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CHAPTER 5 WARS OF NATIONS – Episode 6 Summoned (Part 2)

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Afterwards, the knights of the Frontier Knight Order came to visit and exchanged greetings. In the end, they moved to a large room and spent the whole night drinking and talking. When they learned that Bard and Karz had gone to meet the Queen of Manuno, everyone was astonished.

“W-wait, so you’re saying that the two of you alone defeated the Queen of Manuno?!”

Someone asked. Hearing that, Bard realized the difference in perception between the knights of the Frontier Knight Order and himself.

Naturally, knights are individuals who make a living through battle. In battle, allies and enemies can switch depending on the situation. Knights who fought as enemies yesterday may fight side by side today. Knights who helped each other today may kill each other tomorrow. Therefore, even if they killed their own allies, they must let go of their hatred once the battle is over. At least, that is what chivalry demands. After a war, they do not seek out and kill enemies who killed their allies. There is no honor in such a fight. However, if the enemy fought in a cowardly or unnecessarily cruel manner, it is a different story. Those who behave in such a way can be openly declared as “enemies,” and if given the opportunity, a honorable duel can be proposed.

Bard thought that the knights of the Frontier Knight Order would be the same in this regard. But in this case, it was actually Bard’s way of thinking that was abnormal. It was abnormal for Bard to look at the Queen of Manuno, an abnormal being, with the eyes of a knight looking at another knight.

Realizing this, Bard explained, “No, I didn’t go for revenge. I went to confirm why the Manuno launched such an attack.”

He then conveyed the gist of his meeting with the queen. The large-scale invasion by the demonic beasts was indeed carried out under the Queen of Manuno’s command, but it was not her will. She was forced by someone else. He obtained her promise that Manuno would never again lead demonic beasts to attack humans. He also mentioned that the preparation for the demonic beasts takes a long time.

Bard did not mention that he had freed the Queen of Manuno from the burden in her heart. He knew that the truth of the ancient magic sword, taught to him by the late Zendatta, should not be spoken of lightly. He also did not talk about the person who forced the queen or the person who manipulated humans with a mysterious power to assist in the invasion of Shinkai. The information was too uncertain.

But for the knights of the Frontier Knight Order, it was enough. Just the fact that Bard risked his life to meet the Queen of Manuno and obtained her promise that she would no longer use demonic beasts to attack humans. The sacrifice was not in vain. The tragic defense battle was not in vain. They could understand that much.

Jurchaga also talked about the situation of the Shinkai invasion. It seemed that he had kept his mouth shut about where he had been and what he had been doing until he reported to Bard. That also attracted everyone’s attention. In the end, they slept until dawn and departed before noon. Just before their departure, a summons arrived. It was brought by one official and two knights, who had gone out of their way to deliver it.

“I would like to inquire about something, so Bard Rowen, former Grand General, is requested to return to the capital immediately and report to the royal palace,” it was written. That was fine, but strangely enough, while the name of the document’s author was mentioned, it did not state who was summoning him. When Bard showed it to College Dolby, the acting commander of the Frontier Knight Order, he furrowed his brow and said, “This document’s author is the secretary of the Council of Ministers, but the wording is more like a summons to an inquiry, isn’t it?” In any case, Bard had intended to return to the capital to report. Bard, accompanied by Karz and Jurchaga, headed to the capital with the official and the two knights.

Both the official and the knights clearly avoided talking to Bard. They only gave minimal responses when spoken to. They especially refused to answer any questions about the current situation of the war. Suspicious, Bard hurried on his journey. They arrived in the capital on the night of May 30th, and one knight had already arrived earlier to inform them. The official urged them to go directly to the royal palace, but Jurchaga whispered to Bard, “Let’s stay at the Toad family’s place tonight,” so they did.

When they arrived at the Toad family’s house, Barry Toad was not there. He had been summoned and gone to the royal palace, they were told. Bard enjoyed Kamler’s cooking after a long time. The servants welcomed Bard as if the master of the mansion had returned and took care of him.

