The War Begins / Hell

At the Kazimierz Supervisory Council, Russell was making preparations for a ceasefire with Ursus when a Sankta came before her and asked why they were going to war with Kazdel.

Russell: "What was this about?!"

She had the Sankta rest for the time being, then hurried to summon the long knights of every family. Only after questioning them did she learn the truth of the matter.

She had initially thought it was a misunderstanding, but it turned out to be true! Enraged, Russell drew her sword and cleaved the stone table in the meeting room in two.

"How dare you! The war with Ursus isn't over yet, so why did you go looking for trouble with the Sarkaz? If you want to study the Seaborn, we can negotiate and obtain samples. Why declare war?!"

"This is no longer the Knight Country!"

"Kazimierz has been taken over by merchants!"

The military nobles shouted one after another. They believed that the Sarkaz had a terrible reputation, so no one would come to their aid. Besides, the Fiends had only just ended their civil war and were at their weakest.

If Kazimierz attacked now, they could not only obtain a stretch of land untouched by merchants and rebuild a knightly territory, but also monopolize the power of the sea. Moreover, Kazdel lay south of Ursus. An attack launched from there could directly threaten Ursus's vital grain-producing regions!

They could not beat the Followers in business, but they could use the method they knew best—war—to leave the Followers far behind.

Clatter—

The scraping of a chair was painfully sharp. Nearl frowned and stood up. "I'm going to take a look at the Ursus border forces. They still have a lot of troops stationed there, and it's very dangerous."

The Nearl Family had already made their position clear. Several other families gradually followed Nearl out. Russell gazed at the long knights of the remaining families and did her best to steady her emotions.

"You bypassed the Supervisory Council and declared war on another country. I want to ask you: what are you trying to do?"

"Build a new paradise for knights!"

"Do you understand Kazdel? We've never fought the Fiends before. What will we do if we lose?"

"We've fought an empire like Ursus ten times and battled them for years. How could we lose to a weakened Fiend race?"

Looking at their confident expressions, Russell knew that these people had already made up their minds.

She sighed helplessly. Her years of war with Ursus had practically been the main theme of her life from youth to the present. Kazimierz could not compare with Ursus, and the enormous pressure had been harrying her every moment. Ursus could afford to fail countless times, but Kazimierz had little capital to lose.

Not only did she have to personally participate in battles on the front lines, she also had to direct every battle with the utmost caution. Yet in the eyes of the people, all that mattered was where Kazimierz had lost territory today. No one cared how many troops Ursus had sent into a battle, how many knights they themselves had, or what exchange ratio they had achieved.

The Knight Errants only knew how to complain that there was not enough military funding. Russell was always caught between the merchants and the knights, doing everything she could to negotiate and mediate, pulling the two forces together to resist Ursus.

But today, Russell felt truly exhausted. Perhaps she was getting old, too.

On March 29, 1071, of Terra's calendar, Iolanta Russell, the Grand Knight Captain of Kazimierz, resigned from her duties as Grand Knight Commander and became a Knight Trainee Instructor.

The next day, Kazimierz and Ursus began ceasefire negotiations. After handing the diplomatic letter to the World Messenger, Kazimierz formally declared war on Kazdel under the pretext that Kazdel was aiding Ursus.

Laterano did everything it could to negotiate a mediation, but Kazimierz never abandoned its course. Large numbers of Knight Errants were withdrawn from the Ursus front and immediately began distributing military supplies.

On April 1, 1071, Theresica expressed his regret to Weirdleaf, who had come before him and was still trying to persuade him. He then handed the declaration of war to Mostima.

Record: On April 1, 1071, Kazimierz and Kazdel entered a state of war.

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War Begins

Across Terra's trackless wastelands, Kazimierz's Knight Errants rode transport beasts alongside transport ships loaded with supplies and Siege Rams.

A low-ranking Knight Errant looked back at the Grand Knight Territory, which had already vanished from sight. Reluctantly, he turned his gaze away and urged his mount over to his captain.

"Captain? We're not going back to the Grand Knight Territory, so where are we going?"

"To Kazdel."

"That's pretty far away, isn't it?" The low-ranking Knight Errant racked his memory for the geography lessons he had once received and asked in confusion, "What are we going all the way there for?"

"I don't know. The Knight Commander said we're going there to fight. We just have to follow orders."

The captain looked completely unconcerned. They were Knight Errants, after all. Wasn't fighting still fighting, no matter where they went?

