Chapter 166 - The Bringer of Light
The 13th Regiment, having resumed its advance, was moving forward at a terrifying speed.
On the very first day, they secured the surrender of a castle and occupied all the neighboring villages.
The enemy surrendered so quickly that more time was spent on reconnaissance and waiting for follow-up units than on the actual occupation itself.
Belliang, having poured all its strength into the Bertagne Forest, was now incapable of continuing the fight, and rumors were spreading that Bertrand had been defeated.
Moreover, because the Imperial Army's colonial rule policy promised that those who surrendered would not be looted or punished, many lords were capitulating without even putting up a fight.
Most of the officers were impatient to advance as quickly as possible to occupy more territory.
After all, if you simply walked in, the territory would be yours—why wouldn't they be eager?
But Levin believed that rushing through and rapidly occupying territory all the way to the enemy's rear was far too risky.
After capturing the strategic castles and cities, he made sure to carefully reconnoiter the surrounding areas.
He didn't allow even minor variables to slip by, and he focused on securing supply lines and establishing the most efficient routes for advance.
This was a war that was already as good as over; it would be foolish to rush and take unnecessary losses at the last minute.
Levin was not the kind of commander to make rash decisions and ruin things in haste, especially after witnessing bloodshed at Bertrand's hand.
"Everything's going smoothly."
Lieutenant Colonel Soren Kaufmann, newly appointed as the 1st Battalion Commander, was not only satisfied with Levin's textbook unit management—he was thoroughly pleased.
"The neighboring villages have been secured and we've ensured their safety."
"Good. Tell the men to stay in the village and await further orders."
"Yes, Battalion Commander, sir."
Soren had already sent each infantry company into the villages that had declared unconditional surrender, carefully securing the area.
Meanwhile, the cavalry companies were riding around, diligently scouting the surroundings, and the artillery company, perched atop their wagons in supposed battle preparation, was in reality doing their best not to get caught napping.
"1st Company Commander, make sure to keep the men under control so nothing goes wrong in the village."
"Yes, Battalion Commander, sir."
Soren and the battalion headquarters were currently together with the 1st Company.
There wasn't any particular reason for this; it was simply because the battalion headquarters couldn't just move around alone, so they were sticking with the 1st Company.
Soren didn't go out of his way to meddle or wear people out. He just offered a few polite words to Ferdinand and then holed up in the village chief's house, which was now serving as the battalion command post, putting everyone in a good mood.
He didn't even bother checking on the other companies, simply ordering them to stand by.
Ferdinand and Ernest weren't just exceptional for their age—they were among the very best field commanders, period.
As for Andersen, he should have been promoted to major and left company command long ago; he was a veteran in every sense.
With officers like that, the last thing Soren needed to do as battalion commander was step in and micromanage—the only thing that would accomplish was souring everyone's mood and getting in the way.
A battalion commander leads the battalion; he's not there to nitpick accomplished company commanders or oversee every single soldier.
"Ah, this is so comfortable."
"Why are you so comfortable? Do you want to feel uncomfortable?"
"It really is comfortable."
"Alright, just remember there's a difference between 'so' and 'really'—use them correctly depending on the situation."
"You're just too picky."
Having captured the village without a single casualty, the 2nd Company was enjoying a rest that was officially called 'standby'.
Ernest and Robert sat inside a building, enjoying the breeze drifting in through the window as they chatted at their leisure.
"Come sit over here. The breeze is perfect by this spot."
Robert, sitting directly in front of the window enjoying the breeze, called out to Ernest. Ernest just shrugged his shoulders and declined.
"I don't want to. That spot by the window is the perfect place to get sniped from outside."
"You crazy bastard. You could've told me that sooner."
At Ernest's words, Robert immediately moved his chair to a safer spot.
"Still, I really don't get why His Majesty the King of Belliang hasn't surrendered yet. Does he seriously believe Konchanya is going to come to his rescue?"
"Well, Count Lafayette went over to Konchanya, so maybe he thinks they'll do whatever he asks."
"Hmph… Honestly, if it were me, I'd probably hold out too if my own nephew crossed over into Konchanya with most of his troops intact. I wouldn't want to surrender just yet."
