Record of Wortenia War: Volume 6

by Ryota Hori

  One country fought for the sake of expanding its borders and developing its country. The other fought to maintain its own borders and ensure the stability of its regime. The Notis plains, located along the border of these two countries, would serve as the stage for a battle neither side could afford to lose.

  Shardina commanded the battle from her headquarters at the rear of their forces’ formation. She glared over a large map of the region as she began to speak to Saitou, who sat opposite of her.

  “What of the status of our units?”

  Multiple game pieces, colored in black and red, were arranged along the map in the shape of each army’s formations.

  “Yes, ma’am. According to the runners, our main force is advancing along its route as scheduled,” Saitou said, dragging one group of red pawns from the capital to the eastern border. “We also received reports that the units we sent out to scout the Notis plains are currently in battle with the Xarooda knight force located on the east end.”

  Each of those game pieces represented a friendly or enemy unit. The red pieces represented O’ltormea’s forces, while the black ones were Xarooda’s. There were fifteen red pieces near the Notis plains’ position on the map. There were five more pieces — units detached from the main force — each to the north and south.

  Each piece represented one thousand soldiers, which meant their overall force stood at twenty-five thousand men.

  “And how many troops does the enemy have?” Shardina asked.

  At her question, Saitou began shifting the black pieces to the mountain region adjacent to the plains. A total of twenty pieces stood poised to block the path of O’ltormea’s main force.

  “Their corps consists entirely of knights, and numbers twenty thousand strong.” Saitou replied.

  Shardina’s lips curled upwards, forming a sneer. It was the grin of a hunter, confident their foolish prey had stepped into a trap.

  “Good. Xarooda was quick to mobilize all its forces to strike us down... Splendid. Exactly as we’ve planned.” Shardina proclaimed in satisfaction.

  “Well, we did pressure them in such a way that left them no other choice.” Saitou shrugged.

  “It’s only been five days since we declared war,” Shardina nodded. “That’s not enough time to conscript their commoners.”

  O’ltormea successfully and thoroughly blocked the enemy’s intelligence, and thanks to that, Xarooda’s side was completely blind to their movements. Xarooda’s territory was a natural fortress protected by steep mountains. But now, when they were utterly blind to the invading army’s movements, this fortress actually impeded their movements.

  The steep mountains that divided their lands yielded them a treasure of mineral deposits, but were at the same time poor terrain for deploying soldiers. If they weren’t prepared for an invasion and given time to capitalize on these natural fortifications, the mountains became a shackle that held Xarooda back. That made it especially difficult to deploy a large force.

  “You intentionally leaked the size of our main force to the enemy, fooling the Xaroodian royal family into believing that mobilizing their royal guard will put them on equal footing with us. Doing that made you draw their forces out onto an open field... Perfectly played, Your Highness.”

  Saitou complimented Shardina’s tactic with pure honesty. It was this ingenuity that enabled her to lead the armies while also acting as the royal princess. This was something Saitou knew all too well.

  Xarooda’s total forces numbered seventy thousand men, but that number included their conscripted commoners and the soldiers attached to their nobility. The only force Xarooda was capable of deploying at a moment’s notice were the knights belonging to the royal house — a total of twenty-five thousand.

  Of course, there was a reason as to why Xarooda wasn’t able to muster its full army, despite the fate of the country hanging in the balance. Considering her failure to capture Ryoma Mikoshiba, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Shardina’s very existence hinged on her victory in this war.

  She mobilized the knight order under her direct command, the Succubus Knights, to obfuscate their movements and cut off all the intelligence regarding her movements to the Xaroodian side. This would assure she would net herself the merit of winning this war.

  Shardina’s objectives were twofold. The first was to minimize the time between their declaration of war and the moment the fighting broke out. This would afford Xarooda no time to consolidate their forces. The second was to leak false intelligence to the enemy, which would fool them into thinking O’ltormea’s forces were smaller than expected. That would plant the idea in their minds that by marching their forces onto the plains, they would have a chance to end the war quickly.

