Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 26 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Thunderous Warlord

Three days later, a messenger arrived in Jermuk with word that Alexis Duran was heading toward the fortress city with an army of over one hundred and thirty thousand men. The soldiers and inhabitants of Jermuk were overjoyed; all wore expressions of relief. Alexis Duran was a successful and powerful man, so knowing that he was on the way encouraged everyone. It wouldn’t have been an overstatement to say that it was for precisely this moment that the Jermuk garrison soldiers had continued to fight. However, it also meant that Ryoma Mikoshiba’s prediction had been correct.

That night, a man sat at his desk looking over some documents as the pale white moon in the sky shone through the window. The peaceful, serene light felt as if the moon goddess herself were lamenting the battle that would soon follow.

So they left around five thousand men in the royal capital, Endesia. None of the neighboring nobles have sent any reinforcements, and Alexis Duran is spearheading the reinforcements to Jermuk. Then it’s confirmed... Though I do not know who orchestrated any of this, it is clear that Alexis Duran is working with the enemy.

Ryoma sighed deeply as he read the report from the Igasaki clan operatives hiding in the royal capital Endesia. He could hear the excited, welcoming cheers outside. This meant the preconditions Ryoma had set up before he would head to the Kingdom of Xarooda had been overturned.

“I need to speak with Lady Ecclesia immediately. I would like to give her more time to herself, but...” he mumbled as he rang the bell on his desk, readying himself to carve his one last path of survival out of this situation.

The next day, Ryoma had gathered his best soldiers, Ecclesia Marinelle, the battalion commander of the border defense garrison, and Hans Randall—the leader of Jermuk’s garrison until Ryoma had arrived—all together in his room.

All his guests took their seats at a large round table, capable of seating around twenty people, that occupied the center of the room. He had gathered all the leaders of Jermuk’s defense forces together. It was now just after three in the afternoon. They had begun their meeting right after lunch and talked for around two hours. Ryoma had just finished listening to everyone’s individual reports when he spoke up.

“Now that we’ve all heard everyone’s reports, we need to decide what to do from here on out. But what do you all think we should do? Personally, I believe we should wait until Alexis Duran’s forces arrive and launch a counterattack.”

Ecclesia Marinelle tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion.

“Does that mean we’ll stay holed up in the castle to fight?” Her voice was tense but filled with determination. Ecclesia had spent some time locked in her room after learning about the death of her uncle, King Phillip, though it seemed she had gotten her feelings under control. Compared to her exhausted look a few days ago, she appeared to have improved. It was probably the result of her finding a newfound resolve rather than her improving psychologically. A cold, ghastly fire burned within her eyes. She faced Ryoma directly, looking right at him. Ryoma remained calm as he responded.

“Yes. We confirmed that the allied enemy forces have over one hundred thousand troops while scouting yesterday. With my own forces of approximately forty thousand, Ecclesia’s unit of around three thousand, and the Jermuk garrison of roughly ten thousand men, we have a total force of nearly fifty-five thousand soldiers. It would put us in a difficult situation if we were to meet the superior enemy force on the open field. If we stay inside Jermuk, we have a better chance of victory.”

Of course, taking the battle to an open field wasn’t an entirely bad option, but with the promise of more reinforcements and supplies, taking a more cautious approach seemed best. Ultimately, the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy forces were only allied reinforcements sent to the Kingdom of Myest. Treating them as the main party here would lead to problems. But the Kingdom of Myest, which was supposed to play a prominent role in deciding strategy, had faced delays with organizing its own forces. Thus there was no other course of action available for Ryoma.

Nevertheless, it was clear that the organization of Ryoma’s forces would greatly affect the settlement after the war, mainly regarding who would receive a reward for their efforts. Up to this point, the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy, which belonged to the Kingdom of Rhoadseria, had achieved more than Myest’s own forces. So it made sense to wait for the arrival of the brave general of the Kingdom of Myest.

