Arc 4 Chapter 14 : First Contact

[Marquis Fran POV]

Nearly two months had passed since the Empire declared war on the Republic of Venetia.

Yet from what I had heard, the first major clash between the two sides had only taken place a few days ago along the Republic of Venetia's first defensive line.

It seemed the war would continue for an entire year before both sides eventually entered negotiations based on the outcome of that year's fighting.

In war, it was rare for two nations to annihilate each other down to the very last drop of blood.

Usually, once their war resources began to run low, both sides would enter negotiations to bring the conflict to an end.

During my previous meeting with the Emperor, I declined the position I had been offered to command the Tenth Caballero Unit.

The reason was simple.

The security situation here remained highly unstable following the incidents involving the monsters and demons.

Although my territory was far from the current battlefield, I could not afford to become complacent simply because the Montana Mountains separated our land from the Republic of Venetia and the Kingdom of Draconia.

At present, I was in my study, reading reports from the five Reconnaissance Units stationed throughout this region.

The report that caught my attention the most came from Reconnaissance Unit 21, commanded by Raul de Garcia.

According to his reports, his unit had been continuously sweeping the Montana Mountains.

Although it was highly unlikely that an enemy army would attempt to cross such dangerous mountains simply to attack this territory, they had refused to ignore even the smallest possibility.

Tok! Tok! Tok!

A knock sounded from the door.

"Marquis Fran, Raul de Garcia has just returned from his mission and is requesting to meet with you personally."

The voice of one of my guards came from outside.

"Hmm..."

I stared toward the door.

"What an interesting coincidence. I was just about to summon him here myself."

"Let him in, Guard."

The door opened, revealing a young man with black hair standing outside.

He stepped inside and approached my desk.

"Sit down, Raul."

I gestured toward the chair.

"What did you want to discuss with me?"

Raul sat down and looked directly into my eyes with a serious expression.

"General, did you just read the reports from the unit I've been leading over the past several days?"

"Indeed. I was actually about to ask you about them."

I leaned back slightly.

"Do you have a particular reason for repeatedly conducting reconnaissance operations in the mountain region?"

"I came here to report something my unit discovered last night."

His tone had changed slightly.

"As for why we've been monitoring that area, the reason should be obvious. We wanted to determine whether the enemy would attempt to use a mountain route to attack this territory."

"But if they use the Montana Mountains, half of their army would die from the cold and the dangerous terrain, wouldn't they?"

I questioned his reasoning.

"It would be absurd for the Kingdom of Draconia to take such an enormous risk."

Even though they would gain the advantage of surprise because we would never expect such an attack, I still found it difficult to believe that any general would willingly take such a risk.

"I saw their army last night."

His words caught me completely off guard.

For a moment, I was genuinely stunned.

Still, I could not simply dismiss the possibility. I had to keep an open mind.

"They're using a route that allows them to cross the mountains without climbing above fifteen hundred meters."

Raul continued calmly.

"Because of that, it appears they will arrive in this territory with all forty thousand of their soldiers intact in two days."

"Raul..."

I narrowed my eyes.

"You're not playing some sort of joke on me, are you?"

I leaned forward.

"What you just told me—you're being completely serious, correct?"

"If the Kingdom of Draconia does not attack within three days, you may punish me for spreading false information."

His confidence was absolute.

I began tapping my fingers against my desk as I considered what I could do to face forty thousand Draconian soldiers invading this territory.

"Marquis Fran, do you still remember the debt you owe me after I defeated your daughter in the Academy Tournament?"

My attention returned to him.

"Of course I remember. But isn't this rather an inappropriate time to discuss that matter?"

"No."

Raul's expression remained serious.

"My request is directly related to the enemy who will be attacking us."

He leaned slightly forward.

"I want you to implement the plan I've prepared to defeat the forty thousand soldiers of the Kingdom of Draconia."

"Very well."

I gestured for him to continue.

"Let's hear your plan first."

