Chapter 29

“So about that thing yesterday…”

Rangobart didn’t look up from his work as Harlow came over to the officer’s pavilion. With defensive preparations made a priority the previous evening, there had been no time to see to the company’s administrative tasks. His pen scratched endlessly over crisp sheets of paper, toiling to catch up with their paperwork.

“Does that count as two beautiful women fighting over me?”

His pen stopped. He turned his head up to level a flat stare at Harlow.

“You’ve been deployed for less than three weeks, Harlow. One of those beautiful women was a plant.”

“Lady Zahradnik came up and slapped me first,” Harlow added. “Think that means anything?”

“She slapped Captain Germund first.”

“…I don’t mind being second.”

He couldn’t understand how Harlow could be so cavalier. Technically, he was a Cavalier but Rangobart didn’t think that it had anything to do with his outlook. The man shrugged off Gnoll arrows, Dragons and hungry plant women like spring rain.

“Did anything happen to your men overnight?” Rangobart asked.

“Nope,” Harlow answered. “We all slept like logs. No holes in our tents when morning came.”

“Ugh,” Rangobart grimaced. “We spent all that time setting everything up…”

“Hey, better to have something and not need it than the other way ‘round.”

Rangobart supposed that he had the right of it. For some reason, however, commoners only seemed to apply that bit of wisdom to themselves. When Nobles made purchases that they might need and ended up not using them, everyone else muttered darkly into their cups.

As Harlow indicated, night had passed without incident – even the perimeter patrols noticed no sign of potential attacks. The First Division rose in the morning uninjured and cranky from working the doubled night watch. Commander Enz returned from the General’s headquarters and the Captains were called in. Lady Zahradnik went with Captain Germund while Rangobart opted to stay behind and deal with the company’s reports. There was no telling when the next chance to get it done would appear.

A commotion rose from deeper in the camp. Captain Germund appeared with Lady Zahradnik several minutes later. Rangobart, Harlow and the others around the table looked towards them expectantly.

“Looks like General Kabein had the same idea as Lady Zahradnik,” the Captain said. “It’s going to be a combined offensive.”

Captain Germund called for the Sergeants and, once they had gathered, he continued.

“We’ll be operating as divisions for this. The General is consolidating our offence into two main thrusts. On the right wing will be the Second Division. The left will be the Third. They’ll be getting two divisions’ worth of Undead each. One will be with the centre. The First Division will form the centre with General Kabein while the Fourth and Fifth cover our flanks.”

“What is it that we’re going to be doing, exactly?” Sergeant Zint asked.

“Sweeping what we can,” Captain Germund answered. “Chasing these Gnolls around is pointless – we’re going to be moving through and hitting everything else. The air wing is already done picking apart the far fringes of the jungle so all that’s left is looping through the main area that hasn’t been cleared yet. Wing Commander Burke will be switching to reconnaissance and air support, flying under the canopy and marking out the Demihuman settlements along the way.”

“How many days is this going to take?” Sergeant Calloway’s question came from across the table.

“Two,” the Captain replied. “After that, we’re getting out of here. That Dragon is bound to rear her ugly head at some point and the General doesn’t want to be around when that happens.”

Rangobart slowly nodded, anticipation and relief competing with one another. They were only on their fourth day but he was already sick and tired of the jungle.

The Captain started going over the details of their deployment. With the shift from independently-operating companies to working together as a division, battalions were formed out of each type of infantry. The Captains and Clerics were distributed evenly across the battalions while the mages were kept behind the heavy infantry with Commander Enz and his bodyguard.

With the rest of the army group coming to them, they took the time to get extra rest and make additional preparations. General Kabein arrived that evening and the divisions were ready to go by the morning. Gazing out over the ranks stretching out beyond his vision, Rangobart couldn’t help but feel a thrill rush through him.

“You seem excited,” Lady Zahradnik noted with a slight smile.

“I am, my lady,” Rangobart admitted. “It just looks so impressive…but I’m not sure if it’s right to be excited or not.”

“You should be,” Commander Enz’s voice came from behind them. “You’re a soldier of the Imperial Army – you have a right to be proud. At the same time, it’s good that you’re questioning yourself. Whenever something like this happens, men are bound to die. That sense of accountability you have does you credit, Roberbad. You’ll make a fine officer one day.”

He wasn’t sure what to say. Two weeks ago, he would have seen the Commander’s words as empty praise. War Wizards were officers, but only nominally. They were nothing like the Commanders and Captains who formed the core of the Imperial Army.

