CHAPTER 27: THE DAY BEFORE THE DECISIVE BATTLE

On a hill overlooking the city of Tigervania. There stood Lycan II, King of Beastvania. 

In front of him, there are 100,000 soldiers lined up in a row. Tiger Tribe, Fox Tribe, Rabbit Tribe, Lion Tribe… Soldiers from various tribes have come together to form a large army that will go down in history. 

Lycan II was impressed by the sight. 

“GUOOO! Behold, after all the hardships I’ve endured, here I am! Leading the largest army in the history of Beastvania!” 

“It’s been arduous months, and the road to this point has been never-ending, kuma…” 

Sir Bear with a tired look. 

100,000 soldiers marched from the Royal City of Lycanvania to Tigervania. 

It’s easier said than done. 

They can’t even imagine how much struggle he had to go through to get it done. 

This is a world where the concept of resupply and the technology to carry it out have not been developed. and it’s extremely difficult to operate a large army in such a world. 

No, it’s not just about difficulty. 

Because the technology level is so low, the more earnestly they try to resupply from the rear, the worse the resupply situation becomes. 

Some people often say, “Anyone who doesn’t care about supply is a fool.” 

But in the Middle Ages… No, before the steam engine was developed, it simply made more sense to rely on local procurement instead. 

The daily consumption of food for each soldier is 1 kg in weight. A horse-drawn carriage has a carrying capacity of 200 kg at best. 

In other words, to sustain 100,000 soldiers, 500 carriages would be needed per day. 

And yet, this is not everything. 

Furthermore, the distance from Lycanvania to Tigervania is 200 km. 

The earliest estimate of days for the carriages to reach the front line is a week, seven times per day, which means that without 3,500 carriages the supply would be cut off midway. 

And if you consider the time it takes for the carriages to return to their bases after resupplying from there… It would be double that number, or about 7,000 carriages to be able to provide a long-term supply. 

　…But, it is still too early to be optimistic. This calculation does not include ‘the supplies consumed by the supply corps itself’. 

The transportation soldiers who handle the carriages also need to eat, and the horses that pull the carriages eat ten times as much as humans do. In other words, they consume at least 11 kg of supplies per day. 

When these calculations are taken into account, the number of supply convoys jumps by several folds… Well, wouldn’t it be possible to have a stable supply with about 50,000 carriages? 

It would be more stable if there were more. 

I want you to imagine it. 

The sight of tens of thousands of horse-drawn carriages marching in convoy along narrow unpaved medieval roads. 

That’s just the bare minimum of food. On top of that, if you want to increase the essential supplies for daily life… Even more, carriages would be needed. 

It was the creation of a massive military unit that far surpassed the main army. 

If anything, wouldn’t it be better to just let them charge at the enemy? This is a situation in that you would think such things would happen. 

This problem can be solved with the advent of the steam engine, which can transport larger quantities of goods more efficiently. 

Though there had been to some extent resupply prior to that, it was more like, “Resupply? We’ll take it from the city on the front line!” Things like this were, ‘the most logical solution’ and were commonly practiced. 

Thus, Lycan II arrived at the front line after a 200 km journey, doing his best to collect provisions along the road by any means necessary. 

The hardship must be beyond description. Behind the path they had taken, lay the people suffering the plundering of their own armies. 

But all that hard work has paid off, as he now is leading a massive 100,000 strong army on the battlefield. 

“Your Majesty! We, the Tiger Tribe, would like the opportunity to redeem ourselves!” 

“No, this is where the most loyal retainers, the Fox Tribe, take the lead!” 

“No no, the rabbit tribe has the largest number of soldiers, right? We should be the spearheads?” 

The various tribe chiefs kneel under Lycan II. 

His own army is 100,000 strong, while the Yamato Imperial Army is… 

“Behold! That pathetic army of men! Their numbers are estimated at thirty thousand! And they are cowering in their holes like frightened rats!” 

Two divisions of 30,000 troops took up defensive positions in the trenches. To the beastkins, who are unfamiliar with trench warfare, the act of hiding in a hole seems ludicrous. 

We have superiority in numbers, and our opponents are weak as they cower in their holes. 

The tribe chiefs convinced of their victory, are asking for permission to take the lead in the battle in their desire to gain glory. 

Immersed in his sense of superiority, Lycan II smiles broadly and laughs, “Guhahaha!” A great victory is just around the corner. 

“All right, then, we’ll attack tomorrow! Rabbit, Fox, and Tiger. I entrust each of you to take the lead.” 

Thus, the Beastvania side was ready to go. 

On the other side, the Yamato Empire side… 

Yamato Calendar 11 November, Year 304. 

It’s been a few months since I returned from the Balka Kingdom to the front lines in Tigervania. 

The sightseeing trip to Balka was quite a very worthwhile trip, wasn’t it?　

