novelraw Chapter 177: Krafte War - City Under Fire (8)
Chapter 177: Krafte War - City Under Fire (8)
Episode 177. Krafte War - City of Fire (8)
“Charge!”
“Glory to Krafte!”
The massive city of Barua had become a pandemonium, filled with the screams and shouts of the Line Infantry engaged in Melee Combat.
“For His Majesty the Great King!”
“Ugh, ugh, hold them back!”
Exhausted from the long urban warfare, the Revolutionary Army could not withstand the Melee Combat against the Krafte Army, which had been hardened by intense training, and was being continuously pushed back toward the Center.
It was at the point when the fourth Defense Line was on the verge of collapse.
Boom!
With a tremendous noise, the pile of Obstacles blocking a Strategic Point in the city streets collapsed.“W-what was that?”
The moment the Krafte Army was startled by the unexpected noise, massive, green-skinned Orcs poured out from behind the cloud of dust.
“O-Orcs?! W-where did they come from!”
“Do not panic! Rear units, form up! Don’t let the enemy break through-”
The Krafte Army’s excellent officers quickly ordered a response, but the Orcs, stomping and charging across the ground, broke into their ranks faster than the chaotically scattered army, already engaged in Melee Combat, could form a line.
“Ugh, uwaaaack!”
A Krafte Army Soldier, who had been thrusting his Bayonet meant to kill Humans, was struck by an Orc’s club, which carried the full force of its charge, and flew through the air screaming.
“Die, di… Huh?”
The moment the flailing Krafte Soldier flew through the air and landed next to another Krafte Soldier who had been grappling with the Revolutionary Army at the front, the momentum that had been pushing forward was instantly reversed.
“Uwoooooo-!”
“Huk, o-Orcs, why are they here!”
“Kill them!”
“Our Flank is under Attack! Defend the flank!”
“W-who is supposed to defend it!”
“Which unit is covering the Flank right now!”
“Damn it, don’t panic! Panicking will only disrupt the formation more-”
In the narrow city streets, the shouts erupting from all sides in an instant only amplified the Soldiers’ confusion-
“Al-ardho-”
“Akbar!”
When the one-eyed, massive Orc Karok let out a war cry and the Orcs answered in unison, their voices echoing throughout the city, even the formidable Krafte Army could not help but feel a chill run down their spines.
Even the Melee Combat prowess of the Krafte Army, said to be the strongest among Humans, was at a severe disadvantage against the Orcs, whose massive muscles made Bayonets ineffective and whose physique and strength were incomparable.
“Aaaargh-!”
Every time the Orcs’ clubs and Axes swung, Krafte Army Soldiers flew through the air like logs.
“Ugh, uwaaah- Block them!”
“Y-you try blocking them!”
“Do not fall back! We may not be able to face them individually, but in a dense formation, we can surely handle them!”
In the midst of the chaos, the Krafte officers tried their best to rally their troops and hold on, but-
“This is our chance to Counterattack! Revolutionary Army, charge!”
“Long live the revolution!”
“Help our Allies!”
—even that reached its limit when Nicolas Nere and Louis Desaix, who had quickly regrouped their forces as soon as the crisis passed, ordered the Revolutionary Army to launch a Counterattack.
“B-being surrounded in urban warfare, how is this even possible!”
Once they were being attacked from both front and back, surrounded by the Revolutionary Army and the Orcs, there was nothing more that even the great Krafte Army or its competent officer corps could do.
All that was left was to fight with grit and spite until they finally collapsed.
*
The grim news was quickly delivered to the Great King and generals of the Krafte Army command.
“A Flanking Attack? How?”
Even the Great King, Karl II, could not hide his surprise.
“M-my apologies, it has not been confirmed! There may have been a secret passage we did not detect, or...”
“There’s a secret passage in the middle of the city that can flank thousands of Orcs without our army’s knowledge, and we didn’t notice it?”
The Great King let out a hollow laugh, but what had happened, had happened.
“The army that attacked through the West Gate and North Gate was struck on the Flank by Orcs and cut in two. I don't know how that's possible in urban warfare, but from the situation, it seems they had a hidden route of advance between the West and North Gates.”
General Gerhard said grimly.
“The West Gate and North Gate directions were where our Offensive was proceeding most effectively. Considering the South and East Gate directions are commanded by that Damien De Millbeau, and that the Offensive there was sluggish due to a mage we confirmed in the last battle striking our dense formations with magic, it would be troublesome if that place collapses as well.”
