Hakai no Miko

The departure of the Crusaders led by General Darius from the King's Capital was informed to Bornis in less than a day by the scourge of Zoan, who was aware of the danger and had allowed him to infiltrate the interior of the Holmeer State.

From the king's capital of the Holmeer kingdom to Bornis, this is an astonishing speed, even to say that it will take a few days to take over the early horses.

It was the new means of communicating information devised by the Ethereal Horse that made this speed possible.

Growing up in modern Japan, Aoima understood the value of information and the importance of its speed of transmission more than anyone in this world. It is only natural that he asked for a means of communicating information faster and more accurately.

And it was Zoan's drum that the Ethereal Horse eyed.

The distance that the early horses of this era run in half an hour (about an hour) is about ten quillies (about thirty to forty kilometers). In contrast, the sound of the drum is naturally three hundred and forty melts per second (about three hundred and forty meters per second) because of the speed of sound. Simply considered, the sound of a drum transmits thirty to forty times faster than a fast horse.

Of course, we had to make a relay point in the range where the sound of the drum would reach, but even considering the hassle, this speed was worth it. It is also surprising because it is a distance from which the sound of the drum can be reached, but according to the records at the time Zoan's drum of drum arrived to a distance of one quilli (about three kilometers) away if it is clear and windless.

In this era, it would have been wolf smoke when it came to the earliest means of communicating information.

However, wolf smoke has the disadvantage of being affected by windstorms and other weather conditions, or that it cannot be used in situations where smoke is not visible, such as at night. It was also problematic that there was a very small amount of information that could be transmitted, since transmission through wolf smoke depended solely on the colour of the smoke and its availability.

Zoan's drums were superior to that not only because the wind storm was less affected than wolf smoke and could be transmitted even at night. Above all, the amount of information that can be communicated can be mentioned.

In addition, the Ethereal Horse was preparing for the fear that for some reason the transmission of the drum would be interrupted, allowing the warriors who had finished tapping the drum to communicate the information verbally, like the station transmission, increasing the probability of the information.

Later, the Ethereal Horse constructs a means of transmitting information that also adds to the special abilities of Marman and the Harpurans, but the prototype was already made at this time.

When this first breaking news by Zoan's drums arrived, the Ethereal Horses were just being taught by Marcronis how to fight what the Holmeer National Army was good at.

"This is the dense formation of heavy-duty spear infantry that the Holmeer National Army specializes in."

That being said, what Marcronis pointed out was the unit that formed the city's defense force into a temporary heavy-duty infantry.

The soldiers' protective gear is the same as the ordinary soldiers of the Holmeer country that the Ethereal Horses have ever seen.

The only difference is the long spear in its right hand.

The length of the spear is roughly four to five melts, sticking it up to the ground and waiting, like a bar-high jumper waiting to start.

Three soldiers of such equipment lined up in a horizontal row, and their horizontal rows lined up in twelve more vertical rows.

"This is one row of three, only twelve rows deep, but once, when we took control of the Sorbiant plain, a dense formation of one hundred and twenty-eight rows with a depth of sixty-four rows was formed."

Zoan was brought up the story of a war in which he suffered a historic loss, and all the Zoans who were on the spot looked at him uniformly.

"When I say dense formation, isn't this too dense?

It is not impossible for the Ethereal Horse, who was looking at the dense formation, to think so. In any case, the horizontal row is so dense that the shoulders are not in contact with the soldiers next to it, and if it is a vertical row, the chests of the soldiers in the back of the front row are so dense that they touch each other.

This will make it difficult to move.

"Dense formations are key to how dense they can be. General Darius, once named General Holmeer, inspired the soldiers to pack what I think is a brave man a step further. - Well, actually, you can tell."

Marcronis, who said so, turns to the soldiers forming a dense formation, makes the decree.

"Spear, stand!

At the same time as the decree of Marcronis, soldiers from the front to the six rows made noises and speared.

"Ugh. This..."

The Ethereal Horse, who watched it directly from the front, knew exactly why the Zoans had been defeated in this formation.

Looking directly in the front, even if it is one soldier who is opposed to himself, the spear tips of the five soldiers who are holding back from the side are protruding this way with a slight change of length. That would mean five more spear tips await, even if the soldiers in the front row were speared.

