V6C31 - Santairiku Eiyuuki

Twelve days earlier, on the sixth day since Hercule traversed the desert, news reached Iason that Carmine had been defeated. "This... this can't be true..." The book slipped from Iason's hands. He stood there, dazed for a moment, then murmured softly. "Could they really have crossed the desert?" It was at this moment that Iason realized the truth—that the Lemurian army had indeed crossed the desert in earnest. He unfurled a map and began to ponder. (If possible, I'd like to send reinforcements myself... but from Azadavia City to Terripo City is nearly seven hundred kilometers. It's not realistic...) It would take over a month at minimum. Moreover, Iason was currently engaged with the Lemurian army, leaving him unable to send reinforcements. (In that case, I might have to dispatch part of the Terripotania garrison...) The Terripotania garrison numbered about 50,000. The Barbarian tribes currently attacking Terripotania numbered around 20,000. Numerical superiority was on their side. (According to reports, the Lemurian army numbers around 30,000. If I allocate 30,000 from the Terripotania garrison to respond...) That's when Iason realized. "No... it won't work. The Lemurian army is at sea." While the exact number of Lemurian troops at sea was unclear, considering the desert-crossing forces, those Iason currently faced, and the total standing army of Lemuria, it was estimated to be between 20,000 and 30,000. If he allocated 30,000 from the Terripotania garrison, Lemurian forces of about 20,000 to 30,000 could land at the now vulnerable ports. "Iason-sama, the Terripotania garrison requested to send reinforcements..." "No. Tell them not to send reinforcements and prepare for the enemy at sea." Iason said, then fell into thought. (The Celdia garrison has enough resources. They should be able to send reinforcements. It might take time, but the situation at the Terripotania garrison will become clear. I should request the Emperor to send reinforcements, just in case.) While contemplating how to placate the beastmen commanders, who would surely rage at not aiding their allied troops, Iason picked up a pen, drafted a letter, and sent it with a swift horse to Celdia City. This letter never reached Celdia City, as it was intercepted by Nia on a main road between Terripo City and Celdia City four days later. Incidentally, part of Iason's assumptions was accurate—Hercule's secondary plan included deploying Stephan from the ports of Terripotania should the garrison send reinforcements. Ten days after this, on the sixteenth day since Hercule crossed the desert, new information reached Iason. The Lemurian army had surrounded Terripo City from land and sea, launching a full-scale assault. The information was three days old. The actual assault took place on the thirteenth day since Hercule crossed the desert. "I knew it... I should have sent reinforcements." Iason regretted his decision from ten days ago, questioning if he should have allocated 30,000 from the Terripotania garrison for reinforcements. However... (No, even if they were sent from the Terripotania garrison, it would still take twenty days...) The Terripotania garrison was dispersed across ports and key locations. It would take at least twenty days to gather them and send them to Terripo City. If he recklessly shifted his forces, the Lemurian army would land from the vulnerable ports, and the Barbarians attacking Terripotania might slip through the defense gaps and join with the Lemurian forces. Reaffirming that his choice was correct, Iason reconsidered his options. (Ever since the Lemurian army crossed the desert, this operation was doomed from the start...) He sighed. Crossing the Great Desert was madness. The unexpected actions of the Lemurian emperor had uprooted the strategic foundations of the Kingdom of Celdia. Every countermeasure fell behind. "Our best course of action now is... to stay calm and avoid rash military movements." The deployment of the Terripotania garrison was flawless. The Barbarians wreaked havoc only in Southern Terripotania without penetrating deeper into the land, and the Lemurian army had abandoned their attempts to land from the sea. As long as this remained unchanged, the Lemurian forces wouldn't dare meddle recklessly in Terripotania. (With reinforcements on their way from the Celdia garrison, the isolated Lemurian army will meet its end. We shouldn't move. We should fortify our defenses.) Iason decided and rejected the request for reinforcements from Terripotania garrison to aid Terripo City, ordering them to maintain their positions and continue their defense. While this decision wasn't optimal, it wasn't a mistake either. In a few more days, Terripo City would fall. Sending reinforcements would be pointless. As long as the Terripotania garrison remained intact, it was a wise decision to prevent the Barbarians from traversing and reaching Lemurian forces in Terripo City. However... "What is the meaning of this?" That night, armed beastman commanders barged into Iason's private chamber, their faces stern. "General Iason, we heard you declined the Terripotania garrison's request and forbade sending reinforcements to General Carmine in Terripo City. Is this true?" "It's true. Because..." Just as Iason attempted to explain, the commanders drew their swords and aimed at his face. "Whoa! Wh-what's going on here!?" "Rescind your orders and dispatch the Terripotania garrison to Terripo City! Otherwise, we will remove you from your position right now." "Th-this is madness... do you even understand what you're doing? I'm the commander of the Azadavia and Terripotania garrisons, your superior! Hierarchy is absolute in the military..." "Silence, inferior race!!" The beastman commanders roared at Iason, their killing intent palpable, their voices booming with anger. "This is an order from His Majesty. While we will obey your commands, we will not stand idly by and watch as you abandon our allies! You traitorous wretch!!" "Fine... fine! But really... who is it that's ignoring the country and its people while clinging desperately to pride and their own interests... certainly, the beastman aristocrats, who are determined to protect their own stakes..." Despite his complaints, Iason rescinded his previous orders. He adjusted the disposition and formation of the Terripotania garrison, dispatching 30,000 troops to Terripo City. Ironically, the very night after Iason issued these new orders, which was the seventeenth day since the desert crossing, Carmine and his beastman nobility, abandoning both their soldiers and civilians, fled from Terripo City. Three and a half days later, on the twenty-first day since Hercule's desert crossing, news of Terripo City's fall reached Iason. "Hahaha... what was the point of sending reinforcements?" Hearing of Carmine's escape and the fall of Terripo City, Iason laughed weakly. Five days after Iason issued his command, or the twenty-second day since the desert crossing... "Chieftain, the behavior of the Celdia Kingdom's army is peculiar." "I suppose they intend to send reinforcements to Terripo City." Masinissa received word of Terripo City's fall on the twentieth day since Hercule crossed the desert, a day earlier than Iason. "What should we do?" "We'll seize the opportunity, head to Terripo City, join with our allies, and defend the city. That was the agreement with the Lemurian Emperor." Hercule had tasked Masinissa with two orders: The first was to keep the Terripotania garrison pinned in the Terripotania region by conducting repeated raids. The second was to pre-emptively intercept if the Terripotania garrison attempted to send reinforcements to either Terripo City or Azadavia City so that they could join and reinforce one of those locations together. "Though I have no desire to shed blood for Lemuria..." At present, the Kingdom of Celdia is an enemy to both Lemuria and the Shuyen tribe. While Masinissa had no intention of shedding blood for Lemuria, he had no qualms about spilling Celdia's blood. "All of this is for our future... We will leverage Lemuria. Let us march, my comrades." Masinissa directed his forces northwest, towards Terripo City. The Lemurian Empire and the Shuyen tribe, Emperor Hercule and Chieftain Masinissa. Despite being from completely different nations, cultures, and languages, they coordinated and cooperated with each other far more effectively than the king and vassals of the Kingdom of Celdia.