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The Dedorant 5th Legion was not stationed in their home country.

They were currently residing in Benito, posing as its protectors.

A foreign army acting as a protector? It sounds a bit odd, but it is true.

Benito had become a shell of its former self, its main force scattered and crippled, practically indistinguishable from the other Southern Kingdoms.

How could Benito fight against the Holy Kingdom? How could they momentarily rally the Southern Kingdoms to move together? All of it was due to their overwhelming scale of power.

But that power had now vanished.

All that remained was the bare minimum of national defense to protect their homeland.

Any means to showcase their might had crumbled away.

Given such circumstances, leaving Benito alone would only lead to predictable consequences.

Immediately, the Southern Kingdoms, which had been held down by their might, and the Holy Kingdom would show their fangs.

In front of them, Benito could no longer showcase its previous grandeur.

“Damn those guys. They made it look like they had dominated the South and formed an alliance.”

From Dedorant’s perspective, they hoped for fewer battlefronts to manage.

If Benito could shift its focus southward, it would certainly make things easier.

That was the reason Prince Georg Sistania solidified an alliance with them.

However, the bizarre confidence that King Andrea II of Benito gained led to trouble.

If he had simply stayed quiet, Dedorant would have taken care of things just fine.

Foolishly, he entertained odd thoughts and suddenly declared war against the Empire.

Even more absurd was that, after all that, he got completely wrecked.

The skilled soldiers they had sent to gain experience with Dedorant were mostly gone.

While some remained, it wasn’t enough to change the course of events.

“Thanks to that, our 5th Legion is stuck here in Benito. A force of 20,000 is practically trapped in this place.”

When Dedorant’s commanders receive orders, they carry them out faithfully, no matter how tough or grueling the task may be.

But being stationed in such a remote corner of the South like this is quite bothersome.

Moreover, just not too long ago, Dedorant’s main force had delivered a heavy blow to the Empire.

If the 5th Legion, with its wealth of combat experience, had been there, they surely would have achieved even greater feats.

It’s hardly a suitable deployment for a force to be stationed merely to defend Benito.

It was a problem that their troops were stuck here, and it was also a problem that they couldn’t put them to use.

From every angle, it felt like an absolute mess.

And so, day by day, waiting for Prince Georg’s order to withdraw.

“Commander! We have enemy troops! A group of soldiers is advancing toward Benito!”

“Troops, you say?”

“From the flags displayed, they seem to be from the Southern Kingdoms!”

In that instant, surprise graced the eyes of the Dedorant 5th Legion commander.

Even if Benito had lost its main force, its national defense hadn’t crumbled.

There were still some elite troops left, and they had even called up a new force.

Most importantly, they had themselves—the Dedorant 5th Legion stationed here.

Outwardly, they shouted, “We are not a combat force. We are just stationed here,” but they could engage in battle at any moment if needed.

Yet suddenly, the Southern Kingdoms, which had been quaking in fear of Benito, launched an attack?

There was something going on. If I can’t figure this out, I shouldn’t even be wearing the rank of commander.

“Immediately dispatch all reconnaissance units to the area. It’s definitely not the Southern Kingdom army striking in full force.”

“Understood.”

Soon after, the commander realized that this boredom was merely a short-lived peace.

He discovered that the Empire’s Southern 4th Legion was approaching this place.

“These guys are targeting Benito instead of our Dedorant?”

Quickly reasoning, the commander came to understand the situation.

The reason Dedorant was assisting Benito was to create at least a few friends.

It was a sort of recruitment to carry this heavy log together.

However, that friend had foolishly broken both arms trying to lift it alone.

And the Empire intended to place another log on top of that one.

“Commander, what shall we do? Headquarters said it’s fine to retreat if the situation becomes unfavorable.”

“No. It’s the opposite. Even if the situation is unfavorable, we must not withdraw from here.”

“What?”

“If we pull back, Benito will collapse, and our Dedorant will have to contend with the Empire in the south as well. The front lines will be stretched too thin.”

The aides furrowed their brows, puzzled.

Isn’t the front line stretched as it is? They’re already here.

The commander clicked his tongue and pointed at the map with his finger.

“The difference between having Benito and not having it is significant. If Benito falls, the Empire and the South can run rampant through our Dedorant’s southern territories. But if Benito survives, things are different.”

