I Planned a Su*cide Mission and Got Kicked Out of the Party

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“No matter how many of them we kill, it never ends. Just how many troops have they pushed towards us?”

It couldn’t be called a classic battle. The enemy forces facing Margaret were close to being mere rabble with a lack of command structure. However, Helmut, who took over the position of the Gargoyle Queen and became the Supreme Commander of the Demon King’s Army, intentionally funneled a large number of weak troops into the Eramenia army, attempting to keep them tied down in place.

The effect was satisfactory. As the elite of the Demon King’s Army pressed on against the Southern Alliance and the Imperial Central Army, the Eramenia army was engaged in fierce battles without breaking, causing their defensive line to warp and distort. Margaret, feeling it strange that elite troops weren’t being deployed on her side, turned to her adjutant and asked,

“Is there no news from other strongholds? If we’re like this and they get breached from the side, our allies will be surrounded.”

“No special news has reached us. Sending scouts to assess the situation would…”

“Then let’s do that. It all feels off. If other units start to be pushed back while we’re holding out, it’ll be disastrous.”

Having already experienced encirclement and annihilation, Margaret grew extremely wary of exposing her flank to the enemy.

Meanwhile, orcs, in significant numbers, were charging in with little more than their bare bodies. Occasionally, there were female orcs mixed in, making it clear that these were forces hastily gathered and truly the definition of rabble.

“This is not a fight we can afford to lose! Respond flexibly!”

If other strongholds were holding on firmly, it was critical for Margaret not to be pushed back. However, she instinctively began to suspect the situation in places she couldn’t see and had already prepared to withdraw her troops while passively firing arrows in response.

Soon, an elf scout sent by Margaret returned to the Eramenia army. The Elf Princess hurriedly called for a messenger to inquire about the situation.

“What’s the status of the other fortifications? You’ve returned rather quickly; what’s the reason?”

“I encountered a messenger sent from their side and spoke with him. Jenis Harker is currently retreating the allied armies into the mountains to preserve their strength. The Grand Mage is executing a delay mission to protect the retreating force, and the Imperial Northern Expeditionary Force, which was already close to the allies, has begun a withdrawal operation to align with the Great Sage. The Great Sage suggested that we should also retreat for now.”

“Into the mountains? Did they say they’re going to the mountains?”

“Yes. If that’s true, we need to pull back at least several dozen kilometers to reestablish a defensive line. We should move quickly from now on.”

Margaret bit her lip. The Eramenia cavalry was invincible. They may be exhausted, but with good weather and favorable terrain, covering 100 km overnight wasn’t impossible. Although the seasons and terrain were unfavorable now, if necessary, it wouldn’t be too difficult to shake off this rabble and reposition.

“It seems the enemy commander intends to break through the center and encircle us on both sides. Whether this is a scheme set directly by the Demon King or if another extraordinary strategist has appeared among the Demon King’s Army is unclear, but we seriously need to consider where we can retreat next.”

Where to retreat? It was a profound and complex problem. Jenis hadn’t given a clue about the retreat direction. This meant all decision-making rights and responsibilities lay entirely with Margaret.

The 3rd Legion consisted of the 1st Imperial Central Army, the 2nd Southern Alliance Army, and the 3rd Eramenia Army. Among them, the 1st Legion had the largest numbers covering the west, while the center was loosely connected by the 2nd Legion, and the most precarious eastern front was held by the Eramenia Army.

Thanks to the Eramenia army stationed in the east, their encirclement could pressurize the enemy from both the south and east. However, the eastern front was unstable. The southern frontline could be said to be ‘pacified’. It simply meant that while the supply routes might not be connected, with enough time and effort, they could incite the local demon creatures to begin resettling to fully incorporate it into the Empire’s directly governed territory.

However, a large army was gathered, and with the native monsters present, the eastern front had only been briefly scanned by Jenis, and there had been no full-scale hunt or occupation. It would have been impossible for Jenis to march with the available resources and troops to clear that route. Although they had briefly scattered, the enemy could counterattack at any moment.

