Chapter 122 : Chapter 122
Chapter 122. March of the Other Shore (3)
The fact that the March of the Other Shore was targeting the main battalion next.
As soon as he realized this, Michael urgently moved towards Roden.
Of course, Michael also knew Roden's strength.
He had clearly witnessed him win against the 6-star knight Latif with a secret technique he had never seen before.
He even knew that the Special Task Force Company was strong.
As a result of checking during the battle with the assault unit, most of the soldiers of the Special Task Force Company had reached the level of 1-star or higher.
But he was still anxious.
From Michael's perspective, the main battalion was a unit that had not yet united as one.
‘It hasn't been long since Ernst became the Main Battalion Commander, but the distrust of the entire main battalion towards the leader is too great.’
Thus, Michael also knew well how Linor had operated the main battalion.
Nevertheless, the reason Michael had left Linor alone was because the main battalion was at least united as one by the means of fear.
In fact, many officers of noble birth operated their units in this way.
On a battlefield where life and death were crossed dozens of times a day, there was no means as useful as fear to achieve results in a short period of time and to control the unit.
However, when a unit was operated in this way, problems usually arose when a new leader came next.
Because they had a deep-rooted distrust of the leader from their previous experience, it was bound to take a very long time for the unit to unite as one.
So, it would still take time for Roden to completely take control of the main battalion.
And if they encountered the March of the Other Shore in this situation, they would inevitably be at a disadvantage.
Moreover, the number of the Special Task Force Company, which should have been a source of strength for Roden in such a situation, was small.
This was because the Infantry Company and the Archery Company were not able to move together due to their respective missions.
So, it was not an exaggeration to say that they would meet the March of the Other Shore in a state of a motley crew.
‘On the other hand, the March of the Other Shore is stronger than I thought.’
If the March of the Other Shore was really using magic artifacts as Michael had guessed, the
individual members of the unit could not be simply seen as being at the level of a 1-star.
They had to be seen as practitioners of at least a 3-star, and at most a 5-star level.
A unit where a single platoon was at this level.
It was the worst.
To the extent that a battalion-sized unit could not guarantee victory on its own.
And the March of the Other Shore was thinking of striking the main battalion along with the city defense force.
So, if his guess was correct, the main battalion was in too much danger.
‘So, at the very least, I have to inform the main battalion of this.’
At the same time, Michael was even thinking of helping the main battalion himself.
If a 6-star knight lent a hand, they could at least prevent the worst-case scenario from happening.
‘I'm definitely not trying to help Ernst. I'm just helping the main battalion. That way, the 3rd Corps can preserve its strength and achieve more in this war.’
Thus, Michael, trying to ignore the strangely pounding of his heart, ran to where the main battalion was.
And a short while later.
He was able to arrive in Elmorim, where the main battalion was carrying out its final city capture operation.
To be precise, in front of Elmorim, where they had set up a siege camp.
At the same time, this mumble flowed from Michael's mouth.
"...What is this?"
It was only natural.
The main battalion's camp construction was much neater and better done than Michael had thought.
And it wasn't just the camp construction that was neat.
The military discipline of the main battalion soldiers who were besieging Elmorim was also well-established.
The fact that they were systematically conducting training even in the face of a battle was proof of that.
What was even more surprising was that among the soldiers who were conducting training like this, there was no one who was frowning.
In other words, it meant that Roden was not forcing the main battalion to train.
"He succeeded in taking control of the main battalion without even using the means of fear? How on earth?"
It was when Michael was so surprised that he was saying all the thoughts that came to his mind out loud.
"Huh? What brings you here, brother?"
This voice was heard, and when he turned his head, Roden was standing there with a puzzled expression.
***
While Roden and Michael were meeting.
In the largest and most splendid mansion in Elmorim, the special unit that the 3rd Corps called the March of the Other Shore, the 'Geumgangwi', was having a conversation with the lord.
"A unit that uses magic artifacts. To be honest, I still don't know if this is the right thing to do."
The lord of Elmorim, Marek Novak, said to the commander of the Geumgangwi, Yakub Novak.
At that, the gazes of the Geumgangwi knights standing behind Yakub all turned towards Marek.
Their gazes were so piercing that Marek, who had opened his mouth, couldn't help but be nervous.
However, that didn't mean that what Marek had said was completely wrong.
Originally, a high wall existed between the 'nation' and the 'mage tower'.
