Chapter 235
Chapter 235: We Must Strike First. (2)
Zvalter stared blankly for a moment before asking, “You want us to strike first?”
“Yes. We can’t just keep being on the receiving end, can we?”
“I understand your feelings. We feel the same way. But realistically, it’s impossible. The land is vast, and there are too many tribes. It’s not something we can handle with our current strength.”
“So you’re saying we should just wait again?”
“That’s the best we can do. The six tribes that were nearby have already disappeared. Without them, the situation will greatly improve.”
Zvalter meant well, but Ghislaine had no intention of waiting.
Nearby tribes have disappeared? So what? In time, other ones will just come in and start terrorizing this place again.
They couldn’t just let it go. It was time to stabilize the rear properly.
“I’m not saying we have to eradicate them completely. There are just too many of them scattered around. We don’t have the resources to capture all of them. Instead, I intend to give them a good scare so they can’t poke their noses around here for a while.”
“Is that really necessary? If we’re not careful, the barbarians could unite against us again, and that would put us in danger.”
Taking out small tribes one by one wouldn’t be difficult. But if the barbarians formed an alliance like this time, it would lead to serious trouble.
For a depleted Perdium, avoiding the risk of a massive gathering of barbarians was the right choice.
Zvalter’s worried tone tried to persuade him, but Ghislaine shook his head.
“The food shortage has worsened for the barbarians as well. There’s no guarantee that if we sit idle, they will, too. Ultimately, if we leave it like this, some of them will unite and attack again.”
“Hmm…”
Zvalter struggled to find a counterargument and could only murmur in reluctance.
The barbarians would certainly try to raid in small groups just to survive.
If that continued to be blocked, they might regroup and come at them en masse once more.
The fortress wouldn’t fall. The real problem was, if the front line was breached like this, the barbarians would run rampant within the kingdom.
The other territories affected would undoubtedly blame Perdium for it.
sigh “I always end up with the same concerns.”
It was simply too difficult to be responsible for everything in one territory, especially for a poor one like Perdium.
It would be great if the kingdom helped out, but they were all too busy with their own power struggles.
“Ugh…”
Zvalter fell deep into thought.
The strategy of Perdium throughout history had always been the same: block the chokepoints and defend.
It wasn’t because it was the most efficient way, but because there was no capacity to go out and take action in the first place.
But with his son suddenly suggesting the offensive, he couldn’t help but feel troubled.
‘Ghislaine has a point. But is it really okay to go out and fight?’
He had never attempted it before, so anxiety crept in first. It didn’t suit Zvalter’s personality, which sought stability and maintenance.
Seeing Zvalter hesitate, Ghislaine stated his own creed.
“As a knight, you must know this well. Which side has the advantage in a fight: the one that strikes first or the one that takes the hit?”
“That’s… well, striking first does hold an advantage.”
Zvalter didn’t use crude sayings like “first blow wins” like Claude would. He was a noble of distinction from the North.
But Ghislaine tossed out the notion of decorum and spoke plainly.
“Yet we’ve always been on the receiving end. Thanks to that, we’ve continued to grow poorer.”
At Ghislaine’s words, Zvalter flared up. How dare he say they’ve always taken it lying down!
“Hey! Didn’t we counterattack and eventually fend them off? Sure, we may have slipped up from time to time like now because of some sneaky ones, but… as you know, we couldn’t maintain a long front line…”
Ghislaine wasn’t interested in such excuses. The important part was they always ended up being the ones who got hit first.
“I understand the reasons. I understand it perfectly. However, because we don’t seek revenge, they keep prodding at us. I can’t just sit and watch anymore. Now, it’s time to strike back.”
“……”
Zvalter pondered. Who did this temperament resemble?
‘It must be like my mother. It’s definitely not my personality. I’m not that fierce.’
Before Zvalter could respond, Claude, the other safety-first thinker, jumped in.
“I’m against it.”
“Why’s that?”
“Ah, we just got horses, right? Why stir up more trouble on purpose? Don’t you think we have enough excitement in our ordinary lives? We’re already living dynamically!”
“So you want us to just let it be?”
“We could establish a big village near the fortress and gather people there. In the past, we couldn’t do that because we didn’t have enough food to sustain them, but now that there’s plenty, it’s possible.”
Zvalter understood Ghislaine’s argument, but also shared Claude’s view that there was no need to pick fights.
With the nearby barbarians gone, there wouldn’t be any tribes attacking for a while. Even if another tribe did combine forces, they’d have ample time to prepare before they arrived.
If they could solve the problem without fighting, why fight at all?
Randolf, who was listening at the side, spoke up.
“That sounds better. There’s no guarantee the barbarians will unite again, and even if they do, fighting among themselves will give us ample time to set up a new village.”
Other retainers of Perdium nodded in agreement. They weren’t avoiding combat, but they had no intention of initiating conflict.
The sense of fatigue they felt from their battles with the barbarians had been monumental.
Ghislaine surveyed everyone, stroking his chin.
“Hmm…”
Seeing him in deep thought, Claude seized the opportunity to press forward again.
“What do you think? Isn’t my idea good? We’ve got over two thousand horses, and we can protect our people safely! It won’t be perfect, but it’ll be way better than now.”
‘I don’t want to get involved in another war…’
Hiding his true feelings, Claude timidly asked, “…Why not?”
“We need to make sure they think twice about coming back here. Since we’re already this far, don’t you think we should at least do that? And two thousand horses just won’t cut it.”
Ghislaine was not planning to settle for just this much. If he thought that was all, he wouldn’t have come this far in the first place.
‘I need to obtain as much as possible in three months.’
Once the civil war from Baron Valua began, Amelia wouldn’t be able to pay attention to this place for a while, but she couldn’t be absent for too long either.
