185 Episode 26: Kami de Oni




 "So we've got the major highways covered.

 Nia muttered as she looked at the map.
 Upon receiving Hercule's order, Nia immediately moved and took over the main road from Teripol to Cerda.

 It took only two and a half days to seize all the gates and roads.
 We started moving early in the morning of the next day after receiving the order. ......
 As a result, by noon of the sixth day after the start of the desert crossing, they succeeded in blocking the main road between Cerda and Teripol.

 Nia's independent rangers can be described as "infantry that can ride horses.
 Its mobility is equal to that of cavalry, and it can march 70 kilometers a day.
 It is also capable of mounted combat, dismounted infantry combat, and siege warfare.

 It takes cavalry to move quickly, siege skills to bring down a fortified position, and infantry to defend a fortified position. ......

 Nia's independent rangers are capable of all of these things.
 That's why Hercule assigned Nia to this task.

 "General Nia! The Emperor has sent an early horse to .......
 "Really?

 Nia was overjoyed to see the soldier who had brought the letter from Hercule, and she took it from him.
 She then opened it up and gave him an enraptured look.

 "Smells like ...... your majesty ......

 The letter stated that Hercule had won the battle of Teripol two days ago.
 It also told him to continue his mission as ordered.

 "Yes, sir. I will now write a letter to His Majesty informing him that all the gates have been sealed, so please wait a moment. Well, ...... if you didn't hesitate to come here, then I'm sure His Majesty already expected me to succeed.

 Nia has yet to inform Hercule of the success of the mission.
 And yet, the fact that Hayama did not hesitate to come to this barrier means that he expected Nia to be there by this time.

 "Your Majesty ......, I will definitely carry out my mission!

 Nia clenched her fists tightly.







 At the time when Nia clenched her fists, ......
 You can find a lot of people who are interested in this type of product.

 I'm not a fan. I'm sure that the Lemurian army is in Iason's custody, and they were fully prepared for an attack from the sea. Where the hell did they come from? !

 Hilderick II raised his voice and stood up.
 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.

 "Well, it's the desert. ......

 Sonia muttered in a small voice.
 Hilderick II asks Sonia back.

 "The desert?
 Yes,......, it's a diversion on land and sea. The enemy's aim from the start was to use the desert crossing as a strategic surprise ......, if only I had known about it a little earlier!

 Sonia slammed her fist down on her desk in frustration.
 Then she stood up and said to Hilderick II.

 "Your Majesty! We need to send reinforcements now! The Chelda defenders have 60000 troops. We haven't gathered all of them yet, so the actual number is 500. ...... If we can allocate about 200 of them to go to Teripol City, we should be able to defeat the Lemurian army once and for all!

 This is a pinch, but it's also an opportunity.
 This is both a pinch and an opportunity," Sonia argued.

 Meanwhile, Hilderic II thought for a moment and then asked the soldier who had informed him of the Lemurian attack on the city of Teripol.

 "Did the Lemurians really cross the desert?
 "...... I can only assume so. But according to the information I have, it wasn't the Lemurians, it was the Barbarians.

 At least I can't judge, since I'm just a soldier.
 However, the role I was given was, "An army that appears to be the Lemurian army has crossed the desert and appeared near the city of Teripol. I am to inform you, the king, that there are approximately 30000 of them.

 I reply.

 "Are you sure it's about three hundred?
 "Yes, Your Majesty. "Yes, Your Majesty. I have been ordered by General Carmine to tell you that it is three hundred.

 The soldier nodded.

 Sonia, we'll have a ...... military conference first. Right now the information is too confusing for me to make a decision.
 "Oh no! What if the city of Teripol falls while we're doing this?
 "Teripol City will be defended by General Carmine 50000. If the enemy's strength is only three hundred, they won't be able to break through that easily.

 In fact, Carmine has already been defeated, and his forces have been reduced to 100,000. ......
 This information had not yet reached King Hilderic II.

