CH 183

Relationships in the present (1)

The day before the fall of Benedict Castle.

Count Vandenberg, the commander of the Western Front, received a report of breaking the peace in Cairo.

"The Kronos Empire has crossed its borders! The first line of deterrence has already been broken, and they are leading their forces straight to the second line. Commander, give the order. It is only a matter of time before even the second line of deterrence is broken!"

It was the subordinate's report.

last few days.

Cairo was engulfed in civil war.

Daniel Cairo raised the kingdom's army to suppress the rebellion, but none of the troops on the Western Front were touched.

An evil force that exists beyond the West.

Since you never know when the Kronos Empire will invade the border, a minimum safety net has been established.

first stop line.

It is nothing more than a temporary defensive position.

In fact, it was the role of a scout to inform the invasion of the enemy, and from the second round, it was equipped with supplies for battle.

Count Vandenberg said.

"Call your troops right now! Cairo is in a state of chaos due to civil war. If the Chronos Empire steps on Cairo's territory under the current circumstances, the chaos will grow out of control.

It was the best decision.

The 3rd car was the last bastion, and it was necessary to see the game once in the 2nd car.

That was then.

no. We must give up the second line of deterrence and withdraw our forces."

The end of the conference room table.

One of the staff of the Western Front spoke up.

Count Vandenberg asked, looking at the owner of the voice.

Flora. What does that mean?"

Flora Lawrence.

People's eyes turned to her.

* * *

The Red Point of the Western Front.

Flora was a celebrity in the West.

After leaving Lawrence, entering the Royal Academy, and studying tactics, she suddenly announced her intention to apply for the Western Front.

At that time, there was a riot in the capital.

It was very unusual, and since she was a woman from an aristocratic family and not an ordinary person, opinions were divided as to whether or not to accept this.

finally.

I passed the option on to Flora's father.

After hearing about her daughter's decision, Viscount Lawrence sent a message that she believed in her after a week of deliberation.

It was my first time in Cairo.

There has never been a case where a woman from a noble family with a guaranteed future was neither an officer nor a staff member, and even at the beginning, there were many people who viewed her negatively.

Sometimes there are people like that.

Because they have a choice, they are the kind who come to experience the battlefield where others risk their lives to play.

Prejudice prevailed.

The people of the West rejected Flora, but it took less than a month for that perception to change.

what you have shown so far.

Count Vandenberg willingly listened to Flora.

Flora. What does that mean?"

"The Empire of Kronos periodically invaded the borders of Cairo. It was meant as a warning, and did not include any sincere intention to capture Cairo. But this attack is different. A civil war broke out inside Cairo, and the Marquis of Benedict was reportedly at a loss. The situation is very convoluted. I don't think Kronos' attack has anything to do with Cairo's civil war.

" Does that mean that Kronos had an affair with the Marquis Benedict?"

"I am not sure who it is. It could be that Count Gregory is imprisoned, or it could be that the Marquis Benedict asked the Kronos Empire for help. What is certain is that the Kronos Empire invaded its borders despite the conflict with the Kingdom Confederacy. Therefore, their purpose should never be overlooked."

The conference room was in chaos.

Flora's speech.

It meant that the Kronos Empire had joined the civil war.

In an unusual situation, one of the staff asked.

Flora. If so, shouldn't it be more important to stop the Kronos Empire from the second line of deterrence? War supplies for Mercury are secured there. If we make the decision to withdraw our troops now, we will have no choice but to give up some of the war supplies."

"Yes, that's right. Under normal circumstances, it makes sense to use a second line of deterrence. However, if we accept the premise that the Kronos Empire took part in the civil war, their goal is to cross the 3rd line of deterrence and invade Cairo's territory. Moreover, the Kingdom Army is currently dealing with the rebels. If the kingdom's support is not enough, you should keep in mind the worst-case scenario of dealing with the Kronos Empire with only western troops. Commander. We can't always choose the best option. The fate of Cairo is at stake with a single choice, so we have to filter out the worst and choose the best."

