Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 150
============================================================
Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 150
37. Heroic Bookcase (1)
The Emperor was not the only one feeling a sense of crisis.
The Minister of Military Affairs felt it too, and so did the First Royal Guard Knight Captain and the Intelligence Chief.
"The scale of the forces that struck without warning is far too large. If we keep trying to block them sporadically here and there, we'll just keep getting pushed back, and the damage will only keep piling up."
Even the arrogant Emperor had no choice but to nod at the Minister of Military Affairs' words.
Unlike the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' army, which had launched a deliberate surprise attack, the Croysen Empire's forces were currently scattered in every direction.
Furthermore, they had begun their assault using only Vanguards capable of stealthy movement to maximize the element of surprise and now, the Heaven-Piercing Fortresses would be added to that force as well.
With that, the damage was bound to snowball.
"Damn it. Even if we have to take losses, gathering our forces first is the priority."
"We must immediately link up from the eastern army on the Rhinehearts front all the way to Duke Zeksis' domain. At Duke Zeksis' domain, we combine the eastern and central armies to block the enemy's advance, and gather the domain forces as quickly as possible to mount a counterattack."
"I agree with the Intelligence Chief's opinion. If we hesitate even a little, we could be pushed all the way to the capital in an instant."
The people leading a nation were no fools, and they could easily infer the situation that would result from this.
The problem was that, even knowing that, it was difficult to stop the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' attack, which pressed forward without regard for its rear.
The Emperor immediately accepted the Intelligence Chief's opinion, and then gave the best orders possible under the current circumstances.
"Approach the four nations bordering the Kingdom of Rhinehearts and ask them to apply pressure on them. If they'd go so far as to attack the Kingdom of Rhinehearts outright, there'd be nothing better, but at minimum they must stir up military movements. Spend as much money as needed."
"Yes, understood."
In international relations, the word 'absolute' does not exist.
No matter how friendly they were with the Kingdom of Rhinehearts as allies, they surely wouldn't want to share a border with a rising empire.
"And right now, the defenses inside the Kingdom of Rhinehearts must be a mess. Use assassins and non-Vanguard knights to shake things up from within. If we take out the new King, the major nobles, or their families, the surprise forces will have no choice but to lose their strength."
"Yes!"
It was an extremely rational order.
And with a grave expression, the Emperor gave his final command.
The ministers could only swallow dryly.
"Lastly, if worse comes to worst, we may have to pull forces from the Kingdom of Lucias, the Jordy Kingdom, and the Dragon Land fronts, so make preparations so they can be deployed at any time."
The moment that order was carried out would be when signs of the Croysen Empire's collapse began to show.
Dragon Land, the land of the dragon race and monsters, was little more than a powder keg that could explode at any moment, and the Kingdom of Lucias and the Jordy Kingdom were peoples who would attack the moment they pulled their border forces.
'Is this the price of prioritizing the Empire's interests over goodwill all along? I have no one I can truly trust on my side.'
It was the Croysen Empire that was now painfully realizing that there was nothing but enemies around them.
* * *
The sporadic attacks of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' army came to a brief halt, and as the Heaven-Piercing Fortresses newly joined, the forces were quickly reorganized.
The forces were divided into a total of three armies.
1st Army (Southern Force): 10,000 Vanguards, 150 Heaven-Piercing Fortresses
-Commander: Duke Gabriel James (Grandmaster)
2nd Army (Northern Force): 10,000 Vanguards, 150 Heaven-Piercing Fortresses
-Commander: Duke Arcia Klein (Grandmaster)
3rd Army (Central Force): Approximately 5,000 Vanguards, approximately 100 Heaven-Piercing Fortresses
-Under the direct command of the Supreme Commander (me)
The 1st Army strikes the Empire's south, and the 2nd Army strikes the Empire's north.
And the 3rd Army advances in a straight line toward the Empire's capital.
However, since the 3rd Army's main strength its Heaven-Piercing Fortresses belonged to the Kingdom's eastern army, their travel distance was long, and so the formation had not yet been completed.
The 1st and 2nd Armies would begin operations immediately, but the 3rd Army would likely be able to act only about half a day later.
So the 3rd Army, once its formation was complete, would advance in a straight line toward the capital, and when it reached the capital, the 1st and 2nd Armies would also change direction and begin their assault from the north and south of the Empire's capital.
Three bullets that was the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' war scenario.
