Chapter 86 : Last Stand (1)
Last Stand (1)
Gregory and the dawn knight order comrades withdrew and began constructing an earthwork.
Since they had already set up obstacles to impede the enemy, there was no way they would be attacked for some time.
Gregory, watching the soldiers laboring diligently, gave them a stern command.
"Everyone, think of this place as the final frontline, and build the earthwork accordingly."
In situations where one must fight a decisive battle, staking everything maximizes morale.
Therefore, he made up his mind that behind this place was water and they could go no further—there was no retreat. If they fought with all their pride on the line, there might be some temporary pressure, but he was certain they would win the war.
That had been the secret to Gregory's string of consecutive victories until now.
He resolved to give his utmost in the battle.
"Gregory. What do you think of the situation? Are you satisfied?"
Meanwhile, Walter, who had been making his rounds, approached Gregory to check on the state of the camp.
"Of course. At this rate, I believe things will progress as I anticipated."
Gregory, who in his previous life had been a devoted knight of the kingdom whom no one could rival as an enemy commander, was now leading the vanguard with clean strategies in this place.
Gregory thought of this as one step closer to his revenge. If the enemy were to lose many soldiers here, the next battle would undoubtedly be much easier.
Then, he would be able to exact vengeance on Meren and the king.
Walter gazed at the contemplating Gregory.
"If we really achieve a great victory in this battle, there's something I want to ask you. Will you tell me when the time comes?"
Gregory, feeling a strange chill for some reason, stared straight into his eyes and asked,
"If it's something I can answer now, I'll respond honestly. What is it you're so curious about?"
"First, I'd like to know why you're carrying out this bizarre plan."
Walter pointed his index finger toward the rear. Gregory understood the purpose. After all, he was the one commanding this operation.
"You're curious about the reason for it?"
And it was only natural that Walter would feel a sense of discomfort about it.
Behind the downward slope of the earthwork, another earthwork was already being constructed, and the earthwork in the forward position had numerous gates installed.
"Of course I'm curious. I assume you have a reason for doing it that way. Since you've been acting as if you're grasping the flow of war, I thought it'd be odd not to ask, really."
Gregory pondered for a moment before divulging the secret behind the operation. In truth, he didn't think the tactic of building an earthwork would fail.
However, if he had only used such a simple method, perhaps there could have been an even better way. This move was made to maximize the earthwork's efficiency.
"The reason why the first earthwork has so many gates installed is that I want as many enemies as possible to come inside."
Walter flinched at Gregory's words and questioned him in return. Wanting the enemies to invade during a war sounded utterly bizarre.
But soon, he understood Gregory's plan.
"You don't mean to trap the enemy and wipe them out, do you?"
Gregory gave a sly smile and slowly nodded his head, supplementing Walter's deduction with the rationale behind the design of the fortifications.
"That's correct. By connecting the first and second earthworks in a circle, if the enemy enters the middle, we can close the gates and isolate them. Then, if we rain arrows down from above, the enemy is beset on all sides and will be annihilated."
Theoretically, it wasn't impossible. Walter grabbed his chin between his index finger and thumb, thinking for a moment.
"There's some logic to your words. But can you really pull it off? What if the earthwork collapses first?"
Walter, wary of any unforeseen events, questioned the reliability of the earthwork. So far, no one had built one; most defensive lines relied on tightly stacked stone walls. There was a distrust of earthworks.
"You don't need to worry about that. I trust in the earthwork."
Gregory spoke with confidence, though not without basis—he had wiped out enemies using the same method in a past life.
Though materials for the earthwork were lacking, he judged that as long as the fortification tools could make it dense and solid, it would be no less strong than a stone wall.
Gregory was satisfied simply knowing he could construct a fortification that met his needs quickly.
"Well... You've always achieved the results you wanted, so I won't try to stop you."
"Oh, before that, there's one thing I want to request."
"What is it?"
Gregory looked around, took a step closer, and whispered.
"The truth is, the traitors within the kingdom have yet to be caught."
"I figured as much."
Walter's pupils trembled at Gregory's sudden tone. It was true the black cloud knight order was doing its best, but it couldn't find every last traitor to the kingdom.
He was frightened Gregory might try to blame him for it.
"This is the first time I'm telling anyone about this, so please don't let it leak to anyone."
Fortunately, Gregory only asked him not to let any word of the operation slip out. Walter let out a relieved sigh inside and pretended not to be flustered.
"Of course. That much is a given. I'll help you behind the scenes quietly, so let me know if you need anything."
"No, that won't be necessary. If you interfere, the soldiers might get uneasy about the operation, and it could expose the core of the plan."
"Understood. I'll give it my all."
As Walter turned to leave, Gregory stopped him.
"I'm not finished yet. Instead, I'd like you to keep order among the troops so no one slacks off as we hastily construct the fortification."
Walter admired Gregory's boldness and asked the reason for his request.
"Is there a specific reason for going that far?"
"Of course. Although we've blocked the enemy, that defense could fail at any moment, and you never know when the enemy might break through."
"You're saying the enemy could appear before the fortification is complete."
"That's right. If we don't focus entirely on finishing the fortification, we can't minimize casualties or deal a major blow to the enemy."
Walter was deeply impressed with Gregory's strategy. He, too, wanted to seize victory from the Blandi Kingdom.
He resolved to follow Gregory's words no matter what.
'For a knight order commander, it's not enough to set an example—I'm learning so much from a subordinate knight instead... Thank you and I'm sorry. But you're the one person I'll trust completely.'
As Walter was about to leave, Gregory gazed off into the distance and spoke candidly.
"Still, please don't be too grateful. I'm just doing my best to survive as well."
Walter, thinking Gregory had read his mind, flinched, then let out an awkward laugh and quickly left before his feelings were noticed.
***
Meanwhile, Parsei's expression, as he looked at the letter sent by Gregory, was tense. Upon hearing that the Tarierre Kingdom had joined the war, his face gradually hardened.
He, too, knew well the significance of joining a war. If the kingdom made a poor showing to the other nations and they all rushed in to join the conflict—
Arme would fall without a trick to play.
Parsei quickly called for Magnus.
"Magnus, Magnus! Are you there?"
Hearing Parsei's urgent voice, Magnus hurried to his side. It was rare for Parsei to summon Magnus so desperately.
Magnus, worried that something had gone wrong, dashed over as fast as he could.
"Is something the matter?"
Even Magnus, usually calm, was trembling as he spoke, seized by a sense of unease. Even after Magnus arrived, Parsei's eyes remained unfocused.
"Quick, summon the diplomats from the surrounding kingdoms."
"The diplomats? How could we summon them directly? Besides, with war breaking out with the Blandi Kingdom, they're unlikely to come to a kingdom at war..."
"That doesn't matter. Any kingdom willing to embrace us in these circumstances is a true ally."
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