by Hyougetsu
Of course, a force of 6,000 could still do decent damage to an army of 20,000 if I caught them while they were marching. But if they’d instead set up an ambush, my army would be annihilated. And according to the report I’d gotten from my werewolves, Prince Woroy’s army was marching suspiciously slowly. It seemed to me that they were actively trying to lure us into attacking them. Granted, it was possible the army was just marching slowly because Prince Woroy knew setting a fast march would cause more men to desert. Still, the situation seemed too perfect. I was certain it was a trap.
“Where’s Prince Woroy’s main force located?”
“We spotted his flag and a group that looks like his honor guard at the rear of the cavalry line.”
In other words, he was serving as the rearguard. There was no proof he was there with his honor guard, but it definitely looked like he was trying to make his army as appealing to attack as possible. Yeah, this is definitely a trap. But when he was offering such a juicy target, I felt compelled to attack him even knowing it was a trap. Especially since if I let him escape here, Eleora’s job would get that much harder. My only option was to harass his forces as much as possible.
“Let’s do this, Veight!”
“We can take out Woroy right now, boss!”
My werewolves were overflowing with bloodlust, but I still wasn’t sure.
“Calm down,” I said. “The only reason we won last time was because the enemy didn’t have an accurate grasp of our strength. And because we utilized our Blast Canes to their full potential.”
If I sent the mage corps to chase Prince Woroy now, they’d be fighting out in the open. Having ranged light infantry fight an army without any protection at all was tantamount to suicide. Fahn calmed the excited werewolves down, then turned to me.
“But Veight, if we let him go here Eleora’ll be in trouble, right? You are getting ready to send everyone out, right?”
“I am, but...”
I looked down at the letter in my hands. It had been brought by one of Eleora’s spies. If she managed to pull off what she was suggesting in her letter, we could probably crush Prince Woroy’s army. But if she didn’t, we’d be defeated. Still, a defeat here wouldn’t cost me too many men. And so long as my mage corps survived, I’d still be able to hold the ice castle. Alright. I’m still a little scared, but let’s do this. I got to my feet and turned to my werewolves.
“Everyone! Are you willing to trust me with your lives?”
They all grinned at me.
“Course we are!”
“You’re the leader of our pack. Your word is law.”
“We’re all gonna die eventually. So we may as well die fighting.”
If nothing else, they were true to themselves. I made up my mind. And so I said, “Alright, we’re gonna chase after the army. It’s time to bag ourselves a prince’s head!”
“Yeaaaaah!”
We were up against a massive army this time, so if things went south, there’d be casualties among my werewolf unit. All I could do was pray everything worked out.
I left the castle at the head of my cavalry unit. There were only 200 of them, so the cavalry alone wouldn’t be enough to do any significant damage to Prince Woroy’s army. Furthermore, the 5,000 spearmen trailing behind the cavalry were all traveling as light as possible. They weren’t carrying any rations or spare clothing. Normally, it’d be impossible to chase an army on such little equipment.
“Spearmen, bring only your shields and spears with you. If you can’t keep up, ditch your armor and your swords.”
“Are you kidding me!?”
“If you have to in order to keep up, drop your spears and shields as well!”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
Prince Woroy’s army was currently marching north along the highway. Since the highway was hemmed in by forest on one side and mountains on the other, they’d been forced to narrow and stretch out their marching line. If we struck their rear, less than 10,000 of the 20,000-strong army would even be able to join the fight. The rest wouldn’t be able to deploy because of the constricted terrain. However, Prince Woroy had put all of his cavalry—his most mobile forces—in the rear. He was prepared to wheel about for a counterattack at any time.
As expected, Prince Woroy’s army was ready for us. The moment they spotted my pursuit unit, they changed formation. The spearmen did an about-face and formed a wall while the cavalry spread out to the wings. Prince Woroy was using the same formation he had at Nodgrad. This was probably his favorite battle strategy. Aside from the fact that he had no archers, his formation was solid. And while I couldn’t get an accurate count, it looked like he’d assigned around...5,000 men to intercept us. Wait, that’s not that many...
