Chapter 350
Side Story – Memories of an Imperial Princess (66)
#84 Their Circumstances: The Story of a Certain Mage Warrior
“I think we should do another bombardment today.”
I couldn’t hide my displeasure at Lord Ast’s words.
“Again… You say?”
The bombardment had become a daily routine.
Bombardment after waking up in the morning.
Bombardment after dinner.
And sometimes, bombardment when he would wake us up claiming he couldn’t sleep at night.
Bombardment. Bombardment. Bombardment. Bombardment. Bombardment!
“Isn’t it ineffective?”
The magical bombardment that Lord Ast had created was no longer an absolutely winning strategy.
In fact, it had become a strategy that could lead to major losses and defeat if used incorrectly.
For magic users and magic warriors, who rely on magic management for survival, bombardment was an action that squeezed out all their magical power.
Even with magic recovery potions, there were limits to how much magical power could be restored.
A magic warrior without magical power was just a slightly better-than-average soldier.
While they wouldn’t become completely useless like regular magicians, they couldn’t fight in a way befitting the name of a magic warrior.
“Wouldn’t it be better to rest and prepare for major battles instead?”
Magic warriors were a military branch that could be used in any situation.
While pure magicians might have more powerful firepower, the magic warriors’ combat capability couldn’t be ignored either.
“It would be more efficient than wasting magical power on enemies who can counter it.”
“Hmm… That makes sense.”
Lord Ast nodded in response to my words.
“Then…!”
“But the bombardments will continue.”
“What…?”
You just said it made sense!
I suppressed my urge to shout and instead expressed my emotions with an incomprehensible expression.
“What is… The reason?”
I wondered about his insistence on continuing bombardments that weren’t causing significant damage to the enemy.
Could it be that he was forcing these bombardments because of the military achievements credited to him whenever his bombardment strategy succeeded?
If so, he would be a truly dangerous commander.
There’s no commander more dangerous than one who hungers for military achievements on the battlefield.
They might easily disregard their allies’ lives for the sake of their own accomplishments.
“Do you perhaps think I’m being reckless for the sake of military achievements?”
Lord Ast looked at me with a slight smile, as if reading my thoughts.
“Well, that…”
Unable to admit it directly, I could only avoid his gaze.
“If that’s what you thought, it’s a misunderstanding. Why would I care about troublesome things like military achievements?”
“Then why on earth…?”
Was he someone who felt uncomfortable if he didn’t drop at least one bombardment per day?
I continued to look at Lord Ast with suspicious eyes.
“The reason is simple. It’s to make the bombardment feel like a daily routine for the enemy.”
“A daily routine of bombardment?”
Could anyone really come to see bombardment as routine?
No, that would be impossible.
Bombardment was something where a single mistake could mean life or death.
Even if the enemy had new magical staffs capable of defending against magical bombardment, they couldn’t possibly come to see it as routine.
“War drives people mad. What does the word ‘routine’ mean? Routine is something that repeats every day. If bombardments keep falling, that too can be called routine.”
“That might be true in terms of definition. But it’s hard to accept giant chunks of ice falling on your head as routine.”
“You’re right. That’s why we keep bombarding them until they accept it as routine.”
“What meaning could that possibly have?”
Even if the enemy came to think of bombardment as routine, it would be meaningless unless their staffs malfunctioned.
“If anything, making it routine would make them better prepared for bombardment. The enemy’s magicians and magic warriors would just become more skilled with their staffs.”
It could even end up creating opportunities for the enemy.
“Do you really think so?”
However, seeing Lord Ast’s confident expression and eerie smile, I could tell he was implementing some kind of wicked strategy.
“I understand.”
In the end, I was a soldier, and Lord Ast was someone to whom my master, Her Highness the Imperial Princess, had lent military authority.
When told to do something, just do it.
Remembering the words of the senior magic warrior who had been my direct superior when I first joined the military, I led my subordinates in carrying out the bombardment.
