Chapter 468: Distressed Empire

–Third Person POV–

South Yuguria Provisional Capital City: Alteria.

A giant tower extends into the sky.

It is a symbolic building of the Divine Nation of Altair constructed over several decades by the slave labor of tens of thousands of people to praise the God of Altair.

After the citizens rejected said God, many idols and churches were burned down, but this great temple was the only structure that remained standing.

Currently, this temple is flying the flag of the South Yuguria Empire.

It has been established as the Empire’s central base.

And, fluttering at the highest point overlooking countless other flags is the Emperor’s flag weaved with gold thread.

Such a place was supposed to display the glory of the South Yuguria Empire…… however, under the cloudy sky, the radiance of the Emperor’s flag seemed to be slightly dim as if to reflect the unfavorable state of battle.

――Inside the Temple – Grand Conference Hall.

「With the surrender of Tortoent, the logistics network for the entire region of Libatis has completely fallen apart and recovering is impossible.」

Holding the report in one hand, the supply officer repeatedly crosses out the line drawn on the map with evenly spaced ‘X’ marks, finishing with one last large ‘X’ in ink right in the center before lifting his brush off the paper.

「We narrowly escaped the fierce pursuit of the enemy because of General Maestus’s efforts. However, we suffered heavy losses far beyond the limits of how much we can replenish from the local area.」

One of the high ranking commanders reports the status of his army.

Then, a commander with an even higher standing sighs after a quick glance at the crudely-written document.

「The withdrawal has already begun at the discretion of the on-site commander. The castles and forts are supposed to be destroyed……if there was no leeway, they’ve been left undamaged. ……nobody can be blamed. Just send confirmation from headquarters.」

A staff officer folds his arms and continuously presses a seal again and again on documents with the same message on it.

「It’s a near miracle that the warfront stayed intact. We need to reconfigure our tactics. ……where is His Excellency Zaphnes?」

「His Excellency is resting.」

The contact person straightened his back and answered the question asked by the staff officer.

「Argh, call him right――」

As soon as the officer raised his voice, the door swung open violently and Zaphnes appeared.

Everyone stood up and saluted.

The female caretaking officer saw him off outside the hall with a salute, but when the door closed, she fell over clutching her lower abdomen.

Zaphnes pushed everyone aside and stared at the map.

「Can’t we stop the enemy at Fort Mereze?」

Zaphnes slams his fist onto the desk, expressing his anger.

「How can he just withdraw without an order!? Who’s the commander!?」

Zaphnes yells as his eyes dart to the icon placed on the map representing ally forces stationed near Alteria and go wide.

「Why are there four 1000-man squads of the regular army idle there!? Why not put them on the frontlines!? At this rate, we’ll lose the entire region of Libatis!」

「T-the enemy’s tens of thousands is riding the momentum of victory and heading south! In addition, the citizens have all revolted…… and although the ones here are elite, adding four thousand won’t affect the larger picture――」

The objecting officer is cut off by Zaphnes’s sharp stare and the topic changes.

「Citizens besides the ones in Tortoent have also revolted…… eei, even though we occupied the territory so peacefully…… order the army to burn down every single town and village! If we can’t retain them, there is no need to persuade them gently!」

Zaphnes tears apart the map.

An unsettling tension envelopes the hall containing the commander who lost his composure at the deteriorating situation.

「Now, now, getting upset will not help.」

A handsome face smiles cheerfully and speaks in a lighthearted tone as if unfazed by the heavy atmosphere.

「Maestus! You’re back!」

Zaphnes lowers the fist he was about to slam against the desk again and pats the man’s shoulder.

「I heard you clashed with Hardlett during your retreat from Tortoent. Did you get hurt?」

「He kicked me once in the face to mess up my looks. I paid him back with a strike to his side though.」

Everyone cheered in admiration.

「Although it is unconfirmed, rumor has it Hardlett is recovering in bed.」

The mildly good news relaxed those present in the room.

「That’s right. You guys won’t win something winnable if you make such gloomy faces.」

Maestus grabs the cheek of a nearby officer and tugs hard.

Then he apologizes with an encouraging slap to the officer’s shoulder.

「Do your job with a smile on your face like this guy. I’ll force anybody who is depressed to smile!」

Maestus proceeds to stand before Zaphnes.

