SWNOVELXO Chapter 130
“Move it! Hurry up! There’s no time!”
“We retreat from the command. Just grab the confidential documents and burn everything else!”
“Only take what we can carry. The rest will be incinerated.”
“Is it a waste? It would be! But we have to do it! We can’t just hand over our Deo ethnicity’s hard-earned belongings to the Empire!”
News arrived that the enemy’s powerful advance had begun from the side.
We sent troops to strengthen defenses there immediately, but it wouldn’t hold for long.
Before that, we must quickly gather the remaining soldiers and fall back.
The problem is the enemy’s mobile forces that suddenly appeared not long ago.
[ Sent from each rear defense point. Enemy attack is imminent ]
[ Increased the number of messengers, but we’re still being blocked ]
[ Strengthened defenses around the magic communications station, but many have already been destroyed ]
[ Contact lost with the small guards positioned at each pathway ]
They’ve been thorough in controlling the intensity of their assault while rampaging through our rear.
They avoid touching the Dedorant’s defensive points, only severing messengers and magical communications.
Meanwhile, they poke at all points the Dedorant army has no choice but to pass through.
Then they put pressure on the enemy, suggesting there might be a large ambush ahead.
Of course, a military cannot march down any old road.
It is right to go down the established pathways. Only then can we preserve our strength.
Sometimes, there are historical instances where armies take paths no one could ever imagine, but those are seen as exceptional and nonsensical.
That’s why they get recorded in history, to emphasize how dangerous such decisions were.
The Dedorant army is no different today. There are set pathways they can take.
Moving elsewhere is possible, but then their forces won’t be intact.
The roads that can maximize human and logistical resources.
Since they are also an army, inevitably, they must advance in such directions.
And perhaps there are enemies lurking exactly in those pathways.
They’ve not occupied them. They’re just openly threatening us.
They say if we try to gather everything and head back, who knows what calamity might strike.
It would be better to simply have those who are ready get out first.
“What if we contact each rear defense point and have them guard the pathways?”
It wasn’t unreasonable for such a suggestion to come up from the Dedorant command.
However, soon others expressed that it would be nearly impossible, showing their predicament.
While the pathways are important, it’s also a problem to extract the defenders from the defensive points.
The reason the enemies don’t target our defensive points is that they rely on the soldiers stationed there.
If they leave their posts, there’s no reason for the enemies not to target those points.
All of this ultimately leads to a shortage of troops.
If we had the luxury, we could have kept a sufficient reserve back there.
However, we have sent out forces to the north, south, Ross Tanika, and DeGale.
It was impossible to deploy a large number of troops at both the defensive points and the pathways.
“While the flanks hold, we must prioritize extracting the elite troops ready for retreat first.”
“Shouldn’t they buy time and get the others out first instead?”
“All of them are the best warriors of Dedorant, ones we absolutely must not lose. Instead, we should leave the rear to the foreign troops recruited from DeGale.”
“Do you think they will follow that willingly?”
“They will. They’ve already resolved themselves, and above all, DeGale is still under our Dedorant’s control. They won’t openly defy us for the sake of their hometowns and families.”
As long as the frontlines hold. Before a bigger issue arises in the rear.
We start by extracting the key personnel and core troops of the Dedorant army.
The decision made, they promptly assessed the current status of each unit and prioritized the retreat.
The first to withdraw would be those who had launched the initial attack on Setongrad.
These soldiers were deserving of being at the forefront, whether through bravery or ability.
With rich experiences, losing them would be something Dedorant must absolutely avoid.
Next would be the ones accompanying the command as a type of guard detail.
They also had substantial practical experience, making them more than qualified to be called elite.
Moreover, most of the guards, albeit of lower rank, come from noble families.
For the future of the Deo ethnicity, they must be returned safely.
Then, the conclusion was to extract the remaining troops if possible.
Dedorant’s regular soldiers. The resource soldiers from Atria.
And even the soldiers from DeGale who wish to cooperate with Dedorant.
“Then, Your Highness the Prince. I will move immediately. You should hurry as well…”
“I will observe the situation a bit longer before I move.”
“Your Highness!”
“What nonsense are you speaking! Regardless of others, you must retreat!”
The Dedorant command personnel were in a panic, trying to persuade the prince.
But Prince Georg only stepped outside the barracks to survey the Dedorant camp.
“If I retreat first like this, what do you think they will think? They might think I’m just a coward who pushed them into a dire situation and fled when things got tough.”
