“…Shall we send an advance party of one battalion?”
“No. We’ll crush them with our full force. Don’t bother with the surrounding villages.”
By having the allies defect and lowering their morale, he could finish them off in one fell swoop.
Gizal grinned with eyes more fierce than ever before.
*
The report reached them four days later. Captain Lorenzo, returning hastily from the military command room, informed Hazen.
“General Gizal’s large army is heading towards this fortress. They’ve already reached the vicinity of Garrist Village.”
“…The information is late.”
“It was discussed among the higher-ups and didn’t filter down. Damn it, that’s pathetic”
Lorenzo slammed his fist hard on the desk. For the usually mild-mannered superior officer, his words were harsh. That’s how critical the situation was.
“What should our army do?”
“They are divided on whether to retreat or resist.”
“…I thought they would discuss how to defend ourselves.”
Everywhere, there are those who try to undermine others. Sometimes, the enemy is less troublesome than one’s own allies. They say that Colonel Barosa, a member of the opposition faction against Colonel Gedol, is advocating retreat.
“At worst, if the discussion doesn’t reach a conclusion, Barosa’s faction may withdraw.”
“No…no matter how you try to persuade them, that flow is inevitable now.”
Barosa’s real motive is likely the downfall of Colonel Gedol. If the leadership changes, the head of another faction will take over. It all depends on whether Gedol chooses to retreat or not. Barosa’s camp is probably already prepared for withdrawal.
Captain Lorenzo let out a deep sigh.
“Colonel Gedol won’t retreat. He is a man who cannot be swayed by the opinions of the opposing faction and change his own judgment.”
“If that’s the case, we should abandon Barosa’s camp as soon as possible and prepare for battle.”
“But if we do that, more than half the soldiers will retreat, and we won’t be able to defend the fortress.”
“We can defend it.”
“But Gizal the General is there. It won’t be that easy.”
“I didn’t say it would be easy. But I will prove that we can defend it.”
“…You have a plan, don’t you.”
“Yes.”
“Alright. I’m heading to the command room now. Come with me.”
“Understood.”
Captain Lorenzo and Hazen went to the command room.
They knocked and entered. There, Colonel Gedol and his faction members, Captain Shimant, Captain Makazaru, Captain Buise, Captain Bakunata, and Captain Goza Russell, were present.
They all seemed to have given up. Colonel Gedol muttered in a desperate tone,
“Barosa’s faction has reportedly withdrawn the entire army.”
“…Colonel Gedol. Captain Hazen says he has a plan.”
Lorenzo carefully responded, not wanting to agitate the despondent Gedol.
“Let’s hear it.”
“The fact that Barosa and his group have already left is good news. If we kept relying on their military power, we would never make progress.”
“…?”
“My suggestion is simple. If we can defeat General Gizal, their front line will collapse.”
Gedol looked at him with a bewildered expression and spat out,
“What is that? If you’re going to spout childish fantasies, do it somewhere else. With Barosa’s withdrawal, we don’t have the military strength to defeat General Gizal, nor anyone who can get close to him.”
“I can.”
“…You, what nonsense are you spouting?”
Gedol showed an unpleasant expression, but Hazen didn’t mind.
“I will defeat General Gizal myself.”
“What!? lieutenant, what are you saying!?”
“While I may be a lieutenant, I’ve only been in the military for a short time. That’s the only reason. The rank and quality of the jewels provided in the military may be proportional, but that doesn’t mean combat power is proportional as well.”
“…This is nonsense! Captain Lorenzo, why did you bring this idiot?”
“You should try believing in him. lieutenant Hazen has the track record of single-handedly securing a ceasefire with the Kumin tribe.”
“That was just good negotiation skills. That’s all, isn’t it?”
“No, that’s not the case. The Kumin tribe values military might. He demonstrated his own magical abilities as a mage and achieved the ceasefire.”
“But a mere lieutenant like you…against a general? How can I believe such a story…hmm.”
Seeing the indecisive Gedol, Hazen let out a deep sigh. He disliked commanders lacking in decisiveness. Barosa must have also been bothered by this man’s indecisiveness. In that moment, he recognized that corruption had reached the highest levels of the frontline.
“Colonel, what do mages mean to you?”
“They are those who wield magic, but…”
“To me, mages are those who can make the impossible possible. For example, single-handedly annihilating tens of thousands of soldiers, instantly destroying a magical beast larger than a castle, or curing incurable diseases.”
Hazen answered.
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“…What’s the point of spouting such fantasies? I can’t entertain such absurd talk.”
