Chapter 23: Iron Mine Recapture Operation (1)
Kyle, who had gone out together with the Ragnar Knight Order, returned to Chaplin Castle with only four mbers of the Special Operations Unit.
Upon hearing the news, the castellan hurried out.
“Grand General, what happened to the Ragnar Knight Order?”
“I left them behind in the mountains. We can’t just send the monsters back into the mountain range, can we?”
“……Grand General.”
“Don’t worry. There is absolutely no chance that Chaplin Castle will be breached. More importantly, was there any letter that arrived for the Head of the Family?”
At Kyle’s question, the Saie castellan handed over the letter he had just received.
“It says that about five thousand troops have moved from the fortress as reinforcents. They should arrive by tomorrow, and it asks us to hold out until then.”
“So if we include the reinforcents coming from the fortress, that makes fifteen thousand…….”
“Yes.”
“Understood. The monsters will soon co rushing in, so make preparations for defense.”
Judging from the information obtained from Seros, it was possible that all the monsters staying near the entrance of the mountain range had co outside.
If they achieved a great victory in this battle, he believed there would be no difficulty in recapturing the iron mine.
‘If I take responsibility for the Orc group and their Lord, that will be enough. They said they use the continental language, so we should be able to communicate to so extent. If that doesn’t work, there’s no choice but to crush them with force.’
Originally, he had intended to involve himself as little as possible in the recapture of the iron ore, but a variable had arisen.
Unless he and Seros stepped in, it had beco impossible to reclaim the iron mine.
With an Ork Lord who matched Seros in strength holding out, there was no way to retake the iron mine even if Ragnar poured in all of its forces.
Taking a deep breath, Kyle soon shook his head.
‘First, defending the castle cos first.’
Although he repeated this to himself, Kyle was not worried about the defensive battle at Chaplin Castle.
He had fought defensive battles countless tis before, and there were no particular variables to speak of.
However, unlike him, the troops of Chaplin Castle were extrely tense, fixing their gazes on the front where the monsters would surge in.
After waiting like that for three hours.
When the sun had set and night had fallen, yet no monsters appeared, Kyle frowned.
The location where the Ragnar Knight Order and the monsters had clashed once was not very far from Chaplin Castle.
It was a two-hour walk away, and it was already long past the ti when the monsters should have arrived.
Sensing sothing strange, Kyle issued an order to Seros.
“Seros, go scout.”
“I’ll be back—”
Just as Seros was about to move, a figure approaching the castle wall was detected.
Even in the darkness, Seros recognized who it was and muttered to himself.
“……Why did that guy co back again?”
Kyle also recognized him and gave Seros a new order.
“Go et him.”
“Then I’ll be back.”
Seros imdiately threw himself down below the castle wall.
At that mont, Acacia—who should have been staying in the mountains together with the Ragnar Knight Order—recognized Seros and ran toward him.
“Acacia, why did you return alone, leaving the Ragnar Knight Order behind?”
“I ca because there was urgent news to deliver, Commander.”
“I thought it was strange myself. Why aren’t the monsters advancing on the castle?”
At Seros’s question, Acacia scratched his head.
“The monsters suddenly stopped moving. It doesn’t seem like they intend to advance all the way to the castle.”
“What does that an…….”
“Around the mountain where we are positioned, the monsters are showing strange behavior. It’s as if they’re forming a settlent.”
A mountain completely covered in snow and trees called White Trees.
After an hour passed with the Ragnar Knight Order hidden there, the monsters revealed themselves.
The small and large monsters that had been clustered together suddenly began to spread out, scattering all over the mountain.
Soon, the monsters began cutting down White Trees and clearing space as if forming a settlent.
“……What about the Ragnar Knight Order?”
“For now, they’ve withdrawn from the mountain. I judged that leaving them there would very likely beco dangerous.”
At Acacia’s report, Seros looked up at Kyle standing atop the castle wall and shook his head.
Then he turned his gaze back to Acacia.
“Imdiately lead the Ragnar Knight Order and return to the castle. If the monsters have made the mountain their base, there’s no point in setting up an ambush there.”
“Yes, Commander.”
As Acacia departed again for the place where the Ragnar Knight Order was hiding, Seros lightly climbed back up the castle wall.
Seros’s expression after speaking with Acacia was not good.
“My lord, it seems the monsters have no intention of advancing on the castle.”
“So Acacia judged it that way. What is the reason?”
“According to Acacia, the monsters scattered throughout the mountain are showing signs of forming a settlent.”
At Seros’s explanation, Kyle frowned.
With this, there was a high chance the battle would beco a subjugation operation rather than a defensive battle.
In a defensive battle, the defending side held the advantage.
However, if it turned into a subjugation operation, Ragnar’s casualties could beco greater.
“What happened to the Ragnar Knight Order?”
“They’ve withdrawn from the mountain and are hiding. For now, I told Acacia to lead the Ragnar Knight Order back to the castle.”
At Seros’s words, Kyle nodded with a heavy expression.
“Tell the Saie castellan that I urgently need to discuss sothing.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Not long after, when Seros brought the Saie castellan, Kyle silently descended from the castle wall.
Seeing the sudden change in Kyle’s deanor, the Saie castellan followed behind him without a word.
After coming down and turning around, Kyle spoke calmly.
“It seems we need to terminate the battle stance.”
“What happened?”
“It looks like the monsters aren’t advancing on the castle but are trying to form a settlent right in front of it. We’ll be switching from a defensive battle to a subjugation operation.”
At Kyle’s sudden words, the Saie castellan’s expression hardened.
He also knew that the mont it shifted from a defensive battle to a subjugation operation, the troops’ casualties would increase.
