Volume 7 Chapter 2 The Rumblings Of War
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I brought 50 thousand troops, but already lost 40 thousand. Morale is low, and the generals I brought are showing their true colors, unable to come up with a solution to turn things around.
I pound the edge of the watchtower with all my might.
If only I had brought Charl… We could have bought some time to retreat while he caused chaos outside… Why did I send him to the South District? Every other general shows their weakness right away…
”But if Sir Gwain falls, it’s over either way. Sir Gwain would escape by any means necessary. Are you going to die here like a dog?”
Next to Sven appeared my succubus, Georgia, a creature in my possession.
She was the bodyguard I brought along for this battle.
”Georgia… Are you going to advise me to retreat as well?”
Georgia nodded, her fox-colored hair swaying.
”Yes, I advise retreat. We should rely on Prince Rashid and fall back to the True Demon Dukedom to regroup and reorganize. There’s little to gain by holding this position.”
”Damn it, just say it clearly… I get it. I’m abandoning this place! Only my personal guard will retreat. The rest of the troops will hold their ground. Prepare my decoy too. Georgia, Sven, get me to the True Demon Dukedom at all costs!”
””As you command.””
Having decided to retreat, I acted swiftly.
That night, I gathered 2 thousand of my guard to escape, and for the troops left behind, I gave them a pre-planned operation under the guise of a rebellion. I sent the signal to start the operation.
As planned, the two0 thousand troops who burst out of the castle drew the Living Dead to the east gate.
Soon, we rode out through the thinly guarded west gate and broke through the weakened siege.
”We’re breaking through the weakened siege! I’m not dying like a dog here! We’ll race to the Dukedom in one breath! Anyone who falls behind will be left!”
The cavalry unit of my guard trampled the Living Dead one after another, bursting through the siege.
After a while, the chance to break through arrived.
”Sir Gwain, now!”
”Full army breakthrough! Don’t look back! Charge!”
The 2,000-strong vanguard, like a gust of wind, successfully broke through the encirclement.
* * *
Three days later, only 500 soldiers remained in the vicinity.
”Sir Gwain… some of the concubines, your succubi, have gone missing… it seems they’ve deserted.”
Georgia had been leading the troops without sleep for 3 days and nights, and exhaustion showed on her face.
”…I see… I suppose there’s nothing for it. Those guys won’t go down easily. Even if they do, there are plenty of others to take their place.”
I was more concerned about the battle situation than the loss of my concubines.
I had given instructions to Sven to gather information on the battle along the way.
Right now, I was anxious about Gertroud’s movements.
Damn… 50,000 soldiers reduced to 500… His Majesty will probably behead me… the military brass will probably pin the blame for the defeat on me… how did it come to this…
I was in a state of shock, collapsing onto the grass.
And I felt the power base I had built over half my life crumbling with a crash.
* * *
*Gertroud’s perspective
”The enemy army is advancing! It seems they’re launching a large-scale counter-operation!”
”Hunt down the enemy soldiers, but let Gwain, that little worm, escape. I don’t want any dead women. What I want is fresh corpses to use as material for Living Dead.”
I gave instructions to my subordinates while holding the Staff of the Dead.
Def, who had been fighting in the vanguard, had already been resurrected as a Living Dead after dying in battle.
I intended to create a large number of Living Dead in this battle.
That’s why I chose to attack this fortress, where Gwain, with his maximum military strength, was stationed.
The Staff of the Dead, taken from the treasure vault, and high-purity magic stones brought the dead back to life as Living Dead, one after another.
The Living Dead didn’t complain, didn’t need provisions, and didn’t show any decline in fighting spirit.
For the commander, they were truly convenient soldiers.
”Keep the female soldiers alive and capture them. You don’t want to embrace a dead woman, do you?”
I started issuing instructions to the soldiers around me.
Thanks to acquiring a lot of high-purity magic stones from the treasure vault, I succeeded in creating many Living Dead.
”Enemy forces! Twenty thousand are pouring out from the east gate! Should we gather the Living Dead here?”
”Yeah, do it. We can take Gwain’s head anytime. Let 5 thousand chase them, they probably plan to flee to the True Demon Dukedom. The rest of the troops should surround the 20,000 that broke out. Now that Gwain has fled, they don’t have any significant commanders left.”
After giving instructions to my aides, the Living Dead surrounding us began to gather at the fortress’s east gate, weapons in hand.
I, along with my aides, moved closer to the east gate.
Along the way, I stabbed corpses lying on the ground with the Staff of the Dead.
The corpses pierced by the staff turned blue-black, slowly got up, and soon picked up weapons and started running towards the enemy army.
It was the moment Living Dead were born thanks to the Staff of the Dead.
”Enemy forces! The vanguard of 5 thousand is destroyed! We’re about to take control of the gate!”
As I approached the fortress’s gate, the smell of blood filled my nose, but I kept stabbing the corpses lying around with my staff.
The Living Dead, rising one after another, attacked the living Northern Legion.
The enemy army was in complete chaos, starting to fight among themselves.
”Only take female prisoners! Kill all the male soldiers!”
When the army that had been resisting at the gate was destroyed, the Living Dead deployed outside rushed to the east gate.
Inside the castle, a hellish scene unfolded as enemy soldiers bitten by the Living Dead died and turned into new Living Dead, attacking their own side with desperate screams.
Soon, not only the east gate but also the west gate fell, and the enemy army, divided by the north and south gates, rapidly lost its ability to resist.
As I slowly made my way through the east gate, still busy creating Living Dead, a man who seemed to be an enemy officer suddenly charged at me.
