Chapter 268 - Chapter Eleven: The Gram Royal Capital Capture Battle
The Medioland army of about eight thousand, which had approached the outskirts of the Gram royal capital, was facing off against the Gram army of about four thousand.
Since the Medioland army had been stationing soldiers in various places to secure supply lines since breaking through the border, the field army had decreased by about two thousand. On the other hand, the Gram army, with the royal capital at its back, could increase temporary conscripts if they felt like it. Moreover, the north of both armies was a river and the south was hills, and they had occupied those hills to set up camp. The Medioland army tried to break through the midpoint between the river and the hills, but they gave up and retreated because the hills had been occupied first.
Two weeks had passed in a standoff. Both sides were digging moats, tying fences, and constructing positions. At this rate, Medioland, which had come from far away, was at a disadvantage.
"James-sama. At this rate, our army will be at a disadvantage. Would it not be better to take some action?"
The Medioland army, which had advanced almost without opposition until now, was losing morale due to the stagnation. On the other hand, the Gram army, with the royal capital at its back, was growing more vigorous day by day, and as if to provoke them, groups of light cavalry approached the front of the camp and were trying to lure them out by lining up insults and slander.
James was telling them not to go out, but the soldiers were also getting on edge. As one of the staff members said, it might be nearing the limit.
Inevitably, James gathered his staff.
"We will launch a night battle. Have the soldiers eat their meals earlier than usual. The advance will begin with light infantry selected from each unit."
On the other hand, the commander of the unit occupying the hilly area and building positions quickly sensed the movement of the Medioland army.
"What do you think? It appears the enemy is eating their meals earlier than usual."
The commander of the position was a fat noble, and he had been given veterans of the magic corps, including a super-high-level mage, as staff.
"Yes, it must be preparation for a night battle. I suspect they intend to break through the front under the cover of darkness."
"I thought so too. Let's send a messenger to the main body immediately. If the hero James is going to make a night raid, we must prepare a welcome."
They immediately sent a messenger and, as soon as the sun went down, moved some of the soldiers halfway down the hill and prepared for a flank attack.
Gram's scouts were descending to the foot of the hill under the cover of the night's darkness to reconnoiter. They would launch a semi-encircling offensive from two directions along with their own field positions.
In the middle of the night, when they listened closely, footsteps could be heard.
"They're here. Raise the fire arrows."
"Here they come."
Simultaneously with the raising of the fire arrows, cheers could be heard from atop the fortress. The magic soldiers stationed halfway up the hill released fire magic as if it were a light source. Naturally, a magic barrier was deployed, but the point was just to illuminate the opponent.
As expected, the Medioland army was approaching. The fire magic was blocked by the magic barrier and went out midway, but the military formation became clearly visible. Perhaps having become desperate, they raised a shout and started running.
"Enemy first wave confirmed. Number is approximately four thousand. Light infantry only. No follow-up confirmed. Inform the main body with a magic circle."
"Here they come."
"Light infantry only, you say? Good, send out the cavalry. After scattering them all at once, deploy the infantry and annihilate them."
It was an instruction from the King himself. The royal capital would be defended at all costs. The staff flew out of the tent and conveyed the instructions to the commanders of each unit.
Immediately, the cavalry set out. Their number was about a thousand. If it was four thousand light infantry, they would be no match. They could be trampled all at once.
At the same time, fire arrows were raised from the river. The Gram army thought this was their own scouts.
However, these were scouts sent by the Medioland army, who had approached by clinging to trees and floating down the river.
All at once, the Medioland infantry turned around and fled toward their own side.
The Gram cavalry, riding the momentum, gave chase.
It was just as they were about to strike at the rear of the infantry.
Arrows were released all at once from the flank.
The Medioland army had advanced only the archers from behind the infantry and had positioned them on the flank midway.
Under the flank attack from the darkness, the Gram cavalry were struck down one after another and fell from their horses.
The enemy infantry, illuminated by their own magic soldiers, were fleeing. Not realizing that the vanguard had been caught in a pincer attack, the Gram cavalry continued their advance while in confusion.
They realized they had been hooked around the time heavy infantry appeared from behind the light infantry.
They deployed a wall of spears, obstructing the cavalry's charge.
"No, retreat. We've been trapped."
As they hurriedly turned their horses and retreated, the Medioland army's cavalry chased them from behind.
First the light cavalry, then the heavy cavalry.
The nimble light cavalry chased the retreating Gram cavalry while keeping a certain distance. Neither the magic soldiers nor the archers could aim for fear of hitting their own.
During that time, a magic attack was launched from above the hilly positions. The opponent was the super-high-level mage James. He deployed Magic Barrier, and even Magic Reflection, protecting his allies. As a result, the Gram army stationed on the hills became unable to use magic attacks.
