Chapter 306
Side Story – Memories of a Certain Princess (57)
Marquis Laiasha was given special treatment by Ast.
“The opponent is Marquis Laiasha!”
It was a phrase that Ast kept repeating these days.
A phrase that only a very small number of commanding officers could hear for security reasons.
It meant to be cautious of the opponent.
However, the difference was,
“Marquis Laiasha is an existence that can be defeated by being hit by falling leaves. Everyone be careful and engage cautiously!”
It wasn’t because the opponent was strong.
It was because he was so weak that we could defeat him if we just went easy on him to a certain extent.
Thanks to Marquis Laiasha, we were able to realize,
That making the enemy win is not an easy task either!
“We attacked moderately and were blocked moderately as well. Through that, we were able to sufficiently maintain Marquis Laiasha’s position.”
Ast’s words were right.
Through the information we deliberately leaked, the enemies were able to block our offensive.
Of course we didn’t use Magic Bombing, and the goal was just to attack carelessly and run away, but it would have been different for the enemy.
It was the only attack that was blocked among all the attacks we had poured out so far.
“Thanks to that, his head remained attached.”
More than ten failures.
On top of that, he recently accomplished the feat of blowing away an entire legion into thin air with a reckless attack.
And yet, he still retains the position of general probably thanks to the achievements of the former Marquis Laiasha and his recent merits.
Well, if it was the Karan Empire, it would have been execution regardless of achievements, but…
“Yes, that’s right. But we still can’t let our guard down.”
It felt like he barely survived by the skin of his teeth.
“Right now, Marquis Laiasha is walking on a tightrope. While he himself may not realize it, anyone can see that he’s on a tightrope.”
The moment someone abruptly cuts it, all that remains for Marquis Laiasha is an endless plunge – that was his current situation.
“Making that tightrope into a sturdy bridge is our job.”
It was no easy plan. No – it was a very difficult task.
It’s in the nature of information to be compressed or exaggerated.
Knowing that, we thought the information about Marquis Laiasha was exaggerated.
No human could be like that.
However, upon directly experiencing Marquis Laiasha firsthand, that belief was smashed to pieces.
Marquis Laiasha was real.
He was a real lunatic like Ast.
The difference was that Ast was capable but crazy while Marquis Laiasha was incompetent yet crazy.
“A sturdy bridge… It will be a very difficult task.”
“Yes, Your Highness. The opponent exceeds imagination. We could lose in an instant if we let our guard down.”
At this point, it seemed easier to just fight the Kingdom of Merdeah.
Since all we had to do was continue destroying their major strongholds with Magic Bombs before the enemy gathered information about it, and once preparations against it emerged, wage a pure war…
“It will be a considerably tough job. However, if we succeed, it will bear the sweetest fruit in the world – the supreme commander of the Kingdom of Merdeah’s army, Religius Ruh Laiasha.”
“Ha…”
To think that Laiasha, who we have to worry about not letting loss, would become the enemy’s top commander…
“It’s too sweet.”
Even I was intoxicated by that sweetness.
The other troops were probably already in too deep to come out of that sweet trap.
“The basic preparations have been made. From now on, we just need to support Marquis Laiasha with our very best.”
“What do you mean by support?”
At one officer’s words, Ast took out a map for everyone to see.
“Our camps are currently here, here and here.”
The temporary base where we currently were, the front defense base, and Phesra Castle to retreat to in case of emergency.
Ast placed imperial flags on those three formations.
“And the enemy troops are in these locations.”
Was it because of the Magic Bombs?
Unlike the previous united advance, the enemy forces were spaced apart at regular intervals.
“Is it worse than before?”
I already knew from the reports I received, but at that time, it was said to have spread to the scale of a legion.
“Has it been completely divided into the scale of divisions?”
“The annihilation of an entire legion is not something the Kingdom of Merdeah, known as a military powerhouse, can ignore.”
“That’s true.”
At the beginning of the war, there was once.
And again through the Magic bombing and the subsequent counterattack.
Through these two battles, the Kingdom of Merdeah lost countless troops, including the late General Arisetias.
Just counting the dead alone would be tens of thousands.
Adding deserters and wounded, at least 2 or more legions would have disappeared.
On top of that, they lost another legion to rescue Marquis Laiasha due to his absurd attack.
While the Merdeah Kingdom was only fighting our army, they were fighting the entire Karan Empire.
Excluding us, they were also fighting the armies of other princes in a situation where they could not arbitrarily withdraw troops from elsewhere.
“I heard that His Highness Reide’s troops were recently defeated, but since it wasn’t a big victory, troops couldn’t be withdrawn.”
“Is this already the second defeat?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I naturally recalled the face of my youngest half-brother, with eyes full of confidence, looking at me.
He looked very smart on the outside, but to think he was defeated by this army twice.
“It’s a disgrace to the imperial family.”
“Is the imperial family a place where only monsters live? He’s not even over 10 years old yet.”
“Wasn’t I about the same age when we first met?”
“Oh…I guess it is a place where only monsters live.”
“Shouldn’t you deny that here?”
“Because even as a child, Your Highness was a monster.”
It sounded like a compliment but was an unpleasant thing to hear.
Still, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut because Ast and Renia, as well as the other commanders, were nodding their heads.
“Leaving that story aside. Since the enemy forces are divided into division levels, the efficiency of the Magic bombing will drop.”
Human magic has limits.
No matter how magicians have received specialized education and are special forces that others cannot match in distributing magic, they cannot exceed the limits of magic. Even if magic recovery potions exist.
“I know. Increasing the amount per person was a solution, but not a perfect one.”
The magic recovery potion is literally a potion that recovers magic power.
