V6C26 Appearing out of nowhere - Santairiku Eiyuuki

"We've secured the main transportation routes now," Nia murmured while examining the map. Upon receiving Hercule's orders, Nia acted immediately, taking control of the checkpoints on the main road stretching from the city of Telipol to the city of Cherda. It took merely two and a half days to secure all the checkpoints and roads. They began mobilizing early the morning after receiving orders, and by noon on the sixth day since they started crossing the desert, they successfully sealed off the main road between the cities. Nia's independent guerrilla unit can be described as "infantry mounted on horseback." With the mobility equivalent to that of cavalry, they could advance seventy kilometers in a day. Not only are they adept in mounted combat, but they also excel in combat as infantry upon dismounting and are capable of conducting siege operations. For swift mobility, cavalry is necessary; for capturing checkpoints, siege tactics are crucial; and to defend the seized checkpoints, infantry is essential. Nia's independent guerrilla unit can accomplish all of these tasks, which is why Hercule entrusted this mission to her. "General Nia! We have a fast rider from His Majesty the Emperor..." "Really!" Nia joyously met the soldier who brought Hercule's missive and eagerly snatched the letter from him. She opened it and wore a dreamy expression. "Sniff, sniff... it smells like His Majesty..." The letter from Hercule, sent two days earlier, announced victory in the battle of Telipol and instructed them to continue the mission as ordered. "Understood. I'll write a letter to inform His Majesty that we've sealed all the checkpoints now, so please wait a bit. Although, considering you arrived here without delay means that His Majesty had anticipated my success." Nia had not yet informed Hercule of the operation's success. Yet, the fact that the messenger arrived at this checkpoint without hesitation implied Hercule had predicted that Nia would have been successful and present there by this time. "Your Majesty... I will execute the mission without fail!" Nia clenched her fist tightly. Around the time Nia clenched her fist with determination, the royal palace of the Cherda Kingdom in Cherda City was descending into chaos. "Ridiculous! Jason was supposed to be holding back the Lemurian army, and preparations for an assault from the sea were supposed to be perfect! Where did they come from?!" Hilderic II raised his voice angrily as he stood up. Sonia, sitting across the table from him, wore an expression of sheer disbelief. "The desert…" Sonia muttered in a small voice. Hilderic II asked her to clarify. "The desert?" "Y-yes...both the sea and land attacks were diversions. The enemy's true aim was a strategic surprise attack through the desert... If only I had realized sooner!" Sonia banged her fist on the table in frustration, then stood up and addressed Hilderic II. "Your Majesty! We must dispatch reinforcements immediately! The Cherda defense forces number 60,000. While not fully assembled, there are effectively 50,000. If we can send about 20,000 to Telipol City, we should be able to rout the Lemurian army in one swift move!" Though a crisis, Sonia argued it was also an opportunity. Meanwhile, after a brief consideration, Hilderic II asked the soldier who relayed the Lemurian army's attack on Telipol City. "Did they truly cross the desert?" "That seems the only explanation, although some reports suggest it might be a raid by the Barbaru tribe." As a mere soldier, he couldn't make a judgment. His role was to report to the king that "an army believed to be the Lemurian army crossed the desert and appeared near Telipol City with numbers around 30,000." "Are you sure there are about 30,000?" "Yes, Your Majesty. I was ordered by General Carmine to report the number as 30,000." The soldier nodded. "Sonia, for now, we will hold a military council. With the current confusion and lack of information, we cannot make a decision." "What?! What if Telipol City falls in the meantime?" "General Carmine commands 50,000 to defend Telipol City. With only 30,000 enemies, it won't be easy for them to breach it." Unbeknownst at the time, Carmine had already been defeated, and his forces reduced to 10,000. This information had yet to reach Hilderic II. "However..." Although Sonia looked dissatisfied, she grudgingly acknowledged the reasoning due to the current lack of information. Thus, with frustration visible in her expression, Sonia reluctantly nodded. Some time later, a military council was convened. "We should dispatch reinforcements at once!! The fall of Telipol City would mean losing the entire Telipotania region!" Sonia passionately argued, supported by the generals of Carmine's faction. Though most generals in Carmine's faction didn't seriously worry about the Telipotania region (except for Sonia), as it was Hoamel's support base—losing it wouldn't damage Carmine's standing. However, if Carmine suffered defeat, it would become his liability. And if he were captured or killed, it would be a disaster. Thus, they argued for sending reinforcements to Telipol City. "It's too soon to make such judgments. We have time until more information arrives," countered Hoamel and his faction. For Hoamel, Telipotania was a crucial support base, but at the moment, only a Lemurian force of 30,000 had