‘Send five hundred knights ahead, rendezvous with the garrison, and have them guard the village’s supplies.’
“Understood.”
He returned to the formation screen and tapped the cavalry.
“Captain Lazav. Take five hundred of the cavalry to join Perley’s garrison. There will be a monster raid.”
‘Understood. All those who bear the green light, follow me!’
In no time, the soldiers rushed ahead. The way everything moved with no delay made them really look like pawns in a game.
Nothing seemed real as he vacantly followed the dots with his eyes. Even battles seemed like something from a far away world when he was surrounded by soundproof walls.
‘Once we enter Gai Straum, victory will be ours. If we can bring Kaitar into the fold, and when their army falls under our command, there will be no power in the realm left to oppose us.’
Currently, due to the guerrilla tactics employed by the monsters across the land, their forces had not gathered as much as expected.
Military taxes had risen significantly as a result of expanding the transportation network across all of Morania. However, so had the number of cities that needed to be protected.
Of the total one hundred and thirty thousand soldiers, fifty thousand had been assigned to city defense.
While leaving ten thousand in reserve, they would ultimately need to hold out until Gai Straum with seventy thousand troops.
‘How far have the ten thousand reinforcements from the Taganii front advanced?’
“I’ll check immediately.”
The screen then switched to show the movements of the separate detachment. As they were advancing cautiously through the rugged mountains, their progress was slower than usual.
‘Be wary of the bridge over the Taga Gorge ahead. They will certainly attempt to destroy it. Send out a vanguard and have them secure the area. And don’t forget to check the bridge.’
He moved the camera and saw that there were indeed monsters near the cliff on the other side of the bridge.
Some of them appeared to be looking at the sky, but the eyes were a thousand meters above ground with the sun at their backs.
‘Will Squad. There’s a monster ambush at the Taga Bridge up ahead. I will send visual feed from the eye. Use it to respond.’
“Thank you. Now that we know, there’s no way those monsters can surprise us.”
The captain shouted orders to the soldiers in the rear, keeping the infantry and supply units on standby. He likely intended to rush across the bridge on horseback and secure temporary safety.
As the bridge had been rebuilt by their own forces, its structure was surely sound. He quickly inspected the surroundings, which revealed a rockfall trap had been set up at the ambush point.
“There is a rock trap up ahead. Do not follow them too far.”
‘How troubling. Very well then.’
That should be enough for orders. Now it was just a matter of how much resistance the enemy ahead would show.
As the carriage rocked, Yasuharu stared intently at the monitor.
—
‘Sheto. The cavalry have gone. About five hundred.’
Salia’s voice rang, and he turned around to look at those who waited behind him. A goblin horde, armed and ready.
“So they finally moved.”
“Yes. Knights, five hundred, coming.”
“They know we’re here then. Well, that’s what the chief said. So it’s expected.”
Said the Hobgoblin captain with a mischievous smile.
“So, you will go?”
“Of course! The chief’s order. I’ll risk my life to carry it out. No, I will finish it even if I am dead!”
The captain said with a laugh, and then he bumped Sheto’s chest with his fist.