This is like fighting Asura with a weapon in each of the six arms. No matter how physically capable Zoan is, it is only suicidal to challenge this head-on.

"Do we have to break the formation with arrows from afar..."

Marcronis laughs at the solo voice of the pale horse.

"In that case, here's what I'll do. - Shield, stand down!

Now I put up a shield.

"Ko, this is..."

The soldiers in the front row lined up their shields on their fronts, as if they were walls. Arrange them so that they overlap each other's shields, without a minute's gap. More soldiers after the second row were hoisted overhead with their shields as roofs.

Marcronis picks up some pebbles that were at his feet and throws them at the front of the dense formation and over his head. Pebbles, they all get caught in shields.

"Even a master of bows would not be able to pass an arrow through that gap without being so distant. General Inkdias, once known as the famous general of the Empire, used this dense formation in his battle against the Elves to prevent the arrows that the Elves' archers would send down like rain, ravaging them once and for all in a fleshy place"

Even in this world, elves are known for their bow celebrities. Even the archers of the elves were defeated before this dense formation.

"Especially in Holmea, they are increasing their offensive power to the front. Usually in other countries the spear is two to three melts long, whereas the Holmeer country is four to five melts long. I have the idea to support the spear by hanging a leather string from my shoulder so that I can handle this spear with one hand. By this, if we bump into each other from the front, we can say that the dense formations of the Holmeer Country are invincible."

The length of the weapon is a great advantage. Whether you simply think about it or just say you can attack from a distance where your opponent's weapon won't arrive is very different. Even in Japan, Nobunaga Oda had a common sense spear length of a while and a half at the time (nine feet, about two. seven meters) where it was, three and a half rooms (two lengths and a foot, about six. Four meters) of spear units with long spears, and it is a famous story that they have had great results.

The Ethereal Horse noticed that Marcronis had lightly highlighted the front and asked.

"So what about the sides or the rear?

"Weak," Marcronis affirmed. "Having that long spear and a big shield on top of the density makes it difficult to change direction. Without commander's orders and signals such as drums and whistles, I can't even change my orientation properly. If you panic poorly and try to change direction, the soldiers bump into each other and the formation gets blurred. Of course, it is well known, usually to the left and right of dense formations, to place infantry or tank units and make them defend themselves"

While still tightening his mind that it would not be so easy, Aoima kept this matter firmly in his memory.

It is then. One Zoan warrior rushed in with tremendous momentum.

"We have breaking news by drums! They confirmed that a human army, supposedly a crusader, was marching towards a city called L'Oma!

To the words of that warrior, tension runs through everyone like an electric shock.

"Finally!

So it was Zoog who made a passing noise and struck the right fist in the palm of his left hand.

Nothing Zoog is the only one with high blood on the long-awaited crusader newspaper.

He wouldn't put it out in his mouth, but Gallum held his fist slightly tight, Doverin closed the plug on Yale's leather bag, which he had been clamping his mouth on until just now, and Jaharngil was rushing his tail to the ground.

"What's the size of the enemy?

The Zoan warrior answers the question of the Ethereal Horse.

"Yes! The enemy, roughly seven thousand +! I've hit the same number along with two drums, three drums, so no doubt about it!

"Seven thousand +?!"

The Ethereal Horse accidentally raised his voice to a higher number of soldiers than expected. But if I expose my upset when I plan the operation, everyone gets anxious. Soon after, the Ethereal Horse coughed up and pushed the upset away.

"That's more than I expected."

"Not at all. It's slower than you said, and the numbers are different, right?

It was Zug who received the words of the Ethereal Horse and said so in the dominant voice of Doth to Marcronis.

That also made sense to restrain Marcronis, who had sometime been satisfied with a position like that of a military adviser to the Ethereal Horse if he realized it.

Marcronis, having guessed its intentions, reflects on whether it has been slightly too much lately.

Originally Marcronis, who had spotted Ethereal Horse as an amateur with no service experience and sold in his own sight, but when he actually exchanged words, Ethereal Horse could have said ignorance rather than amateur.

