第１０１９堀：進軍ルートとこれまでの戦い (Part1)
### Chapter 1019: The Advance Route and Battles Thus Far
**Side: Yuki**
"…We must advance through the center, the north, and the far north—beyond the mountains."
As the Emperor of Uopia said this, he placed pieces representing his armies on three locations on the map. This was exactly as I had anticipated. Broadly speaking, these were the only viable routes for an advance. However, we hadn't been able to narrow it down any further.
The truth was, we in Weed lacked intelligence on all of these routes. While Kirika had been gathering information to some extent, we hadn't conducted the kind of deep analysis required to determine an actual march route—factors like convenience, climate, and historical context. In reality, that was a task that should be left to the Zuraburu Great Empire, which was shouldering the burden of the war against the Hain Empire.
Just as I was thinking this…
"…However, considering the time frame, the far northern route—the one that skirts around the Water Mountain—would be grueling. Above all, if the enemy prepares for us, a retreat would be nearly impossible," Shou immediately countered.
"I agree with Lord Shou’s assessment. The far northern route is narrow. The terrain makes it easy to set up ambushes, and we wouldn't be able to leverage the advantages of a large army."
"More importantly, it snows in the far north even during the summer. When you consider the necessity of equipping soldiers with cold-weather gear, this route should not be adopted."
Both General Mirabel and General Vol were against the far northern route. Their points were valid. Even if it were a small unit, there was no way the movement of over ten thousand troops could go unnoticed. And it seemed there was a valley route perfectly suited for a small force to intercept a large one. If anyone were to choose such a route, it would only be a desperate, small-scale unit.
…Hm? Something bothered me.
*Ah, I see.* Conversely, from the enemy’s perspective, this was a prime target. Since we were a large army, we wouldn't take this route; the risks were too high. Therefore, it served as a perfect "back door" for the enemy.
Just as I was wondering if I should offer this advice…
"…That is an unsettling thought. My Fourth Army should seal off this far northern route."
As expected of the Great Emperor’s strategist. He had realized it before I could even speak.
"What is it? Why the sudden change? I thought you said it was unsuitable for moving troops?" The Emperor of Uopia tilted his head, not having reached that conclusion yet, but the two generals, clearly grasping the nature of Shou’s concern, both frowned.
"…I see. They might assume we wouldn't come here, and use it to advance themselves."
"Indeed. If we don't station troops there, they could easily break through with several small, organized units and regroup once they reach open ground. As Lord Shou says, securing it is necessary to ensure we aren't struck from behind."
"Ah, I see what you mean. But in that case, shouldn't we also deal with the southern land route? The sea is fine because Weed is there, but the land route is completely defenseless, isn't it?"
"Your Majesty, regarding that, we can detect enemy movements and deploy troops easily, so it is not an issue. The situation is different from the far northern route."
"I see. I understand my misunderstanding. The far north is the most effective route for the Hain Empire to catch us off guard, is that it?"
"Exactly. Even in this meeting, we naturally judged that we should avoid the snow and the treacherous paths."
"A logical conclusion. And therefore, it becomes a weakness."
"Yes. While I believe it is appropriate not to use it for our invasion, leaving it unattended means we cannot detect the enemy's movements. More than that, if they break through from there, we would need to divert a large number of troops to deal with it. We must not only detect them but also firmly stall them."
Shou was right. As long as there was a possibility of the enemy coming from there, neglecting it or keeping the defense thin could lead to massive damage. Well, since we had predicted this much, even if the enemy actually came, we should be able to keep the damage to a minimum.
"Understood. However, Shou, your Fourth Army’s primary mission is maintaining public order. Above all, it would be meaningless if they broke through. Therefore, I will have the First Army rotate a defensive unit there. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes, sir. Now, that leaves the northern and central routes…"
With the blockade of the far northern route decided, I looked at the map again.
"Even so, they could come from anywhere."
"Yes, having such a wide range of choices is a problem in itself."
As the two generals said, even calling them the "central" and "northern" routes, this land was vast. In reality, there were countless paths. Narrowing it down to one was quite difficult.
"Indeed. For now, we can exclude the area where the Third Army, led by Mirabel, is currently deployed."
The piece representing the Third Army was slightly south of the center. Since the name of what looked like a town was written just below that piece, they were likely deployed at a nearby fortress.
Having seen that, I realized there was something I needed to ask.
"Excuse me. May I ask a question?"
"Of course. Go ahead. Did something catch your eye, Lord Yuki?"
"Yes. I am not familiar with the current deployment status, especially of the Third Army. I cannot offer advice without knowing that, so I was hoping you could enlighten me."
"Ah, that is true. Shou, explain it to him."
"Yes. Our Zuraburu Great Empire had established our current deployment long before we made contact with Weed. Though, it was only about two months before the Second Army’s invasion of Gusudo. The purpose was to secure the center. There was a country called the Nodal Kingdom on the side of the Hain Empire, and it was positioned right in the center. We besieged and annihilated them, which established the current border. I don't know if this will be helpful, but… this was the territory of the former Nodal Kingdom."
The former Nodal Kingdom territory that Shou marked existed right in the center of the map, biting into the Zuraburu Great Empire.
*I see. That was definitely an eyesore.*
Before that, the Zuraburu Great Empire must have had to deploy troops in three directions—north, south, and center—against this Nodal Kingdom.
"Does this mean you had to divide your forces because of the existence of the Nodal Kingdom?"
"Oh? You understand? Well, that was one of the reasons, but it was also difficult to invade as a single united army from the start."
"As His Majesty says, it is true that the existence of the Nodal Kingdom was a major reason for dividing our forces, but it is also largely because the territory on the Hain Empire side was vast. Well, the Nodal Kingdom was the second most powerful country after the Hain Empire, so we couldn't easily lay a hand on them."
"We would have preferred to resolve it through negotiations, but our country was still small back then."
Well, that was only natural. This was before they had swept across half the continent. And the Nodal Kingdom, possessing the second-largest territory after the Hain Empire, would never have accepted a proposal from the Zuraburu Great Empire, which was merely a small nation at the time.
"Even so, it took us nearly a year to push through the Nodal Kingdom’s territory, and we annexed the final piece of land just two months ago. Honestly, it is still truly mysterious to me why the Hain Empire did not intervene even in this situation. At first, there were opinions that perhaps the Nodal Kingdom was reluctant to accept reinforcements from the Hain Empire, but even if the Nodal Kingdom had refused, or believed they could win, they should have known that if this place collapsed, the balance of power in this region would be greatly disrupted. It was a perfect opportunity to earn the Nodal Kingdom’s gratitude, yet they never showed up until the very end…"