It instantly raises the magic that gathers in a person to quickly recover magic in a short time and gathers all the magic in the body to allow one or two more magic casts.
There were these two types of magic recovery potions.
However, the former only reduces recovery time, while the latter is more about gathering the last bit of strength rather than actual recovery.
Unlike magicians who take turns using magic, asking magicians who bombard the enemy’s heads to use magic for a long time was akin to telling them to die there.
Sacrificing friendly magicians for someone like Marquis Laiasha.
Ast would not want such an extreme inefficiency.
“Our goal right now is just one. To remove all enemy commanders except Marquis Laiasha. It’s a bit far-fetched, but it’s also the most ideal goal.”
As I said before, the Merdeah Kingdom was lacking troops at the moment, no matter how much of a military powerhouse it was.
If all the commanders around them die in that state, the chain of command would naturally fall to Marquis Laiasha, who holds both the title of Marquis and general.
Although it would only be temporary.
“In the case of the late General Arisetias, we can only say that we got lucky. The enemy is not stupid enough to be unprepared.”
“Yes. According to the information from our spies, the enemy commanders are sleeping in the same quarters as ordinary soldiers and change locations every day.”
“Sniping is impossible… Because the enemy is spread across divisions, efficiency has dropped. You must have brought a solution for that?”
“Yes. our original goals were to raise Marquis Laiasha and reduce the number of other enemies.”
“Right. The goal was to raise Marquis Laiasha’s value through that.”
“To be frank, we have no interest in other enemy divisions or legions. We just need them to follow Marquis Laiasha, so removing enemy commanders is our only goal.”
Ast took out a piece and placed it on the map.
It was the most important piece in chess.
The most important piece that could move forward to all surrounding squares.
The ‘king’ who loses the game the moment he is captured.
“Marquis Laiasha is here.”
After placing it where Marquis Laiasha was located, Ast began to make a very wicked smile.
“Ugh…”
Seeing that smile, Maref, Ast’s apprentice and a dragon, began to tremble slightly.
Does Ast know? That even dragons are shuddering at his crazy antics!
He probably doesn’t know. That’s why he can babble such crazy things so nonchalantly.
“Then there is only one thing we can do.”
Ast moved the pieces representing friendly magicians.
The place where the pieces were moving was the area bombed by the friendly forces.
But all the commanders were astonished to see the magicians’ pieces moving.
And for good reason,
“There are rumors spreading among enemy soldiers that we have learned the magic of devils. Then, while raising Marquis Laiasha’s fame, we can also spread rumors that he has the blessing of God.”
The area that Ast prepared for the bombing was the troops of Marquis Laiasha.
“The story of the troops using the devil’s magic and the general with the blessing of God.”
Everyone’s attention was focused on Ast exaggerating as if reading a fairy tale book.
Receiving the attention, Ast smiled very satisfied.
“It must be very interesting, right?”
A person who enjoys war.
Ast’s infamous reputation was growing even bigger today.
#72 Their Situation: The Situation of Some Soldier
“Uwaaah!”
“Block it! Block it!”
“It’s the Empire’s magic! It’s magic that can’t be blocked!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Noisy explosions started ringing out nearby.
It started. It’s finally our turn.
As an ordinary soldier, I couldn’t help but tremble in fear.
The Empire’s magic attacks cannot be stopped. There wouldn’t be any soldiers who don’t know that.
I heard that the troops around us recently got bombed by the Imperial troops, and not a single one of them was able to block the bombing.
Although all the officers kept their mouths shut and did not admit that fact, just looking at their terrified expressions, I could tell.
The rumors are true.
The Empire’s magic cannot be stopped.
In fact, some soldiers from the troops that took such great damage that they could not maintain the troops joined nearby troops. And among those soldiers, some were so traumatized that they would tremble violently just from dropping stuff.
They said.
The Empire’s magic cannot be stopped.
The enemy uses the devil’s magic.
This was an unwinnable war.
So we would all die.
Some were even executed for damaging ally morale by saying those things.
The officers said they were enemy spies who told us lies to lower our morale, but what spy would operate so openly like that?
Even before that, they were all terrified.
That expression could not have been acted out, only ones who went through a hopeless situation could have such a desperate look.
So the moment the Empire’s magic bombing started, the only thing I could do was wet my pants while praying.
“Oh great gods, please save us.”
The only things left were for the great gods to save me, or for me to die from the Empire’s magic.
In the latter case, I hope it’s a painless death.
“Wha, what are you all doing! Mages, block them all! Block them!”
I heard Marquis Laiasha’s voice in the distance.
It was truly a foolish thing to say.
The Empire’s magic cannot be stopped.
Does a general not know that?
“Ge, General! This magic cannot be blocked! You must evade them!”
“What! You believe those lies that they cannot be blocked!”
Even though so many have already experienced it, he calls it a lie.
It was a foolish action.
But,
“Are you saying they cannot be blocked without even trying! Follow orders!”
“Ah, yes sir!”
The moment the mages around focused their magic power to attempt a defense barrier in the sky at Marquis Laiasha’s words,
“Huh?”
The noisy surroundings suddenly became quiet.
“Huh?”
“Could it be?”
Everyone looked up at the sky. And we saw the falling magic disappear as they collided with the barrier.
“….”
“….”
“….”
Everyone was at a loss for words.
They were… Stopped? The Empire’s magic?
“See! They don’t go through! Giving up without even trying, these fools!”
Marquis Laiasha’s voice rang in our ears.
“I am the core of the Laiasha Family, the core of the Kingdom of Merdeah, the core of the world! Do you think I would die in a place like this!”
Marquis Laiasha, who until now looked like he could die anywhere at any time with how he acted… suddenly started looking cool at this moment.
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