Chapter 22 (2/2)

Aura spoke with her brows furrowed, looking displeased

「There was no other choice this time around」

Liz put a finger to her jaw and tilted her head, as if so her

「Wait Uncle, what happened to the Fourth Imperial Army?」

「… I’ve sent letters many times over, but I’ve yet to receive a response It doesn’t seem like we can expect any reinforcements」

After responding to Liz’s words, Kiolk looks around the room and mutters

「By the way, I don’t see Sir Dios…」

Despite sensing a change in the air after saying that, he still continues

「He should’ve have gone to Fort Alt to meet with you, Liz… Did you perhaps not meet with him?」

After seeing Liz’s grave expression, Kiolk realized that he had affe

But you cannot take back that which has been said

Tris raised his brows and jumped in in an attempt to break the aard atmosphere

「Lichtein’s ar in wait near Baum That’s when…」

「… I see」

Kiolk, as leaning on his chair, dropped his shoulders

Although Kiolk should have been aware that a detached force of 3,000 Lichtein troops had headed for Fort Alt, because he saw that Liz was safe, it may have been that he assumed Dios was safe as well

「And ed to ain, too」

When Hiro looked at Aura’s face, her eyes ide open as if she were surprised, too

「That 「Ogre」 was…」 Hiro heard Aura mutter

In the corner of his eyes, Kiolk was seeping with remorse

「If only we hadn’t ignored the detached force…」

Aura’s aide, Alfred, responded to Kiolk’s words

「This isn’t the ti about “what ifs” It’s true that we let the detached force slip by, but turning our backs to 12,000but suicide」

Not a single person could disagree with him

Had they abandoned the fort and chased after them, they would have either been taken from the rear, or perhaps received a pincer attack

They would have had to defeat the 12,000 first, but they were not ready to take on those numbers

「Also, I’hness enter the fort, so we hness is their objective, the enemy will most likely come in for an attack」

Hiro thought of a nu them

But his hesitation disappeared immediately

The reason being that Aura spoke up full of fighting spirit

「… It is our turn now」

There were small flames lit in her lead colored eyes

Kiolk straightens his posture and questions the young girl

「Do you have some sort of plan?」

「Yes, ill launch an attack from Fort Belk」

「I think that’s reckless… we only have 3,000 on our side We probably won’t be able to win fighting them head on」

「Which is why, just in case, I’d like her Highness and Margrave Grinda to remain in Fort Belk with 1,000 men under you command」

Her aide Alfred nodded with pride in response to her words, but the others had their eyes wide open in surprise

「Starting now, please bear witness to a strategy that will not bring shame to the name of

「Mars」」

At the very top of the tower in the center of Fort Belk, one can get a view of the entire battlefield

Everyone is sweating profusely from the sun’s hot rays, and humid winds weave in and out between Hiro and the others

In the fort’s plaza, are 300 cavalrymen and 700 infantrymen on standby

They are ready to rush out as reinforce happen

On the other side of the iron gate, was a force of 2,000 led by Aura set in a strange formation

Looking down on them worried, Liz puts a hand to the wall, lifts her body, and voices her concern

「Hey, do you think they’ll be okay…? Wouldn’t it be best to hold down the fort?」

「No, that would be a poorat the fort from the outside, it’s hard to say that it’s solid If it co period of time, it’ll easily fall」

「Then, shouldn’t we fight with them after all?」

「Maybe But the skill level between Margrave Grinda’s soldiers and Aura’s soldiers are different If they fought together, there’s a chance Aura’s soldiers will be dragged down But having said that, if they fought separately, that would only lead to each of the crushed separately」

「This is so hard」

「It would be a different story if we had the same numbers as them, but that’s not the case this time」

But to defeat 12,000 men with only 2,000 is impossibly difficult

Should the commander be unskilled, it would be an instant annihilation

But looking down on Aura’s strange formation, the corners of Hiro’s mouth lift up to form a smile

All 2,000 troops were heavy cavalrymen

There were 5 rows of 100 roups of 500, one of which was the main unit

One would think charging in like this would be the epitome of stupidity, but…

(I see… She’s going to make a 「trident」)

Seeing the nostalgic formation, Hiro realized that he was truly back in Aletia

With the vanguard coins to come alive

The western sky is dyed in black, swelling with dark clouds

That scene, which would instill anxiety in any who saas steadily approaching the battlefield

No one had yet to realize as to occur or ould come about from it