Raul then explained the route being used by the Draconian main army, including its length, width, and the estimated time required to traverse it.

He explained that the Kingdom of Draconia would almost certainly avoid carrying large quantities of logistical supplies in order to move through the route as quickly as possible.

They could not afford to let our spies discover their movements and report them before the army reached our territory.

Their objective was to launch a surprise attack.

"Therefore, once they arrive, they will undoubtedly target the grain stores and food supplies belonging to the villages in this region."

Raul explained what the enemy would do once they entered our territory.

"I recommend allowing them to seize the food stores in Gela Village. Let them believe their invasion is succeeding."

"Then we draw them deeper into our territory."

I tried to anticipate where he was going with this.

Under normal circumstances, it would have been common sense to burn every food store in our territory when facing an invading army several times our size.

We could not allow the enemy to use our supplies to sustain a massive army.

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"Once the enemy takes control of Gela Village and Alto Village, they will undoubtedly target the small city of Sarisa, located fifty kilometers east of Cataluna Fortress City."

Raul pointed toward the map.

"If Sarisa falls, I want your forces to do something different."

"Do not wait inside the fortress for their army to arrive."

"Instead, I want you to take our forces outside the city and conduct skirmishes without committing to a full-scale engagement."

"Why?"

I frowned.

"Wouldn't we have an advantage if we fought them from inside the fortress city?"

"Exactly."

Raul nodded.

"But if we do that, we will surrender the initiative on this front."

"The initiative?"

I stared at him.

"How are we supposed to seize the initiative against an army nearly three times the size of ours?"

"Even if we can reduce their available supplies within this territory, they can still receive logistical support from the Republic of Venetia through the route you mentioned earlier."

Raul fell silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating my question.

Then he answered.

"My unit will cut off the enemy's logistical supply route."

I frowned.

That should have been nearly impossible.

The enemy would certainly guard the only route connecting their army to the Republic of Venetia.

"How will you accomplish that?"

"My unit and I will prevent the logistical supplies sent by the Republic Venetia from reaching the route they're currently using."

I stared at him.

"That means you and your unit will conduct an operation inside the territory of the Republic?"

I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

"How will you even get there?"

"Will you cross the mountains as well and somehow reach their territory without being detected?"

"Do you have another route that will allow you to cross those mountains without freezing to death?"

"Don't worry about that."

Raul remained completely calm.

"I have another secret route that they don't know about."

"Furthermore, I have spies who can provide me with information regarding logistical shipments being sent by the Republic of Venetia to the Draconian forces stationed here."

Spies?

So this man had already prepared everything long ago.

Could he have predicted that the enemy would use this newly discovered route to invade us?

That would explain why his unit had been continuously conducting reconnaissance in the mountains.

Raul de Garcia...

Had he already predicted our enemy's movements before the war had even begun?

"Very well."

I studied him carefully.

"How many soldiers do you need for this operation?"

"At present, I command approximately fifty members of Reconnaissance Unit 21."

Raul answered without hesitation.

"I want the unit expanded to two hundred members."

"Very well. I approve."

I nodded.

"Then when will you begin the operation?"

"Exactly when they attack the small city of Sarisa."

After another half hour of discussing the strategy, our meeting finally came to an end.

Raul left my study and returned to the soldiers' barracks to rest.

But I remained in my chair, still thinking about everything we had discussed.

If this strategy succeeded, we would be able to defeat forty thousand soldiers of the Kingdom of Draconia without sacrificing a large number of our own men.

[Alesio POV]

Morning on the third day after we entered the Stretto Route...

The advance of the main army of the Kingdom of Draconia had finally come to a halt.

A massive stone wall—the very obstacle I had described during the war council—stood directly in our path.

The Earth Elemental Wizards of the Kingdom of Draconia were currently gathered one hundred meters away from the wall, preparing to destroy it so the main army could continue its advance.

They stood motionless for nearly ten minutes, quietly murmuring what I assumed were incantations.