”Gertroud! You’ve done well to bring your friends!”
Swish!
My drawn sword cut the man in half.
”Trash… Is this all Gwain’s army can muster?”
I rode my horse calmly toward the central command post.
That’s when a messenger rode up to report.
”Sir Gertroud! Sir Nokin fought valiantly and defeated a hundred Dragonewts and 2 thousand soldiers, but he couldn’t hold back the Black Dragon army’s assault. They’ve retreated to the east road leading to Vildestia. Within a day or 2, 20 thousand Black Dragon soldiers are expected to advance north!”
As expected, ten thousand wasn’t enough to hold back the Black Dragons… I should have sent more troops.
”Understood. Tell Nokin to have his troops attack the Black Dragon’s rear from their current position.”
”Roger that.”
Another messenger, who had received his orders, rode off.
I need Nokin to do some more work for me.
As I arrived at the central command post, leisurely adding to the ranks of the Living Dead, I saw that the building was filled with female soldiers who had been stripped and captured.
Most of the women appeared dazed, having been left n*ked and bound. They had witnessed their comrades being overwhelmed by the Living Dead, and their resistance was nearly nonexistent.
Several dozen soldiers guarded the captives, making sure they wouldn’t escape.
”Sir Gertroud, there are about 2 thousand captives. It seems most of the female soldiers who were holed up here have surrendered. According to the prisoners, Gwain fled with his personal guard.”
An officer relayed information from the captives, but I had already seen through Gwain’s escape through the sandstorm rising from the west gate.
”Yes, I know. Capturing the women is more important than Gwain’s head. They’re coming in nicely.”
I felt satisfied looking at the women gathered in the command post.
My orders seemed to have been carried out effectively, and the women had been captured with minimal injuries.
”Sir Gertroud! The general at the south gate is requesting mercy. What should we do?”
I was appraising the women when a new messenger arrived, reporting to me and waiting for my orders.
”I ordered the capture of only the women. I will not accept the surrender of any others. Kill them!”
”Understood… I will carry out the instructions.”
I rushed out to convey my orders to the troops.
By doing so, I was tasked with reinforcing, cleaning, and securing the northern fortress that had been under Gwain’s control, and then preparing for the impending attack of the Black Dragon Army.
The 5-thousand-strong Gwain pursuit force returned with impressive results, having defeated and captured a significant portion of the enemy forces, including 1,500 members of the elite Imperial Guard.
Of Gwain’s original 50,000 troops, only about 500 managed to reach True Demon Dukedom, according to the reports I received.
Out of Gwain’s lost 50,000 troops, around 2,500 women were taken as captives and rewards, imprisoned within the fortress, while an astonishing 47,500, or almost 40,000, were resurrected as Living Dead.
As a result, my forces now number over 70,000, but since most of them are Living Dead, who don’t require food, the supply of provisions is relatively easy.
The following day, I left 5,000 troops to defend the fortress and led 65,000 troops southward to engage the Black Dragon Army.
* * *
*Fabulanova’s Perspective
The battle with Nokin, believed to be Gertroud’s right-hand man, resulted in the loss of 100 Dragonewts and 2,000 soldiers. This was a significant blow, considering the limited forces Gertroud had brought for the campaign.
Nokin, who was thought to be a Competent right-hand man to Gertroud, had secretly defected from his command. When I learned of this, I agreed to a ceasefire and a secret pact with him. Gertroud, on the other hand, showed his lack of leadership qualities.
Nokin, having agreed to the ceasefire, began retreating towards the eastern town, the center of the east, with the intention of independence. During the negotiations, he requested that I acknowledge his leadership over the east in exchange for recognizing my authority in the royal palace. I had no interest in the desolate east that Gertroud had left behind, so I granted his request.
”Fabulanova! Why did you agree to a ceasefire with that Nokin guy! I’ll blow him away myself!”
”Elder Sister! Are you going to let Nokin, who murdered our comrades, get away with it? Those guys killed over a hundred of our precious Dragonewts!”
Two hotheaded men emerged from behind the army’s tents.
They were my husband, Clayd, and my brother, Ugno.
These 2, who find meaning in battle, seem to disapprove of my unilateral decision to initiate this secret ceasefire.
These guys are all muscle, even their brains…
”…Phew, Ugno, at least, I expected that. But Clayd… I didn’t think you’d say something like that. Do you two remember the purpose of our expedition?”
I asked the two of them, rubbing my temples.
”Of course it’s to demonstrate the strength of the Black Dragon army and expand the authority of the Black Dragon Dukedom, isn’t it?”
Ugno gave an off-base answer.
But, since I’ve known since he was young that this kid lacks political sense, I just resign myself to his words this time.
”Ugno, no. The goal is to take out Gwain under the guise of this chaos and ensure Dee’s safety.”
Clayd still seems to have some unresolved feelings for Delprius, whom he severed ties with, and he keeps talking about killing Gwain and Kent whenever the chance arises.
…Ah… Rosvita… I wish you’d come back…
”Both of you, listen carefully. This expedition has been entrusted to us by His Majesty as a direct order to eliminate Gertroud. Our priority is to destroy Gertroud first. We can’t afford unnecessary battles for that.”
”But Nokin is a subordinate of Gertroud, isn’t he? Shouldn’t he also be eliminated?”
”I agree with Clayd, Elder Sister.”
”Actually, I kept this from you two, but Nokin has been trying to become independent in the east. The purpose of this ceasefire is to isolate Gertroud from the east and weaken him.”
The two of them looked unconvinced.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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