"What about our military pay? We've started fighting again. Won't that cause even larger demonstrations in the knightly territories?"

"This time is different. The high-ranking lords have all smashed open their private treasuries."

The captain looked intrigued. "The funding for this campaign is being paid by the high-ranking Knight Errants themselves. The Followers haven't paid a single coin. As long as they aren't asked to spend money, they can't be bothered to interfere."

"But Captain, we withdrew from the front just like that. Will Ursus attack the Grand Knight Territory?"

"You don't need to worry about that."

The captain patted his subordinate on the shoulder. He knew why the boy was asking so many questions: the boy had not returned to the knightly territory for a rest in a long time.

"Ursus doesn't have the energy to attack us right now. They're already busy enough dealing with their own internal problems."

He said it confidently, and he had not guessed wrong.

The new Emperor of Ursus was currently gritting his teeth and enduring pressure from the old nobility, firmly refusing to launch an external war. Once war began, the nation's authority would return to the old nobles, and his reform plans would be postponed indefinitely.

Before the former Emperor departed, he had pinned one of the forces controlled by the old nobility—the Sixth Army Group—on the front against the Fiends. He had also handed the new Emperor a leaderless Fourth Army Group and a Fifth Army Group that had been completely depleted.

This gave him an opportunity to place trusted aides, win over the people, and develop a power base of his own. Otherwise, the Ursus civil war would likely have broken out long ago.

But even now, the situation was still fraught with danger. The new Emperor had his confidant Vitt make an estimate for him, and the result was clear.

For at least the next twenty years, Ursus could not wage war. During that time, the new Emperor would engage in an unseen struggle with the old nobility, slowly implement his reforms, and gradually replace their people with his own. Otherwise, authority would flow back into the hands of the old nobles, and the new Emperor would find it difficult to reclaim.

Yet Kazimierz had chosen this moment to target Kazdel!

The new Emperor of Ursus was filled with frustration. Kazdel was not yet an extremely important partner to Ursus, but it still carried considerable weight. Its exports of civilian goods had brought him immense prestige, and any trouble there would deal a serious blow.

But if he went to its aid, the flames of war would be rekindled.

"Vitt!"

After carefully considering the matter, the new Emperor of Ursus made his decision. "Reply to Kazdel's request for aid. I'll directly transfer the active equipment of one Ursus heavy infantry division to them. That's all I can do. The rest is up to them."

Hedley brought the Ursus letter back to Kazdel. He also brought the Cyclops' response, which was extremely simple: a single shake of the head.

Theresica took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions. He cast aside the idea of obtaining foreign aid and asked, "Do we know how many people Kazimierz has deployed in total?"

"Your Majesty, approximately one hundred and fifty thousand."

When the Shapeshifter General announced the figure, everyone present changed expressions. Apart from the coastal military district, Kazdel had only forty-five thousand regular troops available for deployment!

"Your Majesty, do we really have to fight?"

"If we don't, we won't have a home!"

Theresica did not care who had spoken. He shouted directly over the feeble voice. Yet he was shouting through gritted teeth as well. The Bloodfiend Grand Duke was meant to be displayed before the nations of Terra, the King of the Scavengers had no intention of personally joining the war but allowed his people to decide for themselves, and the Banshees wanted to fight but did not want to fight. The only ones truly putting in the effort were the Shapeshifters handling intelligence, the Confessors, and the countless Goliaths.

How could forty-five thousand people fight a hundred thousand?

Theresica turned his gaze toward Hedley and Manfred, but both men shook their heads.

"Apologies, Your Majesty. I'm merely the head of a mercenary group. I've never commanded a large army in a frontal engagement."

"Your Majesty, I've only ever led a single division. Small-unit operations suit me better."

Theresica stared at them with wide eyes.

What the hell? Don't tell me you expect me to micromanage this!

He looked around in alarm, but everyone was watching him, waiting for his orders. It seemed they really did expect him to command personally.

"How fast can Kazimierz march? How long until they reach Kazdel?"

"Over twenty days," the Shapeshifter answered.

Theresica stared at the map in thought. Kazimierz really was sparing no expense. They were crossing a third of Terra to wage war, and shipping supplies from the Grand Knight Territory to the front lines in Kazdel would surely cost a fortune.

"They've been fighting Ursus for so long... Their production should have been affected... Do we have any intelligence on Kazimierz's grain prices?"

