Chapter 95
Viktor only opened his eyes the next morning.
"Are you awake?"
-Thud!
As soon as he opened his eyes, he raised his upper body and rolled his eyes to check the mini-map in the corner, only relaxing after confirming there were no red dots.
"How are you feeling?"
"Refreshed. How long was I asleep for?"
"About a day has passed. Since you haven't been sleeping properly, if you need more time..."
"No, it's fine. Let's get straight to the debriefing. Could you call the officers?"
Anna, who was sitting beside him, narrowed her eyes.
"...I'll call them in two hours."
"Two hours?"
"First, have a meal. I'll bring it right away."
"..."
"Remain lying down."
"...Alright."
"Then, I'll be back shortly."
Viktor, watching Anna's expression, gave in to her insistence and lay back down.
"It's stew. Please eat it after it cools..."
"General! Are you alright? Anna was very worried!"
Anna returned with a bowl of stew, along with Erika who had been wandering around.
"As an adjutant, it's natural to worry, isn't it?"
"She was saying things like this has never happened before, what if something serious..."
"That never happened! Here's your spoon."
"Well, not coming out of the tent, just waiting for the General to wake up... Ah, I got it!"
"Thank you, Anna."
"...It's my job to assist you, General."
Anna bowed her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, and Viktor silently picked up the spoon.
---
As a figure described as the kingdom's hope in the game, Sancho Gonzales was certainly a tough opponent.
It had been a very long time since I had stayed up all night not just doing simulations, but commanding for several days straight.
Without coffee or energy drinks, after about a week of not sleeping properly, it was hard to even keep my eyes open.
Moreover, as the Esperian kingdom's regular army was quite elite and their overall movements were good, I couldn't take my eyes off for even a moment if I wanted to reduce our casualties.
If we hadn't brought guns, we would have had to expect much greater losses.
It was fortunate that I had managed to finish giving follow-up instructions while pinching my thighs to stay awake.
"I'll report on our casualties."
After being forced to rest for about two hours due to Anna watching me with fiery eyes, I called the officers to summarize the battle.
"1st Infantry Regiment: 18 deaths, 135 wounded."
The 1st Infantry Regiment, which had only brief initial clashes and conducted one-sided attacks like pursuit and ambush, had very few casualties, and,
"2nd Infantry Regiment: 139 deaths, 623 wounded."
"Cavalry: 48 deaths, 142 wounded."
"How severe are the injuries?"
"Most are minor injuries."
"Those with severe injuries will be transported to Mannzheim separately. The tents where they stay should be kept as clean as possible and frequently ventilated."
"Understood."
The 2nd Infantry Regiment and Cavalry, which had clashed with the fierce resistance of the enemy's left wing, had comparatively more casualties.
A now somewhat familiar uneasiness passed through me.
"Are the soldiers resting well?"
"Yes. Currently, we've set up a camp at this point where Al Berdo Pass ends."
"Is the supply situation alright?"
"Many soldiers who engaged in close combat had issues with their firearms, so we replaced 1,500 guns. We have enough food, but if the battle continues to be prolonged, we might run short on bullets and gunpowder."
"Hmm..."
Throughout the debriefing, the officers kept looking at me with expectant eyes.
They weren't trying to pressure me, but their bodies were swaying or their faces were flushed, as if they couldn't contain their excited feelings.
"We've requested supplies. Additional supplies have arrived in Mannzheim, and we're preparing to transport them."
"I see."
So, after confirming that there were no problems,
"What's the situation with enemy casualties?"
I mentioned the main point they were likely expecting.
"Assuming the enemy's left and right wings were of equal size, Count Sancho Gonzales' forces are estimated to have totaled about 30,000."
As if he had been waiting for my words, Alexandrov immediately stepped forward and spoke.
I knew from the tactical map that the enemy forces were about 28,000, but I didn't bother to mention it out loud.
"Most of the enemy's left wing and center collapsed, with enemy casualties estimated at around 13,000. There are 7,000 prisoners, including 3,000 who surrendered. Most of those who surrendered were mercenaries."
"Hmm."
"In addition, there are about 2,000 deserters that Sancho Gonzales couldn't recover. Sancho Gonzales retreated to the Ceres Gate with about 12,000 troops."
Compared to the Red Dragon Corps, which had about a thousand casualties, the kingdom's army had lost well over half of its forces.
Instead of further engagement, the retreating forces had withdrawn all the way to the rear Ceres Gate.
"...This is our victory."
