510

Episode 510 Let's decide here. (1)

Amelia has been in a bit of a predicament recently. She has been struggling to stabilize her estate for several days since the Duke's departure.

It was a side effect of eating six counties at once. Since they had not prepared step by step but had quickly expanded their territory taking advantage of the opportunity, problems were bound to pile up.

The problem was even worse because the East's economic power had fallen to an unspeakable level, even after the war and the rift.

She harassed the people who went every day. If you eat, you have to take responsibility.

"Is the food transport finished?"

"Th, that… …there are too many places to send it."

"I told you to focus all your efforts there for now?"

"The territory has suddenly expanded, so we are not yet fully aware of the current situation."

"Tsk, I took up too much at once."

If it were normal, Amelia would have scolded the vassals who were complaining, but this time, she had no choice but to understand.

The six counties may not seem that big, but they only selected the best ones from the eastern region, which were large and fertile.

In terms of baronial territories, it is over a dozen, and in terms of territory size, it is comparable to the Kingdom of Seiron. Although it is a small country, it is comparable in size to a single country.

Even if you only increase one territory, it takes quite a while to stabilize. That is why Jiselle also paid the most attention to stabilization after occupying it.

No matter how great she was, it was natural that she would get sick if she ate this much in one go.

In the meantime, another problem arose. It was one that no one had expected.

"What? The Marquis of Branford has fallen from power?"

"Yes, Your Majesty has found his strength. All the lords who lost their territories have joined you."

"Umm… … ."

"The agreement has been cancelled and an order has been issued to return all lands to their original owners. What should we do?"

Amelia snorted at that.

It wasn't for nothing that I took such great pains to take over the territory. If it weren't for this opportunity, I wouldn't have been able to gain this much in one breath.

But the withdrawal of the nobles who had presided over the agreement was also a headache for her.

The royal family kept urging them to return their lands and renew their oath of allegiance to the king.

When Amelia ignored them without even replying, they blocked the transport route connecting Leipold and the East. Since there was no way to get to the North, they just blocked the way.

"These guys… … ."

Amelia ground her teeth. In order to stabilize the territory immediately, she had to draw on Leipold's financial resources.

The Marquis of Branford was overthrown and the Royal Army split from the Northern Army, so they could easily be beaten.

But the problem was that the king had joined hands with the duke. He had already betrayed the duke and become their enemy.

In the end, we had to choose one side: either fight or give in.

While she was so troubled, another surprising piece of news came.

"Marquis Ferdium… … started a rebellion?"

"Yes, we are currently advancing towards the capital with the Earl of Fenris. The rest of the army, including the Northern Army, is said to have headed to the Southern Front to block the Duke's family."

Amelia smiled with conversion.

'This is an opportunity.'

If both sides fight again, they can take advantage of the situation.

But before Amelia could decide what to do, she received a call from Giselle.

Foodie!

"Hello. I'm here."

"… … ."

Amelia's expression hardened as she watched the crow come in as if it was visiting a friend's house.

The fact that he's here means that Giselle is demanding something again.

"Yeah… … What's going on?"

"Of course I came to convey the master's orders."

"Tell me."

"I will connect you with the master's consciousness and allow you to communicate directly."

"...hmm."

Apart from everything else, this was a truly desirable spirit. Not only for reconnaissance, but also for communication purposes.

It's a shame that I didn't have something like this, because I thought I could use it really well.

Wait a moment, the crow's tone changed.

"Hey, Amelia. Long time no see. How have you been?"

"Why are you pretending to be close when you're just good friends? Just keep it brief."

"How tricky… … . We're on our way to occupy the capital right now, so go to the southern front and lend us some strength. Make sure the Duke doesn't come up right away."

"… … ."

"Why aren't you answering? Hey, Dark. Are you sure you're connected? Oh, you're connected!"

"… … ."

Amelia, who had been watching the crow speak and answer on its own, slowly opened her mouth.

"Why should I help you?"

He's a really funny guy. I helped him out a few times, and now he thinks I'm on his side.

Jiselle answered, whining.

"Oh, I'm not asking for free help. You gave me a lot last time, right? I'll give you a satisfactory price this time too. I don't like free stuff either."

