None of the gods spoke a word in front of the water mirror.
From the moment the siege sorcery had been unleashed, they had become absorbed, swept up in the relentless pursuit that followed.
“Yasuharu, report the damage.”
‘…The main force sustained losses exceeding ten percent, due to the enemy launching a counterattack at the moment the magic was activated. Furthermore, it seems that about three thousand casualties resulted from the spell’s effects.’
“And the magicians and dragoons?”
‘The dragoons lost two riders. The magicians have taken about one percent losses across the entire unit…but there will be no impact on rebuilding the main force.’
The smile on his lips turned slightly bitter, but he repressed it and nodded.
They still commanded fifty thousand troops, and the magician unit retained almost the same strength as at the start of the battle.
‘The monster army is now out of our detection range. I will have the Eyes follow them.’
“Limit them to tracking enemy movements from high in the sky. And have the main force return to base at once in order to rest. Prepare for an enemy ambush, and set up a rotation so that half the troops are awake every three hours.”
After issuing all the necessary orders, Furukamuto gazed across to the opposite side.
With a pained expression, Saliashe watched the monsters, while the Dragon God remained silent as he gazed back.
“What do you think?”
He moistened his mouth with a drink and leaned back in his seat. The units that had returned to the main camp quietly cleared away the burned rubble as they set up food supplies that had been hidden deep in the mountains and pitched replacement tents.
“Impressive.”
The Dragon God admitted with a sigh.
“Infantry, cavalry, mages, and dragoons. Reforming them into a ‘three-arms tactic.’ A swift transition from the ‘tercio,’ with its overwhelming defensive power, to the mobility-focused ‘phalanx manipulus.’ And then…annihilation using great magic, while using the main force as bait.”
The Dragon God’s golden gaze fell upon the eight bodies, now reduced to charred remains. The cost paid to complete Vengras’s spell had been offered and enshrined as heroic spirits.
“Even my hidden poison was used as bait to lure Berganda, and you managed to weather it with a proper strategy. No one could hope to earn a better passing mark, I would say.”
“A ‘passing mark’ is rather harsh. Still, the results do speak for themselves.”
The enemy formation relayed by the Eyes in the sky had become quite pitiful compared to what it had been that morning.
The Fang Riders had been completely wiped out, and the lizardmen were reduced to only a few dozen. The main force had also been greatly diminished, and above all, the ogre unit that served as the rear guard had been annihilated.
“If they regroup, they would number a little over twenty thousand. However, one of their key units responsible for mobility has been wiped out, and the ogre unit that supported the center is also gone. The trolls are powerful, but they have little defenses against sorcery.”
‘The pursuit of the magic beasts has been completed. We have confirmed the annihilation of the worms. The rest seem to have scattered into the mountains, but it appears most of the beast tamers are dead. The unit commander’s body showed signs of a severe disease, so we incinerated it immediately.’
After hearing Yasuharu’s report, Furukamuto surveyed the battlefield once more.
The scorched wasteland which was once a village, and the overwhelming number of corpses.
Their losses were minimal, while the enemy’s main force had been almost entirely destroyed or rendered powerless.
And above all, the greatest concern…Canila’s Hero, had disappeared from the board.
“Now, what will you do next?”
Furukamuto provoked the Dragon God without mercy.
“Your kobold ‘trump card’ is still alive. Surely you have plenty of options remaining.”
He said, while laughing inwardly.
The monster forces were few, and they lacked the strength to stand against him.
Perhaps a reckless night raid on the main camp under cover of darkness, or a surprise attack using kobolds, minotaurs, or a combination of both were possible…
They may also resort to a divine rule enacted through Saliashe offering herself, or the use of a sacred artifact… But once those were reset and known, they would pose no real threat.
Addressing the silent dragon who offered no reply, the Seer once again toyed with him.
“Come now. What will your next move be?”