novelraw Chapter 224: Abyssal Holy War - The Longest Week (6)
Chapter 224: Abyssal Holy War - The Longest Week (6)
Chapter 224. Abyssal Holy War - The Longest Week (6)
The enemy's new weapon, the machine gun, could not withstand the concentrated fire from the allied artillery and was dealt damage close to annihilation.
As the drones that had initially rushed forward were swept away, Paimon retreated without hesitation.
However, the state of the Paladin Order, which had taken the machine gun's concentrated fire, was horrific.
Alejandro, who had been charging with the vanguard while shouting of God's will, was among the first to fall prey to the machine gun after the protection of his Divine Power was shattered.
The armor, which had gleamed a brilliant silver-white, was shattered in places and stained with blood, its luster lost, dyed by the endlessly gloomy purple sky.
“Sob, sob, Commander.”
“Commander...”
Amidst the sorrow of the few surviving members of the Paladin Order, Alejandro himself lay there with a smile.
What could have pleased him?The end he met—crying out for honor, leaping into a death trap with his subordinates, and dying alongside countless of them...
Was that satisfying to him?
I recalled the Blue Knight, who had met his end long ago with a satisfied smile, and squeezed my eyes shut.
It's a meaningless death.
Whatever conviction he held, whatever honor it was, it was an incredibly foolish act that led all the subordinates who trusted and followed him to a meaningless death.
However, I can't let this be relegated to a meaningless death either.
Just as it was on the hill where the Blue Knight met his end.
“We will also recover our fallen and retreat. See to it that these men, who met an honorable end without retreating before the enemy's terrible new weapon, are given the highest honors.”
Pinning the blame on the dead, saying they died a meaningless death after arbitrarily violating the battle plan and rushing Paimon, will only accelerate internal division.
Someone was bound to fall to that new weapon without knowing of its existence anyway. It's obvious what a horrific disaster it would have been if it had been the Revolutionary Army, which doesn't even have the protection of Divine Power.
So, even if that's not the case, I have no choice but to make their deaths worthwhile.
“Who is the most senior among the surviving paladins?”
When I asked the few remaining members of the Paladin Order, a man in blood-stained armor replied, showing me due respect.
“I am, Your Excellency the Marquis Lafayette. Gardolfo Eramo, Senior Knight.”
“Good, Lord Eramo. I will incorporate the surviving Paladin Order into the Revolutionary Cavalry. I trust there are no objections?”
Eramo looked at me for a moment, but soon bowed respectfully.
“I saw clearly Your Excellency the Marquis destroying the new weapon of those wicked demons. The surviving fellows of the Paladin Order will not refuse the command of Your Excellency the Marquis, whom Commander Alejandro respected. Please give us a chance to take revenge on those demons!”
“Of course, I will arrange a suitable opportunity. But while I will respect you all, I expect you to follow my command from now on.”
That's why I upheld the honor of the commander and paladins who had already died after acting so willfully.
Eramo seemed to understand, and he soon bowed his head.
“I swear by God, His Holiness the Pope, and Her Majesty the Saintess Queen.”
“Good. I trust in your faith and your honor.”
A reunion with Paimon.
The damn demon who brought a new weapon we couldn't even have imagined made countless people bleed, but conversely, because my prediction was correct and I played my part in the battle, the internal rifts have been greatly reduced.
-Do try your best for that futile and feeble hope you're chasing, Pierre. If you fail...
They're still convinced they have absolute superiority.
-Because I will devour your pride, your good intentions, your morale, your love, your effort, your hope, and in the end, even your despair. Without leaving a single piece behind.
You'll devour everyone I'm protecting?
That will never happen.
No matter what trials may come, I will smash through them all and put an end to those bastards.
*
After our return.
After holding a simple funeral service for the Paladin Order, we immediately opened an operations meeting.
“This thing called a machine gun is absolutely dreadful. I can't imagine how we're supposed to fight against something like that...”
