Arc 4 Chapter 23 : Bloody Midday

[Raul POV]

Hundreds of corpses lay scattered throughout the forest.

Truthfully, I had not made any plans for what to do with the hundreds of bodies after the battle. If we left them here unattended, I feared their rotting corpses would spread disease and interfere with our operations in this area.

I didn't have much trouble looking at hundreds of enemy corpses lying across the ground like this.

But...

I turned to the side.

Six bodies had been laid out side by side.

They were soldiers from the hundred men I had brought with me for this mission.

It wasn't that I had never expected casualties in this war.

But they were soldiers under my command.

I was responsible for their lives.

Their families were waiting for them to return from the battlefield. I would have to face the people closest to those fallen soldiers—their anger, their disappointment, their grief—and compensate them for their losses in an attempt to at least ease some of the wounds they had suffered.

I knew it was supposed to be the Empire's responsibility to do all of that, not mine as an individual.

But I was responsible for all the suffering of everyone here.

It was because of me and the other members of my team that this world had become such a terrible place—a world filled with war and evil far worse than the world I had originally come from.

That was why I wanted to atone for all the sins I had committed against them by preventing the total destruction of this world at the hands of the demons.

And because of that, I understood that nothing truly significant could ever be achieved without sacrifice.

Many people would die along my journey to accomplish that goal, whether they were my subordinates or innocent people from the opposing side who became entangled in the conflicts I was facing now or would face in the future.

Trying to push the negative thoughts out of my mind, I approached a Priestess who was treating an injured soldier.

"Sister Linda, what is the total number of casualties?" I asked her.

The Priestess briefly stopped healing before answering me.

"My only duty here is to heal people and prevent them from dying in the wars all of you create," she replied. "The Temple forbids us from becoming more deeply involved in the affairs of either side of this conflict."

It seemed Ariel had done something good this time by establishing standardized procedures for Priests and Priestesses who wished to continue performing their duties of healing those in need.

"All right. Sorry for interrupting your work."

I then ordered Eric, Tom, and Jerry to count the soldiers who had suffered serious and minor injuries.

In addition, I sent fifty men who were still capable of moving to secure the Caravan. I didn't want any of the survivors escaping with the carts carrying the logistical supplies.

A short while later, Eric, Tom, and Jerry returned to report to me.

"Captain, we've lost seven comrades in this attack," Eric informed me.

"As for the severely wounded, four soldiers still need assistance walking despite being healed by Sister Linda," Tom reported. "They lost too much blood and are still too weak to move properly."

After hearing Tom's report, I turned my attention to Jerry, whose task was to report the number of soldiers with minor injuries.

"There are five soldiers with minor injuries, Captain," Jerry said.

His own right hand bore a fresh sword slash.

"They can still move, but Sister Linda refused to heal them because their wounds aren't life-threatening."

I see.

So our total casualties from this attack amounted to sixteen people.

It seemed I needed to devise better strategies so that casualties could be minimized throughout the rest of this operation.

"I refused to heal those with minor injuries so that I could conserve Mana for emergencies."

Sister Linda suddenly joined our conversation.

It seemed she had finished treating the severely wounded.

"You also wouldn't want me to be unable to heal you when one of you is on the verge of death simply because I've run out of Mana, would you?" Linda said, pointing at Jerry's injured right hand. "Besides, you're a man. Don't be such a crybaby over a wound like that."

At Linda's words, Jerry's face turned red with irritation.

"Listen, woman. Don't ever lecture a man about anything when you've never even been to battle before!" Jerry snapped loudly, pointing directly at Linda's face.

• Bang!

Suddenly, Jerry's body was sent flying and crashed onto the ground.

Tom had shoved him, wearing an expression just as irritated as Jerry's.

"What did I tell you about how to treat women, Jerry!?" Tom shouted, clenching both fists in anger. "If you can't show women respect, then my fists will teach you until you understand!"

Jerry rose to his feet and shook his arms, seemingly preparing to fight Tom.

"Tch! I hate men like you who always bow down to women!" Jerry spat.

"What did you say!?" Tom became even angrier. "I'll make sure you finally come to your senses this time, loser!"

The two of them activated Accel on their legs before launching themselves toward each other.

Their hands also began glowing, indicating that they had activated Temper as well.

"I'll change that attitude of yours toward women!"

"Try it if you can, you damn loser!"

They were about to punch each other when I moved faster, catching each of their fists and throwing them both away until they crashed into separate trees.

"If the two of you can't maintain discipline, I'll make you stay in the dwarves' city and leave you out of this mission," I said coldly.

The two of them stood up, but before separating, they exchanged hateful glares.

Who the hell designed these two?

My responsibility as a game developer was only to handle the programming and mechanics of the game we were creating.

Our team had designed no more than one hundred characters for the game.

But now that the game had become reality, there were countless people whose information I knew nothing about beyond the characters we had personally created.

The continent's population was nearly one hundred million.

There was no way we could have created that many characters and memorized information about every single one of them.