Of course, it had no effect.
Days passed like this, then weeks, and as almost a month was about to pass…
“Aren’t we really going to die at this rate?”
Facing an enemy that had now reached the level of easily blocking bombardments and even sending pursuit teams…
“We’ll just have to be careful not to die.”
We were heading out again today to conduct bombing operations.
“To be honest, since Lord Raid’s defeat, aren’t we the only ones being deployed?”
As they continued to be deployed without achieving any results, complaints began to surface among the mages.
Honestly, I had many complaints too, but as a commander, I should probably take Lord Ast’s side.
“There must be a reason for all this.”
Though even I don’t know what that reason is.
“I understand that Lord Ast has achieved many military accomplishments. However…”
“Enough. We’re about to enter enemy territory. Watch your words.”
At such a high altitude that even detection magic becomes impossible.
This brings numerous advantages, but it also comes with many disadvantages.
Magic must be used for numerous actions, starting with breathing.
The same goes for speaking.
While magic detection being impossible from the ground is the standard, if enemy mages were waiting nearby, not only magic detection but even eavesdropping would be possible.
‘I apologize.’
I nodded to my subordinate who apologized using hand signals.
The outbreak of complaints was unavoidable.
Continuous deployments and attacks that inflicted no damage.
As the enemy successfully blocked attacks, they grew stronger and their morale increased, but conversely, our forces’ morale was declining.
Although there were no human casualties yet… We couldn’t take the psychological damage lightly.
After today’s bombing ends, I should have a long talk with Lord Ast when we return.
And as I had planned, I needed to have a very long conversation with Lord Ast.
Or more precisely, I had to have a long conversation with dozens of generals, including Lord Ast and Her Highness the Imperial Princess.
“This… This is a victory report.”
A victory report for a win that even I don’t understand why we achieved.
#85 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Certain Villain
“What strategy did you use?”
“Which one do you mean?”
I gave an innocent expression showing I knew nothing to the Imperial Princess who was looking at me suspiciously.
“So it was due to Lord Ast’s evil scheme that the enemy couldn’t block the magical bombardment.”
However, that expression actually backfired.
“Um… Sir Ria?”
I wanted to ask how they could see an evil scheme in this innocent face, but I kept quiet, sensing the response would be shocking.
“As expected of Ria.”
“How many times have I been outwitted by Lord Ast? It’s all the power of experience.”
The Imperial Princess gave a bright smile as she watched Sir Ria nodding in self-satisfaction.
“That was unusually accurate judgment for Ria.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Excuse me, Sir Ria? That wasn’t exactly a compliment?
“Therefore, Lord Ast! Please tell us what strategy you used!”
I sighed at Sir Ria’s enthusiastic voice.
“It was nothing special.”
“The results weren’t ‘nothing special’ though.”
“Ah, well…”
One of the enemy commanders had their head crushed, and the knights and mages with him met a similar fate.
Additionally, due to the sudden bombardment, the soldiers fell into chaos!
Their survival instincts took priority, and they ignored their commander’s orders and fled, they say.
Thanks to that, there were even more casualties, they said.
“It’s all thanks to our excellent mages.”
This was our first victory since the defeat of the youngest imperial prince.
That was the last battle we had won.
What was it? Count Pareis? That must be right.
The most recent victory report was when Count Pareis or whoever it was attacked with numbers almost equal to Duke Raisha’s and got his head crushed.
Since then, we had been maintaining the front line while keeping an eye on the Merdean forces that had entered the imperial territory.
“…Is that so?”
I sighed as I watched the Imperial Princess clicking her tongue in disappointment.
“Why are you sighing when we’ve won, Lord Ast?”
Why? Because I escaped from the cursed Imperial Princess’s evil schemes.
If I had boasted about my military achievements, the cursed Imperial Princess would have immediately sent my accomplishments to the imperial family.
Count Ast!
How unfitting and frightening these words are!
