Ch.136That Time, Other People

=====[ Western Ainfeld ]=====

Ainfeld.

It was one of the counties located in the southwestern part of the Empire.

The vast plains stretching to the west of the territory were once the site of bloody battles with other races, and even today, undead monsters occasionally appeared.

But this was the first time so many had appeared simultaneously.

“There are many…”

Looking at the legion of undead creatures beginning to appear beyond the horizon, Leopold unconsciously muttered blankly.

At least a thousand monsters the size of humans. They were slowly advancing, oozing dark mana.

Watching them all staggering forward in unison, it looked like a black wave surging toward them.

Most of the monsters forming the army were “Rotting Patients.”

Monsters with decaying flesh clinging thickly to human bones and intestines.

They weren’t naturally occurring species.

They were human corpses revived by the abilities of a medium-sized undead creature, the “Whisperer.”

That was the true identity of the Rotting Patients.

While their strength and speed weren’t much different from ordinary soldiers, due to their undead nature, it took several times the number to subjugate just one of them.

Unless attacks were imbued with holy power, they would regenerate as if they had never been injured, and even attacks with holy power merely prevented regeneration—ordinary wounds meant nothing to them.

Undead creatures could only be neutralized by severing their limbs to eliminate their combat ability or by inflicting enough damage to completely destroy them.

In mass battles like this, they were the most dangerous monsters.

It wasn’t just small monsters that had appeared.

Massive shapes bulged up here and there among the army.

From relatively small ones about two or three times the size of a human, to medium-sized ones that appeared dozens of times larger.

Mixed Remains. Whisperer. Grave Eater. Flesh Entity. Bone Snake.

Each one was a powerful monster that even knights would struggle to face.

Prince Leopold had personally led the army to subjugate them, but the soldiers’ morale wasn’t particularly high.

That was because the number of soldiers was only eight thousand—not even half of a single legion.

Moreover, due to Isabella’s machinations, they weren’t the elite 1st or 2nd Legion, but soldiers from the 3rd Legion who lacked combat experience.

If it weren’t for the Holy Maiden candidate and Holy Corps dispatched by the Church of Elpinel, they wouldn’t have dared to even consider fighting.

“Lord Ludwig. May I ask for your tactical advice?”

Leopold turned his head to look at Margrave Ludwig, who was standing one step behind him.

He had set aside any arrogant delusion that he himself possessed military talent.

Looking back at the Empire’s history, there were more than a few who had left legendary infamy due to such delusions.

Those foolish individuals who, without any war experience, overestimated themselves… pushing unrealistic strategies by force.

Usually, they led their entire forces to death and ended up in the Empire’s history books as cautionary tales.

Leopold had no intention of suffering such humiliation.

‘I don’t need to worry about military strategy myself anyway.’

The era when military talent was emphasized as a quality of a ruler had long since ended.

Ernst might flaunt his military talent, but in Leopold’s view, what a ruler needed wasn’t excellent military skill.

Even without his involvement, this place was full of people who had proven themselves through achievements.

The Shield of the Empire, Ludwig Wilhelm von Landenburg.

The Chosen of Elpinel, Lacy Elmaine Stardolf.

The knight commander of the Holy Corps she led, Paladin Richard.

Any one of them would be strategically more competent than Leopold himself.

“The advice from the Church would be more accurate than mine. I have very little experience fighting monsters myself… so it’s difficult for me to say anything yet.”

Although Ludwig actually held more practical power, he respectfully deferred to Leopold.

Having decided to support Leopold, there was no reason to undermine his authority.

—-

“First of all, a defensive battle from the walls would be meaningless.”

Richard, who had climbed up to the wall at Leopold’s summons, declared with certainty as he looked down at the plains.

His straightforward statement was fundamentally rejecting the Empire’s basic tactics.

Leopold found this puzzling.

“Wouldn’t it be advantageous to fight with the walls? I don’t think the Rotting Patients can climb the walls…”

“Not with the Bone Snake present.”

Richard pointed to the massive monster visible in the distance.

