The battle of the Kingdom of the Black Sun (Alrodena Kingdom) led by the Goblin King and the reformed army of the Sacred Empire of Altigand was set to take place in the Lusis Plains.
Prime Minister Pale chose Lusis for their decisive battle because of the mountainous terrain to the north and south, which would allow them to ignore Altigand’s navy, as well as push the refugees from Bandigam onto Lusis.
Beyond the grasslands was the Lusis Plains, a flatland with good visibility and a few hills. Considering Alrodena Kingdom’s decisive battles until now, it was only natural that they would choose a 35km x 50km area for the main theater of their war.
After all, it was their style to destroy the enemy’s forces in a single battle, and then take over their country.
So long as they could have their battle, Alrodena would have no peers. Without a doubt, that was the sort of decisive thinking that led to Alrodena becoming the greatest force on land in the continent and brought two-thirds of the land under their rule.
Whether it was in mobility, attack, logistics, or quality of equipment, Alrodena believed themselves to be the best, and in fact, they likely were.
The Tiger and Spear Army (Aransain) could run up to 160 km in one whole day, and the Axe and Sword Army (Felduk) could fight in any manner from siege weapons to close combat. They had the logistics to send up to 50,000 soldier on an expedition, and the staff to sustain them as well.
They also had enough resources because they secured the continent’s largest iron producing region, and they also had engineers from all sorts of races from elves to dwarves to demihumans, goblins, and even humans.
And they also knew how to make the most out of the hour of the Night God (Ya Jansu), while also possessing the eyes to see amidst the wings of the Goddess of Darkness (Verdna) and strength twice that of humans.
Yet despite their latent abilities, until just a few years ago, they were trampled over by the humans because of their lack of unity. It wasn’t until the Goblin King appeared that everything changed.
But they were not only made up of goblins. And even the elves and the demihumans started to change when the Goblin King appeared.
Some swore fealty to him, others cooperated for their own benefit, and some were forced into obedience by brute strength.
But one thing held true for them all – one goblin had changed their lives. They, who were fated to die in the jaws of another monster or be killed by the invading humans or simply exhaust their lives, found a new path in the Goblin King.
And now, an army nearly 30,000 men strong – with the reserves included – was heading for Lusis Plains.
The king’s four generals and their armies: Felduk, numbered 8,000, Aransain numbered 4,000, and the Twin-Headed Beast and Axe Army (Zeilduk) numbered 1,500.
The king’s imperial guards numbered 750, the Thousand-Demon Army (Sazanorga) numbered 1000, the Gaidga Tribe numbered 1,500, the army (Regiol) numbered 2,000, the druids numbered 800, the elves numbered 500, and the swordsmen numbered 200.
Of their allies, Vladinia’s Akazone (Janissaries) numbered 3,000, and the footmen from Shirad Kingdom numbered 1,000.
As for the Bow and Arrow Army (Fanzel), their 5,000 soldiers were moving separated from the main force to take over Bandigam, Yerkshire, and Berkel.
Alrodena’s forces marched eastward with a flawless lineup, but Altigand had also prepared a new lineup after securing the refugees.
6,000 footmen, 2,500 cavalry, and 1,000 mages were dispatched by their imperial capital. And then there were also 500 wyvern knights plus the forces that escaped from Bandigam, which included
2,000 soldiers from the margrave’s army, 2,000 soldiers from the Iron Bull Knights, 2,000 soldiers from the volunteer soldiers, and 1,500 soldiers from the holy knights. The forces of the holy knights included all the soldiers from the first company to the third.
There were also 500 defending soldiers that managed to get away from Berkel and Yerkshire, both of which capitulated abruptly. In total, their forces numbered 18,000.
Alrodena had a huge advantage over them on land, but they had the air superiority thanks to the wyvern knights. Though they only numbered 500, they were powerful enough that when used properly could bring Altigand the victory.
And of course, they also chose Lusis Plains out of consideration for their own circumstances, namely, the wyvern knights. The Lusis Plains had little obstruction in the way, so the wyvern knights would be able to demonstrate their abilities to the fullest.
That’s why it was inevitable that both sides would choose Lusis Plains for their battle.
As for the qualities of their generals, Arlodena needn’t really be mentioned. The Goblin King himself would rank at the top of the list with his bravery and decisiveness, followed by the many talented generals and soldiers under him that have devoured many countries, destroyed fortresses, and traversed half the world.
However, Altigand has also been quickly improving the skills of their people ever since the hero reformed their military. Positions that have previously been assigned according to old customs were now earned according to merit, and a military academy was even established by the hero.
In fact, most of the graduates of that first class have already been dispatched to participate in the battle. Winning this battle might very well produce some of the talents that would carry Altigand in the future. That’s why the majority of the rising youths chose to participate in the war even without any history or tradition compelling them to do so.
The person with the highest position among them was a young man by the name of Grendal. Grendal Aldiad. Born as the third son to a lowly noble family, he had to become a soldier in order to feed himself.
He kept his confidence and continued to believe in his own abilities even after the hero appeared, and unlike the other nobles, he doesn’t try to curry favor with the hero and sometimes even criticizes him.
“I hereby declare Grendal to be the supreme commander of this campaign.”
The king had passed on a royal decree naming him supreme commander, but Grendal found the situation suspicious.
“Sir, is something the matter?”
Grendal had suddenly gone quiet in the war council, so the people gathered couldn’t help but check on him.
“No, I’m quite alright. I’m just a bit concerned about the expectations of those in the imperial capital.”
When he said that, the people gathered looked at each other. None of them here had strong connections. Gulland was leading the margrave’s army, but it felt more like he was sent to war because the present margrave didn’t like him. Rasdir, who led the Iron Bull Knights, was reputed in Elfa, but he was more like a mercenary presently.
The volunteer soldiers were mostly made up of refugees from other countries, and the holy knights moved according to the will of the church, so they had little relation to the secular world. In fact, as an actual combat unit, prayer and combat was thoroughly hammered into them. The upper brass aside, none of the people that would be fighting had strong connections to the imperial capital.
Eleanor was indeed from the renowned thirteen martial art families of the east, and she did have some authority in the countryside, but she had little influence in the central region.