With the experiences of the past week, however, Commander Enz’s words took on a different meaning. Rangobart was a spare, but he was still a Noble. Like the martial Nobles who helped create the Imperial Army, he could help create a true place for its mages. It was an opportunity that very few possessed and, despite owing much of his current station to his family, it was an undertaking that he thought he could rightfully claim as his own.

“Atten-tion!”

The ranks snapped to attention.

“One of these days, you’re going to get the both of us sniped, Enz.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rolling his eyes, General Kabein arrived with his bodyguard – the First Company of the Second Legion’s First Division. The men took their place in the centre of the First Division’s formation. From the back of his Hippogriff, the General quietly scanned the surroundings for several moments before pulling a silvery watch out of his pocket.

『It’s time to go. General advance!』

The Ranger vanguard swept forward, followed by the steady march of formations behind. Wings of Dragoons flew down through gaps in the canopy, weaving their way through the trees. Flashes of light occasionally lit the distant undergrowth ahead.

“We’re moving more smoothly than we have in the past few days,” Lady Zahradnik noted.

“This is the full might of the Second Legion,” Commander Enz said. “Before, you had Captains leading their companies on independent tactical operations. Now, you have Captains leading their men under the influence of their Commanders and the General. We’re a whole different beast, now – every man is that much better.”

“You’re using Skills and Abilities on the entire Division?”

“Yes,” the Commander nodded. “And the General is applying his to the entire Army. We won’t exactly be flying through the air, but I think our opponents will be surprised at how rapidly we advance.”

And advance they did. The Rangers ousted smaller tribes and the larger ones that they bypassed were trampled by the main line. Goblins and Trolls alike were crushed by the sheer weight of the imperial battalions. Rangobart glanced over at Lady Zahradnik, who silently observed it all from behind her unreadable mask.

How would she report this to her superiors? How would that report be received? The Sorcerous Kingdom was supposedly a place where all races were encouraged to live in harmony with one another. While the Empire did not explicitly make the existence of other races illegal, it was a nation where Human agendas dictated policy. That agenda was on display in full force now.

Even as Rangobart was made aware of this, it didn’t feel wrong. It was more that he was sensitive to the fact that Lady Zahradnik personally did not approve of their actions. Humans had been preyed upon by Demihumans, Heteromorphs and Monsters for longer than history could tell. There was nothing reprehensible about Humans gaining the means to effectively defend themselves and fight back.

A piercing shriek filled the air. Rangobart could only marvel at how he didn’t miss a step at the sound.

“Dragon on our right flank,” Commander Enz reported. “Juvenile. It was hiding in the canopy, but Burke’s flight knocked it down before it could do any damage. The Death Warrior on that side got to it.”

Rangobart fingered the potions in his belt pouch. It must have only been a few hundred metres away. He imagined the cloud of corrosive gas that would blanket them if one went unnoticed.

As evening approached, speartips enchanted with Continual Light spells were raised high to illuminate the way ahead. The Second Legion manoeuvred to avoid a flooded expanse of the jungle and Rangobart raised a hand to wave away the insects attracted by their passing.

“How has the army fared against the poisonous plants, venomous creatures and disease?” Lady Zahradnik asked.

“With months to prepare for this,” General Kabein said, “it stopped being an issue once we entered the jungle and authorised the use of consumables. Our stockpiles are sufficient for a month-long campaign in here, but it still hurts to think how much gold we go through every day mitigating the effects of this place. As far as disease goes, nothing’s spreading…yet. The Clerics are keeping a close eye on things and dealing with cases as they appear.”

“Is it sustainable with the ratio of divine casters in the Second Legion?”

“As long as we can stay on top of things, yes. I made doubly sure that the men understood not to overlook any new conditions that they picked up. Outbreaks due to a soldier thinking they could just brush off a cough or treat a rash as a mere inconvenience aren’t entirely unknown.”

The General turned his head, engaging in some distant conversation. Lady Zahradnik’s attention went to the flooded jungles down the slope. As dark as it was getting, Rangobart couldn’t imagine that there was much to see.

“Aerial reconnaissance has located a likely place for us to camp,” General Kabein said sometime later. “About two hours to the northwest. It’s high and dry, fortunately. Once the Zombies catch up, we’ll be sending them along with some Death-series servitors into the surrounding areas overnight. It should spare us any harassment while the men rest.”

“Do you have any new questions or concerns about the Undead forces?” Lady Zahradnik asked, “Problems you’ve encountered as well – this is a unique environment for the region.”

“Your assistance during the planning phase was comprehensive enough that nothing has fallen outside of the realm of our expectations. The fact that we can use them to sweep waterlogged areas was a nice bonus: Green Dragons can breathe underwater and we’ve found more than a few of them lurking out of sight like that.”

