Chapter 246. Childhood Friend – By the Riverside
On the round hill of the Kingdom of Conrad, Algeo de Lognum stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his fingers tapping rhythmically.
The generals and advisors surrounding him, led by Count Geogis Germin and a few other nobles, were celebrating the victory of their initial battle. Yet Algeo’s gaze remained fixed on the enemy.
They had successfully breached the border.
Count Rofero, the western border count of the Kingdom of Conrad, had failed to defend the fortifications and key positions along the border, and his army was in full retreat.
But something was amiss.
Marquis Guidan, who was well-versed in the local terrain, had advised on tactics, and with an overwhelming force, victory was a given. What puzzled Algeo was the enemy’s extreme foolishness.
‘No matter how well I hid the fact that I was amassing troops, they shouldn’t have been unaware of it up to now.’
Unless they were fools.
‘Then why did they not prepare at all? If they had increased their rangers and densely stationed archers at the fortifications, they could have inflicted hundreds of casualties…’
“Congratulations on the great victory! Everything is thanks to your excellent command, Prince… or rather, Duke. Since the enemy has been shattered, how about raising a toast to boost the morale of the soldiers?”
Count Germin, who was flushed with excitement, interrupted Algeo’s thoughts. Algeo smiled,
“Would it be alright if I leave the task of encouraging the soldiers to you, Count? I believe you would be more suited for it than I. However, it would be wise to limit the alcohol. Many of the soldiers are former pirates, and it might be difficult to manage them if they get drunk.”
He brushed aside the flatterers and, feeling the cool southern breeze, fell back into thought.
‘…The origin and maxims of the blitzkrieg strategy used by King Maunin and Queen Retii also included strategies for deliberate defeat. It could be to lure the enemy into a favorable terrain for themselves or to prepare for a siege and annihilation…’
Algeo climbed up to a vantage point and looked around the terrain.
The warm early summer breeze from the southern sea, with scattered forests along the valleys of the rolling hills.
What purpose did the enemy have in allowing us to come this far? If I were the enemy, what would I do?
If it were me…
‘Fire attack.’
I would have started a fire. Hiding soldiers in the forest, setting fire from below the hill, and using the smoke and confusion to launch a surprise attack.
Ah! It might also be possible to sever the supply lines of the enemy who came over the rugged mountain terrain. If only I could retake the excessive fortifications…!
“Mages!”
Algeo de Lognum called the mages over with urgency.
He had been complacent.
Could it be that, even as Prince Algeo, he was complacent? Still, he didn’t expect that such a large-scale military tactic would be prepared right after crossing the border.
They had intentionally let the fortifications fall. Rather than simply letting them be, they had avoided destroying them.
But Duke Algeo de Lognum’s concerns proved unfounded.
The three mages, who had approached slowly, used cloud-vision magic to survey the rear and the surrounding hills. Yet, there was nothing to be seen.
“That can’t be right…? Did you thoroughly check?”
The youngest mage shrugged and said,
“Yes, there is nothing there.”
The middle-aged mage added a bit of explanation.
“They might be hiding in the forest. From the sky, it’s difficult to see if there are any cover like trees.
The elderly mage affirmed.
“Are you trying to confirm the presence of hidden enemies? It’s difficult to hide soldiers under the trees, let alone hidden ambushes. There are no hidden enemies.”
“Is there any possibility that enemy mages might be hiding?”
“Oh, if it were mages, it would be possible. I don’t know if there are any particularly proactive mages among them, but you needn’t worry about that either. If the enemy mages are preparing spells, we would know immediately.”
“I see… Understood.”
He dismissed the mages and, this time, summoned a few knights to personally conduct reconnaissance.
There was no firm evidence to conclude that the enemy had acted foolishly. Underestimating the enemy could wait until after all the enemies were dead.
The prince rode around the surrounding forests and hills. As he was about to return after inspecting the camp of Marquis Guidan in the north and reviewing the rear, he saw something unusual.
“Stop right there. Who are you?”
Ten barbarians were trudging over. The ignorant barbarians, as expected, did not recognize the knights and stared at them with wide eyes.
“You lot? Who do you think you are to block our way? I’ll gut you right here if you don’t explain yourself.”
