V6C20 Behind the Scenes of the Big Operation - Santairiku Eiyuuki

What on earth am I doing? Suddenly, Lunarie snapped back to reality. Currently, she was at the western edge of the province of Misr, near the border between the Lemurian Empire and the Kingdom of Cherda. This place was the city of Cyrene. Cyrene was not only the central hub of the province of Cyrenaica but also the third largest port town in the Lemurian Empire, famous for being among the most prominent cities—although not nearly as significant as Nova Lemuria, Alectia, or Orontia. Presently, this place served as the frontline of the war between the Lemurian Empire and the Kingdom of Cherda... It was a critical logistical lifeline. Lunarie was here, buried under heaps of documents, sending supplies to the generals at the forefront. She understood that it was a significant role. And Lunarie realized that it was a job that couldn't be entrusted to anyone but a capable person, and she was deemed competent enough by Hercule to handle it. She was genuinely happy about that. But there was something that lingered in her mind. Why, as the Queen of the Kingdom of Hayastan, was she in charge of the logistics for the Lemurian Empire's military? She pondered. "...He'd probably say it's because I'm his vassal, wouldn't he?" Lunarie muttered to herself as she skimmed through a plan crafted by Hercule. The plan Hercule devised this time involved an audacious attack on the heart of the Kingdom of Cherda by crossing the great desert. The plan's core relied on detailed marching strategies and logistics. According to the plan, Hercule had been preparing in advance, since the middle stages of the Bulgaron War when he noticed the Kingdom of Cherda was starting to regain stability. He had amassed over ten thousand camels and donkeys, organizing a massive logistics division. The plan went into full effect about a year ago. Hercule formed a military alliance with the Barbar tribe in the desert region of Fezzan. He began secretly transporting military supplies to the oasis cities of the Barbar tribe. Heavy armor and arrows that would burden the march were sent ahead... And loaded with the bare essentials in equipment and ample supplies, the march commenced. They carried only the minimum necessary amount needed to move from one oasis to another, resupplied with the stockpiled supplies on the way. Even then, they had to transport a staggering volume of resources, particularly water and fodder. Hercule was especially troubled by the necessity of water and fodder. Animals of labor, like horses, require enormous amounts of water and fodder. To carry such vast amounts of supplies, draft animals are indispensable, yet bringing those animals would significantly increase the amount of needed supplies. To resolve this, Hercule devised a complex and meticulous plan. "He's truly amazing... And to attempt to bring this plan to life is incredible." Lunarie voiced her admiration as she read Hercule's plan. Even she had no choice but to acknowledge Hercule. Even more astounding was the enormous amount of funds utilized for this plan. Merely gathering such a large number of camels and donkeys required an astronomical sum of money. Not to mention the vast quantity of military supplies. The amount of money poured into this operation would be equivalent to purchasing the treasury of the Kingdom of Hayastan multiple times over. "Even with such lavish spending, the finances of the Lemurian Empire remain unbroken, and the citizens aren't impoverished. How exactly does it work?" It seemed they had established something called "The Lemuria Bank." They collected money from subjects across the entire Lemurian Empire under the pretense of savings, using it as military funds. Frankly speaking, Lunarie thought it was a scam. Yet, it worked smoothly. A terrifying notion. "If they conquer the Kingdom of Cherda, the losses can be offset... Assuming victory in war, moving forward is a bold decision, or should I say..." Lunarie sighed. At that moment, someone knocked on her office door. Without waiting for permission, the person entered nonchalantly. "Lunarie, do you have any news about His Majesty?" "Carolina, at least ask for permission. Right now... They're just passing through the third oasis city, but this is news from a week ago. In reality, they should have progressed a bit further." According to Hercule, he would use horses to send back information about how far they had advanced. However, since there was quite a distance involved, the information was not the freshest. "By the way, why are you here? You were supposed to stay at Nova Lemuria." "...I interpreted staying behind as staying within the Lemurian Empire. This is the Lemurian Empire. I want to be as close to His Majesty as I can." "I don't think it makes much difference distance-wise." That being said, Lunarie understood Carolina’s worries for her husband. Even Lunarie, just a tad, a bit, just a shred, as small as a grain of wheat, worried about Hercule. She even dreamt of Hercule last night. “Will they be alright?” “I imagine he’s probably singing a song without a care.” “...That might be true.” The two of them exchanged words, yet they both seemed worried. Meanwhile, at the port of the city of Cyrene, a massive fleet of the Lemurian Empire was docked. Two hundred out of five hundred ships were gathered in this port. Of the remaining three hundred ships, two hundred were securing control over the sea near the Kingdom of Cherda, deterring the coastal regions, while a hundred remained in Nova Lemuria, watching over the capital and monitoring the movements of other nations' navies. In addition, two infantry legions were stationed there, waiting to be transported by ship to invade the mainland of the Kingdom of Cherda, depending on the situation. “Can't we just launch the invasion as it is, Admiral?” Stefan inquired of Christos. Stefan was an expert on land matters but was utterly lost when it came to anything related to the sea. He had no experience with landing operations. “It’s complicated. Transport ships carrying two infantry legions are no small