--General Grant's plan was supposed to be the perfect one.


　After giving the defeating forces fighting on the Mildare Plains a false victory, he would have Ceylan retreat and take them by surprise.


　Yes, it's perfect. An impeccable plan with no flaws whatsoever.
　If there is a flaw in this plan, it is that the luck between Ceylan and General Glanz is out of balance, and the heavens are on Ceylan's side.


　Even if you see the shadow of the Empire, do not retreat from the battlefield and foolishly continue to fight.


　That the reinforcing national mages would show up sooner than expected and Ceylan would not have to retreat.


　Barring such a coincidence, Ceylan's head would surely be in my hands. Perfect was the right word for it.
　But as it turned out...
　The heavens had smiled upon General Gruntz, and yet he had lost half of the Kuro Panther he had led. He still had some strength left, but even so, he had lost his absolute advantage, and it was beginning to look as if the mission would fail.


　The operation was proceeding as General Glanz had initially expected.
　While Ceylan was on his way to the rear, he made a surprise attack on the road on the way.
　First of all, he eliminated all of his cronies and guards, and succeeded in hunting down Ceylan.
　The only thing left to do now was to take Seyran down as planned.
　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's not my fault.


　...... What comes back to my mind are the words that General Glanz disclosed to me just before we went on the ambush.
　It was the whole story of the operation that started with the Polk-Nadar uprising that General Glantz had mentioned to reassure himself when the collapse of the Nadar army was becoming certain and he still had no grasp of the situation.
　Yes, the clash on the Mildare Plains and the inferiority of the Nadar forces in that clash were part of the general's plan in the first place.


"With the tasty bait of a position in the Empire hanging over his head, Poluk Nadar will be eager to chase Ceylan around. That pig can only see what's right in front of him.


　...... Poluk Nadar's plot to attack Ceylan has not only cost him his position in the kingdom, but has also put him in a situation where he cannot even surrender to the kingdom.
　If he wants to regain power, he has no choice but to turn to other countries that are hostile to the kingdom.
　Naturally, Poluk Nadar is in a weak position, so if he is offered conditions, he will have no choice but to accept them.
　He was preoccupied with the conditions offered by General Glanz, and stuck to the Ceylan. He made the mistake of prolonging the battle line.


If he had known about the planned assault in advance, there would have been one or two people who could have predicted Polk Nadar's intentions. And now he's going to use Ceylan as bait to tear through the ranks of Nadar's army. Just like that.


　It's no surprise that the Kingdom of Rynor has fended off invasions from the Empire many times before.
　It is only natural to assume that there are those who are resourceful and have an idea of what is going on behind the scenes. That's why the strike force will try to use Poluk Nadar to their advantage in the war.


Sir. Isn't putting Nadar's line of battle in jeopardy going to give momentum to the vanquishing army?　If that were to happen, the Nadar army, with its low quality corps, would have no chance.

That's fine. The Nadar army is destined to collapse sooner or later. Then it would be better if they collapse quickly for our sake, wouldn't it?


　But I don't see how that leads to Ceylan's surprise attack.
　If Nadar's army is defeated, Ceylan will stay in the battlefield and never retreat.


"That's why we're going to throw an element into it that no one thought of. Because it is something that no one has thought of, you can take advantage of your opponent's weakness.


　Yes, that is exactly what the introduction of the raiding general Barug Gulba does.
　He is said to be the strongest man in the empire, and one man is said to be equal to ten thousand troops.
　The western lords were confused because they were well aware of the threat of Barug Gulba. They drove a wedge into the defeating army that could not be overlooked.


"Then, of course, the vanquishers will be forced to move Ceylan to the rear.


"...... Why?　I'm not sure what to make of that. I'm sure he won't be able to keep Seyran away from the battlefield for that long.


　Yes, even if they were hit by Barg Gurva, it is obvious which side has the upper hand compared to the one whose lines are broken. The more troops are defeated, the more Poluk Nadar will be cornered, and once the outcome of the battle is decided, there is no need for the Empire to fight until the end.
　The defeating army, led by Ceylan, will probably try to push through.
　In fact, there is even a possibility that they will not leave the battlefield in order to keep morale down.


This is why I wanted to make sure that the Nadar army was defeated first.

"......?


　Then it's the same as what I said earlier.
　If Nadar's army collapses, Ceylan will not retreat any further.
　Therefore, I don't know what this means.


"Listen, Dusseyr. Ceylan's role in this operation, besides being a decoy to catch Poluk Nadar, is to maintain the morale of the entire defeating army. If Nadar's army collapses, of course, the vanquishing army will be filled with an air of victory. If that happens, what will happen to the morale of the vanquishing army?

Even without Ceylan, the morale of the strike force will remain intact. ......