“That much is true, given that General Duran is marching south with reinforcements,” said Ecclesia as she crossed her arms, nodding deeply. Considering the current situation, waiting might not have been an ideal strategy, but it was the best option available. The other leaders in attendance had no counterarguments. Hans Randall looked around before chuckling.

I guess that’s all we can do... We’ve fallen right into General Duran’s trap, thought Hans.

Hans’s smile resembled that of a hunter observing prey caught in a trap. Ironically, he failed to notice something even long after the meeting ended. Someone had been keeping their eye on him all along.

That same night, at around 2 a.m., Hans Randall was climbing the stairs that led to the northern wall of the fortress city of Jermuk. If someone were to see him, they would never assume that it was the same man who was the battalion commander of the border garrison. After all, he wasn’t dressed in his usual armor. He was wearing a black robe with a hood pulled over his eyes, and he was holding a basket with his right hand. Most importantly, his gait was decisively different from how it usually was. He moved like a seasoned warrior, filled with the grace and agility of a large feline. In addition, he completely erased his own presence, going undetected by others.

Seeing how he moved, it was plain to see that he was well-versed in espionage. Under his hood, he still wore a grin after learning about Ryoma Mikoshiba’s plan to wage war from inside the fortress of Jermuk earlier in the afternoon.

While he may be the Devil of Heraklion or Supreme Ruler, he is still very much wet behind the ears... He has yet to realize how much he has dug himself into a hole, mused Hans.

From Hans’s point of view, the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy choosing to remain in the fortress city of Jermuk and invite a siege was akin to them simply jumping to their own death. It felt as if he were reading a story with an ending he already knew.

I heard he was a dangerous foe, so I prepared accordingly. But he hasn’t once doubted my intentions. Well, my title is just battalion commander of the border garrison. It’s nothing worth suspecting. He would never dream that members of the Organization would have infiltrated Myest this deeply...

The Organization had sent many of its members to the Kingdom of Myest to support General Duran’s climb through the ranks, as well as to help with gathering information. Hans was one of those members. He had been working as a member of the Jermuk border garrison for many years now, doing an adequate job while gathering information on the southern nobles. Recently, the Organization had given him two new tasks. One was to stay close to Ryoma Mikoshiba and his forces, while the other was to report all of Ryoma’s movements to General Duran. However, it seemed his role was soon coming to an end.

There’s no way young Ryoma will be able to see through this scheme, after all... General Duran has a reputation of loyalty and achievements built up over sixty years. It’d be difficult to suspect that he would betray his own country. 

General Duran had served the Kingdom of Myest at the order of the Organization, and the Organization had helped him climb the ranks and become general. As a result, it was correct to say that Alexis Duran would have never gotten as far as he did if he were alone—it was all with the assistance of the Organization. Though, that was not to say that all of his achievements while serving the Kingdom of Myest were falsehoods. At the very least, his victories, leadership ability, and martial superiority were all real.

All of us supporting him understand. There would be no reason for a general sent from a neighboring country with reinforcements to ever question the general’s character. 

If one didn’t know about the Organization, explaining General Duran’s actions would have been impossible. Even if Ryoma Mikoshiba was suspicious of General Duran, seeing his sixty years of service to the kingdom—countless achievements and victories in battle—would quickly silence any doubts. That was exactly what the Organization wanted from General Duran, and it was why they had supported him financially for many years and had him infiltrate the Kingdom of Myest in the first place.

Everything is going exactly as planned. I just need to complete my role in all of this.

Eventually, Hans reached his destination.

I feel somewhat sorry for all my brethren who were summoned from the same planet as me only to meet cruel deaths. Just accept it as fate... It was all your own fault for being in the way.

Hans retrieved a single bird from the basket he was holding. The bird had a small cylinder attached to its feet, which contained information regarding the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy’s chosen tactics for the ongoing war. He double-checked that the cylinder was securely attached before lifting the bird with both hands.

