Chapter 26: Handling the Defeat

“Imperial Army Defeated”

The news arrived almost simultaneously in the Empire and the Kingdom. According to official records, Empire losses were 3,703 dead and 6,414 wounded (light and heavy); Kingdom losses were 2,120 dead and 5,088 wounded (light and heavy). In terms of raw damage the Empire took the bigger hit, but for the Kingdom this was also the largest loss in a single battle over the past ten years. Yet beyond these numbers, the Empire suffered a far more serious blow: the loss of Holy Knight Paladins.

“Holy Knight Paladin deaths number six, with the remaining nineteen all wounded—seven of them so badly that their future activities will be impaired. While some were rookies, most were mid-level Paladins with four or five years of experience. Recovering from this loss will take several years.”

Crown Prince Austro Tolmakia gave a single nod and stayed silent. His close aide and chief of staff, Partina Sircury, placed pieces on the war-game map and replayed the battle. Austro’s inner circle watched the pieces move.

“The “first-strike certain-kill formation” devised by Prince Noias deserves credit for its novel use of the oblique order. In the end, however, it failed to pierce the center. Most likely General Phalanx had either anticipated this oblique attack or experienced it before. That’s why he could judge and respond so quickly on the spot. Not blinded by pride in his own solid line, he thought from the enemy’s perspective on how to break it and prepared countermeasures… That is why he is called a great general.”

Partina’s calm explanation continued. After analyzing the causes of defeat, they moved on to future prospects.

“There is probably no chance the Kingdom will launch an offensive. They must have taken considerable damage themselves. We also need time to regroup. Large-scale mobilization is impossible.”

“So does that mean this year’s war ends here? What does the chief of staff think?”

“Well, under normal circumstances both countries would pause the war. But our prince here is the type who would say precisely because of that, we should raise troops… Isn’t that what you’re thinking?”

All eyes focused on one man. Austro opened his eyes and stood up.

“I have told you all before—I want to end this barren war. But ending a war that has lasted two hundred years is not as simple as words make it sound. Over these two centuries the Empire’s economy and social structure have been built on the premise of continued war with the Kingdom. If the war stops, a large number of unemployed will appear. To end the war we must create ‘new rights and interests’ to resolve that discontent. In other words, mining rights in the southern mountains and development of the Kabachi Plains.”

“For that we need the Kingdom to give up the mountains and plains. In short, Your Highness’s aim is to capture ‘Valihart Grand Fortress.’ That would allow a ceasefire with the Kingdom, then economically swallow the Kingdom through industrial promotion, correct?”

“The Kingdom is wider than the Empire and has more people. Complete annexation right now is impossible. So we ceasefire at a good point, then use economic power and culture to swallow the Kingdom’s ‘society.’ Eventually the Kingdom will collapse from within. At that time the Empire will replace it as ruler. To achieve that we must first take that fortress. After this battle the Kingdom will also think there will be no more fighting this year. So we strike Valihart Grand Fortress in one go while they are off guard.”

Everyone nodded at the Crown Prince’s words. Austro’s eyes clearly reflected the shape of a new era of war.

At that time, news of the “victory” on the Kabachi Plains had also reached the Kingdom side.

“Fufu! As expected of Papa. Crushing twenty-five Holy Knight Paladins—how refreshing!”

Elsa Phalanx, the great general’s daughter, puffed out her chest proudly. It was no wonder she was in high spirits. They had repelled an enemy army of forty thousand plus twenty-five Holy Knights in a single day. Within the royal capital it was reported purely as a “victory.” People cheered and once again acknowledged “Phalanx in the north.” But at the Royal Knight Academy more accurate information had come down from the military. Headmistress Lilia Shurisupu had called Kaito and four Holy Knight candidate students to the headmistress’s office and explained the battle using the war map set up in the room.

“Kaito, what do you think? I want to hear your opinion on this battle.”

Staring at the map, Kaito began to state his observations.

“First, what deserves praise is the enemy’s tactic. Combining the oblique order with Holy Knight power to break a solid line is eye-opening. But even more surprising is General Phalanx’s immediate response to that tactic. He must have known there were many Holy Knights. From the army’s morale he could probably read that they would attack from both sides. But with just that information it should be impossible to see through this new tactic. Perhaps the general had seen the same tactic in the past?”

