Episode 150: A chance in a game turns into reality

37. Book of Heroes (1)

The emperor was not the only one who felt a sense of crisis.

The Minister of Military Affairs was also like that, and so was the commander of the 1st Knights of the Guard and the head of the Intelligence Department.

"The scale of the troops that arrived without warning was too large. "If you only block sporadically here and there, you will continue to be pushed back and the damage will only accumulate."

Even the arrogant emperor could only nod his head at the Minister of Military Affairs' story.

Unlike the Reinharts Kingdom army, which had planned and carried out a surprise attack, the Croisen Empire army was currently scattered.

In addition, in order to increase the effectiveness of the surprise attack, they started attacking only with Vanguards that can move secretly, and in the future, Sky Fortress will be added to this unit.

Then the damage was bound to grow like a snowball.

"Damn it, even if we take the damage, it would be urgent to gather troops first."

"Immediately, we need to take over from the Eastern Army in Reinharts to the Duchy of Zexis. "In the Dukedom of Zexis, we must combine the eastern and central armies to block the enemy's advance, and summon the territory army as soon as possible to counterattack."

"I agree with the opinion of the Director of Intelligence. "If we don't hesitate, we could be pushed all the way to the capital in an instant."

The people leading a country are not idiots, and it was easy to infer the situation that would arise as a result.

The problem was that it was difficult to block the attacks of the Reinharts Kingdom, which knew this and did not look back.

The emperor immediately accepted the intelligence chief's opinion and soon gave the best order he could under the current circumstances.

"Approach the four countries that border the Kingdom of Reinharts and ask them to put pressure on them. In fact, it would be perfect if we attacked the Kingdom of Reinharts, and at least we would have to make a military move. "It doesn't matter how much money it takes."

"all right."

There is no such word as 'absolute' in international relations.

Even if they were friendly allies of the Kingdom of Reinharts, they would not want to border a new empire.

"And the defense inside Reinharts Kingdom must be a mess right now. Mobilize assassins and non-Vanguard knights to shake things up from within. If you kill the new king, major nobles, or their families, the surprise force will inevitably lose its strength."

"yes!"

It was an extremely reasonable instruction.

And with the serious expression of an emperor, he spoke his last command.

The ministers had no choice but to swallow dry saliva.

"Lastly, if circumstances arise, we may have to withdraw the troops from the Kingdom of Lucias, the Kingdom of Jordi, and Dragon Land, so please make arrangements so that they can be sent into battle at any time."

The moment that order was carried out was when signs of the collapse of the Croesen Empire were visible.

Dragonland, the land of dragons and monsters, was no different from a powder keg that could explode at any moment, and the Kingdom of Lucias and the Kingdom of Jordi were people that would definitely attack the moment they left the border forces.

'Is this the price you pay for prioritizing the interests of the empire over your usual good intentions? 'I don't have anyone on my side I can trust.'

The Croesian Empire was once again painfully aware of the fact that they had nothing but enemies around them.

* * *

The Reinharts Kingdom's attacks, which had been sporadic here and there, stopped for a while, and with the new Sky Fortress joining, the troops were quickly reorganized.

The unit was divided into three groups.

1st Army (Confederate Army): 10,000 Vanguards, 150 Sky Fortresses

-Commander Duke Gabriel James (Grandmaster)

2nd Army (Northern Army): 10,000 Vanguards, 150 Sky Fortresses

-Commander Duke Arsia Klein (Grandmaster)

3rd Army (Central Army): About 5,000 Vanguards, about 100 Sky Fortresses

-Unit directly under the Commander-in-Chief (I)

The first army attacks the southern part of the empire, and the second army attacks the northern part of the empire.

And the 3rd army marches in a straight line towards the capital of the empire.

However, the formation of the 3rd Army has not yet been completed because the main force of the unit, Sky Fortress, is part of the Kingdom's Eastern Army and has a long travel distance.

The 1st and 2nd groups would begin their activities immediately, but the 3rd groups would probably only be able to operate after half a day.

Therefore, the 3rd Army will advance in a straight line towards the capital as soon as its formation is completed, and when the 3rd Army reaches the capital, the 1st and 2nd armies will also change their direction of advance and begin their attack from the north and south of the imperial capital.

Three bullets, that was the war scenario of the Kingdom of Reinharts.

'But, we can't make fun of the 3rd Army while just waiting for the Sky Fortress to arrive.'

