Chapter 24: Please, Enjoy Yourselves

The battle continued for some time after that.

"Yaiban's army has resumed their offensive."

"Got it. Let's move out immediately."

However, the fortress of Byuredesto, defended by Berka, was a veritable stronghold—nearly impossible to breach.

With a variety of strategies, he repelled the invasions time and again, suffering virtually no damage in the process.

"When the enemy expects trickery, respond with solid tactics. When they charge recklessly, confuse them with unorthodox maneuvers."

He was particularly skilled at catching his opponents off guard.

And not by intuition—he always observed the enemy's actions before making a move, like playing rock-paper-scissors with the advantage of going second.

Berka prepared two strategic frameworks in advance: "Kensaku" (solid tactics) that followed conventional wisdom, and "Kisaku" (unorthodox tactics) that defied it.

If it looked like a surprise attack would work, he used one. If not, he stuck with a solid plan. In every case, he chose the form of command his enemy would hate the most.

It was a simple method, but exceptionally effective.

The Yaiban commanders must have found him a nightmare to deal with.

"These Thirty-Six Stratagems of Berka—if you think you can beat them, then by all means, try."

Berka was a man who could be called a tactical encyclopedia.

His parents were leaders of a mercenary band, and he had studied military strategy since childhood.

In this world, there exists a military text called "Heihou Ju-An"—the Ten Strategies of War. Berka studied it extensively.

However, his parents warned him: “The tactics written in this book won't work on someone who’s read the same book.” So he added his own interpretations and adjustments.

By the time Berka reached adulthood, he had compiled a total of Twenty Unorthodox Stratagems and Sixteen Solid Ones—thirty-six strategies in all.

"Yaiban’s cavalry is on the move—charging in!"

"Good. Relay to the Holy Dog Unit. Activate Plan X: Hell’s Messenger."

"Understood!"

To execute these plans, Berka constantly drilled his troops in training.

He fully understood that the success of a strategy depended on how well-trained the unit was.

"Yaiban’s army took the bait! They're charging straight at the Holy Dog Unit!"

"Good, good."

Each unit was assigned a specific stratagem and trained intensively for it.

Take the Holy Dog Unit, for example. Right now, they were likely engaging in movements resembling a stealth assault—sneaking around and watching the enemy from the shadows.

This was a feint. The plan was to let the enemy spot the Holy Dog Unit—making them a decoy.

Human psychology is strange. Once someone thinks they’ve uncovered a ploy, their guard tends to drop.

They become intoxicated with the belief that “We caught the enemy's surprise attack in the act!”—and they leap into the trap.

"Archers, prepare."

"Surround them."

Sure enough, when the enemy discovered the sneaking Holy Dog Unit, they charged forward with excitement and confidence.

Berka had his archers surround them and unleash a hail of arrows.

"...What happened to the decoy unit?"

"They’re equipped with sturdy bow-shields. They’ve been trained to hide at a signal from our side."

"Whoa..."

Each of Berka's unorthodox tactics was just a form of entrapment.

Once used, that was it—most of them worked only on unsuspecting enemies.

And without proper training, the complex steps involved would likely fail.

That’s the nature of surprise tactics—they require meticulous preparation.

"Yaiban’s cavalry is in a full panic, fleeing in all directions!"

"Keep shooting—wipe them out."

That’s why most regular armies rarely used such elaborate tricks.

But Berka trained his soldiers in these tactics regularly, so he could launch them one after another. That’s why he was so formidable.

Even if a surprise tactic was seen through, Berka excelled at more traditional defensive warfare—using archers and traps with solid precision.

Solid defenses combined with unpredictable offenses.

By mastering both, Berka had continued to defend Byuredesto without fail.

"Another brilliant command today, Berka."

"With this, the enemy's advance units should be nearly wiped out."

I've been watching for the past few days, and I’m convinced—this man is too good at warfare.

Even our own army’s top commander, Lord Spio, isn’t this skilled in battle.

I mean, the Spio family tends to be all brawn-over-brains types. Most of their commanders are the kind who live by muscle is might.

Wait... hold on. Could it be this guy is the strongest in the country when it comes to commanding armies?

"Maybe if Berka-san was around from the start, we wouldn’t have needed reinforcements at all."

"Sorry to disappoint, but once Yaiban’s main force arrives, things will get rough. We’ll be crushed by sheer numbers."

"...Ah, right."

"Also, I've only got ten unconventional strategies left that I haven’t used against Yaiban yet. I doubt we can hold out forever."

He still has ten tricks left up his sleeve!?

"I'm working on new plans too, but there’s no time to train the troops. What I’ve got now is all we can use."

"I seeee."

Another of Berka’s defining traits—he never moves his troops on impulse.

If he’s going to pull off an unorthodox tactic, he always has the execution unit go through prior training.