But that doesn't mean dull. The Ethereal Horse greedily absorbed what Marcronis taught him, like water covered in desert sand. As a teacher, no student is more worthy of teaching. As a result, I had forgotten my surrounding eyes and let them in.

"It's not honorable. Thank you. I think I missed it."

Marcronis honestly apologized.

I can also understand Zoan's fear of holding me back. That speech got the support not only of Zoan, but also of Dwarves and Dinosaurians, but I don't know how robust that is. If here the Ethereal Horse heavily uses Marcronis, the same human race, there is still a fear that the support it has gained will sway as to whether it favours humans.

"Leave it at that, Zoog"

It was Gallum who went into arbitration where it got slightly awkward.

"Whatever happens to our enemies, we have a role to play."

Zoog also understood the value of Marcronis' advice. I won't complain about Gallum just because I tinkled my nose because I could serve the purpose of saying I would restrain Marcronis.

Gallum puts his back fist in Zoog's thick chest plate. It seemed to poke lightly by the looks, but there was an unexpectedly heavy blow and Zoog groaned small.

"Zoan is not a word, show strength with results. Don't you?"

"... Must be, be!

Zoog slapped a flat hand on Gallum's back, all in retribution. That's enough force for Gallum's body to pop forward. When Gallum glances at him, Zoog turns to him with a pungent face. But he also hurt himself when he slapped him, waving his right hand around.

"I told you to show me power, but I didn't tell you to show me stupid power."

"Oops. I meant to stroke it lightly, but to the weak Great Sheikh, was it tight?

All of a sudden, even though we started to make love to each other, the Ethereal Horse worries that it's okay to leave the surprise raid to these two. When she saw Shemr asking for help, she sighed and said:

"Two bad kids, they're just hanging out. It's silly to worry."

The Ethereal Horse had no choice but to laugh bitterly at the story of Shemr's lack of body and lid.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

Two days have passed since Garam and Zug took a select elite of Zoan's warriors in Bornis and went out to ambush the Crusaders.

Zoan's ambush troops were waiting for the crusaders to arrive, laying low near the bridge, but reports have not yet arrived that the march of the pivotal crusaders has been slower than expected and the battle has begun.

Instead, the warriors who actually confirmed the crusaders and beat the drums began to vote back in turn, so that a more detailed picture of the crusaders could be delivered to the Ethereal Horse.

According to that, the cavalry and tanks seem to consist of only a very small number of officers and the majority of the crusaders are infantry. As far as Zoan's warriors can tell, the Crusaders' morale is high and the soldiers are highly skilled.

To the report, the Ethereal Horse blurred.

"Not really. I'm glad to hear it."

"It's better than being underestimated. We fight each other, betting ourselves all our strength and honor. That's what war is about."

"I hope it's easier for you to underestimate me," the Ethereal Horse sneaks into the proud Sheml-like dialogue. But Zoan's sharp ears didn't seem to miss it, and he was sighed at by Shemr, as he would say, "It's my impudent you," too.

"At this rate, when are you going to come to the bridge?

Asked so by the Ethereal Horse, the warrior replied, thinking of the crusaders he had seen with his own eyes.

"Right. We're moving slowly, but I think we'll be here in less than a few minutes"

"Right. Finally."

The Ethereal Horse hoped that Garam and the Zugs would succeed in a brilliant ambush. I really can't hang up my anxiety, but I just have to think those two would be fine.

But something accidentally caught on the back of the Ethereal Horse's brain.

"... wait a minute!

In his current exchange, Ethereal Horse rushes to rethink what caught him. By the time the warrior was anxious and restless that he might have said something bad, the Ethereal Horse finally looked up.

"Did you just say slow?

"Huh? Yeah...... yes. I told you so."

Furthermore, the pale horse asks overlapping.

"Is the human army traveling slower than usual?

The warrior, otherwise with some intent, did not say slowly. No way, I don't expect you to point that out sharply, and I answer it all the way down.

"Uh... no... somehow I just felt that way"

The Ethereal Horse had a bad feeling about something.

That's exactly what I just noticed on the tip of a knife poked at my nose. Chills like having an ice core inserted into your spine. The blood vessels all over your body contract and your heart makes a buzzing noise.

Something, not good. I feel so bad.