“Lord Veight, enemies up ahead!”
“I saw. Cavalry squad, prepare to charge!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Pretend like you’re going to crash into their lines, but pull back at the last moment!”
“Yes, sir!”
Perfect, my cavalry knows how to follow unexpected orders. We charged the enemy, who was sandwiched between mountains and a forest. A few stray bolts shot towards us, but as far as I could tell, there was no organized archer squad, just a few knights who happened to possess crossbows. The arrows were few and far in between, as well as wildly inaccurate.
We got close enough to brush against the enemy’s spears—okay, perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration—then wheeled around and started retreating. As expected, the cavalry on both wings charged after us. These were Prince Woroy’s best men. At a glance, there looked to be around a few hundred of them. Definitely more cavalry than I possessed. Their spearmen followed up as well, running after the cavalry. Me and my men galloped back as fast as we could, joining up with our own spearmen. As I passed the spearmen I yelled, “Everyone, run into the forest as fast as you can! Drop your weapons if you have to!”
My men reacted instantly, breaking formation and dashing for the trees. Some of them took my advice and dumped their weapons. Because of how light they were traveling, they were able to run pretty fast. As a result, everyone was safely within the forest well before the enemy cavalry reached us. Even when they were inside the forest, my spearmen didn’t stop running. They were headed straight for my ice castle. Now then, time for me to do my job. I leapt off my horse and lay down in the chilly snow. It was surprisingly comfortable. A few of the other men who I’d been riding with dismounted and crouched down around me. They were all members of my werewolf squad. Still lying down, I smiled at them.
“You guys worried?”
The werewolves shouldered their custom Blast Canes and grinned back at me.
“Yeah, I’m worried you’ll kill all of them before we get a chance to have our fun.”
“Hahahaha.”
I glanced back and saw that the enemy cavalry had stopped in front of the forest’s entrance. While the mage corps struggled in open fields, cavalry had trouble navigating tight spaces like woods. Horses needed space to accelerate to the speed of a devastating charge, and forests were too dense for that. Naturally, Prince Woroy’s elites were aware of that, and they were being appropriately cautious. But when the enemy spotted me lying on the ground they forgot their caution and dashed into the forest. From their perspective, it seemed like the enemy commander had fallen off his horse and was protected by only a scant honor guard. Of course they knew it was likely a trap, but just like me, they couldn’t resist bait this juicy. Without getting up, I pulled out a dog whistle. Come to think of it, I’ve had this thing ever since we conquered Ryunheit. I brought the familiar whistle to my lips and blew.
“Buddha have mercy on your soul.”
“What’s a boo-da?”
One of the werewolves cocked his head. Before I could reply, a shriek cut through the woods. A second later the horses whinnied in fear and soldiers screamed as flashes of light whistled through the air.
“Waaaaaaah!?”
“Enemies! We’r
e under attack!”
“But where are they!?”
“Dunno, just run!”
Sorry, but it’s too late. I got to my feet and ordered, “Alright guys, let’s go! Kill them all!”
“WOOHOOOO!”
A dense forest was the perfect hunting ground for werewolves. My men used the trees, the undergrowth, and even the snow as cover as they jumped on the cavalry from all directions. Unlike foot soldiers, knights on horseback couldn’t maneuver in tight spaces. They were trapped in a forest full of werewolves out for their blood.
By the time those in the rear of the line realized something strange was happening up front, it was too late. Before they could even turn to flee, my werewolves sent their heads flying. Whenever they found it too difficult to approach an enemy, they’d cancel their transformation and shoot them down with their Blast Rifles. They stuck to the treetops when sniping, knowing that the knights’ lances were suited for frontal attacks, and couldn’t be swung vertically like a sword.
My job was to take care of the wounded, so I moved to the rear and watched as my werewolves went wild. Unlike them, I didn’t particularly enjoy fighting, so this role suited me just fine. Anyone who got hurt came to me and was healed in seconds, so our side didn’t have to worry about casualties. Before long the sounds of fighting subsided, and the thick stench of blood filled the woods.