Yes. In the first place, there are Rustinelle witches on the battlefield. I'm not sure what to make of that. There is no problem if Ceylan retreats.

"But even so, isn't it a gamble whether Ceylan will retreat or not?

That's why Varghese Gulba. When it became known that they had introduced such a thing, the defeating army could not help but think about the further schemes of the empire, and for them, there was no way in hell that Balgu would threaten Ceylan's head. With so much at stake, we can't afford to take any chances. Never.

"Since the kingdom cannot afford to lose Ceylan, it must play it safe. ......

...... Yes. The battle on the plains is the decisive battle, but it is also the first battle. Even if this battle decides the course of events between the Ceylan and Nadar armies, as long as there are future battles of pursuit and siege, dropping Ceylan back here will not have any effect on the morale of the entire army or the reputation of Ceylan. In fact, it's always a good idea to move Ceylan back once you've decided that the Nahdar army is doomed. All they need to do is to make him stand out on the remaining safe battlefields. The rest, as I said, can be left to the witches of Rastinel.



'Therefore, it is natural for Ceylan's forces to withdraw, is that correct?

Yes. Besides, it's a retreat to the rear. As long as we have a clear path of retreat, we don't need to allocate many close guards to protect us. Naturally, we'll have to retreat in small numbers.


　--That's a great way to take them by surprise, isn't it?


　...... The cool smile of General Glantz comes back to life behind my eyelids.
　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　In the event that you have any kind of questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.
　Behind that smile, there was indeed the essence of a man who had served as a general for a long time in an empire where incompetence was immediately abolished.
　As he said, Ceylan's head would surely come off.
　That's what I thought, and that's what I was sure would happen.


　--But perhaps the reason why I have not been able to get Ceylan's head is because somewhere in my heart I have underestimated the power of the kingdom.


　Ceylan Crosselord
　Sinlle Crosselrode, the Dragon King's bloodline, the lineage of the Thunderbolt, gave birth to this unparalleled lineage from the womb of a woman called the Descendant of Spirits. It is said that his power surpasses even the rumors that circulate in the streets, that he can dispel the clouds that hang in the sky with a swing of his sword, and that he can even call out thunder with a mere sound of his voice.
　He may be a child, but he is not to be trifled with. He is a monster that could wipe you out if you fight him as a mere child.
　That's why he threw everything he had at them. To be sure of a kill.


　But I didn't expect the boy in my entourage to be as skilled as he was.
　A boy about Ceylan's age, with silver hair. He has a pretty face like a girl's, and when I first saw him, I didn't think he was a boy at all.


　So I assumed that he was just a peasant whom a nobleman would keep at his service for comfort.
　Even if he wasn't, he would never be able to fight, I thought.
　But I didn't think it would backfire on me.
　It would be okay to ignore it.
　The price of such disregard and disrespect would eventually be paid in soldiers' lives.
　The black panther rider who had attacked him was killed by the boy before he knew it.
　Even with Ceylan's help at the end, he still managed to kill eleven of them.


　Sometimes he used magic.
　Sometimes with magic, sometimes with physical feats that defied his age.
　Sometimes he used magic, sometimes he used physical techniques that were out of proportion to his age, and sometimes his last move was completely invisible.
　It probably took him less than five minutes to defeat more than ten black panther horsemen.


　...... They look like they are about ten or so years old. If you think about it, you're probably still playing with toys. But what surprised me the most was that he had a way to prevent the terrible magic of Rynor.


　We still don't know what kind of magic he's hiding.
　If he is, he could be a mage of the same caliber as Ceylan.


　Now he has reached Ceylan and stands alone in front of him.
　He has just thrust his sword into the black panther and blown it away, so he is still in karate.
　He does not shout or shout in anger, but stands quietly. However, the spirit that oozes out of him and the straight gaze that is lit up by the fire really tell us that this boy is a strong man.


　--Please don't forget the words of your father. It is at the verge of victory that life and death are at stake.


　Somewhere in the back of my mind, I can hear my sister's words.
　It is only when victory is at hand that life and death exist.
　That is something I have heard my father say many times. Barug Gulba defeated him and I will never see him again, but those words still ring in my ears.
　He said that before every great victory, a huge obstacle stands in the way and prevents you from grasping it.
　My father was Balgu Gulba, but perhaps he was this boy to me.
　Looking at the two mages, he shouted out loud.


"I command you!　Kill them both, even if it means stabbing each other!　Absolutely!　Absolutely!


　If I let these two escape, this will surely be a disaster.
　If you make it through this, it means you've crossed the line of death. History has proven how much experience and strength a soldier who returns from the dead can develop.
　The price of their creation will have to be paid in the corpses of more Imperial soldiers.


　Yes, if Ceylan and the boy are allowed to escape here, Ceylan will soar to the heavens as a king who has acquired a tremendous weapon.