Reincarnation into the Barrier Master

Episode 126: Pride gets in the way

Make sure Matokal, who borrowed new underwear from Rico, takes his seat, and we start eating dinner. As always, it's a beautiful dining landscape. But it's not good to eat a lot of matocalypse.

"Matokal, don't be shy, okay? Eat. Eat."

Matokal is making his eyes squirm.

"... the meals in this house are noisy."

"Yeah? Wouldn't it taste better if we all had a lively meal?

"Linos, in most noble houses, meals are something to eat quietly. Even though it's not a party at the Marquis' house, it's like home eating in a busy way."

Rico gives me a follow up.

"Really? So, you want to eat quietly?

"No. This is a good one. I was a little surprised at first, but if you get used to it, we'd all rather eat it, and I like it."

"And that's the thing"

"I didn't expect the defeated general to be called to the enemy general's mansion and be welcomed like this... unheard of"

"Welcome? I'm just saying eat some meshi."

"No... even so..."

"Don't be hard on me. Look, you say weird things, so you're losing fries from!

"Because of me..."

"It's okay. Because I still have it. Please eat more and more, Mr. Matkal."

That's how dinner ended and I sent Matokal with Rico to Juka.

A few days later, a report arrived at the Ramaron army, which was forming in the border zone of the Hedata Empire.

"What? Are you saying that the Imperial Army of King Juka Capital is going south?

"So... did the army of the Great Demon King begin to move?

"If that happens... so will we..."

"Yes! What will we do if we wander like that!

It was the Commander of the Army of Almonds, who headed the Third Army, who put a drink in the whimsical generals.

"Even if we say the Great Demon King, if our Imperial Army is in total, we will not take a pull! First of all, you have to slap the enemy in front of you!

"Almond, wait."

It was General Carries, the Commander-in-Chief, who sandwiched the words.

"If we do not discern what the army of the Great Demon King is, the damage of our allies can also increase. We must release scouts and gauge their strength well."

"The General always is! Relax like that, it involves soldier morale!

Almond was angry from the bottom of his belly. I wondered why you wouldn't defeat the enemy in front of you and just triumph over the Empire.

After the empire's most elite Matokal troops dropped Juka, more than 100,000 troops have pushed them near the border from Hedata. That's good. Because it was unfolding as originally expected. The Empire immediately turned over 100,000 troops with Kalliers as its commander-in-chief.

The Ramaron army, which had originally combined 50,000 troops pointing toward the border into 150,000 troops, completed the formation by crossing the Irvej River, the border, and staring at the Hedata army. The Irvej River was a river in the mountains and presented a picture of mountain warfare, with both the Empire and the Imperial Army forming in the mountains across the river.

Ramaron planned to turn 10,000 of his troops over to Juka as reinforcements. What arrived there was the report of the destruction of the Matocal forces and the resurrection of the Great Demon King. Immediately Calliers decided to freeze the forthcoming operation, and the front was glued.

Below the almonds, there is one thought of the tabernacles who obey. He said we should pull the soldiers to the Imperial Capital. To do this, however, the Headata Army in front of us is in the way. Coupled with the response of the Great Demon King, we have had many military discussions over the past few days, but no effective measures have emerged.

The almonds were in a hurry. The place where the Empire is now forming is where the two borders of Headata and Juka meet. When the army of the Great Demon King appears here from Juka, the Ramaron army takes the form of being surrounded. That would put the Empire at a disadvantage, no matter what you think.

Even as Commander-in-Chief Kalliers, he didn't hit anything. He also circulated information about the Great Demon King's resurrection to the Headata side, and had also diagnosed a truce to counter the Demon King's army. But the Empire laughed at the messenger with his nose, even saying that there was no Great Demon King, and the proposal was broken.

Most of all, due to the high-pressure narrative on the part of the Empire, it became like a buying word in the selling language, and the fact is that the Heedata side wanted to withdraw as quickly as possible.

"... but Ramaron's not moving."

Risen, the Southern commander of the Headata Empire, whines to the Tabernacles.

"That's up there on the number. But the Marquis emeritus of Birtham is dropping the king capital of Juka. If we wait a little while now, I think they'll retreat too..."

"The Great Demon King is coming back and attacking us here, so pull to the country first, etc... and retreat after such talk, we will be ridiculed until later"

If we pull back soon, we can pull back, too.

"Mm-hmm. But it's about them. They could storm at us, they could try to turn around behind us. Keep your guards tight."

Thus, the front remained glued because both armies were waiting for the other party to come out.

"I mean..."

"Glued or..."

I drink tea with the old general and Knogen in a barracks next to the North Gate in Wangdu.

Three days after I went with Lafayence to deliver relief supplies to the southern lands, when I heard that the border between the Imperial Army and Ramaron was near here, I used Illimo's wings one foot away and observed the front. There was no sign of a battle taking place there, just the two armies, staring at each other across the river.

"Wouldn't this be better if someone went into arbitration? Shall I go?

"No, when Lord Linos walks in between, it gets easier to talk. Assuming you are the Emperor's brother-in-law. If you're going to arbitration, you have to be someone who doesn't have much to do with Headata and Ramaron."

"Is that what this is about?

"From what I can see, both sides, I guess it's a situation I can't pull. If one of them retreats, they will retreat, but since the mentes of both countries are at stake, I guess they can't retreat"

"You're not going down."

"Well, don't say that. Strategically speaking, retreat battles in the mountains can be very damaging if they are prepared fairly carefully. There's no guarantee they won't attack you in the middle of a retreat. If you're talking about people who can do that, Kunogen's going to be able to do it, right?

"I can't do that, General."

"How would you retreat?

"Mm-hmm. Besides, you're going to retreat in the shade, disguised as if the Imperial Army were in the mountains"

"I see. But then don't you get ridiculed by Ramaron for fleeing before your enemies?

"You just have to leave those guys alone. Rather, would a glorious retreat overnight not prove the high degree of empire army practice?

"... Knogen is positive. I don't hate that idea. But will the Confederacy have that much practice? In the middle of the night, we retreat from the mountains without making a sound. It would certainly be a compliment if that were possible, but that would be quite difficult. Even my SS... what do you think?

Huhuhuhu and the old general laugh.

"So, General, if it were you, what would you do?

"Um, me? I'd... I'd like to do some damage to the enemy, pick the eyes of a counterattack, and then make a retreat... I'm sorry, I can't even think of how to do that damage. Perhaps eventually I'll adopt an operation like Kunogen."

"Instead, if you teach your enemies this measure, they might retreat the other way around, right?

"I guess so, hahahahahahaha"

The two laugh luxuriously.

"But. Soldiers are exhausted as they are. I'm pretty sure you need to hit some kind of hand before that happens."

The old general says with a serious face. I think with my arms around me. How can we do the least harm and withdraw both armies...

"One thing, I came up with a plan. I don't know if I'll succeed..."

I'll tell the two of you what I came up with.

"Funny! That's worth a try! That's Lord Linos. That's unprecedented, that's"

"So shall I get ready soon?

"Knogen, get ready quickly. Better hurry."

"Um, General Lafayence, this is just a plan..."

"No, enough is enough. I'll write to Lysen. No, shouldn't His Majesty give you your life?

Ignoring me completely, the old general began to think of rooting as a delight.

"Hey, it's something to live long. I had no idea such an interesting operation could be set up. This looks interesting. Sounds interesting. Huh, huh, huh."

... I knew this grandfather might be a battle freak.