V6C22 Battle of Teripol: Prologue - Santairiku Eiyuuki

It was a nightmare for the Kingdom of Cherda. A dust-churning horde of people suddenly descended upon them. Had it been the usual assault by the Barbarian Barbarians, the border guards of the Cherda Kingdom could have handled it calmly. However... That army flew the flag of the two-headed eagle, the banner of the Lemuria Empire. “Wh-why are the Lemurian forces coming from the desert!?” “Wh-what is happening?” “H-help us!!” Facing the panicked guards, Jebe, in command of the vanguard, coldly issued orders to his subordinates. “Shoot to kill!” “““Yes, sir!””” The disciplined independent raiding unit led by Jebe mercilessly shot down the enemies. They easily broke through the enemy's defensive line. “Send a report to His Majesty at the rear. Tell him we've breached the defensive line and to push forward swiftly.” “Yes, sir!” While sending a messenger to the rear, Jebe kept the pace, charging towards the enemy city unabated. “It’s bad! Th-the Lemurian Imperial Army is attacking us!!” “That’s impossible! There's nothing but the Great Desert beyond here! The Lemurian army shouldn't be able to come!” “It’s a false report, a false report!” “No, I definitely saw the two-headed eagle!” “Could it be the Barbarians masquerading as the Lemurian army?” “Either way, they’re the enemy!” “Hurry, close the gates!” “Wait! There are still people outside! We can’t abandon them!!” “Is this the time to say that!!?” “Hurry, everyone, evacuate into the city!!” “Hey, you’re in the way! We can’t close the gate! Move!” “Please, my wife hasn’t arrived yet!!” “Hey, that cart over there is blocking the way! It's too big!!” “Don’t rush me!!… Oh no!! The wheel, the wheel broke!!” “Are you kidding me, at a time like this! Now we can’t close the gates!!” “Just move the cart away, break it if you have to!” “Don’t break it! It’s my property! Hey, stop stealing my belongings!!” “Whatever it takes, just hurry up!!!” “Hey, the Lemurian army is already upon us!!” “Nonsense! The couriers from the guards haven't arrived yet… wait, is that them?” “Th-they’re right behind the guard’s mounted couriers!!” “Hurry, hurry, close the gates!!” --- “They seem fired up, don't they?” From a distant vantage point, Jebe commented nonchalantly as he watched the chaotic masses in front of the city gates. His tone was casual, but his horse was galloping at full speed. “Captain, aren’t we too fast? The Bulgarian infantry and the medium-armored cataphracts aren’t keeping up…” “No, this is fine. His Majesty ordered this. This is why His Majesty appointed me as the vanguard.” The independent raiding unit under Jebe’s command was composed entirely of cavalry. Their equipment was light, protecting only the vital areas. The horses were nearly unarmored. Their weapons included sabers and bows. By those standards, they were just light cavalry. Their defining trait was each cavalryman being accompanied by four spare horses. This allowed them to switch mounts repeatedly and maintain top speed while moving. “We’ll surge into the city as is… Eliminate any obstacles.” “““Yes, sir!””” The cavalry replied and drew the composite bows manufactured by the Lemurian Empire. Arrows rained down like a storm, clearing the throngs in front of the city gate. Jebe unsheathed his saber and shouted: “Once inside, secure the gate mechanism, then occupy the city. Everyone, prepare for combat!!” “““Yes, sir!””” --- Following this, the Lemurian Imperial Army, led by Hercules, advanced relentlessly, seizing cities within the Cherda Kingdom and pushing towards its core. Three days into their march... The Lemurian army was nearing the city of Teripol. “What in the world… What is happening? Was a port captured? Where did the Lemurian army come from!?” Carmine, the general of the Teripol Defense Army, clutched his head in frustration. The swift advance of the suddenly appearing Lemurian army had shredded the defensive and intelligence networks of the Cherda Kingdom. Information was utterly tangled, making it impossible to discern truth from falsehood. Some claimed that a port had been seized, allowing the Lemurian army to land… Others insisted that General Jason had been defeated and the Lemurians had advanced this far. Another faction argued that it was the Barbarians borrowing the guise of the Lemurians… Yet others stated the Lemurian army had crossed the Great Desert to attack. The mixture of truth and lies rendered it impossible to grasp the situation. The very reality that "the Lemurian army crossed the Great Desert to launch a surprise attack" seemed too fantastical, making it difficult to accept. “Ah, this is why I said we shouldn’t disperse our forces! Of course, they hit the vulnerable spots!! That inexperienced kid!!” Carmine expressed his frustration. The "youngster" referred to was Jason. Indeed, had Carmine's strategy been followed, they could have met the enemy at Teripol with full preparedness. Though, truthfully, Hercules would have planned an alternative strategy, making little difference in outcome. “S-sir! At any rate, we must counter-attack!” “That is true, but… we only have 50,000 troops!” Originally, the Teripol Defense Army was meant to assemble 70,000 soldiers. However, gathering 70,000 troops took time, with Azdavia prioritized, and simultaneous deployment of the capital and