After the assassination of the saint failed, Blanche the War Princess snorted in displeasure.
“It can’t be helped if it can’t be done.”
How would they fight against the new emergent power in the north? They still had to deal with the goblins too. It was truly a headache-inducing problem.
At this time, she was confused.
They were supposed to hold negotiations with the goblins after defeating them once.
That was how the Holy Shushunu Kingdom had done things until now, and it’s always worked. But this method didn’t work against them at all. It was a regretful thing, but with the negotiations having broken down, she had no choice but to acknowledge her faults.
She’s been able to make the minor nations follow her as much as she wanted until now. She didn’t want to change her methods, so the appearance of a coalition of minor nations behind her country was a troublesome existence.
They had to be destroyed. This was the stance of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom, and Blanche also fully agreed with it. The current situation existed only because the countries participating in the coalition carefully wove their schemes.
“If possible, I would like to have the soldiers of the minor nations, but…”
The coalition that proclaimed they will save the world… Blanche wondered if it would be possible to seize the initiative and get them to join her, but she just couldn’t seem to organize her thoughts.
Saint Reshia Fel Zeal.
If things play out poorly, she might even influence the people of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom.
According to the information she’s gathered, the faith surrounding the saint had spread so great it was akin to a curse. Nowadays, the soldiers and people of the minor nations even wanted her to be their king moreso than their current royalties.
The soldiers of the minor nations were fundamentally reserves. They were loyal soldiers who swore to protect their country despite knowing that they were much weaker than the major nations, and yet such people supported her to that extent.
Evidently, the saint was too dangerous to work with.
But the plan to remove her has already failed and organizing a large-scale attack with the army would expose their backs to the goblins.
Because of that there really was no other choice but to defeat the goblins first.
Fortunately, they haven’t officially opened hostilities with the minor nations just yet. Peace can be regained once the goblins have been defeated. First, the goblins, and then them.
But putting that aside… Something had to be done about the lack of soldiers since her request for reinforcements has been rejected.
Dismina and Ramana may be minor nations, but their failure to participate left a big hole.
“Perhaps the heads of the officials from earlier ought to be returned to the king.”
After ordering her feeble aide, she changed to a formal dress to meet the king. She wanted permission to go to Dismina and Ramana herself.
“How will the west be defended in your absence?”
On her way to the palace, the feeble aide asked her that, and she answered listlessly.
“I’ll leave it to you. Use the slaves and dig some holes for the goblins.”
“You mean to imitate the goblins?”
“We have to use what works.”
“As you will.”
The feeble aide, Mehran Le Coude, received the orders of the War Princess and began the construction of the trenches. The plan to nullify the advantage of cavalries progressed steadily. The Goblin King once built an encampment with trenches in front of it via Felduk. One glance at that was all Blanche needed to realize its usefulness, and she used the same plan to deal with the goblins.
At the same time, she pointed her swordValkyria at the Kushain Believers.
She took out funds from the Ririnoie Household to pay the appropriate rewards through the guild and the special compensation to show appreciation for the soldiers that died. After that she put up another request. The young hero of the Kushain Believers, Vilan Do Zul. She didn’t know if that was merely an empty reputation or the man actually had the ability to back his name up, but despite being reluctant to make a decision, she sent the people she trusted and exercised caution.
As she headed toward another battlefield, she steadily made preparations.
◆◇◆
In the course of searching for the whereabouts of the War Princess, Pale received word that the War Princess left on a diplomatic errand to a neighboring country. As soon as she learned that, she immediately had her soldiers prepare.
“Just Felduk and Zaurosh-dono’s cavalry will do. They don’t have to be many either. Whatever number they can sortie with will do.”
The goblins didn’t understand why she was in such a hurry, but she didn’t have the time to explain. She hurried them along and departed for battle with Gi Gu Verbena.
“We will prepare the battlefield to end this war. Please tell His Majesty to rest for the meantime.”
After saying that, Pale led the soldiers like a gust of wind. Felduk had 2,000 soldiers, 300 cavalry, and 100 elven warriors. It was a small army.
The one who met them on the battlefield was Blanche’s aide, Mehran Le Coude.
He was someone from the Sorcerer Cavalry (Mana Guard) and was discovered by the previous War Princess. He didn’t have many soldiers under him. There were 1,500 slaves from the east, 1,500 soldiers from the Sorcerer Cavalry (Mana Guard), and his private army of 200.
His job was the construction of the trenches.
After receiving a detailed blueprint from the War Princess, he immediately set out to make it happen. He hasn’t experienced that many battles just yet, but he has acquired plenty of experience as the aide of the War Princess. With the exception of the War Princess herself, he could be said to be the best commander of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom.
The two armies confronted each other across the encampment with trenches, but while they threw stones and cast spells at each other, they never truly clashed. Three days later, Pale ordered a retreat and split her army.
Even as they continued to play their role in this confrontation, Pale didn’t forget to move the southern frontlines.
While their two armies were clashing, Aransain and Zailduk, who have been looking for an opportunity to move out all this time, were ordered to attack.
Their objective was to take Gi Jii’s siege weapons to various cities and make those cities surrender. Zailduk picked out beasts that excelled in pulling heavy things to transport the siege weapons, while Aransain surrounded them and acted as their escorts.
They immediately put to use their siege weapons, but just when they were about to make a city fall, an order to withdraw from Pale arrived, and they had to leave.
Gi Ga Rax and Gi Gi Orudo were unhappy that she didn’t let them finish the job when they were so close. They told her that through the messenger, and her response couldn’t be terser.
“Tactics mustn’t be leaked.”
The imperial seal of the king, Black SunAlrod, was stamped onto the message, so as unhappy as the two goblins were about her response, they could only keep mum.
After that she continued to dispatch her forces to attack while the War Princess was away, but regardless which attack it was, it seemed she was never concerned with getting the enemy to surrender in the first place.
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