Amelia became a little intrigued by those words.

"Yes, if we can just block the Duke's house, we should have no problem taking over the capital. What are you going to give us in return?"

"I'll help you stabilize the territory. It's been a headache lately. After we capture the capital, I'll send you a bunch of food and supplies."

"Hmm… … ."

It was certainly an appealing condition, but it wasn't enough.

"I can solve that if I just give it time."

"If the Duke of Gongju heads north, there won't be time for that. It won't be the same even if the Northern Army blocks it. The longer the war drags on, the harder it will be to secure that amount of supplies."

Amelia twisted the corners of her lips with a cold look in her eyes. That guy certainly knew his weaknesses.

But I was curious as to why he was trying to drag himself into this.

"The troops on the Southern Front could easily buy enough time. Do you really need my strength?"

"Well, the first is to reduce damage. Your abilities will be of great help."

"Is there a second one?"

"I don't want you talking behind my back. It'll tire me out. I'm sure you're still thinking about how to take advantage of this situation."

"… … ."

Amelia laughed silently again. As expected, this guy knew her too well.

Jiselle continued speaking in a slightly more serious tone.

"My goals are the Duke and the Salvation Church. I don't want to waste time on other useless things and get hurt."

"so?"

"If you refuse, this is the first time I will cut off your head. As soon as I capture the capital, I will head east."

"You… … dare… … ."

"Choose. I know that fighting you will tire me out. I will take damage. But I can't just leave you alone until I confront the Duke with all my might."

Thud.

Amelia gritted her teeth. This guy was threatening to use his power again like last time.

I understood what Jiselle meant. Now that the Kingdom's First Sword has stepped forward, it's time to make a decision. And Jiselle considered herself a dangerous factor.

That meant that this was Amelia's last chance to hold hands with him.

"… … ."

Amelia didn't say anything for a long time. Her expression had already hardened into a cold expression.

Jiselle also didn't say anything. Dark turned his head away, feeling burdened by the gazes staring at him.

'What are you two fighting about…?'

Amelia racked her brain, even as her anger surged to the tips of her hair. How could she turn the current situation to her advantage?

'He may say that, but coming here is a burden to him too.'

Jisel was the one who wanted to go down to the southern front faster than anyone else. Fighting her here would only benefit the Duke. There was no way she would want that.

But he couldn't keep pushing on. Just as Giselle knew him well, he also knew Giselle well.

'That guy has a lot to protect now, but... ... If he really gets upset, you never know what he'll do.'

They may rush here even if it means taking damage. We need to reach an agreement within a reasonable range.

The relationship between the two people continued like a tightrope walk. That also means that they needed that much strength.

'no way....'

Amelia realized something for a moment and nodded slowly.

The power that was on the southern front alone was enough to hold back the Duke's ankles. Even if he tried to do something, Jiselle would be able to stop him. There were still Ferdium and Kingdom forces in the capital.

Still, why did he ask you to give him strength? He must have wanted to avoid harm, but he must have thought that he was doing it because there were still more things he could do to use him.

Amelia had a vague idea of what Giselle wanted.

That means… … .

"Is there more to give? I don't think this is the end."

Jiselle laughed at those words. She really was a woman with a mind of her own.

"Well then, there's more. Shall we discuss what to do next?"

The two talked a little more, and after Dark left, Amelia immediately gathered her troops and headed to the southern front.

With new ambitions in his heart.

* * *

"Let me take command."

"...All right."

Gillian, who had been contacted in advance by Giselle, obediently handed over command to Amelia.

Her abilities had already been proven, so there was no one to oppose her.

From this point on, the battle began to flow in a slightly different way.

"Baron Valois, take charge of the right wall."

"All right."

Amelia first redeployed all of her defensive forces. She also brought in the Baron of Valois, who had surrendered after Daven's death, for this purpose.

As for his Mercury abilities, he was second to none and fought off the Delphine forces just as well as expected.

Of course, she had no intention of simply holding out. The enemy's forces were too numerous and powerful. In order to reduce damage and buy time, she had to reduce the enemy's forces a little more.