"Er... Kazimierz has recently been plagued by anti-war demonstrations, as well as boycotts and strikes. Their food supplies seem to be getting tight."

The Shapeshifters were indeed masters of intelligence gathering. They could obtain a little of every kind of information.

"Then we'll strike at their food supply!"

Theresica made his decision. "There are still ten thousand soldiers in the old Sarkaz forces. Manfred! Have them and Hedley launch attacks using the small-unit tactics they're accustomed to! Fight in the ways you know best!"

"Your Majesty, how long are we supposed to hold them off?"

"You don't need to hold them off. Kazimierz's main force is coming to Kazdel!"

Theresica gave his orders. "Your mission is to attack their weak points. Harass them constantly like flies. If you encounter small groups of Knight Errants or scouts—anything you can bully—eliminate them. The moment their main force comes looking for you, run! You must not engage them head-on. Keep disgusting them and wearing them down!"

Seeing the strange expressions on everyone's faces, Theresica gave them a reassurance.

"Don't feel any psychological burden. I'm issuing this order now: your top priority is to come back alive. The real battlefield is here!"

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Purgatory

"Wake up! Wake up!"

The knight opened his bleary eyes and saw the figure before him. It was one of his comrades!

"What happened? Are we under attack?!"

"Are you sleepwalking? We're still far from Kazdel."

His comrade gave him a light smack. "If you want to sleep, go sleep in the tent. You're not on watch, so what are you doing here?"

"I... I..."

He suddenly remembered something and tried to hide the object in his hand, but it was too late. His comrade wore a teasing smile.

"Well, well. So that's why you were hiding here. Writing her a letter, huh... Fine, I won't peek or disturb you. Go back to the tent yourself later."

"Thanks."

He smiled gratefully, then pulled out the letter paper hidden behind him. Half a page had already been filled, but compared with everything he wanted to say, it was merely the tip of the iceberg.

He picked up his pen and tried to continue writing, but his eyelids felt strangely heavy. He yawned.

Why was he so tired? It was only a march today.

Whoosh—

He collapsed weakly, and the letter drifted onto the ground. Red traces slowly spread from one corner across the entire page, staining the writing until it became a muddled blur.

A foot stepped onto the inconspicuous scrap of paper and passed over the corpse. More figures surged from the darkness, pouring into the camp like a tide.

"Enemies!!!"

A shrill cry rang out, but it was already too late.

Far from Kazdel, the knights had gone to sleep without putting on their armor. Now they could only hastily grab their swords and fight, while their opponents wielded the Sarkaz semi-automatic crossbows.

The scene became a one-sided massacre. Even the few fully equipped night guards were of little use under the circumstances.

Moments later, flames soared into the sky from the temporary camp of the supply transport unit. Siege Rams with their limbs hacked off lay on the ground, whinnying, while the attackers vanished once more into the dark wasteland.

"Your Majesty, the Siphon Drone is an outstanding piece of equipment. It can make the enemy lower their guard without realizing it!"

Manfred arrived before Theresica, holding the communications report sent back by the first wave of troops, his face alight with excitement.

"I know."

Theresica nodded. Two enormous transport ships stood before him. Though they were classified as small, high-speed vessels, they could still carry a great many people.

In an open area nearby, large numbers of Sarkaz soldiers were assembling and being counted. They were the second wave of troops about to depart. The transport ships donated by Iberia would take them near the Kazimierz army, drop them off, and leave them to fight on their own before returning to Kazdel to prepare for the next wave.

Every wave of troops carried communications personnel. Through relay points established along the route, they could promptly transmit information back to Kazdel. Later troops would then summarize the intelligence sent back and adjust their equipment and personnel accordingly.

The information sent back this time praised the Siphon Drones, but it also made special mention of one point: Kazimierz's knight armor was extremely well equipped. Blades were not very effective against it and were difficult to repair in the wasteland, so the report recommended using warhammers.

Thus, the troops boarding the ships now carried a batch of warhammers in addition to their standard equipment.

Suddenly, the surroundings grew noisy. Theresica noticed many soldiers looking in his direction and greeting him.

The Sarkaz forces that retained their original combat style were less disciplined than the newly organized units. Quite a few of them had fought alongside their cousins from the external wars all the way through the Kazdel Civil War.

Seeing so many people calling out to him, Theresica wanted to say something in response, but he was no silver-tongued speaker. After working up the words for a long while, he finally shouted stiffly:

"Every one of you better come back alive!"