“Now, fly,” said Hans as he hurled the bird up into the air, nodding with satisfaction as it made its way to the north. The general should receive that report by tomorrow.

By the time General Duran arrived at Jermuk, the Kingdom of Myest would enter peace talks with Brittantia and Tarja. Myest would then enter an alliance with the other two nations, giving birth to a new Myest that exercised hegemony over the southeastern region of the western continent.

Once that happens, this continent will fall further into chaos...

That was their intention—the vision they sought to bring about. With the power of the Organization, anything was possible—or impossible, if they desired to make it so.

I don’t mind if it takes years until that point... My loyalty will always be to the Organization. Even if I were to fall, someone would take my place and carry on our work in my stead.

That was the only reason Hans had left to live for—to see the Organization’s vision become a reality. In that respect, many people in the Organization were similar to Hans. They didn’t care if they were sacrificial goats, as long as their sacrifices were used to achieve the Organization’s goals.

If I can finally die, I can be with my daughter... But until that day, I must kill as many people in this world as I can. And to do that, I need for you to disappear, young Ryoma.

Hans displayed a smile filled with conviction—a belief that he had already won. However, at that moment, Hans felt something cold press up against his throat.

What?! Impossible... I didn’t sense anything.

The God of Death swung down his sickle. Han’s consciousness faded to black, and his lifeless body collapsed atop the stone wall. Blood soaked through the robes he wore.

“Master... It is done.”

Two shadows appeared from a watchtower.

“Great work. Sort out the body later.”

Sakuya Igasaki disappeared into the darkness, understanding that Ryoma had asked her to take her leave.

“Well, what would you know? It’s exactly as I said, Lady Ecclesia,” Ryoma said.

Ecclesia let out a deep sigh.

“I guess I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it,” replied Ecclesia.

The bird was headed north, toward Endesia. If Hans had been working with Brittantia or Tarja, he would have had no reason to send a bird in the direction of Endesia. In other words, someone in Endesia had been investigating Ryoma Mikoshiba’s movements. At that point in time, there was only one logical suspect.

“So, when did you realize General Duran was a traitor?” Ecclesia asked.

“I had a funny feeling around the time it was announced he was returning to duty. The timing was simply too perfect. What really sealed the deal was learning that he’d be bringing the vast majority of Myest’s forces here with him,” responded Ryoma, shrugging.

Ecclesia carefully brought her finger up to her chin as she thought about it. She then nodded, as if she’d come up with the answer she was looking for.

“I see... It doesn’t make sense for him to send nearly all of Myest’s forces here, especially with rumors that the northern nobles were behind His Majesty Phillip’s death.”

“Exactly. I had also determined from the Igasaki clan’s report that none of the nobles from Endesia had mobilized any of their troops either. The northern nobles being behind the king’s murder was probably just a plain rumor. Unless you actually were the person behind the assassination, you couldn’t be one hundred percent sure who was responsible. If whoever’s calling the shots aimed to finish this war quickly by sending the majority of Myest’s forces here, they would have called you back to the royal capital or they’d have asked Cassandra Hellner, who is in Pherzaad, to join them.”

Not doing any of that and then coming directly to Jermuk with nearly all available troops was something General Duran wouldn’t be able to do unless there was no danger of Endesia coming under attack. And there was just one reason for him to possess such confidence. Only the person responsible for the assassination would have certainty that there was no further threat to the capital, allowing them to proceed with this bold deployment.

Listening to Ryoma’s explanation, Ecclesia let out an even deeper sigh.

“So, what do we do now? We can’t stay holed up inside Jermuk at a time like this...”

With General Duran leading an army of “reinforcements” that were actually enemies, the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy was sandwiched between threats from the north and south.

Not to mention, both sides combined means they have around two hundred thousand men, mused Ryoma.

This indicated that the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy was short by one hundred and sixty thousand men. Even if they remained holed up in Jermuk, it would be a difficult battle because the enemy would have roughly five times as many troops as Ryoma’s army.