"But I can't just leave the 3rd Army idle while waiting for the Heaven-Piercing Fortresses to arrive."
The 3rd Army was a follow-up force, but it had as many as 5,000 Vanguards deployed.
Speed was the key to this war.
With no reason to leave troops idle, the 3rd Army's Vanguard units slowly but steadily swallowed up the domains of the central region.
"Arcia, all the domains in the Pafnil and Aknis regions are empty, so move straight to the Trius region. The lords of those two regions have joined forces with the Trius region lords to form a defensive line, right? The enemy force is about 5,000 Vanguards and 50 Heaven-Piercing Fortresses, so if you split your forces into three and strike all three sides at once, you should be able to take them down easily. I'll send you the attack route."
[Yes, understood.]
"Duke James, there's an ambush unit hiding in the Arshell Mountains near Count Jint's domain. Be careful it includes 5 self-destruct Heaven-Piercing Fortresses."
[That was a close call. Understood, Supreme Commander.]
If you asked who in the current Kingdom of Rhinehearts army was the busiest, I think it would probably be me.
I was staying with the 3rd Army while simultaneously controlling the 1st and 2nd Armies.
I moved the entire army, allowing not a single surprise attack, and coordinated things so that battles were fought from a position thoroughly superior to the enemy.
The reason this was possible was thanks to the Myriad Mirror and the Black Eagle.
'Through the Myriad Mirror, spotting enemy ambushes or weaknesses is a simple matter.'
A year ago, when I participated in the war against the Croysen Empire with my domain army, the Myriad Mirror had also earned me great distinction.
But even as a Grand Mage, I only have one body, so moving the 3rd Army while simultaneously watching two other battlefields in other regions was nearly impossible.
Yet the Black Eagle made this difficult task possible.
[Supersonic Black Eagle]
-A Chimera made from the bones and hide of a Black Dragon
Its body is not easily damaged even by Aura Blades, and it possesses an extremely high recovery ability.
Base option: Physical attack
First skill: Vision Sharing
Second skill: Magic Sharing
Third skill: Clone
Fourth skill: -
That was thanks to the Black Eagle's third skill, 'Clone,' which was unlocked by clearing stage 8 of the Opportunity Quest.
It's a kind of clone technique you can create up to 2 additional clones, giving you 3 units total including the main body.
This is a great help even in actual combat, and since the clones inherit all of the main body's abilities intact, they're easy to use freely.
For reference, what I used to attack the Imperial Crown Prince of the Croysen Empire was also one of the Black Eagle's clones.
It was eventually destroyed by Heaven-Piercing Fortress fire, but since a clone dying deals no damage to the main body, it's very convenient to use recklessly.
Using the Black Eagle's clones in this way, I was acting as an early warning system through the Vision Sharing skill, commanding the entire army.
The Black Eagle's Vision Sharing was further enhanced through the Myriad Mirror and delivered a great deal of information to me.
[1st Army, confirmed and annihilated the Empire's ambush unit. Zero friendly casualties.]
[2nd Army, after breaking through the Pafnil and Aknis regions, has begun combat with enemy forces in the Trius region. Following the Supreme Commander's instructions, the battle is progressing favorably, and completion is expected within 30 minutes.]
"Amazing, truly amazing! Your Excellency, Supreme Commander!"
"To prevent losses to this extent!"
Thanks to that, all the commanders and staff officers of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' army were busy praising me with uplifted expressions.
It was only natural we were achieving victory after victory without missing a single thing.
'Duke Lawrence as Supreme Commander?'
'I know Duke Lawrence is a brilliant man, but this is a war that hinges on the fate of the nation. I believe the command should be given to a more seasoned, professional commander.'
'That's right. Duke Lawrence is far too young. In war, the experience that comes with age cannot be ignored.'
I'm producing results now, but there were many twists and turns before I became the Kingdom's Supreme Commander.
I personally requested command of the entire army from King Mikhail, and he accepted without much hesitation.
The problem was the ministers' reaction to this.
My young age was holding me back.
But the person who helped resolve this was an unexpected figure.
"If I may dare to say so, Duke Lawrence is a genius of war. If His Grace Duke Lawrence takes command of the entire army, I am certain he can secure victory while minimizing friendly casualties."
It was Marquis Otis.
Perhaps because we had worked together as superiors in the last war?
He trusted and believed in my abilities.
Thanks to his active persuasion, public opinion began to shift, and I was appointed Supreme Commander as planned.
