episode_0069

This is crazy. This is really crazy and I’m going crazy. Damn it. Damn it!

These were the laments of Benito’s commanders and staff these days.

Clearly, everything was going according to plan.

The military power of the Holy Nation was weak, to the point of being virtually incompetent.

It was funny how those who just prayed to God were calling themselves knights.

The proud Order of the Knights was shattered, and the militia was in ruins.

The proud sons of Benito entered the Holy See with great pride.

Of course, there is no reason to arouse unnecessary hostility by doing something unnecessary.

Even if you have been excommunicated and declared a holy war, there are things you must protect.

So, with no looting allowed, they slowly but surely headed towards the sanctuary where the Pope resided.

If things continue this way, we could replace the Pope and put someone with pro-Benito sentiments on the throne.

There was nothing better than to reap the excommunications and the holy war and make the Church a puppet of Benito.

Yes, if it weren’t for one piece of news that came out of the blue.

[ Benito. Declares war on the Empire ]

At first, they doubted their eyes. Then they doubted their ears.

Why all of a sudden? Why did our king declare war on the empire?

A great confusion came over me. I wondered what on earth was going on.

The Holy Nation’s army was defeated. It was a great victory, to say the least.

But if you look closely, they were people who would have a hard time being called by the military.

I have entered the kingdom of God. However, from now on, it can be said that it is real.

In any case, the Holy Nation is the order of the South. Many still believe in Rune.

There is no way to burn and plunder the church there. There are too many eyes watching.

So naturally, the pace of advance slowed down. Resistance continued to occur in the meantime.

Well, you don’t even know the situation here, so why are you suddenly declaring war?

Benito was in a hurry, but there was nothing he could do right away.

Surely you can’t burn down your country and massacre those who block your path?

But it was okay so far. Their king had already taken measures in advance.

The southern kingdoms will respond to Benito’s request and block the Empire.

You don’t have to win. You just have to buy time. Just a little bit more, just a little bit more!

But as is the case with all things in life, bad things tend to follow one after another.

[ Breaking News. The Southern Kingdoms have opened the way for the Empire ]

[Imperial 4th and 15th Legions. Advancing south with terrifying momentum]

“… .”

The Imperial Legions are coming. Two whole legions, right up to our noses.

The commander and each commander were terrified at the news.

“What the hell! You’re throwing away the promise you made to Benito like an old pair of shoes!?”

The reason why the neighboring southern kingdoms suddenly switched sides.

The Empire promised twice as much profit as Benito had promised.

They later find out that half of it was given away right away.

Anyway, in this way, Benito-kun found himself in a situation of isolation and helplessness in an instant.

The kingdoms surrounding Benito are still on Benito’s side, but not here anymore.

If the armies of other kingdoms advance south together with the Imperial Legion, they will be trapped without being able to move.

The commander had to decide: should he hold the Pope here and hold out?

Or should we just scrap all our plans and retreat like this?

While I was struggling between the two, one more piece of news arrived.

“The Ring Kingdom has retreated. The path to Benito is open!”

Now Benito has at most 20,000 troops left.

Even most of these are reserve forces, so they are severely lacking in training.

Even when compared to the current Benito Army, it is at that level, so what would happen if the opponent was the Imperial Army?

“Retreat.”

In the end, Commander Benito made a decision and took action right away.

Originally, he should have first asked the opinion of his lord and king, Andrew II.

But I thought they would turn a blind eye to this because the situation was so urgent.

They must return quickly. They are the only ones worthy of fighting the Empire.

This army consists of veterans who have gained extensive experience on the far western front.

Benito’s only main force, with soldiers trained through blood, sweat and tears.

It was obvious that they had to go back to protect Benito.

So they left the Holy Land they had finally entered and headed to Benito.

Fortunately, the Imperial legions that arrived in the Holy Nation later did not pursue them.

However, he only showed movements to stay in the country and seek internal stability.

‘It seems that measures will be taken to ensure that the neighboring southern kingdoms never leave again.’

As expected, it is the Empire. Commander Benito sighed as he thought so.

Things got messed up. Honestly, it would have been better if it weren’t for that damn declaration of war.

It’s not that they don’t understand their king. That was also necessary.

But the timing wasn’t good. If only the plan had been delayed a little more, it would have been perfect.

“… Okay. Let’s not think about it anymore.”

I am a subject who is loyal to the king of my country.

You may question its meaning, but you should not doubt it.