We can’t even use the three thousand soldiers that Lady Ecclesia brought with her or the city’s garrison, as they may also be in on General Duran’s plan. That means I have to do what I can entirely with my own soldiers.

However, that would suggest there was a larger gap in numbers. In terms of military strength, it resembled the strength Ryoma’s forces had when they engaged with the northern subjugation army led by the former Queen Lupis. Now, they were at a far worse disadvantage.

General Alexis Duran is a far more capable general than Lady Ecclesia, and he’s the one leading the army from the north. In addition, the general of Brittantia’s and Tarja’s troops is a force to be reckoned with.

It would be impossible for even Ryoma Mikoshiba to achieve victory against an army of two hundred thousand men led by formidable, talented commanders. Ryoma was aware of this and realized the best thing to do was to minimize their losses by retreating to the Kingdom of Rhoadseria.

“Well, in a situation like this, there’s not a lot we can do. Our only viable option is to fall back and regroup.”

Ecclesia’s eyes opened wide with shock. It was a rather absurd statement for Ryoma to make, considering their situation.

“Can we even manage that much?” Ecclesia asked.

“Yes, though it will be rather difficult... But if we act now, it’s not entirely impossible,” Ryoma responded.

“If we act now... I see. They’ve not completely surrounded us yet...which means we can meet the southern forces out on the battlefield, give them a good fight, and then retreat. But what if Duran’s forces arrive from the north during that? They’ll attack us from behind and completely wipe us out.”

Ecclesia naturally harbored this worry. General Duran might mistakenly think that Ryoma had chosen to stay within Jermuk and fight from there based on the information from Hans, but that didn’t mean he would slow down his march to Jermuk. It also wouldn’t make him hurry any more than he was. However, Ryoma simply shrugged as he responded to Ecclesia.

“We have the people of Jermuk for that.”

“You plan to send them to the royal capital as refugees...? That does make sense. If they’re taking up the roads, then General Duran’s army will be forced to slow down... After all, there’s no way they’d run down their own people.”

“That’s the idea, anyway. We can tell the commoners that there are spies within the castle, making it hard for us to fight from inside. That should make for a decent enough excuse. In fact, with Hans actually being a spy, that excuse isn’t even a lie. There probably are more spies, though that’s not certain.”

For those who were aware of the situation, there was no better excuse. To those who weren’t aware, it was enough. It was a genuine case of “the ends justify the means.” After he decided what he would do from here on out, he turned to Ecclesia.

“So, what are your plans? You’re better off sending your troops back to Endesia with the commoners, but I also think it’s best if you return to Rhoadseria with me. Well, that is if you’re prepared to fight their new king, Owen.”

Ecclesia was in a bit of a strange spot. As King Phillip was her uncle, that meant Owen Spiegel was too. Therefore, returning to Endesia would likely spare her from the death penalty. Given her close relationship with Phillip, there was also the possibility that Owen would have her committed to house arrest. That, or she would be married off to some noble family and stripped of her military duties. At this stage, either of these outcomes was possible for her, but it went without saying that neither was desirable. Owen probably wouldn’t want to have Ecclesia, someone who had been close to Phillip, serving as a general in the future. Ecclesia understood that.

“Yeah... I think I’ll go with you,” said Ecclesia with a sad smile, as if lamenting that she both had to leave her own nation and kill another uncle. 

Three days had passed. The Lubua Plains stretched out to the south of the fortress city or Jermuk. Somewhere on a low hill on the plains, the eagle flag of Brittantia and the wolf flag of Tarja fluttered in the wind. It was likely the main camp of the allied forces’ commander. The forces gathered on that low hill were preparing to march toward Jermuk. Outside the city walls, Ryoma Mikoshiba looked out over the plains with a pair of binoculars, watching the advancing troops.

“Looks like they’ve finally made their move. The vanguard seems to be around seventy to eighty thousand men strong.”

It had been more than ten days since Ryoma scouted ahead and checked on the enemy forces with a hot air balloon. One could say they had rather leisurely prepared themselves for the next battle.

