Chapter 144 : Chapter 144
Chapter 144. Once Again (6)
Meanwhile.
The Hellfire Brigade, having arrived quickly near Duren using mobility-type crystal orbs, was waiting for the regular units to join them.
At that moment, a knight approached the man who appeared to be the leader.
“Carrier pigeons have arrived from other units.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. They say they will attack the designated locations on the combat start date.”
“That's a relief.”
The leader, Lidad Tuma, nodded after receiving the knight's report.
The Imperial Army's war situation had always been like this since losing the Yugum Mountains.
Led by the Hellfire Brigade, they launched attacks simultaneously in three locations.
Only by doing this could they cause confusion among the Allied Forces and induce attrition warfare to hinder entry into the Astral Plains.
And because they had continued to carry out operations in this way, the Imperial Army was currently quite coordinated on this front.
They generally moved cooperatively with the Hellfire Brigade.
However, as attrition warfare was ongoing, new units were constantly being deployed.
Because of that, sometimes some units acted arbitrarily without coordinating with the Hellfire Brigade, and Lidad had a headache every time.
The battalion-sized unit that Roden met as soon as he entered the field with the Main Battalion was a prime example of this case.
“Still, it's fortunate that the newly joined unit this time seems cooperative.”
“Was it the Langbir family's unit? The formation is complicated because there are frequent cases where the family's private soldiers are deployed as is.”
“It can't be helped, can it? They say they won't participate in the war unless we do this.”
“It makes me angry that they do that even though they clearly know that following the regular army formation is efficient. Anyway, it's fortunate that they are cooperating for now. But just in case, stay alert. You never know when they might suddenly change after pretending to listen well a few times.”
“Yes. I will warn them every time I send a carrier pigeon so that something like last time doesn't happen.”
“Thinking about it again, that incident was painful. If that unit had remained, it would have been a great help. It was even a regular army unit.”
“Come to think of it, being a regular army doesn't necessarily mean they listen well either.”
“That's true, but it's complicated. Just calling them Vanguard Battalion, Main Battalion, Transport Battalion would suffice, but having to call them Langbir Unit as well.”
“In the first place, isn't our unit named Jeokcheonwi as well?”
“That's because we are a special unit.”
“And the Allied Forces bastards call us the Hellfire Brigade.”
“Why are they doing that again? Anyway, bastards I don't like.”
Lidad raised his voice, nitpicking the complexity of the Imperial Army's organization.
And at his appearance, which somehow looked exaggerated and comical, the knights of the Hellfire Brigade smiled.
It was the reaction Lidad intended.
Because having too little tension on the battlefield wasn't good, but excessive tension wasn't helpful either.
Especially the news that Roden's Main Battalion annihilated a battalion-sized force.
Since this news was delivered, the Hellfire Brigade's shoulders had become heavier.
Because they had never experienced a defeat of this magnitude since they started attrition warfare in the field.
‘Anyway, cleaning up is always our job.’
Lidad muttered inwardly, sighed once with a phew, and then raised his voice.
“Anyway, we will now fight a big battle once again. If we strike Duren and gain results, the blow to the Allied Forces will be quite significant. Because one of the three big pillars supporting this front will be shaken.”
“Oooooh!”
“We absolutely do not lose! And if the Allied Forces call us the Hellfire Brigade, let's gladly show them! How hot the hellfire is!”
“Waaaaah!”
Having succeeded in boosting the Hellfire Brigade's morale like that, Lidad turned his head in the direction of Duren.
Victory seemed within reach.
***
Roden led the Main Battalion troops and settled in a suitable place.
It was a place moderately distant from Duren.
At the same time, it was also a place where a forest rare in this field existed, suitable for hiding.
In fact, for Roden, heading straight to Duren wasn't very good.
When the Hellfire Brigade started attacking Duren together with the regular units.
It was better to rush straight to Duren then and catch them from behind.
“If we don't do that, the Hellfire Brigade will run away.”
At Roden's explanation, Michael nodded.
“I know too. The problem is whether Duren can withstand the Hellfire Brigade's attack until we arrive.”
If they were pushed back too quickly, they might not be able to catch the Hellfire Brigade from behind.
Even if they somehow caught them from behind, the Hellfire Brigade, having occupied Duren, might unfold a siege warfare.
And siege warfare was a structure the Hellfire Brigade wanted.
Because an attrition warfare structure advantageous to the Hellfire Brigade would emerge.
Even if the situation became disadvantageous, it was easy for the Hellfire Brigade to use mobility-type crystal orbs.
Because the view was wide open, making it possible to move anywhere with magic.
Eventually, Roden had no choice but to hope that Duren would hold out well.
