That's the enemy's base.

　Alexios looked down from the top of the mountain to the fortress in King Belbedil's country.
　This was King Belvedil's country. And it was the first line of defense against Rezad.

　A wide river lies in front of the fortress. The forest extends over a wide area from the side of the fortress to this side of the opposite bank. Since it's impossible for a large army to march through the forest, the soldiers defending the fortress need only be wary of the enemy in front.
　The combination of the terrain and the fortifications is a keystone.

　'Even if we try to cross the river, the enemy has occupied the other side of the river. Our country has tried many times to cross the river, but it has failed every time.
　Ains, who had been sent as a chaperone, explained to Alexios.
　'I see. This is tricky.'
　Alexios replied as he looked at the fortress with his ship's eyes.

　Currently, the total number of troops in the Rezad Gehenna Union led by Alexios is two thousand.
　Three hundred are Germanic cavalry and another seven hundred are Gallic infantry. One thousand are the Cilician heavy infantry.

　The common language was Cilician.

　The Germanic cavalry and Gallic infantry brought by Rezad are mercenaries.
　One word of Cilician can be understood. Cilician is like English to the countries on the coast of the Tetis Sea.


　"Alexios. I've been checking the enemy's numbers.

　It was Melia who approached Alexios.
　The child she gave birth to is in the care of a trusted Cilician senator.

　'There are five hundred of them now. And tomorrow there will be one thousand five hundred reinforcements coming in, bringing the total to two thousand. We're checking the terrain now.
　Okay. Thank you, Melia. I love you. Examine the terrain carefully. We might be able to find a crossing point upstream.

　Alexios received a document from Melia with details hanging on it and looked it over.
　There was even information on the enemy general and the specific armament of the enemy.

　Do you need to look into that much?
　'It never hurts to look into it. You never know where the enemy's weaknesses are.

　Alexios answers Ains' question.
　The important thing in war is information warfare. That's what Alexios thinks.

　'The enemy is currently five hundred ... wouldn't the crossing of the river be a success now?　Let's go down hard.

　Ains suggested to Alexios.
　But Alexios shook his head.

　'No, we'll fail. It's hard to cross the river. I mean, we've just arrived here. There are no boats. The river is only about deep enough to cross without ships but the soldiers will be very tired.
　But they will outnumber us. If that happens, won't it be difficult to capture the fortress?
　Well, don't worry. I have a plan. ...depending on the terrain.

　Alexios cowered his shoulders.


　About five days passed after that.






　'Reporting, sir!　No significant movement in the enemy forces!
　Well, they're mostly building boats for the crossing, I suppose.

　So judged the general of King Belvedil's country.
　For about five days, the Rezad Gehenna Union has not moved. No, not moving, is that accurate?

　'Well, they wouldn't be able to cross the river even if they built a ship. "Well, even if they did, they wouldn't be able to make the crossing, and they have ballistae ready to destroy it. Even if they do make the crossing, how will they get to the fortress?

　This fortress has prevented the Cilician invasion for many years.
　In a battle between two equal numbers, we can certainly defend it. We do not need to win. If we can hold out until King Losey's country is destroyed, we will win.

　"And I'm told the enemy has less than 30 boys. Our victory is unassailable!

　The general of King Belvedil's country said so.

　'General, wouldn't it be better to consider the possibility of the enemy crossing the river in the middle of the night?
　What do you mean? It's too dangerous to send a large army across the river in the middle of the night. It's not impossible if you're only a few but, well, just in case, keep an eye out. The flames of the torch should tell you that.

　The flames of the torches are very noticeable at midnight.
　Even from a distance, they are recognizable enough. A few might not be able to tell, but with an army that large, there was no need to pay attention.

　It would be nice if there was a sorcerer who could control an owl, but unfortunately, there wasn't one in this fortress.
　There aren't too many owl users.

　'We just need to be ready for a donkey.



　The next morning.


　'General!　Oh, my God!　The enemy has set up camp!
　What?　That's ridiculous....

　The general muttered in disbelief.
　In his eyes, he certainly saw the enemy camped in front of the river.




　About five days ago........

　'Well, it's a simple matter. The reason why the river crossing is so dangerous is because the enemy is taking the other side of the river. Then we can establish a stronghold before crossing the river.
　How?

　Alexios replies to Ains' question with a gleam in his ship's eye.

　'A small number of men are given in the middle of the night. Around twenty men a day. We can cross the river through the forest to the east and west. That's forty men a day. And we'll do that four times by the fifth day. One hundred and sixty in all.
　'With one hundred and sixty men, even if we secured them, wouldn't they be crushed in a heartbeat?

　You can build a stronghold on the other side of the river, but if you can't maintain it, it's useless.
　It's just a prank to thin the ranks.

　That's why we're building a fortress. Well, it's not a very large fortress. A fence, a ditch and an arrow tower would be enough.
　'How do you build it?　I don't think they'll let me build it that easily, but...
　We'll build it all at once in the middle of the night. We can make and transport the parts ourselves. And the fence can be easily made by taking the raft apart. Oh, and don't worry, I'll have 160 people working on the rafts. I'll be in charge of the construction, too.