As a Non-Sorcerer, I still did not understand how magic worked.

It was something bestowed directly by the Goddess upon the humans who inhabited this world.

Then, suddenly—

"Earth Shatter!"

"Earth Shatter!"

The Wizards extended both hands toward the stone wall.

Crack!

A fracture appeared across its surface.

A moment later, the enormous wall blocking the Draconian army's path shattered into countless pieces.

However, the rubble still covered most of the Stretto Route.

I suspected the Wizards would have to clear the debris before our journey could continue.

Nearly an hour later, the path had finally been cleared enough for the army to move again.

We continued forward and eventually emerged from the mountain range.

We had finally reached the easternmost edge of the Margraviate of Cataluna within the Aragon Empire.

However, we needed to secure the local food stores as quickly as possible before the Empire realized that we had entered its territory.

While I was checking my belongings, Adrien suddenly approached me.

"Lord Alesio, General Melisandru has ordered the Reconnaissance Unit and two thousand soldiers to secure the food stores belonging to the villages in this region."

He paused.

"I've been ordered to lead the operation. I hope you can accompany me and point out the locations of the villages in this area."

"Very well."

I looked at him.

"But where is your weapon?"

"What will you do if Imperial soldiers are stationed in the villages and you have to fight?"

"Hahaha!"

Adrien laughed.

"I don't fight with weapons, Lord Alesio!"

He clenched his fist.

"This is more than enough!"

I simply nodded in response.

The two of us then headed toward the location where the Reconnaissance Unit and the two thousand soldiers assigned to escort them had assembled.

Everyone appeared ready to carry out their first operation in the invasion of the Empire's eastern territories.

"Everyone!"

Adrien shouted to the troops standing before him.

"Our target is the food stores belonging to the villages in this area!"

"Do not let these people burn their supplies, or we'll starve during this campaign! Is that understood!?"

"Yes, Commander Adrien!"

"Yes, Commander Adrien!"

Their voices rang out loudly.

"Excellent!"

Adrien raised his hand.

"Now move out and complete our mission successfully!"

The entire force began moving.

The members of the Reconnaissance Unit advanced far ahead of the main body, monitoring the surrounding area and ensuring that the two thousand soldiers behind them would not walk into an ambush.

Adrien and I remained at the very front of the formation so we could observe the surroundings in case anything happened.

"Lord Alesio, how far is the nearest village?"

Adrien asked me.

"If we continue west for twenty kilometers, we'll reach Gela Village."

I answered.

"If I remember correctly, the village has a population of approximately fifteen hundred."

"Fifteen hundred?"

Adrien muttered thoughtfully.

"Do you think their food stores will be enough to feed our soldiers?"

"Perhaps for only three or four days."

I shook my head.

"We'll acquire a much larger supply once we reach the small city of Sarisa, thirty kilometers west of Gela Village."

"For that reason, your forces need to move quickly before they have time to respond to your arrival in this territory."

"You're right."

Adrien nodded.

"General Melisandru said he would resume moving the main army after allowing them to rest for three hours."

"Even though we won't obtain enough food from this region alone, the Republic of Venetia will begin sending convoys carrying logistical supplies for your army starting tomorrow."

I explained.

"So you don't need to worry about starving during the invasion."

After speaking with Adrien for nearly an hour, I spotted a settlement in the distance.

We had finally reached the vicinity of Gela Village.

Adrien then ordered the Reconnaissance Unit accompanying us to determine the location of the villagers' food stores by disguising themselves as travelers.

Half an hour later, the commander of the Reconnaissance Unit returned to report his findings.

"Well, Captain?"

Adrien asked.

"Did you locate where the villagers store their food?"

"Our unit found several warehouses storing grain and other food supplies in the northern part of the village."

The Captain pointed toward the settlement.

"Lord Adrien, you should seize the northern area first so we can secure the food supplies for our army."

"Very well."

Adrien nodded.