"What's going on, Soma?

The Ethereal Horse returns to me when Shemr, who notices the anomaly of the Ethereal Horse, raises an astonishing voice.

Anyway, I took one big breath trying to calm down and think. Then think about why you get caught up in this word. The Ethereal Horse, which I thought about for a while, came to a conclusion.

"... Could it be that you're on guard?

But soon such an idiot, I think.

As the Gallums also said, Zoan has never attacked outside the plains before. Even when the Ethereal Horse actually suggested dropping this city, Zoan showed difficulty getting out of the plain. So much so that it was an unusual thing to drop this city. On top of that, who can imagine coming out of the city and ambushing us even more? Not to mention this one is an oligarchy. You can't possibly think of launching an attack on an enemy that beats the number.

It's an overthought, I tell myself, but the Ethereal Horse survey keeps sounding a fierce alarm.

Besides, the Ethereal Horse was highly appreciative of the inquiry into the battle of Zoan, a hunting race. I can't grasp what that Zoan warrior felt.

That reminds me of the Ethereal Horse.

The Crusaders march slower than Marcronis first expected. Marcronis said his own inquisition came off, but doesn't that make any sense there?

For whatever reason Marcronis hadn't predicted, he wondered if the Crusaders could have dared to slow down the march.

"But why are you imitating like you're buying time?

As a Holmeer country, this insurgency should want to be suppressed even temporarily and quickly. Yet I dare to think of enough reasons to delay the march.

"... are you waiting for something?

First of all, the first thing I came up with was the presence of reinforcements. If you believe Marcronis' words, there are no more national armies that seem to be able to move. However, there are still private soldiers of the Lords in the State of Holmea.

But the Crusaders are more than seven thousand against less than two thousand of themselves. It was hard to think I would bother to ask the Lords for reinforcements until I gave this one some time. Not to mention being inspired by our own rebellion and not necessarily having rebellions everywhere. Nor did the Lords think they were headed for reinforcements, even though they had to prepare for those unforeseen events.

So, what the hell are you waiting for?

The worst anticipation comes to mind in the brain of the Ethereal Horse who thought so.

"Are you waiting for us to set this up?

As the Ethereal Horse panicked and widened the map, he stared with staring even at his enemies.

If you were the commander of the Crusaders, and you anticipated an ambush of Zoan, the Ethereal Horse thought. Then I'll have the answer right away.

"... trap"

The Ethereal Horse chose the bridge as a place to ambush, because there was no other place to ambush. To put it bluntly, this is the only place to ambush.

But that would say the same to the enemy.

If Zoan comes by surprise, it can only be here, he said.

If you know the ambush and its location, it is easy to trap it there and return the enemy who came to ambush you. If the Ethereal Horse is the commander of the Crusaders, he will surely do so.

……

From the map, the Ethereal Horse feels the shadow of a crusader commander he has yet to see and unwittingly lags behind.

Previous enemies did not know they existed, so they were easily embedded in the measures. But this time, on the contrary, I don't feel like someone is trying to see through my thoughts and fit into the measures.

The pale horse shook himself to the imagination.

Whether the ambush should be stopped or decided, a stray arises for the Ethereal Horse.

If a trap had really been set, the surprised Zoans would suffer a great deal of pain.

But there is no certainty that the other person is setting a trap. I just guessed from the fact that only one Zoan warrior felt that way somehow. Besides, with this difference in force, if you fight for it, you're sure to lose. That's why the Ethereal Horse worries me when I say I relied on an ambush and I shake it on a stick.

"I'll do it under no circumstances...?

But I immediately denied the idea. Selected as the ambush squad are some of Zoan's finest. If we lose them, we will lack the main force.

What do we do? What do we do?

After troubling himself, the Ethereal Horse finally vomited the word of decision.

"Instruct Mr. Garam and Mr. Zug to withdraw. Abort the ambush!

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

"What's the matter, look funny?

As he lay down on the ground, Garam asked Zoog that.

It is in a bush a short distance from the bridge where an ambush is planned. The scouts had received news that the Crusaders were coming soon enough. In the midst of the tension that the battle would finally begin, Zoog was somehow wrinkling and sniffing his nose tightly from earlier.

