Chapter 82 – Summary of the Battle: Arloston / Bandred

The fact that Kamurakku Territory was taken by Vilgard shocked the leaders of the Knights’ Order.

Even though it hasn’t been a year since Vilgard raised an army in the frontier, the northern part of the empire is practically unified under his control.

However, the actual situation is still unclear. It’s possible that four great lords hold significant power.

Nevertheless, Arloston was concerned about what Barkdine’s son had mentioned.

‘He previously said that Prince Vilgard might be unifying the lord’s alliance through military force…’

There is no basis or evidence for this. Even hearing such a story, one can only think, [Is that so?].

‘However…if by any chance it were true. The possibility that he has fully seized control over the unruly lords cannot be dismissed…’

A few days later, Bandred returned to the imperial capital.

There were voices questioning his responsibility for failing to defend Kamurakku Territory, and he is now under heavy criticism from many nobles.

Therefore, to have a quiet conversation, Arloston called Bandred to a room in the castle.

“Arloston-sama…! I apologise for not fulfilling the mission given to me…!”

“No, Bandred. It is we who were slow to respond and failed to provide adequate support. It’s not solely your responsibility.”

Arloston has known Bandred for a long time. They have been acquaintances since before adulthood, back when they were still in the royal palace.

He knows well that Bandred has strived to be useful as a knight up to this day.

Moreover, when Bandred had just become the commander of the knights, he even negotiated with his family to help Arloston build his power base.

In this sense, Bandred is a special knight for Arloston.

“Tell me the details of the battle with my brother, Prince Vilgard.”

“Yes…”

Bandred honestly recounted the events of that time.

He spoke of how Vilgard’s army suddenly appeared from the east. Vilgard divided his forces and began the invasion, outmanoeuvring the 20,000 soldiers stationed there.

“He divided his forces for the invasion…? Such a risky move could lead to being defeated one by one…?”

“Yes. We had 20,000 troops concentrated to guard the eastern area, so it seems he aimed to defeat us individually…”

However, when they went out to intercept, the enemy had double the expected number. Moreover, as they engaged, another army moved to attack their flank.

While this was happening, another force occupied different towns and villages.

“In this way, a force of 5,000 was surrounded by four enemy armies and annihilated. I led the Silver Spear Knights out of the territory’s capital, aiming to join the remaining forces.”

“That was the correct decision. By positioning a large force in the right place, the enemy would need to gather enough strength to match it.”

“Yes. But I had to split the Silver Spear Knights, leading 15,000 from the capital, while 5,000 had to be sent west.”

“What…”

Bandred described the situation at that time. While Vilgard appeared in the east, the army of the Diltrack Territory in the west also began to march along the border with Kamurakku.

“That clearly indicates coordination with Prince Virgald’s forces.”

“Yes. In other words, at this point, the Lords’ Alliances…”

“Is entirely in the prince’s grasp.”

This confirmed it. Unbelievable as it was, Vilgard had indeed managed to consolidate the northern lands in a short period.

Whether he forced submission through military might or hurried negotiations, we do not know.

Bandred had no choice but to pay attention to the west as well, so despite having 15,000 troops, he was able to increase his marching speed.

He succeeded in securing critical points ahead of the enemy.

“But then we received a report. The southern fortress was occupied by a force of 20,000. And leading them was the next lord of the Linzent Territory, Ondyle.”

“Ah…”

This made it difficult for Arloston to send reinforcements, leaving his army isolated and under significant mental strain.

This limited their options. They could either hold out in the territory’s capital, hoping for reinforcements, abandon Kamurakku Territory and retreat to the empire, or find a way forward.

“Holding out in the capital could buy us years. However, we’d be cut off from outside information and Prince Vilgard might quickly consolidate his control, ignoring the capital.”

“In this case, strategically, the southern fortress is more critical than the capital…”

“Yes. Besieging in such a state would only increase anxiety among the troops. Prolonging it would lead to deserters.”