Flora strengthened her voice.

dispatched to the West.

She has proven herself on the battlefield.

The moment people fully embraced her, regardless of gender and status, Flora Lawrence became a key figure in the staff.

so that.

Flora's advice could not be overlooked.

Count Vandenberg fell silent.

After thinking for a while, he finally made a decision.

"Flora is right. Order the forces on the second line to retreat. We will prepare for a decisive battle against the Kronos Empire here at the third line of deterrence, in case the worst happens."

* * *

The situation was as expected.

The Kronos Empire was not satisfied with just the second car.

They marched beyond it, and not long afterward, they received a call from the Cairo royal family.

[The Marquis Benedict has colluded with the Kronos Empire. They plan to break down the 3rd line of defense and attack Cairo's territory directly, and as the Kingdom Army, they need time to put an end to the rebellion. Only last 3 days. If we can withstand that time, we will quickly end the rebellion and send reinforcements to the Western Front.]

royal message.

A meeting was convened.

With the leaders of the Western Front gathered in one place, Baron Noel, the head of the staff, said:

"His Majesty has promised us three days. However, common sense is that it is impossible to put an end to the rebellion in three days. The Marquis Benedict had long been preparing for a revolt, and, according to information, Benedict's castle was perfectly prepared for Mercury. The commander of the kingdom army is Roman Dmitry, who defeated the kingdom of Hector, but we must prepare for a long battle."

Yes. Moreover, even if the rebellion is to be settled, it will take time to move. Even using the Warp Gate would take a day or two, so would it make sense to clean up Benedict in the remaining days?"

Everyone was negative.

West and Benedict.

It has a warp gate, so you don't have to walk long distances.

However, even considering such advantages, the time of 3 days did not feel very realistic.

Count Vandenberg said.

"You are right. If we really want the Kronos Empire to invade Cairo's territory, we must secure war supplies as much as possible and go out defensively. In the worst case, the Kingdom Army may not be able to clean up the rebels. In the end, it means that we must overcome this crisis on our own."

"I have a different opinion."

beautiful beauty.

This time it was Flora.

Baron Noel looked at her.

"You think differently? Do you think the Kingdom Army can clear up the rebellion in three days?"

"I also think three days is tight. But His Majesty said the three-day deadline was set by Roman Dmitry. If so, there is a high probability that it will not exceed 5 days at the longest. We will arrange the troops of the Marquis Benedict in three days, and we will arrive here in five days, taking into account the travel time."

"How do you guarantee that?"

"I think everyone is familiar with the relationship between Lawrence and Dmitry. Roman Dmitry is a person who produces the best results even in the worst situations. From the moment I took down Barco with Lawrence, who was undoubtedly defeated, I knew he was beyond the reach of common sense. Such an existence foretold three days. And I absolutely trust him."

Staff of the Western Front.

they are not incompetent

As long as they have kept this place, they each have their own strengths, but Flora has something different from them.

Roman Dmitry.

I experienced him firsthand.

Even with absurd calculations, Flora believed in Roman Dmitry.

But Baron Noel was different.

"It is an unfounded judgment. If you take a step back and your words become real. How do you think we should respond?"

"Time is running out, so it is with Kronos. The Marquis Benedict will try to invade Cairo's territories before they fall, and if so, it's clear that they'll do their best from the start. As a third line, even if you go defensively, there's no guarantee you'll be able to block their attacks. After all, there is only one way."

eyes were focused.

If she had noticed Kronos' intention and retreated, she needed to listen to this choice as well.

"There is a saying that offense is the best defense. I think the best way is for us to hit them first and weaken the power so they don't take us down for five days."

attack.

At Flora's remarks, the faces of the executives were colored with embarrassment.

* * *

It was the reverse idea.

It also implies that it is generally impossible.

And.

As Flora, she knew why the leaders were bewildered, so she presented the reason she had prepared in advance.

widely.