Although the 3rd Army is a latecomer unit, the number of Vanguards deployed is a whopping 5,000.

Speed ​​is the key in this war.

There was no reason to make fun of the troops, so the Vanguard units of the 3rd Army swallowed up the territories in the central metallurgy, albeit slowly.

"The territories in Arcia, Fafnir, and Aknis are all empty, so you can move straight to the Trius region. The lords of the two regions are forming a defense line by joining forces with the lords of the Trius region? The size of the enemy army is about 5,000 Vanguards and 50 Sky Fortresses, so if you divide your troops into three and attack all three sides at the same time, you will be able to take it easily. "I'll send you an attack route."

[all right.]"Duke James, a surprise attack force is hiding in the Archel Mountains near the County of Jint. "This is a unit that includes 5 self-destructing sky fortresses, so be careful."

[I almost got into big trouble. I understand, Commander-in-Chief.]If I had to pick the busiest person in the Reinharts Kingdom army right now, I would probably be it.

While staying in the 3rd group, he was controlling both the 1st and 2nd groups at the same time.

By moving the entire army, I did not allow a single surprise attack and coordinated the battle to proceed in a situation where I had a thorough advantage over the enemy.

The reason this was possible was because of the existence of Man-kyung and Black Eagle.

'It is easy to detect the enemy's surprise attack or weakness through Mangyeong.'

A year ago, when he participated as part of the territory's army in the war against the Croesian Empire, he did a great job thanks to Mangyeong.

However, even as an archmage, I only have one body, so it is nearly impossible to move three armies and monitor two battlefields in different regions at the same time.

But Black Eagle made this difficult task possible.

[Black Eagle of the Speed ​​of Sound]-Chimera made from the bones and skin of a black dragon

It has a body that is not easily damaged by Auror blades, and has a very high injury recovery ability.

Default option: hand-to-hand attack

First skill: Shared vision

Second skill: Magic sharing

Third skill: clone

Fourth skill: –

That's thanks to Black Eagle's third skill, 'Clone', which was unlocked by clearing stage 8 of the Giyeon Quest.

It's a kind of self-immolation technique, and you can create up to two additional clones to use up to three, including the main body.

This is very helpful in actual battles, and since the alter ego inherits all the abilities of the main body, it is convenient to be able to just roll.

For reference, it was Black Eagle's alter ego that was used to attack the Crown Prince of the Croesen Empire.

Although it was eventually removed after being attacked by the Sky Fortress, it is said to be easy to use because there is no damage to the main body even if the clone dies.

Using Black Eagle's alter ego, I am commanding the entire army, acting as an early warning officer with the shared vision skill.

Black Eagle's shared view was further strengthened through Mangyeong and conveyed a lot of information to me.

[The 1st Army was annihilated after confirming the Empire's surprise attack force. There is no damage to our troops.] [The 2nd Army, after breaking through the Fafnir and Aknis areas, began a battle with enemy troops in the Trius area. According to the instructions of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, the situation is developing favorably, and it is expected that it will take 30 minutes to complete the battle.]"You are truly amazing! "Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief!"

"You're preventing losses like this!"

Thanks to this, the commander and staff of the Reinharts Kingdom army were busy praising me with refreshed expressions.

It was natural because they were winning complete games without missing a thing.

'His Royal Highness the Duke of Lawrence as Commander-in-Chief?'

'I know that His Majesty the Duke of Lawrence is a brilliant man, but this is a war of national fortune. He believes the baton should be handed over to a professional commander who is at least a little more seasoned.'

'you're right. His Royal Highness the Duke of Lawrence is too young. In war, we cannot ignore the experience that comes with age.'

We are only now seeing results, but there were many twists and turns before I became commander-in-chief of the kingdom's army.

I personally requested the command of the entire army from King Michael, and he accepted without much hesitation.

The problem was the reaction of the ministers to this.

My young age was holding me back.

But what helped solve this problem was an unexpected person.

'I daresay, His Royal Highness the Duke of Lawrence, is a genius in warfare. I am confident that if His Royal Highness, the Duke of Lawrence, takes command of the entire army, he will be able to achieve victory while minimizing damage to our troops.'

It was the Marquis Otis.

Is it because we worked together as superiors during the last war?

He trusted and believed in my abilities.

Thanks to his active persuasion, public opinion began to tilt, and I was able to be appointed commander-in-chief as scheduled.