"The Count's probably planning to go into exile in Konchanya and start over from scratch."
"If things keep going like this, aren't we just going to end up running into each other again out on the western plains?"
"I mean… honestly, I really hope not."
Between Belliang and Konchanya, the massive Bertebras Mountains stood in the way.
But as the mountains stretched west, they gradually dwindled, eventually vanishing and giving way to a vast grassland region between Belliang and Konchanya.
Since the 13th Regiment was advancing west from Belliang's southernmost tip, it was inevitable they'd eventually cross those grasslands. In other words, there was a real chance they'd run into Bertrand, who'd escaped to Konchanya, out there.
"They wouldn't actually put Count Lafayette in charge of the army in Konchanya, would they?"
Robert, clearly not wanting to fight Bertrand again, asked cautiously.
"I don't know either. It's not like I'm Wilfried."
If Ernest were the king of Konchanya, he would have boldly handed over military command in the northwest to Bertrand.
No matter how one feels about him personally, there are few equals to Bertrand's genius as a strategist.
But the tangled web of politics tends to make even such straightforward decisions much more difficult.
It was safe to assume that Bertrand would lead an army and fight the Empire out on the western grasslands beyond the Bertebras Mountains. After all, having fled to Konchanya, he couldn't just sit around doing nothing. But how much actual authority Konchanya would give Bertrand was anyone's guess—certainly Ernest had no way of knowing. Maybe someone with Wilfried's exceptional political instincts could hazard a guess.
"They're not going to just hand over the army to some guy who got beaten up and chased off by a mere company commander."
Robert wanted to stay optimistic. Even though Bertrand was truly a brilliant strategist and his opponent—the infamous Captain Fox—was a notorious wildcard, the fact remained: he'd suffered defeat at the hands of a seventeen-year-old company commander and run away.
If Konchanya ever found out about that, it was hard to believe they'd fully trust him with their forces.
"True, but… just holding the Bertagne Forest against the Empire until the end of spring shows he's got real talent. Who would've thought that was even possible? If Konchanya had managed to send reinforcements in time back then, we might be fighting our last stand in Ruybern right now."
"Ugh, seriously. Ugh! I wish someone would just kill that bastard."
"..."
Robert spat out his rage against Bertrand, cursing him bitterly.
Bertrand, after all, had only fought desperately to protect his homeland, but to Robert, he was nothing more than the scumbag who drove his friends to their deaths and tried to trap Ernest, getting him killed.
Ernest neither agreed nor disagreed with Robert's words.
"After the Empire occupies Belliang, they'll have no choice but to halt their offensive."
Ernest subtly changed the subject.
"The whole point from the start was to take Belliang and seize the continent's greatest breadbasket, and to actually rule such a huge nation as a colony would take massive resources and administrative power."
"Yeah, supply lines would be a nightmare, and the war must have wrecked the Empire's economy from the inside. With all the conscription, there's a shortage of labor. They must have raised taxes so much that commoners are dropping like flies. They should really stop there. Oh, God—they're not just printing bonds and scattering them everywhere, are they? That would be a disaster. At this point, I have no clue how things are running back home."
With the topic changed, Robert started grumbling sarcastically. The fact that they could even complain about the state of the country meant there was room to breathe—they weren't in immediate danger of dying, so things really were looking up.
If only they could make it to the end of the war like this, without any more trouble.
After troops arrived to help the Logistics Corps maintain control over the occupied territory, the 13th Regiment began moving forward again.
Word was that the spearheads of the 6th and 7th Divisions already had the King of Belliang at sword-point, while the 13th Regiment had not even made it halfway there.
Nearly five months had passed since the war began, and now half of Belliang's land was in Imperial Army hands.
They hadn't driven straight to the heart of the country; instead, the troops fanned out from the east, sweeping through every territory and occupying it thoroughly.
In the lands they had taken, colonial rule was already in place, and the Empire's control was firmly established.
At this point, they hardly even needed to bother with forcing the surrender of King Belliang.
The main reason to secure a king's surrender in war is to compel the lords governing each territory, as well as the commoners, to follow suit.