????????

opened the material.

As people's attention was focused, he explained the meaning of the material in a calm voice.

"We need to analyze the attack patterns of Kronos in the past. When they invaded simply as a warning, they induced normal hand-to-hand combat, but when a definite victory like this was needed, they mobilized the War mage. The data presented here proves that fact. It is a common pattern of Kronos to use magic to break down walls and push troops to capture the castle."

"That is a fact we know. So, isn't that why we're trying to secure more war supplies, including mana stones?"

Yes. If you use a magic defense, a long battle might be possible. But it's a common assumption that the enemy wants to use wizards, and that we want to use magic defenses. If so, they will most likely try something that will amplify the power of the wizard. If the Kronos Empire has 7 horse towers within the empire, it is possible enough, and we have to deal with these wizards to eliminate the variable."

????????

turned the page

"Look at this. Enemy attacks have a certain pattern. Wizards use their magic from a safe distance to maximize their power, while attacking the enemy's arrows. This is because it is vulnerable when performing magic casting, and this distance is usually around 1km. Not only does the distance of the arrow not reach, even if you try to attack from a distance, the accuracy is very low. If they use wizards, they will not leave this street."

"It's less than a kilometer. Does that mean there is a way to use it?"

Yes. Just anticipate where the wizards will cast, and then plant magic traps in the land."

Baron Noel laughed as if frustrated.

Flora's words made sense, but they were too pretentious.

"That is impossible. Although it is possible to specify a distance of 1 km, it only refers to the distance from the castle wall, and it is impossible to guarantee where the magic will be used. Magic traps also can't secure enough quantity, and the wizard detects the trap's location with mana. If it feels even the slightest odd, it will either render the magic trap useless or use the magic in another safe location."

Yes. So, from now on we need to act strategically."

Flora's voice overwhelms the crowd.

She looked at people.

Immediately after entering the academy.

Her mind was always on the bloody battlefield.

"We should offer them a great warrior battle."

"A battle of great warriors?"

Yes. In wars between nations, battles of great warriors are used to subdue the opponent's base. The Kronos Empire has no reason to refuse. The imperial swordsman will be sure to win."

"Even if they accept the Battle of the Great Warriors surely?!

Baron Noel opened his eyes.

Flora's strategy.

figured out what it was

Flora said.

"If we position ourselves ahead of time and offer to fight a fighter, they have no choice but to move their troops according to where we are. Then it is possible to specify where the wizard will use the magic. If we leave our troops behind and go forward and use magic, we can greatly reduce the margin of error."

"Then how do you feel about mana?"

"It is very important that the role of a swordsman who will go to the battle of Daejeon is very important. If the swordsman uses his aura to the extreme and fights, the concentration of mana around him increases. Even the most sensitive wizard can't penetrate its concentration and detect magic traps. The moment we step on the magic trap with ease because of the battle ahead, we can annihilate the mage, the weapon of our enemies."

series of plans.

admiration came

Baron Noel, who looked at him negatively at first, nodded in admiration when he finished the plan.

Arguing is a process for the best outcome.

It was impossible for common sense, so he only raised his voice, and Baron Noel was not a person who agreed or denied it.

this plan.

It was attractive.

If the wizards are dealt with, it is possible to survive even if the Kronos Empire does its best.

Flora added.

"The question is who will go to Daejeon. Allied warriors must risk their lives in this fight, while equipping themselves with the skills to prolong the battle with the enemy. No, to be honest, your chances of surviving are slim. I don't know what kind of swordsman the Kronos Empire will send out, but he's probably not good enough to defeat us.

It was a dilemma.

In order to completely complete the operation, it was necessary to have a life-sacrificing existence.

That was then.

One of the people attending the meeting.

The man who had been quietly listening to Flora's plans opened his mouth.

"I will go to the battle of Daejeon."

Moment.

People were surprised.

man's body.

He was Rodwell Dmitry.