Chapter 74 – The two armies glared at each other

“Everything is going as expected so far~”

“Yes”

Seeing the enemy army firmly entrenched in defensive positions on the opposite bank, Shamiah smiled. This was all according to plan.

Ondyle led twenty thousand light infantry quietly on a southern route, while I commenced the invasion with eight units, each consisting of five thousand troops.

Bandred, predictably, had placed twenty thousand soldiers to monitor Clostova, so our movements were quickly noticed.

However, as our eight units simultaneously brought towns and villages under control, the commander of the twenty thousand monitoring troops would be unsure of where and how many forces to send in response.

Indeed, several troops were dispatched but we merged our forces as needed, confronting the enemy with superior strength, while another unit would flank or capture other towns and villages.

Once, five thousand enemy troops were sent against us, but we quickly surrounded and crushed them with four of our units, totaling twenty thousand. This was possible because the Dorga tribe’s messengers allowed each of our units to function as a single army.

The existing monitoring forces couldn’t stop our movements. Bandred quickly realised this and gathered his proud Silver Spear Knights, leaving the capital to intercept us.

This showed that Bandred’s approach to battle differed from Godrick’s.

“But the Silver Spear Knights, who have joined forces, are slightly fewer in number”

“Diltrack has done a good job”

Bandred must be quite anxious now. He must keep forces in the rear to stay alert and he must stop our invasion at all costs.

But his anxiety will soon peak.

“There is no need to rush. The Imperial Knights are now isolated.”

“Indeed!”

Ondyle, who had taken the southern route, had successfully seized the fortress on the border with the Empire.

The fact that twenty thousand troops are stationed here holds significant meaning for both the Empire and Bandred.

The Empire will surely arrange to send reinforcements to Bandred as quickly as possible.

While these reinforcements will likely have high mobility, they won’t have the equipment necessary to take a fortress housing a large army. They wouldn’t anticipate needing to capture a fortress while on a rescue mission.

From Bandred’s perspective, it means that he will be isolated without any reinforcements from the Empire.

Of course, if he retreats to the capital, they can survive on their provisions for a while. Depending on the stockpile, they could hold out for years. But that option is off the table.

If he abandons his defensive position here and retreats to the capital, we will advance that much further.

They’ve made significant efforts to deploy their forces to block the road on the opposite bank, giving up that advantage would be costly. He must have rushed to secure that position ahead of us.

But from the start, I had no intention of taking that position. By deploying their forces accurately there, Bandred has proven himself to be a capable commander. However…

“Because he deployed his forces there, Bandred will become even more desperate moving forward.”

“If he returns to the capital, our forces will pursue him, Vilgard-sama. On the other hand, if he stays here, he risks an attack from Diltrack at any moment. Vilgard-sama, you’re quite a mean tactician”

“Hey now…”

Shamia was right. Bandred cannot afford to back down in front of my army. Yet staying in this position will be equally challenging.

Bandred must decide, as the limitations of provisions are pressing. Whether to retreat or to attack, the decision lies with him.

And such urgency from a commander infects those around him. By simply waiting, we can psychologically corner our opponent even further.

‘And even if we were to attack, there are reasons that make the decision difficult…’

Bandred may have deployed his forces on the opposite bank, but we have done the same.

The heavy cavalry of the Silver Spear Knights is most effective when charging with momentum, utilising their maximum attacking and breaking power. However, crossing a river significantly reduces their mobility.

In essence, Bandred is negating the strengths of his prized cavalry. They cannot be fully utilised for defence and their threat diminishes after crossing the river.

Furthermore, to fully leverage the cavalry, it would be necessary to establish a bridgehead by sending light infantry across the river first. This would likely result in significant casualties.

The ability to make such a decision is crucial…and I anticipate that I will make such a move. Preparation for this is already underway, led by Darba of the Para tribe.

“It’s a shame to see such a formidable cavalry force have its attacking power diminished by the environment.”

“I doubt they’ll want to engage us on the plains. We won’t lose but it will greatly affect the outcome of the battle.”

The elite knights under Arloston’s command. I will not underestimate them. Currently, I have deployed 20,000 troops along the riverbank.

The remaining 20,000 are hidden in the rear. The enemy likely hasn’t fully grasped our entire strength yet. They wouldn’t expect an equal number of troops still held in reserve.

“Darba must be busy… Well, we should have some time to spare. And in this situation, time is on our side.”