「Don’t be so angry. When a person with as much impact as Your Excellency yells, everyone will shrink away. I can’t exactly pinch your cheeks either.」

Zaphnes couldn’t help smiling at the joking tone used by his fellow soldier.

「Now, why don’t we look at the current state. The enemy has the edge in momentum and army size, and even a strange monster-like existence――hey, what should we do?」

Maestus spreads his arms with an exaggerated expression of surprise, prompting stifled laughter from the staff officers.

One thing to note, was that they didn’t sound defeated.

A second later, a pair of fingers snapped to refocus everyone.

「The enemy has only won the battles so far. That’s it. There are plenty of points we have the upper hand in――such as the geographic location, information, and most importantly the quality of skilled generals. Now, let’s strip the enemy’s advantages one by one. First, we have to suppress their momentum.」

Everyone nods enthusiastically.

「Conceal soldiers in the southern area of Libatis. We’ll strike the enemy’s vanguard.」

「Tell me about the details of the fort’s condition. Gather cannons and ballistae at strategic points. Instead of defending a fort we can’t protect, we’ll let the enemy run in and then burn it down.」

「Reposition the squad in ten or twenty layers. It doesn’t matter if we lose one or two on the battlefield. We’re going to exhaust them and slow them down.」

All the staff officers spring into action together.

Although nobody was as jovial as Maestus, none of them looked miserable.

「Your Excellency, I ask that you negotiate with Her Majesty for an increase of soldiers. Since we have the locational advantage, as long as we have numbers that equal theirs, we’ll manage somehow.」

「Sure, I was planning to visit her anyways.」

Zaphnes walks a few steps only to turn back.

「……I have to declare impressively that I’ve lost this much. How can I face Her Majesty?」

「Huh?」

Maestus let out a clueless sound, which prompted Zaphnes to shake his head and retract his statement.

「Nevermind, I’m going. ……wait, why don’t you accompany me?」

「I don’t mind.」

Maestus, after agreeing, drew close to Zaphnes so he was the only one who could hear him speak.

「Don’t be so worried. Nothing is more frightening than the Emperor of Garland.」

「So you say…… but her eyes are scary too.」

Zaphnes whispers back.

「I will also only obey Your Excellency. No matter how angry the Empress gets, she can’t do anything to you. Please be confident.」

Maestus claps his hands and then returns to the room after saying that.

「I forgot to mention one more thing. The citizens of the cities here and here on the map stood up in front of me, prattling about uprising so I burned down the places and killed them all. They don’t exist anymore, so remove the marks.」

He said it in the same casual tone as “I ate the bread left here” in passing before walking back out.

「Now, let’s go to our lovely Empress.」

――Throne Room.

「Understood. A few casualties cannot be avoided. Let us increase the number of soldiers as much as possible.」

「……we apologize for being worthless and causing you trouble.」

Wilhelmina smiles at the kneeling Zaphnes and Maestus.

「Don’t be, my inexperience also has some part in this unfavorable situation. I will do my best to ensure those on the battlefield can fight.」

It may be because Maestus is also present, but Wilhelmina is speaking in a polite manner and smiling kindly.

「Also……Maestus-dono. You fought with the enemy’s strongest general, Lord Hardlett, and severely injured him, is that correct? I also heard that you saved our army from annihilation as they were retreating. You are this Empire’s hero. I do not know much value an immature queen’s praise holds, but please accept it.」

Wilhelmina bows to Maestus.

「I am humbled. I can only respond by dedicating myself to Your Majesty and the Empire.」

The man bows deeper.

It appeared to be a display of reverence for the Empress, but both parties did not make eye contact.

「The enemy is using a strange group, probably a group of demihumans or monsters they raised. I also have a countermeasure――」

「I am aware. I will think of a method to deal with it. When I come up with an idea, I will consult you.」

Wilhelmina cuts off Zaphnes.

Her line of sight remained fixed on Maestus.

「By the way, Maestus-dono, is the assistant I recommended working hard?」

「Yes, she is extremely competent.」

「If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear more about the way she works, so can we chat about it in the future?」

Wilhelmina asks in the same sweet tone a girl who talks to the man she admires uses.

「What!?」

Zaphnes’s shock contrasted with the calmness of Maestus’s voice.

