.
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