Chapter 33 Part 1

Idle Talk: The Rocha Kingdom - Advance Team

We, the advance team of the Rocha Kingdom's army, were climbing the mountains at the border, aiming for the Nonette Kingdom, when we were suddenly attacked by water.

It would have been understandable if it was an avalanche, but there was no water around.

We immediately realized it was an enemy magic attack.

After enduring the force of the water in a tight formation, we looked around and spotted small, fur-covered creatures.

I heard that the recently destroyed Mendashium Kingdom used to call the people of Nonette Kingdom "bean-eating monkeys," and their appearance did resemble monkeys.

"Uoooooo!"

We raised our war cries and pretended to charge, swinging our weapons. The enemy soldiers from Nonette fled up the mountain as if they had eaten soap bubbles.

Their retreat was as swift as that of frightened animals.

They looked even more like monkeys now, which gave me a strange impression.

Since we drove away the enemy, we resumed our advance. However, the mountain wind hit our wet clothes directly, enveloping us in a chill.

"S-Squad leader, let's dry our clothes. We'll freeze to death like this."

"I know. But the terrain here is treacherous, and we can't set up tents. There seems to be a place where we can rest a little further ahead. Keep moving to maintain body heat until we get there."

Upon hearing my words, my subordinates voiced their complaints.

I understood their grievances because I was wet too. I didn't feel like taking off my wet armor and clothes and warming myself by the fire.

However, there was a limit to the charcoal fuel we brought with us. If we didn't use it efficiently, it would quickly run out.

Seriously, I told them not to march in winter. Those upper-level idiots only care about fixing the near-death economy, but they should also consider the fact that we're the ones suffering in the cold.

With a sense of dissatisfaction deep inside, we finally arrived at a place where we could rest somehow.

"Set up the tents! Once they're set up, those who are wet should take off their equipment and clothes and get inside! Even before the charcoal is lit, if a large number of people squeeze into the tent, it will be warm enough!"

"What? You want us to push and shove each other inside?"

"If you don't like it, freeze then! Fortunately, those who aren't wet should focus on monitoring the surroundings and drying the wet clothes. Don't be careless with drying the clothes. Tomorrow, it might be your turn to get wet!"

"Yes, sir!"

The dry members responded with resignation.

Since I was wet too, I quickly took off my armor and clothes and entered the erected tent.

There was no room to step on the ground anymore because the guys were packed in tightly. However, the air inside was already warm, heated by their body heat.

However, in exchange for that warmth, it was stuffy and smelled of sweat.

"It's so stuffy."

"Please spare us from your orders, Squad Leader."

"If you think of the tent as a sauna, it's bearable."

I felt relieved by the soldiers' banter.

Heavy infantry is not good with uneven terrain due to the weight of their equipment. Climbing mountains is out of the question for them. However, the soldiers' morale remains high.

Since the mountain top is still a considerable distance away, it's good news if they are not already feeling down, as it would complicate the unit's command.

As I was about to sit inside the tent and warm myself, there was suddenly a commotion outside.

"Water again! The guy from earlier hid nearby!"

"No, he used magic from afar! The water spread on the mountainside, and only our feet got wet!"

Upon hearing those voices, I raised my voice to the people in the same tent.

"Everyone, push down the bottom of the tent! If we get washed away by the water and roll down the slope, we'll end up tangled inside the tent!"

"Gather on the side facing the mountaintop! Push it down!"

"I don't want to roll down the mountain and get tangled with you bastards!"

The guys hastily pushed down the tent.

After a while, the enemy soldiers' water attack came.

Thanks to everyone's cooperation and the tightly secured tent, the damage was minimal, with only a slight shift in its position.

After confirming that the water pressure had subsided, I stuck my head outside.

The gust of wind blowing stole away the warmth I had just gained on my skin, but more importantly, I needed to assess the situation.

"What's the damage!?"

When I asked while sticking my head out of the tent, one of the soldiers on guard duty responded.

"The tent is safe since we had weights inside. Some people slipped and fell when their feet were swept by the water that came sliding down the mountain, and a few slid down to a lower position. Many supplies got wet because we had put them on the ground during the break. The charcoal has also become damp."