After dinner, Jurchaga disappeared. He returned in the early morning, looking unusually excited. Bard was awakened from his sleep, sensing that it must be something important. And he was right. Jurchaga had been running around the city at night, gathering extremely crucial information.

“The Royal Direct Army suffered a major defeat against the Shinkai Army. It happened on April 13th, on the Great Plains north of Casse. They suffered losses exceeding 40%, and Count Seifert Bowen, the Commander of the Middle Army, died protecting His Majesty. The defeat has been kept hidden from the people in the capital.”

It was unbelievable news. Jurchaga explained that there were still many uncertainties, but the situation was dire.

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Orbus fell at the beginning of March. The neighboring feudal lords sent their knight orders to attack the Shinkai Army that had taken refuge there. Despite the expectation that they would fortify themselves in the sturdy castle, they quickly launched a counterattack, swiftly overwhelming each knight order with incredible speed. Many influential knights were killed. At the request of the feudal lords, the king sent the Royal Direct Army. The overall commander was Lord Seifert Bowen, a seasoned veteran who had achieved great military exploits as the Vice Commander of the Upper Army under the previous king. He had secretly been ordered to reform the Frontier Knight Orders and had become the Commander of the Middle Army after Bard. Seifert led the main and vice armies of the Middle Army to suppress the enemy.

The Royal Direct Army consisted of three divisions which is the Upper, Middle, and Lower Army, each divided into main and vice armies. In total, there were six armies. Each army consisted of a hundred cavalry, a hundred archers, a hundred spearmen, and a hundred infantry. In other words, even when combining the main and vice armies of the Middle Army, they only had a total of two hundred cavalry according to the traditional counting method. It seemed insufficient to defeat the Shinkai Army of Orbus, which had four hundred cavalry alone. However, the Parzam Royal Army was different from the traditional knight orders.

Generally, the smallest unit in an army is a knight. Knights are, of course, mounted warriors. Their attendants become foot soldiers. The foot soldiers are usually young boys in training or commoners who do not normally carry weapons, so their skill level is often not high. Some knights, due to economic reasons or other factors, only bring attendants who serve as baggage carriers. Except for the cavalry charge at the start of the battle, spears are the weapons of foot soldiers. It is safe to assume that anyone seen as a spearman is a commoner, as those of noble status tend to dislike using spears. However, it is not uncommon for well-trained and strong peasant spearmen to bring great spoils to their masters. The number of knights who gather at the start of a war depends on the influential knights. The number of foot soldiers each knight brings with them can only be determined at that moment. It is impossible to predict how many spearmen and archers there will ultimately be. The king or nobles, who are the masters of the army, can request more spearmen or enough arrows, but the actual outcome depends on the influential knights and their financial situation.

Parzam’s kings have been trying to change this situation for the past few generations. No, they have changed it. They provided foot soldiers with iron shields, breastplates, helmets, and steel swords, and trained them to have the stamina to run around the battlefield. They created long, sturdy, standardized spears and trained them in group combat. They taught archers shooting techniques that could suppress opponents and made them capable of moving on horseback when necessary.

This was made possible by the economic growth and population increase. Furthermore, due to the ongoing wars, countries and cities were conquered or destroyed, resulting in a large number of wandering knights. King Parzam actively welcomed knights and their descendants who came from other countries. However, unless they had an exceptional military record, they would be initially assigned to either the archer, spearman, or foot soldier units. The wandering knights were indignant. But they had no choice. If they achieved great feats, they could transfer to the cavalry unit, and above all, the regular payment of wages even during peacetime was too attractive to resist.

They were complete non-producers, only engaged in military matters even during peacetime. Providing clothing, food, and shelter for such a large number of people and equipping them was a tremendous burden. However, successive kings persevered in military reforms, gradually reducing the number of cavalry and increasing the number of foot soldiers. When the military system was adjusted, it became clear that the cost of maintaining a formation biased towards knights was much higher.

The foot soldiers’ shields would block the enemy’s arrows, and the archers would wear down the charging cavalry while the shield and spear foot soldiers held them back. The cavalry on their side would then trample the immobilized enemy. The combination of the four branches of the army proved to be highly effective.