emerged around Telipol City. It didn't immediately threaten the region. In reality, Telipotania was under siege by the Barbaru tribe led by Masinissa of the Shuyen clan, but this information still hadn't reached the palace. (Even if General Carmine is defeated, it's not too late to send reinforcements. In fact, it might be preferable.) Hoamel sneered inwardly. Carmine's defeat would mean a reduction of his political clout, a favorable outcome for Hoamel. (Dammit, are these people really squabbling over politics at a time like this?!) Sonia was inwardly furious, trying to keep her expression as neutral as possible, but the rage shone through her eyes as she struck the table vehemently. "If we wait for information, our response will be delayed. Telipol City could fall as early as tomorrow!" "Don't exaggerate. It's just 30,000, after all." "The enemy leader is the Lemurian Emperor!!” A renowned strategist such as Hercule I makes the difference between 30,000 and 50,000 troops almost negligible, Sonia asserted. However, Hoamel shook his head. "That's impossible. Would the Lemurian Emperor himself really undertake the perilous crossing of the desert? There have been reports claiming that the Emperor is leading the army, but they must be mistaken." "It's precisely because it's dangerous that the Emperor would lead the army himself!" Sonia countered, but her argument failed to resonate with Hoamel or Hilderic II. Their fundamental values differed too much. "It's questionable whether it's even the Lemurian army. Could it not be the Barbaru tribe, using the Lemurian military flag? Crossing the desert is impossible," Hoamel argued. His claim wasn't without merit. The possibility of the Barbaru tribe using the Lemurian flag was far more plausible than the Lemurian army crossing the desert directly. "Furthermore, if the Cherda defense forces are diverted to Telipol City, our defense here in Cherda City will be compromised. This could very well be the real objective of the Lemurian army or the Barbaru tribe." "Ugh…" Sonia was at a loss for words, her mouth closed tight, though the fire of disagreement still burned in her eyes as she glared at Hoamel. Hoamel looked away from Sonia and addressed Hilderic II. "I understand Sonia's arguments. I, too, am concerned about Carmine’s situation, but if we act rashly here, we might just fall into the enemy's trap. We should first gather information to ascertain the truth; it won't be too late to act then." With this conclusion, Hilderic II decided to delay sending reinforcements to Carmine and Telipol City. Sonia clenched her fist tightly in frustration. The military council continued for several days, with Sonia and Hoamel engaging in relentless debates, frequently tempered by Hilderic II. On the fifth meeting, four days after the initial council session, and ten days since Hercule began the desert crossing, the council met once more—its discussions stagnant as usual—until new information surfaced. Firstly, enemy forces, likely led by Nia Lucarios, had blocked the main road between Cherda City and Telipol City for four days (since the first council meeting), halting the exchange of supplies and information. Secondly, the enemy general, presumably Jebe, had appeared in the Ifrikia region two days prior, engaging in acts of destruction and pillage there. Sonia and Hoamel interpreted these pieces of information in completely opposing ways. "This is exactly why I insisted on sending reinforcements! With information blocked, waiting here is futile. We can still act now—send reinforcements to lift the road blockade!" Hoamel vehemently shook his head. "Preposterous! The enemy has invaded the Ifrikia region. The real target must be the heart of our nation, here in Cherda City. If we send reinforcements, we cannot defend the Ifrikia region." Sonia slammed the table hard. "Jebe’s force is only around 3,000 to 4,000. Their numbers are insignificant!" "Insignificant or not, they're approaching the capital! Furthermore, even if their numbers are few, wasn't the Lemurian army advancing on Telipol City also just 30,000? While Carmine commands 50,000..." "When was that information relevant?!!!" Sonia's shout echoed throughout the hall, causing everyone, including Hoamel, Hilderic II, and the generals from Carmine’s faction, to stare in shock. Realizing her outburst, Sonia turned to Hilderic II, apologizing for her tone, yet not retracting her comments. She pressed on. "If Father, General Carmine’s forces were intact, the roads wouldn’t have been blocked! Even with the blockade, some information would have reached us! It’s been four days, and seven days since the Lemurian army threatened Telipol City, with no word! This is profoundly abnormal!" Sonia implicitly suggested Carmine's possible defeat and the worst-case scenario—the fall of Telipol City. Finally, Hoamel grasped the gravity of the situation, pale-faced. While Carmine's defeat was a boon for Hoamel politically, losing Telipol City and the Telipotania region would be catastrophic, given his support base there. "We must do three things: lift the blockade, eliminate the Lemurian forces attacking the Ifrikia region, and send reinforcements to Telipol City," Sonia stated firmly, fixing her gaze on Hilderic II. Hoamel, silently agreeing with Sonia, remained mute. "Indeed, Sonia speaks truly. We’ll allocate forces from the Cherda defense to lift