A Regressor's Bucket List

Chapter 239

“However, remaining complacent in the current situation is also dangerous. We don't know when the Demon King's Army might launch a preemptive strike, and the defender's advantage in battle is only valid assuming both sides have a smooth supply line.”

“……”

“If they were to launch an all-out offensive right now, we probably wouldn't last four days.”

If the total combat capability of the Subjugation Allied Forces was considered 100, Kanna Cartier judged their current capability in this 'shutdown' state to be at about 75%.

On this point, Ludwig and Louis had no objections.

No, to be precise, it was correct that they had none.

Although Leonardo Louis Button had previously pointed out the 'overly focused attention on the supply lines,' it wasn't that Kanna was completely unaware of it; she had simply judged it to be of relatively lower importance.

Even if one could argue about its importance, this was the Subjugation Allied Forces she personally commanded as the Commander.

While tactical aspects might be debatable, it would be strange for anyone to dispute her words when it came to matters directly related to combat.

There might be some margin of error, but that much was entirely within her domain.

“…After those four days, our combat strength will deteriorate rapidly.”

“……”

“No matter how many of the Demon King's Army's supplies we gather, that's the limit at this point.”

And the '75%' figure Kanna Cartier had given was based on the assumption that there were usable supplies available for now, even if they weren't sufficient.

In other words, the story would change once supplies started to run out.

Their combat strength was already diminished, but if the pressure of dwindling supplies was added, that figure was bound to drop exponentially.

In particular, Hero-class combatants were more vulnerable to this supply cut-off.

At first glance, this might be hard to understand.

The importance of supplies was often emphasized with the saying, 'Supplies are the soldiers' morale,' which was treated as gospel on the battlefield. In contrast, the image of Hero-class combatants was something like 'monstrous humans to whom common sense doesn't apply.'

But frankly speaking, even if soldiers starved and had to dig up tree roots to eat, the act of swinging a sword itself wasn't impossible.

Meaning, although they'd be worse off than before, they could still manage to fulfill 'their role' to some extent.

However, in the case of a Hero, if their supply of Mana was cut off, they would be unable to fulfill their role from that moment on.

A Hero unable to use Mana would be reduced to a mere human, no different from a soldier, except for being more skilled in combat and having superior physical abilities.

They would go from being 'monstrous humans to whom common sense doesn't apply' to just 'somewhat strong humans.'

If it were a matter of their weapons breaking, that would be one thing, but in a situation of continuous combat, if their Mana ran out, Heroes were bound to be downgraded to the level of soldiers.

After all, one of the biggest reasons the Order's Allied Forces could command and manage the entire War against Demons across the vast continent was precisely because of the continuous Mana supply system through satellite magic.

In other words, since the sustainability of combat and the command structure were largely dependent on it.

Pushing for an attack while the satellite magic was shut down was risky, but just hunkering down and holding out in the current state also had its own risks.

Some level of preparation for what was to come was necessary, one way or another.

And with the option of 'forcing an attack' rejected, the alternative Kanna Cartier chose was…

“But, since we don't know when the veil of the Black Sea will disappear, I will try another method.”

“……”

“How about we send a vanguard, just like the strategy we used at the beginning of the Northern Subjugation War?”

A vanguard.

Having already seen good results from it in the early stages of the Northern Subjugation War, she thought it would be fine to use that strategy again.

“On the Downhill Plains, the soldiers' casualties were extensive, but the Hero-class casualties were quite low. This means we have more available Hero-class personnel compared to soldiers.”

“……”

“Without necessarily attaching soldiers, how about we use these Hero-class personnel as a small elite force to poke at the Orc Mountains? It would also serve to assess various things.”

It was a pretty good strategy.

At this point, expanding the scale of the battlefield further north was risky, but it wasn't as if supplies would fall from the sky if they just sat around and waited.

Among the options the Northern Allied Subjugation Forces could take at the moment, it was the most rational choice.

Of course, it was impossible to know how the Orc Mountains would react to the vanguard, but the judgment was that they wouldn't launch an all-out offensive just because of a small clash of forces.

If they had been that eager for a fight in the first place, there would have been no reason for them to have shown no movement yet while the Black Sea was closed.

Just as Ludwig Allegro had said, even if they didn't know what was being hidden inside those mountains, sending a vanguard to find out wasn't a bad idea.

Meanwhile, the remaining forces would carry out a sort of 'breather operation,' organizing supplies and reforming their ranks.

Yes, it was close to the 'optimal strategy' they could come up with in the current difficult situation where no option was ideal, considering all the various factors.

…That is.

