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Before the declaration of war by the Empire, time rewinds.

A secret meeting was taking place at the Dedorant Ministry of War.

“…If we proceed like this, we must surrender at least 20,000 troops to the Empire. Only then will they be lured in without a second thought.”

“Your Highness. This 20,000 figure is already a minimum estimate. If we consider adequate counterattacks to avoid suspicion and then feign a retreat, our losses will far exceed 30,000.”

Prince Georg Sistania nodded at the opinions of each commander and staff member.

30,000. Certainly not an insignificant loss. We must throw them in whole.

To say it won’t hurt would be a lie. It feels as if we are sacrificing our very flesh.

But there is no choice. This is the best strategy Dedorant can muster at the moment.

To draw the Imperial Legions in as deep as possible so we can strike them all at once—it’s the best course of action.

“Make sure to discreetly pull back the main forces near the border so the Empire doesn’t notice.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And move the elite stationed at Ross Tanika to the Imperial front lines without drawing attention. Under no circumstances must they find out. If we are discovered, it must be much later.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Dedorant had been engaged in numerous battles and wars for over a decade.

There were times of victory and moments of defeat.

With every encounter, they accumulated experience, not just the commanders, but the common soldiers as well.

When orders from the higher-ups were issued, the top elites quietly withdrew.

Their places were taken by troops from Atria and reserve forces.

These were decent fighting units in their own right, making it quite regrettable for Dedorant.

30,000 is not a small number, so it’s only natural to feel that way.

But for the sake of completely deceiving the Empire and achieving what they desired in one fell swoop, the Dedorant Command was willing to willingly tear off a hefty chunk of their own flesh.

They would soon claim this blood price back with interest.

“The Imperial Army is on the move! A grand army consisting of 11 legions!”

“The border has been breached! The forces from Atria and the reserves we had prepared are crumbling!”

“If info leaks, it could spell disaster. We mustn’t delay any longer.”

Amid the various reports flooding in, the Dedorant Command continued to wait and wait.

After all, Dedorant and Atria had merged, so using their troops wasn’t odd at all.

Although they were reserves, they had ample battle experience, so suspicions wouldn’t run high.

They needed to wait a little longer. Let them come in a little deeper. Just a little more, just a little more.

In the meantime, the Western Legion of the Empire began to accelerate, carving out a bulge.

Their pace was far quicker than the Eastern, Southern, or Northern Legions.

It seemed the Empire intended to use them as a spearhead to crash directly into the Royal Capital.

This was Dedorant’s land. Naturally, they were more familiar with it than the Empire.

This familiarity applied to the common soldiers, the military commanders, and even the scouts.

It was only natural that they could gather intelligence faster than the Empire.

“The Western Legion of the Empire has separated from the other legions.”

“It is presumed that the Imperial headquarters is advocating a more aggressive offensive. The speed of their attacks has significantly increased.”

The moment had finally come. The moment they had waited for had arrived.

Prince Georg Sistania of Dedorant personally issued commands to the entire army.

“I command the proud sons of Dedorant. At dawn, launch counterattacks across the frontlines.”

Elite forces, coiled up and waiting for that command, now surged forward like furious waves.

They grit their teeth, staring at the sacrifices of their allies intended for them.

It was only natural that, upon receiving the order, they would charge forth like a raging tide.

Meanwhile, the situation had turned quite favorably for Dedorant.

The entire Imperial Ministry of War and headquarters had set a clear goal amidst ongoing victories.

To obtain Dedorant’s surrender before the New Year’s ceremony and end this war in triumph.

In line with this, the Imperial 1st Army was also pushing their speed to the maximum.

Adding to this was the Western Legion, which bore a peculiar competitive spirit.

The Eastern and Southern legions had already been the main players in achieving great victories.

They had already enjoyed the utmost glory, so it was only natural that the Western legions felt slightly diminished.

Even the Northern Legion, despite their smaller size, had claimed victory against Nobogord.

The excitement among the Imperial command was palpable due to the continuous victories.

Their ambition was to ensure that the final war would be filled with their glory.

Dedorant’s bait now seemed even more tempting, enhanced by these emotions.

“Ignore those who have infiltrated. Cut off the Imperial bastards at the waist!”

“No matter how formidable the Imperial legions may appear, if isolated, they will not possess even half their usual strength.”

“They have undoubtedly staked their lives on this battle. We must break their spears and crush them, not merely hold them off!”

The Dedorant elite forces charged with frightful momentum between the advanced Western Legion and the flanking Eastern and Southern legions.

