The First Stratagem...

Viewpoint of Regza-Saga, Great General of the Est Kingdom Army

“Even seeing it with my own eyes, I can scarcely believe it… what is that marching speed?”

“Even if every last one of them were cavalry, if they marched at that speed, the horses would be utterly exhausted by the time the battle began…”

“But there is no cavalry in the enemy force, is there?”

“…”

If the reports are to be believed, the enemy formation is entirely infantry… yet the enemy army bearing down on us is advancing at a speed far beyond even a brisk jog… and even seeing it before my eyes, I can scarcely believe it.

I watched the enemy force approaching from afar… and as that shadow of an army drew closer at a visibly absurd pace, my adjutant and I could only sigh, but at this rate they truly will be here in no time at all.

“Send word to the entire army: the moment the enemy arrives, the stratagem will be set in motion. After that, do not miss the signal flags from the great tower. Endure until nightfall, no matter what. If we can hold until night, victory will be within our grasp. I expect each of you to fight bravely. That is all.”

“Yes, sir!”

Come then, Einheria army.

We have cast aside our names and resolved ourselves to resist everything.

It is certainly true that we were the ones who struck first, but that no longer matters.

To us, you are invaders, and no matter what vile means we must stain ourselves with, we will surely annihilate you.

“General Saga! A messenger has arrived from the suicide squad!”

A soldier came to report to me while I was standing outside the main camp tent, watching the enemy army.

“I will hear it inside! Let him through!”

Replying to the soldier, I returned inside the tent. I could hardly hear such a report out in the open… there was no guarantee it would be good news.

The suicide squad…

A strike unit formed primarily from among those in our ranks who excelled at behind-the-scenes work such as reconnaissance and scouting.

The plan was for them to infiltrate the enemy camp and carry out sabotage, but from the nature of their mission, it was assumed that returning alive would be impossible.

Their target was the enemy’s baggage train…

More specifically, the provisions they carried.

For an expeditionary army, the greatest headache is, needless to say, feeding the soldiers.

Food is vitality, but the amount of food consumed by an army numbering in the tens of thousands is so vast that anyone without experience in such matters would widen their eyes in shock.

The rations distributed in the army are by no means so generous that one can eat as satisfactorily as one does at home, but even so, to those who are accustomed to struggling for food, they would still count as ample meals. And when an army of ten thousand eats just once, the necessary amount of food is naturally ten thousand meals… the food consumed in a single meal exceeds what one person would eat over ten years.

A person can survive without eating much for a certain time, but one cannot possibly fight at full strength without food.

Provisions are the army’s lifeline, and also its Achilles’ heel.

That is why the places where food is stored are guarded as heavily as the main camp itself, and to spread out the risk, multiple storage points are prepared as well.

And so, the strategy we chose in order to target the most heavily guarded section of the army—its food—was poison.

Even while understanding the importance of provisions, it is very difficult during a march to spare enough men to guard them thoroughly.

Of course, the baggage train is accompanied by troops assigned to protect it, but that force can hardly be called large.

Because the baggage train transports food and equipment, it moves very slowly. Naturally, it travels only through areas whose safety has already been secured by the main force, but even so, it would be far easier to burn or raid the provisions while the baggage train is on the move than to target food protected inside a fortified camp.

However, that would not do.

If they lost their provisions, they would pull back.

And once they pulled back, they would surely resort to plunder…

Having advanced so deep into the Est Kingdom, they would desperately gather food by any means necessary… and as a result, the lands south of the royal capital would be ravaged.

Naturally, we would pursue the withdrawing enemy army, but if that pursuit caused the enemy force to scatter, then stripped of discipline, they would become savage bandits, leaving deep scars upon the Est Kingdom for many long years.

As it is, the villages in this region have already been burned on my orders, and animal carcasses and filth have been thrown into the wells. Once securing food and water locally becomes impossible, the fate of an expeditionary army is as obvious as fire. That is why we decided not to burn or steal the enemy’s provisions, but to mix poison into them instead.

To that end, the suicide squad was assigned the reckless mission of infiltrating the enemy camp during its heavily guarded encampment and slipping poison into the food.

The poison was not a powerful kind that would kill immediately after ingestion.

If we used so potent a poison, then again the enemy would surely discard the food and withdraw to the town they were using as their base.

Well, with bad luck some may die, but in principle its effects are no more than a mild fever and sharp stomach pain… the sort of effect one would get from eating spoiled food. Some might think that far too slight an effect to wager lives on.

But that is enough.

To sap the enemy’s strength before the battle even begins…

It would be impossible to poison every soldier’s meal, but the amount of poison given to the suicide squad was substantial, and if they succeeded in planting it, then a decline in the enemy army’s fighting power would be unavoidable.

“The suicide squad has sent in its report!”

“And the result?”

“That is… I beg your forgiveness!”

“…So it failed.”

Judging by the enemy army’s marching speed, they did not appear weakened by poison…

Which likely meant exactly what it seemed to mean.