“When I think about the hardships the mages must have gone through…”
I couldn’t help but sigh.
As I was about to speak, Sir Ria was staring at me with very cold eyes.
“Lord Ast would never do such a thing.”
Her voice was full of conviction, as if stating an absolute truth.
No, what exactly is my image supposed to be?
“Sir Ria… Have I done something wrong?”
What had I done until now?
There were too many things to remember, so I couldn’t tell what was causing this reaction.
“My mouth would hurt if I were to say it, so I won’t.”
“Thank you.”
That was Pandora’s box.
If it were opened, it wouldn’t be good for (my) world.
Thud.
“Fine, let’s say it’s all the mages’ specialty, but how did those mages succeed with the bombing?”
While Sir Ria and I were nodding at each other, the Imperial Princess asked while lifting her short legs to kick at my shins.
“Ah, you mean that?”
I avoided the Imperial Princess’ kicks with a light movement while explaining what I had done.
“I committed defense industry corruption.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
The Imperial Princess’ kicks stopped. At the same time, Sir Ria’s feet also stopped.
“What does that have to do with this?”
“Defense industry corruption? Isn’t that punishable by death?”
Sir Ria gaped in shock while the Imperial Princess tilted her head curiously.
Through their reactions – Sir Ria responding to the illegality like the straight-laced knight she was, and the Imperial Princess being curious about how the corruption was utilized – I could understand the Imperial Princess’ true nature.
To be honest, her personality seemed more suited to being Howling’s successor than the Empire’s Imperial Princess.
“I understand that the Empire’s technology is considered among the best on the continent. Even the Empire’s technicians had many trials and errors in creating magical bombing staffs.”
“That’s right.”
“But the Kingdom of Merdea, which doesn’t even know the detailed theory of magical bombing, made magical bombing staffs? And in a way similar to ours? I thought that premise was wrong.”
“Ah…”
“Pardon?”
The Imperial Princess who seemed to realize something, and Sir Ria who looked at me as if asking what I was talking about.
Through this, I could now understand Sir Ria’s intelligence level.
“Sir Ria, defense industry corruption plus the enemy cannot make magical bombing staffs. What do you get when you combine these two?”
I posed this question to activate Sir Ria’s brain.
And then,
“I don’t know.”
Sir Ria showed me a blank answer sheet with a very proud expression.
She was so proud that I couldn’t say anything.
“…”
“Why, why are you looking at me like that!”
I simply replaced words with a very cold stare at Sir Ria.
“So there’s someone within the Empire trading staffs illegally?”
“Precisely.”
The organization still couldn’t produce staffs. Though they were analyzing the staffs, they couldn’t match the Empire’s technology.
Therefore, the staffs used by the Merdean forces weren’t made by the organization but were items secretly diverted from the Empire.
“This matter…”
“It would be best to hand it over to His Highness Raid.”
This was news that the youngest prince, who had been thoroughly defeated because of those diverted staffs, would be very pleased to hear.
“And…”
“You don’t need to say it, Ast.”
The Imperial Princess had many unfavorable points, but it was convenient that she understood such matters well.
“What do you think you understand?”
Sir Ria looked at us with a suspicious expression.
How should I put it…? It was like the expression of viewers watching the protagonist of Detective Co*an?
It was the look of someone watching a psychopath who wonders who will be dead when they wake up in the morning.
“Ria, the enemy has staffs that can block magical bombing.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And all those staffs are products of defense industry corruption, just sticks that look fine on the outside but are useless.”
“…Just wooden sticks. That’s not even defense industry corruption anymore, is it, Lord Ast?”
“Therefore, Ria.”
“That being the case, Sir Ria.”
Looking at Sir Ria who gaped in shock, the Imperial Princess and I simultaneously voiced what we needed to do.
“Now is when magical bombing will work.”
“It would be a waste not to shoot, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah…”
And so began the Empire’s one-sided offensive once again.