I just keep thinking and trying to figure out what I can do for Benito and the king.

Afterwards, as they were heading towards Benito, a report from a scout came in front of them.

“Imperial legions have been spotted ahead.”

“Judging by the legion flag, it appears to be the 6th Legion, one of the two legions moving towards the Ring Kingdom.”

There were clearly two imperial legions heading to Benito.

One is the 6th Corps. And the other is the 13th Corps.

But currently, there is only one army standing in their way.

What that means is, there’s only one thing.

‘The empire shared its power.’

‘One is stopping us, the other is….’

‘Benito! They are targeting our motherland!’

Anyone who is not an idiot can easily infer this much from the current situation.

The remaining forces in Benito were absolutely incapable of stopping the 13th Army Corps.

Aren’t all those who have been polished in their own way all here?

When I thought about it that way, the ones who became most anxious were none other than the ordinary soldiers.

Benito is not the problem. The King is not even in sight.

My parents. My wife. My children. My home, my hometown are in danger.

The only thing they worried about was the families they left behind.

As this atmosphere spread throughout the military, the sense of urgency and impatience grew stronger.

It was so intense that it was visible even during a simple march.

The commander tried to encourage the soldiers through each commander, but it was not easy.

What father, son, or husband in the world can be at ease with his children, parents, or wife?

As Benito’s entire 50,000-strong army gradually became infected with the madness of impatience.

One more piece of news came in through the scouts’ report.

“Imperial 6th Corps. Maintaining formation with their backs to the river.”

“The enemy has attacked the drainage line while leaving our Benito behind!”

After hearing that, the commander and the rest of the commanders looked at each other.

Probably everyone is thinking the same thing even without saying anything.

That we absolutely must break through. That we absolutely must do so.

The 13th Legion of the Empire is threatening Benito and his homeland.

And that 6th Legion is trying to hold on to them and not let them go.

You can ignore it and pass it by, but it will soon catch up to you.

There is also a method of throwing out the rear units as bait and leaving.

But if that really happens, the morale of the military will hit rock bottom.

There is no way we can lose an army that has been trained so diligently in such a vain way.

Crucially, one part was strangling everyone from commanders to the lowest officers.

“What are our odds of winning if we go back to Benito?”

Very low. Very little. To be blunt, it’s almost non-existent.

The 13th Legion knocking on Benito’s gate, and the 6th Legion standing in the way they must pass.

There are also the 4th and 15th legions that are still in the country but can show up at any time.

If the 18th Corps, the reserve force, is fully deployed, they will have to deal with a total of nearly 100,000 elite soldiers.

They are the military personnel. They are the commanders who lead the army.

Those who sit in that seat must know how to fight for victory.

And in their view, the 6th Corps that had struck Bae Su-jin was a vital piece of the puzzle.

‘The 6th Corps’ objective is to buy time for the 13th Corps to break through the gate.’

‘It wasn’t for nothing that I made Baesujin. I was trying to prevent being surrounded by a numerical disadvantage.’

‘They’re trying to grab our ankles. Even if we try to get away, they’ll keep chasing us. In that case…’

In that case, let’s catch it. Since we’ve already hit Bae Su-jin, if we just break through the front, there’s no next time.

I acknowledge that the Imperial Legion is the elite of the elite. I also acknowledge that they are inferior.

But now, Benito’s army also became anxious. There was a reason why they had to fight and win.

I have no doubt that it will be a powerful weapon for our allies.

“Our army annihilates the 6th Imperial Corps right there.”

So when their commander said so, no one objected.

Rather, if I had just let it pass, there might have been a backlash.

The army is already running wild with impatience. In this state, we cannot have an enemy behind us.

Although the enemy is elite, they are at least twice as numerous.

This is a heaven-sent opportunity. We absolutely, absolutely must win.

It won’t be easy. It’s sure to be a very difficult fight.

But there’s nothing we can do about it. Avoiding it is impossible.

Let’s win. If we win, it will work out. If we just win, anything will work out.

Such thoughts tormented the heads and bodies of all of Benito’s men.

Once the decision was finally made, Benito’s forces headed towards the Imperial 6th Legion.

After eating a hearty breakfast, we headed to the battlefield.

Everyone sings a military song loudly to hide their impatience and anxiety.

In the place they left, a moth flutters, caught in a spider’s web.

The spider that appeared stealthily began to prey on the moth that was unable to move at a leisurely pace.