Volume 3, Chapter 231 - Harsh Offensive (2/2)
On the other side of the haze from the heat was a lone monster standing.
“…”
Ra Gilmi Fishiga, who had been hiding all this time, finally appeared before Jize, but Jize didn’t say anything to him and merely turned heel.
“Next time, I will surely take your head,” Jize said to himself.
“Holy Knight-dono!”
“Jize-sama!”
Jize responded to the voices calling out to him and began retreating his army.
“Don’t panic. The wind is blowing southwest. So just calm down and destroy the camp from where the wind is blowing, then we can get out.”
Seeing Jize calmly retreating, Gilmi too turned heel.
◆◇◆
The goblins who burned their camp and survived the pursuit of Germion Kingdom sent the demihumans to every direction to look for the enemy army. The smoke from the camp they had burned to allow themselves to escape had spread throughout the whole area. That bit them back due to the demihumans’ strong sense of smell.
Although they managed to survive, they had now lost track of the enemy. As they poured all of their resources into locating the enemy, they started working on the new traps.
“Well~ It’s great that you’re all alive.”
As the goblin forces met up again, Shumea patted Bui, Gi Zu, Gilmi and the others on the shoulders as she thanked their fortune.
“The enemy was strong as expected… If we hadn’t burned the whole camp, we wouldn’t have been able to escape.”
“I was done in pretty badly too. Honestly, I don’t think we can win.”
Gi Zu and Bui were both very dispirited, but Gilmi thought differently.
“But we were able to survive, so our plan remains the same. That human seemed to treasure his subordinates’ lives more than ours.”
The holy knight was an overwhelming power that could easily dodge all the traps, cross a great distance, and take them on in a melee. But even that enemy that appears to have no weakness at first glance still has to lead an army. He has subordinates.
It is common sense to attack the enemy’s weakness.
If the enemy can’t be defeated as a lone soldier, then the goblins should just make the enemy retreat as an army. That was the conclusion that Shumea and Gilmi arrived at, but there were still a lot of challenges to overcome to make that happen.
“Well, that’s good news.”
Shumea happily nodded and Gilmi agreed.
“Bui-dono. This is thanks to Gi Zu-dono.”
“Ahh, right. You guys better hurry up and meet your subordinates. They’ve been worried to death all this time.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
Gi Zu nodded to them, then he went to his subordinates. The fact that he held his fist tightly as he left, however, showed that there were still some things that he wasn’t convinced about.
“Bui-dono, why don’t you go as well?”
“In that case, please excuse me.”
Bui, on the other hand, seemed to have a sense of security from accomplishing a great task, as he headed to where the orcs were with a relieved expression on his face.
“So, are you not going?”
“There’s something I want to confirm. About the reinforcements. Rashka is coming here, right?”
“He should be headed to our meeting point.”
“…Hmm.”
As Gilmi folded his arms and became thoughtful, Shumea tilted her head and asked him.
“Is something the matter?”
“No, I was thinking it might be better to change our plans and make the army retreat sooner. The enemy is more belligerent than expected.”
“Belligerent, huh.”
Shumea once again considered the situation of Germion Kingdom. The information she got from Pale the Tactician flashed through her mind, but she could not come to a conclusion.
“Well, it’s your opinion as someone who personally fought them, so I’d like to trust you, but we can’t convince that girl with just that, you know?”
“You think so too?”
Gilmi was aware that it was a feeling that only those that have tasted it would understand, and as such would be difficult to convince others with, but that was precisely why he was consulting Shumea.
“Yeah, she’s pretty stubborn in some places, you see.”
“…Hmm.”
“If you want, I could try giving a full report to her.”
“…Never mind. I’ll talk to her myself.”
”I see,” Shumea nodded as Gilmi turned around and left since his business with her was done. As she saw Gilmi off, Shumea ordered her subordinates to hurry the preparations to retreat.
“Well, just in case.”
As Shumea muttered that to herself, she went back to her tent to rest.
◆◆◇
After getting out of the camp, the forces of Germion Kingdom immediately opened a war council under Crown Prince Ishtar and decided their next course of action.
—Take the entire army and pursue the goblins immediately.
That was the plan proposed by the nobles and approved by the two holy knights. Although they may have expelled the monsters, they have yet to reclaim the Western Region. To the nobles who haven’t tasted victory in a long while, they wanted to make use of this opportunity to gain even more merits.
Of course, there were all sorts of political agendas in play as well, but that couldn’t be helped.
The cavalry were the ones who suffered the most casualties in the last battle. Because of their great losses, they have lost the ability to continue fighting, but at the same time, it makes them feel as if the achievement of having expelled the monsters was not enough. The damage received by the cavalry made up of noble children is the same power of the nobles that will be supporting Germion Kingdom. Since that power has fallen greatly, they wanted to get the best results they could from this war.
If they couldn’t pull that much off, then their political influence in Germion Kingdom will take a hit or even collapse completely.
The reason the holy knights and the military authorities that wanted to increase the authority of the royal family did not refuse was because of the military aspect.
It was true that they were able to expel the monsters during the crown prince’s expedition. It could be said that they were now standing at the starting line they were thinking of. But because the crown prince was so skilled, Jize and Valdor were now thinking of starting their own war.
Another reason they decided to allow the pursuit of the enemy was because of the little casualties suffered by the southern and eastern army led by the two holy knights.
If the holy knights could retake the western region during the crown prince’s first expedition in exchange for the sacrifices made by the noble’s army, then their merits would become unequalled. They would garner far more attention than any of the holy knights within the country.
Moreover, this expedition was made with the objective of retaking the western region. If they could accomplish that, then nothing would be better.
“…It’s a bit unexpected.”
“What is?”
After the war council ended, the various generals went back to their platoons to lead their respective forces. Of those generals, the two holy knights took the same route.
“That you were not against pursuing the enemy, Valdor-dono. You are a prudent man, so I thought for sure…”
“…Ah, so that’s what. It’s because I want to give more merits to the crown prince.”
The achievement of expelling the monsters with one’s own army was sweeter than honey and would silence anyone within the Germion Kingdom that so respected power. King Ashtal himself had gone out on expeditions to hunt monsters when he was younger. It was because of his achievements then that his subjects and the nobles continue to support him to this day.
“I see. So, it’s parental love.”
Ishtar will probably rule for a long time. As such, his educator, Valdor, wanted to gift him a huge achievement, and there could be no better opportunity than this expedition.
“Go ahead and laugh. I don’t mind.”
“What? If we’re talking of personal reasons, then I too have mine.”
“The goblin and orc leaders, huh?”
As Jize quietly nodded, in his mind flashed the appearance of those high-ranked monsters that tried to trap his army.
“If there is one thing I’m worried about, it’s that these monsters seem to be trying to lure us into the western region.”
“Of course, I’m aware of that too. We can’t let our guard down. Defeat isn’t impossible, but the odds of winning for us isn’t zero just yet.”
Valdor was basically saying that they won’t know who’s the victor if they don’t try. To that, Jize wryly laughed.
“This battle isn’t like you, Twin Swords Knight. Though I do prefer you like this.”
“I wasn’t always so cautious. We have to win this war. That’s why we have to prioritize our speed as much as possible.”
“Umu. I agree.”
After deciding to pursue the enemy, the holy knights took the lead, and Germion Kingdom began pursuing the goblin forces even when it was still dark.
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