Chapter 480
Chapter 480: For the Time Being, It’ll Be a Bit Comfortable. (1)
Count Kandore, the commander of the 5th Corps of the Delphine Army invading the Eastern region, was deep in serious thought.
The East was the region where the war had first erupted. Consequently, the Kingdom Army and Allied Forces moved the fastest, and the number of Allied Forces was greater than in other regions.
The 5th Corps had been pushing hard to defeat them and advance toward the capital, but now their last line of defense was at risk, with their supply routes being threatened.
“This is quite bothersome.”
Starting with an army of 50,000, their numbers had dwindled to 40,000 after several battles and an ambush by Amelia.
While it was still a significant number, the remaining line of defense was not to be taken lightly, as the Kingdom Army and Allied Forces were all gathered in the East.
“Perhaps at least 20,000 have gathered…”
They needed to exert all their strength to defeat the enemies, but the Raybold Army was making things uncomfortable from behind.
So, the 5th Corps had halted their advance and was engaged in strategic discussion.
“How about securing the supply route first? It would be better to wait for further support from the Duke faction.”
“Doing so would only strengthen the line of defense. The Allied Forces are on their way, aren’t they? Moreover, they are comfortably receiving supplies from the capital and the North.”
“However, advancing like this is dangerous. Even if we break through the line, if our supply route is cut off, it would be useless.”
“That’s right. We can’t seize Cardenia with 40,000 without siege equipment.”
“Isn’t another corps also on the move? If we encircle the capital, we can receive supplies from another route.”
“But the 2nd Corps has already been defeated by the Northern Army, hasn’t it? We can’t predict where the Northern Army will move.”
“Communication with the 3rd and 4th Corps has been cut off. Something must have happened.”
Even among the staff, opinions were divided. They had set out confidently, but the current situation was far from good.
Count Kandore was aware of the reason.
“The Northern Army is too strong.”
The 2nd Corps, which had moved to strike the Northern Army, had been defeated. They had the largest troop numbers and even had three superhumans joining them.
Because of the Northern Army, other corps couldn’t move freely either.
“Who would have thought that brat would grow up to have such a significant impact on the war?”
Count Kandore shook his head several times in disbelief.
Being held in check by just one army. He could never have imagined such a scenario before the war.
“Count Raybold is also a problem.”
The hostile forces believed that all opposing troops were concentrated on the line of defense and began to accelerate their advance. They had cleared the area, so there were no concerns.
In the midst of this, they suffered considerable damage from the ambush by the Raybold Army approaching from the sides.
They weren’t even joining the line of defense and were instead firmly entrenched in their rear territories.
“I can’t just leave them be… but charging in isn’t a good option either…”
The Raybold Army consisted of about 10,000. He was confident he could win in a direct confrontation, but those who ambushed and immediately fled would not face him head-on.
If they were determined to run, it would be difficult to catch up with just 40,000. From the invading army’s perspective, enticing them also presented a challenge.
He thought of dividing troops to secure the supply route, but that would make it hard to breach the line. Even if he managed to break through, their forces would be in tatters.
No, to be precise, there wasn’t even time to split the forces. He couldn’t tell when the Northern Army might arrive.
“This is so irritating, so irritating.”
Count Kandore felt like he was on the brink of madness. With all this worrying, the enemy’s defense lines would only grow more solid.
He truly wanted to eliminate Ghislaine and Amelia both.
Having thought for several days without a sharp solution, news reached him that the Raybold Army had seized another territory.
Meanwhile, they continued to circle the supply routes, posing a threat. It was maddening to have to just sit back and watch that.
To properly secure the supply route, the Duke faction needed to send a large army.
‘Should I send a messenger to request additional support…’
While simmering in thought, blood-soaked messengers came rushing in.
“The 3rd Corps has been annihilated!”
“What?”
“The 3rd Corps was ambushed by Count Penris and wiped out! Some survivors were taken as prisoners!”
Count Kandore’s face twisted with rage.
“What do you mean? The Northern Army was in another region! How could they have annihilated the 3rd Corps, who had fought the Northern Army!”
“It’s true! Count Penris was indeed behind it!”
As Count Kandore gritted his teeth in disbelief, he hesitated before continuing.
“If that’s true… doesn’t that mean the Northern Army is quite far from us?”
If so, there’s still time. It might be better to take this opportunity to move westward and join the 4th Corps.
Using the 4th Corps’ supply route, their numbers would increase, which would be beneficial.