"What about the enemy's position?"

"After inflicting sufficient damage, it seems they ran towards the mountaintop."

"Damn it. They're as irritating as monkeys!"

Although I gritted my teeth, I restrained myself from acting out, knowing that it wouldn't change the situation.

"Let the wet ones warm up and dry their clothes and armor!"

"Understood. However, Captain, isn't crossing the mountain reckless?"

In response to the question based on common sense, I couldn't help but want to agree.

"That should have been obvious. Our objective is to divert the attention of the Nonette's forces towards us."

"By taking a different route from this mountain crossing, the main force will invade, right? But can we really do that?"

The country of Nonette is located in the mountains, surrounded by peaks.

The mountain crossing we are currently taking should be the easiest route for us to move.

"I don't know. I haven't been informed about the details of the main operation to prevent me from leaking information in case I become a captive."

"I see. It's quite unsettling, Captain."

"Ah, let's believe that our cold suffering will be rewarded. If we're not rewarded, I'll go and shout at the person in charge after the war."

"Well, win or lose, it's nice to have something to look forward to."

As we both laughed heartily, I trembled.

"I'm going back into the tent. Don't leave your wet feet unattended."

"I understand. I'll change my socks properly and dry my shoes with charcoal."

I entered the tent and started thinking.

Not only the soldiers but also the supplies were wet.

To dry them, we had no choice but to camp here.

Our march would be delayed, but it couldn't be helped. After all, we are the decoy advance party. It's no big deal if our progress is slower.

I decided to take it easy, considering the minimum exhaustion of my subordinates, and gradually advance.

Since the first water attack, there had been nothing for three days.

On the day following the attack, many soldiers were on high alert, thinking that there might be enemies like those monkey-like creatures on the mountaintop.

However, as the second and third days passed without any attacks, the vigilance began to relax.

And on the fourth day, just as the tension was easing, the water attack by magic came again, as if taking advantage of our momentary lapse.

But it wasn't the same kind of attack as the previous flash flood.

Fine droplets of water were carried by gusts of wind, assaulting us like a spray from a mister.

"Ugh! What a dreadful attack!"

As I was being attacked by the magic, I looked up the slope.

There, besides a small figure holding a staff, stood several enemies dressed in similar fur outfits.

The water and wind generated from their hands and staffs were coming towards us.

"It's more like harassment than an attack! They're trying to crush our spirits and make us descend the mountain!"

"Ch-Captain! It's so co-co-co-cold!"

Like a misty rain, the droplets of water were being blown by gusts of wind, quickly soaking our entire bodies. Perhaps because the droplets were small, they seeped through the gaps in our armor, wetting our undergarments and clothes.

The gusts themselves, which were responsible for carrying the droplets, were also troublesome. They blew through, bringing in the cold outside air, chilling our iron armor in an instant. The wet undergarments transmitted the coldness of the armor to our bodies, causing us to rapidly cool down.

As their body temperatures plummeted, the teeth of my subordinates began to chatter.

While gritting my teeth to prevent them from trembling, I gave orders.

"Bring the shield bearers to the front! Face the shield towards the slope to block the wind! And move in a tight formation! If we don't keep moving, we'll freeze to death!"

"U-Understood, s-sir!"

My subordinates, their mouths shaking, replied and began to act.

The soldiers who brought shields stood in the face of the water droplets and tried to protect themselves, while the others formed a dense formation, attempting to escape the threats of wind and water even a little.

"They're using magic to create water and wind. It won't last long! Endure it!"

"But Captain, if we have to stay this close together, we won't be able to chase after them."

"I know. But we have no choice but to endure!"

The enemy soldiers of Nounette were not fools.

They hadn't done anything for the past three days, probably to assess the distance we would advance.

If they knew the distance, they could maintain a safe distance and continue harassing us without getting caught.

On the other hand, we couldn't go any further than the distance they knew.

That distance was the distance we could travel in a healthy state.

If we tried to move the same distance with our wet bodies, we would not only fall ill but could also die. It was unthinkable to try to increase the distance even more.