"Are you the dwarves who erected the strange stakes before?"

At Amelia's question, Galvarik and the dwarves rolled their eyes and avoided eye contact. They had once driven stakes into the ground to impede Amelia's advance.

[Made and maintained by the great blacksmith and his friends.]

He even wrote these words:

I was afraid that I would be harassed because of that incident. After all, people shouldn't live by provoking others.

But Amelia just snickered and gave a new order.

"We will now dig a tunnel. The Raypold troops will make up for the lack of manpower."

"yes?"

"Do as I say."

With the troops replenished, there was no problem with the construction. The dwarves followed orders and diligently dug tunnels here and there.

Kaien, who commands the Delphine Army, also realized that something had changed.

"The enemy's tactics have changed."

As time passes, both the attacker and the defender will inevitably become tired. In this way, the damage accumulates and increases.

However, the damage on the other side was gradually decreasing.

Unlike before, when it felt somewhat rough and ferocious, it now moved like an elaborate mechanical device. In fact, this method was more effective against Mercury.

"My head hurts."

There are more than ten superhumans on this side, but the abilities of the opposing superhumans are so extraordinary that it is not easy to overwhelm them.

A powerful divine power continuously bursts out to heal allies, and spirits emerge to disrupt enemy attacks.

Even though he was a superhuman, he didn't move independently, but stayed with his soldiers and only focused on defense, so it wasn't easy for his opponents to break through.

Even in the midst of all this, news continued to come in that the royal army was surrendering to Ferdium. I couldn't help but feel anxious.

After a few days of struggling like that, one wizard said.

"The view inside the fortress is obscured. It seems all magical power has been directed to blocking the view."

In a battle of this scale, there would naturally be hundreds of wizards. Naturally, some of them would use magic to monitor each other's camps.

Even if you use interference magic, it can't be perfect, so you tend to see some space here and there. But now, you can barely see the enemy camp.

"hmm."

Cayenne thought for a moment and then said.

"Prepare for a night raid."

There are a limited number of reasons why the Mercury side would obscure the view. The most likely one was a surprise attack at night.

As expected by Cayenne, the cavalrymen sneaked out at night and attacked the flank of the Delphian army.

"Hit!"

The troops that had already been waiting chased them. The cavalrymen were startled and fled.

While the cavalry moved to focus on chasing them away, a commotion broke out on the other side.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"What is it!"

Cayenne was startled by the commotion coming from behind. After a while, a soldier ran over and reported the situation.

"Enemy wizards have appeared in the rear!"

"What? How?"

"It looks like I dug a tunnel!"

Cayenne was dumbfounded. Where else would a tunnel be dug by the Mercury side, not the attacking side!

The troops waiting in the rear were suddenly attacked. The enemy quickly retreated as soon as the surprise attack was successful, so the damage was not great, but the fact that they suffered damage was a problem in itself.

"These guys… … ."

Now that the enemies had suddenly started to move boldly, we had to pay more attention to our rear guard.

I tried to use the enemy's tunnel just in case, but it was already blocked up. Even if I tried to dig it again, the enemy would notice right away.

"Whew… … . I didn't expect him to move so boldly while he's a Mercury."

If the forces were similar, the Mercury side would have the advantage, but since they attacked actively, the Delphine soldiers' fatigue was bound to increase.

Amelia used her forces in a way that could easily seem dangerous. She would suddenly use a hot air balloon to shoot arrows and magic in the middle of the night, and she would often jump out at night and wander around the area.

Surprisingly, it worked. Delphine's nerves became increasingly edgy. She was truly a woman skilled at harassing people.

Cayenne wasn't going to let up any longer. He reorganized his formation and deployed his perimeter force efficiently.

After that, the opponent didn't dare to engage in guerrilla warfare. However, the problem was that they were wasting too much time.

"They say the capital has been taken!"

Kaien gritted his teeth at the new news. Now, Count Fenris, the Mobile Force, the Ferdium Force, and the Royal Army will advance south.

If they join, we'll be at a disadvantage. We have to decide the outcome before that.

He said to Gator.