Lilia nodded happily.

“Exactly. Nearly ten years ago my late husband, Hero Chevalier Paul Shurisupu, participated in maneuvers in the north. To test the Hero Chevalier’s command ability he was given two thousand troops. Opposing him was General Phalanx’s direct unit of four thousand. Everyone predicted my husband’s defeat. But he used an unthinkable tactic. He split the two thousand into three groups and executed oblique order simultaneously from left and right. Then the instant the horizontal line stretched from the center, the cavalry unit I led smashed into the center. Piercing that iron wall like paper felt exhilarating.”

“I see. So he learned from that experience. The reason a great general is great is in what he learns from experience. Next, what stands out is the enemy’s left wing. The moment they realized the oblique wasn’t working, they immediately shifted to a retreat posture. That switch at the very beginning of the battle was also masterful.”

“It was General Schwaik, right? Until two years ago he was just a small-unit commander, yet now he’s a general. Quickly promoting talented people—that is the Empire’s strength.”

Kaito nodded at Sofia Volfort’s words.

(In the last few years the Imperial Army has been gradually rejuvenating. They are removing incompetents who rely only on pedigree and starting to promote young but excellent talent. It started after the Crown Prince entered the upper ranks of the military. His name was…)

“Kaito. If it were you, how would you attack General Phalanx?”

Asked by Elfina Rogueia, he stopped his recollection midway. Eyes back on the map. One hand covering his mouth as he fell silent. Inside his head pieces moved furiously. Eventually he reached a conclusion.

“Don’t fight. That is the correct answer. If sacrificing twenty-five Holy Knights is acceptable, there is a tactic of splitting them into groups of five and slamming them continuously into one spot. No matter how tough the shields, concentrating Paladin power could break through. But that would mean sacrificing precious Holy Knight Paladins. As a plan it is the absolute worst.”

“But if you don’t fight there is no loss, yet no win either. If you still had to win, what then?”

“Let’s see… From a strategic perspective, while drawing General Phalanx to the Kabachi Plains, I would look for another route to attack the Kingdom. Attack from the sea, or find a path over the mountains. Or in the south stir up the western barbarians…”

“No way. Papa said the paths over those mountains are impossible even for merchants.”

“The sea too. The port of Rhoda is packed with Kingdom warships. On the sea the Kingdom and Empire are evenly matched. It shouldn’t be easy to slip through, right?”

Kaito knew that already. He had only said it to align everyone’s thinking.

“Right. If strategy won’t work, let’s try from a tactical view. General Phalanx’s solid line has ‘immovable’ strength that can withstand any attack. Attacking an unmoving enemy will only increase our own losses. So make the battlefield dynamic instead.”

“Guerrilla warfare?”

“Exactly. Split the army into several groups and clash across the entire Kabachi Plains as the board. Assign multiple Holy Knight Paladins to each unit, centralize information transmission and collection. Through organized use including the Paladins, pile up small victories. It would be a complete war of attrition, but if we keep winning it would eventually lead to the fight for Valihart Grand Fortress.”

“Even now such guerrilla actions happen daily. Using Holy Knights selectively would raise the win rate, but in the sense of extending the current line it’s nothing new.”

At Lilia’s slightly harsh evaluation Kaito shrugged. From the Empire’s standpoint, breaking through the Kabachi Plains seemed almost impossible. At least as long as General Phalanx was there, the Empire would simply continue to bleed.

“General Phalanx’s role is defense, not attack. Breaking an opponent who commits fully to defense is extremely difficult. A clumsy offensive would result in heavy losses like this time. Drawing the Phalanx army while sending a separate force to threaten Valihart Fortress probably wouldn’t work either.”

“The Empire has tried that many times in the past. General Phalanx’s strategic and tactical eye deserves to be called that of a great general. That man… the Sloth Hero Chevalier Paul Shurisupu said it too. To defeat the Phalanx army the only way is to pile up standard moves. Secure supplies, repeat guerrilla warfare with a larger army, continue small victories—there is no other way to beat the Phalanx army. You see it the same way, Kaito?”

