Chapter 35
Northwest of the Lionel Kingdom lay the Dakan Plateau.
There, an army of one hundred thousand Lionel soldiers faced the Demon King's army of fifty thousand.
General Gare had established his main camp on high ground and surveyed the battlefield below.
Infantry advanced in formation, raising battle cries, while ten thousand arrows filled the air and cavalry kicked up clouds of dust.
Three days had already passed since hostilities began, but the battle seesawed, and the conflict remained at a stalemate.
The human army linked its shields and fortified its defenses again today. Whenever our troops broke through the defensive wall, reserve troops from the rear were sent in, immediately stemming their losses while rebuilding it. Their movements were masterful, but they never went on the offensive, continuing to strengthen their defenses.
"Ah, come on! If you're going to attack, then attack already! This is driving me crazy!"
At the main camp, Galios scratched his head and shouted in his booming voice.
But the officers gathered there, Gare foremost among them, said nothing. Gami, who was there to keep an eye on him, did not admonish the noisy Galios, either.
The enemy was indeed employing passive tactics, remaining entirely on the defensive without attacking.
But Gare had no intention of underestimating them as cowards. Nor did he intend to shout like Galios.
The enemy's actions were textbook strategy. They were strengthening their defenses and watching to see how we would respond. The defensive line had seams, and although they were striving to make their units uniform, there were still differences in strength among them.
Given enough time, it was possible to discern the habits and personalities of their commanders, so they were still in the probing stage.
Besides, our logistics were far from adequate, and contact with our homeland had been severed. Of course, we had ample provisions, but even if we took our time, the enemy would suffer no disadvantage. Making it seem that we intended a long war was another means of unsettling us. Rather than passive, their strategy was simply faithful to the fundamentals.
"Hey, Gare, let's just charge already. I'll lead the way and mow them down!"
Galios shouted again, but Gare ignored him this time as well.
Anyone with even a little knowledge of military strategy would understand this, but tactics of this sort were completely beyond Galios.
This went beyond mere stupidity.
Looking slightly downward, Gare spotted a particularly huge group among the soldiers defending the main camp.
Only three hundred soldiers gathered beneath the red comet flag. Yet they were not lost among the fifty thousand troops; their imposing presence literally towered above the rest.
They were the Galios Corps, led by Galios.
Also known as the Giant Corps, its soldiers possessed the superhuman strength their appearance suggested, and they were all bold, fearless warriors. Every one of them was a peerless warrior, each the equal of a thousand men. Three hundred people capable of serving as a general in any army had gathered there.
With Galios at its head, no opponent could stand against this corps. Even against a powerful knightly order, it could smash straight through them with effortless ease.
No tactics were needed. They could simply collide with the enemy and win. There was no way they could understand probing maneuvers, feints, or psychological pressure.
What a brat.
Gare acknowledged Galios's strength, but to him, Galios was nothing more than a child who did nothing but boast of his strength.
And he was pitiable, too.
Born for battle, fond of conflict and in love with war, he nevertheless understood nothing of what made the battlefield so fascinating.
He had drunk so deeply of the wine of victory that he still did not know its true flavor.
In war, indirect tactics were more important than anything else.
An enemy commander versed in military strategy and rich in experience could not be defeated by a frontal attack; one had to strike from behind.
But the opponent would be on guard against that as well, so simply trying to get around to the rear would not succeed.
Only by employing various stratagems and confusing the enemy with attacks that blended feints with genuine blows could one create a psychological blind spot—a dead angle. That was where one struck.
Of course, a battlefield never moved exactly as one imagined it would.
With more than ten thousand soldiers clashing, while veteran commanders and soldiers and talented staff officers poured their hearts and souls into the fight, things rarely went according to plan.
War was not easily controlled. That was the nature of a battlefield.
And that was precisely why, when one managed to make an unruly battlefield move according to one's will, the taste of victory surpassed every wine.
Gare acknowledged that Galios's strength was unrivaled, but on the game board, he was nothing more than a powerful piece.
A lion roaring furiously within the squares. It was both endearing and pitiable.
In Gare's view, their current opponent was a fairly capable player.
A commander always kept a final move hidden. Gare could not see what it was.
Though entirely on the defensive, the opponent had by no means lost the will to attack. Judging by the commander's temperament, the enemy leader was likely a fierce general who preferred fighting at the front. Yet the commander was shrewd enough to restrain that ardor and keep their intentions unreadable.
By making us expect a long war, the enemy might suddenly launch an all-out attack and target the main camp the moment we let our guard down.
This opponent looked like fun.
"General Gare, I have a request."
While surveying the battlefield, Gare was approached by a huge warrior. The warrior seemed to be some kind of squad leader.
"What is it? Return to your post."
"I have a request, General. Please allow me to transfer to Galios-sama's unit."
Hearing the soldier's plea, Gare let out a sigh. Again.
Galios's presence raised morale, but it also caused more troublesome people like this to appear.
"All right. Do as you like. Galios, this man wants to join your unit."
"Hm? Oh, sure. But you know the condition, right?"
Galios held up his fist.
Although the Galios Corps gathered only huge soldiers, physical size was not actually a requirement for joining.
The requirement was simple, and there was only one: take a punch from Galios and remain standing. That was all.
"I understand."
The soldier nodded and clasped his hands behind his back. He spread his legs and clenched his teeth.
"Then here goes."
Galios's fist seemed to harden like rock, and his enormous body swelled to an even greater size.
His muscles, already stretched to the point of bursting, swelled even further, expanding to an unbelievable degree. The breastplate he wore creaked, and the steel chains holding it together shrieked.
The sheer concentration of power made even Gare catch his breath. Even Demon King-sama held Galios's strength in high regard, and the destruction and savagery hidden within him were reminiscent even of the primordial dragons of old.
"Eek."
Overcome by the pressure, the soldier who had steeled himself moments earlier froze in fear, lost his nerve, and took a slight step backward.
Idiot.
The sound of flesh being crushed overlapped with Gare's silent curse.
What remained was a soldier whose face had been crushed and whose neck bones had twisted, leaving no trace of his original features.
If he had not been cowed by fear and had resisted with all his strength, he might at least have had a chance of enduring the blow.
"What, he's dead? He was nothing special."
Galios looked down at the dead soldier with bored disdain.
"Not many people can withstand your punch."
That was about the tenth one already. Not only had none been accepted; not one had even survived.
"Enough, Galios. We can't afford to keep losing soldiers."
Because of this recruitment policy, perfectly capable soldiers were being needlessly lost, which was a serious problem.
"Can't be helped. They said they wanted to join. Besides, what's the difference if there are a bunch of weak guys?"
Gare gazed at the battlefield, exasperated by Galios's habit of reducing everything to simple terms.
"Hm?"
There was movement on their side as well. The enemy's formation was beginning to change.
Apparently, they had a plan. Seeing the opponent's move, Gare's lips curled into a faint smile.