Vol 5 Chapter 3 (1/2)
VOLUME 5 CHAPTER 3
Volume 5 Chapter 3, “With this, the Southern Alliance is Finished”
———- The City of the Gate, the Besieging Holy Crusaders
Boom! Boom!
Spearry”
Militia of Light: “Yeah…… I’ry too”
Disciple Bard: “Recently we haven’t been getting any rations”
Spearht: “I’m real sorry about that, Ms Bard”
Disciple Bard: “No it’s alright I don’t eat very much anyway”
Spearht: “Really?”
Disciple Bard: “Yep” Stomach rumbles
Spearht: “Uhhhh”
Disciple Bard: “Yeah” Stomach rumbles
Auxiliary of Light: “You must be famished”
Booom! Boom!
Disciple Bard: “Even so”
Spearht: “?”
Disciple Bard: “It’s still better than being in the fight itself”
Spearht: “Well, that’s…… true”
Militia of Light: “Fighting sucks”
Disciple Bard: “Well, of course This is ht be a bit frivolous, but I’m a Fairy It’s a type of Demon There are many types of Demons”
Spearht: “A Fairy you say?”
Disciple Bard: “Uhh We Fairies live in the woods There are Fairies like hly like Humans, and there are also tiny Fairies who look like little children They are called Sprites, and while they don’t have th, they can fly”
Militia of Light: “Oh…… A!”
Disciple Bard: “We ht be part of the Demon World, but we Fairies are not a race with e population with a rich history, but we are a cultured race with no propensity for violence We live in the forests, playinga life of art We also love to play pranks on other people We’re a bunch of tricksters, so we are terrible at fighting”
Spear?”
Disciple Bard: “That’s right”
Booom! Booom!
Spear aren’t they?”
Militia of Light: “Are the Fairies being enslaved or so?”
Disciple Bard: “No, not at all There are definitely Fairies inside the City of the Gate We , but that is also our land”
Spearht: “Eh……”
Disciple Bard: “If somebody attacks your home, no matter what, you have to stand up for it Otherwise, you’ll lose the place where we belong……”
Spearht: “That’s……”
Auxiliary of Light: “But well, the Demons, the Surface World”
Disciple Bard: “Well…… I guess it had to be said sooner or later We didn’t actually attack you”
Spearht was taken by the Deht?”
Disciple Bard: “The Fairies didn’t go to that island Have you lived in that island before?”
Spearht: “Well, no……”
Disciple Bard: “Much like the Hu separately So we didn’t actually do anything Moreover, your ho attacked, but everyone rushed to defend it, don’t you think it’s weird……?”
Militia of Light: “Well……”
Boom! Boom!
Disciple Bard: “Aha Ahahahaha Sorry Sorry! I didn’t actuallyI should have said, but it is a complex situation Like I said, there are many different types of Demons Just like with Humans, there are many different types of Humans too”
Spearht: “……”
Disciple Bard: “Well, that’s the way it is…… My heart is racing, sweat for to cry But even so, I ht”
Spearht: “……”
Militia of Light: “IS that so?”
Auxiliary of Light: “We are just simple serfs”
Disciple Bard: “Then sing”
Spearht: “Eh?”
Boom! Boom!
Disciple Bard: “Let’s sing today as well What should we sing? How about sos are too difficult And ar……?”
Spearht: “Yeah……”
Strum, strum……
Disciple Bard: “Alright!”
Spearht?”
Militia of Light: “You know songs about the Spirit as well?”
Auxiliary of Light: “ould you? Aren’t Demons the enemies of the Spirit?”
Disciple Bard: “Eh? But, this is a nice song, isn’t it? I remembered it from a church in the Holy Empire, but I really liked it It see to the Spirit of Light It’s kind, and bright, and I like it”
Spearht: “……”
Militia of Light: “……”
Strum, strum……
Auxiliary of Light: “Yeah…… we dance to this song in the Spring festival where I come fro too”
Disciple Bard: “Yeah Dancing ht and fun”
Boooom! Booom!
Spearo home”
———— The Plains of Strange Cliffs, the Crown Prince Marshal’s Army
Crown Prince Marshal: “How is the situation?”
Strategist: “Yes We are half a day froistics division, and we should arrive in three li If we can close this distance, we can istics division”
Holy Imperial General: “There have been no surprise attacks”
Crown Prince Marshal: “We still can’t afford to be careless……”
Strategist: “Even if the Southern Alliance were to launch an attack froade will still be able to attack theistics division We won’t lose to the Southern Alliance in speed So I think it’s safe to say that we are out of danger from a Southern Alliance ambush”
Holy Imperial General: “Can their Paladins withstand a volley?”