This was a great victory for our Red Dragon Corps.
"Woooooh!"
"We believed in you!"
"Yahoo!"
Some officers burst into cheers, and,
"Ha, I really thought we were going to die."
"Easy for you to say."
"...Who was it that collapsed while dripping with sweat?"
"...Hah."
Those who had particularly struggled, including the scout units, let out sighs of relief and relaxed their bodies.
I sat quietly in my seat, waiting for the excitement to subside before mentioning the next battle, and,
"Of course, not all battles are over yet."
After everyone had sat back down, I tried to stand up, leaning on the desk, but.
"...Hmm."
My arms were shaking, and my legs wouldn't support me properly.
"...General."
"Ah, I'm sorry."
"It's alright."
With help from Anna, who was standing beside me, I sat back down.
"You really should have rested for one more day."
"...Is that so?"
"...?"
I looked at the officers sitting around me.
It was just hidden by the joy of victory.
Although their uniforms were neat as it was the day after the battle, signs of fatigue that hadn't yet disappeared were visible in their gestures and expressions.
...If even I, who hadn't even been on the battlefield, felt tired.
"The soldiers who traversed rough terrain must need rest too."
"...General."
Although I dislike rest.
At least now, it wasn't the time to move hastily.
"For now, we'll observe the movements of the 5th Corps and the kingdom's army for a few more days, and march to the Ceres Gate after additional supplies arrive."
"Understood."
Although it would be good to move quickly if possible, now that we had secured Al Cante and Al Berdo Pass, we could afford to take it easy.
After setting a more relaxed schedule, I dismissed the meeting.
After sending off the officers and returning to my tent, I was resting while pushing away complicated feelings when.
"A letter from the Grand Marshal."
"...Hmm?"
Anna entered the tent carrying a letter.
The letter from Gerhart contained information about suspicious movements of the southern elf kingdoms and the war that had broken out between dwarves and elves.
It also included lamentations about the difficulty in grasping the situation due to the closed nature of the Ecrini Kingdom and elf nations, and a request for my opinion on the situation.
"..."
Although it was fragmentary information, there were some things that stood out.
While dwarves have always had bad relations with elves, a situation where even high elves, who never move unless attacked first and sometimes don't move even when attacked, are going on the offensive is one of two things.
Either orders have come down from the World Tree they serve.
Or guarding important points has lost its meaning.
If it's the former, it's likely a precursor to the 'Wrath of the Forest' crisis related to elves.
In the game, this was an event where several high elves suddenly appeared and invaded surrounding countries using their terrible mobility and combat power.
Fortunately, unlike other crises, elves are particularly exclusionary, often fighting even among elf nations.
Although high elves are very tricky to deal with, it's one of the crises that can be easily passed by taking advantage of the situation.
If it's the latter, the situation becomes a bit more serious.
In the rear of the elves, at the southeastern edge of the continent, there are orc nations.
High elves moving because they've lost places to protect means that orcs have invaded the elves and pushed them out.
In this case, high elves often try to break through by attacking human or dwarf nations that seem relatively easier, instead of fighting strong orcs.
It's truly a crazy idea, but the elves in the game always open two-front wars and self-destruct in this way.
...Anyway.
Usually, elves are strong enough to push back orc nations, so if elves are being pushed back, it should be seen as a precursor to an orc-related crisis.
The 'Great Clash' where a champion orc appears and orcs unite, or the 'Black Dragon' where a polymorphed dragon like Louise randomly absorbs factions and grows that faction.
Either way, it's not easy to deal with.
Orcs are just a strong race in themselves, and unlike Louise who causes trouble with low probability, the 'Black Dragon' is fair and square to the end even if defeated, but it grows its faction quickly and fights well.
I remember it was set to fly over the battlefield and directly command battles, and it's a crisis that's difficult to overcome if not nipped in the bud.
"...It seems the next battlefield has been decided."
"...?"
After writing content about checking the movements of orc nations and preparing for enemy raids, and delivering it to a messenger.
I felt a strange satisfaction at the fact that the next battlefield had been decided.
"The situation on the southeastern front is strange. Once we settle the Esperian Kingdom, we'll probably be dispatched there."
"..."
An unbearable sense of guilt kept piling up in my heart, but if there was work left to do, I could use it as an excuse to suppress it.
---
Meanwhile,
"Count Gonzales? What's the matter?"
"...I have been defeated."
Sancho arrived in Ordova, dragging his tired body and tattered armor.