Thousands of vertebrae twisted in a spiral, making it look like a snake covered in white scales from afar.

“That creature can burrow through the ground and destroy the foundation of the walls. Once it goes on a rampage, small walls like these will collapse instantly. The troops around the walls would be completely annihilated… and the soldiers’ morale would plummet, leading to certain defeat.”

“So we need to engage in battle on the plains… the casualties will be severe…”

Leopold sighed.

He had thought that with a defensive battle, they could somehow manage with their current forces, but the walls becoming useless was an unexpected situation.

Moreover, the surrounding area was nothing but vast plains, making it impossible to ambush with knights in hiding.

The only option left was to confront them head-on in a test of strength.

A full-frontal battle—a tactic where the casualties among the soldiers couldn’t even be estimated.

“In other words, if we can just subjugate that Bone Snake, there would be no problem with a defensive battle.”

Margrave Ludwig, who had been listening alongside them, calmly offered his advice.

“How can we reach a creature in the middle of the monster army?”

“Hmm…”

Margrave Ludwig stroked his beard.

‘A cavalry breakthrough… would be impossible.’

The Empire’s warhorses and knights had always been valiant.

Normally, they would charge fearlessly even against pike formations that were the natural enemy of cavalry.

However, even they had their limits.

Even warhorses that could withstand dense spearheads with their armor couldn’t endure the dark mana emitted by monsters.

And unlike humans, they couldn’t receive priests’ blessings.

Moreover, these enemies were different from humans.

They wouldn’t die from being pierced by lances or trampled by warhorses, nor would they break formation and flee due to broken morale—they would persistently cling to the cavalry’s heels.

He could clearly envision the cavalry getting bogged down halfway through rather than breaking through.

‘Then we need to use a lure.’

If we can’t reach them, we must make the enemy come to us.

“We should organize the elite knights as a reserve force in the rear, and use the Holy Corps, which has strong defensive capabilities, to firmly block the front. If it’s a monster that burrows through the ground, it will likely dig underground to target our rear.”

It would place a heavy burden on the Holy Corps, but this was the optimal personnel assignment.

They were the only battalion capable of holding against the monster army.

If they protected themselves with the miracle of the barrier and recovered their wounds with the miracle of healing, even those creatures wouldn’t be able to break through for a while.

‘Armed with religious fervor, they won’t retreat even if it means death.’

For the Holy Corps, dying while fighting monsters was tantamount to martyrdom.

It was a death promised entry into Elpinel’s paradise, so they might even welcome it.

Conversely, if the low-morale soldiers of the 3rd Legion were placed at the front, they would either all die without much resistance or flee in panic.

Margrave Ludwig continued his explanation.

“When the creature emerges in our rear, we concentrate our reserve forces to eliminate it. There’s a possibility it might emerge from the center of our formation… but that would mean being surrounded from all directions as soon as it appears, so it’s more likely to target the rear.”

“What do you think, Sir Richard? Does Lord Ludwig’s plan seem feasible?”

Ludwig’s explanation sounded quite plausible to Leopold.

However, in such matters, one couldn’t be certain without hearing an expert’s opinion.

Fortunately, Richard—an expert in monster subjugation—was present, so it was natural for Leopold to seek his judgment.

Richard thought for a moment before nodding.

“Hmm… considering the creatures’ behavioral patterns, it’s a strategy with a high chance of success. The issue will be how quickly we can subjugate the Bone Snake.”

“The forces I can deploy are thirty knights and two masters. Would that be enough with the addition of imperial knights and priests’ blessings?”

It was rather modest for a prince-elector’s forces, but his territory of Landenburg was far to the east.

Since this subjugation battle itself was unexpected, the only forces available were the small escort he had brought when heading to the capital.

“With two masters… and with Lady Elmaine Stardolf present, I believe it should be possible.”

Fortunately, Richard nodded.

“I see. Then after subjugating the Bone Snake, we can slowly retreat into the fortress and engage in a defensive battle.”

Ludwig smiled lightly.

His sharp eyes were still keenly observing the monsters’ positions, but his expression suggested they had at least overcome one hurdle.