Just as the angry knight was about to draw his sword, Algeo raised a hand.
“Wait, calm down. We were rude. But this is a time of war. Who are you to approach from the rear of Marquis Guidan’s camp and our army?”
“Ah, looks like we’ve finally arrived.”
“Damn it. If you hadn’t been so useless back then, we’d have arrived much sooner.”
The barbarians muttered among themselves for a moment. One of them was rubbing his legs, apparently sore from the long journey.
One of the royal guards escorting Algeo, unable to hold back his irritation, urged them,
“Answer quickly.”
“Ah, you’re being so uptight. Don’t worry. We’ve come to join the army of that noble Marquis Guidan.”
“Marquis Guidan’s? Why would barbarians…”
“Oh! We’ve been waiting for this. We will guide you.”
Algeo winked at the knights and turned his horse towards his own army instead of the marquis’s. As they headed towards his own troops, he asked,
“Was your journey difficult?”
“Ugh. Don’t even get me started. It was a struggle. Not only did we have trouble communicating with the outsiders, but they told us to go to the lands of Marquis Guidan, only to find there are two of them. Hahaha. We got really lost in the middle.”
“Hey! It’s one thing to say you got lost, but the locals were so hostile. They called us barbarians and tried to extort more money from us, and gave us wrong directions. Sigh, I was uncertain when I was in the village, but now that we’re out here, I see it clearly. This rotten world needs to be turned upside down.”
The barbarian warriors nodded their heads in agreement. Algeo followed suit, nodding as he asked,
“So you’ve come to find Marquis Guidan. What promise did the marquis make to you?”
“Only the general and the chieftain know the details; we don’t. But the noble marquis said that if we lend our strength, all the natives of the kingdom would be liberated.”
The knights’ expressions hardened. Algeo de Lognum lightly stroked his chin and smiled.
“I see. Then you must not have been sent from just one tribe… From which tribe do you come?”
“We come from the Bizan tribe. Is that the army of Marquis Guidan over there?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Thank you for guiding us. Ah, my friends. You all have done well. Let’s hurry and find our village people. My daughter should have arrived by now as well.”
“You have a daughter? If you tell me her name, I can arrange for you to meet her.”
“Oh! Thank you. I’m Uban Bizan, and my daughter’s name is Bannu Bizan…”
— *Swoosh.*
With a light gesture from the prince, Uban Bizan’s head fell. As the knights slaughtered the barbarians, the prince realized the reason for the enemy’s retreat and began to piece together the situation.
Marquis Guidan. This old fox was scheming something.
It seems he intended to kill me and then topple our kingdom with the help of the Kingdom of Conrad… Haha! Not bad.
“What should we do? Should we immediately capture Marquis Guidan?”
A bloodstained knight asked coldly. The prince shook his head.
“Keep today’s events to yourselves.”
This was an expedition he had prepared for his entire life.
While capturing and executing Marquis Guidan would be straightforward, doing so might cause the army to disband on its own, having lost its leader. No matter how much of a prince he was, he had no legal grounds to compel those who were paid by the marquis.
So what should be done? Wait… Yes, Marquis Guidan’s betrayal will be revealed at the Irotashi River.
Algeo de Lognum turned his horse as he contemplated how to turn the tables on Marquis Guidan’s army. Behind him, the red hoofprints of his horse stretched out long.
* * *
“The stone bridge has been destroyed.”
In just a week, the forces of Marquis Guidan and Duke Algeo had pushed the enemy all the way to the Irotashi River.
Count Rofero, the western border count of the Kingdom of Conrad, had become enamored with delaying tactics even as he retreated (after Phallas Tertan’s death), destroying the stone bridge and setting up a camp on the other side.
The stone bridge could have been left as it was.
Restoring the bridge would take a considerable amount of time. While it was not impossible since the foundation pillars remained, if the vast river flooded during the rainy season, restoration could become even more difficult.
The two invading armies on the Conrad Kingdom side began constructing rafts to cross the river. Fortunately, while the Irotashi River was wide, it was not raging. It was swimmable, though an army could not swim across with their gear, so they needed some form of supply and support.