“Your Highness.”
“Your Highness!”
The command personnel shook their heads to Prince Georg’s words.
Surely that cannot be. Our Dedorant’s proud soldiers wouldn’t be like that.
Rather, they would probably step forward to push the prince back.
You are the one to lead the Deo ethnicity until the very end!
“Your Highness, please!”
“Alright. Then I will move first with the guards.”
“Then who will be left here, Your Highness?”
As soon as one person posed that question, the command fell into sudden silence.
They exchanged glances, assessing who would end up taking that unfortunate position.
Someone has to remain as commander here.
They must block the Imperial army pushing from the rear and also withstand on the sides.
As they sequentially retreat the prepared units, they must ensure the enemies do not strike.
Thus, it must be a person of above-average capability who takes the position.
However, there’s also the possibility of them falling in battle or becoming prisoners.
This situation made it awkward to volunteer or designate someone.
‘Someone who can lead the soldiers well even when trapped within the siege.’
‘One who can fight to the end without surrendering, possessing a sturdy spirit.’
‘Lastly, a commander who can be replaced even if they were to be lost.’
This is also why the command personnel look at each other and gauge the situation.
No one wishes to die hopelessly after being left behind.
They want to achieve greater glory while still alive. If they must die, then they’d like to die better than now.
“Your Highness. What will you do?”
At that moment, Prince Georg realized his hands were trembling.
He hadn’t known. The burden could grip a person’s heart so tightly.
The creeping anxiety and terror about ‘loss’ began to inundate him.
All of this began the moment that man, Kael, appeared.
Everything had been going well until now, but suddenly everything became entangled.
As if Kael alone had claimed the love of the gods!
‘…No, that’s not it. Not yet, it’s not over yet.’
Prince Georg bit his lip until it bled before he finally spoke.
“Where is General Paelus?”
“Here, Your Highness.”
“Have you take command here and buy us some time. Can you do that?”
“I will endure as much as I can.”
At that, several personnel nearby spoke up.
“Your Highness. How about appointing one more besides Paelus?”
“Exactly. With almost 40,000 troops remaining, we’ll need someone else to coordinate.”
“…”
It’s not that we doubt Paelus’s abilities. We doubt his loyalty.
He wasn’t someone who pledges allegiance to Prince Georg like the others.
He was only doing his best as the commander of Dedorant.
“Let’s have Leonite accompany him, Your Highness.”
“That’s a good idea. With Leonite, surely he’ll encourage the soldiers and maintain the rear.”
At that moment, Prince Georg pondered whether that would be a good idea.
As far as he knew, their personalities and modes of behavior didn’t tend to mesh well.
But as they said, there must be someone overly capable for the time being.
Otherwise, if we have to surrender to minimize our losses, it would be truly catastrophic.
Paelus would lead the battle command while Leonite would encourage the soldiers and uphold discipline.
As soon as Prince Georg made the decision, the Dedorant command bowed their heads.
“And who is currently handling the flank?”
“Steiner.”
“Steiner. Yes. No matter what happens, convey my order to him to hold the flank at all costs. That takes priority above everything else.”
*
Meanwhile, the Imperial Eastern Legion moved as soon as they received Kael’s orders.
They had spent the winter curling up in preparation, now bursting forth with explosive power.
Now they just needed to unleash it all in this one attack.
Moreover, all of them were alongside the best recognized knight of the day.
“Soldiers of the 7th Legion!”
Years ago, she was nothing but a girl, not even a knight.
Yet she showed the true meaning of ‘one who rides alone’ against Burgai.
Kaya, who now ignited the battle spirit of the 7th Legion, bringing forth memories.
“Today, we will rewrite history anew! Everything is perfect. It has ripened! Nothing blocking our path shall stop us from marching against Dedorant!”
―UOOOOH!!
A tremendous roar erupted from the soldiers.
They were the first to witness Kaya’s valor.
Even the prideful demon tribe bow down before her as a knight.
With Kaya fighting alongside them, what is there to fear?
“Let’s rip, crush, and push through! Let the name of our 7th Legion resonate forever across the continent!”
“WAAAHH!!”
“7th Legion! 7th Legion!!”
From the lowest-ranking soldiers to the Legion Commander, they all roared for the glory of the Legion.
The Imperial Legion advances. With that invincible knight in front.
The Imperial Legion does not retreat. With that strategist at their back.
“Big brother is truly amazing!”
By the way, Kaya’s speech was, of course, prepared by Kael in advance.