Rangobart’s eyes were drawn ahead of them as a Ranger with two uncomfortably-familiar arrows in his gut was carried back by two others. A Cleric rushed forward to tend to him while another spoke to one of the officers at the front.

“Well, that was inevitable,” General Kabein muttered.

“The likely place to camp was also a defensible location for our opponents to fight from?” Lady Zahradnik smirked.

“We thought so as well,” the General nodded. “I had the officers instruct the Rangers to be extra cautious, but it seems that it wasn’t enough against these Gnolls.”

The injured Ranger was helped back up to his feet. He brushed himself off and headed out with his fellows again.

“How should we approach this, sir?” Commander Enz asked.

“If they’re adamant on holding that hill,” General Kabein answered, “all the better for us. Stationary targets are ideal to deploy the Undead against.”

“Should we encircle them?”

“No. That will take hours to set up. We’ll be taking losses the entire time and it’ll expose our rear. Maintain formation and push them right off with Death Knights. I’ll get Burke in there as well. We can set up camp before it gets too late.”

General Kabein’s orders went out and the two Death Knights with the First Division detached from the front line to advance up the two-kilometre-long ridge. Sounds of battle rose in the distance, carrying the roars of the Undead mixed with the yips, snarls and harsh baying of Gnolls. The explosion of a Fireball occasionally cast its orange glow over the advancing imperial ranks.

As the division brought up the rear, evidence of passage by the combatants marked the way. Crushed vegetation, displaced soil and the deep imprints of Death Knight steps could be seen everywhere. What was distinctly lacking, however, were any signs of injury or bloodshed.

“It looks like they retreated again,” Commander Enz said. “Damn, they’re annoying! Lady Zahradnik, are there any Undead forces available for lease that can deal with Gnolls and similar opponents in this absurd terrain?”

“With the Undead forces currently leased to this region,” the Baroness replied, “I believe the Second Legion already has everything that it needs. The underlying issue is that the Death-series servitors are enabling the Imperial Army to pursue objectives that were previously far beyond its reach. Integration is not a one-sided process: the army must also adapt to work with the Undead. At face value, it seems a simple application of power, but the direction of said power and the management of everything that supports it is essential for its effective utilisation.”

“At this rate, we’re going to go from being known as the Imperial Knights to the Imperial Rangers.”

“Only if the Empire intends for its citizens to live in this sort of terrain,” a smile touched Lady Zahradnik’s lips. “After a few days, it feels like the companies already can’t wait to leave. Also, the fact that the Imperial Army has had generations to optimise itself for its role as the bulwark of the Empire should not be looked down upon: your forces are well-suited for maintaining the security of your lands. The Death-series servitors free the Empire from its reliance on Adventurers and Workers, allowing for more comprehensive control over national defence.

“The problems that come with fighting in territory unsuited for one’s forces is not a problem unique to the Imperial Army. These Undead are primarily meant to augment the security of the Empire and will operate without issues in your developed territories. The leased forces are prohibited from participating in wars of aggression against officially recognised populations and their territories, so operations like this one should be limited once your frontiers have been consolidated.”

Having already heard her feelings on the matter of the Empire’s ‘operations’, Rangobart wondered how she was able to keep any sign of her stance on the matter from leaking out. Even as a Noble, it must have required a supreme effort of will to suppress.

The army occupied the hill as night fell and they threw themselves into preparing their encampment. After setting up his tent, Rangobart went over to join several of the other mages for a freshly-cooked meal. With the relative ease that the Second Legion had pushing through the disorganised and isolated tribes, his only mana usage came from maintaining defensive enchantments.

Not that he minded it. In the short time campaigning through The Blister, Rangobart went from envying the regular soldiery for the experiences they shared in combat to being subjected to one such experience himself. He was now of the mind that those who came up with the imperial propaganda that glorified the army’s combat roles and those who unironically revelled in war were either delusional or psychopathic. While he would still do what needed to be done, his regular policing and patrol duties felt infinitely more productive.

Rangobart sat down at the fire with his bowl in hand, wondering what sort of ideas he might be able to bounce off of the mages who had gathered for dinner. Just as he settled on a topic to broach, fresh activity rose from the crest of the hill. Lady Zahradnik came down from the headquarters, skirting around the tents at a brisk jog.

“What’s going on, my lady?” Rangobart asked as the Baroness went by.

“The Dragon Lord is active again,” she didn’t stop as she replied. “I need to go.”

Her pure white armour was swallowed by the darkness below. Commands started issuing from above.

『Get off the hill and into cover! The big green bitch is in the air.』

Rangobart took one last look at his barely-touched meal before tossing it aside.