The king is the pillar of the nation.
If the pillar collapses, there's no way the walls or roof can hold.
Yet, right now, in Belliang, only the pillar was left standing.
The roof that kept out the rain was gone, and the walls had crumbled. At this stage, whether the pillar remained or not hardly mattered anymore.
Without forcing King Belliang's surrender, the Imperial Army was slowly and methodically advancing through every inch of territory, achieving their original goal: to occupy and control Belliang's great breadbasket.
In the lands already seized by the Empire, the people were diligently farming under Imperial control. They threw themselves into their work, driven by the hope that land reforms might one day free them from serfdom.
So at this point, the Empire could be said to have already achieved one of its chief war aims. And the war itself now seemed meaningless. The lords of Belliang couldn't even stand up to a single Imperial regiment anymore.
Boom! Crack!
"Honestly, what do they think they're hiding that's so valuable, making them choose to suffer like this instead of just surrendering…?"
It was this that made Lord Delano of Avril's decision—to resist surrender and fight the 13th Regiment to the bitter end—so baffling to everyone. Avril Castle didn't even have cannons They were launching attacks on the Imperial Army with outdated weapons like trebuchets and ballistas, but they were utterly helpless against the barrage of firepower coming from the 13th Regiment's Artillery Battalion.
A single artillery battalion had as many as eighteen cannons. Unlike siege engines like trebuchets—which were bulky, hard to transport, required assembly, and were difficult to operate—cannons were compact, could be densely deployed, and as soon as they were lined up, you could start bombarding away with ease.
Boom!
"Ah! What a shame! Let's raise it just a bit. Just a tad. One mark higher on the sights should do."
"Push it!"
"Heave-ho!"
After firing, the artillerymen shoved the recoiling cannons back into place, adjusted the angles by winding the pulleys, and prepared for the next volley.
The Artillery Battalion didn't even care about the rocks or arrows the enemy flung with their trebuchets and ballistas; they cheerfully kept up the bombardment.
There was no tension at all—the enemy's attacks didn't even come close to reaching them.
"Watch for premature explosions! Take your time, there's no need to rush!"
So, even though this was an actual battle, the Artillery Battalion conducted themselves as if they were just out on a training exercise.
The artillery branch itself had only been established recently, so the soldiers weren't very well trained.
If they could use this opportunity to gain some real experience, all the better
Boom!
"Nice! Direct hit!"
"Hahaha! We got it! Did you see that?"
The artillerymen weren't just targeting the castle walls—they were also going after the ballistas stationed on top. They were even joking around and making bets with the platoon next to them, laughing and shouting.
Boom! Crack!
"Aaagh!"
"Get down!"
In contrast, Avril's troops were utterly helpless under the 13th Regiment's assault—all they could do was scream in terror. They might have tried something if their attacks could even reach the enemy, but with the range difference being nearly one and a half times, there was nothing they could do except get hit.
Every time a shell struck the castle wall, soldiers screamed and fell over. With the relentless bombardment, one section of the wall eventually collapsed entirely, sending the soldiers on top plummeting down—some were buried under the debris, and their bodies couldn't even be recovered.
The difference in power was so overwhelming, it wasn't even worth comparing.
It was so tragic, you could barely stand to watch.
"I have no idea what made them think they could fight us. I thought they'd at least have a cannon or two…"
The 13th Regiment couldn't help but scoff or sigh as Avril, who had cried out for a fight to the death, could do nothing but take a beating. Unlike the Artillery Battalion, who were eager to rack up achievements while getting some target practice in, the other battalions just sat and watched, wanting nothing more than for the battle to be over quickly.
"Just because the castle wall has fallen doesn't mean we can take the castle right away. We might have to fight street by street, so make sure the soldiers don't let their guard down."
But even as he watched the enemy's pathetic state, Levin didn't get complacent.
A breached castle wall doesn't mean the siege is over.
The real fight only begins after the wall collapses.
Even back in the days of swords and spears, urban combat was hell on earth—a battlefield more brutal than words could describe. Unless it was a carefully planned city, the narrow, winding streets and haphazard buildings made for terrain even more complicated than the densest forest.