　But still, there is a worry about whether a decent construction project can be done in the middle of the night.　
　But Alexios laughs and replies.

　But Alexios smiles and replies, "Well, we'll see. I will show you that I can pull it off. And I have one more plan. I want you to move the cavalry of Rezad.









　Thus the fourth night.
　The ship carrying the last forty men, Alexios and Melia, set sail in the dark. The lights are the minimum necessary torches.

　They arrived at the other shore with only the light of the stars and the moon to rely on.

　Alexios and the others headed to the confluence point they had decided in advance.
　The one hundred and twenty people who had successfully crossed the river earlier had already gathered there. Now there were one hundred and sixty of them.

　All of them were slaves of Alexios.
　They are working on Alexios' farmland, but this is how they are following him to the battlefield. They are all excellent slaves who have learned civil engineering skills.

　Now, I'm going to use my blessing. Don't talk to anyone else about this unintentionally. ...Well, I'm sure you guys will be fine.

　With that, Alexios gives Melia a look.
　Melia chews on the release-spirit grass and copies her soul to the owl.

　Alexios speaks to the owl (Melia).

　'Then I will take your eyes.'

　Alexios removed his eye patch and activated the "Eye Borrowing Blessing".
　This blessing is the ability to borrow the vision of a close human being. With this, Alexios' right eye's vision is now shared with the owl's (Melia) right eye.

　''Next, I'll lend you guys my eye.

　With that, Alexios invokes the "Eye Lending Blessing.
　This is a blessing in which he lends the sight of his own eye to the other party. Vision is not shared.
　Alexios lent the slaves his right eye, which he shared with the owl (Melia).

　Now the slaves' right eye is made to work at night as well as the owl's.

　Then you can get to work right away. Make as little noise as possible.
　""Yes!!!"

　The slaves saluted in a whisper.

　Thus, in one night, a strong position was built.
　As soon as the Rezad Gehenna Confederates confirmed the establishment of the position early in the morning, they began to cross the soldiers.

　By the time Belvedere's army noticed, three hundred soldiers had already successfully crossed the river.
　The total number of soldiers who had successfully crossed the river was now 460.





　General Belvedere hurriedly organized his army and set out for battle.
　The number of troops left in the fortress was the minimum necessary. Now we must destroy the enemy's base with all our might.

　''Hurry!　From the looks of it, there are about five hundred enemies!　We can crush them now. Moreover, the enemy is camped in the backwaters. This is our chance to crush the enemy!

　The general ordered the Rezad Gehenna Union to launch a general attack.
　About 2,000 troops surrounded five hundred and launched a general attack.

　However, despite the fourfold difference in force, they could not drop them at all.

　''Eei!　Come on!　Why can't I drop it!
　'I'm sorry!　Unexpectedly, the enemy's resistance was strong... and the enemy's position was strong...

　There are four reasons why Belvedere's army was unable to drop its stronghold.

　One, a strong position.
　The position Alexios had his men build under his direct command is very strong and does not fall easily. Even though it is shallow, it is surrounded by dugouts and fences, and even though it is low, it has a proper arrow tower.

　Two, Alexios' command and protection.
　Alexios, with the help of Melia's hawk eyes, was able to command the battlefield from above.
　No matter how much the general tried to change the location of the concentration of his forces and exploit the gaps, Alexios would quickly respond to him.

　Three, backwater.
　The rafts that the slave soldiers Alexios had brought with him had been turned into fences, and the rafts that the additional soldiers had come on had been burned to the ground. Therefore, the five hundred soldiers have no way to escape.
　Therefore, they are fighting desperately. And with reinforcements coming one by one from the other side of the river, there is hope that they can survive if they hold on now.

　Four, the presence of reinforcements.
　Alexios always has unwearying soldiers coming from the other side of the river to help him. He places those soldiers where the attack is intense.
　In this way, the more time that passes, the stronger Alexios' defenders will be.


　It was when the sun was shining high above their heads that Belvedere's army called off the attack.
　The Rezad Gehenna Union had already succeeded in crossing seventy percent of the river.

　''It's no use. We're retreating. What? We can't have the river, but we have a fortress. The fortress is protected by a water moat and walls. It does not fall so easily. We just have to hole up and wait for new reinforcements.

　The general told himself that, and began to retreat.
　But a few minutes after they began their march, smoke began to rise from the fortress.

　'What does this mean!

　He hurriedly sent out a fast horse to the fortress and at the same time accelerated his marching speed.
　When he returned, Hayama's answer was this.

　''Oh my God!　Rezad's cavalry troops are bypassing and attacking the fortress!　It seems to have crossed the river upstream and come around!
　'What!　Hurry up!　Utterly, what were the guards doing!
　His Excellency tells me to focus on the front now.
　What did you say?
　No, nothing!

　The general quickened his march even faster, but it was already too late.　
　The banners of Rezad and Gehenna were raised on the fortress.

　The gates slowly open and the cavalry emerge.
　From behind, Rezad Gehenna's infantry began to march towards Belvedil's army.

　''Ha, we're pinned down........''

　Belvedere's army soon surrendered.
　The casualties in this war were two hundred, including both sides.

　Thus, Alexios' first campaign in the Adelian peninsula came to a brilliant end.