Chapter 210: Buying Time

***Arc 9 One Who Sent Off, Chapter 210 Buying Time***

――14,000 people from nomadic tribes.

No, they had already become 12,000.

"...here too?"

Great Chief Ranu Kalud asked with a grim face, the man who was questioned shook his head.

"Yes. Though...there are a small amount of unripe ones left in the field..."

Passing through the enemy army and entering the royal capital area.

They were supposed to engage in looting and violation to the fullest. However, they were repeatedly met with empty villages.

There was not even a trace of human presence in any of the villages.

While there were minimal supplies left in warehouses and houses, everywhere had already been abandoned——only a mere shell.

The villagers must have evacuated to the city in advance.

In anticipation of them entering the royal capital area.

"What should we do...?"

"Shut up for a moment."

"H-ha..."

His voice was calm, but the man could sense the anger in his voice and shut his mouth.

A gentle face with narrow eyes and a smiling face.

However, Ranu Kalud's nature was that of a ruthless madman.

He would rip open the belly of a pregnant woman, remove her baby, and laugh nonchalantly.

Once touched by his wrath, they would be skinned all over his body and killed, disemboweled alive, or at best their limbs would be torn apart.

Ranu closed his narrow eyes in thought and no one spoke.

Already 2,000 people had fled from this starving army.

More than half of them were killed as an example by him and he managed to maintain discipline, but there were limits to it.

The rich plains of Alberan provide enough food for the horses.

However, humans have their limits.

No matter how many replacement horses they slaughtered to sustain themselves, it wouldn't last long.

Control through fear was essential.

Wife or children, or food if they were enemy territory——without a rope to tie them together, it was impossible to prevent them from escaping.

He had thought that the enemy had allowed them to invade the royal capital area so easily.

But perhaps this was the reason.

Alberan dared to lure Ranu and the others to the royal capital area, aiming to cause them to self-destruct.

Cavalry archers alone cannot breach the fortress walls and capture the city.

The messenger he had sent had not returned.

Was he dead or had he escaped?

No matter what, it wouldn't be easy to escape from here.

"We don't see any enemy reinforcements from the west, right?"

"Yes sir. At leastFor the time being, no——"

"The adjutant general's misjudgment and falling into the enemy's plan. It's impossible for us to remain in the royal capital area any longer——we will break through to the south of Wulfenite and return to His Excellency before we lose any more strength."

There was no other action that could be taken.

The enemy had built forts of 20,000 each in the north and south.

They obediently let them through on the way here, but it probably won't be that easy for the way back.

They were definitely going to stop them.

But it was only 20,000.

If they attacked and came out, it was possible to destroy them.

"If they stayed in the fort, we could slip through, but if they came out to stop us, we would kill them all. If that happens, his Excellency will not complain to me."

If it's a decisive battle on the plains, there was no way they would lose.

With confidence, Ranu asserted, gripping the reins tightly.

"――That little girl!!"

Inside the great tent, the Archduke of the Holy Empire of Elsren, Baszlar Lukazan, slammed his fist down on his desk in a fit of rage.

The simple long desk was crumpled, and the carved wooden cup that had been sitting on it spilled black bean tea onto the ground.

The main commander of the entire army was there, but all the people standing around did not look at Baszlar only looking down.

There were not many people who would want to suffer the unreasonableness of an angry Archduke.

"Hey, bring a new desk."

Only the adjutant General Linkara Walkal calmly told the soldiers beside him.

The morale of the soldiers had completely collapsed. Halting the attack was reasonable.

They had no choice but to do so, even at the disadvantage of giving their opponents a break.

Despite the distance, the stench of death had wafted even until here.

Wulfenite was blocked to the north by the Kurail and to the south by the Calbyas Mountains. The wind passing through this area at this time of year naturally flowed from west to east——it was inevitable.

"It can't be helped, the opponent was better than us."

Linkara said.

"I haven't heard from Kalud who has entered the royal capital area. Is the lack of news a sign that he is fine...or did the messenger have been killed?"

"Don't be silly.... Are you saying that the enemy was aiming to divide us?"

"Possibly. However, they don't seem to be willing to go out into the field at the moment."

The army on the northern wall was also attacked from outside the fortress walls.

Had there been cavalry archers, they might have been able to prevent such destruction, but was that their goal, or was it something else?

"There is a strong possibility that they could have taken advantage of the opportunity and made a detour from the outside. It would be dangerous to attack from the north and south in two separate moves."

Avoiding the eastern part where corpses were left, heading north and south——if they had cavalry archers, they would be able to crush the enemy's head, but it was too dangerous to choose that now without having them on hand.

North and east, or south and east, must be in a position to coordinate immediately, or they risk being split up and destroyed individually.

"Do you still want to continue?"

"Of course. Are you saying it's time to stop?"

"No, I don't think we can just ignore it after they caused so much damage."

He narrowed his eyes and thought.

The other day——that timing where Linkara proposed that was the last chance.

Too much damage had been done to just retreat.

It was like a bad gambling game——the more they lost, the more they couldn't retreat.

"Well, that is with the premise that the situation is not extremely disadvantageous to us but——"

"......What do you mean?"

