Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality, Episode 92
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality, Episode 92
25. One Step Short (1)
In the war between the Bringham Empire and the Prius Republic, the position the Republic had to take was to drag the imperial army along and stall for time.
Many factors determine the outcome of a war weapons, manpower, the competence of commanders but if you had to pick the single most important one, it would undoubtedly be money.
The main battlefield of this war is the Prius Republic's home field, and the Bringham Empire is the one having to fight an expedition, and an expeditionary force devours money like pouring water into a bottomless pit.
For that reason, the best course for the Prius Republic was to drag the war out, pile the burden onto the Bringham Empire, and resolve the situation through political means.
But somehow, the unexpected great victory of the Prius Republic turned out to be the worst possible blunder, completely cutting off any chance of a political resolution.
As a result, the Bringham Empire has already passed the stage of rationally crunching numbers and weighing whether it's worth continuing the war.
The pride of a great empire and its animosity toward the Prius Republic will turn into blind hostility and burn them all to ashes.
"What's the power gap between the Prius Republic and the Bringham Empire?"
I was having a conversation with Intelligence Chief Pesius and his son and adjutant, Grent, in the office at Marquis Lawrence's Lord's estate, and I first wanted to confirm the difference in military strength between the two nations.
I knew that on the surface, the Bringham Empire's overall military strength was about five times that of the Prius Republic, but it wasn't possible to drag all of that power across the sea to another continent for an expedition.
"First, the losses the Bringham Empire suffered from this great defeat are 92 Sky Fortresses and about 2,300 Vanguards. Half of the forces initially mobilized were wiped out in an instant. The Republic took heavy damage too, but it's only about 20 percent of what the Empire suffered."
"The soldiers of the Prius Republic are more capable than I thought. Or should I say, Field Marshal Ansen of the Defense Force is as remarkable as his reputation suggests?"
Who could have ever predicted the day the Bringham Empire would suffer a great defeat in war?
It was certainly a great achievement, but the opponent was too powerful and too vast to simply rejoice over it.
"Yes, that's right. But Field Marshal Ansen originally only intended to drag the war out and minimize troop losses. It seems him bringing out such an extreme operation as a full-force encirclement and annihilation battle was due to the government's orders, which were mindful of the elections."
"These foolish... is preserving their own positions more important than the safety of the nation?"
It's so pathetic that cursing is all I can do.
As the only democratic republic in this world, the one who should lead other nations toward enlightenment is instead showing every kind of evil.
Coming from Earth, where feudalism collapsed and republican government became the mainstream, this was a sight that could only leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
"The current Bringham Empire forces heading toward the Prius Republic are three times the size of the first expeditionary force 600 Sky Fortresses and 15,000 Vanguards, they say."
Numbers that take your breath away.
Considering that in our Rhinehearts, the Kingdom's forces and the domain forces combined possess just over 300 Sky Fortresses in total, the scale was simply on a different level.
Just the six Sky Fortresses deployed in my domain already feel like I own the whole world.
'Even if the military options in this world are just Sky Fortresses or Vanguards, this is way too excessive.'
No matter how advanced magical engineering technology is, for ground forces that haven't even ventured into space, this seemed far too much.
Well, it's not that they won't go to space it's that they can't but the clearly palpable difference in national power was simply bewildering.
"If you combine the remaining forces, that's 708 Sky Fortresses alone... Are you saying that even if the Prius Republic mustered every single Sky Fortress it has, it would only amount to 500?"
"About 460."
That was an impressive number too, but it was nothing compared to the Bringham Empire, which had mobilized its forces with full intent.
Unlike the Bringham Empire's expeditionary force sent solely to deal with the Prius Republic, the Republic's 460 units were not exclusively for facing the invasion force.
That number included border guard troops to fend off second and third invasions, as well as forces to defend major strongholds and every city.
The Prius Republic could no longer afford to keep reserve forces to fend off additional invasions from other nations looking to pick at the scraps.
"It's over."
If they clashed like this, the Prius Republic would vanish from the map entirely.
'This is enough to drive anyone insane.'
Aren't I the one who planned this war?
No matter how much it was for my own safety, a wrong choice had put the survival of 500 million Republic citizens at risk.
Biting my nails as I sorted through my thoughts, I let out a sigh.
I had no other option.
'I need to support the revolutionary army more actively.'
It's somewhat risky, but there's no helping it.
If I started something, I should be the one to clean it up.
"My Lord, may I ask one thing?"
At that moment, Grent, Pesius's son who had been staying out of the conversation, posed a question.
I nodded without much thought, but Grent's question was not one to be dismissed.
"May I ask about the identity of the organization that has formed a partnership with our intelligence department?"
"Is something the matter?"
"No, it's not that. But they produce the information we want like a magic lamp, and the responses we make based on it are often faster than those of the royal intelligence agents."
"So you're saying they're so capable that it makes you wary?"
"Yes."
It couldn't be helped.
After all, the organization currently cooperating with and supporting our intelligence department was none other than Blue Moon.
Of course, the one directly involved was an intelligence group under Blue Moon, but in the end, it's all the same.
I washed down the stifling weight on my chest with tea.
"I'll tell you someday, but now is not the time. Still, they're a trustworthy group, so you don't need to worry about being backstabbed. I guarantee that."
It probably wasn't satisfying from Grent's perspective, but there was nothing to be done.
"Understood. I'll look forward to that day."