The enemy must have been waiting for word from Endesia, thought Ryoma.

Coordination between two units was necessary when orchestrating a pincer attack in war. They were more than likely using messenger birds or messengers to deliver reports and determine the best time to march. As Ryoma was more or less certain the allied forces and General Duran were working together, it was only natural that he thought that way.

Well, it gave us enough time to prepare, so I’m thankful in a way...

Since they knew it could have been lethal if Laura had been spotted while doing reconnaissance in the hot-air balloon, they were able to prepare accordingly. And it seemed that the enemy general was using his trump card right away. When Ryoma noticed something, he unconsciously smirked.

A group of soldiers was mounted on four-legged monsters.

There were around one hundred of them, which seemed small compared to the tens of thousands of soldiers Ryoma and his allies boasted. In terms of strength, this unit of monster cavalry was probably worth around ten thousand average soldiers.

So that’s the enemy general’s trump card... Those horns make them look like dinosaurs.

The creatures had tough hides and horns that resembled those of a triceratops. They also had long noses; biologically, they seemed like a type of elephant, or at least a close relative to one. However, they were only similar in appearance to the elephants on Rearth. The creatures’ size easily exceeded that of a medium-sized four-ton truck. They weren’t as big as ten-ton trucks, but they were much larger than the Indian or African war elephants that Ryoma knew about from Rearth’s history.

There was a basket on their backs where soldiers armed with throwing spears and bows could sit, along with the drivers who controlled the beasts.

I see... Though they look a little different, they are war elephants. So they plan to charge us with those first. 

The Igasaki clan had reported as much when they were in the hot-air balloon, so Ryoma and the others knew of them already, but it was a very different feeling seeing them in the flesh.

At the very least, I know kids wouldn’t call these elephants cute.

They’d probably be frozen with fear and begin to cry.

The Igasaki clan made a note of it before, but now it makes sense. These beasts allowed the people living outside any nation’s laws to maintain their independence and resist the rule of the southern kingdoms. Ordinary soldiers wouldn’t stand a chance... They’d be crushed flat. 

Individuals who had mastered martial thaumaturgy, or those who had transcended human limits, faced a distinct challenge. If Ryoma released Kikoku, he would make quick work of them, regardless of their numbers. Even skilled soldiers could not stand in the way of the giant monsters. It was physically possible to do so, but actually mustering up the courage to do it would be incredibly difficult.

It was akin to standing in front of a truck with nothing but one’s bare body; the sheer force and terror of the oncoming threat would be beyond imagination.

The soldiers I trained might be able to hold their ground. But even with a generous estimate, the odds of them being successful would be less than fifty percent.

After all, the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy heavy infantry consisted of elite soldiers skilled in martial thaumaturgy, and they wore armor enchanted by the dark elves’ verbal thaumaturgy. Their talent and equipment might have allowed them to withstand the monsters’ charge once or twice. Plus, there was little chance of them losing their morale. If Ryoma ordered them to withstand the onslaught until death, they would do exactly that. However, it was clear that their formation would break sooner or later. The enemy wouldn’t stop at one attack.

The Mikoshiba Grand Duchy’s heavy infantry obviously wouldn’t be able to withstand repeated attacks from the enemy’s giant monsters. And as for the ordinary soldiers of the Kingdom of Myest, who were only one step above being amateurs, they simply wouldn’t stand a chance.

If the enemy forces have control over those giants, they’ll be a formidable threat. 

Charging monsters would trample and crush opposing soldiers. It was clear that the infantry would be scattered about without putting up much of a fight.

However, that’s only if we take them head-on, thought Ryoma. He already had an idea on how to deal with the ferocious creatures. The conventional approach would be similar to dealing with actual elephants. We would either have to trap them in a pitfall or use a net to reduce their mobility before killing them. 

That was how primitive people had hunted back when mammoths roamed the lands, and it was similar to methods used historically to deal with war elephants.