I had no idea what to do with those two—Cat and Mouse.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I just hoped they wouldn't cause trouble when we fought the enemy.

After dealing with the casualties, I ordered Estera to create a mass grave and bury the enemy soldiers' corpses so they wouldn't cause an outbreak of disease in this area, which we would certainly be using again.

[Alesio POV]

Seven days after capturing the fortress city of Cataluna, the forces of the Kingdom of Draconia first conducted sweeps through the surrounding territory, conquering the remaining city and several villages in the region.

They did so not only to search for food, but also to locate the Empire's main forces, which had suddenly disappeared from the fortress city.

However, when the forces of the Kingdom of Draconia reached those cities and villages, they found only a handful of people remaining in their homes.

After interrogating the inhabitants, they learned that Marquis Fran had ordered everyone to evacuate to the Duchy of Grenaut.

He had also ordered them to burn all their livestock and crops around their settlements, leaving us unable to seize them as food for the soldiers stationed here.

I was currently in the Marquis's residence, specifically in the family dining room, discussing our next step in the invasion of the Empire's eastern territories.

The Marquis's residence had been converted into the command center by General Melisandru.

"Our current situation isn't good," the General said to all the military officials present. "First, we have no idea where the enemy forces are. If we attack the next territory, the Duchy of Grenaut, we'll be in trouble if their forces suddenly launch an ambush against us."

For seven days, we had found no trace of the enemy forces that should have been defending this territory.

They had been clever enough to evacuate the cities, avoiding direct confrontation with the forces of the Kingdom of Draconia, which possessed a three-to-one numerical advantage.

"Second, we haven't obtained any food from this territory since our initial attack on those two villages," the General continued, visibly irritated. "Poor logistics are extremely dangerous when we're this deep inside enemy territory. Fortunately, the Republic has agreed to send supplies to our forces."

Six days ago, the forces of the Kingdom of Draconia received enough logistical supplies from our nation to last for one month.

However, truthfully, our nation would not be able to support an army this large for very long.

At most, we could continue supplying them for another six months.

Sooner or later, the forces of the Kingdom of Draconia would have to secure their own sources of supplies within this territory.

"Exactly, General," I said in response. "We will continue sending supplies equivalent to six months of what your forces require so that you can carry out this offensive without having to worry about food while operating in enemy territory. The next shipment should already be on its way and is expected to arrive in this territory tomorrow."

"For that, we thank you, Lord Alesio," the General said with a smile. "There are two options for our next step in this offensive. The first is to search for the enemy before attacking our next target, the Duchy of Grenaut. The second is to attack the Duchy of Grenaut immediately and hope that the Imperial forces in the Margraviate of Cataluna reveal themselves, allowing us to engage them at the border."

It was true.

Without knowing where the roughly ten thousand Imperial soldiers in this region were hiding, it would be extremely risky to force our way into the Duchy of Grenaut.

However, we also couldn't afford to play cat and mouse with their forces when our current supplies would last only about twenty days.

A military official then raised his hand to speak.

"General, do we know how many troops are currently stationed in the Duchy of Grenaut?" the military official asked.

The General didn't answer.

Instead, he looked at me, signaling that I should provide them with the information.

"The Duchy of Grenaut has approximately seven thousand to ten thousand soldiers in total," I answered. "However, the forces stationed there aren't as capable as those in the Margraviate of Cataluna because the Duchy of Grenaut isn't a territory focused on military affairs."

After hearing my information, the official nodded and thanked me.

If the Duchy of Grenaut had only ten thousand soldiers defending it, conquering the territory would be easy for the forces of the Kingdom of Draconia if they brought thirty thousand troops there.

However, the ten thousand Imperial soldiers still missing from the Margraviate of Cataluna posed a significant threat if they suddenly appeared in that territory.

I saw another military official raise his hand.

"General, I believe we should divide our forces in two if we intend to attack the Duchy of Grenaut," the official proposed. "Twenty-five thousand of our troops would begin attacking the city, while the remaining five thousand would hide and launch a backstab against the roughly ten thousand troops commanded by the Marquis if they attempt to backstab our twenty-five thousand attacking troops."

Not long after that official finished speaking, another person raised his hand.

"General, I disagree with this proposal because it is too risky considering the uncertainty surrounding our logistics," the military official said, expressing an opposing opinion. "If our supply lines are cut by the ten thousand enemy soldiers who have disappeared in this region, then our entire army will be in grave danger!"

What he said was true.

If the ten thousand Imperial soldiers currently missing managed to retake Sarisa City, which served as our logistical hub, then the thirty thousand troops attacking the Duchy of Grenaut would risk starving to death without their supplies.

After hearing suggestions from several of his subordinates, the General fell silent, seemingly contemplating what step to take next.

He had to choose carefully, because his decision would determine the success or failure of the offensive.

"We will first search for the Imperial forces that have disappeared from this region and destroy them," the General finally declared, choosing the next course of action for the offensive. "Increase the number of our Reconnaissance Units so that we can locate them more quickly."

