Volume 4 Chapter 17 Destruction Of The Southern Expeditionary Force
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We sent the carriages after the military and set off.
* * *
After about 3 hours of marching with the troops, a foul stench carried by the wind drifted from the direction of a small hill ahead of us.
Continuing the march, we crossed the small hill, and the scene that unfolded before us was a hellish sight of chaos and despair.
The southern detachment group led by General Gertroud had already been annihilated, and the soldiers were either lying dead on the plains or being devoured by ‘Another World Monsters’.
”Your Excellency Kent… the southern detachment group has been wiped out… Even though they were problematic soldiers, it’s a pity to leave their bodies exposed. I’d like to secure the surrounding area and request permission to bury them after the ‘Another World Monsters’ are taken care of.”
Kondrad, who came to report to my hunting carriage, requested permission to bury the soldiers of the southern detachment group.
Anyway, I’ll need to gather their identification when reporting to His Excellency, so I’ll instruct Kondrad to collect them during the burial.
”Sure. Please gather their IDs while you’re burying them; it’ll make the paperwork easier afterward. Treat them with respect; they’ve paid for their sins with their lives.”
”Thank you, Your Excellency.”
”By the way, how many monsters are out there?”
”Yes, there are about 50 medium and small ‘Another World Monsters’ active outdoors, but no large ones were found. It seems they’re still inside. It appears that around 50 medium and small ‘Another World Monsters’ were taken down in the fight with the southern detachment group, but the detachment group has been wiped out.”
If only 50 out of a thousand soldiers managed to take down the monsters, it’s likely the southern detachment group collapsed at an early stage and started to flee.
General Gertroud probably couldn’t communicate with the troops without his usual staff.
”How about Ane, whom I sent ahead? Have you managed to join up with er?”
”I’ve dispatched a scout to locate her. That guy won’t go down easily.”
”Indeed… Let’s wait for good news… In the meantime, shall we set up a camp?”
”Yes, I’ve already given the order. We’ll use this spot with a great view as our base and start hunting down the outer ‘Another World Monsters’.”
Around us, workers were busy setting up camp, untying the ropes of the supply wagons.
Within a few hours, we would have a place to sleep and a wooden fence for protection.
We decided to use this location as their base and first secure the surrounding area.
* * *
A few hours later, just before noon, a magnificent field camp was set up.
Members of the crack-conquering forces, including ‘Silver Wolf’, ‘Hand of Glory’, and ‘Golden Apostles’, started to arrive.
These high-level hunters, with fewer quests since the ‘Great Onslaught’, had been itching for action.
Hearing about this large-scale crack, they rushed to the scene.
As a result, a rare occurrence took place──almost all members of the elite Hunting Group had assembled.
I was in the operations room within the completed camp, receiving a report from Kondrad.
”A scout has just returned and confirmed Ane’s location. She’s escorting General Gertroud back. A few cavalry members were injured, but there are no casualties. Lady Lana is preparing to receive the wounded.”
”That’s great news! Is Ane safe?”
”Yes, sir! With the first objective achieved, we’d like to proceed with the second──hunting down the outdoor ‘Another World Monsters’. However, some Monster Hunters have requested to join the outdoor hunt for practice. What are your orders?”
If they’re eager to get into action and have the energy to spare, we might as well use their help.
Their participation will reduce our losses.
”Alright, let them join. It’ll be beneficial for us. Just make sure no one takes unnecessary risks.”
”Yes, sir! Understood.”
Just then, a messenger burst in with news.
”Captain Ane has returned and will be here shortly!”
”Understood.”
After the messenger left, Ane soon appeared in the strategy room with General Gertroud.
Though their faces were covered in dirt and dust, there didn’t seem to be any external injuries.
Seeing Ane safe and sound, I breathed a sigh of relief.
”Your Excellency Kent, as ordered, I have escorted General Gertroud here safely.”
I stood up and offered a seat to General Gertroud, who had been brought in.
”General Gertroud, you must be exhausted. Please, take a seat.”
General Gertroud, with a hollow expression, sat down in the offered chair.