  This was an act that wasn’t viable in normal strategy. From a strategic standpoint, it was always better to have the fighting break out while marching into enemy land. That was because the surrounding industries and economic conditions would be negatively affected, tilting the odds in the invading army’s favor.

  But Shardina elected to drag Xarooda’s army out into the open plains.

  For the time being, everything’s going as planned. All that’s left now is...

  The Xaroodian military fell for her ploy. The kingdom was caught completely unaware and didn’t have the time to send runners to its nobles, requesting that they send forces to aid in pushing back the invasion. In other words, the royal family was forced to send out only their knights to handle the task.

  Knowing that likely left Xarooda’s military authorities in quite the panic, leading them to scramble for any information pertinent to the enemy that might help them break through this situation. The name of the enemy army’s general. The army’s size. Its planned route. Countless bits of information which, when properly analyzed, could allow them to come up with a countermeasure.

  And the result of that scramble for intelligence was that they realized that Shardina’s forces weren’t as vast as they imagined. If they were to mount all of the forces under the king’s command, they stood a fighting chance.

  If enemy soldiers were to march into the kingdom, Xarooda would take a crippling blow even if they did win that war. At first, Xarooda’s military authorities were willing to risk some losses and drag O’ltormea’s army into their land, but if Shardina’s numbers were slim, then things were different. A fight near the border would only cause negligible damage to the kingdom.

  No one would willingly let great damage come to their country. And if they could pick an option that was much safer and avoided that scenario, they would be inclined to pick it. And so, Xarooda’s military left a mere five thousand knights to guard the capital and sent the rest of their army to the frontlines.

  But this was all Shardina’s trap. The certain victory they envisioned was simply a carrot on a stick in the guise of hope, which was dangled before their eyes like bait. And even if they realized Shardina’s plot, it wouldn’t change the end result. Lethal poison was already eating away at the heart of Xarooda.

  “What about the detachments to the north and south? Is everything going according to schedule on their end?” Shardina directed a sharp gaze at Saitou.

  So far, their trap had worked as intended. But past experience had taught her that the slightest sign of carelessness could make the situation reverse and put them at a disadvantage. And so, she didn’t leave any room for negligence. Her experience and talent as a commander mingled with her failure to capture Ryoma and the valuable lessons it taught her. This helped her mature into a daring, cunning, and indeed, ideal commander.

  “Yes, both units have sent runners informing us they’re in position.” Saitou answered.

  Shardina was likely satisfied with that, since she regarded him with a smile and a slight nod.

  “Good... You’re aware of the plan, yes?”

  “Of course. I will handle it, Your Highness.”

  Saitou’s tone was as collected and polite as ever. He then bowed at Shardina and left. He w
as calmer than one might ever expect a man about to lunge into a savage battle might be. But Shardina could handily feel the fighting spirit hidden in Saitou. Looking at him from behind, she could almost see the fire of resolve burn around him.

  ♱

  “Everyone, are you prepared?!” Saitou called out to his aides after he got up on horseback.

  “““Ready!””” Their swift but vigorous reply rattled his eardrums.

  Ten thousand heavily armored knights followed Saitou. This was the entirety of their main force, excluding the three units dispatched as a forward force. A small force of two thousand would stay behind to defend Shardina in the back of their formation.

  Leaving a minimal force to defend their commander and charge with almost all of their forces was the very image of an all-or-nothing assault. The fate of this battle — and the rest of this campaign — rested on Saitou’s soldiers.

  Saitou’s gaze was fixed on the sight of their forward force, which was now engaging Xarooda’s knights.

  “Your orders, vice captain?” One of his aides asked Saitou to give the word.

  Saitou wordlessly unsheathed the sword from his waist and held it up to the sky.

  Now, I should finish this job for Princess Shardina...