the blockade, and eject the Lemurian forces from Ifrikia. Then, gather information and dispatch reinforcements to Telipol City…" "Your Majesty!" Sonia interrupted Hilderic II, who widened his eyes in surprise. "Forgive my rudeness, but waiting to gather information before sending reinforcements is too late! The blockade lifting and reinforcements must occur simultaneously. At a minimum, we should send a force of 10,000 to 20,000 equipped with high mobility to Telipol City." Such a sizable force would dismantle any Lemurian tricks in one blow. Once the blockade lifted, they should proceed directly to reinforce Telipol City, Sonia insisted. "But won’t that leave Cherda City vulnerable to a Lemurian or Barbaru attack?" "That’s improbable, Your Majesty. The desert south of the Ifrikia region may belong to the Barbaru, but it’s different tribes' territory than those aligned with the Lemurians." The region controlled by the Shuyen clan spans from the southern Misr province of the Lemurian Empire to the southern Telipotania region. The south of Ifrikia is under different tribal control. Thus, sending a large force across the desert towards Ifrikia or Cherda City was unlikely for the Lemurians or Barbaru. "But couldn’t those tribes also ally with Lemuria?" "That…" Even Sonia couldn’t entirely dismiss such a possibility, prompting Hilderic II to turn his inquiry to Hoamel. "Hoamel, didn't you believe that the 50,000 troops led by General Carmine had little chance of being defeated by the 30,000 Lemurian soldiers?" "Uh!? Ah, yes..." Although Hoamel had already begun to reconsider his stance, he couldn't easily discard or contradict the opinions he'd held up until recently. Doing so would mean admitting he was wrong. "Then the possibility of Telipol City falling or General Carmine being defeated is low, isn't it? Conversely, erratically moving our forces and lowering the defensive capabilities of Cherda City and the Ifrikia region could be more dangerous." Hilderic II, seemingly unaware of Hoamel's change of heart, solidified his conclusion. As Sonia listened to his words, she bit her lip in frustration. (Coward...) she thought. There were three reasons why Hilderic II was reluctant to allocate the Cherda defense forces to reinforce Telipol City. One was similar to Hoamel's reasoning—he didn't want to admit his previous decisions had been faulty, especially when pointed out by a younger girl he found difficult to deal with. Emotionally, it wasn't easy for him to retract his previous stance. Another reason was the possibility that the reinforcements might be for naught. If the reinforcements proved unnecessary, it would reflect poorly on Hilderic II's judgment. The last reason was simply fear for his own safety. Diminishing the Cherda defense forces would expose Cherda City—and thus himself—to danger. Even a small number of Lemurian troops had penetrated the Ifrikia region, the outskirts of the capital. There was always the chance that additional enemy forces from Lemuria or the Barbaru tribe might arrive. "The forces blocking the roads and those invading the Ifrikia region are about 4,000 each, correct? Considering the former is likely spread out, 5,000 should suffice. We'll respond to the latter with 10,000. Thus, we'll allocate a total of 15,000 from the Cherda defense." From a Cherda defense force of 60,000, Hilderic II deemed 15,000 the maximum he could psychologically afford to deploy. Hilderic II was fearful of the potential threat of Lemurian or Barbaru troops coming from beyond the desert. "With that, the council is adjourned. Proceed with the rapid reorganization of our forces." With those parting words, Hilderic II promptly left the room, leaving the ministers and generals to exchange glances. "What do you intend to do, Minister Hoamel?" Sonia demanded, glaring at Hoamel, who wore a bitter expression. "What can I do? It's His Majesty's decision," Hoamel replied, having nothing more to say. Fortunately, the reorganization of the forces was completed in a single day. However, the information that accompanied this reorganization plunged the royal palace of the Cherda Kingdom into deeper chaos. This information concerned the movement of the Lemurian forces led by Jebe, which were ravaging the Ifrikia region. The report delivered the previous day stated that, as of two days prior (three days ago from the current day), Lemurian forces were looting an area 500 kilometers from Cherda City. However, the new information indicated that two days ago, Lemurian forces were looting areas just 400 kilometers from Cherda City. So, by the point in time two days ago, they had reached 400 kilometers. This indicated an advance rate of 100 kilometers per day—the implication being that the forces were now only 200 kilometers from the capital. The next day, as two detachments comprising 10,000 and 5,000 soldiers each prepared to depart from the Cherda defense forces, word came that Jebe’s forces had been looting locations only 200 kilometers from the capital as of the previous day. Then, a few hours later, a report stated that by the early morning of the current day, they had moved to areas just 150 kilometers from the capital. This meant that the Lemurian forces invading the Ifrikia region were advancing at a remarkable pace of 100 kilometers a day. And there was a possibility that by tomorrow, they could appear near Cherda City.