“We did it,” the older Garney brother said as he walked up to me, wiping blood off his crimson fur. “Those guys were nothing. I’m pretty sure we slaughtered every knight that came into the forest.”
“Perfect, how did everyone’s squads fare? I need to know if anyone got hurt.”
I imagined if anyone had been hurt, their squad members would have brought them to me immediately, so I assumed everyone was fine. Ambushing humans in a forest was our specialty, so if anyone had messed up here they didn’t deserve to call themselves a werewolf. Only 100 or so cavalry had entered the forest, the rest were waiting outside. Actually, I couldn’t see them from here, so it was possible they’d even retreated. The enemy’s spearmen weren’t advancing into the forest either. I’d been hoping to lure everyone into the forest and toward the castle so I could have my mage corps wipe them all out, but it looked like the enemy wasn’t that stupid.
Considering how few men Prince Woroy sent after us, it was likely he was prioritizing returning to Prince Ivan over exterminating us. He made it look like he was trying to lure us into an obvious trap, when in reality there had been no trap and he was trying to march away as fast as possible. We might have won the battle itself, but this had been a strategic victory for Prince Woroy. He’d managed to buy himself time. Master of psychological warfare that he was, he’d already taken into account that I was a coward and would be too afraid of a trap to commit my entire forces against him. Sorry I’m such a coward. But unfortunately, the only way I knew how to fight was picking battles in such a way as to avoid allied casualties.
“So what now, boss? You’ve got another amazing plan, right?” Jerrick walked up to me, cradling his Blast Rifle.
“I wish I did. We don’t have the troops to keep chasing the prince.”
“Oh, come on.”
“They outnumber us three to one, and they’re cautious. If we chase them too far we’ll get annihilated. You guys cancel your transformations and rest.”
“Seriously?”
Jerrick, who was always so composed, was looking at me like I was crazy. Of course, I had no intention of just letting Prince Woroy leave. After all, this was the perfect opportunity to bring him down.
“Send messengers to the fort. Tell all the crossbowmen and mage corps still waiting inside to sortie. Make sure they don’t forget their white cloths!”
“Yes, sir!”
“I want half of the spearmen to go back and defend the castle. The other half’ll stick with me. Cavalry, go to the shore of Creech Lake and stand by.”
I really hope this plan works.
* * * *
—Prince Woroy’s Resolve—
I continued marching north with my Imperial Guard while waiting for the unit I’d sent to pursue Lord Veight to return. There was little meaning in fighting a pitched battle here. As long as my cavalry scared Lord Veight’s forces a little, that was enough for me. I just hoped they’d return soon. One of my knights raised his visor and gave me a worried look.
“Those mage corps are devastating. My unit will remain here in case the enemy continues their pursuit.”
I smiled and shook my head.
“No need. Those mages aren’t as all-powerful as they seem. Soldiers good at defending tend to be weak at attacking. Troops who specialize in holding castles are bad at pursuing enemies.”
Mage corps were only good at ambushes and castle defense. I’d had a feeling that was the case from the start, but I hadn’t been sure until I fought them.
“Thanks to our previous assault, I know that a good chunk of Lord Veight’s army is comprised of mage corps.”
Considering how many shots they’d fired into my troops, Lord Veight must have kept most of them when Eleora left. But that meant he had proportionally fewer troops who weren’t mage corps.
“Plus, the troops pursuing us haven’t fired any shots of light. Meaning all of the mage corps are holding the castle. Lord Veight has only brought a few troops to pursue us. I doubt he’ll chase us any further.”
As expected, he’d been cautious in engaging us. Despite how flashy his actions seemed, he was a cautious man. Almost like a wolf. As I was thinking that, another one of my knights argued back, “But, Your Highness, you are still this army’s commander. Please at least go to the front. Allow us to take over the duty of guarding the rear.”
“Nah. When you guys aren’t by my side it feels like I’m flailing about the battlefield naked. I can hardly shed my armor in order to speed up my march. We will advance together.”
“Your Highness...”