“Regrettable as it is. To defeat the Phalanx army in a short time requires destructive power never seen before. For example, a powerful Holy Knight Paladin with a hundred times the strength of Gratina Wackenheim…”

“That’s no longer human. It would be a mythical being like the Destroyer God Vastarl or Demon Lord Pazus. In short, as long as that great general protects the north, the Kingdom is safe?”

Sofia had stopped thinking midway but reacted to the last part. Probably because as a swordsman she respected the Kingdom’s strongest Holy Knight. Elsa seemed to understand less than half but knew her father’s greatness was being praised, so she puffed her chest and nodded vigorously.

“If winning with human power…”

Muttering in a voice too small to hear, Kaito fell into deep thought.

(With existing tactics it is hard to defeat the Phalanx army. New tactic… no, new weapon? If there was a weapon more powerful than a catapult and with longer range, perhaps it could be broken.)

What that might be did not come to Kaito. He had simply built one possibility logically. No matter how sharp Kaito was, he could not imagine what he did not know.

Of the ten lined-up cannons the center one roared. A choking smell and smoke spread. After a short pause the distant target turned to splinters. Earth-shaking sounds followed one after another—the remaining nine cannons firing in salvo.

“Three, two, one… Impact!”

Targets hundreds of steps away shattered simultaneously, pillars of dirt rising. Oohs of admiration could be heard. The woman in a dirty white coat nodded with satisfaction.

“Success! Changing the shell shape really did the trick~”

Lizalith Prada nodded vigorously and scribbled something on paper. Austro Tolmakia stared at the still-smoking “cannon.” Its power exceeded imagination. Range roughly eight hundred meters—more than enough for real combat. Test-fire with the first, adjust angle, then fire the rest all at once. Time was needed for loading and cooling, but that could be handled depending on operation.

“Prepare fifty. Place twenty-five front and twenty-five rear. After the first twenty-five fire, they pull back and the waiting twenty-five move forward. Switching front and rear allows continuous fire.”

“Haha… Well, that sort of thing is outside my expertise. These are tools, so as the inventor I’d appreciate it if you use them carefully so they don’t break.”

“We will immediately enter mass production. I want fifty ready. From late August there will be relatively many clear days. Two months. In two months a new history will be born!”

Crown Prince Austro Tolmakia strode briskly toward the imperial palace. An imperial conference to summarize the previous battle was about to begin.

“The previous battle was, regrettably, a defeat. We lost many soldiers and Holy Knights. Where does the responsibility lie? Speak your honest opinions without reservation. Do not hold back just because he is my son.”

Emperor Ziltania Fizz Tolmakia was not a great ruler but not a fool either. He had enough sense to put the whole country before personal feelings. The absence of the Second Prince from this meeting was also Ziltania’s consideration. Marshal Caldas Grizzler stood up.

“With all due respect, the responsibility for this failure must lie with Prince Noias’s rashness. The oblique order up to the point of launching it was fine. But once the central breakthrough with Holy Knights failed, the army should have withdrawn. The delay in that decision resulted in needless additional sacrifices.”

“Wait. As supreme commander the prince certainly bears responsibility. But if we are assigning blame, what were the vice-commander and staff doing? Vice-Commander Leopold Schwaik was in charge of the left wing but unilaterally withdrew his forces, allowing the enemy Holy Knight Paladins to run wild and forcing the central army to retreat. Isn’t the failure on General Schwaik?”

Prime Minister Hermann Zeppel raised an objection. The Second Prince he supported had failed and was in danger of being disinherited. If Noias were removed, they themselves would not be safe. He intended to create another “scapegoat” to protect Noias. But Caldas snorted.

“You say strange things. According to the military supervisors, if General Schwaik had not withdrawn, the central army would have been dragged deeper into melee, the right wing would have collapsed, and we would have faced semi-encirclement. General Schwaik used the enemy to create a chance for the central army to withdraw. It was not cowardice. It was action born of courage and decision.”

The military officers nodded in unison. This had also been confirmed in the preliminary hearings. If there was one thing worth praising in this defeat, it was only Leopold Schwaik’s work. Civil and military officials gave their views one after another, but the civil side was losing ground.