Having realized the situation, the flanks attempted to prevent the Western Legion from being encircled.

However, the massive siege net prepared with careful determination was by no means an easy thing to dismantle.

Even an Imperial legion would find it challenging to withstand that colossal military force.

Most importantly, the objective of this operation was to strike deep into the enemy’s heart.

Thus, instead of pushing the enemy from all fronts, they aimed to create a bulge and thrust their spear through it.

Under normal circumstances, they would have approached cautiously, but the calculated bait from Dedorant and the Empire’s two months of continuous victories had given them confidence.

“Chief of Staff! Urgent news from the front! Dedorant’s counterattack is here!”

“If it’s similar to before, we can deal with it just fine, right?”

“No! This is an entirely different level of offensive! The Eastern and Southern legions assigned to the flanks of the 1st Army have halted their advance. They’re struggling to even defend the area!”

The moment that news reached the headquarters, it was only natural for chills to run down their spines.

The Western Legion had already pushed far into Dedorant territory.

And in the face of such a situation, pulling back is far more difficult than advancing.

To boot, they found enemies at the front, as well as to the sides and rear, making it even more challenging.

“Contact the Northern Legion! We need to assist the Eastern, no, the Southern Legion to push back the enemies! Deploy the Magical Corps as well! If we lose the retreat route, the Western Legion will be isolated without supplies!”

“Chief of Staff! The Northern Legion has also been met with Dedorant’s counterattack! They’re lacking reinforcements too!”

“What do you mean by that! Did they gather all the elites here? Didn’t we have at least 20,000 elite troops from Ross Tanika?”

Soon, a sketch of this unbelievable scenario began to emerge.

The intel painstakingly gathered by the Imperial Ministry and the reports soon to come from Ross Tanika.

In summary, Dedorant had planned this from the very beginning. No, even before the war started.

After the war commenced, they tossed 30,000 troops to lure the Empire into complacency.

They made the Empire feel secure enough to come joyfully rushing in.

Yet this was undeniably Dedorant’s territory. A terrain they were naturally more familiar with than the Empire.

As the distance grew, gaps in information available to the Imperial Ministry began to widen.

Even Ross Tanika couldn’t quickly relay news, causing even greater disparities.

Taking advantage of this, forces hidden everywhere now surged forth from Dedorant.

Like wolves, crouched down and waiting in the underbrush for their prey to wander too far.

As if buoyed by excitement, they spotted straggling prey and charged forth, baring their teeth.

“We’ve spotted the Dedorant magical unit!”

“Where are they!”

“According to reports, they’re on the flank of the advancing Western Legion!”

“Damn it! It’s so obvious they’re trying to encircle us!”

Even full cavalry units couldn’t easily retreat on command.

Let alone the majority infantry of the Imperial legions that found it nearly impossible to pull back.

The Empire did mobilize Magical Corps to provide fire support, however.

Yet in this operation, where speed was essential, relying on the spearhead role of the Western Legion was extremely burdensome.

Eventually, they could only take some sorcerers along, which soon became a critical problem.

Magic can only be countered with magic. And in cases of similar magic, having more numbers is advantageous.

In other words, in a situation like this, the Empire found itself in a brutal disadvantage.

“We must retreat before we lose control of the pathways we’ve entered!”

“We’ll send out the 9th and 14th legions and pull back the 1st and 5th! We cannot let anyone get trapped in the encirclement!”

Dedorant’s entire army was madly attacking to close the encirclement.

The Imperial Eastern and Southern legions were battling to keep their troops from getting caught.

And the Western Legion, which had made its way deep into enemy territory and now faced the risk of being cut off in their retreat.

In this precarious situation, it was Dedorant that first drove the nail in.

“Follow me! Sweep away every last one of those arrogant Imperial puppets!!”

Prince Georg Sistania appeared directly on the battlefield, flanked by his elite Dedorant Guards.

They struck hard from the North, finally managing to close the encirclement.

“Chief of Staff! Urgent news from the front! We can no longer maintain our positions! The losses are devastating!”

“It can’t be…! The Western Legion hasn’t even retreated properly yet!!”

“At this rate, even the Eastern Legion will be in danger!”

In the end, the Imperial command had no choice but to issue a retreat order across the entire front, with heavy hearts.

Unlike the relatively secure Eastern and Southern legions, the Western Legion was not so fortunate.

Especially the two legions destined to remain in the encirclement—their fates were already sealed.

*

A week later, news trickled in from the very few who had narrowly escaped the encirclement.

[ The Imperial Western 9th and 14th legions. Annihilated. ]

 

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