And ever since guns were invented, fighting in the streets had become a hundred times more dangerous and a thousand times more horrific than in the era of cold steel. Rooftops and alleyways were certainly threatening, but nothing compared to all the countless windows lining the streets.
A two-story building facing the street would have at least two windows. That meant two spots where enemies could hide and shoot from cover. If they barricaded the entrance and took position beneath the windows, they'd have plenty of time to reload their powder guns. Attackers would have to inspect each and every building, making sure it was clear before moving on.
"We're not really going to end up fighting in the streets, are we?"
Billim, clearly nervous at the mention of urban warfare, asked Ernest.
Ernest replied calmly,
"I don't know how many troops Avril Castle still has, but there's no way they can stop the 13th Regiment. Avril is bound to lose. "If it comes down to urban warfare, we'll be in danger too, but not as much as the citizens of Avril. If Lord Delano of Avril is a reasonable person, he'll surrender."
"What if he doesn't surrender? Will we have to fight in the city?"
Ernest narrowed his eyes, watching the collapsing castle wall and the enemy soldiers tumbling down, and muttered,
"I doubt we'll actually have to fight in the city. The Regimental Commander would never risk something that dangerous."
Ernest could guess what Levin's next move would be.
But he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.
All Ernest could do now was hope that Lord Delano of Avril had enough sense to surrender before any more blood was shed.
"Wow, even after all this, they're still not surrendering? They're really stubborn, aren't they?"
"We're getting to fire as much as we want today! Fine, let's see this through to the end!"
Despite the artillery battalion blasting open a path beneath the east castle wall and collapsing the nearby walls so thoroughly that the top of the wall was completely deserted, Avril still didn't surrender.
The Artillery Battalion Commander made a request to Levin, the Regimental Commander, and after much deliberation, Levin accepted it.
"Advance!"
"Advance! Advance!"
At the Artillery Battalion Commander's order, the artillerymen began to move forward.
Most of the ballistae positioned atop the castle wall had either shattered or gone down with the wall itself, smashing apart as they hit the ground. The few that remained were unmanned, with not a single soldier left holding them.
Trebuchets stationed behind the wall were still intact, but that didn't matter either.
Cannons had a range one and a half times greater than the trebuchets.
This meant the artillery could merrily continue their barrage from well beyond the trebuchets' reach even after advancing a good distance forward.
Boom! Boom-boom! Boom!
Boulders launched from Avril Castle's trebuchets crashed down ahead, bouncing and rolling to a stop.
They landed quite far off, but it could have been a trick to mislead their range.
The artillery battalion, playing it safe, advanced with plenty of distance to spare and then halted to form up again. More boulders came flying from the trebuchets, but not a single one hit the artillery battalion.
"Ugh... Are we really doing this?"
"Yeah, we really are. Blast it all to pieces."
And then, the artillery battalion calmly finished forming up and the cannons roared to life once more.
Boom! Boom-boom!
All eighteen cannons fired in a thunderous salvo, their heavy shells streaking through the air.
Some of the cannonballs struck the trebuchets that were hurling boulders, but most flew beyond them, hitting the buildings hidden behind the castle wall.
Crash! Bang!
"Aaah! Aaaah!"
"Help!"
Two buildings, hit in the barrage, were left in ruins. At first glance, cannons might not look so threatening due to their size, but keep pounding even a thick, sturdy castle wall, and it will eventually crumble—that's the power of artillery.
As for civilian buildings, cannonballs ripped straight through them, sometimes even hitting the structures behind.
In fact, the shells often passed straight through, so the actual destruction wasn't as catastrophic as one might expect.
Of course, for the civilians inside, it was nothing short of a natural disaster.
"Load and hold fire!"
"Load and hold fire!"
Instead of immediately resuming the bombardment, the artillery battalion reloaded the cannons and then stood by. Meanwhile, the courier sent by Levin rode out under Baltacher's protection.