As the Great King continued to stare at the map, General Leberecht, observing his expression, spoke up.
“The troops isolated by the Flank Attack from the Orcs will be in a grave crisis, considering the Revolutionary Army’s response, Your Majesty the Great King. We must dispatch additional Reinforcements here to repel the Orcs and save our men.”
But the Great King, who had been glaring at the map for a while, shook his head.
“No, a rescue is impossible.”
“B-but, Your Majesty the Great King! If this continues, the troops isolated at the North and West Gates will not escape annihilation!”
Despite the generals’ protests, the Great King pointed at the map.
“Look at the enemy’s Defense Lines at the West and North Gates. As they lead deeper into the city, the gap between the two continuously narrows.”
When they first entered, the distance between the Defense Lines at the two gates was naturally far.
As they went deeper, the Defense Line had been constructed to cleverly overlap, but no one had suspected anything, thinking that the city’s streets might not be perfectly uniform.
However, compared to the Defense Lines of the South and East Gates, which remained completely separated, it now looked clearly suspicious.
The problem was that no one could have conceived of breaking through something like that in urban warfare to strike the Flank in the first place.
“The fact that the West and North Gate Defense Lines were breached so easily must have been intentional. It was likely to lure our army in and strike them from their secret flanking route.”
“Your Majesty the Great King’s words are correct. However, if that is the case, shouldn’t we make even more of an effort to save our men who have fallen into the enemy’s trap?”
“Saving them will not win the Battle. The fact that the Orcs were able to flank us means that other units could be sent through the same path.”
The Great King stared intently at the map before speaking again.
“Given the structure of the Defense Line, there’s no guarantee they won’t target the Flank of our own troops who are attacking the Orcs. No, if it’s Marquis Lafayette, it wouldn’t be strange if he had a plan to draw out and annihilate our final Reserve Unit.”
In the end, the generals of the Krafte Army could no longer voice their dissent.
After a moment of silence, General Gerhard cautiously spoke.
“However, Your Majesty the Great King, if it comes to this, the attack forces at the North and West Gates will suffer immense damage, and the failure of the Offensive is inevitable. What do you intend to do?”
The Great King slowly reached for a Flag on the map and replied.
“If you fall into a trap and become preoccupied with making up for it, you’ll just end up being dragged along by the enemy’s intentions.”
*
Barua Center, Revolutionary Army Final Defense Line Headquarters.
“General Nicolas Nere and Commander Louis Desaix’s troops are annihilating the enemy along with the Iberica army!”
“Ooooh...!”
While the staff officers, whose faces had turned ashen at the reports of immense casualties from the Melee Combat, let out a cheer, I was staring at the map.
“Fortunately, this part worked as planned, Your Excellency the Marquis. But still, shouldn't we have sent the Reserve Unit in advance to support Karok's Orcs?”
I listened to the words of my chief of staff, Alexandre Berthier, and shook my head.
“No, it’s not too late to dispatch them after it’s confirmed. There’s a high risk the Great King won’t react that way.”
Not only him, but the majority of the staff had opined that since the Krafte Army would not collapse immediately even if their Flank was exposed to Karok’s Orcs, we should dispatch a Reserve Unit in advance to help the Orcs in preparation for the enemy trying to rescue them.
But I ignored all of their suggestions and kept them at the final central command.
“The Great King is the master of the battlefield. He won’t choose the option of simply reacting because he’s fallen for my Tactics.”
“That... Hmm. Is that so.”
Alexandre Berthier also had a look of disbelief, and indeed, from a military science perspective, it would be effective to press the enemy's hard-won weakness to the fullest here and annihilate the enemy forces at the West and North Gates to expand our gains.
But the opponent is the Great King, and he enjoys using tactics that catch you off guard.
Moreover, from what the Great King has shown so far, he doesn't give a damn about troop losses.
“So please bear with it for a moment. We don’t have any more spare Reserve Units either.”
All I have left now are, at best, the Revolutionary Guard and the elite troops of Gaston and the cuirassier Cavalry prepared to cover them.
They might be called Cavalry, but in urban warfare like this, they’re practically no different from foot Knights, so it’s a card that must be used cautiously.
And a short while later, a Messenger came running.