"Tch. They really know the art of defensive warfare. Switch the positions of the outer and inner sides of the dense formation! Those who were on the outside can warm up on the inside! It's time to repay those who worked hard on the inside!"

I moved to the outer side as well and took the lead in holding a shield.

The cold iron shield, chilled by the misty water and gusts of wind, emitted a coldness akin to that of ice. Just being close to it drained my body temperature rapidly.

"Endure it! It'll be over soon! Once it's over, we can warm ourselves in the tents!"

In response to my urging, the soldiers supported their shields with trembling hands and feet due to the cold, huddling and trying to escape the wind.

Continuing to shiver in the freezing cold, after completing another rotation of the outer and inner positions, the enemy's harassment finally ceased.

The moment I realized the magic had stopped, I lifted my head to confirm the enemy's position.

To my surprise, the enemy's position was on the slope, higher than expected.

When we first came under magic attack, they were much closer. I looked at the scenery behind me, thinking that maybe we had moved back, but our position hadn't changed.

"Could it be that the enemy gradually moved backward while casting magic...?"

The enemy combined the misty water and gusts of wind magic for the first time this time. They had secured a distance we couldn't pursue, but they must have been uncertain about the effective range.

They probably cast magic while gradually moving back to perfectly grasp that uncertain distance.

"They're a troublesome enemy. They're determined to crush our spirits without letting us get close no matter what."

Normally, an attack like blowing water and wind would be easily dismissed as harassment.

However, when combined with the location being a winter mountain and our equipment consisting mainly of iron, it turned into a formidable threat.

Indeed, the subordinates who were hit by this harassing attack had pale faces due to the cold, and their numb fingers didn't move well.

"Get ready for the tents immediately! Take off your equipment and clothes before setting up the tents! Being naked should keep your body temperature from dropping compared to being in wet clothes!"

I took the lead and removed my armor and clothes. The cold mountain wind made my whole body covered in goosebumps. I instinctively touched the clothes I had just taken off, but despite having taken them off only a moment ago, they had already become as cold as ice.

"What are you doing? Everyone, take off your clothes and work naked! You'll die if you stay wet!"

I placed my discarded clothes on the ground, using my armor as a weight, and began setting up the tents.

Once they were set up, we would be able to warm up. If we didn't warm our bodies, we would die. Such thoughts drove me forward.

My subordinates removed their gear and clothes with trembling hands, their noses running from the cold. They set up the tents and started a fire with charcoal.

With all the preparations for rest complete, everyone rushed into the tents. The area near the charcoal placed in the center of the tent became a battleground, while the area near the hole in the tent, left open to let in air, became sparsely populated.

I positioned myself in the sparsely populated area and sat down.

One of the soldiers who had been expelled from the battleground, giving up on the battle for the charcoal fire, sat down beside me and started complaining.

"Captain, is there no way for us to descend the mountain? If we continue to face harassment like we did today until we cross the mountain..."

Perhaps recalling the sensation of the mist and the gust of wind from earlier, the soldier shivered.

To be honest, I was feeling disheartened myself. But we had a mission to fulfill.

"We have to secure the summit of this mountain, at the very least. We need to make sure that the Nonette's people don't pass through this mountain or its vicinity."

"Does it relate to the main force's strategy?"

"Exactly. We've been instructed to hold this position until the main force captures the Nonette's capital."

"So our role is to block the escape route, huh?"

The soldier nodded in understanding but soon had another question.

"Oh? But doesn't the Nonette have a path to escape to the Mendashium Kingdom—no, I mean, the Imperial Territory? What about that?"

"For that, the main force is arranging to divide their troops and block one of the paths."

"So, the main force will pass through the Imperial Territory and invade the Nonette's territory, right?"

"Well, who knows? I don't think the Empire will easily allow another country's army to pass through their territory."

"Allowing a foreign army to pass through the Imperial Territory would be aiding in invasion, an act that the Knight Kingdom wouldn't tolerate. But if that's the case, what will happen?"

"I don't know. All I'm thinking about is how we can safely reach the summit of this mountain."

Though I said that, I couldn't come up with a solution right away to prevent the harassment of those gusts of wind blowing the particles of mist.