novelraw Chapter 214: Abyssal Holy War - The First and Final Holy War (2)
Chapter 214: Abyssal Holy War - The First and Final Holy War (2)
Episode 214. The Abyssal Holy War - The First and Final Holy War (2)
The Central Continental Allied Forces.
The Revolutionary Kingdom of Francia, the Iberian Brotherhood, the Germania Empire, the Krafte Kingdom, the Northern Allied Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom of Hollandt, and even the Holy Theocracy.
The only one missing, the Kingdom of Alps, was only absent because the Dwarf race itself resides deep in the mountains of the Central Continent's interior, and with their short, heavy bodies, they have no idea how to swim. Besides, it was better to have the continent's greatest craftsmen, who were few in number to begin with, produce weapons for the Allied Forces than to drag them onto the battlefield.
Thus, this allied army was, in effect, a grand holy war army in which virtually all nations of the Central Continent had gathered to stand against the demons, a truly awe-inspiring sight.
However, with many heads come many problems.
The military meeting of the grandly named Central Continental Allied Forces was neither awe-inspiring nor was it close to unified, and it even made one doubt whether this was an alliance at all.
“Naturally, our Paladin Order must be the first to land!”
Fanaticism for God and excessive loyalty to the Saintess Queen Eris.
Combined with the spirit of chivalry and melded into one, the commander of the Paladin Order, Alejandro, was making a scene, insisting that he would be the first to land and stand at the vanguard, no matter what.This is what you get with cloistered ascetics. When all they’ve ever done is read holy books and practice martial arts, this is how they turn out…
“A landing operation, by its very nature, forces a direct clash with the enemy's defense line. For the Paladin Order, composed almost entirely of cavalry with its knights and squires, to land first would be unreasonable, wouldn't you agree?”
The point made by King Heinrich I of Krafte was entirely valid.
Honestly, even I thought it was a crazy idea. Why else would Jerome Morelle, second to none in valor, show reluctance to join the vanguard just because it was a landing operation?
However, the Paladin Order's commander, Alejandro, replied with great confidence.
“We are the Paladin Order, protected by God! We will break through from the front with dignity!”
“And who will absorb the enemy's fire?”
“God's divine protection is with us; our faith is our shield!”
“And how will you capture the enemy's defense line?”
“The knights will lead their squires in a charge, sweeping away the enemies in a single blow and seizing their defense line!”
“If the precious forces of the Paladin Order were to suffer great losses, even if the landing succeeds, the future of the war will be…”
“Our firm conviction will not be shaken by mere demons, and even if casualties occur, every member of the order can use Divine Power, so we can certainly recover! Are you doubting God's sharpest spear right now?”
Oh, for heaven’s sake.
They plan to be the anvil, the hammer, and the healers, all with just their cavalry.
Even the knights of Francia, who were mocked as horse-obsessed, weren't this bad.
“The courage and confidence of the Paladin Order are highly commendable, but when it comes to discipline, the Krafte Army does not fall behind. If you entrust the vanguard to us, we will surely accomplish the task.”
Amidst all this, even Heinrich I, who had been acting like a man of common sense by pointing out this and that to the Paladin Order, subtly revealed his own desire for the vanguard.
Hah.
You all act like the war is already won.
As if the moment you land, you'll instantly crush all the demons and become a legend that will last for eternity on the Central Continent, is that it?
In the end, I sent a pleading gaze to Kroxx, but—
“We desire the vanguard as well! Muahahaha!”
Ah, this damn friend of mine with muscles for brains.
I turned my gaze to Gilles de Lionel—no, Jill von Leonhardt—with a final glimmer of hope.
It was quite surprising that Jill, a foreigner who had only been scouted by Empress Dowager Cecilia after the Krafte war, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, even if she had led military reforms. The reason was truly a spectacle.
-Until the results of the naval battle came in, most of the Empire's feudal lords were skeptical about this war. That’s why the expeditionary force was formed around our new military establishment, the pro-Kaiser faction, after I was scouted by the Empress Dowager. Only after the results of the naval battle came out did the feudal lords try to get involved, but, well, you know what kind of person Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager is, don't you?
That Cecilia isn't so lenient as to hand over high-ranking positions to feudal lords who jumped in late on a stage where the pro-Kaiser faction could secure a clear achievement.