Strategist: “According to our intelligence, the Southern Alliance has a Paladin corps of less than 1,000 riders Most of their horses are pack horses used for pulling caravans”
Holy Iuard against their cavalry”
Crown Prince Marshal: “……”
Strategist: “What is wrong?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “We cannot tell if the Southern Alliance has joined up with the Demons With such unconfirmed information, what shall we label them?”
Strategist: “They appear to have joined up”
Holy Imperial General: “…… Hmm”
Strategist: “Even if they haven’t, they are still heretics It doesn’t matter if they’re up above or down below, they are still rotten and evil”
Holy Iht”
Crown Prince Marshal: “That would be nice”
Strategist: “……”
Crown Prince Marshal: “What do you mean? 50,000 is a lot It’s ht”
Strategist: “That may be true”
Crown Prince Marshal: “I’m sure the South must have considered that as well”
Strategist: “How are the negotiations?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Hmm…… They must still have soest expeditionary force that their supply lines and logistics stores could allow Unlike the Holy Crusaders, they don’t have the force of religious fanaticism to provide volunteers In other words, the th is still at home This doms, they could set the Central Plains on fire in an instant”
Holy Imperial General: “……”
Crown Prince Marshal: “This is the reality I understand that they cannot possibly inflict such violence on us However, this threat could really scare the people They cannot publicly join forces with the Deainst us, who serve the Holy Church That would merely induce the other nobility and royalty to join the Holy Crusaders”
Strategist: “Well, that’s true”
Holy Imperial General: “Indeed”
Crown Prince Marshal: “That’s why they want it to be settled in one fight What’s the point even if we annihilate them It’ll just throw the Surface World into another hundred years of war We have toour vassals once again However, that otiations will be forced to the breaking point”
Strategist: “That’s right Moreover, that fight will open the eyes of all the nobles”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Yeah If we don’t intiht now, the flames of ill spread even further”
Holy Imperial General: “Then……”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Noto be a war But, if possible, I want it to be just one war Once the logistics division links up with the forces besieging the City, we’ll cover their rear Once that happens, the Southern Alliance can only dreaht, we should be able to bring the nobility into the war against the Southern Alliance”
Strategist: “Indeed”
Crown Prince Marshal: “But, this is a good chance for us to wipe them out After what happened the last time”
Holy Imperial General: “You mean the Polar War?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Well”
Strategist: “Yeah……”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Ti the combat ability of expeditionary troops”
Strategist: (Definitely…… We weren’t able to get enough supplies fro its ill-effects)
Crown Prince Marshal: “It’s very annoying, but we can’t even be certain about the movements of the ether”
———– The Plains of Strange Cliffs, the Southern Alliance Camp
Disciple Soldier: “Speed has slowed down a little They appear to bea distance”
Lieutenant of Metal: “Defence Minister?”
Disciple Soldier: “What is it?”
Lieutenant of Metal: “Why do you keep changing ourus to incessantly circle around the enemy unit?”
Disciple Soldier: “Yeah We have to apply pressure on them from the front, and continue to whittle down their numbers”
Lieutenant of Metal: “Their numbers?”
Disciple Soldier: “Yes”
Lieutenant of Metal: “Why?”
Disciple Soldier: “The Fairy Tribe, especially the Sprites, are able to see aht They can easily conceal their presence and make for fantastic scouts”
Fairy Attendant: “That’s right!”
Disciple Soldier: “The Fairies long ago discovered the scout units sent to observe us I fear these scouts are operating under instructions from the Crown Prince Marshal”
Lieutenant of Metal: “The Crown Prince Marshal is to our two o’clock direction, ready to link up with the logistics division, right?”
Disciple Soldier: “That’s right It seems they intend to join the 50,000 soldiers of the Crown Prince Marshal to their guard”
Lieutenant of Metal: “! Really?”
Disciple Soldier: “Well, honestly, their loads are rather heavy On top of well-positioned h- the 50,000 The Crown Prince Marshal commands an corps of 10,000 noble cavalry Compared to that, we have 30,000 men in the Southern Alliance army”
Lieutenant of Metal: “……”
Fairy Attendant: “—-“
Disciple Soldier: “By numbers, our defeat is certain…… That’s e have to strike now”
Lieutenant of Metal: “And that’s e keeparound?”