The soldiers, unaware that they would soon become rebels, put their heart and soul into building the rafts. They attached shields to protect against enemy arrows and boasted about the sturdy oars they had found for their squads.
It was all futile, but to deceive the enemy, one must deceive their own side first.
The fact that the true plan was to attack the army (Duke Algeo’s forces) would only be revealed the day before crossing the river, and Marquis Guidan frequently sent reports to Prince Algeo, observing his movements.
“Prince Algeo appears to be in high spirits. After more than thirty battles and victories, it’s understandable. He’s eager to cross the river quickly and besiege Ladoga.”
“That’s good to hear. But we must not be complacent. Despite appearances, he’s a prince, and he must have hidden abilities.”
Marquis Guidan nodded.
“Indeed. His political skills, in particular, are exceptional. While many think of him as a lecherous playboy, I do not believe that. We should be even more cautious. Oh, and the prince plans to send troops to the rear. He’s worried about the extended supply line and potential enemy attacks.”
“How many will you send?”
“He was going to send a thousand men, but I suggested that since the situation is under control, it might be better to send around three thousand. He seems worried that it might be too many.”
“No, this is good. If the supply lines aren’t guarded by pirates or raiders, then the soldiers going to the rear should be the best of the best. This will make things easier. How is the crossing preparation going?”
“It’s progressing quickly, probably because there are many sailors involved. They are even constructing a small boat. The crossing is scheduled for four days from now.”
Perhaps due to the smooth progress of the task, Marquis Guidan was smiling brightly. But this was the last smile Lev ever saw from him.
Three days later, on a drizzly day, the marquis’s head lay between the two armies. It was a disaster that occurred when he went to report that the crossing would be difficult due to the rainy weather.
As the soldiers murmured among themselves, Duke Algeo de Lognum shouted.
“I have executed the traitor, Marquis Harvey Guidan! The marquis conspired with the barbarians to stage a rebellion, and those of you who have been with these wretched slaves are also traitors!”
Before them stood a formidable army of fifty thousand, with the swollen river on the left and the banner of the Lognum royal family displayed all over the forest on the right. The only way to escape seemed to be to turn back.
“But!”
Even drenched by the rain, the prince, with his dark hair as dark as the night sky, reprimanded them solemnly from afar.
“I know that you were only following orders. I will give you a chance. Kill those treacherous slaves to prove your loyalty to the Kingdom of Conrad and redeem yourselves!”
Two hundred royal knights stepped into the muddy water. In the face of such overwhelming threats and solemn demands, an ordinary soldier would bow before the divine prince.
Leo Dexter crossed his arms and thought, “So it comes to this.” He had been planning to escape with Lev but was instead moved by a faint, stirring voice.
“…Lihaji…”
That murmured voice grew louder. What started as a solitary mumble turned into a furious roar, gaining strength from one another.
“Shut your damn mouth!”
“How dare you speak of our marquis like that!!”
“You bastard!”
The soldiers were crying. Having served under the marquis for over a decade, they had come to respect and revere the warm-hearted Harvey Guidan, who was a beloved employer and a man of many wounds.
The knights of House Guidan were no different in their anger. Their fury was even greater than the soldiers’.
They had thrown away their swords to avenge their marquis who had been forsaken by the gods, who had taken away their son. They had replaced their ceremonial swords, which they had received as part of the knighthood ceremony, with new ones and had declared themselves unworthy.
Filthy beast, miserable wretch, you worthless scum.
They hurled curses that they would never dare speak to the prince. Just as the time for execution was drawing near, Leo stepped forward and shouted.
“Raise your weapons! For the glory of Marquis Harvey Guidan!”
The raindrops reflected the dazzling light. The Aura Blades, steaming and shimmering with light, inspired a resounding roar from everyone: “Waaaaaaaah!!!”
The men’s fury in the mud.
It was a sentiment that did not fit Lev’s usual demeanor, but he too raised his sword, adding light to Leo Dexter’s fervor.
“Stone… Pheeeeew!!”
Whose shout was it?
The soldiers, without regard for who went first, shouted “Stone… Pheeeeew!!”, “Stone… Pheeeeew!!”, “Stone… Pheeeeew!!”, “Stone… Pheeeeew!!” as they charged forward.
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