At the foot of the hill, the Medioland cavalry charged after the fleeing Gram cavalry and entered the positions just like that.
James, on horseback, fired Flame repeatedly, setting fire to the groups of tents. The heavy cavalry trampled the Gram soldiers who were fleeing after being hit by the counterattack.
After rampaging for about half an hour, they once exited the positions.
James, approaching the river, delivered the finishing blow with Maelstrom. The confused Gram soldiers were swallowed by the flood along with the burning tents and washed away.
During the withdrawal, when James fired two rounds of Crevasse toward the top of the hill, a huge fissure occurred. Next, when he fired Colossus Collapse, a landslide occurred.
They probably hadn't expected him to aim even further below where they were. It became a blind spot for the magic barrier.
The Gram soldiers on the hill were conscripts. They were confused and fled after being hit by super-high-level magic.
If the ground beneath their feet collapsed, magic barriers meant nothing.
As if to accelerate the confusion, magic soldiers in bowls were scattering lightning magic.
The light infantry of the Medioland army, who had been fleeing, took advantage of the Gram army's confusion and the darkness of the night to climb the hill just like that and carried out a night raid. They drove away the Gram army, and by dawn, the Medioland flag was flying.
"We meet again."
James, who had taken up a position on the hill, was meeting with the fat noble who had become a prisoner.
He had apparently been caught after falling behind while letting his allies escape, centered around the super-high-level mage.
"It is a truly pathetic story, but as you can see, I am a fragment of the Gram nobility. I demand treatment as a knight."
At his attitude of being as unrepentant as ever, James couldn't help but let a smile escape.
"I have released you until now. However, this time, I shall have you detained as a prisoner. Of course, I promise treatment as a knight."
"Will you not release me this time?"
At the gesture of his shoulders slumping, the staff burst out laughing.
"You seem to be quite the strategist. In a sense, I must thank you."
"Thank me? What do you mean?"
The fat noble tilted his head. He should have cornered the Medioland army.
"You saw through our army's night raid and made preparations. The result is this state of affairs."
The Medioland army had occupied the hilly area, and the Medioland army had entered the positions the Gram army had retreated from before dawn. There was only plain land up to the royal capital. Since it was terrain where the difference in military strength would tell, unless something extraordinary happened, Medioland would likely win in a field battle.
"Then, are you saying that Gram lost because of my assessment?"
"No, that is not it. It is because of the poor command of the Gram main body. When our army approached the Gram positions, the Gram army sent out cavalry. What would you have done?"
The fat noble said he would have drawn them to the positions, had a shooting battle with magic soldiers and archers, and sent out only enough troops to scatter them in time with the opponent's retreat.
"I think so too. In fact, I had prepared means to counter that. The point was to drag you out of the positions and bring you into a melee. Of course, even if it succeeded, there would have been corresponding damage. However, the Gram army sent out cavalry first. They probably intended to crush the infantry and sap our will to fight, but it only saved us the trouble of dragging them out. The result is as you see. Besides, if you hadn't seen through our army's intent, our light infantry might have ended up in a melee within the positions. Of course, the night raid would have succeeded. However, in that case too, there would have been damage. In other words, it was your certain tactical eye and the poor command of the main body that brought our army an overwhelming victory."
"In other words, you let me see through the fact that you were going to make a night raid."
James nodded while smiling.
Seeing that, the fat noble spread his hands and looked up at the sky.
At that gesture, James's staff burst out laughing again.
The core of the Medioland army was starting to feel a fondness for this fat noble.
In the offense and defense of the fortresses along the way, he had quickly seen through James's attacks and evacuated the residents to a safe place.
He had guided James to a place where they could fight by utilizing the terrain.
And even now, he had let his allies, centered on the conscripts, escape, and as a result, he himself had been caught.
If this man had been a staff member of the Gram King, last night's night battle would not have been won so easily.
"I intend to have the Gram King depart from this land. At that time, there will be no one to pay your ransom. If that happens, what will you do?"
"You may do as you like, whether it be beheading or exile. If possible, I want my family to be saved."
"Will you not join our army? Your territory will be guaranteed. I want you to become my staff member."
"I am truly grateful for your kindness, but as you can see, I am a fragment of a knight. Having sworn loyalty to His Majesty, I will only follow him as long as I have life."
"I see. That is a pity."
The fat noble was restrained and led away.
While continuing to stay near the royal capital, information came in that Finis had captured the Septanaquila royal capital.
"With this, we have won."
As if to prove James's murmur, within a few days, the vanguard of the Northern Gram army appeared on the opposite bank of the river. The Gram King was overjoyed, but Northern Gram's proposal was for him to surrender.
"What is the meaning of this! Our country and Northern Gram are, so to speak, like brothers. Why can we not fight together!"
"The opponent is too strong. At this rate, both brothers will be destroyed."