“Austro, I want to hear your opinion. How should Noias be dealt with?”

At the emperor’s question the room fell silent. The future of Second Prince Noias now rested on a single word from his brother. The word “disinheritance” flashed through every civil official’s mind. But Austro’s opinion betrayed everyone’s expectations.

“My younger brother Noias has always excelled more in civil matters than military. If we are assigning blame, then I who yielded to him also bear part of the responsibility. This battle was not a one-sided loss for our country alone. We inflicted corresponding damage on the Kingdom. It is a loss, but not a crushing defeat. To show one punishment as warning to a hundred, we cannot let it go completely unpunished, but excessively harsh punishment would only make everyone shrink back.”

“Hmm. Specifically, what punishment do you think is appropriate?”

“Reprimand from Father, six months of house arrest, and from now on make him swear to work in civil affairs and diplomacy rather than military. Wouldn’t that be sufficient? And I would like to be given the role of recovering from this loss.”

“What? You mean to start the war again?”

“Troops: thirty thousand. The Holy Knight Paladin I will take is only my partner Aisis Elenskaya. I as the elder brother will make up for my younger brother’s failure.”

Emperor Ziltania turned to the marshal and prime minister. Both wore surprised expressions. Caldas hurriedly tried to stop Austro.

“Your Highness, please wait. We lost many troops in the previous battle and need time to rebuild. Moreover, the opponent is that Phalanx. Thirty thousand troops without Holy Knights defeating Phalanx seems difficult…”

But Austro ignored Caldas and asked Prime Minister Hermann Zeppel.

“Zeppel. For victory I need your cooperation. Of course military funds, but I want to prepare new weapons using the imperial arsenals. I expect you to arrange it—may I?”

Asked by Austro, the prime minister regained himself.

“Of course, Your Highness. Ask for anything you need. I will prepare it without fail.”

“Your Highness!”

Austro turned to Caldas with a smile.

“Worry not. I have no intention of fighting a battle without chance of victory. Father. Please grant me the order to mobilize…”

“…Make up for your brother’s failure, huh. Very well. Do as you like. Caldas and Hermann, cooperate with Austro. This is my command.”

“Yes!”

The emperor’s direct order had been given. No one could stop it now. Inside, Ziltania reevaluated his son.

(He sees Noias’s failure as an opportunity and is even trying to pull in the civil officials. As expected, Austro has greater caliber. The one to succeed me is decided.)

Pale beautiful skin flushed crimson with pleasure. Holy Knight Paladin Aisis Elenskaya trembled like a small bird in her master’s arms and cried out. Heat spread inside her womb. The man rapidly wilted, but Aisis did not mind. If her sworn master desired her, she was ready to offer her body anytime.

“Sorry. I’ve been busy lately and couldn’t attend to you.”

“Please don’t worry. I am Your Highness’s Holy Knight Paladin. Whenever Your Highness desires…”

Crown Prince Austro Tolmakia went into heat every four to five days. As a Hero Chevalier he possessed first-class power, but that power did not fit within ordinary Hero bounds. Overflowing with ambition and grand aspirations, he possessed matching ability. Everyone who served him expected him to become the greatest emperor in history.

Resting her face on his chest, Aisis felt happiness. The man she normally looked up to as Crown Prince became an equal partner inside this bedroom. Among Austro’s close aides Aisis’s position was special. Of course, if she took advantage and made selfish requests she would be expelled immediately.

“Father has given permission. Mobilization will be in August. You will have work to do as well.”

“Leave it to me. I will be Your Highness’s sword and shield.”

“No, this time it’s a little different. The only thing I will use is the fact that you are a Holy Knight Paladin. Actually fighting… well, probably won’t happen.”

Aisis tilted her head but did not think further. She excelled in sword and martial arts but had no head for strategy or tactics. The partner before her expected no such thing. She simply had to believe in her Hero Chevalier.

“Your Highness, you seem a little tired. Let me massage your back.”

She pressed on the back of Austro who had turned face down. The goddess’s blessing descended. Better not to use too much strength. With light pressure on his back Austro groaned. The hardened muscles in his back and shoulders loosened. Before long Austro was breathing quietly in sleep.