He didn’t know what Harold and the Duke’s faction might plot.
Even though he had caused significant damage in return for the assassination attempts, Desmond, as the owner of the Great Territory, would recover quickly. Dragging it out for more than three months would bring no benefits.
‘To focus on the coming civil war, I can’t just leave this place unattended. I need to establish order firmly before I go. They must tremble just at hearing our name.’
Stabilizing the rear would allow Perdium’s army to move freely when needed. They couldn’t let the barbarians swarm in to exploit the gap in their forces.
In Ghislaine’s resolute response, Zvalter asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.
“Even if I oppose it, you’re still going, aren’t you?”
“Of course, but if you help, everything will go much smoother. We’ll really need the cavalry and the knights of Perdium.”
The knights of Penris, after all, would be inherently weaker in equestrian skills compared to the barbarians. However, the knights and cavalry of Perdium were no less formidable on horseback.
Everyone had not only defended this place but also engaged in pursuit against the barbarians.
Heaving a deep sigh, Zvalter strengthened his resolve and said, “Fine, this time we’ll strike first.”
He knew his son wouldn’t listen to any objections anyway. It was better to raise the odds of success a little.
The news brought joy to Perdium’s knights and soldiers.
“Finally, we’re going to crush those guys!”
“Ha ha ha! It’s about time! I was sick of just blocking and running from them!”
“We’ll give them a proper beating this time!”
Everyone was excited, practically bouncing around.
To save the limited troops they had, Perdium had never made a preemptive strike before.
Without complete annihilation, a few victories wouldn’t make a significant difference.
But now, Ghislaine had brought along a full contingent of 400 knights. With that many, they could wipe out a few small tribes completely.
He was itching to ask for help to eliminate the barbarians but since Ghislaine was leading the charge, he couldn’t help but be pleased.
“With the Grand Duke, nothing will be difficult!”
“After all, he’s the one who created that insane Mana Circulation Method!”
“Let’s do our best this time!”
They all knew how much Ghislaine had contributed in the battles at Perdium. His achievements had proven that luck wasn’t the cause when they captured Cabaldy.
Moreover, he had showcased tremendous skill in this upcoming battle. There was no longer any doubt about Ghislaine’s prowess in warfare.
The skills of the knights of Penris were also assuredly evident. They had clearly mastered that annoying Mana Circulation Method.
With numbers on their side, charging together should easily overwhelm most foes.
The alliance forces of Penris and Perdium hastily prepared for departure. There wasn’t much to prepare. They could move using the fortress as a staging ground.
As Zvalter donned his armor and stepped forward majestically, Ghislaine said, “I will lead the troops and be back.”
“What? Why not me? I’m all ready!”
“Someone has to keep watch here, right? Don’t you think? Other tribes might move, too.”
“Ugh…”
Zvalter glared at Ghislaine. He tried to play it cool, but it was evident he was just making excuses to take command. He felt a bit left out.
‘If only I had a wife, we could wait here together all lovey-dovey.’
“Ah, whatever. You do what you want. When have you ever listened to me anyways?”
Zvalter reluctantly allowed it. Just in case, someone needed to stay back at the fortress.
Ghislaine was now the overall commander. He held a rank above Randolf, the knight commander of Perdium, as he was the heir of the family.
As soon as Ghislaine mounted his horse, he raised his hand and shouted, “Let’s move out! Follow closely behind me!”
The 400 knights of Penris and 20 knights from Perdium, along with 200 cavalry, headed swiftly toward the nearest barbarian tribe’s base.
Barbarians would move their base whenever the season changed or circumstances shifted. So they needed to strike quickly from the spots they had accurately identified.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
With over 600 horses galloping all at once, the ground shook, and clouds of dust billowed into the air.
At that moment, the target of their charge, the barbarians, were enjoying a peaceful afternoon.
“Ah! I want to go raiding!”
“I heard some other guys teamed up to hit the idiots just recently!”
“Shouldn’t we have joined them?”
“Hee hee, like they’d let us in. They don’t get along with us! They’ll probably keep the loot for themselves.”
“But we’re low on supplies here. Let’s either rob someone else or look for a different route into Ruthania.”
While they were chitchatting like this, the tribe’s great warrior shouted loudly.
“It’s time to hunt! Everyone gather!”
These barbarians didn’t solely live off of raiding. They also roamed the nearby mountains and forests, hunting monsters and beasts.
However, with limited prey, when encountering other tribes, fights were inevitable.
Only great tribes could afford a bit more freedom in such matters.
Smaller tribes would sneakily risk their lives to hunt within the Forest of Monsters, avoiding the eyes of the great tribe warriors.
The Forest of Monsters had spread wide, reaching even into the northern lands beyond Perdium, making it easier to hunt as long as they didn’t get caught while entering.
“Uh? What’s that?”
“What kind of guys are those coming over?”
“Enemy! Get ready for battle!”
The barbarians, who were preparing to go hunt, were taken by surprise when they spotted a troop charging toward them.
They thought another tribe was attacking, but that wasn’t the case. Everyone was clad in shining armor and wielding spears.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
Confirming the approaching figures that shook the ground, a surprised barbarian warrior shouted, “Th-th-the knights! Why are they here? Why did they suddenly come to this place?”
The tribe that had never before approached them now charged forward with a terrifying momentum.
Facing something they had never experienced before, they panicked and scattered in confusion. They had never pondered how to defend themselves against opponents who hadn’t once set foot in their territory.
Seeing the barbarians scatter messily without even preparing for battle, Ghislaine wore a cruel smile.
He decided he wouldn’t be treated as a fool any longer. No, that resolution had been made long ago.
He had simply been holding back due to time constraints.
Now was the time to reclaim the price for all the suffering they had inflicted upon them.
Ghislaine raised his spear and shouted, “Wipe them out!”