In hindsight, choosing to besiege might have preserved their forces. However, it’s not fair to question why they didn’t besiege without being in their position.

“Abandoning Kamurakku Territory was not an option. That land will play a crucial role in the future. Abandoning it would delay the unification of the north by years…”

“So, you chose to find a way forward…”

“Yes.”

Being on higher ground, they could observe Vilgard’s formation well. He deployed infantry along the river, focusing on crossing points.

“He was determined to prevent a river crossing, indicating how wary he was of the Silver Spear heavy cavalry.”

“Preventing a landing nullifies the cavalry’s breakthrough power. Knowing the Silver Spear Knights’ capabilities, it makes sense to take such measures.”

“Yes. So I chose to have the heavy cavalry cross the river at any cost and then scatter the enemy ranks, which were full of gaps.”

Since the enemy had deployed troops along the river, their formation was loose. Difficult as it was, victory was possible if the cavalry could land.

“But… it was a trap set by the prince.”

“What…?”

Bandred had the light infantry cross the river and with desperate determination, they established a bridgehead. Then the cavalry crossed, and as planned, scattered the enemy troops.

“I thought we could win. Capturing Prince Vilgard would decisively end the war.”

Bandred began defeating the infantry without waiting for all the cavalry to cross the river.

Then, with the cavalry assembled, they pursued the fleeing enemy soldiers while searching for Vilgard. However…

“There were numerous traps specifically targeting the cavalry. Further along the road, fences with wooden stakes were set up, making it difficult for horses to advance. When we halted, a barrage of arrows rained down from the left, right, and front.”

Arrows shot from a higher position gain significant force due to gravity.

Moreover, they used strong bows with high tension, and even heavy cavalry could be easily pierced in some places.

There were so many arrows that many horses were also taken down.

“It was a trap explicitly aimed at the cavalry…”

“Yes. They must have anticipated our desperate river crossing. We couldn’t afford to lose more of our precious Silver Spear heavy cavalry. With great reluctance, I decided to retreat. But then the enemy cavalry pursued us…”

The cavalry and infantry were driven back into the river, resulting in many more casualties.

Bandred called back the troops that were guarding against the Diltrack forces and quickly retreated to the empire from the south.

Fortunately, Ondyle focused on defending the fortress and did not pursue them aggressively.

“He probably avoided risking his own troops and let us pass quietly. As a result, a large force remains stationed at that fortress even now.”

“……………….”

Arloston pondered deeply on Vilgard’s movements and tactics from Bandred’s perspective.

Coordinating with the Diltrack Territory, Vilgard effectively prompted individual defeats, leading to efficient invasions.

Moreover, he managed to cover the south thoroughly, putting Bandred in a psychologically disadvantageous position.

Considering what happened after the river crossing, it seemed likely…

‘Did he set multiple traps, having read Bandred’s character to some extent…? Did Nii-san remember Bandred from the time in the royal palace? No… Bandred’s personality is different now. He must have predicted how Bandred would act during the battle…’

Bandred’s defeat was a significant blow to the Imperial Knights.

First, one of the elite knight orders was left in a devastated state. Second, Kamurakku Territory, which was supposed to be a critical area against the coalition of lords, was abandoned.

This led some lords and knights to fear Vilgard even more.

‘Now, within the knights, there will be those who become reluctant to confront Nii-san directly…’

More than anything, Arloston himself had already started to consider defensive strategies. He couldn’t afford to lose but felt the need to prepare meticulously.

If they were to march north without solid information, who knows what traps might be waiting unnoticed.

And if they lost their forces, they wouldn’t be able to recover.

‘We can’t attack immediately…! But we must rebuild the army swiftly! The empire has vast territories and a large population…! We will restore our forces quickly!’

Then, ten days later, the Lords Alliance effectively collapsed and Vilgard proclaimed the establishment of the new Northern Zeltreich Empire.