So high that it felt impossible to cross.
This wall was created about 500 years ago when the nation and the mage tower fought the 'Sword-Magic Great War' over the hegemony of the continent.
Before this Sword-Magic Great War, the exchange between knights and magicians was quite active.
There was no prejudice, and there was no exclusion.
However, the two sides, who had suffered enormous damage that was difficult to recover from due to the Sword-Magic Great War, completely turned their backs on each other.
The magicians gave up on the continent and built mage towers to create their own kingdoms, while the knights struggled to somehow save the continent, repeating the cycle of foundation and fall.
The two sides hated each other in silence.
The magicians regarded the knights as symbols of ignorance and violence, and the knights regarded the magicians as cowardly and greedy beings.
As time passed, this hatred solidified in the form of belief and eventually became a taboo.
A knight using magic.
A magician holding a sword.
These two were regarded as sacrilege.
So, the words Marek had just thrown were not just a personal question.
This was a statement that represented the history, tradition, and worldview of the taboo that had been built up over hundreds of years.
However, just because Marek's statement was not wrong did not mean it was right.
As 500 years had passed, the times had changed.
The Empire, which had become the most powerful nation in the history of foundation and fall, was gradually lowering its guard against the mage towers.
The beginning was luxury.
As the Empire enjoyed stability and accumulated enormous wealth through a series of bumper crops and technological advancements, magic artifacts began to emerge as a new object of taste and amusement among some nobles.
Cloaks that reacted to the weather, rings that changed color according to emotions, crystal orbs that could be used instead of candles, etc.
Objects that were unrelated to combat but had magical effects became popular items in high society, and craftsmen from the mage towers began to be invited to golden mansions.
Thus, luxury was establishing itself as a part of the culture.
And some people were realizing that this culture could also be practical.
This was the reason why magic artifacts could emerge as a way to change the situation at once as the war situation became unfavorable.
[What would happen if you gave magic to someone who knows how to wield a sword?]
This one question led to the birth of the Geumgangwi.
In fact, the birth of the Geumgangwi was further accelerated because many families were already distributing magic artifacts with combat effects to their private armies.
So, for the Geumgangwi, Marek's statement was nothing more than an outdated idea.
One that only scratched at the Geumgangwi's emotions.
For that reason, Yakub bluntly said to Marek.
"It is something that has already been decided by the central government. It is something that His Majesty the Emperor has permitted. Therefore, questioning the right or wrong of this matter is nothing but disrespect."
"...That is true."
"Most importantly, I do not think it is the right thing to discuss old values on the battlefield. No, I believe it has already been sufficiently proven that it is wrong to talk about old values. If it weren't wrong, our Empire would not have been pushed back in this war."
"..."
In fact, the birth of the Geumgangwi was an event that symbolized the decline of the existing power structure that had led this war.
The Empire was largely divided into two political power structures, the 'Council of Elder Nobles' and the 'New Progressive Council', and until now, it was the Council of Elder Nobles that had led the war with the Allied Forces.
However, with the exploits of the Glockner family, the main forces on all fronts suffered a great blow, and the voice of the Council of Elder Nobles naturally had to become smaller.
And it was the New Progressive Council that took advantage of this gap and insisted on the use of magic artifacts.
The emperor had sided with the New Progressive Council to somehow reverse the tide of the war.
In fact, the reason Marek and Yakub were currently having a war of nerves was also because of this political situation.
This was because Marek belonged to the Council of Elder Nobles and Yakub belonged to the New Progressive Council.
And,
"Anyway, the command of this battle will be taken by the Geumgangwi according to the imperial order. I ask for your cooperation so that the city defense force can follow our orders well."
The winner of this war of nerves was as good as decided from the beginning to be Yakub.
This was because the justification of the imperial order existed.
In the end, Marek, trying to hide his trembling fists with his other hand, answered.
"I understand."
***
After finishing his conversation with Marek and leaving the mansion, Yakub asked his subordinate.
“What was the name of the Main Battalion Commander again?”
The subordinate bowed his head and answered Yakub’s question.
“It is Ernst Glockner.”
And at the same time as he heard that answer, Yakub's expression brightened.
“Glockner... The name that drove our Empire into a quagmire. At the same time.”
Yakub licked his lips with his moist tongue and added.
"It is also a delicious-sounding name."
It was a look that did not consider the possibility of defeat in the slightest.