Disciple Soldier: “That’s right By waking up earlier and earlier, we give the logistics division the i closer and closer”
Lieutenant of Metal: “But if we decrease our speed, we’ll have o at full speed and capture them all?”
Disciple Soldier: “Capturing them is not our objective Moreover, if we chase theet exhausted, and on’t be able to stand up to the Crown Prince Marshal when he arrives to reinforce theical attack on the logistics division”
Lieutenant of Metal: “Psychological……”
Disciple Soldier: “In an unfaistics unit of serfs, constantly fleeing while holding on to as ical health is already desperately stretched On top of that, every night the Southern Alliance seee distance is roughly the same, but they can’t really tell that Based on their evidence, we could be two days away, or right next to them”
Lieutenant of Metal: “Then what’s with the constant reorganisation and attacks?”
Disciple Soldier: “We want to deceive the our troop numbers We may have elite soldiers, but only 30,000 of them The Holy Crusaders’ entire army numbers 200,000, but we aren’t even really a match for the 50,000 Crusaders under the command of the Crown Prince Marshal At the very least, we have to seize the initiative”
Lieutenant of Metal: “I see, so this allows us to seize the initiative……”
Disciple Soldier: “That is right While we know that we are at a disadvantage, the Crown Prince Marshal doesn’t know the terrain or the exact composition of our forces That is e hope for as well If he thinks we have too many soldiers, he will act more cautiously If he thinks we have too few, he may act more rashly”
Lieutenant of Metal: “So a fight is unavoidable then”
Fairy Attendant: “Are we going to fight?”
Disciple Soldier: “Well……”
Lone Winter King: “It would appear unavoidable”
Fairy Attendant: “Your Majesty!”
Disciple Soldier: “Your Majesty!”
Iron Fist King: “That’s right”
Lone Winter King: “We cannot avoid a fight, but we can prevent the”
Disciple Soldier: “Indeed”
Lieutenant of Metal: “…… Why? I don’t understand Didn’t we just say that winning would be very difficult?”
Lone Winter King: “The Crown Prince Marshal is the head of the Holy Crusaders On top of that, he is a remarkably reasonable man”
Disciple Soldier: “That’s right, which is e can’t avoid it”
Lieutenant of Metal: “I don’t understand……”
Lone Winter King: “This expedition is not ai the Holy Crusaders Our objective is to find a political solution that does not involve the exterdoms, or the Southern Alliance This is why the co, and I a the expedition as a representative of the Southern Alliance Security Council I have no intention to con policy goals”
Iron Fist King: “You take care of the troublesos”
Lone Winter King: “Why do the Holy Crusaders or the Demons have to be exterminated? This is a trend we have to leap out of, where you confront your eneth The Southern Alliance is still weak And it’s still balancing on thin ice…… If we annihilate the Holy Crusaders, we ht with the Deain For the Southern Alliance to survive, we have to ensure that all three parties hold back their spears”
Iron Fist King: “And that’s so here”
Lone Winter King: “Exactly, the Central Kingdodoms are already down here in the Deht as well be called the Imperial Alliance In addition to their imperial influence, they invoked the na with the Crusades”
Disciple Soldier: “That’s right”
Lone Winter King: “That’s why, for this interminable diplomacy, we must focus on the heads of the Holy Crusaders, and diminish their desire to invade —– However ‘However’ is very important here”
Fairy Attendant: “?”
Iron Fist King: “We can only confront the money, but it was pointless They are landed nobility They wouldn’t just agree to our tero back obediently”
Lone Winter King: “Precisely That is e still need that one fight”
Fairy Attendant: “…… How difficult”
Disciple Soldier: “The problem is”
Lieutenant of Metal: “When and where?”
Disciple Soldier: “Precisely The details will decide everything According to the Fairy Attendant, in a day and a half ill reach the City of the Gate The main force of the Holy Crusaders has enveloped the City of the Gate I fear that when the logistics division arrives at the City of the Gate, they will begin preparing defences against us…… They have two paths The Crown Prince Marshal can turn around and engage us”
Lieutenant of Metal: “The Crown Prince Marshal’s forces could link up with the main force No matter what forainst us easily”
Iron Fist King: “Well, that’s true The first option is much better”
Lone Winter King: “That’s right In the second option, ould have to fight a force of at least 100,000 enemies”
Disciple Soldier: “In the end, ill have to prepare for the second option, but ill still have to confront the Crown Prince Marshal on the first one Moreover…… with the logistics division and the supplies they are carrying, my teacher would definitely……”
Lieutenant of Metal: “What?”