“……Do we absolutely have to carry out a subjugation operation?”
“The mont the monsters establish a settlent in front of the castle, the residents’ damage will beco severe from then on. It’s better to switch to a subjugation operation and eliminate future troubles.”
The Saie castellan agreed with Kyle’s opinion, but he could not make the decision lightly.
If troop losses grew large during the subjugation operation, Ragnar could stagger even more than before.
‘……I have to trust him. That the Grand General will lead the subjugation operation to success.’
This was not sothing he could choose to avoid.
As Kyle said, the mont the monsters ford a settlent in front of the castle, Ragnar would have to live under constant threat every day.
Lost in thought, the castellan soon opened his closed eyes and nodded.
“I will issue the deploynt order after one day of rest.”
“Please wait a bit on issuing the deploynt order. Send an urgent dispatch to the Head of the Family and report the current situation. We will move once the Head of the Family’s reply arrives.”
“I will send the urgent dispatch imdiately.”
Late at night.
The knights who had withdrawn from the mountain and were waiting welcod Acacia as he returned.
The mont Akun saw Acacia, he approached him and asked,
“Sir Acacia, what orders did the Grand General give?”
“He ordered us to return to Chaplin Castle.”
At Acacia’s words, Akun pondered for a mont, then shook his head.
“The Ragnar Knight Order will not return to the castle.”
“Commander, this is the Grand General’s order.”
Despite Acacia’s firm words, Akun only shook his head once more.
“Sir Acacia, could you please listen to
just once?”
“……I will hear you out.”
“Soon, the situation will shift from a defensive battle to a subjugation operation. The mont the monsters spread out from this mountain and form settlents, they will beco a major threat to Ragnar.”
“……You know that is sothing for the Grand General to decide, don’t you?”
“If we are just going to co back again anyway, it might be a better choice to remain here and gather information.”
As he listened to Akun’s opinion, Acacia’s gaze wavered.
Even if they returned to the castle, once the situation shifted from a defensive battle to a subjugation operation, the knights would inevitably have to co back here again.
In terms of both ti and stamina, it would be a significant waste.
Rubbing his chin, Acacia repeated Akun’s words to himself.
“Information gathering…….”
“If we at least determine where the monsters scattered throughout the mountain are trying to settle, it will be a great help in the subjugation operation.”
“What the commander says is true, but…….”
“Sir Acacia, think about why the Grand General left us here in the first place.”
“That was for guerrilla warfare, wasn’t it?”
“Exactly. Before the settlents are ford, we need to harass the monsters as much as possible.”
At Akun’s words, Acacia’s eyebrows twitched.
Not missing the mont, Akun pressed on and continued persuading him.
“Our numbers are poor, but if we use hit-and-run tactics, we can harass the monsters sufficiently. Moreover, large monsters rarely move in groups.”
“So you’re saying that now, while they’re scattered, this is a chance to defeat the large monsters one by one?”
“That’s right. Just reducing the number of large monsters will be a huge help in the subjugation operation to co.”
Thinking that Akun’s words made sense, Acacia let out a low hum.
After pondering for a long while whether it was worth disobeying orders, Acacia finally nodded.
“Very well. As the commander says, we’ll move with a focus on gathering information and defeating large monsters individually.”
Because it was a sound judgnt, Acacia did not oppose it forcefully either.
In the previous battle, he had confird that the Ragnar Knight Order were not people who moved only by orders.
Now that he knew their true worth erged when they made free judgnts and acted on them, Acacia wanted to highlight their strengths as much as possible.
‘My lord will understand my judgnt as well.’
“Thank you for hearing out my opinion, Sir Acacia.”
Having obtained permission after persuasion, Akun bowed to Acacia.
Watching Akun like that, Acacia realized what he himself had failed to notice during training.
‘He may not surpass Aron, but at the very least, he seems to have the talent to be called a renowned general.’
It was clear that he still had room to grow.
If Akun were raised properly, a fine commander might be born.
However, Acacia showed no outward reaction and turned his gaze away.
“I’d like to hear what the others think as well.”
“I agree with the commander’s opinion.”
“I feel the sa.”
In response to Acacia’s question, Zero and Deni answered imdiately, and the other knights also nodded.
They were knights belonging to Ragnar.
Although they had shown that they did not acknowledge Akun, that was rely personal sentint.
At that mont, one knight spoke up toward Acacia.
“I believe that for the sake of Ragnar’s safety, we should proceed as the commander says.”
When even the knight who had been pulling carts after being struck agreed with Akun’s strategy, Acacia let out a hollow laugh.
‘They’re a bunch I can never quite figure out…….’
During training, they were a complete ss, but the mont they entered real combat, the knights’ eyes changed.
It was an interesting phenonon.
Those who had been at each other’s throats were coming together as one.
‘That just ans Ragnar is that precious to them.’
Acacia wiped the smile from his face and spoke to the knights.
“Then we’ll begin the next training.”
At his words, the knights who had been sitting and resting sprang to their feet.
As commander, Akun stepped forward to face Acacia on behalf of the knights.
“Please issue the mission.”
Even after hearing him, Acacia shook his head.
What the strategy should be, and how the knights should be operated, was not sothing Acacia should decide right now.
“For this training, I will also move according to the commander’s opinion.”
“……Thank you for trusting , Sir Acacia.”
“I cannot fully trust the commander yet. I will assess your capabilities through this command and report them directly to the Grand General.”
When Acacia said this with a grin, Akun nodded firmly.
For this day, Akun had read many tactical books and studied strategy and military operations.
It was ti to show the results of that effort.
Turning around, Akun issued orders to the knight order.
“Ten n per unit. Form a total of ten units, then move.”
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