"Mm-hmm. For some reason, my nose is strangely muzzled."

"Is that a cold?

Zoog returned a strange word to Garam, who looked at him like he was going to tell him to keep his health under control.

"I wish I had a cold..."

Garam frowns at the root of his eyebrows in his mouth as if it were something worse.

Besides, Zoog said in a heavy tone with his head hairs bursting.

"You know, when your nose feels uneasy, it's a foretaste of bad things happening."

"You think it's a foretaste of bad things?

"Oh. Even the night before humans burned down the village I lived in when I was a kid, I did. Even when the wounds got worse and my father died."

Garam gets stuck in words for heavier content than he thought.

I realize that Zoog wasn't talking about good content when he was about to ambush me about that Gallum reaction, and I rush to fix it.

"Bad. Never mind. Did you and I become delicate before the war?

I joked and said it, but Gallum was very unwilling to laugh.

Garam tried to ask if it was also something that bothered him, but before he uttered the word, a warrior who was letting him stand on the lookout raised his voice.

"Great Sheikh! I can see the humans!

Turning to the river, I could see the crusaders waiting.

Then I'll go to my lord.

Zoog had been entrusted with the role of Lord, who would stop the enemy soldiers who chased him when he retreated. I was wondering if I would stop Zoog from trying to get back to his placement, but now Garam thinks we should concentrate on the enemy in front of him.

In the meantime, the head of the Crusaders was beginning to cross the bridge.

Holding on to his impatience, Garam stands still and observes the crusaders. Fewer soldiers have crossed this side, and less damage can be inflicted. If you greed and let a large number of soldiers cross, the ambush itself could fail.

Garam, who had anticipated the best opportunity to ambush him, finally stood up.

"Assault! Strike the drum!

Along with the screams of the gallum, the drums are pounded violently, and the warriors of Zoan, who were lying in the bush, rise together and begin to run through the earth on four feet.

Zoog, who was at the rear of it, also noticed a voice calling himself when he was about to rush out right now.

"Elder! Chief Zug!"

"What?!"

When Zoog looked back, one warrior rushed toward us.

"Chief Zug! Soma told me to stop the ambush and retreat!

"What?! More now?

Zoog looked up to the words of a warrior who bounced his shoulder and breathed roughly. The drum of the assault is no longer ringing, and we have just begun our assault on the Crusaders, spearheaded by Garam. It is not something you can retreat from now on.

Looking at it, the crusaders, who have just crossed the bridge, are surprised by their ambush and turn right and left. If we keep slashing in, we can be sure that the Crusaders will be given a great deal of pain. Zoog wonders if it would be a good idea to miss such a good opportunity.

But at that time, the gleaming thing came through the corner of Zug's vision.

Turning to you, there's just a woodland that looks lush. I saw something twinkling in the woods again in Zoog's eyes that I thought was my fault.

At that moment, Zoog felt how upside down the hair on his spine.

"That's what I mean!!"

Zoog commands the warrior aloud as he runs out on four legs.

"Strike the drum of retreat! Right now!

When the said warrior rushes to beat the drum of retreat, the line of Zoan, who was trying to eartip the gallam and slash it into the Crusaders like a single sharp spear, is disturbed. The warriors wonder if they should proceed or retreat to the drums of a sudden retreat, keeping their own ambushing enemies at present, and step on the spot.

Running through its sides like a red arrow, Zoog quickly finds Gallum trying to stifle the confusion of the warriors around him, as he chases to the leading group, in which he won't know why the drum of retreat was slapped either.

"Galamu!!"

He eats his toenails deeply into the ground and screams out loud as he brakes suddenly.

"It's a trap! There are humans in the woods on your right!!"

"?! What!

When Gallum turned around, it was just now that human soldiers had jumped out of the woods as they raised their voices. When Gallam finds out, the number is roughly between one hundred and two hundred and a few.

But those few humans, like a small, sharp knife, will come from the side of Zoan storming the crusaders through this steeple.

What do I do?!

Gallum gets lost for a moment. Though I understood that this raid was the only opportunity for us to fight back now, the idea comes to mind that we should go in like this ready for sacrifice.

But a voice rises that cuts off that stray.