In any case, Jill should at least be somewhat reasonable…….
“Haha, everyone is full of motivation. However, the Kaiser also wishes for the Imperial Army to be the first to set foot on that Demon Island……”
Damn it! There’s really no one I can trust!
Everyone’s gazes soon turned toward me.
Just by the look in their eyes, I could tell they were all filled with the hope that since they all wanted to be the vanguard, I, at least, should back down.
It's truly making my blood boil.
But my answer is also set.
“Francia is, in name and in reality, the leading nation of the Allied Forces. We cannot concede the vanguard.”
Even as I say it, I feel like I'm overflowing with self-reproach, but at this point, this is a matter of politics, not military strategy.
If I, as the Commander-in-Chief, thoughtlessly handed over the vanguard, poor Desaix would be dragged before the National Assembly and get blasted by a crossfire from its members.
“In the name of God, there are none more suited for the vanguard than the Paladin Order!”
Ah, seriously. What am I supposed to do with these stubborn people?
In the end, I turned my gaze to my last resort, but Eris, already exhausted by this long and tedious battle of pride, had a face that looked as if her soul had half-departed.
The fact that she wasn't slumped over in her chair was probably a testament to her desperate effort to maintain the dignity of a Queen.
This is not going to work.
There’s no dream, no hope…….
It was all well and good that we had resolved to wage an allied expeditionary war with such vigor, but with everyone being a representative of a prominent nation, I couldn't just pull rank on them. As they all stood their ground, it was a mess of epic proportions.
Of course, it's not that I don't understand. The people in this room aren't fools who are acting this way out of simple rivalry.
The Holy Theocracy's very foundation is a religious order that is hostile to demons.
While it's one thing to have conceded leadership of the Allied Forces to Francia, which is nominally ruled by a Saintess Queen, having sent the Paladin Order they dote on so much means they were surely ordered to perform deeds worthy of raising the Pope's authority.
On the other hand, Francia, Germania, Krafte, and Iberica are all nations that have suffered damage, directly or indirectly, from the demons.
There isn't a single nation here that can accept taking a step back and watching from behind.
But that doesn't mean we can just waste time like this after having secured naval supremacy.
While we were engaged in such a meaningless debate, a knock came from the conference room door.
As the gazes of a nation's king and the highest military commanders all turned, Christine and Admiral Lee entered.
...Looks like they left Lindsay behind, thank god for that.
Eris is open-minded enough to be fine with it, but it wouldn't do for the kings or commanders of other nations to see an admiral drinking vodka in broad daylight.
“The heroes of the naval victory have arrived.”
“Such a young lady……”
“Ahem, what brings you here? We were just discussing the landing operation……”
Christine and Admiral Lee gave a light greeting to the key figures in the conference room.
……It must be my imagination that Christine's gaze lingered on Jill for quite a while.
“Pardon the interruption. These are the results of the joint navy of Francia and the Eastern Empire's reconnaissance of the southern coastline of the Abyss Corporation's island.”
Christine, in her admiral's uniform, said so and unfolded a map.
“Oh……”
“How swift.”
“We have identified potential landing sites, and among them, we have narrowed it down to places with few spots for enemy ambushes, where the navy can easily support the landing of a large force. And among those, we have selected places where the distance for the landing forces to merge is short. As a result, we have found suitable locations.”
Christine pointed to the map with her hand and added.
“At these two locations, we can simultaneously land the vanguards of two nations each, and they can merge at the hill in the midpoint to construct a gate.”
“Oh, if that's the case!”
As the Paladin Order's commander, Alejandro, brightened up, Christine nodded her head and replied.
“All the major nations' vanguards can land and launch their offensive simultaneously.”
Oh, if that's the case, then this stagnant meeting can surely be wrapped up quickly.
Ah, wait a moment.
“Admiral Aquitaine?”
“Yes, Commander Lafayette.”
“Looking at the map, there's a suitable hill for the forces to merge after landing from two points, and the terrain is gentle enough that ambushes would be difficult. The enemy must know this is a very strong landing site, so I'm concerned about strong resistance.”
Hearing my reply, Christine readily nodded her head, then replied with a bright smile.
