Santairiku Eiyuuki

Day 41 from over the Erkür Desert.

At exactly the same time as the Second Terripol Siege began, another battle was about to begin that shaped the whereabouts of the Lemuria Cerda War.

The Lemurian army, which joined forces led by Erkür and totaled about 73200, began the siege of the city of Azdavia, where some 5000 troops stood.

"I will surround you thoroughly so that you cannot pass even one of the Ant's sons."

As a matter of fact, siege 5000 enemy troops at about 7000 is slightly unacceptable in terms of force differential.

Assuming that a siege battle is carried out with this difference in force, it is more effective to concentrate troops and carry out corrugated attacks without siege.

But the purpose of this Erkühl is not actually to attack the castle.

Siege, in itself.

Therefore, the small difference in force strength was not so much an issue.

Nevertheless, there is nevertheless a risk of being broken through in case of 7000 and 50000.

Erkühl therefore carried out large-scale civil works in order to completely besiege the city of Azdavia.

It built a dirt base about four metres high and surrounded the city of Azdavia.

This earth base didn't just serve the soil, it was thoroughly fortified with wood and stone, plus lemrian concrete, and planted backwoods.

Four rows of trenches were dug in front of the earth base, backwoods were planted beneath the trenches, and pits were punched in front of backwoods, and iron piles were massively punched in front of the pits.

And to further prevent the siege from being breached by the enemy, a number of defensive bases and monitoring posts were set up.

Iason was still watching the movement of this siege...

Some of the generals of the hurried Beast Clan (Warbeast) attacked to thwart this, but the Lemurian army intercepted all of it.

Upon completion of the inner siege, Erkür created the exact same one that besieged the city of Azdavia in order to repel the enemy reinforcements that would have come to free the city of Azdavia.

It took twenty days for these civil works to be completed.

Upon completion of the civil works, Erkühl brought in forty days worth of food to prepare for the siege and the cage castle.

"Somehow, you're done by the time enemy reinforcements arrive. Well, I would have liked to consolidate it a little more..."

"Isn't this any more over-defensive?

"Well, so is that."

Elquille nodded at Galphis' words.

"Well... the reconnaissance unit reports that the Teriportanian defense forces are coming to this city of Azdavia in about five days. It leaves a minimum of protection, almost full force... in the army of 2000."

That means two things.

That the Lemurian forces currently besieging the city of Azdavia could be sandwiched by the sum of 5000 on the Azdavia city side and 7000 on reinforcements 2000.

And...

that there are currently almost no troops to defend the Teriportanian region.

"As His Majesty intended, you've gone"

"Oh. Now the Teriportanian region has fallen just as well."

Originally, the Azdavian defense forces, which must prevent the incursion of the Lemurian army into the Teriportanian region, are drawn inside the city of Azdavia and are thoroughly besieged.

And the Teriportanian defensive forces, supposed to be the last line of defense, are headed to the city of Azdavia to help their friends… have left the Teriportanian region away.

"That's why. I lead an army of Bulgaron Cavalry and an army of Medium Cavalry (Catafract) to the Teriportanian region."

There are no longer less than 1000 soldiers defending the Teriportanian region.

Moreover, less than 1000 soldiers are scattered throughout the wider Teriportanian region.

Put in a full 2,400 cavalry there...

Many cities will not fight and will choose to surrender.

"Galphis, the General Command returns to you again... but you know what you have to do?

"Nailing both the Azdavian and Teriportanian defense forces, right?

"Exactly. There is no need to force the city of Azdavia to drop. Anyway, make sure they don't go out there."

When Elquille said so, Galphis nodded.

And I said with a nigga and a grin.

"But... you don't mind if I knock you down, do you?

"I don't mind, but don't push it, okay?

Elquille got a little worried.

Erkühl led an army of Bulgaron cavalry and an army of medium cavalry (cataphruct) to the Teriportanian region.

"... what's the enemy after?

Iason, who confirmed the Lemurian army's cavalry was leaving through the offensive, tilted his neck.

The enemy is surrounding this one thoroughly, probably to drop the city of Azdavia.

And I'm even building defensive equipment to keep my enemies from attacking me behind my back... which should be a sign of my firm determination to drop the city of Azdavia even if they attack me behind my back.

Yet it is inconceivable to remove more than 2000 forces from the offensive.

and that's where the worst thing that comes to mind behind Iason's brain.

(No way... Teriportanian defense forces are on their way here as reinforcements, right?

But if so, Tsujitsu fits.

I mean, we're building defensive equipment to prevent attacks from the Teriportanian defense forces.

And... more than 2,000 troops were removed from the offensive in order to hold the Teriportanian region, which became thin while attracting the Royal Cerda Army to the city of Azdavia.

"No, it can't be! I did give orders not to send reinforcements, but to consolidate my defenses!

Iason told me to tell myself.

Well, time goes back more than twenty days.