matter, and there aren’t many harbors in the region of Terriportania that can accommodate such large ships. Moreover, if blocked by chains, ships won’t be able to enter, and as a last resort, they might intentionally sink ships to temporarily make the harbor unusable.” The Lemurian Empire held a significant advantage over the Kingdom of Cherda with its control over the sea. However, it didn’t mean they had a free hand. They could only land at ports, specifically large ones, and with a bit of ingenuity, they could be blocked. “Moreover, landing operations involve considerable sacrifices... The sea is deeper than rivers, wider, and has a faster current.” “Well, hearing it like that makes sense... So, we have to wait until His Majesty successfully secures a port.” “That’s right. Even so... We also need to begin making moves to keep the enemy in check and make them believe our real intention is an invasion from the sea.” In the end, all victories hinge on whether Hercule succeeds. “Well, knowing His Majesty, he’ll surely succeed,” Stefan remarked. “...Indeed,” Christos agreed with him. --- Meanwhile, in the city of Asdavia within the Kingdom of Cherda, both Cherda's and Lemuria's forces had amassed. The Cherda Kingdom's army consisted of about 50,000 infantry and cavalry combined. In contrast, the Lemurian Empire fielded two infantry legions, one legion of heavily armored cavalry known as Clibanarius, a longbow corps, and a reconnaissance battalion of light cavalry. In total, 49,200 troops. The commander of the Cherda's forces was Jason, while Galfis led the Lemurian forces, commanding the Clibanarius, with support from Darios, leading the two infantry legions, and Edmond, commanding the longbow corps. The Cherda forces were entrenched with their backs to Asdavia, securing their defense firmly. The Lemurian army, on the other hand, faced them, ready for engagement. “They say the enemy commander Jason is a young Human. It must be a sign of a shortage of capable personnel. What do you think, General Galfis? Should we take action without waiting for His Majesty? I’ve heard he’s some kind of tactician; let’s show him what seasoned leadership looks like,” Darios chuckled as he spoke, pointing out several weaknesses in Jason’s formation. Though Jason was competent, to a seasoned veteran like Darios, he was still a novice. Darios laughed, saying that dealing with arrogant opponents like him was easier. However, given the circumstances, his laughter made it clear that he wasn’t entirely serious. With forces matched in number, an imprudent attack would only invite severe retaliation. “Don’t get overconfident, General Darios. Have you forgotten how you were defeated by His Majesty himself?” Galfis cautioned. “That was different, surely? Comparing an emperor who willingly risks himself with a coward who hides in the rear isn’t fair. Besides, it seems their morale isn’t particularly high,” Darios retorted. Jason was Human. In contrast, the main force of the Cherda army consisted of War Beasts. The War Beasts must have been reluctant to follow the orders of a mere Human who commanded from the rear. While the formation itself might have been textbook-perfect, if they couldn’t grasp the subtle morale amongst the troops, they couldn’t stand against His Majesty, Darios determined. "Even so, we need to keep up appearances or our strategy might be uncovered. Let's make a calculated move,” Darios suggested. “How about this then? That plan of the Cherda Kingdom’s seems to have been formulated by that young Jason fellow... someone like that would likely pounce on the information he wants to believe,” Darios proposed with a sly grin. Galfis and Edmond exchanged wry smiles upon hearing the plan. --- “Ah... The War Beasts just won’t follow my lead.” Jason sighed, closing the book he had been reading. The brash generals among the War Beasts were advocating for an offensive. However, with adversaries like the renowned Generals Galfis and Darios, that choice seemed far too dangerous. “If it turns into a prolonged conflict, the Lemurian Empire will retreat on its own. Besides, the military treatise clearly states that the attacking side needs three times the forces of the defending side. Honestly... don’t the War Beasts even read military treatises properly?” The forces of Cherda and Lemuria were almost equal in number. Defending was far easier and conserved strength compared to attacking. “And yet, they rush into a pursuit on their own and end up getting fiercely countered...” Recently, the Lemurian army had made a few sporadic attacks. In accordance with military treatises, Jason effectively repelled them. He had forbidden the War Beast generals from pursuing the enemy. A wounded beast can sometimes counterattack unexpectedly. Moreover, there were the renowned Generals Galfis and Darios to contend with. Yet, some impulsive War Beast generals pursued recklessly, only to be encircled and defeated. This situation had already repeated multiple times. “Sir Jason, we have completed the interrogation of the Lemurian prisoners. I’ve come to report.” “Oh! Information is essential. So, were you able to learn about the Lemurian army’s strategy?” “Yes, indeed. They were rather forthcoming.” A mere threat of torture was all it took for the Lemurian prisoners to divulge all. The prisoners revealed that the Lemurian strategy was indeed a diversionary attack from the land, with the main assault intended from the sea, but Jason’s defensive network thwarted their attempt to land from the sea as expected, leaving them stalled. Crucially, the Emperor of Lemuria was said to be leading the sea assault forces, waiting in Cyrene for the perfect chance to strike. “Well, there won’t be any openings to exploit. I’m here on the land, making an invasion impossible. The sea assault thwarted by my defenses. And from the south, crossing the vast desert is absolutely impossible... Now I can return to my reading with peace of mind.” Relieved, Jason returned to his book. Logically speaking, trying to cross the vast desert was deemed utterly impossible, and thus Jason wasn’t to blame for anything.