NOVEL NEXT Chapter 291
Jeongjae spread a map in front of him and, wearing his glasses, scrutinized his operational plan carefully. The movement of the army was simple. They would gather at their current garrison location and advance to the northwest.
Having inherited the title of chief of the Southern Alliance by imperial decree, Jeongjae completed the formation of a combined army by mixing the alliance forces with the central army. Although there were still some creaks of conflict remaining, thanks to Rose’s attempts to unify both armies, the tensions were not what they used to be. With the support of the Empire Workshop and Eramenia’s production, they succeeded in standardizing equipment and armor, achieving a semblance of unity in appearance as well.
The position of the Southern Alliance leader, which Jenis once held with formidable power, had now become little more than an honorary position on the verge of disbandment. After meeting and discussing with Sally Jeffrey, the new deputy leader, they both agreed that their task was not to sustain the alliance but to prepare for its dissolution. The demotion of Koesernis to military district commander and the appointment of Jeffrey and Jeongjae to this task was part of that context.
Jeongjae held no dissatisfaction. Although he was one of the few individuals within the Empire who could express dissent to the Emperor, he had no intention of opposing this policy trend.
Thus structured, the heavy infantry would take charge of the center as the main force. The left flank, which would encounter relatively less enemy resistance, would be supported by the Royal Knight Order, while the right flank, which could face sudden ambushes, would be manned by the Eramenia cavalry. The primary mission of the cavalry was to protect the infantry, but they could also spread out on both sides and maneuver flexibly if necessary.
In the meantime, two special legions from Eramenia and one Helmut-style gun troop were combined to bolster the siege artillery strength. The Helmut Legion utilized a mix of firearms manufactured by the Demon King’s Army and rifles produced in Eramenia. Surprisingly, there was little operational difference between the two sides, allowing soldiers who had defected from the Demon King’s Army to adapt easily to the Eramenian firearms.
Jeongjae recognized that this unit had clear advantages over the archers; however, the already established production lines for arrows at the Empire Workshop meant that trying to replace the archers with gunners was premature.
Jeongjae sought a gradual transformation of the imperial army by incorporating gunners into the existing legion formations previously occupied by archers. After all, once this war was over, they would reduce the army size for some time, but the threat of the demon kind could arise at any moment, and testing the Terzio formation, which mixed spears and guns, was a change worthy of exploration.
A total of 150,000 personnel—the largest expeditionary force in human history. Jeongjae bore a heavy responsibility. Before embarking on this vast march, the hero wanted everything to be as perfectly prepared as possible.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t many troops we can leave behind for a full-scale attack.”
Jeongjae said, and his closest advisor and aide, Margaret, nodded.
“There are limits. I agree that it’s better to concentrate our forces than to spread them thinly.”
“In that case, I want to wipe out any potentially threatening forces before moving.”
“Potentially threatening forces, huh…”
Margaret pressed closely to Jeongjae as she examined the map. Jeongjae noticed her shoulder brushing against him and shifted slightly aside, but the Elf Lord firmly grasped Jeongjae’s arm.
“Stay still. Why are you trying to sneak away?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Jeongjae apologized for no reason at all. Regardless of that, Margaret pointed to a region trapped between two mountain ranges on the map, nodding.
“The plains between northern Eramenia and the mountain range of the No-Man’s Land have already been subdued. Even if problems remain, they can be addressed immediately from the Eramenian mainland. The real issue is this area trapped between the continent’s ribs.”
The continent’s ribs referred to the extensive high mountain ranges spreading east and west along the spine of the continent. The Northern Expeditionary Force had largely ignored these broad regions nestled between the ribs as they advanced north. Although there had been no attacks thus far, if the enemy aimed for the waist of the allied forces, there was a possibility they might leverage the remaining troops in this region.
“It’s best to eliminate them.”
“If we plan to concentrate our strength in one blow, it’d be wise to eliminate the threat in the eastern waist. If the enemy rushes in from here, the imperial army’s supply lines will be jeopardized. In severe cases, we could even be surrounded.”