But that’s a little boring... There has to be a more interesting way—one that would also deal a blow to the enemy’s morale.

The preparations were already in place for the two armies to clash on the Lubua Plains. The unit of war elephants charged forward, kicking up dust as they moved. Behind them were the enemy’s infantry units. It was a wave of oppression. The average untrained conscript would break formation immediately in the face of such a threat.

I didn’t expect them to use their trump card right out of the gate. I had the enemy general pegged as someone who knew their stuff, but this bold move caught me off guard. If they plan to use these monsters, it makes sense they would deploy them when our formations are still intact rather than later. They’re trying to throw our lines into chaos.

While somewhat startled by the enemy general’s bold tactics, Ryoma barked out the orders for a counterattack.

“Heavy infantry! Split to the left and right, then form an oblique formation, then fend off the enemy charge!”

The heavy infantry followed the order, falling into a V formation. To the enemy, it would appear like their initial charge had caused Ryoma’s line to collapse under the pressure. And it probably would have collapsed under the pressure if it were composed of mere amateur units. These disciplined units, however, followed Ryoma Mikoshiba’s firm, clear orders.

This concept was similar to hua jin, which could be seen in Tai Chi and other martial arts. Rather than take a direct attack from the front, one would deflect it to fend off the enemy’s attack.

The war elephants tore through the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy’s forces. Or rather, it would be more correct to say that the army skillfully deflected and maneuvered their way around the elephants’ charge.

“Huh?!” One of the riders atop the war elephant cried out. It was plain to see he felt he had fallen into some kind of trap. However, the monster he rode paid him no mind and continued to charge forward. The elephants were not intelligent like humans; they were still animals. Because of that, once the animals started their rampage, there was no stopping them. Or rather, their riders had given them the order to charge, and nothing could stop them now. All they could do was continue to rush forward, even if their riders suspected it was a direct path to death.

Finally, the time had come.

The front line of the war elephant unit had begun to push through the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy’s main formation. This was the moment Ryoma Mikoshiba had been waiting for.

“Now! Laura! Sara!” Ryoma bellowed through Wezalié’s Whisper, firing off his order to the twins watching over the battle from atop the walls of Jermuk. The reason they were not at their general’s side was for this moment.

Following their masters orders, the twins began to chant, producing prana as they did so. Prana flowed through their bodies, creating a surge of power and causing their chakras to spin, granting the twins superhuman powers beyond those of ordinary people.

When their chakras began to rotate from muladhara at the perineum, the energy flowed upward along their central axis, heading toward the crowns of their heads. Eventually, the prana reached their Anja chakra, located between their eyebrows, causing it to activate. This was one of the highest-level verbal thaumaturgy spells designed for mass destruction. Even though the Malfist twins were highly skilled thaumaturgy users, they were unable to cast this spell by themselves.

This was only natural.

After all, they were about to activate a combined thaumaturgy spell that would cause mass annihilation over a large area. Having multiple thaumaturgists cast this type of spell could strengthen its power and effective radius. At first glance, it seemed like an incredibly useful spell if done correctly.

Unfortunately, reality wasn’t so ideal.

On Earth, where the norm was to practice hand-to-hand combat using enhanced physical abilities, there were relatively few verbal thaumaturgists of any skill level, and the number of fully trained verbal thaumaturgists was even lower. In addition, to use a spell like this, one would need verbal thaumaturgists who were all on a similar power level and could chant along with one another perfectly, which was difficult to achieve. The compatibility among the thaumaturgists affected the synchronization of their chants.

Synchronizing their thoughts and breathing sounded easy enough, but pulling it off was a lot harder. As a result, it was a technique rarely used in actual battle. But as always, exceptional talent or painstaking training could achieve a miracle. Laura and Sara were both exceptionally talented, and they shared the same genes, blood, and mentality, meaning it was incredibly easy for them to synchronize. Their connection verged on being telepathy.

