Ch.655The Next Day’s Conversation

“Your prediction was right. Orhan intends to move south.”

The next morning, Ludwig summoned me and declared with a grave voice that Orhan would bypass the wall to attack the Empire’s mainland.

“Those bastards, don’t tell me they’re already on the move?”

“Quite the opposite. I’m certain they’re heading south precisely because they’ve shown no movement at all.”

Seeing my confusion, Ludwig continued his explanation.

“If they had intended to target the wall again, they would have launched a night attack yesterday. They too know that time works in our favor.”

That’s… actually true when I think about it.

Thanks to the healing priests, even Ka’har warriors who would normally die or need weeks of recovery can be back on their feet in three or four days, and our supply capabilities are overwhelmingly superior.

As time passes, the defenses at the collapsed sections of the wall would only grow stronger.

If Orhan wanted to target the wall again, swift action would be his only option. Though I wonder if attempting a night raid on the same day might have been too hasty.

“Isn’t it too early to draw conclusions? Shouldn’t we wait a few more days to be sure? Maybe they were just tired last night.”

“Our troops were several times more exhausted. Unlike the steppe warriors who had at least half a day’s rest, our soldiers couldn’t even properly rest after the battle as they had to collect the dead. The enemy would have observed this, making it perfect conditions for a surprise attack under cover of darkness.”

Ludwig refuted my reasoning.

“Ah, I see.”

I nodded slightly with a cigarette in my mouth.

So lighting those large fires visible from beyond the wall was to see how the Ka’har would respond.

“A partially collapsed wall. Imperial forces exhausted beyond measure. Scattered forces that would have rejoined the main army by evening with time to spare. If Orhan hadn’t abandoned his dream of breaching the wall, he absolutely should have launched a night attack yesterday. Before his chances diminished further.”

“…I see. That makes sense.”

In short, we’re screwed. I sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

If we suffered this much damage while fighting an infantry battle using the wall, we’d be slaughtered in open plains combat. Even if Hersella could stop Orhan.

“So, should we head south immediately? If we’re going to stop the Ka’har from crossing the Dane border, shouldn’t we go ahead and prepare something?”

While building fortresses or defensive positions might be difficult, couldn’t we at least dig trenches or erect palisades?

“If we abandon the wall too early, what if they decide to test us with an attack before heading south?”

Ludwig shook his head.

“We won’t be too late if we move once they start heading south. Breaking through Dane’s resistance won’t be accomplished overnight.”

“Dane… I’m not sure if we can trust them.”

I’ve heard they’re mass-producing magic warriors using seal magic, but I’ve never seen them, so I can’t gauge their strength.

Besides, Dane hates the Empire almost as much as the Ka’har do, so I doubt they’d fight desperately to stop the Ka’har who are heading to attack the Empire. That would only benefit the Empire.

“What if they just throw their borders wide open? Telling the Ka’har to leave them alone and go attack the Empire instead.”

“While I can’t say it’s impossible… Dane wouldn’t do that unless they’ve gone mad. The moment they open their borders, the Ka’har forces would devastate Dane first.”

That does seem likely. Rather than thanking Dane for peacefully opening their borders and leaving them alone, they’d see it as a stroke of luck and plunder every city along their march.

“The Ka’har, especially on large-scale, long-distance expeditions, must rely on plunder for most of their supplies. Their own supply capabilities can’t support such a large army, and marching at the pace of supply wagons would negate their greatest strength—mobility. You know this better than I do, don’t you?”

“What if Dane provides supplies? Then they wouldn’t need to plunder, right?”

“They’d start plundering after receiving them. They’d think, ‘If they’re providing this much, their cities must be filled with even more supplies.'”

I briefly considered a rebuttal but soon gave up. The Ka’har I had seen were exactly that kind of people. Brutal bandits who would laugh as they cut off your wrists and neck after you handed over your possessions, then search your corpse for more.

“If you say so, then that must be right. I understand.”

I nodded, tapping my cigarette ash into the ashtray.

“So, is that all you called me for?”

“I have a couple more questions.”

“Questions?”

Ludwig tapped his fingers on the desk as he asked.