On horseback, he reached the safety of Baltacher's barrier and shouted in a booming voice,
"By the authority of His Majesty the Emperor! Colonel Levin Ort, commanding officer of the 13th Regiment, 5th Division, 2nd Corps of the glorious Mihahil Empire, urges the Lord of Avril to surrender! Surrender now and no harm will come to you! But if you fail to see the difference between valor and recklessness and insist on continuing this doomed battle, the 13th Regiment will destroy and burn everything within Avril's walls!"
The courier's shout sent a stir rippling through the inside of the fortress.
Levin had considered the possibility of urban warfare, but he never actually intended to carry out such madness.
Avril Castle needed to be taken, but he would not allow the 13th Regiment to suffer losses.
So, he was prepared to reduce everything inside the castle to ashes. He would destroy everything and set it all ablaze.
Setting fires in the plains or forests is a double-edged sword, virtually a kind of suicide. If handled poorly, allied forces could get caught up in it and be wiped out. Fire attacks are a very difficult tactic, possible only when several conditions perfectly align.
However, when attacking a fortress surrounded by high walls, it's relatively easy.
The castle walls keep the fire contained, so one just needs to set the place alight and withdraw.
This would result in countless innocent civilians within the castle being burned to death or suffocating on smoke, but from Levin's perspective as the 13th Regiment Commander, incinerating thousands of civilians would be preferable to letting his regiment bleed in a pointless battle.
Levin was a cautious and capable commander.
But that never meant he was some saint wringing his hands over the lives of civilians from an enemy nation.
If necessary, Levin could massacre civilians.
He was capable and prudent enough to recognize that doing so was still better than seeing the 13th Regiment suffer losses.
Ernest prayed that Lord Delano of Avril would surrender.
Ernest had no desire to commit a massacre by burning down Avril Castle, home to so many people.
"I really don't want something like the slaughter of civilians on my record…"
Lieutenant Colonel Soren Kaufmann, Commander of the 1st Battalion, felt the same way.
The only difference was, he didn't particularly feel guilty about it.
If Levin ordered it, he would simply do as told.
He simply wanted to avoid having anything controversial on his record after the war ended.
The 13th Regiment soldiers, realizing what was about to happen, began to stir uneasily.
Killing enemy soldiers was one thing, but there was an undeniable aversion to killing civilians.
Still, that discomfort would vanish if looting and rape were permitted.
After all, if they were going to commit mass murder by arson, those acts might as well be allowed too.
The cautious 2nd Corps Headquarters and Imperial Army Headquarters would understand, given their colonial administration policies.
After a suffocating wait, a white flag was raised between the ruined walls of Avril Castle.
"It's over!"
"Yeah! We did it!"
The 13th Regiment cheered at the sight of the white flag signaling surrender. Although a battle had started, only the Artillery Battalion had been actively attacking, and it quickly wrapped up. The 13th Regiment suffered no casualties—a flawless victory.
"Man, I thought we'd have a little fun."
However, some of those who had secretly been looking forward to burning, killing, looting, and raping couldn't help but complain in disappointment.
There were quite a few who grumbled about having to behave like "gentlemen" because of orders from above.
In any case, everyone thought the situation was over now.
"The Artillery Battalion will remain on standby, ready to fire. The Cavalry Battalion will continue to scout the area. The 1st Battalion will stay here and guard the artillery The 2nd and 3rd Battalions will advance. The 2nd Battalion will secure the retreat route by guarding the breached castle wall, while the 3rd Battalion will enter the fortress and capture Lord Avril and the key figures."
But Levin was different. He was suspicious that the enemy had not immediately surrendered despite the overwhelming disparity in strength, so he proceeded with caution.
According to his orders, the Artillery Battalion stood by in position; the Cavalry Battalion continued to scout the surroundings; the 1st Battalion remained behind to guard the regimental headquarters, supplies, and artillery; the 2nd Battalion moved ahead to secure the opening in the collapsed castle wall and secure the retreat route; and the 3rd Battalion was to enter Avril Castle.
Levin's prudence was now exerting a powerful influence within the 13th Regiment. Everyone stayed alert and acted cautiously, and while everything progressed slowly, there were no obstacles.
Even the new recruits of the 1st Battalion, waiting outside the castle, were so tense and disciplined that they glared fiercely across the empty, desolate plain as if expecting trouble at any moment.