“So, they will surely grit their teeth and resist in order to survive.”

“Exactly. We cannot give up this area. Otherwise, the burden on Your Highness the Prince will only increase.”

Fortunately, the enemy troops were nothing more than rotten sticks—merely the Southern Kingdom’s army.

Then, the Empire’s 4th Legion was significantly outnumbered compared to them.

At present, Dedorant had 20,000 troops, and Benito had managed to recover up to 30,000.

While the attackers exceeded 30,000, the defenders surpassed 50,000.

In every respect, the odds favored the allies.

Even just sitting and defending would reduce Dedorant’s burden.

“Inform headquarters. There is no need for support in the Benito area just yet. Rather, our 5th Legion could send about 10,000 back home.”

He was confident. He had firm assurance that they could adequately protect Benito.

But just a few days later, the commander found himself forced to revise that report.

“What nonsense is this? Why has the enemy force suddenly increased to 50,000!!”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the official reconnaissance report! This 50,000 doesn’t even include the existing Empire 4th Legion and Southern Kingdom forces!”

“So how is that even possible? Why are 50,000 troops not in our Dedorant but here, here in the south!!”

What on earth is going on? Why are they sending 50,000 troops here?

No, wait. That aside, how could they mobilize 50,000 people all of a sudden?

Even if it were the Empire, a huge nation with enormous human and material resources.

An army is not just about filling numbers by conscription.

If they did that, they’d be shattered by even a single minor defeat in skirmishes.

It’s basic common sense. The Empire’s high-ups couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.

Even if they somehow managed to gather some trained troops to fight adequately.

Wouldn’t that force logically be sent to cover the vacancies of the more vulnerable Western Legion?

Why choose to target Dedorant instead of here, in Benito?

“Quickly revise the report and send it up again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Expect a large-scale offensive from the Empire toward Benito. Our 5th Legion may not suffice. We need to prepare another unit to cover the southern front, just in case.”

“I’m not sure our home country has that kind of capacity.”

“If Benito is breached, we have to do it. Hurry!”

With a salute, the aide hurried off to deliver the news to headquarters.

Watching his retreating form, the commander of Dedorant’s 5th Legion rubbed his forehead.

What in the world is happening?

Why is the Empire focusing all its power not on its home country, but on Benito?

If those 50,000 aren’t just untrained recruits but veterans or at least have undergone basic training.

They could team up with the already-arrived 4th Legion and severely press Benito.

The 5th Legion might not be enough. It’s possible they would have to call for support.

Whether headquarters would send troops was uncertain, but it needed to be mentioned.

Thus, headquarters would have some inkling of the situation and possibly act accordingly.

*

The command structure of Dedorant was on the brink of collapse under the barrage of reports.

At this moment, Atria’s northern region was being ravaged by the great army of Nobogord.

The center was still undergoing reorganization, and powerful reconnaissance was thwarted by large-scale magic.

They were feeling a bit reassured as the situation in the south seemed somewhat tame.

Yet, just recently, an unexpected report came in from the south.

“B- [Empire’s 4th Legion approaches the Southern Kingdom army in Benito. It’s manageable with the 5th Legion.]”

“Prior report revised—Estimated to follow up with 50,000 Empire troops.”

“Reconnaissance units verified traces of enemy movement and deployment; a large-scale attack is expected in the south.”

Not long ago, the Empire aimed to target Dedorant’s royal capital.

Suddenly, they had sent an army of demon tribes to the north of Atria.

Now, they were rerouting close to 100,000 troops to the south?

“Are they planning to open the Southern region?”

“Are they devising a scheme to topple Benito and strike at Dedorant from below?!”

If the Empire breaches Benito, what will happen then?

Hastily, Dedorant’s command structure began plotting support plans for the south.

Consequently, the reorganization of the central forces was bound to be delayed.

*

[b][Message from the Empire’s Ministry of War]

[Need artists, sculptors, advertisers, builders, theatrical makeup artists, and actors within the Empire]

[Even conscripts without combat skills are sufficient]

[Deceptions regarding troop movements and deployment of the Empire army]

[Ghost Army – Proposal for the creation of ‘Ghost Army’]

[Sender: Imperial Chief of Staff and Acting Commander of the Empire’s 1st Army, Kael Clausewitz]

[/b]

 

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