“A Messenger! A report from His Excellency Count Damien De Millbeau! The enemy’s All-Out Offensive has begun at the South Gate! It is a qualitatively different Offensive from before, and we have confirmed the Flag of the Krafte Royal Guard!”
As Berthier and the staff looked at me with astonished faces, I let out a small sigh of relief.
“...As expected.”
“I-indeed, Your Excellency Marquis Lafayette. You are incredible.”
“To think he would abandon his own troops on the verge of annihilation and instead Attack a Defense Line that hadn't been pushed back much until now...”
“That man is a master at reading weaknesses.”
In truth, Damien De Millbeau’s South and West Gate areas are more precarious than Louis Desaix’s North and South Gates.
Not being pushed back as much might look like they are holding strong, but conversely, it means they were ordered to hold that position even at the cost of losses.
This is because, in that area where the distance between the southern and eastern Defense Lines is large, flanking maneuvers like the Orcs' are structurally impossible.
Thanks to that, even Eris was out there, desperately trying to keep Millbeau’s army from being pushed back by tirelessly healing the Wounded Soldiers from behind.
“Good, deploy the Revolutionary Guard and Gaston’s unit. Tell Her Majesty she no longer needs to worry about concealment and to protect our allies from the Battle Line.”
“Understood!”
They are the Krafte Army’s Royal Guard, which we have been saving all this time, but the losses they suffered from the Bombardment won’t have been restored.
The Revolutionary Guard should be able to handle them somehow, and Damien, with Giselle Davi’s assistance, is the most skilled Commander in the Revolutionary Army when it comes to a Defensive Battle.
Gaston will handle the Martial Prowess side of things, so we should be able to win this.
Watching the Messengers and staff move busily after receiving my orders, I let out a small sigh of relief.
Now, I have no Reserve Unit left either.
The Battle has now been completely handed over to the generals and the front-line Soldiers.
After a moment of anxious waiting, I finally grasped the sword at my waist.
“Berthier, I’m leaving the command post to you.”
“Y-Your Excellency the Marquis?”
“I’m a pretty decent fighting Knight myself. In an all-out war like this, not a single bit of strength can be wasted.”
“Ugh, you’re not one to talk when Her Majesty isn’t sparing herself.”
“Well, you’re right. But just sitting here and waiting for the battle’s outcome isn’t in my nature-”
However, before I could finish my sentence, a Messenger who had run up breathlessly reported.
“M-Messenger!”
“Hm?”
“The E-East Gate Defense Line has collapsed! The Krafte Army is pushing this way!”
“What did you say?”
What is this now? I thought the All-Out Offensive was at the South Gate.
“Count Wittelsbach and the Imperial Knights are breaking through at the vanguard! It seems all of the Krafte Army’s Reserve Unit has been committed here as well!”
That son of a bitch.
Was I baited by the reputation of the Krafte Royal Guard?
Damien De Millbeau, that fool...!
No, that’s not it. With Giselle Davi there, getting baited means it must have looked like a genuine All-Out Offensive.
It must be true that they launched a fierce attack, accepting the losses.
That Great King deceived us, even at the cost of his Soldiers’ lives.
...Is the problem me, for being so relieved that I had read his intentions correctly that I didn't consider such a possibility?
“At this rate, the command post will be attacked!”
“Haha, ha...”
He abandoned the isolated troops at the West and North Gates.
He positioned the Krafte Royal Guard at the South Gate and launched an All-Out Offensive with a battered army to make us mistake it for the Main Attack Force, while the real core breakthrough came from the East Gate.
“A decapitation Operation, is it...”
No matter how many Krafte troops are sacrificed, if he collapses the command post, he can win one way or another.
As expected of the Great King, he won’t go down without a fight to the very end.
“If he poured all his main forces into the East Gate, then the Offensive at the South Gate will inevitably be routed. Relay this situation to Gaston and Millbeau.”
“Understood!”
“The command post is a key area connected to all Defense Lines and manages supplies. If we lose this place, we lose the Battle! What will you do, Your Excellency the Marquis?”
I looked at Alexandre Berthier, who was uncharacteristically pale and flustered, and replied simply-
“What do you mean, what do we do? Reinforcements will be sent from the Southern Region soon.”
I drew my sword.
“We gather every bit of strength we have left and face them. A decapitation Operation only succeeds if they can actually take the Head, right?”