"Ah, this is amazing. This is it, this is what it's supposed to be! This is how an army and a commander should operate, this is true leadership."
Moved by Levin's cautious command, Robert even pretended to wipe away a tear.
"To think that a commander unconcerned with personal glory, fighting purely for victory, could lead so beautifully..."
Ernest was profoundly moved by the integrity of Levin's textbook style of command, sensing a kind of beauty in it.
Even Captain Thomas Kohler, senior instructor at the Imperial Military Academy—whose misanthropy and ruined personality meant he'd made tormenting students the only joy in his life—would undoubtedly be so deeply moved by Colonel Levin Ort's beautiful command that a single hot tear would roll down his cheek, forcing him to reflect and repent for the many misdeeds he had committed.
If only the 1st Battalion had followed Levin's commands from the start, they would not have faced destruction so many times, and Jonas and Georg might not have died.
It was not because Levin was a genius commander like Bertrand. The reason Levin was such an excellent leader was because he always prepared for the worst with cautious, measured command.
Even if Bertrand tried to attack with some ingenious strategy or tactic, Levin—hunkered down like a turtle, safely hidden in his shell—would present no openings, so in the end, Bertrand would find himself forced into a direct confrontation with no other way to win.
A commander who turns the tide with a brilliant stratagem is only truly needed when the situation turns grim. What armies from powerful nations like the Empire need are commanders who stick to the basics, adhere to standard tactics, and act with caution. As long as they don't fall into traps, they can march forward and smash the skulls of any enemy who dares get in their way.
Even after entering Avril Castle, the 3rd Battalion did not return for quite some time.
The streets inside the castle were perfect for ambushes, so they had to proceed slowly and secure their safety step by step.
Here, Levin's prudence shone again—he had sent only the 3rd Battalion into the fortress.
If both the 2nd and 3rd Battalions had entered the castle together, the two units would have raced ahead, competing to be the first to plant the flag of victory for capturing Avril. That kind of hasty advance could easily have led them into a trap.
But Levin assigned the task of securing a retreat route to the 2nd Battalion, and gave the 3rd Battalion the job of occupation. There was no rivalry over achievements, and with the 2nd Battalion guarding the rear, the 3rd could move forward at a measured, steady pace.
Likewise, if the enemy's surrender had been a ruse, the 2nd Battalion would not have to risk itself unnecessarily in the castle.
Meanwhile, after suffering heavy losses in last time's disaster in the woods before the Bertebras Mountains—leaving the 1st Battalion mostly filled with new recruits—the pragmatic and risk-averse Lieutenant Colonel Soren Kaufmann could keep his battalion safely in the rear.
Just by following Levin's orders, all of the 13th Regiment found themselves in a world of happiness.
And at long last, after a lengthy wait, the 3rd Battalion—which had entered Avril Castle—successfully secured Lord Delano of Avril, along with the other key figures of the castle, at the Lord's Hall. Thus, the Siege of Avril Castle concluded without a single casualty for the 13th Regiment.
The 1st Battalion then entered Avril at a leisurely pace, guarding the regimental headquarters, artillery, and all the noncombat personnel and supplies. With Levin personally conducting the negotiations with Delano, everything was finally brought to a close.
Some might complain that this wasn't a real battle at all, that they hardly fought, and that there was no chance to gain glory.
But for the soldiers, fighting on the front lines and risking their very lives, this was as flawless a victory as they could have hoped for.
No doubt the 5th Division will grumble constantly at the 13th Regiment's slow advance, but that's a problem for the regimental commander, Levin—not for lowly company commanders like Ernest, and certainly not for the common soldiers.
"From now on, anyone who dares to insult the Regimental Commander will never be forgiven."
"Yeah, we'll kill the bastard, no question about it."
The battalion members of the 1st Battalion, having survived and returned from Hell itself, were now so fiercely loyal to Levin that their very presence felt menacing.
In any case, with Avril Castle successfully taken, all that remained was to steadily occupy the surrounding villages to ensure security, hand over control to the follow-up units, and then resume the advance.
Under Levin's cautious command, everything seemed to be running smoothly.