  On the surface, he needed to win this battle to secure Shardina Eisenheit’s position. And in effect, it would also further his hidden masters’ intentions. But none of those reasons mattered to Saitou at that moment. His heart was stirred by a maddening craving. Everyone stood wordless, waiting for him to issue his order. They were all intoxicated — drunk off Saitou’s silent bloodlust.

  It’s been so long since I’ve last felt the thrill of battle... and I intend to enjoy this.

  Feeling the bloodthirst of the soldiers at his back, Saitou silently swung down his sword — directing them toward the enemy soldiers ahead.

  “““Ooooooooooooooooooh!”””

  The soldiers rushed past Saitou’s side, raising their voices in an echoing battle cry as they did. They were unleashed, like an arrow that had been nocked and strained to its absolute limit. Knights clad in full armor and brandishing the banner of a lion charged toward the enemy.

  Even their horses were armored, making them this world’s equivalent of a tank. With thaumaturgy augmenting both their physical prowess and the strength of their horses, they trampled foot soldiers and sprung forward, their lances piercing through the enemy.

  “Kill them! Slaughter them!”

  “Hold your ground! Don’t turn your backs on these O’ltormean dogs!”

  “Aaah, dammit! My arm! My aaaaaarm...!”

  “Shut up! If you have time to scream, use it to cut someone down!”

  Savage screams and curses echoed incessantly through the field of battle. The empire’s cavaliers washed over a battlefield dominated by the foot knights’ melee skirmishes, trampling over Xarooda’s soldiers. But the knights of Xarooda weren’t going to allow themselves to be one-sidedly overwhelmed.

  “Foot knights, move into formation! Stop their cavaliers!”

  “You hear?! Ignore your platoons and move into formation, quickly!”

  The commanding officers quickly picked up on the situation and began giving orders. Rather than charging their own cavaliers against O’ltormea’s, they chose to arrange their foot knights into a formation that would block the horses’ advance. With the chain of command in upheaval, Xarooda’s knights quickly abided by their officers’ orders and formed a formation.

  “Foot knights, step forward!”

  Sensing the enemy commanders were recovering from the confusion of his cavaliers’ charge, Saitou ordered the cavaliers to fall back and the infantry to push forward. This Earth’s horses were larger and packed more horsepower than steeds one might find in Japan. But even still, their stamina had its limits. Even with harnesses imbued with endowed thaumaturgy that increased the steeds’ speed and curbed their exhaustion, the horses were still susceptible to fatigue.

  The greatest advantages afforded by being on horseback were weight and speed. But put another way, a horse that couldn’t freely roam around was nothing but a large, sitting target. In a way, soldiers had a power balance that wasn’t unlike rock-paper-scissors. There was no such thing as a perfect soldier.

  “Now listen here!” The commander of Xarooda’s knights raised his voice upon confirming his men were prepared. “We will drive out the O’ltormean invaders! There’s no falling back! Charge!”

  Standing in an organized formation, Xarooda’s knights moved forward with synchronized steps. As worthy of knights in service of a militant country, they excelled at both individual combat prowess and their organization as an army.

  But of course, the same could be said of O’ltormea’s forces. The elite soldiers of a powerful empire that consolidated the center of the western continent were gathered in this place. The officers commanding at the frontlines aptly adjusted themselves to the changing currents of this tumultuous battle.

  “You mustn’t falter before Xarooda’s soldiers! We are proud knights of O’ltormea! Scatter them away!”

  Knights were sent out to the front one after another at the officers’ commands. The orderly columns of the formation began to waver as knights from both sides clashed. Both sides were made up of knights clad in armor made of metal plates, armed with swords and spears and strengthened by thaumaturgy. Each individual knight wasn’t stronger than another. For every Xaroodian knight that fell in battle, an O’ltormean knight died as well. It seemed to be a fruitless battle of attrition.