As a result, our kingdom's army is now overwhelming the Croesian Empire, so his actions can be seen as very appropriate.

"Wow. "I feel motion sick."

When you use the shared view skill on multiple Black Eagles, including clones, it feels like watching a split CCTV monitor.

There was no major problem with surveillance, but the downside was that I felt dizzy and motion sick because I was still not used to it.

I endured it with magic and continued to command the troops.

* * *

Lionel's royal castle, the capital of the Reinharts Kingdom.

When the war began, the first thing the Royal Family of Reinharts Kingdom did was to gather together powerful people, including the royal family and nobles, and their families to protect them.

As the kingdom's defense forces became smaller, it was easier to manage and gather the objects of protection.

Naturally, the only place to keep so many people safe was the capital's royal castle, and as a result, each regional lord's castle became an empty shell, and only the royal castle was managed like an iron fortress.

No matter how noble one is, one cannot even dream of entertainment or parties in the current situation.

All the people gathered in the castle could do was steadily monitor the situation as if watching a live sports broadcast.

"Well, His Royal Highness the Duke of Lawrence is more than I expected… … ."

"There was indeed a reason why he confidently demanded command of the entire army."

"Huh, how did you realize that the area was advantageous for a surprise attack and prepare for it?"

"How is something like that possible?"

As a result, I was able to see and feel Adrian's performance firsthand, and the perfect operation of the troops gave goosebumps to those watching.

"The God of War is with our kingdom."

Seeing the noisy appearance of the nobles, King Michael smiled while leisurely enjoying a glass of wine.

"Your Majesty, the Croesian Empire is approaching our allies."

But that lasts only a moment.

King Michael responded to the report from the royal intelligence department with the expression erased from his face.

"It's time for the political department to step in."

The role of the rear is to assist Adrian so that he can continue his activities on the battlefield.

King Michael looked nervous and turned his gaze to the royal family, who were concentrating on the ever-changing battle situation.

"There is no one like me among special envoys."

"It will be dangerous."

"Isn't that the fate of royalty?"

Then he got up and gave the mission to his brothers and relatives.

A mission that could cost you your life if you fail.

* * *

"Well, the speed of the front line expansion is too fast! "Losses are accumulating to the point where we can no longer afford to replenish our troops!"

The Emperor of the Croesen Empire bit his lip as he looked at the Reinharts Kingdom army, which was attacking them without any unnecessary effort, as if they were one organic entity.

"You ground your teeth properly. "How on earth is this movement possible?"

It feels as if the entire imperial territory is being seen through clairvoyance.

Otherwise, I couldn't understand how they move forward like a loach, avoiding danger here and there.

"I think it's because of the enemy commander-in-chief. He had received a similar report during last year's border war with the Kingdom of Rheinharts. "Any surprise attack or operation will be overlooked."

"The situation is like this because of one person, the Duke of Lawrence?"

They already knew that Duke Adrian El Lawrence was the commander-in-chief of the Reinharts Kingdom army.

Just a few hours ago, King Michael had been ridiculed for appointing a person with no experience in the Great War to the position of Commander-in-Chief, no matter how capable he was.

However, as time passed, the color disappeared from their faces, and they were in such a great crisis that not a single battlefield was going as planned.

"What about the main unit convening?"

"Currently, 60% of the target has been reached in the Duchy of Xexis. "It is taking a long time for the lords to join."

"You need more time."

What they need is time.

But the problem was that the enemies were not allowing it.

"ha… … ."

Finally, the emperor sighed deeply and called someone.

"The Crimson Dukes."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Edgar the Duke of Crimson.

He was the Grand Master of the Croesian Empire.

"Let's attach a special unit. "To destroy the enemy's command system."

"Please leave it to me."

Creusen Task Force.

The unit, which enjoys the essence of the Empire's magic engineering at the forefront, is a special group comprised entirely of Aura Masters.

A total of 10 people.

The Empire evaluated the strength of the special forces as being at the Grand Master level.

If the Grandmaster moved with such a unit, any leader could not help but feel nervous about its destructive power.

"And let's quickly provide additional support. Instill in them the power of the empire."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor spoke to the Director of Intelligence, looking at the broad back of the Crimson Duke as he left the Imperial Palace.

"Please contact the Allied Chairman Elysia."

The crucial difference between an empire and a kingdom.

Not only was the size of the country great, but the difference in diplomatic power that came from power could never be ignored.