“Is there a possibility that the Eramenian forces would come to relieve us from a siege?”
“Of course, reinforcements would come. But we can’t afford to have our own forces spread too thin, and it would be best to avoid a situation where an army of 150,000 gets surrounded!”
“Uh, of course. I agree with you. We need to smash this gap between the two ribs.”
“I’ll handle that. Just give me one legion, and I’ll erase the enemy as if they never existed.”
“Hmm, wait a moment.”
Jeongjae shook his head with a puzzled expression. He pointed his finger towards Febria Bay.
“Jenis has established a temporary port at Febria Bay. If we send ships from here, we can sufficiently send reinforcements south to fill the gap between the ribs, right?”
“Assuming the enemy has ships capable of that.”
“We don’t need a large number of troops. If the enemy comes from this direction, they will likely try to exploit our supply lines. They could send hundreds or thousands of Shadow Knights to attack our food supply lines at any time…”
“There is a possibility.”
“To be honest, I can’t control the supply lines perfectly like Walter. I want to erase any chance the enemy has to utilize this area completely.”
“To achieve what you want with minimal troop losses, you need to drive the enemy completely off the coast and secure the shoreline. If you allow them to remain inland, frequent raids will continue to be a threat. It will be quite a large-scale extermination operation.”
“What’s the likelihood of the enemy making a move?”
“If they move unexpectedly quickly, there’s a chance high-ranking officials might be dispatched. For instance, if they intend to cut off the supply lines before we set off on our expedition…”
Margaret wore a pensive expression. Jeongjae spoke up first.
“The Succubus Queen must be there.”
“That’s the only possibility that comes to mind. Of course, it could be someone else. But if the enemy is moving quickly, it’s possible a threatening adversary is already on the move. It would be best to take action. I think it would be smart to wipe out any trace of the enemy all the way to the shore. Determine the scale of troops needed. How many legions would be appropriate for this mission?”
“Zero.”
Jeongjae replied. Margaret blinked in surprise.
“What did you say?”
“No legions are necessary. Let’s just the two of us go and scout. If the enemy commander makes a move, it would be an opportunity to catch a big fish. Think about their reconnaissance capabilities. Plus, this is clearly the Demon King’s territory. If troop movements seem unusual, they will notice. We need to conceal the fact that we’re focusing attention on the eastern region and verify if the enemy sends any high-ranking generals our way.”
“You mean go back to the old way?”
“Let’s learn from Walter’s approach.”
“Against one of the biggest figures?”
“If it’s not the Demon King himself, we would definitely have the advantage.”
“I hope we catch a big fish.”
Margaret looked tense as she gripped the hilt of her sword at her waist. Seeing her hand tremble lightly, Jeongjae reached out and grasped Margaret’s hand.
“A fisherman who trembles before a bite will miss the fish.”
“That sounds like you’re telling me to quit fishing.”
“What? Of course, it means let’s pull in our catch together.”
Jeongjae said with a grin. Margaret nodded as she grasped Jeongjae’s hand.
“I know. I was just joking. Then let’s go quickly and return.”
“Wait, there’s one more person to call.”
Jeongjae took off his glasses, looking as though he had thought of something suddenly. Margaret tilted her head.
“Someone to call? Who?”
“The guy who keeps trying to duck out of work to write a book. What’s the point if he says he’s going to rest? More and more tasks keep piling up. He might grumble, but if I reach out to him, he’ll probably come quickly. Last time’s incident went pretty sideways, so…”
“Aha.”
Understanding Jeongjae’s words, Margaret nodded.
Just as Jeongjae had predicted, the world’s best hunter responded to his call, appearing full of grievances yet unable to refuse.
Around the same time, the Succubus Queen led the Shadow Knight Order and landed on the coast to attack the imperial army’s supply line in the region between the ribs.
This was a precursor to signify that both sides had finally commenced their final campaign.