"That crazy Alberinea's method is really effective--in fact, it's causing such a loss of morale that we have no choice but to retreat. However, it's the same for the soldiers over there."

Linkara said.

"Alberinea easily blocked his Excellency's spear and counterattacked."

"......you"

"——She showed off so much power, and yet no cheers went up. It's a big difference from when she destroyed the trebuchet, and it seems like those soldiers aren't happy either. That kind of approach is a double-edged sword. They're hurting themself too.''

Even though it was an enemy's corpse, they needed to throw it outside with a trebuchet.

There was no doubt that it was inhumane.

And soldiers hate inhumanity.

They were the same people, despite their different principles.

Even if they were pointing swords at each other and killing each other, there was no grudge between the soldiers.

They just happened to live in different lands and countries.

In some aspects, the soldiers that fought each other were rather fellow compatriots living together in the distorted world of the battlefield.

No one would have thought it was right to desecrate the dead if it weren't for personal grudges.

"Let's go with a little more entanglement. No matter what, it will be better than the current situation."

"What, are you planning on luring them with words of condemnation?"

"It's close. It depends on what choice they make."

Stroking his clean-shaven jaw, Linkara narrowed his eyes at him.

"Winning or losing in a siege is ultimately a matter of morale. If the opponent is doing something inhuman, we should take advantage of that. It's simple."

The next morning——from the battle lines of the Elsren Holy Empire, Baszlar Lukazan and Linkara Walkal, accompanied by a few escorts, come out waving a blue flag.

The blue flag, in accordance with the Holy Spirit Covenant, was a negotiation flag indicating a lack of hostility.

Naturally, no one made any aggressive moves, and accompanied by Krische on the Suiko, Nozan Verreich appeared on the city wall above the east central gate.

"What are you doing here, leader of the invaders? Have you finally decided to surrender with the blue flag?"

Northern looked down at Baszlar and said that.

The voice was not rough, but it rings out.

Everyone kept their mouths shut and watched the situation unfold.

"That's stupid. My request is for a one-day ceasefire today——to clean up the battlefield and bury the dead."

Baszlar responded with a laugh and gestured with his left and right hands to the scattered corpses to the east.

Continuously from dusk to dawn, the plain east of the eastern wall was dyed red and black with blood, and covered with over 10,000 corpses.

"Nozan Verreich, I pay my respects to your bravery and valor. I do not deny that you will do everything in your power for the cause of defending your country...However, do you not think this situation is too much?"

As soon as the blue flag was raised, he was able to roughly understand their intention.

Nozan listened in silence, and Baszlar spoke to him like a noble.

"We are from a different country, and our faith is different. However, the corpses of the warriors who fought for the just cause, to be treated like this——doesn't it bother you? Or will you proudly proclaim that this is just and righteous? "

Nozan, uncertain of what to do, glanced at Krische, who was savoring candy sitting atop the Suiko.

Krische noticed the look and pondered for a moment, and replied, 'whichever'.

"No, the person I should asked was not you, but your princess――Alberinea."

Baszlar noticed this and turned his attention to Krische.

Krische who was suddenly confronted and tilted her head.

"...This action was not General Verreich's decision. It is very different from the battles we have fought in the past. The corpses of the warriors were treated roughly and thrown as if they were filth——the rumors that I heard that you are a Cursed Child of the royal family is apparently true.''

"...It would have been better if you hadn't attacked from the beginning――"

"Listen, Wulfenite Soldiers!"

Baszler raised his voice to interrupt Krische's words.

"While you may see this as an invasion, please think of the reasons why all three countries, differing in everything including country and faith, invaded Alberinea! It started with her, Alberinea, disrespecting the Holy Spirit Covenant and trying to monopolize the power of the Holy Spirit!"

Krische groaned 'Muu',

She swallowed the smaller candy and put a new candy in her mouth.

"Alberan is the first to commit lawlessness, and this is Alberinea. Anyone who sees this situation should be able to understand at a glance whether my words are true or not! What is the legitimacy of doing such an outrageous act to the corpses of our warriors!? Killing each other on the battlefield is inevitable, and so is death! However, without the spirit of showing respect to the fallen warriors, the battlefield would become a cesspool covered in sludge!! "

As he said, the place he was standing in was a cesspool covered in sludge.

The organs were scattered so much that they could no longer see the greenery, and the feces and blood were scattered all over the place.

It was over 10,000 corpses――it was only natural.

"All I seek is a minimum level of order on the battlefield! You all should look at this scene with calm eyes for once. Whether this scene created by your commanders is correct or not――is Alberinea truly just?!"

The soldiers on the fortress wall looked at each other, their gazes focused on Krische and Nozan.

Though it had to be done in order to protect the country, it was certainly an atrocity.

Naturally, they felt pity for the bodies scattered around, and they had no intention of puffing my chest out with pride.

"――Alberinea, as the commander of the Alberan army, I request an answer. Do you have no regrets about your actions, or do you still have some human compassion in your heart?"

――A grassland dyed in the color of corpses.

This would be a major problem if the Holy Empire's army continued to attack.