  ♱

  And yet, the winner of this battle had already been decided. The difference in the officers’ ability to command made the difference. Shardina’s objective was to wipe out Xarooda’s main force. With the palace’s knights destroyed, the only army Xarooda would have left would be the personal forces of the country’s nobles. With this, O’ltormea’s forces would quickly suppress Xarooda.

  Yes, we have to occupy Xarooda’s territory as quickly as possible. Before the beast of the north awakens...

  And to that end, Shardina employed a few tactics, and thanks to that, victory was within her grasp.

  But... Really...

  Shardina stood inside a large tent in the center of her headquarters, gazing down at the map on the table. The image of a single man’s face crossed her mind.

  I was careless back then... I anticipated Mikoshiba’s movements perfectly, but at the very last moment I let him get the better of me... But in a way, it was a lesson I needed to learn. It taught me to guard myself. That no matter how advantageous a position I might have, the slightest bit of carelessness could put me in danger of death...

  That mature-looking boy. At first sight, he gave off an amicable, collected impression, but his true face was that of a savage, ruthless beast. His eyes were cold and cruel when he faced off against her and Saitou. He was a man with a strength that was like steel. The sole person to escape her net and find refuge in another country.

  And what if he was the enemy commander...?

  That meaningless hypothetical thought nudged at Shardina’s mind. She’d thought this tactic through, time and again, and had pulled it off impeccably. But the shadow of this man who wasn’t even present for this battle coiled around her heart like a shackle.

  “Your Highness, the time is nearly right. Shouldn’t we send the signal?” The words of her aide yanked Shardina out of the quagmire of her thoughts.

  “Y-Yes... Right you are... Have them send the signal.” She said, stifling the hesitation eating away at her so it wouldn’t be seen by her subordinates.

  No good... I almost repeated the same mistake. I need to stay focused on the battle.

  This battle was as good as won. She’d prepared and worked hard to ensure that. But the chance of the slightest lack of caution turning the tide of battle was always looming. She couldn’t assume she’d won so long as the battle hadn’t concluded. The lesson the past had taught her ordered her heart to remain vigil
ant.

  I won’t lose here...! I absolutely will not lose!

  Shardina was poised to win this battle. She’d conspired and arranged for this victory, and had done everything perfectly so far. All that remained was to apply the finishing touches, and yet her heart wavered.

  ♱

  “Vice commander! The signal! Headquarters has sent out the signal!” One of Saitou’s aides raised his head, catching the sound of a gong ringing in the distance.

  Saitou nodded and listened intently. It was hard to hear through the roars of the knights and the sound of clashing metal, but true enough, he could make out the sound of the gong.

  “Yes, that’s it... The signal we’ve agreed on. You’re all aware of what to do next, yes?” Saitou asked, directing a sharp gaze at his subordinates.

  “““Yes, at once!””” The men immediately scattered in all directions.

  “Hear ye! We now fall back! Ring the bell and have everyone move back!” Saitou shouted, and soon enough the bell informing the soldiers to retreat rang out in a shrill voice through the battlefield.

  “Let’s move! We fall back!”

  “Remember, no panicking! Cover for each other as you move!”

  Even if a force wasn’t to be too mindful of its formation, acting on one’s own initiative on the battlefield wasn’t acceptable. Saitou’s men began retreating in a disorderly fashion, guarding each other’s backs all the way. They were mindful of their surroundings, and any friendly soldier that looked like they might be in risk of being slain was immediately guarded by a nearby knight.

  They had no need to kill the enemy right now. The moment the order to retreat was given, the two armies had been clearly demarcated as a defending army and an attacking army. The retreating O’ltormean army had but one objective — to retreat while bringing back as many of their allies as possible.

  By contrast, the Xaroodian knights were intent on killing every enemy knight they could get their hands on. Reducing their numbers, no matter by how little, was crucial. And the knights on both sides wielded their weapons, with each army trying to achieve opposing objectives.