“…I will dispatch a small elite vanguard of 10 carefully selected members.”

“……”

“With Sir ‘Seo U-jin’ here as the representative.”

If only I hadn't been included in it.

“…Pardon?”

* * *

“…I didn't expect this kind of development.”

Kanna Cartier's opinion on appointing me to the 'vanguard' was firm.

Of course, from my perspective, it was an unwelcome task, so I immediately expressed my refusal.

No matter how much I refused and denied it, Kanna Cartier did not bend her opinion.

She even stubbornly threatened that if I refused to the end, she would use the right of summary judgment granted to the Commander for 'emergency situations' to somehow fabricate a crime and send me as a 'Penal Soldier'.

To make matters worse, on this point, the two figurehead advisors opened their eyes drowsily and sided with Kanna Cartier, so there was nothing I could do.

‘…My weapon is broken. I can't fight.’

‘I'm not telling you to go fight. I'm just telling you to accompany the vanguard.’

‘…That sounds like the same thing.’

‘If the weapon is really the problem, take this spear. To you, Sir, I can lend it without worry.’

‘…….’

When I even tried to get out of it by making the excuse that my weapon was broken, she offered me the Holy Lance she was holding and told me to take it, so I just waved my hands in refusal and nodded.

If I had taken that, any attempt at infiltration or what have you would have been pointless, as I would have been immediately exposed by the brilliant white light it radiated.

‘…As expected of an old woman.’

Unless I could read her mind, I couldn't be certain, but I had a rough idea of why 'Kanna Cartier' was so insistent on sending me to the vanguard.

‘…….’

She had clearly caught on to something.

Even if she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, she knew there was something about me that couldn't be explained by what was on the surface.

Well, it was somewhat to be expected.

In the first place, I was already gathering public attention as the master of the 'Hunter' guild, established for the first time in 100 years, and for the declaration of the Beastkin Nation.

Even if it wasn't for that, we were in the middle of a discussion about what happened on the .

From the beginning, I thought that while I might be able to hide the 'Black Blood Disease' somehow, the matter with the minotaur would definitely draw attention.

Rather, it was more surprising that the case of the Black Blood Disease hadn't reached her ears yet.

No matter how much U-jin had told him not to speak, the Order still had a system, and for Leonardo Louis Button to suppress a matter that went beyond his line of responsibility with just his name alone would not have been an easy decision.

Or.

‘…He might have already told her.’

She might not have shown it, but it's possible the matter of the 'Black Blood Disease' had already reached her ears, and that's why she called for me separately.

This possibility wasn't small either.

Moreover.

Pfft—

“And in the midst of it all, those two had to butt in.”

Ludwig Allegro had just revealed right in front of her that he had business with me.

Of course, Leonardo Louis Button had spoken indirectly about it, saying he 'came to personally check if there were any matters related to the Demonic Species,' but since they had barged in together, it would be strange to believe that at face value.

So, from Kanna Cartier's perspective, even if she didn't know exactly what was going on, she must have concluded from the series of 'exceptional' events surrounding me that I was no ordinary person.

Insisting on dispatching me as part of the 'vanguard' was probably in the same context.

Even after her 'plan to force an attack on the Orc Mountains' was talked down by the two of them, they had various other conversations, but at the end of the day, it was all just a discussion about the best alternative in a situation where the 'Black Sea' was closed.

With the veil of the Black Sea spread, cutting off supply lines and shutting down the satellite magic, there was no way to solve the fundamental problem.

Her intention in dispatching me to the vanguard was a hope that I would use my unique 'exceptional' power to find some brilliant plan to overcome this situation.

Otherwise, there would have been no need to cast aside all those 4 and 5-star Heroes and insist on putting me in the vanguard.

Anyway, like that.

I came to accept her request to join the vanguard.

Of course, I didn't accept it unconditionally; I attached a condition.

‘…I understand. However.’

‘……?’

‘Send me alone. I don't care if you dispatch others, but I will move alone.’

That is, I would move alone to avoid restrictions on my range of action.

In truth, it was a condition that deviated slightly from the original purpose of a vanguard.

The purpose of the vanguard was, of course, to scout the Orc Mountains, but it was also to gauge the Orcs' strength through a clash with them.

My intention to move alone was more accurately described as an 'infiltration mission' rather than a 'vanguard'.

If it was just that, it didn't seem too bad.

The part I disliked about being included in the vanguard was having to worry about others' eyes on me at all times and having my movements restricted.

Besides, I already had something I needed to check out, so I was already planning to slip away from the ranks and visit the Orc Mountains anyway.

Fwaat—

“…I was planning to take a nap before moving.”