In this situation, there were two choices. Margaret could give up the dual axes of attack and retreat south to join another army. It was a safe method, but as an aggressor, the advantages they held would be significantly reduced. The Demon King’s Army, tasked with defending a single southern front, would find it easier, and the temporarily disrupted eastern territory of the Demon King would be fully reintegrated by the Terkeon Empire.

On the other hand, there was also the option to retreat east and maintain a loose encirclement. This would preserve the front lines as Jenis intended, but it was highly risky. The forces would be extended in length without reinforcements, making it easy for multiple enemies to execute simultaneous attacks on various strongholds. If even one position were breached, everyone would be in danger, and the risk of multiple breaches would increase dramatically.

There was even a chance that the united eastern monsters would strike from behind and encircle them. They must retreat in line with their allies. But in which direction should they go? It was a moment where the Elf Lord’s worries deepened.

“There it is, a message from a pigeon…”

At that moment, Margaret spotted a white pigeon with a note in its beak as she looked up at the sky. In the battlefield, it was rare to use just trained pigeons as they were deemed unreliable, making it clear that this bird was controlled by some brainwashing magic. The Demon King’s Army also used messenger magic, but due to its characteristics, white birds were rarely employed.

That bird was likely sent by Jenis or Jeongjae. Considering Jenis had just sent a human messenger, it was highly probable that it was a letter from Jeongjae.

Thinking there might be clues regarding the retreat within, Margaret quickly reached out to summon the pigeon towards her. The bird spotted the Elf Lord and flapped its wings, approaching Margaret to drop the note onto her hand.

Margaret unfolded the paper and read the message sent by Jeongjae. Though short and to the point, its content resolved Margaret’s worries instantly.

“I need you.”

“General Phineas Marbellius, how many members are in the special legion?”

Margaret asked. Phineas, her adjutant, nodded while still on his horse.

“Three thousand, including both the sharpshooters and artillery.”

“What do you estimate the number of those enemies to be?”

This time, Margaret pointed towards the approaching orcs as she asked. The Elf General tilted his head in thought.

“Roughly 300,000, I would guess?”

“If I were to assign that one legion to stop them, that’s about a 100 to 1 matchup, right?”

“Indeed, Your Highness.”

“If I give such an order, how long do you think you can hold out?”

“You’ve phrased the question incorrectly, Your Highness.”

The Elf General scoffed.

“You should be asking how long until the enemy is annihilated.”

“I plan to head southwest. It wouldn’t be wise to maintain the eastern front. After defeating the enemies, retreat south behind my cavalry.”

“Understood.”

“Retreat!”

Margaret, having tasked Phineas with the gunpowder weapons legion to hold back the enemy, issued a command for a full retreat to her cavalry. Phineas Marbellius, a fervent supporter of Princess Margaret, realized that this was his moment to prove the viability of his plans.

The special zone strategy of Eramenia. This special zone wasn’t merely meant to benefit the Empire or to support Audrich. This concept was formulated by Margaret and her most aggressive supporters. In other words, the goal of establishing the special zone was to create a separate area entirely free of the influence of the Grand Council or outdated customs for research purposes.

The quirky elves who understood the nature of this concept immediately rushed towards the human Empire’s exchange special zone. The engineering designs that had been suppressed from the watchful eyes of the Eramenia people, who looked down upon gunpowder weaponry, began to flood in by the wagonloads. Among them, General Marbellius, who had a keen interest in weapon development, particularly focused on the development of grenades. The flintlock weapons or their modified rifles had little advantage in standardization except for being a personal weapon for Margaret. The elves were outstanding archers. No matter how quickly they fired guns, this race, capable of shooting arrows in mere seconds if they so desired, had no reason to adopt firearms.

However, cannons and portable grenades were another matter entirely. Phineas was convinced these two weapons could completely change the combat style of the Eramenia army.

Margaret accepted his ambitious proposal and allowed for the establishment of the special legion. The bravest and most enterprising young elves equipped themselves with grenades at their waists and drew out their longswords. The artillery unit that would support their firepower positioned cannons behind simple barricades and aimed at the enemy.