Jill von Leonhardt of the Germania Imperial Army, who had seemed so composed, was astounded with a look of disgust after receiving the report on the last battle.
A rate of fire incomparable to a musket and firepower that could pierce even the overwhelming protection of the Paladin Order.
It's obvious what kind of catastrophe would befall the line infantry, who fight in dense formations, if such a horrific weapon were to strike them during battle.
“If we attack firmly with courage and momentum, we can surely break through—”
“No. They will all die meaningless deaths, General Nere. I, who saw it with my own eyes, guarantee it.”
The hot-blooded General Nicolas Nere's face flushed red as I cut him off, but since it was me he was speaking to, he couldn't refute it and shut his mouth.
This is the problem with new weapons you've never even imagined.
Unless you see the devastation firsthand, it's all too easy to fall back on existing tactics and meet a disastrous end.
However, the one silver lining is...
“Hmm, but its range doesn't seem to be that long. It's mounted on a cart like artillery and is quite conspicuous, so it should be quite vulnerable to concentrated artillery fire as Marquis Lafayette judged. If not, it seems possible to counter it with skirmishers using rifled muskets to snipe from a long distance.”
“General Scharnhorst's opinion is sound.”
Every person gathered here now is a young veteran who has fought fiercely through years of war, has witnessed firsthand the innovation of tactics and weaponry during that long war, and has been through all sorts of hardships.
They are people who can see something new and think of a response, rather than just clinging to the old tactics and weapons they've grown accustomed to.
“Hahaha, terrifying. It seems it would be better for our brothers to defend the battle line and deal with the drones jumping in, rather than charging into the enemy's position!”
“Thank you for your cooperation, King Kroxx.”
I had to use formal language since it was an official setting, but I grinned.
Yes, at least now that the Paladin Order has collapsed and fallen under my command authority.
There aren't many among us who would act recklessly, greedy for merit, nor are there many stubborn commanders who would stick to standard tactics without observing the enemy.
Even if there were, my authority or that of the other high commanders would be enough to control them.
“Rather than forming a dense formation, it might be better to dig trenches along the defense line to take cover from the machine gun fire!”
I wondered why Damien De Millbeau was expressing his opinion during a meeting, and what do you know, it's his damn love for trenches again.
But...
I grinned and replied. “That's fine. We'll adopt Commander Millbeau's opinion as well.”
In this situation, it's actually not a bad judgment.
I saw Damien's face instantly brighten and let out a small laugh before turning my gaze away.
“They have certainly mobilized a powerful new weapon that we had not anticipated, but their new weapon also has clear weaknesses. As long as we don't make the mistake of sticking to conventional tactics, it is entirely possible to exploit those weaknesses to overcome it.”
Yes, the situation isn't so desperate.
At first, we only trembled with anxiety as the enemies didn't attack from the fog, but the Allied Forces, worn down to their limit by the rocket bombardment, conversely realized that with patrols established and liberated from the rocket attacks, they had to take advantage of that brief rest somehow.
The Paladin Order being wiped out by the machine guns was a painful blow, but because I predicted the enemy's attack and quickly ordered a response to the machine guns, the trust placed in me has actually grown significantly.
Now that their disruption via rocket bombardment and surprise attacks on our patrols have failed, Paimon has only one path left.
“If we keep dragging this out, the gate will eventually be completed, and then the Central Continent mainland will be connected to this island of demons.”
Even now, the navy under Christine and Admiral Lee are continuously carrying out supply runs along the coast to ensure the vanguard's materials don't run out.
Back in the Francia Homeland, allied forces gathered from all over the Central Continent are assembling even at this moment, waiting for the gate to open so they can set foot on the island of demons.
“Once we are connected by the gate, it will be possible not only to resupply troops and materials, but also for the vanguard, which has accumulated damage and fatigue, to temporarily retreat to the homeland to rest.”