"We have to fight back quickly, even if it means taking more damage."

"Let's do that. I will tell the priests to risk their lives."

The Delphian army's tactics changed. Now, all troops were clinging to the walls. They did not care about the increasing casualties.

In particular, all efforts were concentrated on destroying one wall. Both the catapults and magical power were concentrated on one side.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Even if we tried to block that side, it was not easy to withdraw troops because soldiers from the other side were crawling up like evil spirits.

When an opponent comes out this strong, the one blocking it will also have to take a lot of damage. However, Amelia made a slightly different choice.

"Move all the stone, timber, and other large, solid materials behind the wall that is currently under heavy attack. Consider it all abandoned."

We moved a bunch of temporary materials and left it there.

Since the remaining troops supported the other side, the damage was reduced and it became easier to block.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Of course, the side that was left behind had weak defenses and was bound to gradually collapse. This was because even the magical power that had been protecting that side had been taken away.

Kwaaaaang!

Eventually, the wall completely collapsed under the enemy's concentrated attack. Fortunately, the Delphian army was blocked by the materials piled up in the second layer, but it was only a matter of time before that too collapsed.

Cayenne looked at the piled up materials with a cold gaze.

"I guess I'll be able to get in tomorrow. I'll kill them all."

They had piled up quite a lot, but it was enough to clear out in a day, even with the help of superhumans. They had the advantage if they fought without a wall.

Amelia knew that too. But she had another reason for abandoning the walls.

"We abandon this fortress and retreat. We will block the enemy at the next fortress. Our goal now is to draw the enemy in deeper."

Following Amelia's orders, all troops secretly left the fortress at night. When Cayenne learned of this the next day, he was delighted.

"Good! Quickly chase the enemy!"

The next fortress was very small. It could barely accommodate the enemy's large army.

That meant it couldn't even defend itself properly. It would just crumble after a few attacks.

The Delphian army was busy chasing the northern army as they moved. They eventually succeeded in surrounding the northern army, which had retreated to a small fortress.

"What about the enemy's movements?"

"They are currently moving south. They are a large army, so they are slow moving, so I expect it will take at least a week."

"We will take over this place within two days and annihilate the enemies."

It was not an easy task, because the enemy inside the fortress was a formidable force.

However, since there were more superhumans on this side and the soldiers were stronger on this side, it was worth a try. It would not be an exaggeration to say that more than half of the opponents were rabble.

"Attack!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Indeed, the enemy was now desperate to block. The fortress was so small and weak that they could not properly counterattack.

If this situation continues, we could quickly enter into an all-out war.

Amelia also nodded while observing the situation.

"It's not just his brute force that's outstanding. His troop management skills are also amazing."

Cayenne was chasing them faster than they thought. Although they were surprised the first few times, they didn't suffer much damage.

He was able to respond quickly to changing situations and knew when to make a bet.

If we continue to fight like this, we will inevitably suffer great losses.

Still, Amelia smiled.

"I think I've done everything I had to do."

She took as long as Giselle wanted.

The Ferdium Army and the Kingdom Army are still far from arriving… …but when it comes to the Fenris Mobile Force, which boasts the strongest mobility in the Kingdom, things are a bit different.

As she looked up at the sky, a crow was circling.

"That's really convenient for communication."

I wanted that too, but there was no way to get it. It was such a shame.

While Amelia was leisurely observing the situation, the Delphine army attacked the fortress like a storm. If things continued this way, they would be able to destroy the fortress within two days.

A messenger covered in dust ran towards Cayenne, who was glaring at the fortress with blazing eyes.

"What is it? What's going on?"

"P, Earl of Fenris… … ."

"Earl Fenris? Has the Mobile Force arrived?"

"Oh, no."

"Then what's going on? Tell me quickly."

The messenger shouted in thought at Cayenne's beckoning.

"We've bypassed the front lines and are now heading straight for the duchy!"

Giselle saved Edwin, the son of Count Mowbray, by extracting Dark from his body. Count Mowbray, as he had promised, gave Giselle a way.

Cayenne's expression hardened at the unexpected news.

Now that all the troops have been deployed, it looks like our main base will be attacked.