Chapter 91 : Threat (1)
Threat (1)
"That's... the knight order that supports the rear of the kingdom. Their main duty is to procure supplies and reinforce any lacking troops. But, why do you ask?"
Gregory calmly looked at Walter, then studied the faces of the remaining knight order members.
"Then, could it be that another kingdom has invaded?"
Walter's eyes widened as if he had realized something from Gregory's words. If what Gregory said was true, it explained the situation quite well.
Currently, the Dawn Knight Order and the Black Cloud Knight Order are gathering towards the east, which is known as the front line of the kingdom. The Silver Knight Order, being in charge of defending the king to the last, would be providing support as a select elite in small numbers.
Given that, the rear would be left almost empty except for a handful of soldiers securing the nation's stability.
"I get it now. I can see why this situation has arisen."
Therefore, if the enemy infiltrated the rear, it would mean that the Twilight Knight Order may have moved there to defend the rear, ignoring the orders from the Radiant Order.
Walter still couldn't shake off one question.
"Then, does it make sense for the Radiant Order to be unaware of this fact?"
Gregory answered as if it was obvious. The first time they had mentioned that support might be needed from other kingdoms was before the first battle. Surely, it would take a long time for the letter to be sent and to arrive.
So, the letter that the Radiant Order sent may very well be an old one.
After Gregory explained this, Walter was able to understand the situation completely. By that logic, the Radiant Order must already be aware that another kingdom has invaded Arme.
"Then... what are we supposed to do?"
At Alessandro's question, silence filled the room for a moment. The real problem with this situation was that no one could say for sure what to do.
It wasn't that they thought the question was foolish; rather, it was that no one could come up with an answer to the problem.
Everyone had a contemplative look. After a long silence, Gregory spoke up.
"However, this is all just my speculation. Don't get too anxious. If it's an old letter, perhaps the Twilight Knight Order simply lost their way and is now very close by."
Alessandro felt comforted by Gregory's words. He felt relieved that the worst-case scenario may be avoided.
But then, what Ernest said next was even more astounding.
"Wait, has your prediction ever been wrong even once?"
At those words, Adrian gave a heavy sigh.
"That's right... That guy's intuition is even better than a god's. If the rear really has been attacked, what are we supposed to do?"
Gregory raised his eyebrows and replied.
"If that happens, there's only one way."
Walter, as if he'd been waiting for an answer, immediately asked Gregory.
"What exactly is that way?"
"A frontal breakthrough."
Everyone was even more dumbfounded at Gregory's words. It sounded like the sort of foolish talk made by a man who'd rather die fighting than just die.
Gregory continued, sensing everyone's displeasure at his response.
"First, if our kingdom wants to survive, we must request aid from other kingdoms. Now it's time for even the neutral kingdoms to try and offer us support."
Ernest chimed in.
"That's true. For them to launch attacks simultaneously like this, it clearly means they must have made some sort of agreement before acting."
"Exactly. The enemies must feel threatened by Arme's rapid progress and want to keep us in check. That means there are definitely powers who want this kingdom to survive."
Even so, Alessandro couldn't pull himself together from Gregory's uncertain remarks, and worry only increased.
"But... if the kingdom falls before that, what's the point in requesting support?"
Ernest picked up Gregory's words where he left off, but Gregory didn't seem particularly worried. He was sure Parsei would have found a solution, and letters had already been sent out before the first battle.
Given the time that had passed, Gregory judged that support from other kingdoms was already on its way.
'Hmm... Even so, if this escalates into a huge war, it won't be good for anyone.'
As always, war requires a strong justification. As soon as a kingdom participates, it becomes the enemy of that kingdom's adversaries.
Which means everyone will be thrown into disaster.
Gregory thought this would be a good time to come up with another plan. His original thought was to leave the rear to the formidable Twilight Knight Order and then charge forward.
The Blandi Kingdom was still shrinking back after its devastating defeat in the first battle.
If they could just capture even one of their forts, the momentum would completely turn in their favor.
"There really is only one way. It would take too long to go help the Twilight Knight Order. If the Blandi Kingdom recovers and strikes again during that time, they could reach the capital in one swoop."
Ernest closed his eyes tightly, racking his brain for a better idea.
"How about we all get changed and then gather to discuss things together? Surely, if more people put their heads together, we'll come up with something better."
Gregory agreed with Ernest's suggestion. This time, just one decision could determine the kingdom's fate, so it was a hard matter for those standing at this crossroads to resolve alone.
Besides, he firmly believed that the comrades with extensive strategic experience from monster subjugation or military campaigns would come up with good ideas.
***
They changed their clothes and headed to the conference room. Lacking time, the mood was more serious than usual. With all smiles gone, everyone was facing the crisis.
Garneth spoke first.
"Gregory, I've heard about the situation. A frontal breakthrough? What exactly did you have in mind?"
Gregory explained everything Walter and his comrades had discussed, carefully unraveling the situation for any knight order members who might not have understood.
"Then, finding out where the Twilight Knight Order is should be our top priority. Am I right?"
He steered Gregory's answer so everyone could find solutions for the difficult situation.
"That's correct. If they really are fighting at the rear, we have no choice but to press forward, trusting that support from other kingdoms will arrive. We cannot let the Blandi Kingdom gather more troops and wait for reinforcements from other kingdoms."
Gregory tried his hardest to think things through. If it ended up fruitless, the actual loss would be considerable. However, garneth took the initiative and said first:
"First, then, let's send out scouts for two days to check if there are any royal knight orders in the area. If we can't even catch a glimpse of them, we'll revise our plans right away."
"An excellent suggestion."
As the urgent meeting was drawing to a close, someone lingered outside the door.
"Excuse me, are you inside? I thought you should see this, so I came in person."
Gregory opened the door, immediately trying to figure out the visitor's identity. The man handed over an envelope, bowing politely. An enigmatic letter had arrived at just the right time.
Garneth's hand trembled as he opened the letter. In the current crisis encircling Arme, it would be strange not to be afraid.
No one found Garneth's appearance unusual. Walter asked him.
"What does it say? Let me see as well."
Walter's mouth was dry, too. Since the letter hadn't come directly from the Radiant Order but was of unknown origin, he could already guess where it came from.
"It says the enemy has indeed appeared in the rear..."
Garneth still looked unable to accept this situation, but Gregory took this opportunity to start formulating a plan for a turnaround.
"On the contrary, this is good... It's a chance to wipe out the enemy at once. Does everyone trust me?"
Even in the midst of this anxiety, Gregory showed confidence. That earned everyone's trust, and all eyes focused on him.