"Begin the operation immediately."

The order to attack was given.

One Cavalry Squadron was assigned to secure the food stores in the northern part of the village, while one thousand Infantry soldiers began their assault from the eastern side.

The Infantry encountered some resistance while attempting to seize the village.

Approximately fifty guards stationed within Gela had established barricades at several strategic points.

Nevertheless, our forces eventually succeeded in capturing Gela Village and securing its food stores.

We took the villagers prisoner.

Personally, I believed we should kill them all, as they would only become a burden to our forces.

However, Adrien rejected my suggestion.

He did not want his military career stained by an atrocity like that.

After securing Gela Village, we established it as a temporary camp for the main army advancing toward us before continuing toward the small city of Sarisa.

"Congratulations on successfully conquering the village, Lord Adrien."

I offered him my congratulations.

"Hah!"

Adrien scoffed.

"It's nothing more than a village with weak defenses!"

"I don't consider conquering such a small settlement any sort of achievement!"

"Even so, we should be grateful that everything went smoothly, shouldn't we?"

I replied.

"Lord Adrien, we need to move quickly and conquer Alto Village as well. It isn't far from here."

Adrien nodded.

He immediately ordered the troops under his command to move toward Alto Village, which was only fifteen kilometers away.

However, when we arrived nearly an hour later, black smoke was rising from the village.

The buildings were burning.

Adrien's forces immediately rushed forward to seize Alto Village and search for its food stores.

But we were too late.

Of the ten food warehouses in the village, we managed to secure only three before the villagers set fire to the remaining supplies.

When Adrien heard the news, he flew into a rage.

He ordered the captured villagers to be tortured as punishment.

It seemed the enemy had realized our presence much faster than we had anticipated.

[Raul POV]

Looking back, I could still see the thick columns of smoke rising from the burning village.

The unit I commanded was currently escorting the villagers who had agreed to abandon their homes.

Even though we had tried to persuade them otherwise, they had stubbornly refused to leave.

This was not the first time they had been forced to abandon their homeland.

And the last time they returned from being displaced, they had found their homes destroyed by the monsters and demons that had attacked the region.

Most of the people remaining in the village were elderly and men.

At present, we were heading toward the small city of Sarisa, where we would prepare the city's defenses so we would be ready when the Kingdom of Draconia eventually attacked.

But that was not all.

Our Reconnaissance Unit had also been ordered to burn the grass surrounding the area.

If we destroyed the grazing land, the enemy's horses would eventually starve, preventing them from maintaining their high mobility.

The livestock belonging to the villagers had already been poisoned as well, ensuring that the enemy could not use them as food.

"Captain!"

One of the soldiers under my command approached me.

"What is it?"

"Two kilometers north of here, one of our squads spotted approximately thirty enemy Reconnaissance troops."

He hesitated.

"What should we do about them, Captain?"

"Are all thirty of them wearing armor?"

I asked.

"About twenty are wearing armor. The remaining ten are wearing ordinary leather armor."

Twenty Knights.

Ten Reconnaissance soldiers.

That meant twenty enemy Knights were escorting ten members of their Reconnaissance Unit as they scouted the surrounding area.

At present, I had only five members of the Disciplinary Committee with me, along with twenty-five ordinary soldiers from the Reconnaissance Unit.

If we engaged them directly, those twenty Knights would overwhelm us with ease.

And that was before accounting for the civilians who were currently slowing down the unit I was responsible for.

"Eric!"

I called one of the Disciplinary Committee members accompanying me.

He turned around and hurried toward me.

"Yes, Captain Raul?"

"You'll lead this group toward the small city of Sarisa while I'm gone."

Eric looked confused.

"Huh? Where are you going, Captain?"

"I'm going to draw the scouts in this area away so they won't approach the group of civilians we're escorting."

I walked toward one of the horses and mounted it.

My hand tightened around the reins.

It seemed that before long...

I would be spilling someone's blood in this war.