I stayed in that country for about one week. During that time, we have become somewhat acquainted with the people of Balka, and we sold some of our weapons. 

In the end, they still treat me like a goddess, though. 

Thanks to these influences, we have been able to increase our food imports, which has helped to improve the food shortage problem a little. 

Well, as compensation for that, a bunch of freak muscular macho-infantrymen equipped with Ōdzutsu appeared in the Balka Kingdom… 

A large army of half-naked macho-men, carrying ōdzutsu, and forming a line into battle… It looks strong, but it’s not beautiful at all. 

In comparison to that one, the Imperial Guard Maids looks so much better. 

There is nothing practical about a maid’s uniform on the battlefield, but it does look cute. 

Considering that the Imperial Guard also serves as my personal guard and a ceremonial unit, isn’t there a certain amount of reason for the maid’s uniform? 

Yeah, probably. 

I’m sure. 

Alright, now. 

I am standing on top of the gates of Tigervania with binoculars in hand. 

Looking around, you can see… Yeah, it’s not a very nice view. 

Since it is November, which means the season is autumn, back on the Yamato mainland, the autumn leaves are beautiful. This year I haven’t been able to enjoy autumn leaves viewing, so I am feeling a bit lonely. 

I would love to enjoy autumn on the front lines, but the Beastvania Peninsula is near the equator, and autumn is not a word you will hear in this part of the world. 

No matter where you look, there is no autumn-like scene anywhere, rather you get a summer feeling. 

Tigervania is one of the cities in Beastvania. 

If you look down on the plain in front of the gate, you can see the sight of two armies spreading out. 

One is our own Yamato Empire. 

Two divisions, the 1st Marine Division and the 3rd Division, with a total of 30,000 soldiers are digging trenches behind the city of Tigervania and setting up defensive positions. 

Furthermore, if you turn around and look inside the city walls, you will see that the Imperial Guard with its armored battalion is also on standby, ready to mobilize at any moment. 

Opposing our army is the army of the Beastvania lords. 

With a large army of approximately 100,000 beastkin led by King Lycan II, they seem to have set up their headquarters on a hill a few kilometers away. 

They are armed with… Such as a spear or a sword? It is hard to tell from a distance, but it is a typical medieval-style army. 

Oh, someone is coming up the staircase to the city walls. This feeling… 

“Führer-san! Your Excellency, Führer-san!” 

“…What’s the matter, Miike-san” 

It’s Miike-san who has been assigned to the Imperial Guard Half-Beastkin Intelligence Division. It is nice to see that cat ears are bouncing around and looking healthy. 

“There’s new information! The Beastkin army will move tomorrow.” 

　……Is that so. 

Finally, it’s time. It took so long for the enemy forces to arrive, that I almost couldn’t hold back and shot at them from my side. 

The enemy position is within range of our artillery. 

But I did my best to hold out. 

Because if the enemy’s attack is blown away by artillery fire before it even begins, there will be no battle, right? 

What we want is a total victory in the battle. 

It’s such an overwhelming victory that the opponent can’t even make any excuse for it. 

There was no need for an ambush, trickery, or anything of that sort, we’re going to meet them head-on and hit them with all our power. 

What we must accomplish in this battle is, “To have them realize that no matter how hard they try, the Beastkin cannot possibly defeat us, the Yamato Empire.” 

No matter how many armies they gather, no matter how fair we fight, the Beastvania Beastkin Nation will never be able to defeat us, the Yamato Empire. 

If they don’t admit defeat, they will die, and that’s what we have to make the enemy king realize. 

That’s what the second phase of ‘Shock and Awe’ is all about… 

Now, let’s take a break until tomorrow. 

“…Oh, Eryu-san. Do you want to go back to Fugaku?” 

“Yeah, I will do that.” 

Here, Ayame-san, please take me to Fugaku. I’ll get lost if I’m alone, you know? 

Eh, you’re going to carry me?… No thanks, because it’s embarrassing. 

“Now, don’t be so shy, come here, and let me carry you.” 

hey, wait… Princess carry is a bit… I really have been given no choice. 

　……This city of Tigervania is quite unhygienic. There is no drainage system or anything like that. 

That’s why I go back to Fugaku every single time when I go to bed. A bedroom with a soft and comfortable bed with a good sanitary environment…There is nothing better than this. 

Besides, it doesn’t matter where I sleep, Ayame-san will always come after me. 

=====

Actually, you can dramatically make resupply much easier by using a ship. In fact, this is how the Yamato Imperial Army replenishes its supplies. Because the transport capacity of a ship cannot be compared to that of a horse-drawn carriage. 

If the beastkins did that, they wouldn’t have to rely on local procurement… Well, there is no way they could take control of the sea when they are dealing with the Yamato Empire.