It would have been troublesome if he'd voiced his complaints, but the clever Grent didn't pry further than necessary.
"I can't say for certain whether the Saintess contest will proceed as planned or be postponed, but someone with other ideas may emerge amid the chaos."
"Yes, I'll keep a particularly close eye on Lady Ibril's surroundings."
It's so convenient that he understands me with just a hint.
I smiled at Pesius and Grent, but the moment they left the office, I wiped the expression from my face.
* * *
The place where one can feel the changing of the times most clearly is the battlefield.
Wars that began with people and ended with people, as in the past, no longer exist.
In wars between nations, Aura Masters once called one-man armies can no longer overturn the tide of battle alone, and Grand Mages have been pushed out of the frontlines by the advancement of weaponry.
War is no longer about how many Aura Masters and Grand Mages one possesses, but about who can produce more efficient Vanguards and more defensively sturdy Sky Fortresses and as a result, military power has come to be directly proportional to a nation's economic strength.
At least the nations of Rondel don't have as wide a gap between countries as those on Earth.
On Earth, there are nations that load nearly a hundred fighter jets onto aircraft carriers and roam the world's seas, while other nations can barely secure water, watch their ships rot, and see their people starve to death.
In contrast, even the weaker nations of the Triton Continent in Rondel possess at least 50 Sky Fortresses and 1,000 Vanguards as a baseline.
That means the overall standard has been raised across the board.
At any rate, Aura Masters and Grand Mages can no longer be considered the main force in war.
And yet, every nation in the world still treats them well.
Grand Mages are essential as national defense researchers, but why Aura Masters?
The reason is simple.
Though they are no longer one-man armies capable of slaughtering enemies and changing the course of battle, their value remains useful.
An Aura Master equipped with Vanguard gear is, in terms of defense, defense; in terms of offense, offense no different from a Sky Fortress condensed into human form.
"W-Who are you?"
"Hello?"
"Marquis? Why would you "
"Sorry, but you have to die."
-Swish!
When an Aura Master-class Vanguard charges with full intent, unless the enemy raises a wall with their own Aura Master or Vanguard, there's no choice but to let them break through.
The sight of a high-ranking official of the Prius Republic having his head effortlessly severed after allowing Arcia entry into his mansion is a prime example.
"Does it make sense for a public official to amass wealth like this?"
I left the corpse behind and clicked my tongue as I looked around the office filled with expensive art.
The high-ranking official of the Republic who had just met his end was State Council Chairman Garsia, whom I had seen before.
He was the third-highest-ranking figure in the Prius Republic government, and I had eliminated him by taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Bringham Empire's invasion.
"What should we do about the rest of the family?"
"Leave them be."
"Understood."
I stripped the office of its decorative art pieces and the contents of the secret vault, stuffing them all into my subspace.
"An intruder has appeared at the State Council Chairman's mansion!"
"Set up barricades!"
"What about the Spatial Movement Interference Magic circle?"
"It's always active at the State Council Chairman's mansion!"
And as the commotion outside the mansion began to swell, I escaped together with Arcia.
The police surrounding the mansion in full force struggled to catch us as we fled, but there was no chance of that.
If it were a fight, that would be one thing, but to catch us when our sole goal was escape, they would need to mobilize hundreds of Vanguards.
-BOOM!
But then.
An attack rained down from the sky.
As if unconcerned about civilian casualties, the Sky Fortress defending the city was attacking us.
But as if I had anticipated this, I spread a Great Shield and blocked it.
The reason Mages can no longer shine on the battlefield is the speed of Vanguard and Sky Fortress attacks outpacing casting time not because their inherent defense and offense are lacking.
And so, we broke through the barrage of force and arrived at the area where teleportation was possible.
"Bye-bye."
And with a wave toward the police who had become dogs chasing chickens, I used teleportation.
Teleporting again and again so that tracing our coordinates would be useless, we arrived shortly after at an underground city somewhere in the Prius Republic.
"Did you succeed?"
"Easy."
"Hah, incredible."
This place was the Revolutionary Army Headquarters of the Prius Republic.
With self-sufficient food production facilities, a market, and various entertainment amenities, the Revolutionary Army Headquarters home to a population of fifty thousand was practically a city in its own right.
At the center of that Revolutionary Army Headquarters, force equipment for Vanguards was being diligently produced.
When Arcia and I appeared, those who had been waiting with tense expressions for the results broke into bright smiles, and as we unloaded the spoils we had brought as gifts, they shook their heads.
"Here are the spoils."
"My, he really did embezzle a lot."
"Real estate can't be stolen, so in actuality, the scale is far larger than this."
What we are doing now is not mere phantom-thief play.
It is one of the choices made to aid the Revolutionary Army of the Prius Republic in bringing an early end to the war against the Bringham Empire the final solution that had been postponed until the very end.
Assassination of key figures.
It is a radical method that is difficult to gain public support for, but it was the most effective and immediate course of action available to them now.
It's bitter that someone's death proves helpful, but the fact that the targets are corrupt politicians eases the guilt.
"You two could run an assassination guild and be incredibly successful, I think."
"Of course a Grand Mage and an Aura Master combination."
"No, even with me, a Grand Mage, working together with the strike force captain, an Aura Master, we wouldn't produce results this easily."
The reason we can pull off assassinations so perfectly is entirely thanks to Blue Moon's backup.
But for those who don't know that, there's no choice but to be amazed.
I shrugged and walked over to the operations table.