Three hundred men in total, including both the diversionary group and the infiltrators.

Even if the operation failed, I will never allow the deaths of those who staked their lives to carry it out to be in vain.

This is not our only stratagem…

Indeed, the true decisive move lies ahead…

“…It is a failure, but… the suicide squad has not yet even been able to begin the stratagem.”

“…What do you mean?”

At the messenger’s words, I could not help but stare in stunned disbelief.

It is impossible that men as valiant as they would lose their nerve out of fear for their lives.

One or two men, perhaps—but they were the suicide squad, men sworn to die together at the same time.

For the sake of the kingdom, for their families, for their friends…

I am certain I will never forget the face of each one of those men who resolved to cast away everything they had…

So strong was that conviction that their faces, filled with resolve, were magnificent and beautiful beyond words.

That is precisely why it made no sense that they had not carried out the plan.

So there must have been some unforeseen event.

Some situation grave enough that they could not proceed with the operation…

What in the world could have happened?

I felt a cold sweat run down my back.

“…The provisions… no matter how much they searched, they could not find the enemy army’s provisions!”

“The provisions…? Do you mean they were unable to locate all of the food stores dispersed for safekeeping?”

Certainly, finding every last store might be difficult, but there was no need to poison all of the provisions…

Surely they understood that as well…

“No, that is not it. They were unable to find so much as a single grain of wheat!”

“…That is absurd. This is food for ten thousand men. At minimum, several days’ worth—at most, provisions for several dozen days. How could it be possible not to find any of it at all?”

“It is the truth! Not only during camp, but even while they were on the march… they could not find even a baggage train!”

“…”

The messenger did not look as though he were lying.

No, I could see his confusion…

But to me, it looked like the confusion of a man wondering how he could possibly make someone believe such an outrageous tale.

“Then were the wagons and carts disguised?”

“No. That army possesses not a single wagon, and the soldiers do not appear to be carrying loads either.”

“…What does that even mean? Are you saying they have only whatever food and equipment they can carry by hand?”

Could it be that they had been issued only preserved rations they could personally carry, and were expected to endure the prescribed number of days on that alone?

No, if it were only food, one might call it an extraordinarily harsh army, but what of weapons and medicine?

Not just arrows—every weapon is a consumable.

No soldier can possibly fight an entire war with a single issued weapon. Indeed, even one day would be asking too much. Naturally, they would continue fighting with weapons picked up from the battlefield, but unless fresh weapons are issued, by the second day many soldiers would be left fighting with no weapons at all.

And what of the wounded?

If men are crossing spears, then casualties are inevitable. Without wagons or medicine prepared, how do they intend to treat the injured or carry them to the rear?

Such an army cannot exist…

In that case…

“Will the baggage train perhaps join the main force a day later?”

“Taking that possibility into account, we searched as far as two days’ travel by wagon, but found no trace of it.”

“…I see.”

I do not understand any of this in the slightest…

But that is not what matters most right now.

I shifted my thinking and, for the moment, set aside the eerie strangeness of the enemy army.

“Very well. The suicide squad is to remain in hiding where the enemy will not discover them. However, make sure they are positioned where they can still see the great tower of the main camp. Do they understand the signal for the surprise attack?”

“From left to right, yellow, red, black, white, white—is that correct?”

The colors the messenger confirmed were those of the flags to be raised on the great tower as signals.

The men of the suicide squad had no reason to concern themselves with flag signals, but it seemed they had committed them firmly to memory nonetheless.

“That is correct. The men of the suicide squad are lightly equipped, but can they carry out a surprise attack from a different direction than the rear assault unit?”

“We are men who have already cast away our lives. If we can become the foundation of tomorrow’s Est Kingdom, there could be no greater honor.”

“You have my respect and gratitude for your devotion…”

“The others will feel they have earned yet another honor just from hearing you say that, General. I shall return to the unit now.”

“May fortune be with you.”

“Your Excellency, I beg you—please protect the Est Kingdom.”

With those words, the messenger left the tent.

The stratagem of poisoning the provisions had ended in failure, but in return we had gained another elite surprise-attack unit made up of men who did not value their lives.

It could hardly be called a mere failure.

There is much about the enemy army that I still cannot make sense of, and I bitterly regret that one of the weaknesses we ought to have targeted cannot be found, but our other plans are all aimed directly at the enemy main force.

Our first stratagem has failed, but we have not yet lost anything…

We still have many plans prepared…

However, even if this battle ends in victory, the Est Kingdom may still be driven into an extremely dangerous position.

I can only hope that my own head alone will suffice to deflect the condemnation of other nations…

But in all likelihood, one head will not be enough.

Before setting out, I discussed that very matter with His Majesty…

His Majesty approved of the stratagem and declared that he would bear responsibility together with me.

As a subject, I was ashamed of my inadequacy, yet it is equally true that I was emboldened by His Majesty’s resolve.

I will most likely fall into hell…

But you too, Einheria army…

I will surely drag you down into hell with me.

That will be the final service I offer to His Majesty.