Forty-seventh day after Erkühl made his way across the desert.

Two early horses arrived under the commander of the Teriportanian Defense Forces.

One is information that the Lemurian army is about to besiege the city of Azdavia and Iason is in crisis.

And the other is the directive from Iason, that is to say, to absolutely continue to protect the Teriportanian region, without leaving the holding.

"... an order from Master Iason. I have no choice."

The commander of the Teriportanian Defense Forces continued to defend the Teriportanian region, as ordered by Iason.

But... a lot of information has come under the Commander ever since.

Many of them were early horses coming from cities and villages near the city of Azdavia.

And the content was "the Lemurian army is trying to completely besiege the city of Azdavia".

The commander was troubled.

Should we keep our orders, or should we head to reinforcements?

I would ask Iason for instructions if possible, but the Azdavian defense forces led by Iason are completely under the siege of the Lemurian army and cannot ask for instructions.

"With that said, the city of Terripol fell because of reluctance to send reinforcements this way"

The last time I pushed the Commander's back was a lesson from the past.

Repeat the same mistake over and over again, what to do.

Iason can keep protecting the city of Azdavia?

Where is such a guarantee?

General Carmine was defeated, too.

It is not strange that General Iason is defeated.

If the Azdavian defense forces are defeated, we can no longer prevent the Lemurian army from flowing into the Teriportanian region.

"Yes, no, but... if we stay away from the Teriportanian region, there could be a part of the Lemurian army pouring in..."

That's why Iason ordered you never to leave the Teriportanian region.

Simply the influx of Lemurian troops into the thin Teriportanian region about 2000 will cause the Teriportanian region to be occupied.

Then the kingdom of Cerda will be finished.

But...

"No... but isn't it better than the city of Azdavia falling?

Iason says to defend the Teriportanian region on the premise of defending the city of Azdavia.

But if the city of Azdavia falls, it doesn't matter whether or not the Teriportanian defense forces remain in the Teriportanian region for about 2000 years.

Because more than 7000 Lemurian troops are pouring into the Teriportanian region in one piece.

And...... if you cross the Teriportania region, there is the city of Teripor, which is currently under siege.

If more than 7000 Lemurian troops approach the city of Teripol, the Teripol siege will have to give up.

I mean...

That means that the Teriportanian region will be entirely the territory of the Lemurian Empire.

"No way! No, maybe...... isn't that what Emperor Lemuria is for!?

By daring me to be vigilant, I won't let you send reinforcements.

It's a possible story.

I don't doubt Iason's tactics with the Commander...

of Emperor Lemuria. That goes over Iason, objectively, no doubt.

It is possible that Iason is dancing on Emperor Lemuria's palm.

"What do you mean! I wasted my time...... we have to hurry!!

The Teriportanian defense forces thus left only a minimum of protection and led 2000 to the city of Azdavia, close to almost all of them.

Information arrived under the Commander that the Lemurian army was on its way to the Teriportanian region... but he did not return.

For he thought that he could no longer go back.

Besides, I thought it would be better to temporarily give the Teriportanian region to the Lemurian Empire than the city of Azdavia would fall.

And this is also an opportunity, the commander thought.

Because the Lemurian army currently surrounding the city of Azdavia is about 5000.

And the number of Azdavian defense forces is about 5000... and the reinforcements are 2000 themselves.

In other words, we can sandwich the Lemurian army 5000 from around the corner for a total of 7000 for 50000 and 2000.

Perhaps we can destroy the Lemurian army, the commander thought.

That way, at once, the war situation leans towards the Kingdom of Cerda.

If we lead a total of 7000 soldiers to exterminate 2000, which later occupied the Teriportanian region, and put 7000 more into the Teriport offensive, the city of Teriport will also fall.

The Lemurian army has to withdraw from the Kingdom of Cerda.

And maybe... To avoid such a worst, didn't Emperor Lemuria dare send troops to the Teriportanian region?

The commander also thought.

Dare attack to stop enemy reinforcements...

That is the hand that Emperor Lemuria has done many times in the last month or more of the war.

Something that gets hooked on the same hand over and over again.

And, with a certain confidence in his heart, the commander headed to the city of Azdavia.

... Well, the commander was never wrong.

Indeed, the fall of the city of Azdavia and the total annihilation of the Azdavian defense forces is a greater loss than being deprived of the thin Teriportanian region.

And...... it was true that this pinch was also an opportunity, and it was also true that the war situation would incline towards the Kingdom of Cerda once and for all if the Lemurian army could be successfully sandwiched and wiped out.

However……

The only thing I was wrong with was that Emperor Lemuria had forgotten the possibility that he was aware of it too.

In other words, he was completely oblivious to the possibility that Emperor Lemuria was consolidating defenses that seemed to have no problem getting pinched.

Iason came to this, desperate to see the Teriportanian defense...

It was the sixty-sixth day from the crossing of the desert.