As a result, our Kingdom's army is now overwhelming the Croysen Empire, so his actions can be seen as highly appropriate.
"Ugh. I'm getting nauseous."
When I use my vision-sharing skill on multiple Black Eagles including my clone, it feels like watching a split-screen CCTV monitor.
There's no major problem with surveillance, but the downside is that I'm not used to it yet, so I get dizzy and nauseous.
I endured it with magic and continued commanding the troops.
* * *
Lionel, the capital of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts, Royal Palace.
When the war began, the first thing the royal family of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts did was gather influential figures including royalty and nobles along with their families in one place to protect them.
After all, with the Kingdom's defensive forces reduced, it was easier to manage protection targets by gathering them together.
Naturally, the only place safe enough to protect so many people was the Royal Palace in the capital, and as a result, the Lords' estates in each region became empty shells while the Royal Palace was guarded like an iron fortress.
No matter how noble one may be, in the current situation, entertainment or parties are out of the question.
The only thing those gathered at the Royal Palace could do was constantly monitor the war situation like watching a live sports broadcast.
"D-Duke Lawrence is... beyond what we imagined..."
"So that's why he boldly demanded command of the entire army."
"Heh heh, how did he even notice that terrain was advantageous for ambushes and prepare for it?"
"How is something like that even possible?"
Because of that, they could directly witness Adrian's performance, and his flawless troop deployment was so perfect it gave the onlookers goosebumps.
"The god of war is with our Kingdom."
Amid the nobles' commotion, King Mikhail leisurely enjoyed his wine with a smile.
"Your Majesty, the Croysen Empire is approaching our allied nations."
But that was only for a moment.
Upon the royal intelligence bureau's report, King Mikhail wiped the expression from his face and replied.
"So it's time for the political bureau to step in."
Supporting Adrian so he could continue his performance on the battlefield was the rear's role.
King Mikhail shifted his gaze to the royals, who were nervously focused on the ever-changing war situation.
"There's no one better suited for special envoys than them."
"It will be dangerous."
"Isn't that precisely the fate of royalty?"
Then he rose from his seat and assigned missions to his brothers and relatives.
Missions where failure could cost them their lives.
* * *
"The frontline is expanding too quickly! Losses are piling up so fast we have no room to withdraw our forces!"
Watching the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' army push forward like a single organism with no wasted movements, the Emperor of the Croysen Empire bit his lip.
"They've truly gritted their teeth. How in the world are such movements possible?"
It felt as if the entire Empire's territory was being seen through with x-ray vision.
Otherwise, he couldn't understand how they advanced while dodging danger left and right like loaches.
"It seems to be because of the enemy's Supreme Commander. We received similar reports during last year's border war with the Kingdom of Rhinehearts. Every ambush and every operation is seen through."
"All because of one Duke Lawrence?"
They already knew that Adrian El Lawrence, Duke, was the Supreme Commander of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts' army.
Just a few hours ago, they had mocked King Mikhail for putting someone with no experience in large-scale warfare in the position of Supreme Commander, no matter how capable he was.
But as time passed and passed, the color drained from their faces, and they found themselves in a grave crisis not a single battlefield going as they wished.
"What about the main force assembly?"
"Currently, 60% of the target number has been gathered in Duke Zeksis' domain. The Lords' arrival is taking longer than expected."
"So we need more time."
What they needed was time.
But the problem was that the enemy wasn't allowing it.
"Haah..."
Finally, the Emperor let out a deep sigh and called out someone's name.
"Duke Crimson."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Edgar, Duke Crimson.
He was the Grand Master of the Croysen Empire.
"Dispatch the special task force. Have them shatter the enemy's command structure."
"Leave it to me."
The Croisen Special Task Force.
A special unit that enjoyed the pinnacle of Imperial arcane engineering on the front lines, composed entirely of Aura Masters.
Ten members in total.
The Empire rated the task force's combat power as Grandmaster-class.
With a Grandmaster moving alongside a unit like that, no leader could help but grow tense at the destructive force it represented.
"And quickly attach additional support. Let them engrave the Empire's power onto those bastards."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Emperor watched Duke Crimson's broad back as he left the Imperial great hall, then spoke to the Intelligence Chief.
"Contact the chairman of the Elysian Coalition."
The decisive difference between the Empire and the Kingdom.
The scale of the state mattered, but the difference in diplomatic power born from strength could never be ignored either.