 "But ......

 Sonia was not happy, but ......
 But Hilderick II was right, you can't move too fast in this situation when you don't have enough information.

 Sonia nodded with a reluctant ...... expression.






 A few moments later, a military conference was held.

 We should send reinforcements right now! The fall of the city of Teripol means the loss of the region of Teriportania!

 The fall of Teripol means the loss of Teriportania!
 The generals of Carmine's faction insist as well.

 In fact, most of the Carmine generals (with the exception of Sonia) were not too worried about the region of Teriportania.
 This was Hoamel's support base, and losing ...... would not be a loss for Carmine.

 However, if Carmine were to be defeated, it would be a blunder for Carmine and ......
 If Carmine is defeated or captured as a prisoner of war, it would be a disaster.



 Therefore, they insist that we should send reinforcements to the city of Teripol.

 It's too early to tell. It's not too late to wait for more information to arrive.

 It is Hoamel and his faction who insist on this.
 The Teripolitan region is an important base of support for Hoamel, but ......

 For now, only three hundred Lemurian troops have appeared in the city of Teripol.
 It does not mean that the region of Teriportania is threatened right now.

 As a matter of fact, Teriportania is currently being attacked by the Shuien clan of the Barbarians, led by Masinissa, and is in the process of being threatened. ......

 This information had not yet reached the royal court.

 (It's not too late to send reinforcements after General Carmine's defeat. No, that would be more convenient.

 Hoamel chuckled inwardly.
 If Carmine was defeated, Carmine's political influence would be reduced.

 That's good for Hoamel.

 (d*mn, these people ...... are having a political fight at a time like this!

 Sonia was inwardly furious,.......
 I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

 You can't wait for information to get to you. The city of Teripol could fall tomorrow!
 "...... You're exaggerating. The enemy has only three hundred men, right?
 The enemy general is the Emperor of Lemuria!

 The famous general, Hercule I, would be ......
 I'm not sure how useful a difference of three hundred and five hundred troops would be.

 Sonia argued.

 But Hoamel shook his head.

 It's impossible. You think the Emperor of Lemuria himself will make the dangerous crossing of the desert? It is true that there are reports that the Emperor of Lemuria has come with an army, but ...... that would be a mistake.

 It's only because it's so dangerous that the emperor himself would lead an army!

 Sonia insists, but ......
 It was not possible to gain the sympathy of Hoamel and Hilderick II.

 Their values are fundamentally different.

 It is doubtful that the enemy is the Lemurian army in the first place. Isn't it more likely that they are the Barbals, flying the Lemurian flag? It's impossible to cross the desert.

 Hoamel's argument is also plausible.
 Between the possibility of the Lemurian army directly crossing the desert and the possibility of the Barbarians invading under the banner of the Lemurian army, the latter is far more realistic.

 In the first place, if the Cerda defenders pull out their troops and send them to Teripol City, ...... the defense capacity of Cerda City will be reduced. It is possible that this is the goal of the Lemurian army or the Barbarians.

 "d*mn .......

 Sonia couldn't argue and kept her mouth shut.
 It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

 It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

 ...... Hmm, I can see where Sonia and the others are coming from. I'm worried about Carmine as well,......, but if we move unnecessarily at this point, we could be playing right into the hands of the enemy. It is not too late to gather information first, and then ascertain its authenticity.

 Hilderick II concluded.
 In other words, the reinforcements to Carmine and to the city of Tëripol would have to wait.

 Sonia clenched her fists in frustration.







 After that, the military council was held day after day.
 And there, Sonia and Hoamel waged a daily war of words, and Hilderic II admonished them.

 The fifth council ...... was held four days after the first one.
 Ten days after Hercule had crossed the desert.

 The council was held as usual, and as they were discussing without any progress: ......
 Two new pieces of information were brought to my attention.