“That is a valid concern. That is why we will mobilize all ships of the line, excluding those still under repair after the last battle, and provide coastal bombardment while the landing is in progress.”
“Continuously, during the entire landing?”
When Heinrich I of Krafte asked with a surprised face, Christine subtly shifted her gaze to Admiral Lee.
And that same Admiral Lee replied with his usual steadfast expression.
“The Tsar has granted me full authority over the Hyeonmu Fleet. Once the landing is over and the gate is constructed, the navy's importance will diminish anyway. If it means we can protect our motherland from those demons, we will spare nothing, be it cannonballs or rockets.”
Dozens of ships of the line providing cannon fire and rockets for the duration of the landing would be an enormous price, but while the Eastern Empire may be lacking in other areas, they certainly are generous.
“The ammunition consumption will be great, but we plan to procure as much as is needed for the time the landing will take from Francia's naval armory.”
Christine said so, then confidently declared.
“For at least the six hours the landing will take, the demons will not dare to even poke their heads out onto the coast.”
“Ooooh!”
“As expected of the allied fleet that defeated the ‘Wrath’ company. They are in a different league.”
As everyone let out a cheer, Christine spoke again.
“However.”
“Hmm?”
“For this operation, the navies of Francia and the Eastern Empire have suffered enormous losses and shouldered the war expenses. It is also self-evident that we will consume a tremendous amount of cannonballs for the landing operation. Based on this war contribution rate, I believe the overall command of the Allied Forces after the landing should be entrusted to the Revolutionary Kingdom of Francia. What are your thoughts?”
“Wait, but, isn’t the Eastern Empire contributing as well?”
“I am of the same mind as Admiral Aquitaine. The Tsar also heard much through President Talleyrand and said that Marquis Lafayette could be trusted, and I too have seen it with my own eyes. And...”
Admiral Lee replied lightly, stroking his beard, then added another word.
“I believe anyone can see from the progress of this meeting that the Allied Forces desperately need a decisive commander.”
The generals of the Allied Nations subtly furrowed their brows but could not offer any particular rebuttal.
That has a bite to it.
From the perspective of the Eastern Empire, whose territory is currently under attack, they came all this way across the sea and even won a naval battle. The sight of the Allied Forces leisurely wasting time must not be a pleasant one.
“I approve. If there is anyone other than myself fit to command the generals of the Krafte Kingdom, it would only be Marquis Lafayette.”
Surprisingly, Heinrich I was the first to cast his vote in favor, and things moved quickly after that.
“Muahahaha, excellent! I can trust my brother!”
Kroxx.
“There can be no commander on the Central Continent more outstanding than Marquis Lafayette. The Empire also approves.”
Jill.
“B-but, the Paladin Order only follows Her Majesty, the Saintess Queen’s……”
Alejandro tried to throw a wrench in the works, but Eris abruptly rose from her seat, swiftly took off the cross necklace she always wore, and placed it around my neck.
“On the battlefield, Marquis Lafayette's will is my will.”
“It is my honor, Your Majesty, the Queen.”
With Eris even making the sign of the cross as if to bless me, feigning a piety she rarely showed, Alejandro finally offered a prayer and reluctantly conceded.
“If that is the will of Her Majesty, the Saintess Queen……”
“Then, it is decided unanimously that after the landing, the overall command will be transferred to Marquis Lafayette.”
Heinrich I quickly wrapped things up, and receiving everyone's gazes, I spoke with a light smile.
“Then, as per the allied fleet’s proposal, we will divide into two armies and proceed with a simultaneous landing. The Revolutionary Kingdom of Francia and the Paladin Order, who are familiar with combined arms operations with cavalry, along with the Iberian Brotherhood, will form the Western Army. The Germania Empire and the Krafte Kingdom, which have relatively similar military structures and are larger in scale, will form the Eastern Army.”
“No objections.”
“Good. Well, if we're all in the vanguard together.”
And just like that, the meeting that had been so stagnant was resolved in an instant.
I let out an inward sigh of relief, and as I turned my head, my eyes met Christine's, who was looking my way with a slight smile.
Ah, truly.
It's hard to suppress the impulse to pull her into an embrace and shower her with kisses.
Having a wife who's too capable is its own kind of trouble.