Count Kandore, thinking along the same lines as Count Palgau of the 4th Corps, exclaimed with a joyful expression.
“Good! We abandon this area! Given their strength is greater than expected, we should join the 4th Corps immediately…”
“The 4th Corps has been wiped out!”
Another messenger, this time also blood-soaked, came running in wailing.
“…”
Count Kandore momentarily lost his voice, then asked in a trembling tone.
“Wh-what did you say?”
“The 4th Corps has been obliterated! The Corps Commander perished at the hands of Count Penris!”
“What are you talking about!”
Count Kandore’s mind couldn’t wrap around it. The 2nd Corps had been crushed, and now they were saying the 3rd Corps was annihilated as well?
Hearing consecutive insane reports made it feel like his mind was going to snap.
“Did those Northern Army bastards grow wings or something? This doesn’t make any logical sense! Count Penris isn’t some superhuman with three abilities!”
“It’s true! Count Penris is indeed behind it! He personally killed the 4th Corps Commander!”
“Ugh, ughhh…”
“And, also…”
“And what! Is there more to say?”
“The Northern Army is heading east.”
“What?!”
“And along with them, an army of 25,000 led by the Kingdom’s Supreme Commander is also marching in this direction.”
“…”
Count Kandore trembled. He couldn’t find the words.
This doesn’t make any sense. No human army could move that quickly. No army in history has shown such mobility.
It was possible if they ran nonstop. But surely, a person has to eat while moving.
How on earth are they managing their supplies? They’re not undead or anything.
After boiling with anger for a while, Count Kandore finally muttered weakly.
“…It seems we’ve really made a terrifying enemy.”
Leaving aside that Count Penris himself is a superhuman, just that mobility alone could change the course of the war. They wouldn’t know where the army would appear next.
Not all of the Northern Army could move like that. It appears that Count Penris was selectively moving elite troops.
Still, could every corps really be annihilated?
‘Monster.’
It’s frightening. He thought that there was no way he could win.
With a pale expression, Count Kandore forced himself to speak.
“…Prepare to retreat.”
“…”
The staff also had no words.
With the Northern Army and the Kingdom Army approaching, it was no longer possible for the 5th Corps’ 40,000 troops to even encircle the capital; surviving was the issue now.
If they were going to withdraw, it had to be now.
The 5th Corps decided to retreat and began to pull back.
Staying like this would lead to a certain defeat. They had to retreat now to preserve their troops.
“Tsk… even living will be a humiliation…”
Given that all corps were suffering, some leeway might be given. After all, the Kingdom Army and Allied Forces were still pressing forward.
It was just that Count Penris was too extraordinary a problem.
“Move quickly. At this speed, Count Penris could arrive by tomorrow.”
With the decision to retreat made, urgency filled them. The 4th Corps was in the central region. Count Penris could lead another army at any moment.
“Throw away everything useless! Don’t take anything that hinders our march!”
From now on, they had to retreat at full speed. The 5th Corps discarded everything, keeping only the minimum supplies they could sustain in the southern region.
Watching the preparations for retreat, Count Kandore wore a bitter expression. Being terrified by just Count Penris to the point of needing to flee like this.
‘I will surely repay this humiliation one day.’
Looking up at the sky, Count Kandore steeled his resolve. Suddenly, something caught his eye.
“What an unlucky crow…”
A crow was circling in the sky over a place where there were no corpses. It made him feel uneasy for no reason.
“Tsk, I must be more scared than I thought.”
Just seeing a single crow made him feel uneasy; he had definitely become more fragile.
With his spirit low, the 5th Corps turned back toward the South.
The Raybold Army, which had stealthily been eyeing the supply routes, detected the movements of the 5th Corps.
“Um… they are retreating quite quickly, aren’t they? It seems they’ve discarded all their supplies as well.”
Upon receiving the report from the scout, Bernap spoke, and Amelia nodded.
“Yeah, seems we’ve done just about everything we can for appearances. It’s a shame we couldn’t take more territories.”
Amelia wore a disappointed expression. She had hoped to buy more time fighting against the Northern Army, but never expected the 5th Corps would surrender so quickly.
“Well, it’s not a bad judgment. That Ghislaine’s speed is anything but normal.”
Amelia was also impressed after receiving the reports. She knew from previous intel that Ghislaine had exceptional talent in war.
Even when leading the Western invasion, Ghislaine had valued mobility. However, now that he was focused, he was moving significantly faster than before.
“The more I learn, the more I realize what a remarkable guy he is.”