“Results are more desirable than theories. Besides, do you really have any other options? If you retreat from here, you’ll be demoted. At best, you’ll be exiled to a remote military outpost as a provincial governor. In any case, you’ll be branded a coward and never return to the capital.”
“…”
Hazen argued that a soldier’s worth comes from their military achievements. Without fearlessly grasping victory against any formidable enemy, their value is meaningless. Strategic retreats are acceptable, but a cowardly retreat is unacceptable.
“Then, even if it’s a long shot, it’s better to bet on me. Either you’ll live on with the disgrace of being pointed at, or you’ll find a way to victory from the jaws of death and earn great battle honors. There are only two choices.”
“…Hmm, but still…”
While Gedol was still hesitating, Hazen moved close to his face and stared at him with sharp eyes.
“I’m telling you that I will make your wish come true. Whatever you desire.”
“Wha-what? lieutenant Hazen, you’re being so rude!”
Major Shimanto, standing next to him, shouted in rage, but Hazen did not stop.
“Rude? Speaking the truth is not rude. If we had gone on the offensive sooner, we could have at least prevented them from invading us.”
“…If you hadn’t made a ceasefire agreement with the Kumin tribe-“
Colonel Gedol was cursing just inches from his face. He had been blaming everything on their side. But Hazen remained unfazed. This colonel was merely a rotten vessel, using others as scapegoats to preserve his own ego in this critical situation.
“I merely proposed it. There were ways to make use of it. But your leadership’s poor judgment ruined it. Mistakes on the battlefield mean death. Your fates have already been sealed.”
“…”
“However, you’re lucky. If you just entrust this battle to me, I’ll show you a reversal beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.”
The black-haired young man smiled with a twisted expression.
*
After lieutenant Hazen left, Colonel Gedol slammed his fist on the desk.
“What the hell…what the hell is he!?”
“…”
“Don’t just stay silent, Captain Lorenzo! What was that attitude!? A mere lieutenant presuming to devise the strategy for the fortress’ survival? Unthinkable!”
It’s understandable for him to be enraged. Those present were members of his faction – Gedol’s own underlings. For a newcomer officer to come in and threaten them like that, the surrounding Major Shimanto and other captains were left dumbfounded by his sheer audacity.
However, Captain Lorenzo, who had observed Hazen longer than the other superiors, calmly replied.
“…That’s Hazen-Heim. Whether the enemy or ally, superior or the entire upper echelon, he’ll see his will through to the end, even if it makes them all his foes. Even in front of His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Th-that’s blasphemy! That can’t be called a will, but mere selfishness!”
“…”
Captain Lorenzo coolly watched the raging Colonel Gedol. He’s not sure how to calm him down. But he was convinced that only understanding Hazen lieutenant was the sole path to victory in this battle.
“…The difference between will and selfishness, what do you think the colonel sees?”
“What?”
“The former is the ambition of the powerful. The latter is the sore losers of the powerless. That’s what I saw in him.”
“…So you’re saying we should just do as that ridiculous man says?”
“We have no choice.”
Perhaps, he had secretly wished for this. Captain Lorenzo thought wryly. If they kept debating retreat or not, they’d be overrun in the blink of an eye. They had to forcibly steer the preparations for resistance.
It was so ironic that an involuntary self-deprecating smile escaped him.
“I understand Lieutenant Mospitza’s feelings now.”
“What? Are you equating us, the empire’s senior officers, with that incompetent!?”
Major Shimanto became enraged in Gedol’s place. He was the second-in-command of this faction. But he also felt that the Barosa Major’s faction had grown due to Shimanto’s own lack of ability.
“…Probably, to a man like Hazen-Heim, we were no different. We were engaged in an ugly factional struggle, neglecting the empire’s duty to defend this fortress.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! We and those people are absolutely not the same! They’ve been dragging us down, dragging the empire down!”
“…”
It’s a pointless argument. Captain Lorenzo didn’t say anything more. But he still thought they were the same. Ultimately, Colonel Gedol had failed to unite the factions into a unified direction.
He had always prioritized strengthening his own faction, constantly creating a confrontational structure with Major Barosa. That is the deepest sin when it comes to an organization.
In other words, Gedol lacked the vessel to rally this fortress. It was fine when they specialized in defense. But when they tried to go on the offensive, the facade crumbled. Faced with an overwhelming genuine article, his own incompetence was exposed.
At the very least, Hazen had stirred the winds. This cacophony of factions, he would forcibly split them in two, pushing one side, a fierce, raging, violent storm.
It was a cruel tempest that made them realize their own powerlessness.
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