The Northern Gram ambassador, who served as the messenger, tried to soothe the enraged King. If he were careless, he might be cut down in anger. His own tongue was his only weapon and armor.
"Fortunately, our country has formed a strong military alliance with Finis, and the Princess who married into Finis has given birth to an heir. Although the priority is low, that person holds the right of succession to our country's throne. That Finis and Medioland have formed an alliance."
"Alliance? Is that true?"
"Yes. Since it was a secret pact, it was not made public. I too only learned of it just now."
It was a fact. Northern Gram had a faint inkling, but it became clear at the meeting held between the Crown Princes of Finis and Northern Gram after the fall of Septanaquila.
The Gram King looked at the super-high-level mage waiting at his side, but the mage closed his eyes and nodded.
In other words, it was not a lie.
"In less than a month, the Finis army will rush here as reinforcements for Medioland. At that time, our country will be forced to maintain neutrality. We have a Non-Aggression Alliance with Medioland, after all."
"A Non-Aggression Alliance? When was that formed!"
"Four years ago. Previously, our country formed an alliance with Finis and invaded Septanaquila. However, despite Medioland reinforcing the enemy, your country did not send reinforcements based on our friendship. You should know that as a result, part of our country's territory was stolen by Septanaquila. At that time, our country made a humiliating surrender to Septanaquila and Medioland and formed a Non-Aggression Alliance. Surely, you have not forgotten?"
That was exactly right. At that time, Gram had been terrified of the Medioland army stationed at the border and had not only done nothing but had allowed the Medioland army to station troops in their own port.
"B-but, you are at war with Septanaquila, are you not?"
"Naturally. Since the land of our ancestors was stolen. We must take it back even if we break an alliance. And we have a promise with Finis."
"Then, if you also break the promise with Medioland..."
"Are you telling our country to be destroyed! Even without doing such a thing, the territorial issues between our country and Finis have already been resolved, so Finis's southward advance will stop. Even Medioland is a country that values faith, and they are a country with which we have no mutual interests. They would not do something like breaking a Non-Aggression Alliance themselves. In other words, by maintaining neutrality, our country can achieve the co-existence and co-prosperity that are the teachings of the Goddess-sama. Why must we brothers go out of our way to walk the path of destruction together!"
The Gram King, who was weak-willed to begin with, was overwhelmed by the Northern Gram ambassador.
Here, the Northern Gram ambassador paused and lowered the tone of his voice.
"Your Majesty. Do you know that our country's Crown Prince Eowyn-sama is being invaded by a disease?"
"Yeah, of course, I know. If I recall, it was that... a disease that affects his life?"
The name of the disease was withheld in public.
"Yes. However, a new treatment for that disease was developed in Sertoria and was brought to our country for the Crown Prince's treatment free of charge through the cooperation of Finis and Medioland. It appears Eowyn-sama's condition is heading toward recovery day by day. The King is very pleased. As a country, we simply cannot do something like breaking the alliance against Medioland. It would go against faith as a human, not just as a country."
If that were true, they probably couldn't break the alliance.
The Gram King, who gave up on reinforcements after thinking so, was likely a kind person as a human, even if not as a King.
"I understand," the Gram King said.
However, he said there was a condition.
"What might it be? As a friendship between brother nations, I shall negotiate with Medioland to have our country take custody of Your Majesty's person."
"That sort of thing doesn't matter. The problem is the name of the Gram Royal Family."
"The name of the Royal Family?"
"Yes. If Eowyn-dono recovers, he will likely succeed to the throne of Northern Gram. I shall abdicate. And I shall cede the title of the Gram Royal Family along with the royal capital to Eowyn-dono. The condition is that Northern Gram and Gram be integrated, and that the name of the Gram Royal Family be preserved. When Eowyn-dono is enthroned, I want him to surely make it a unified Royal Family as the Kingdom of Gram."
"Y-you do not mind?"
"Yeah. I do not mind at all."
Northern Gram was originally a country started by a vassal of Septanaquila. To obtain backing, they received a male of the Gram Royal Family as a husband for their daughter and had him succeed to the throne. As a result, they came to be called brother nations. In other words, Gram was the head family. The Crown Prince of Northern Gram would succeed to that title. It was an honorable thing for Northern Gram.
In July of the 194th year of the Sertoria Kingdom calendar, the Gram King thus retired, and the throne was taken over by the Northern Gram Crown Prince Eowyn. The territory was roughly divided into east and west, and the western half became Medioland territory. The King, who departed from the Gram royal capital, fled to Northern Gram and was welcomed as one of the royal family. Most of the vassal nobles served Medioland. The fat noble who had struggled to challenge James to a match followed the King and left for the land of Northern Gram with his family.
In effect, another country disappeared from the map of the island.