Stop looking so sad over every little thing I say! This is a battlefield. I turned to one of my messengers and ordered, “Have the vanguard speed up. There’s no need to be vigilant anymore. We won’t be attacked again. Speed is our main priority now. I want to reach Bolshevik land before the sun sets.”
Lord Bolshevik was my cousin, and it was his younger brother who was currently leading the vanguard of my army. No matter what village we stopped in, I was certain he’d provide us with food and shelter.
Just then, a horseman galloped toward me from the north. It was Jovtzia, one of my generals. He also happened to be a cousin on my mother’s side, and the younger brother of Lord Bolshevik, the commander of my vanguard.
“Woroy! Woroy! We’re in trouble!”
“What’s wrong!? Why did you come here!? Where’re your spearmen!?”
Panting, Jovtzia brought his horse level with mine and said, “It’s my brother! Lord Bolshevik has betrayed us! Or rather, he’s surrendered to Eleora!”
“He what!?”
You have to be kidding me! Lord Bolshevik was kin! My mother was a Bolshevik! I’d been sure that he wouldn’t betray us, but it seemed that he had. But now that I thought about it, I realized that even if we tried to sugarcoat it, we were rebels. We had no just cause for this war. And if justice wasn’t on our side, the only way we could keep our allies loyal was to keep winning and prove that we were stronger. Otherwise, our supporters would begin deserting us. The moment I’d failed to conquer Crimson Snow Keep, my brother’s cause had been doomed. This was all my fault. Jovtzia dismounted and prostrated himself before me.
“I’m deeply sorry! My brother likely surrendered because he was worried Eleora would kill him! He’s already ordered the six thousand spearmen under my command back to his castle!”
This isn’t good. Not good at all.
“Raise your head, Jovtzia. Those troops are Lord Bolshevik’s men. Their retreat isn’t your responsibility. But even if he’s surrendered, Lord Bolshevik will at least let us pass through his lands unmolested, right?”
I was able to guess my cousin’s answer the moment I saw his expression. We wouldn’t be able to return north. The only path to Doneiks territory was this highway that cut through Bolshevik land. It was, in fact, the Bolshevik family who guarded this road. Since Lord Bolshevik had surrendered to Eleora, our path north was cut off.
“I know this is unforgivable! Please, cut my head off! My brother needs to be shown what his folly has wrought!”
“Calm down, Jovtzia. That’ll just have the opposite effect.”
I was glad Jovtzia had a strong sense of responsibility, but I really didn’t want to kill my own cousin. It’d leave a bad taste in my mouth.
“Lord Bolshevik isn’t to blame, either. He was only doing what he needed to protect his family’s honor. You should also return home, as per his orders. As a noble, it’s your duty to put your people and your family’s safety above everything else.”
Jovtzia looked up at me.
“You...have a point, but then what will you do?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Protect my own family’s honor.”
I forced myself to smile. Now then, how do I get out of this one? Since I just lost 6,000 spearmen, I only had 14,000 troops left. I could no longer count on resupplying in Bolshevik land, and there was no guarantee my former ally wouldn’t attack me. My troops would slowly become more and more exhausted if I continued marching.
What was left of my army was in no shape to fight the Eleora-Ashley joint army. My unbalanced army, bereft of spearmen, wouldn’t stand a chance against that tomboy Eleora. In the past, I thought she’d been as cute as an angel, but now she’d transformed into an angel of war. Furthermore, if I tried to force myself through Bolshevik lands, Lord Bolshevik might be driven to openly lend his support to Eleora and give her his troops. In fact, the timing of his surrender was far too convenient to be a coincidence. Chances were he’d been negotiating with Eleora for a while. He’d chosen now to openly declare his betrayal because now was when he could safely recall his troops. And if he’d planned that far ahead, there was no doubt Lord Bolshevik had set a trap for me if I continued advancing. Continuing north was no longer an option. I would almost certainly die if I did. However, I couldn’t turn around and invade the capital either. Even if they were all amateurs, the capital now had 70,000 men defending it. My only option was to recall my troops and retreat to Creech Castle. I’d left a garrison of 5,000 men there, as well as all of my wounded. I couldn’t just abandon them.