Teripoltania defense armies needed practical planning. Consequently, only 50,000 troops gathered in Teripol. Yet 50,000 should suffice. The port was already sealed with thick chains, and preparations to deliberately sink ships and render the port unusable were in place. Even if the Lemurian navy attempted to land… 50,000 should be enough to fend them off. Yet… the enemy came by land. “But the enemy force is approximately 30,000! We have the advantage!” “Th-that’s true… By sieging, we should easily endure… How much food do we have?” Carmine checked the stockpiled provisions in the city and, upon hearing the report, clasped his head. “Ugh, too little…” Preparing for a siege requires considerable time and provisions to withstand supply disruptions over a long period. With priority on gathering forces, only minimal provisions were available. Furthermore, Teripol City is Cherda Kingdom’s second-largest city, boasting a population of 150,000. Their needs must also be met. Besides, with about 30,000 Lemurian soldiers, completely besieging a city of 150,000 with 50,000 defenders is impossible. However, disrupting the flow of goods is entirely feasible. If food supply to Teripol City falters, there will inevitably be starvation. “Damn it, I’m not keen on this… but it’s a field battle! Our numbers are superior; there's no reason we can't win!” Thus, Carmine stationed his troops in the vicinity of Teripol City, preparing to confront the Lemurian army. --- “So, they've opted for a field battle,” Hercules commented with a smile upon hearing the report from Jebe’s vanguard. “They indeed have the numerical advantage. It makes sense.” “Absolutely. I think it’s the right choice. In this situation, a siege would be foolish. They have the numbers. They’d be starved into action within three days, forcing them to sortie. Opting for a field battle from the start is rational.” Neither foolish nor incompetent, Hercules and Alicia assessed. However... “Still... challenging me to a field battle with less than double my forces is a thousand years too early,” Hercules said with a brazen grin. --- Hercules waited for the full assembly of his forces and reorganized the army before steadily advancing towards Teripol City. The decisive battle was scheduled for the next day. That evening, Hercules summoned Jebe. “This is Jebe.” “Glad you came, Jebe. Your independent raiding unit's activities have been phenomenal. We owe our unhindered advance to you.” Hercules applauded Jebe, causing him to blush slightly with pride. (…He really does have an adorable face.) Seeing Jebe's reddened cheeks, Hercules had a complicated expression. It was natural for Jebe to be sent as Hercules’ concubine, though Hercules had no interest in such things, nor did Jebe. “Now, Jebe, you won’t be participating in tomorrow’s battle. Instead, you'll depart here at dawn.” “Understood… and my destination?” “The region of Ifriqiya.” The Ifriqiya region was part of Cherda Kingdom's administrative division, west of Teripoltania, where the city of Cherda stood—essentially the capital region. “Advance to the Ifriqiya region, avoiding enemy encounters… Threaten Cherda City and confuse the enemy. Your cavalry’s mobility should make this feasible.” “Leave it to me. This is my specialty. So, I should carry out thorough sabotage?” “Exactly. I’ll leave situational judgment to you, but… do your best to avoid civilian casualties. It complicates governance later. Also, send regular couriers so we know your whereabouts. Make sure you return within a month.” “I understand. I'll keep that in mind.” Jebe nodded agreement. After Jebe departed, Hercules then summoned Nia. “This is Nia Lucarios.” “Thanks for coming, Nia. Thanks to your protection from the rear, our advance was smooth. You've grown.” “Ehehe… oh, come on…” Nia grinned broadly, clearly pleased. Hercules mentally deducted a few points from his internal assessment of Nia, feeling she was easily swayed by compliments. “Now, Nia. Instead of participating in tomorrow’s battle, I have a different task for you.” “A different task?” “Yes, you’ll be on the move from early dawn.” Hercules nodded, spreading out a detailed map. It was an old map from when the entire Cherda Kingdom was part of the Lemuria Empire, which Hercules had updated with intelligence gathered via merchants and spies, as well as local information. “As you know, Teripol City is the heart of the Teripoltania region and a key transport hub. Nia, I want you to occupy the checkpoints on the main highway connecting Teripol City and Cherda City, and cut off information between west and east of Teripol City.” “Understood! …May I ask why?” “If they don’t even know whether Teripol City has fallen or not… it’s distressing, isn’t it?” Hercules replied with a sly smile. Although there were small, narrow paths, making it impossible to completely cut off all information, blocking the main highway would significantly restrict information flow, allowing for misinformation and disruption. “This task can only be entrusted to your independent raiding unit. Get it done,” Hercules said. “Yes! I’ll definitely accomplish it!” Nia declared, clenching her fist tightly. After Nia left, Hercules smirked mischievously. “Well, well… let’s see how you handle this. Let’s see what Childeric II’s skills are made of,” Hercules mused with gleeful anticipation.