“Father of the gods who rule the skies! The embodiment of the raging elements, adorned in thunder and lightning! Hear our plea, and join our pact! Shatter the earth with your fury!” Two beautiful goddesses had spoken a requiem, bringing about death to their pitiful prey. Then, their peach-colored lips delivered the final activation. “Lightning Hammer.”

Suddenly, the skies were filled with thick, black clouds. Along with a loud crash of thunder, an enormous streak of lightning flew toward the earth. It was an imposing scene, one that matched the fury of the gods themselves. Anything hit by the lightning bolt would have been burned to a crisp. Of course, it was a spell cast by humans; no matter how strong the Malfist sisters were, they had their limits. The radius of the area of effect was around fifty meters. The girls had expanded the spell around three times its usual radius, which was impressive. All this wasn’t enough to completely wipe out the monsters, and the soldiers that had followed behind the monsters’ charge were still rushing toward the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy’s forces.

However, Ryoma understood that very well. He laughed as he watched the enemy forces run straight toward their deaths. It was a laugh that resembled a carnivore successfully capturing his prey.

Of course, the war elephants marching toward us posed a threat. But I already knew about it, so I was able to come up with a counterattack. 

Everything went silent after the thunderclap that followed the lightning bolt. Next came the roar of flames as fireballs consumed both the monsters and their riders. The force of the blast hit everything in its vicinity, and the high temperatures burned and destroyed everything in its path. There was no living thing that could survive such an attack; it was an inevitable death. The Malfist sisters’ Lightning Hammer ignited the Fire Drake’s Breath that had seeped into the ground.

Once the shock wave and dust had dispersed, all that remained on the plains south of Jermuk was a crater. It looked as if the land had been hit with a meteorite. Everyone had forgotten how to move; all stood as still as statues, no doubt trying to process what they had just witnessed. The general of the Kingdom of Brittantia’s forces and the allied forces’ overall commander—both possessing extensive military experience—each instinctively responded to the unexpected event. The former, Bruno Accordo, was commanding his entire army from the center of their forces when he witnessed what happened.

“Are they insane...?” the ferocious general known as the Man-Eating Bear asked. “That light just now was verbal thaumaturgy... Lightning Hammer? But not even the most talented verbal thaumaturgist could pull something off on that scale...”

Bruno Accordo, the captain of the Griffon Knights of the Kingdom of Brittantia, who boasted many military achievements, considered verbal thaumaturgy lesser than martial thaumaturgy. That said, it was impossible for him to know nothing about verbal thaumaturgy. He had enough knowledge to recognize the verbal thaumaturgy “Lighting Hammer” when he saw the huge lightning bolt hit the ground. He also knew that verbal thaumaturgy had its limits.

“Did they cast it together? There aren’t not many thaumaturgists who can do that, let alone on that scale.”

The black clouds that had formed before the massive lightning strike were three to five times larger than what he knew Lightning Hammer could achieve. The attack’s power was also significantly higher than anything Bruno had heard of before.

“Maybe an extra unit of verbal thaumaturgists? But that’s impossible. They were all tightly packed together... If anything had gone wrong, they would have lost many of their own... However, the real question is that explosion afterward... Just what was that?”

All he could understand was that it wasn’t simply a thaumaturgy attack. The tragedy that occurred before his very eyes would have been impossible with verbal thaumaturgy alone.

“If that were simply the result of a Lightning Hammer spell strengthened by people casting it together, then I have no way of explaining the following explosion. Not to mention, the blast itself came from the earth... It was like a volcano exploding.”

Naturally, Bruno had no expertise in geology or volcanoes. In fact, there weren’t many people on Earth who had knowledge of such things in general, but they at least knew about the existence of volcanoes. After all, they had erupted countless times throughout Earth’s history.

Judging from Bruno’s limited information on volcanoes, the explosion earlier didn’t seem like a volcanic eruption.

The plains south of Jermuk consist of flatland and forest. There are no mountains.