 The first was that the main road between Cerda and Teripol had been blocked by the enemy general, probably Nia Lucarios, since four days ago (i.e. the day of the first meeting), making the exchange of goods and information impossible. The other was that the enemy general, probably Jerusalem, had been killed.

 The other is that an enemy general, probably Jebe, appeared in Ifrikia two days ago and has been wreaking havoc and looting in Ifrikia.

 These two pieces of information were interpreted in opposite ways by Sonia and Hoamel.

 That's why I said we should send reinforcements! When the information is blocked, no matter how long we wait here, we will not be able to get information about Teripol City here. It's not too late. We should send reinforcements and lift the enemy's roadblock!

 Hoamel, on the other hand, shook his head.

 No way! The enemy is invading the region of Iphiclesia. It's clear that the enemy's target is the heart of our country, the Ifrikia region ......, namely the capital city of Cerda! If we accept the enemy's invitation and send reinforcements, we will not be able to defend Iphrygia!

 Sonia slammed the desk hard. I'm not sure what to do.

 The enemy commander, Jebe, has an army of about three to four hundred men. That's not a lot!

 "They may not be many, but they're closing in on our capital! And speaking of small numbers, the Lemurian army that's closing in on the city of Teripol is only three hundred. On the other hand, the army led by General Carmine is 50000. ......

 "How many days ago was that!

 Sonia's shout echoed through the conference hall.
 Not only Hoamel, but also King Hilderic II and the generals of Carmine's faction wore horrified expressions.

 As expected, Sonia felt bad about this, and turned to Hilderick II and apologized for raising her voice.
 However, she had no intention of retracting her statement and continued to speak.

 If your father's ...... General Carmine's army is still alive and well, there is no way the road will be blocked! Even if they were, some information would have reached us! And yet, for the past four days, seven days counting from the time when the Lemurian army closed in on Teripol City, there has been no information whatsoever. This is just too abnormal!



 Sonia implied that Carmine could have been defeated and at worst, the city of Teripol could have fallen.
 This made Hoamel's face turn pale as he finally realized the seriousness of the situation.

 Carmine's defeat is a good thing for Hoamel, but ......
 If it was important enough to lead to the fall of the city of Teripol and the fall of Teriportania, it would be a big deal for Hoamel, who has a support base in Teriportania.

 There are three things we need to do. The first is to lift the blockade, the second is to eliminate the Lemurian army that is attacking the Iphiclesia region, and the third is to send reinforcements to the city of Teripol.

 Sonia said, staring at Hilderic II.
 Hoamel ...... said nothing, but kept his mouth shut.
 It's a good thing that you're not the only one.

 I think Sonia is right. The first thing we should do is to allocate troops from the Cerda defenders to lift the blockade and eliminate the Lemurian forces that have invaded the Iphiclesia region. After that, we can gather information and send reinforcements to Teripol City. ......

 "Your Majesty!

 Sonia interrupted Hilderic II's words.
 Hilderick II's eyes widened in surprise at this.

 I'm sorry for my rudeness. But it's too late to send reinforcements after gathering ...... information! The blockade should be lifted and reinforcements should be sent at the same time, which means at least one to two hundred highly mobile troops should be sent to Teripol City!

 With a horde that large, the Lemurian army's tricks could be crushed with a single blow.
 I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

 No, ......, but isn't there a risk that the Lemurian army or the Barbarians will attack the thinly defended city of Cerda?

 "That's not likely, Your Majesty. It is true that the desert region to the south of Iphiclesia is the domain of the Barbarians, but ...... it is the domain of a different tribe than the Shueyens, who are currently believed to be in cahoots with Lemuria.

 The Fezzan region controlled by the Shuien clan extends from the southern part of the Lemurian province of Misr to the southern part of Teriportania.
 The area south of Iphrygia is the domain of another tribe.

 Therefore, it is unlikely that the Lemurian army or the Balbals will send a large army from across the desert to Iphrykia and Chelda City.