“The blood mist that turned the Ka’har on the ruins into pieces in an instant—was that your doing?”

Is he talking about the Field of Mortality?

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t exactly my doing…

“…I heard several unfortunate infantry got caught up in it. If you’re going to blame me, all I can say is that it wasn’t intentional, but I’m sorry—”

“I’m not trying to blame you. Friendly fire during chaotic battles isn’t uncommon. Whether it’s magic, arrows, or something else.”

Ludwig waved his hand with a slight smirk. It was hard to tell if he was trying to be comforting or if he genuinely believed what he said.

“What I want to know is the effectiveness and limitations of that power. How wide an area can you create a momentary gap in enemy lines, and how many times can you use it? That’s what I want to know.”

Ludwig looked at me with gleaming eyes, like a military general expecting specifications for a new weapon. But his expectations would only lead to disappointment.

“You look full of expectations, but it’s not as convenient as you seem to think. It could instantly kill enemies in the thousands if they’re densely packed, but it can’t distinguish between friend and foe, and even at my best, I couldn’t use it more than three times. After using it at full power, I can’t use it again for a while.”

Disappointment briefly flashed across Ludwig’s face as he heard my explanation.

“Hmm… then I’ll have to scrap the counterattack plan.”

Counterattack plan?

“What were you planning to make me do?”

“I was thinking of asking you to raid the Ka’har camp, unleash that power, and then escape while they’re confused. Unlike fire, fog is harder to notice and respond to immediately.”

Was he planning to use me like some bomb-dropping guerrilla?

From Ludwig’s perspective as a commander, it wasn’t a bad strategy, but I saw a fundamental problem with the plan. Not because of the limitations of the Field of Mortality I mentioned earlier, but for an entirely different reason.

“The moment it manifests, Orhan and all the war chiefs would rush out. Even if they couldn’t see the fog, they’d definitely sense its aura.”

Unless it was a Tale of Heroes specifically designed for stealth, all heroic tales emit a powerful aura when activated.

In a fierce battle where it’s difficult to focus on auras elsewhere, it might go unnoticed, but during a normal rest period, it would be detectable from a hundred meters away.

Especially the Field of Mortality, which emits a particularly ominous aura among heroic tales.

In my view, the moment Hersella infiltrated enemy lines and unleashed the Field of Mortality, Orhan would likely spring into action even before the enemies enveloped in fog could die.

“Aura…? I see, I hadn’t considered that.”

Ludwig nodded repeatedly as if just realizing this. Being neither a Hero nor even a Master, he probably hadn’t even thought about the unique aura sense of Heroes.

“That answers my question. Now, for my second question.”

Ludwig stroked his beard, which had grown long from recent neglect, as he spoke.

“If you fight Orhan again, can you kill him? To clarify, I’m asking about feasibility, not your resolve.”

“Hmm…”

Can I kill Orhan?

Well, that depends on the circumstances.

“Under two preconditions, it would be possible.”

I answered, showing Ludwig two fingers.

Unless Orhan suddenly becomes stronger like a protagonist in a boys’ manga, I could cut him down if two conditions are met. Probably.

“…That’s an obscene gesture.”

Ludwig looked at my fingers with a very disgruntled expression.

Ah, I forgot that’s considered offensive in Europe. I didn’t realize it was the same in this world.

“I didn’t know that.”

I lowered my middle finger and raised the index finger of my other hand as I continued.

“First, I need sufficient time to recover the power of Murder Karma that I depleted in yesterday’s battle. I need that power to break through the Unyielding Flesh.”

Fortunately, it’s not completely halted like last time, so it shouldn’t take too long.

“And second, I need a weapon of equal or greater intensity than the Dragon’s Reverse Scale—something other than the True Jin Sword.”

Seeing how Yeoklin Sword became Yeoklin Piece in just one strike, even with a Dragon’s Reverse Scale level weapon, I could probably only swing it with five-layered Whiwall activated twice at most.

If I can’t end Orhan’s life with those two strikes, I’d have to engage in a war of attrition.

“Where would we find such a weapon…?”

Ludwig slumped his shoulders in dejection.