“The key will be how many troops Paul left behind when he hurriedly headed to the northwest of the field.”
“It's frustrating that we have to trust the stupid Paul. Is there really no way to send troops into Duren still?”
“There isn't. The reconnaissance troops are deployed too meticulously around Duren.”
Roden originally intended to quickly send our cavalry company, or at least a cavalry platoon, into Duren while avoiding the Hellfire Brigade's eyes.
Because if he did this, it would be much easier to defend against the Hellfire Brigade's attack until the rest of the Main Battalion troops arrived.
But in conclusion, this method could not be used.
No matter how much detection magic was cast, there was no way to avoid the Hellfire Brigade's eyes.
That's how meticulously the Hellfire Brigade was scouting around Duren.
This was why Roden and Michael were feeling anxious.
“Phew. It can't be helped. We have no choice but to strike the Hellfire Brigade from behind as quickly as possible. Then it would be better to activate Plan C, right?”
“Yes. Plan A or Plan B, which involve stably surrounding the Hellfire Brigade, don't seem like very good moves.”
“With this, the probability of us losing the Hellfire Brigade has gone up a bit. Plan C is anxious.”
“Still, we did our best to compensate for the shortcomings, so we have to trust it. Our best effort.”
It was when Roden and Michael were exchanging conversations for a long time like that.
“It's an urgent report! The Hellfire Brigade has started moving towards Duren!”
One of our cavalrymen who was assigned a scout mission approached Roden and reported.
Roden asked the cavalryman calmly.
“Did you confirm the joining of regular units?”
“Yes! Confirmed! The troops are the size of two battalions!”
“Then we should depart. All cavalry units forward!”
Following Roden's command, the cavalry platoon and cavalry company mounted their horses in perfect order.
Then they formed a formation in an instant and ran out of the forest.
It wasn't just the cavalry platoon and cavalry company.
At Roden's command, Chevalier, Heinrich, Günter, Otto, Olinto, and Liviano all moved together.
It didn't mean the Infantry Company, Archery Company, and Special Task Force Company were moving.
Of course, these three companies were also forming battle lines and moving towards Duren under the command of the deputy platoon leaders.
But the knights mentioned above moved mixed in with the cavalry platoon and cavalry company without commanding each company.
That was right.
This was the Plan C operation Roden prepared.
Since they couldn't systematically surround and attack the Hellfire Brigade, the plan was to maximize the power of the cavalry platoon and cavalry company to strike from behind.
For that reason, Roden and Michael were also together in this troop composition.
They weren't even just together.
They were running towards Duren at the very front.
“Giddy up! Giddy up!”
Dudududududu!
The cavalry platoon and cavalry company cast Speed Increase magic and ran towards Duren with full power.
Since the distance was quite far, the horses might get tired in the middle, but it was no problem.
Because Roden had devised one more countermeasure in preparation for this.
“Vitality Recovery!”
“Vitality Recovery!”
As the horses showed signs of exhaustion, the officers and soldiers held wooden blocks in their hands one by one and shouted the activation word.
Then the horses that looked tired made a Hiiiing! sound and recovered their speed.
It was thanks to Roden preparing for a situation like now and supplying wooden blocks enchanted with Vitality Recovery magic in advance.
Even the Vitality Recovery magic wasn't disposable.
Since it could be used three times each, the vanguard led by Roden could run all the way to Duren without reducing speed even once.
The fact that there were no obstacles to block them because it was a field also played a big role in achieving such speed.
‘Is this the effect of the ability granting secret technique? Amazing.’
Michael, who used an artifact himself for the first time although he had been with the Main Battalion for quite a long time, thought.
And after using the artifact, he felt he knew.
Why the Main Battalion could fight enemies without fear.
‘I don't feel like we will lose at all. Absolutely.’
Like that, Michael's expression became flushed red, and Roden glanced at that appearance and thought.
‘I must get the artifact back later without forgetting.’
In fact, Roden didn't really want to share the artifact with Michael.
It was true that the relationship with Michael had improved a lot compared to before, but he didn't think it was to the extent of sharing artifacts.
But in this operation, Michael, who was the strongest after Roden, had to perform actively, and for that reason, he had no choice but to share the artifact.
Because without this, Michael wouldn't be able to catch up with other people's speed.
Anyway, after a while.
The back of the Hellfire Brigade attacking Duren together with the regular units came into Roden's view.
Although it seemed the attack had just begun, the troops blocking the enemy on the wooden fence were so few that it was precarious as if Duren would be captured at any moment.
Therefore, Roden raised his voice without thinking twice.
“Charge as is, all troops!”