At least, amid the hopelessness of the landing, we may have wavered, but we did not collapse.
It was only once, but the enemy's surprise attack, which even mobilized a new weapon, was predicted by me and in turn repelled.
Hope that we can win has emerged, and although it's a path of hardship, it's a path with a clear end in sight.
The tension and fatigue from preparing for an attack that could come at any moment from the fog, and the hopelessness from having to wander aimlessly in the fog without a proper engagement, have all disappeared.
The confidence and morale befitting the faces of the veterans of veterans, the renowned commanders among renowned commanders who have overcome years of war on the Central Continent, have returned.
“There isn't much time left. The only card the enemy has left is an all-out offensive, and if we can just endure it, victory will be ours.”
“Hahahaha, let's do this, brother!”
Kroxx of the Iberian Brotherhood, laughing heartily.
“Hmm, having come this far in the name of the Krafte Kingdom, I must fight at least one proper battle to have the face to see His Majesty the King.”
General Scharnhorst of the Krafte Kingdom, his fighting spirit ablaze.
“Whew, if we pull this off, we'll all go down in legend. To think I'd get a chance like this by somehow picking the right side.”
Jill von Leonhardt, who went from being a knight who fled the Francia Kingdom to a mercenary, and then became the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army.
“Following Your Excellency the Marquis's command, I will ensure the blood debt of the Paladin Order is paid!”
Even Gardolfo Eramo and the survivors of the Paladin Order, thirsty for honor and revenge.
“Ahaha, we'll survive, right? Right...? This Damien De Millbeau trusts only you, Your Excellency the Marquis Lafayette! It's always been that way, and it always will be!”
...Of all the people, the last reaction had to be from you. How deflating.
In any case, the hopeless ordeal of wandering through a maze in the fog has now come to an end.
“Good. We have conducted sufficient patrols and reconnaissance of the terrain, and we have a grasp of the enemy's strength to some extent. Instead of increasing the reconnaissance units along the enemy's expected advance route, let's have the units not on guard duty get plenty of rest.”
All that remains now.
“Thanks to Admiral Aquitaine's constant efforts, we do not lack the supplies to hold out until the gate opens. It would be good to distribute as much food as possible to boost the soldiers' stamina and morale. Let us pour everything we have into preparing for battle.”
Is the decisive battle to protect the gate.
“Understood.”
“Got it, brother!”
“Leave it to us, Your Excellency the Marquis!”
Watching the commanders rise from their seats, salute me, and depart to carry out their duties, I took a light, deep breath.
This must be the best course of action.
In the end, opening the gate is the decisive move.
And its achievement is now within reach.
However.
-Building the gate will, on the contrary, bring the worst kind of ruin to the Central Continent.
What did you mean by that, Gremory?
The CEO of Lust Inc. of Abyss Corporation.
At this point, an undeniable enemy of humanity, of me.
However.
I feel it's almost a foregone conclusion that this Gremory is the Saintess from 400 years ago.
I silently clenched and unclenched my fist, feeling the Divine Power that still flowed within my body.
Setting aside her affiliation and origin, Gremory, at least, has not lied to me, just as she said.
If anything, she has been helpful.
In that case, there's a possibility that Gremory's warning was not simply a lie meant to deceive me.
I tried to suppress the faint anxiety rising within me.
As of now, I can't know.
At least one thing is certain: the undeniable fact that if we do nothing at this moment, the invaded Eastern Empire will eventually collapse.
And Paimon, having secured an infinite supply of drones—that mad demon would just leave the Central Continent alone?
Even if Baal, who is said to have become their leader, tried to stop him, and no matter how much Gremory tried to dissuade him, it's certain that Paimon is the type to do as he pleases and then some.
Everything is for Christine, my people, and this country that Eris loves so dearly.
I set foot on this island overflowing with despair to give them hope.
In that case—
I, too, can only do my best with what I can do now, until my last breath.