It seemed the General wasn't willing to take a greater risk in exchange for the possibility of achieving a major success.

What could I say?

Generals had different approaches to commanding armies.

Some were willing to take great risks for substantial gains in a short amount of time, while others preferred slower but more reliable victories with lower risks.

[Tyra POV]

It was morning in the capital of the Aragon Empire—Terragon.

At the city's military square, a massive field capable of holding fifty thousand soldiers, citizens had gathered to watch approximately twenty thousand reinforcement troops prepare to depart for the Margraviate of Cataluna, which was currently under attack by forty thousand soldiers from the Kingdom of Draconia.

"Look, look! That's my brother at the front of the formation!"

"My father is carrying a military flag in the middle of the formation!"

The children and wives of the soldiers preparing to depart had gathered here.

Even the streets surrounding the square were packed with people who couldn't enter the military grounds.

Before the assembled troops stood a tall platform, normally used by a General to deliver a speech before sending soldiers into battle.

"People of Aragon! Fathers, mothers, and children born upon this beloved land! Listen to me, all of you! Our nation is currently under attack by evil invaders who wish to see our country destroyed and brought to ruin!" the General shouted from atop the platform.

Everyone gathered in the area fell silent, unwilling to miss what the General would say next.

"They are jealous of our glory! They cannot stand to see our nation at the pinnacle of civilization! That is why an alliance of three nations has been formed to bring down this powerful nation and seize our position as the dominant power on the continent!"

Hah!

Why were they portraying themselves as the victims of this conflict?

Other nations hated them because of their arrogance and their constant belief that they were the greatest and strongest whenever they dealt with other countries.

They wanted Aragon to fall so they could finally free themselves from the threat of a nation that always sought to dominate them.

"There is an old saying: 'The taller the tree, the stronger the winds that strike it.' Today, those winds are the three allied nations attacking us, and we are the mighty tree that will withstand every storm that comes our way!"

Hearing the General's speech, the crowd erupted into cheers, their patriotism burning fiercely as they prepared themselves for war.

"But we cannot simply stand by while our homes are destroyed by our enemies!" the General shouted, clenching his fist. "We must fight! We must protect our possessions, our families, and our honor as a great nation in the eyes of the world!"

"Yeaahhh! Drive those invaders out!"

"Show them the might of the Great Aragon Nation!"

Everyone shouted, expressing their determination to fight their enemies.

Young and old alike had been blinded by the flames of nationalism, paying no attention to what was right or wrong.

They had all been hypnotized by war propaganda without even knowing what had caused the conflict in the first place.

"You heard them yourselves, soldiers!" the General shouted, turning his gaze toward the ranks of troops. "Your families and children are waiting for us to drive the invaders attacking the eastern territories of the Empire! Are you ready to fulfill their expectations!?"

"YESSSSS, GENERAL!!!"

"YESSSSS, GENERAL!!!"

The soldiers' shouts were even louder than those of the civilians.

"Excellent! Prepare yourselves! March in plaaaaaace... Move!"

The synchronized stomping of thousands of boots echoed throughout the square, leaving the civilians in awe at the sight.

"Forward... March!"

The soldiers began marching out of the capital's military square.

As they moved through the city streets, civilians threw flowers at them.

Families shouted the names of their loved ones who were heading to the battlefield, praying that they would return safely to their embrace.

Meanwhile, I was standing on the rooftop of a building, watching this joyous scene about to transform into a nightmare brought to life.

• TEEENGGG!!!
• TEEENGGG!!!
• TEEENGGG!!!

The bells of the clock tower rang, signaling that noon had arrived.

But the ringing bells were also a signal for the rest of my team to execute our plan.

Not long afterward, explosions erupted from the direction of the military square where the Imperial soldiers had previously gathered.

• BOOMMBB! BOOMMBB! BOOOMMBBB!

Explosions also erupted along the streets through which the Imperial soldiers were marching.

Chaos erupted.

Clouds of smoke rose high into the sky.

The cries of children reached my ears like the soothing melody of a sacred hymn.

Everyone panicked and began running.

Many civilians were trampled to death by others desperately trying to escape.

That's right...

This scene was almost identical to the moment your soldiers destroyed my tribe.

You slaughtered our children.

You tortured the elderly simply to obtain information.

"Please! Someone save us!"

Feel the pain of my people as they were slaughtered that day.

"No! My child! Don't step on my child! Please, stop!"

Feel the despair of watching someone you love slowly die before your eyes.

"What is happening here!? The explosions keep going off everywhere!"

Our revenge had only just begun...

Everyone would pay for what your people had done to our tribe...

"This World... Shall Know... Pain..."

.

.

.

After the incident, approximately five thousand civilians in the capital were dead, while tens of thousands more were injured.

Emperor Phillip de Aragon declared a state of emergency throughout the Empire and sealed all exits from the capital in an attempt to capture those responsible for the terrorist attack.

The events of that day were etched into the darkest pages of the Empire's history and became known as The Bloody Midday.