 But isn't it possible that they are also in league with Lemuria?
 It's .......

 Sonia, as expected, could never deny that much.
 Then Hilderick II asked Hoamel.

 "Hoamel, it is highly unlikely that the 50000 led by General Carmine will be defeated by the 30000 Lemurian army. That's what you think, isn't it?

 "Huh? Ah, yes, .......

 I've already changed my mind, Hoamel. ......
 Since the other day, I have not been able to easily discard or deny my previous opinion.
 It's an act of admitting that I'm wrong.

 It is unlikely that the city of Teripol would have fallen or that General Carmine would have been defeated. In fact, wouldn't it be more dangerous to move the army in an inappropriate manner and degrade the defense capabilities of Cerda City and the Iphiclesia region?

 Hilderick II concluded, perhaps unaware of Hoamel's change of heart.
 Sonia bit her lip as she listened to Hilderick II's words.

 (You coward. ......)

 There are three reasons why King Hilderick II is reluctant to send reinforcements to the city of Teripol to defend Cerda.

 The first is that, like Hoamel, he doesn't want to admit that he has made a mistake in his decision.
 The second reason is that he doesn't want to admit that he has made a mistake in his judgment, and it is pointed out by a girl who is younger than him and whom he is not very fond of.
 Emotionally, he could not easily change his mind.

 The other reason was that the reinforcements he had sent might be useless.
 If the reinforcements were useless, it would be an error of judgment on the part of Hilderic II.

 The last reason is that he is genuinely afraid that by allocating forces to defend Cerda, Cerda City, and thus himself, will be in danger.
 The Lemurian army, though small in number, has invaded the capital region of Iphraicia.

 There is no guarantee that the Lemurian army or the Barbarians ...... will not come to reinforce the enemy.

 I'm sure that the enemy forces blocking the ...... roads and those invading the Iphicles are about 400 each, right? Considering that the former is probably dispersed, 500 would be sufficient. The latter will be handled with 100. Let's allocate a total of 150 from the Chelda defenders.

 From a total of 60000 Chelda defenders, 15000.
 That was the maximum line that Hilderic II could psychologically tolerate at the moment.

 Hilderic II was afraid of the Lemurian or Barbarian armies that might come from across the desert.

 So, this is the end of the war games. Now let's get on with reorganizing the army.

 With that, King Hilderic II left the room early.
 The remaining members of the army looked at each other.

 "...... What are you going to do, Minister Hoamel?

 Sonia said as if to chastise the blue-faced Hoamel.
 You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

 What you do or don't do is your decision.

 There was nothing more Hoamel could say.





 Fortunately, the reorganization of the army itself was completed in one day.
 However, the information that came with the ...... reorganization further confused the royal court of the kingdom of Cerda.

 It was the movements of the Lemurian army, led by Jebe, that was ravaging the region of Iphraicia.

 The information that came yesterday was that as of two days ago (i.e. three days from now), the Lemurian army was looting a point 500 kilometers from Chelda City. ......

 However, according to ...... information received that day, as of two days ago, the Lemurian army had sacked ...... a point four hundred kilometers from Chelda City.

 And as of ...... two days ago, the Lemurian army had sacked four hundred kilometers.
 The speed of their advance is one hundred kilometers a day.
 This means that they are now rampaging 200 kilometers away from the ...... capital.

 And the next day, two separate units of ...... soldiers from the Chelda garrison, one hundred and fifty men each, were about to leave the capital.

 As of yesterday, Jebele's troops had looted a two-hundred-kilometer radius, according to ......
 A few hours later, in the early morning of today, it was reported that they had looted a point 150 kilometers from the capital.

 What it means is: ......
 The Lemurian army that is invading Iphiclesia is advancing at an astonishing rate of one hundred kilometers a day.
 And it is possible that they will appear here in the suburbs of Cerda tomorrow.