“That’s right! Shall we throw a party to make ourselves visible to the enemy~?”

“Shamia, you’re quite the troublemaker…”

■

“Bandred-sama…! At this rate, we will eventually be wiped out…!”

“Shouldn’t we retreat to the capital and fortify our defences?”

“And what if reinforcements don’t come? The south is already blocked by the prince’s army!”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“We have no choice but to continue the attack! The prince’s forces on the opposite bank are fewer than ours!”

“But this is a unified force of the Lords Alliance! They won’t just let us cross peacefully!”

On the fifth day of encampment in this area, Bandred’s knights had been troubled day after day. The cause was exactly as Vilgard had anticipated.

Initially, they had been relieved to seize this position ahead of time. They had hoped that if they could hold out here, reinforcements from the Empire would eventually arrive.

But before they knew it, the southern fortress had been captured by Vilgard’s forces, with an estimated enemy strength of over 20,000, commanded by Ondyle, the next Lord of Linzent Territory. 

‘What…! When did the prince manage to completely incorporate these major lords…!’

The fortresses that no longer bordered enemy territory hadn’t originally held such large forces. With 20,000 troops and with Ondyle’s experience in northern campaigns, capturing the fortress would have been relatively easy.

In any case, the Empire could no longer easily send reinforcements, and the fact that their own supply lines had been cut off was undeniable. Now that they understood the situation, they were constantly agonising over what to do next.

“If that’s the case, should we abandon the Kamurakku Territory…? Launch a full-scale assault on the southern fortress with our entire army and head straight for the capital.”

“Nonsense! Are you suggesting we run away in the face of the enemy’s invasion!?”

“Well, but in doing so, we could conserve our forces…”

“You’re just afraid for your own life!”

“What did you say!? What are you implying…!?”

Bandred had indeed considered abandoning the Kamurakku Territory.

Certainly, this would spare the elite Silver Spear Knights from suffering heavy losses. While a battle with Ondyle awaited them, simply breaking through the fortress and moving to Imperial territory wouldn’t be excessively difficult.

However, abandoning this territory would undoubtedly delay the unification of the Empire’s territories by several years. According to the plan, the Kamurakku Territory was supposed to play a significant role in the Empire’s unification.

Abandoning it now would undermine the purpose of forcefully seizing this land. It would also negate the meaning of the resources that had been invested in maintaining governance here.

“Calm yourselves”

Bandred’s voice quieted the officers and soldiers. They were undoubtedly in a difficult position.

Yet they hadn’t lost yet and as the one responsible for the army, the decision rested with Bandred.

“Let’s reassess the enemy’s position once more.”

“Yes, sir!”

The spread-out map detailed the terrain of the area. Bandred extended his finger along the river.

“From the way Prince Vilgard has positioned his troops, it’s clear he’s completely cautious about our crossing.”

“That’s for sure.”

Bandred already has a good grasp of how Vilgard has deployed his troops from the mountains. They’ve laid out a formation that makes crossing the river difficult.

“Bandred-sama, it seems Prince Vilgard is wary of our heavy cavalry, the Silver Spear Knights.”

“…Indeed. With their formation spread along the riverbank, they’ve created gaps. While it’s a vulnerable formation if attacked head-on, crossing the river won’t be easy.”

Vilgard’s troops were not arranged in a single line but spread along the river. It appears as though they’re excessively fearful of the Imperial Knights crossing.

“No matter how much of a prince he is, he probably doesn’t want to face our heavy cavalry head-on. In other words, that’s where our opportunity lies.”

“…!”

“So, then…!”

Abandoning the Kamurakku Territory wasn’t an option. But staying here would only spread confusion among our troops and wouldn’t resolve the rear concerns or the limited supplies.

There was only one way forward. While Prince Vilgard was indeed a threat, this battle would be settled once we defeated him.

“We’ll cross the river and defeat the prince’s forces.”

“Ooo…!”

As simple as it sounded, it wouldn’t be easy. First, they need to send forward the light infantry and establish a bridgehead at all costs. But if they could manage that, they could then get their heavy cavalry across.

Once they cross the river, victory will be theirs. They’ll unleash the Silver Spear Knights, the strongest cavalry unit of the Imperial Knights, and strike down the Vilgard forces, who are deployed in a skewed formation, from the flanks.

“Prepare the troops! We’ll carve out a path forward…!”

“Yeahhhhh!”

And thus, the battle between the mighty Silver Spear Knights and Prince Vilgard began.