Apparently, no matter who you are, your first attempt at something has a significantly lower success rate than your second.

Which is why assigning the right training regimen is the key to victory, or so he says.

"But we can at least buy time until the reinforcements arrive. After that, we’ll hand things over to the regular army."

"You can count on us!"

"Not that I ever should’ve been leading in the first place. I'm just a civilian volunteer. It’s ridiculous to fight a war with only civilians and no soldiers."

"...I don’t have a single word of protest to that!"

That’s completely true. Damn that Count Zister—unforgivable.

"...Berka. It looks like Yaiban's main force is accelerating their advance."

"Hm, is that so?"

"At this rate, they’ll reach Byuredesto by tomorrow."

"They should’ve taken their sweet time. Looks like they’ve noticed the reinforcements."

Come to think of it, not a single casualty has occurred in Byuredesto over these past few years. That’s likely all thanks to Berka.

After watching his command these past few days, I know now—his victories weren’t bluffs or bragging.

This man isn’t just suffering from a chunibyo delusion.

He’s a tragic monster—one who became overconfident because his skills were too real, and as a result, ended up sounding like a total edgelord.

"Also, a reply arrived from the Saripa Kingdom’s military, addressed to Lady Rishali."

"Oh! What does it say!?"

"The supreme commander is Marshal Spio’s legitimate son, Sir Louga Spio. He says, ‘I have received your command. Leave the rest to me.’"

"Ohh! Louga-san is leading the reinforcements?"

So the muscle-brained heir is our backup. Well, that makes sense.

He was attending social parties, so he could move quickly.

"...Good grief."

"What’s so funny, Rishali?"

"In his letter, Louga-san also added: ‘Regarding the staged kidnapping incident, I cannot cover for you. Perhaps you should consult with Lady Lululu, who should be quite experienced in this sort of thing.’ Sound advice. I suppose I should talk to big sis."

"A loyal subject, indeed."

According to the letter, Louga-san's army is decently sized.

They’re outnumbered compared to Yaiban, but with the advantage of defense, we should be able to hold the line.

"They’ll arrive in two days, huh."

"Which means for one day, we’ll have to hold out ourselves."

"Looks like it. Got a plan?"

"Who do you think you’re talking to?"

Still, it seems they won’t arrive in time for the day Yaiban’s main force hits Byuredesto.

That means we’ve got one more day to endure.

"This is it. The final day. Let’s do this."

There’s no turning back now.

Resolute, we prepared to face the enemy’s advance.

---

"Is the commander of Buyurdesto here?! I wish to speak!"

The main Yaiban force arrived around noon the following day.

Unlike the vanguard, this was a massive army that blanketed the horizon visible from Buyurdesto.

"...It seems someone claiming to be an envoy is shouting something."

"Probably here to demand our surrender."

Indeed, just as Berka said. This was beyond the realm of clever tricks or minor tactics.

If I had to guess, the difference in numbers might be a hundredfold...

"They’re calling for us. Shall I go and hear what they have to say?"

"No, I’ll go myself. If something were to happen to you, Lady Rishali, it could spell the end for Buyurdesto."

"...Very well, then I’ll leave it to you."

Perhaps confident in their impending victory, the Yaiban army made no immediate move to attack.

Instead, a lone woman cloaked in robes approached, likely to negotiate, and raised her voice.

"I am Berka, captain of the Buyurdesto Guard! Invader, what business do you have here?"

"I have come to crush your dishonorable betrayal! Throw down your weapons, beg for forgiveness, and swear loyalty to the great Dragon God Gurdebakh—only then shall your submission be accepted!"

"We have no loyalty to swear to invaders!"

The envoy and Berka now stood face to face.

This wasn't a simple surrender demand. She was initiating a war of words.

"You have abandoned the ancient covenant, neglected your duty to revere the gods, and debased yourselves with lowly ways. Why do you reject the love of the divine?"

"I don’t know what covenant you mean, but there isn’t a single fool in Saripa who would revere a god demanding the lives of our families. To commit such evil against innocent civilians—you are no god, but a wicked being!"

This was, in essence, the pre-war verbal clash—a “resuba,” a battle of rhetoric.

If a commander is verbally defeated here, it can deflate morale and cast a shadow over the whole unit.

...This kind of thing is my specialty. Maybe I should’ve gone instead.

"But because of your foolish decision, we were forced to undertake this grand expedition. Had you accepted our love, your homeland would not be doomed. What else would you call this but folly?"

"That’s strange—I don’t recall Buyurdesto being destroyed. Behind me I still see proud city walls and brave soldiers."

"To be blind to the outcome even after seeing our forces—that is the mark of a fool."

"In Saripa, anyone who counts on things they don’t yet have is considered a fool. How about in your country?"