As expected, it is impossible to order the soldiers to attack in this situation.

It will be difficult to maintain morale.

It would have been even worse if the decomposition had progressed further.

It would not be so bad if she were to agree to this.

From there, if they can restart, she wouldn't use the same method again.

If she did not, that was also not bad.

Her soldiers would develop a strong sense of distrust towards her, and if he said that he had been refused, they would be able to once again have the will to fight against the enemy who had committed such atrocities.

After saying this much――no matter which choice she made, the enemy soldiers' recognition of Alberinea will change.

The objective was to speak those words, a psychological strategy aimed at Alberinea personally.

Nozan looked at the soldiers.

It was not a bad idea――aiming for Krische, Baszlar created an atmosphere where Nozan couldn't talk.

It would be easy to make a decision in place of Krische here, but it would only make the soldiers more suspicious of Alberinea.

"How troubling. Krische is not very good at talking..."

As Krische rolled the candy around, she put her hand on her chin, wondering if Kreschenta could take her place just for now.

"Krische just brought the bodies inside the fortress to outside. You guys attacked so Krische couldn't open the gates, so Krische just threw them with a trebuchet. If you wanted to bury it, that's fine, but there are still a lot of corpses inside. If you're talking about cleaning up the battlefield, Krische'd like to do that as well, is that okay? "

Baszler was slightly surprised by her surprisingly honest words, but he didn't show it on his face.

"Well, after all this, what an honest answer, isn't it? Of course, if possible together with the burial on your side."

"In addition, there are currently about 5,000 prisoners of war. In exchange for this return, how about we have a ceasefire for cleaning until tomorrow?"

"So, two days?"

"Yes. There's a lot of blood and flesh splattered around, making it difficult to clean the fortress. We'll be using prisoners to clean the fortress, so they'll be returned tomorrow."

Baszlar looked up at the girl's face and thought.

A straightforward return of prisoners of war, what kind of intention did she have――did she see a limit to the number of provisions?

No, that's impossible. There should be a stockpile enough for three or four months.

Was there any point in buying time?

There was a great possibility of that.

"We don't need two days. One day is enough."

"Well, then, the discussion is over. Let's continue the fight."

Krische said calmly.

"Currently, the place is filled with corpses, but the only ones that have a problem are the attackers. For us, who are holed up, we have an advantageous situation because we don't feel the need to clean up. That's probably why you suggested cleaning up the battlefield."

She smiled elegantly as she stroked the Suiko's neck.

"If you're going to resolve that, then castle cleanup should be the same. In addition, the soldiers here should be given time to rest. If you're going to talk about order or justice, Krische thinks fairness is essential for negotiations."

Her purple eyes just sparkled in the sunlight.

She looked down at Baszler.

"It's just a lot of lame pretenses. Wars are fought to win. And the one who kills the most people and destroys morale wins. ...If we're going to talk about respect for the dead or order, wouldn't it be better to just fight Krische one-on-one and call it a day? "

Hitting the Suiko, it leapt from the top of the fortress wall to the blood-soaked ground.

"If we do that, no more Alberan soldiers or Elsren soldiers will die, and there will only be one corpse left lying around. ...Krische has had enough with this."

Then, Krische landed on the ground and pulled out a sharp curved sword.

Her eyes glow an inorganic purple.

"If you're scared, Krische doesn't mind a one-on-eight fight with the escorts there..."

The sword he thrust at them didn't move at all.

She smiled inorganically, like a doll.

"――In the end, all of your words are just because you want to win. Let's stop using such lame pretenses. Krische is not here because Krische liked it."

Baszlar grabbed the scabbard of his sword in anger, but Linkara stopped him with his hand.

She looked up and down at Baszlar.

"Either accept the proposal or not....The choice is yours, not Krische."

"...You wench."

Baszlar spat in frustration, pulled the reins of his horse, and turned on his heel.

Linkara said while frowning.

"...Fine, Alberinea, the truce will end at dawn the day after tomorrow. The return of the prisoners will be by the end of tomorrow――is that okay?"

"Yes. Krische'll send a messenger as appropriate. The details will be settled there."

"...I swear by the name of the Duke of the Holy Elsren Empire, adjutant general of the Holy Empire army, Linkara Walkal."

"Krische also swears by her name. Then, please return"

Krische thought about how troublesome it was while climbing the Suiko and returned to the fortress wall.

She then called out to Nozan who was there.

"We will rest until dawn the day after tomorrow. General Verreich, please make appropriate arrangements."

"Ha. ...That was splendid."

"Either would have been fine, but...well, this is the end."

Saying that while small yawning a little, Krische stretched.

"Krische, missed breakfast so Krische will return. Around noon――"

"No. Krische-sama can just take the day off today. You must be tired from working all day."

"Hmm...ehehe, then Krische'll take your word for it."

Krische happily answered and then sent Suiko running towards the center of the city.

――With this it's over.

Krische was truly fine with either one.

After the battle in the west was over and the truce was over, 20 days would have passed――the detour to the north had already been completed.

At midnight that day, as she said.

A black shadow descended in the darkness above Wulfenate.