Volcanic eruptions could happen in a plain formed within a caldera, like the Phlegraean Fields in Italy, or near a mountainous area. But it was safe to say that the chances of that were astronomically low. At least, to Bruno who lived on Earth, it sounded outside the realm of possibility.

What should we do? I need to restore order in our ranks... But how? Do we advance? Retreat? What do I even do?!

Normally, it would be best to advance. If they were still at a distance from the enemy forces, that would be one thing, but the enemy had enveloped many of his troops when they formed a V formation. The enemy would attack the allied forces’ backs if they attempted to retreat, making them even more vulnerable. If they chose to advance, they would be attacked all the same; altering their course of action would only shorten the duration of their defenselessness.

By charging ahead through the gaps opened by the monsters, we might be able to get behind the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy’s forces and turn the tide of this battle around. 

Although Bruno was aware of that, he couldn’t bring himself to command his forces to advance. No matter how much the odds were against Bruno, he could usually motivate his army and order them to push on. However, this time, he lacked the confidence to give such an order. He was unsure if the troops would heed such an order under these circumstances. In truth, there was little chance of that happening, because there were no soldiers in the Brittantia army who disobeyed an order from Bruno Accordo; he had both the military achievements and prowess to ensure as much. But that inexplicable explosion from before had shaken him to the core, dashing his confidence.

If I have them advance, I’d basically be asking them to march right onto the explosive land... Would they even follow such an order?

That was a risk that only a seasoned warrior and an exceptional strategist like Bruno could have realized. If he were a foolish general with a misplaced reputation, he might have completely ignored the thoughts and feelings of his soldiers, forcing them to march forward or retreat. But now Bruno realized that he could not give the order.

Knowing there was a trap and simply plunging into it without any preparation wasn’t courage, it was plain foolishness. However, this situation called for such foolishness. Being able to see ahead was a vital ability for a leader, but sometimes it was a double-edged sword, especially when being able to see too far ahead. As a result, Bruno’s hesitation tipped the scales in Ryoma Mikoshiba’s favor.

Luckily, the enemies themselves seem confused... Well, that makes sense. After seeing an explosion on that scale, they won’t be able to tell their troops to advance either. 

The blast wave and the sound of the explosion would have been enough to dampen the spirit of the enemy soldiers who were lucky enough to not be hit.

If Mikoshiba tries to make them advance, many will probably choose to flee the battlefield. In a worst-case scenario, there’s a chance they might even revolt against him. 

No soldier would casually comply with an order telling them to advance onto a field that was obviously loaded with mines. Soldiers frequently faced situations where they had to put their lives on the line and fight, but those moments often came with a good reason. They fought and met their deaths if they were unlucky. To charge into a situation where death was certain, they would need a compelling reason to give up their lives.

After all, no one wants to die a meaningless death. 

That wasn’t to say it was impossible. Only after extensive training could a unit composed of highly motivated soldiers driven by a strong sense of their mission carry out a desperate attack. Such a case was like the one made by soldiers at Hill 203 during the Russo-Japanese War, where they charged toward enemy lines under heavy fire.

However, humans were living creatures that feared entities beyond human understanding, and the unknown in general. The explosion that had just taken place was one such unknown force.

That fear of the unknown binds soldiers’ hearts and lowers their morale. There’s no way they could fight effectively. 

It was exactly as Ryoma Mikoshiba had planned.

“All right, now for the finishing touches! Chris, Leonard! Surround the enemies and attack them from both sides, cutting right through their forces! And take no prisoners. Kill them all! Carve the might of the Mikoshiba Grand Duchy into their soldiers’ chests! This will soon be their graveyard!”

Ryoma Mikoshiba gave out his final order using Wezalié’s Whisper, reaching both Chris Morgan and Leonard Orglen, who had been holding the flanks of the V formation with their forces, almost instantly. The Mikoshiba Grand Duchy’s formation began to change shape into something resembling a snake, devouring the enemy forces within and moving onto the final moments of the battle.