But Berka didn’t flinch in the slightest. He responded calmly and clearly to the envoy.

...Huh. Berka’s actually pretty strong in a rhetorical fight.

"Pitiful creatures, ignorant fools—you truly mean to oppose our god?"

"What you worship is no god. It’s a formless, foolish superstition!"

But something else was bothering me...

The envoy woman’s outfit—wasn’t it kind of… revealing?

Honestly, she looked more like a dancer than a diplomat. Is that really formal dress for their side?

But rather than erotic, the impression it gave off was strangely sacred.

"Enough. I understand now. You ignorant race fail even to grasp the meaning of the ritual offerings."

"Oh, you understand now, invader? Then allow me to return the favor—with an offering of your beloved ‘sacrifices,’ piled high upon the land."

"...How sad. I will say it again—I am Meureen, a shrine maiden serving the great Gurdebakh."

Just as I was wondering about her appearance, she declared herself a "shrine maiden."

Hmm. So she’s more like a priestess.

"You are enemies of the god. From this point on, we shall show no mercy."

With those words, the woman turned and walked away.

...Yet her face didn’t seem angry. If anything, she looked as if she pitied us.

"I’ve returned."

"A splendid rebuttal. I’m sure it lifted the troops’ morale."

"Honestly, what was that woman trying to achieve? Surely she knew our positions wouldn’t align."

Berka wore a conflicted expression as he made his way back to Buyurdesto.

Well, as long as that debate didn’t hurt morale, I suppose there’s nothing to worry about.

"...Alright, enough of that. Let’s switch gears. Is the Undine Water Fairy Unit ready?"

"Yes, Berka. We’re fully prepared."

"The enemy is right in front of us. Begin Plan Z: ‘Water Butterfly Dance.’"

Berka composed himself and began issuing orders to his subordinates.

I’ll head over to the Water Fairy Unit Undine as well and help rally the troops.

Berka’s strategy is the real deal. If I trust in this man, I know he’ll protect Buyurdesto.

—I had truly believed that.

"Count Zister was still wise. He understood things fairly and clearly."

Strategy has the power to overturn the odds.

A plan holds the potential to change the course of victory and defeat.

"He feared the Dragon God, revered Him, and submitted. That is why we, in our mercy, protected Zister’s domain."

Berka is a genius. I’m sure he could’ve defended Buyurdesto even with an army a hundred times its size bearing down on us.

If such a feat were possible for a human, he would have achieved it with utmost efficiency and intellect.

"You think we enjoy sacrifices? Don’t be foolish! For centuries, we’ve wept and endured each time we sent off our families!"

But even Berka has his limits.

No matter how much of a genius he may be, he is still just human.

And no amount of brilliance can make the impossible—possible.

—A roar that split the earth shook the battlefield.

—A dark, low, grotesque, mud-like howl echoed through the air.

"…Eh?"

"…What?"

We had assumed the so-called ‘god’ of the Yaiban people was just a religion.

We thought they simply had a culture of offering sacrifices—and were trying to force that culture on us.

"Hey… look at that."

"You’ve got to be kidding me…"

…But we were wrong.

There really is a god in Yaiban territory.

The Yaiban people have truly been offering human corpses… to that god.

"The Dragon God enjoys human flesh. That is why, for generations, we have offered our kin to Him."

"But there is a limit to how long we can offer only our own. Isn’t it strange that we Yaiban should shoulder all of the burden? Thinking so, we spoke to the Saripa people and demanded they provide sacrifices too."

"Count Zister accepted our request and permitted an assault on Buyurdesto under the name of a holy war. Impressed by his decision, we held off on launching a full invasion—until now."

Its sheer mass and weight surpassed a hundredfold that of any human.

That pitch-black, glistening bulk was encased in scales harder than steel.

"But if you break the pact made with Count Zister, then that’s a different story."

"From this moment forth, the hunt for Saripa begins. All future offerings to the Dragon God shall be made entirely from your foolish kind."

It spread its enormous, majestic wings wide—

—and a massive dragon, the likes of which we’d only ever heard of in legends, descended sluggishly upon the battlefield.

"────O great Dragon God, Lord Gurdebakh. I, Meureen, stand before You."

Chills. Terror. Shock. Nausea.

Everything about it was beyond reason—a monster beyond imagining, brought forth by the Yaiban army. Our blood ran cold.

"As I declared earlier, the foolish Saripa have forsaken the pact."

"Vuuuuu… Vuuuuuu…"

And that priestess from before—her cheeks flushed red, eyes sparkling with joy—

—bowed in ecstasy before the dragon.

"Please, enjoy yourself. Every human you see there is a tribute, offered unto You."

Hearing those words, the dragon leapt upward in irritation.

Its massive eyes locked onto the fortress of Buyurdesto.