Though she didn’t want to admit it, Ghislaine’s execution of war could be considered top-tier.
“I’m not sure how the Duke faction will react.”
She needed to observe the Duke faction’s next course of action to gauge how much strength had been expended. That would determine how she should proceed.
Organizing her thoughts, Amelia spoke.
“Let’s head back. We need to promptly manage the territories we’ve just secured as ‘ours.’”
“Um… are the other lords just going to sit back?”
“What could they do? They can’t stop me once I’ve taken them. I’ve already reached an agreement with the Supreme Commander regarding this.”
Amelia wore a smirk on her face.
Now, she needed to move busily. She had to transport the supplies from Raybold.
“Inform everyone and prepare for migration.”
Within the North, she couldn’t expand her influence anymore due to Ghislaine. Movement had also become precarious.
Thus, she devised alternate plans and sought to create a new base by taking advantage of the turmoil.
One that would be far larger than her existing territories.
“Oh, and make sure to recover the supplies left behind by the 5th Corps. There should be a significant amount, so let’s use it wisely.”
“Understood!”
Bernap saluted energetically. As always, if Amelia decided something, it tended to work out well.
Meow!
Seeing this, Bastet narrowed her eyes and cawed in laughter.
*
The 5th Corps moved at the highest speed possible. It was only achievable because they had discarded almost all of their supplies.
“We should arrive at the southern border soon.”
“Mm.”
Kandore nodded at his deputy’s report. Everyone was exhausted, but thanks to their efforts, they had moved safely.
Just a little further, and they would reach the southern front where they had initially fought. Beyond that was the Duke faction’s territory, so they would be safe.
“What about food?”
“We’re almost out. But we should be able to manage until we arrive, so the soldiers will hold on.”
“Right…”
Count Kandore wore a gloomy expression.
Out of fear of the enemy, they had fled, discarding their food supplies. Now, the already exhausted soldiers would have to starve.
Starving the soldiers was not the mark of a good commander. He didn’t feel good about it, but it was better than death.
“Convey to them to hang in there just a little longer.”
“Understood.”
The increasingly weary 5th Corps set out again. What kept them going was the hope that they would arrive soon.
However, that hope shattered as soon as bad news came in.
“P-Penris’ army is up ahead. The numbers are approximately 20,000.”
A scout returned, pale-faced, to report.
Count Kandore’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What do you mean, Penris’ army? Not the Northern Army?”
“Yes. Only the banner of Penris is present. It seems Count Penris is acting independently.”
“…”
Count Kandore couldn’t find his words.
They had discarded their supplies and retreated immediately upon receiving the news, so how could they arrive first and be waiting?
“Is there a spy among us?”
Trembling, his voice made it clear that the advisors had no answers. How could there be spies moving amidst a marching army?
But the very fact that Count Penris was waiting there seemed just as absurd. How could he know all their movements?
He felt as if every gesture was being monitored.
“Sir, I think we should prepare for battle.”
“It seems unavoidable.”
Heavy words caused Count Kandore to let out a deep, weary sigh.
To face battle with soldiers who were starving and exhausted?
But he had no other choice. There was no way they could repel the pursuit of Count Penris’ massive army.
Suddenly, he recalled the crow he had seen before they departed. It felt ominously familiar.
“It seems we’re in a truly dire situation.”
Had he known this would happen, it would have been better to have filled their bellies and conserved their strength.
“Prepare for battle…”
They couldn’t just perish. They had to fight and win.
Whether they could defeat that fearsome army was another matter.
Everyone lined up with tense expressions. The soldiers’ fear was palpable.
To be starving and weak, yet have to fight against the scariest army in the Kingdom was daunting. Even with greater numbers, an overwhelming sense of defeat surrounded them.
That fear intensified as they saw the distant army approaching slowly.
“That’s… Penris’ army…”
“Count Penris… the invincible lord…”
“Can we really win this?”
Just the sight of the Penris banner sent the soldiers into a frenzy. Their fear rapidly spread through the ranks.
In normal circumstances, Count Kandore would have shouted to bolster the soldiers’ fighting spirit, but he stood silent.
He too was overwhelmed by that approaching force.
Clop, clop.
Ghislaine, riding the Black King, moved forward slowly.
He smiled as he observed the Delphine Army preparing for battle ahead.
“While attacking, you could do as you please, but when retreating, you’ll need my permission.”
Ghislaine had fought against the Duke faction itself, and he knew just how formidable they truly were.
So…
He had no intention of letting even a single member of the Duke faction return unharmed.