"Gallum, we're getting away!

Zoog shouted up as he kicked the butt of a warrior who was nearby.

"Don't fight! We're even getting away with this! Look, run, run!

To the words, Gallum also blew off his strays.

"Retreat! Return to the city immediately!

The warriors around him finally start to move, even though both males were there to instruct them to retreat.

But that was only slightly too late.

Arrows pour like rain from overhead, along with the sound of bruising.

Garam and Zoog bounced back loudly as they rounded their bodies in small pieces. Immediately after that, countless arrows make noise and pierce the place where the two were.

"Zoog! Are you okay?!"

Rolling down the ground and standing on one knee, Gallum calls on the neighboring Zug.

But without even responding, Zug was also staring at the Crusaders in the form of anger he saw for the first time.

What the hell is going on, Gallum following Zug's gaze is also stunned.

Troops were still moving forward from the right and left crusaders, supposedly releasing earlier arrows. Among the confused crusaders, and that's the only unit flying that shows disciplined movement in the distance, is a large flag with a lion's side in gold thread on the black ground.

"Is that a black beast?!"

I don't know Gallum or Zoog.

That it is the flag that shows General Darius Brutus, the famous General of Holmea.

But even if he didn't know about it, Gallum had heard so many times about the flag from his father.

It is definitely an abominable flag, that it was raised alongside the flag of Holmea in the heart of a human army that once invaded the Plains of Sorbiant.

Throughout the gallum, a lava-like bloodstream of anger rushes around. The urge to roar and slash him into the troops flying that flag moves him.

"... Grr!

But he bit his lip at the spot and stopped.

I shouted at Zoog to tell myself too, to shake off the urge that still tickles in my chest.

"Now you run away! Any more sacrifices are lame!

To Gallum's voice, Zoog finally takes his eyes off the flag of the black beast too. Then he told them to spit out the bitter things in their mouths before the appearance of a dozen Zoan warriors lying before them.

"... I know. Now we have to run."

Some may still have breath, but we have to abandon them.

Now, swallowing that anger and carelessness, the two had no choice but to thoroughly escape.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

If you're not a horse or a dragon rider, you can't even catch up with Zoan, where just humans run on four legs. Having been able to destroy the Zoans in just a few moments, the ambush troops, who had to toothpick out the rear of the fleeing Zoan and drop him off, headed to join the Crusaders' main unit when they could no longer see Zoan.

Then General Darius himself greeted it on purpose.

"Thank you for your hard work, Bogs"

"This, my lord general. Did you come all the way to welcome me?"

It was the middle-aged man - Bogus - who had cut his sesame salt head short, who was leading the ambushes.

He had secretly preceded the Crusaders with Darius's life, letting two squadrons lurk in the woods for a few days. For days, Bogus bowed his head in regret as he was lurking in the woods, drenched in mud and fallen leaves.

"It's not easy. Apparently, they noticed it just before."

But Darius, instead of loathing the outfit, rather slaps Bogus on the shoulder with satisfaction.

"Yeah, and I don't think I'm gonna get away with it. It's not your fault."

It's not something you can do to all those high-tempered aristocratic out-of-the-box officers, such as to deal with the sensational Zoan's, who have been breathless and hiding in the woods for days. If Bogus can't do it, whoever did it will do the same thing.

"I'll get rid of the dirt in the river. Then join me as my immediate unit."

"Heh. Thanks, I'll let you do that"

Darius, who instructed the Bogs to sift warm meals and booze to the river, sees where the Zoans fled.

"But what a brilliant escape"

The voice had the sound of praise with no multiplication rather than derision.

Seeing as you've been trapped, you have no shame or outrage, and you strike a quick escape hand. This is hard to do. As a result, he said he trapped a dozen of them almost exactly as he thought, but it just ended.

"Somewhat, if you know what it is, I thought you'd set it up here, but can you tell? Still, don't you have a lot of good handkerchiefs?"

Darius smiles in his mouth.

That was a grin reminiscent of an old lion.

"But I've crushed my only chance of offense. Come on, what do we do next? Or is that it? The leader of the rebels and stop."

Above Darius's head, a flag with a gold lion on the black ground was subjected to a northerly wind and flickered heavily.