Phineas gave the order.

“Have we not been waiting for this moment?”

The General spoke. A soldier answered.

“Why wouldn’t we wait? We are in a new era for our homeland.”

The long ears of the elf, peeking out through the gaps of his helmet, perked up in excitement. It was a common misconception, but the fairies were not a peaceful race. They were just a race content with a peaceful state. The elves, forcibly thrust into a state of war, were prepared to transform into ferocious and terrifying beings, more so than any demon.

“Load the cannons. Unlimited bombardment is permitted.”

At Phineas’s command, the artillery unit loaded their guns and aimed dozens of cannons at the front.

The sheer number of cannons might not appear to be vast. However, the enemies had no clue what these cannons truly were. Even within the Terkeon Empire forces, ‘cannons’ were not universally supplied weaponry.

Even if they were supplied, they were undeniably incomparable to this artillery.

“Fire!”

At the command of the elf, the cannons burst forth simultaneously. Instantly, large iron projectiles soared towards the enemy’s heart, beginning to leave enormous craters. Some landed within the demon forces’ trench fortifications while others directly smashed through the formation of advancing enemies. At that moment, as enemy soldiers who were unaffected by the cannon fire continued to charge, the iron projectiles exploded all at once, sending shrapnel flying in all directions.

“A masterpiece.”

Phineas chuckled, watching the enemy, who could not have imagined the existence of high-explosive rounds flap around helplessly. One shadow knight who had the capacity to command the army couldn’t hide his disbelief and shook his head in confusion.

“I, I came here explicitly to battle elves.”

The undead knight stuttered, which was rather unbecoming of his terrifying appearance.

“Why are the elves using firepower so aggressively? Did a revolution occur in Eramenia, establishing a new authority? Have they fallen under some strange magic, flipping their racial instincts upside down? This is not how Eramenia fights!”

“Fire!”

With the brief command, dozens of grenades flew, smashing into the flatlands. This time, even the soldiers not hit by the explosions began to scatter and run for their lives the moment the grenades fell amongst them.

Their formations naturally broke apart, and orcs began climbing over each other, trampling the fallen. Once a formation collapsed, it was over. The demon commanders, desperate to remedy the situation, issued a retreat order for all troops.

“Into the trench fortifications! Seek refuge behind the walls and regroup for now!”

The demon hordes acted as if they’d forgotten they outnumbered the elves a hundredfold. Seeing the disordered orcs scrambling to hide in the trenches, Phineas called off the bombardment. The number of projectiles was limited, and the accuracy of the cannons could not be guaranteed.

It would be inefficient to bombard enemies who had burrowed into the ground. Dropping shells precisely into that trench was, even with the elves’ skills, still an impossibility. Research to enhance the cannons’ accuracy through coordinate magic was still in its infancy.

“Sharpshooters!”

At Phineas’s command, about two thousand elf soldiers drew their longswords and stepped forward. Their task was to demolish, explode, and then seize and destroy.

This newly established unit, equipped with a few small grenades strapped at their waists, adopted a completely different tactical doctrine than the previous elven forces, who had relied on heavy infantry and archery to weaken the enemy.

When the enemy’s stronghold was spotted, their priority was to charge and drop grenades inside. After rendering the stronghold defenseless with explosives, they would rush in with longswords to completely immobilize it. This was a new unit created in response to the Demon King’s army’s difficulty in approaching fortified positions with cavalry.

The time had come to test this unit.

“The enemy has burrowed in like moles. What did we raise you for?”

“Isn’t it to catch moles, General?”

Phineas raised his finger, pointing to the round-shaped enemy trenches scattered around. The soldiers’ gazes followed the General’s finger. After gesturing at all the visible trenches, Phineas clenched his fist and ordered annihilation.

“Exterminate them!”

Two thousand infantry charged forward with gleaming longswords. However, among those witnessing the charge, very few were aware that their number was merely two thousand.