Due to military reforms, the Parzam Kingdom’s Royal Direct Army has been undefeated in recent years. The organization and combat methods of this army, which focuses on high-speed mobility and long-handled weapons, are well-suited to the tactics favored by the Shinkai Army. In fact, in the battle on the plains near Orbus Castle, the royal army overwhelmed the Shinkai Army. They defeated the enemy’s vice-general and captured General Buntai, dealing a heavy blow. The enemy, greatly damaged, abandoned the city and took refuge in the castle.

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However, at this point, both Fargo and Ezite cities rose up again. These two powerful cities had rebelled last year and had inflicted damage on the royal army led by General Julelan through cowardly means. Julelan himself was on the verge of losing his life, but instead, two generals lost their lives. After suppressing the rebellion, the two cities essentially groveled and begged for forgiveness. And now, these two cities have shown their fangs once again. And they are accompanied by the Shinkai Army.

The total military strength is not clear. It is said that the two cities of Fargo and Ezite alone have a combined force of 400 knights. When combined with infantry, their forces reach 1,200 to 2,000 soldiers. The exact strength of the Shinkai Army is unknown, but it is said to have had several hundred cavalry. This large force attacked the city of Casse like a tsunami. Casse, known as a well-defended and resource-rich city, fell in half a day. The knight who was defending Grismo Castle heard the news of Casse’s fall and abandoned the castle without even fighting.

Upon hearing this news, the royal palace fell into a temporary state of panic. Although the battle in Orbus was leaning in favor of Parzam, the enemy could still replenish their forces and supplies through Thula and Seion. And now, Fargo, Ezite, Grismo, and Casse have all been absorbed by the Shinkai side. This includes the surrounding small cities as well. A large portion of the vast territory has been cut off from the north to the west, and the city of Ryde is isolated within enemy territory. If Ryde were to fall as well, not a single piece of the Green Flame Stone would come in.

King Julelan immediately directed all of the royal army towards Casse. The king himself also headed towards Casse as the Upper Army General. Chantillion, the Lower Army General, was also with him. He also ordered the urgent participation of the feudal lords in the northern and western parts of the kingdom, except for the city of Ryde. Count Ryde must defend the city of Ryde at all costs. Seifert also lifted the siege of Orbus and joined them.

On the eastern plains of Casse, the two armies clashed. The Shinkai Army had a force of about 200 knights, combining the forces of Fargo and Ezite with their own 400 knights. It is believed that a considerable reserve force was left in the city of Casse. On the Parzam side, the royal army had 600 knights, and the feudal lords had about 200 knights.

In the initial stages, the royal army of Parzam inflicted significant damage on the Shinkai Army with their solid fighting style, boosting the morale of the feudal lords. However, in reality, the Middle Army and Seifert were severely exhausted. After all, they had traveled a long distance from the capital to Orbus, defeated the enemy army, and then ordered to make a long-distance move to Casse in the midst of a siege, without any rest. It could be said that they were completely exhausted.

Then, General of Greed appeared. He led a direct force of 200 knights, but it was General of Greed’s appearance itself that stunned the soldiers of the Parzam army. He was about twice the height of an average person. He rode on a giant beast that looked like it was covered in armor, with horns protruding from its nose. Like a tiger scattering sheep, General of Greed crushed the Parzam royal army. Formations and tactics were of no use. When General of Greed swung his massive sword, knights were sent flying along with their horses, and infantry turned into masses of flesh along with their shields and armor. The Parzam royal army collapsed, and the feudal lords’ forces panicked and fled the battlefield. General of Greed went straight for King Julelan, the supreme commander. Seifert and Chantillion defended against him with a small elite force, allowing the king to escape safely, but Seifert died.

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Seifert died. That man.

Bard was deeply shocked. He knew in his bones that people die on the battlefield. But still, that man was not supposed to die yet. He was not a man who would die so easily. Bard realized how severe this blow was for the country, for King Julelan.

And once again, he was horrified by the current state of the Parzam army. It’s a situation where they don’t even know when the capital will be attacked by the Shinkai army. It can truly be called a crisis of national survival. What on earth are they trying to do by summoning him at a time like this?