「A mere soldier like me would not dare to waste the time of Your Majesty which is as precious as gold. Besides, I cannot afford to be away from the battlefield, however, if you wish, I can provide you with a detailed report in writing.」

Maestus does not respond to the invitation for idle talk so the conversation doesn’t continue.

Zaphnes’s eyes darted left and right throughout, but Wilhelmina never looked at him until the end and Maestus never looked at Wilhelmina……thus ending the weird audience.

「……useless.」

Wilhelmina mutters to herself in the now empty throne room.

Then, she directs her attention to the shadow of a pillar.

「Is this an acceptable time to come out?」

Emerging from hiding is a young girl with eyes as cold as ice.

「Visitacion, what do you think of that man?」

「It is an evaluation based on a short period, but his commanding ability is excellent. He also has the trust of his subordinates.」

Wilhelmina, while listening to the girl, walks out to the balcony and waves her hand at the soldiers below her.

She was greeted with great cheers.

As she busily moves from side to side, waving to everyone, she stumbles and her arms flail around to steady her balance.

The soldiers downstairs screamed a little and offered words of concern, then poured warm affectionate gazes on her.

「How about his conduct on the battlefield?」

Wilhelmina poses another question in a frigid tone completely opposite to her adorable gestures.

「His doctrine is that victory is everything, and he shows no mercy to those who get in his way, be it citizens or allies. Although he appears detached, I believe he treats people as objects. Furthermore, it looks like he is intentionally avoiding political decisions such as the treatment of occupied areas. He insists that those with higher standing should do it……」

「Wonderful.」

Wilhelmina smiles as she makes an underhanded compliment.

「Any weak points?」

「He is more of a womanizer than most. He isn’t the frivolous type as one would expect of his appearance, rather he derives pleasure from hurting and dominating his partners.」

Wilhelmina furrows her brow.

「I was also raped on the night I was assigned to the new post. He strangled my neck, tormented both of my holes until they bled, and had me repeat words of submission over and over.」

「So that’s his fetish. To violate the person I recommended, if he isn’t stupid, he must either be a bigshot or……」

Wilhelmina closes the balcony and jumps into bed.

「If I am going to replace Zaphnes, he’s the only choice. I want to somehow win him over…… for now, I guess I’ll excessively extol him as a hero. Perhaps he will believe he is above Zaphnes. Regardless, I wonder why he, and that Hardlett as well, loves a woman’s body so much.」

「My apologies for being presumptuous, but I believe you scheduled for me to be sent to Hardlett.」

Vistacion kneels beside the bed.

「An incompetent ally is more threatening than a skilled enemy. I will have someone else go to Hardlett. It appears he has many excellent subordinates around him as well. Scratching one or two would be a fine result.」

Wilhelmina proceeds to pick up a brush.

「Cleaning up the mess of an incompetent fool, huh. If only I had the ability to command an army.」

What she writes is a document instructing almost all men of the Altair region to be conscripted. Then, she also writes one more document courteously proposing a business transaction―― a contract for mercenaries.

Army – Southern Goldonia

Under Protagonist: (recovering from injuries)

Escort Unit: 55

Infantry: 4400 ⇒ 4500

Cavalry: 530 ⇒ 540

Archers: 570 ⇒ 580

Cannoneers: 360

Bow Cavalry: 7000 ⇒ 7100

Independent Celia Squad: 390

Conscripts + Security Unit: 9500 ⇒ 9700

Cannons: 40, Large Cannons: 21, Dwarven Cannons: 15, Field Artillery: 15, Chariots: 35

————————————————————————————————

Reinforcements / Allied Forces

105 Army Corps: 3500 ⇒ 3700

???: 0 ⇒ 1

Fleet

Battleship Suvorov, Battleship Aless of Aless, and others: All grounded.

Transport Ships: 20

————————————————————————————————

Ally Forces: Royal Army: 38 000 ⇒ 39 000

Conscripts: 45 000 ⇒ 46 000

Enemy Force: Regular Soldiers: 20 000?

Conscripts: 40 000 ⇒ 40 000+++

Cavalry Army: 10 000??

???: ⇒ ?0 000

Assets: -10 000 gold

Sexual Partners: 795, children who have been born: 69 + 567