”Lord Kent… Did you set me up? With nearly a hundred such powerful creatures, it’s no wonder we were annihilated! The staff’s reports indicated only a few dozen small, one-meter-class ‘Another World Monsters’. But when the battle began, there were many more medium-sized and stronger ones. The soldiers didn’t follow my commands, and the front line collapsed quickly. I could only watch helplessly as our army fell apart!”
As General Gertroud sat down, he snapped out of his previous dazed state and became enraged, turning on me.
Apparently, most of the competent staff had been recruited by my father-in-law, and General Gertroud, trusting the information from his usual staff, decided to go into battle to earn some merit.
When they arrived at the site, they found a large-scale crack in spacetime with medium-sized creatures, contrary to the initial reports.
Before they could react, the headquarters were drawn into the battle and destroyed.
”Set you up? We’ve reported everything to Margrave Heido. Didn’t you conduct any reconnaissance beforehand?”
”Reconnaissance is the staff’s job. Their role is to provide me with information and move the troops! I’m the General! My job is to move the pieces on the board and corner the enemy!”
General Gertroud, it seems, was so focused on devising tactical commands that he left the tasks of reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and battle leadership to his competent staff.
Up until now, the quality of his command was maintained by a capable staff, but with the recent staff poaching, the quality declined, and everything fell apart, leading to this devastating defeat.
With this defeat, it’s certain that the veneer of General Gertroud’s competence will be stripped away.
”Well, without any soldiers or staff, General Gertroud is left with nothing. What will you do now? I hear the new army formed by father-in-law is being sent to the western garrison. If you return to the capital to report the defeat, I’ll escort you to Abyss Vena…”
”Losing a thousand men and then returning to the capital, are you?! I’ll send a messenger to Sir Gwain to apologize and request reinforcements from the capital again! In the meantime, I’ll leave the west to Margrave Heido… Remember this… Kent Blackdagger.”
General Gertroud glared at me with eyes that seemed to kill, but I thought it was just resentment.
Probably, it was father-in-in-law who spread false information to General Gertroud’s staff.
It’s possible that it was a plot by father-in-law to have the kingdom’s army form a new army and dispatch it to the south once General Gertroud is dead.
”General Gertroud… Please be careful on your way to Abyss Vena. It pains me that I can only provide a small escort as there are still ‘Another World Monsters’ roaming around…”
The moment General Gertroud heard my words, he seemed to realize something.
”You… Were you planning to assassinate me from the start… Kent Blackdagger… You didn’t become a General just by luck… I’ll announce that you assassinated me and I was killed by another world monster…”
”General Gertroud…Your Excellency Kent is not such a person.”
Kondrad grabbed General Gertroud as he lunged towards me.
”Let go! Kondrad, you’re going to kill me too?!”
”Quickly take the delirious General Gertroud to Abyss Vena for treatment.”
”Kent Blackdagger! I am not delirious! Don’t treat me like an invalid! Ugh!”
Ane struck General Gertroud with a precise blow, silencing him.
”Your Excellency Kent, General Gertroud is in a state of delirium due to the shock of defeat. It’s best to send him back to Abyss Vena with the supply unit.”
”Yes, that’s a good idea. I’ll send word to my father-in-law to spare his life.”
It seemed more beneficial to keep General Gertroud alive for now.
Killing him might prompt the dispatch of an even more capable general, so keeping him alive but under control appeared to be the better strategy.
Ane carried General Gertroud out of the strategy room.
”General Gertroud should have taken better care of his subordinates… I’ll keep that in mind.”
”Your Excellency Kent… General Gertroud could have been a great general if he had considered the feelings of his soldiers and subordinates… But he was too focused on his own brilliance…”
”Unlike General Gertroud, I’m either unskilled or downright incompetent, so I’ll leave the army matters to Kondrad.”
”Your Excellency Kent, it sounds like a backhanded compliment when you call yourself incompetent… But I’ll take charge of the army. From now on, we’ll secure the area around the second objective, the crack in spacetime.”
”Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”
Kondrad saluted in the Kingdom Army style and left the strategy room.
Soon, the assembly bugle sounded, and soldiers began gathering.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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