Westward, Westward

Dragonbone Mountains, headquarters of the Third Supplementary Army.

"Quite a few members of the Goshawk Tribe and the Cors Tribe slipped through the net, and there are several other Tuwu tribes nearby. We can't keep the news secret for long.

"The Golden Tent Royal Court may already have received word.

"Now that Dragon Spine Pass has fallen, the enemy has troops to spare to secure their rear.

"The enemy are cavalry. It won't take them long to pull troops back to their aid.

"We have to come up with a plan for what to do next.

"If anyone has suggestions, let's hear them!"

Victor spoke with a grave expression.

For all his calculations, he had never expected the empire to have so many pig teammates.

No matter how he racked his brains, he couldn't understand why Dragon Spine Pass had fallen so quickly.

Even with the northern frontier's elites wiped out, the troops gathered at Dragon Spine Pass numbered two to three hundred thousand, counting the forces drawn from nearby and the nobles' private armies called up for service.

And that number would continue to grow with time.

It might have been difficult to take that many troops into the field against the Tuwu People, but they should have been more than enough to defend the city.

Surely no one had colluded with the Tuwu People, opening the gates from within to let the enemy in?

Who would give up a perfectly good life as a noble of the Holy Glory Empire to go eat dirt on the grasslands?

The unknown was always the most frightening.

Without knowing what had happened at the front, he didn't even know where to begin making specific preparations.

"Commander, we'll counter soldiers with generals and stem water with earth."

"No matter how formidable the enemy cavalry are, they can only roam freely on the grasslands.

"Let's stick to the old method. Lure them into the mountains, then wait for a chance to fight a decisive battle.

"I can't guarantee anything else, but we know the mountains around here inside and out.

"We know exactly what magical beasts are laired where. We can give the enemy a nice big present!"

Howard eagerly offered his suggestion.

He was no match for the Tuwu People in a head-on fight, but he was good at navigating mountain ravines!

No matter how strong the cavalry, they would all become infantry once they entered the mountains.

Lead them around in circles a few times, and they would be worn out.

If conditions allowed, they could also lure the enemy into magical beasts' territory.

No matter how strong the enemy, they wouldn't be able to withstand that kind of punishment.

"Howard, you can't treat the enemy like fools."

"Fools like those in the Cors Tribe are a tiny minority.

"What normal commander would send cavalry into the mountains?"

"I say we should make the most of our time, intensify the troops' training, and strengthen ourselves. That's the way to go.

"We captured so many warhorses, yet plenty of our soldiers still can't ride. Isn't that a waste of resources?

"Let's all make an effort to improve the troops' mobility before the enemy arrives.

"Then we'll all be cavalry. If it comes to it, we can ride circles around the grasslands and see who can outlast whom!"

Felix immediately countered.

Every man dreamed of riding across the battlefield. Given the chance to command cavalry, no one would want to be infantry.

With 2.5 horses per man, they were better supplied than some cavalry armies.

They had everything they needed to turn infantry into cavalry.

"Felix, quit bragging.

"If we had half a year or a year to prepare, we could certainly give it a try. The problem is, the enemy could attack at any moment.

"Surely you don't expect to turn a bunch of infantry who can't ride into elite cavalry in such a short time?

"Even leaving the soldiers' abilities aside, the supplies cavalry consume are far beyond what infantry need.

"Don't forget, warhorses need grain in wartime.

"The little horse feed we captured won't last if we squander it like that!"

Howard fired back without mercy.

The difference between cavalry and infantry had never been limited to knowing how to ride. Cavalry also needed far greater all-around abilities than infantry.

Riding, controlling a horse, fighting on horseback, mounted archery, caring for warhorses, reading terrain...

Not one of those skills could be learned in just a few days.

Their daily consumption was far beyond that of infantry, too.

The Third Supplementary Army could support so many warhorses because it had not entered wartime conditions, so feeding them a little grain now and then was enough.

Once wartime conditions began, grass alone could not replace the energy warhorses expended on grueling raids.

Without enough energy, the horses would be ruined in a matter of days.

"You two, we're holding a military meeting here. If you want to argue, go out the door and turn left."

Seeing the two troublemakers clash yet again, Victor reprimanded them without mercy.

Although both suggestions had some merit, they remained entirely at the tactical level.

Neither touched on strategic planning or long-term schemes in the slightest.

More than a way to defeat the approaching enemy, the Third Army now needed to find a reliable route home.

"Commander, we'll follow your lead!"

Everyone answered in unison.

They had no choice. The two chief troublemakers had already brought up every viable battle plan in their argument.

Any new proposal they came up with seemed unreliable even to them.

Strategic planning was far beyond their abilities. Everyone present seemed to hold a fairly high post, but in truth they had all been thrust into roles they weren't ready for.

At heart, they were merely the empire's junior officers, elevated by the war to heights beyond their station.

From childhood, they had been taught to fight bravely and kill the enemy. They had no concept of strategy.

"Now that the war has reached this point, everyone has earned some military merit.

"What we need most now is no longer to win glory, but to make it home alive and cash in the merit we've earned.

"Look at the map on the sand table. Our present position is very awkward, and the closest route to the empire is through Dragon Spine Pass.

"Now that Dragon Spine Pass has fallen, the whole of Dragon Spine Province is exposed to the enemy's advance. Not only are the main roads impassable, but we can't take the mountain paths either.

"Crossing the Dragonbone Mountains is even less realistic.

"With so many of us traveling together, we would inevitably draw frenzied attacks from the magical beasts in the mountains.

"That leaves us with only two choices.

"Either head east and pass through the Quake Empire, or head west and pass through the Andorra Peninsula."

Victor pointed at the map as he laid out his analysis.

"Commander, relations between the empire and the Quake Empire aren't good. They may not let us pass through.

"Besides, from where we are now, marching east across the grasslands could bring us into contact with enemy reinforcements. The risk is simply too high.

"Heading west through the Andorra Peninsula won't be easy either.

"The straight-line distance alone is several thousand li, and the actual march would probably be over ten thousand li.

"The terrain of the Andorra Peninsula is complex, and ogre tribes have occupied it for a long time.

"The empire has sent troops to wipe them out several times, and every attempt has ended in failure.

"With the few troops we have, we might not be able to fight our way across the peninsula!"

Jasper answered with an uneasy expression.

Flatly rejecting his superior's proposal without offering a better plan was an absolute taboo in the workplace.

But the retreat route concerned the survival of the entire army, so he couldn't pretend not to hear.

"You're right. Neither route will be easy!"

"East is a dead end. The empire had a conflict with the Quake Empire just a few years ago. It would be decent of them not to kick us while we're down.

"Expecting them to open their borders and let us through is pure fantasy.

"The ogre tribes to the west are just as troublesome, but heading west has one advantage: it takes us close to the sea.

"If we're lucky enough to run into a smuggling merchant ship, we can go around by sea and won't have to tackle those ogres head-on!"

Victor promptly painted them a rosy picture.