Disciple Soldier: “Well my teacher would tell me to take that into consideration”
Lieutenant of Metal: “……”
Iron Fist King: “Well, what should we do? Commander?”
Disciple Soldier: “This fight will be decided by the round For that reason, we need to start now This could all go down tomorrow”
Iron Fist King: “One fight”
Disciple Soldier: “I hope so”
Iron Fist King: “Then”
Disciple Soldier: “Fairy Attendant, ramp up all reconnaissance operations”
Fairy Attendant: “Understood!”
———— The Plains of Strange Cliffs, the Crown Prince Marshal’s Tent
Strategist: “We should be able to see the logistics division soon”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Understood”
Strategist: “It seems we should be able to link up with them without any difficulty”
Holy Ied with the logistics division…… Soon our vanguard should link up with theet a situational report from their commanders”
Crown Prince Marshal: “How is it?”
Holy Imperial General: “Well, it’s difficult The security of the supply depots is the responsibility of the responsibility of the Guard Commanders, who are dead There are , they failed to establish a unified command structure On top of this, a lot of supplies under their charge were lost, and each of the co responsibility for this”
Strategist: “Well, that’s to be expected”
Holy I Guard Commanders are all low nobility”
Crown Prince Marshal: “But on the other hand, I’m not about to fault them They were tasked to defend an area with only 2,000 men The Southern Alliance attacked with 50,000 It would be within their responsibilities to withdraw”
Holy I to what I’ve heard, they report being attacked by a mixed Human-Demon army of several thousand”
Strategist: “Mixed army?”
Holy Inia of the Holy Order of the Lake, but the infantry units were primarily Demons On top of that, the enemies had muskets too”
Strategist: “Muskets? …… Did they seize them?”
Holy Imperial General: “So it would appear Well, the report does not co told by their subordinates It’s real chaos We’re going to need to get there before we can confirm the story”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Mixed force? How is that……? No wait The Holy Order of the Lake… that means their commander is……”
Bang! Bang!
“Ambush!+ It’s an ambush!+”
“Enemy cavalry! Prepare the muksets!”
“Right flank prepare!”
“No it’s the left flank Agh!!”
Strategist: “What?”
Holy Imperial General: “An ambush!+? Where did they co”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Calm down! The enemy are few in number”
Holy Imperial General: “Why?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “There’s no way they could send any sort of substantial force here without our detection! Believe in your scouts! The ene undetected through the forest! Stop all h their encirclement”
Strategist: “All units, rally! Cavalry form ranks! Pikes to the front!”
Holy I”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Tsk This movement”
Paladin of the Lake: “Attack! Form the Aquarius formation!”
Dual Swordshhhhhh!!”
Pikeman of Beasts: “Die you children!!”
Strategist: “It’s no use The attack power of the Deher than we expected Our muskets can’t be used in all this chaos”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Hold them doith the pikemen! Take them out with the muskets!”
Strategist: “Pikemen advance!”
“Hold them down! As the Spirit wills it!”
“As the Spirit wills it!”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Their numbers are few! Do not falter! Take them down!”
Bang! Bang!
The Female Paladin: “Crown Prince Marshal!”
Crown Prince Marshal: “!”
The Female Paladin: “I am the Female Paladin! The Grand Commander of the Holy Order of the Lake! This is your last warning, lay down your arms!”
Clang!
Crown Prince Marshal: “Feeneral of the Southern Alliance! The Rose of the Isle of Light! The Right Hand of the Hero!!”
The Female Paladin: “So you do know me, Hero of the Empire Or should I say, the Commander of the Continent, Crown Prince Marshal”
Clang! Lang!
Crown Prince Marshal: “I’m afraid I cannot compare to you in swordsmanshi+p Take aim! Muskets! Fire!”
The Female Paladin: “Please, I am a user of chants ‘Chant of Speed’!”
Strategist: “Ha! Mydirectly for you, they will fire at the space around you, filling the air with high velocity balls of lead which you cannot possibly dodge”
The Fe Much faster than any of the Demon commanders)
Strategist: “Your Ihness!”
Musketeer of Light: “Fire!”
Bang! Bang!
Holy Iht!?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “I’m fine”
The Female Paladin: (This is it for us)
Bang! Bang!
The Female Paladin: “Paladins, form up! Formation of the Lily!”
Strategist: “What?”
Crown Prince Marshal: “Are you retreating, Female Paladin”