Kays Translations

Chapter 204: Zun’s Strategist and General

In a small clearing surrounded by the forest, where it seemed a small unnamed spring had been unearthed, a group of giants had gathered.

“Thank you for making the effort to join us, Lady Liliene. How did things go?”

“Ah, Lord Yaliskov. Thank you for coming out to greet me. Everything went smoothly on our end.”

As Liliene stepped out of the cockpit, she was greeted by a man called Yaliskov.

He appeared to be in his early thirties, with long hair tied back, reaching his shoulders. Judging from the armor of Zun he wore, he seemed to be a soldier of Zun.

His chest and shoulders bore somewhat elaborate rank insignia, suggesting he was likely an officer despite his youth.

“That’s good to hear. However, the number of magic giant golems seems a bit low, doesn’t it?”

Yaliskov nodded slightly, then eyed the row of magic giant golems behind Liliene with suspicion.

“Three are still on scout duty along the main road. Plus, we’ve hidden about ten near the town of Meraja. Our models require transporting the cockpits, unlike yours. If the attack location is already decided, it’s better to keep them nearby to conserve magic stones.”

“I see.”

“Hmph, those ‘imitations’ can be quite troublesome.”

As Liliene explained, a voice cut in from the side.

“General… Oh, it seems this is your first time meeting Lady Liliene. This is General Igor Golbin, the supreme commander of this operation.”

“It’s an honor, General.”

Hearing Yaliskov’s introduction, Liliene gave a deep bow.

Igor was a large, muscular man, clad in armor reinforced and adorned with golden metal in several places.

Zun was a republic, meaning there were no aristocrats.

However, since it was essentially a military dictatorship, the upper echelons of the army ruled as a privileged class.

Igor was one of those elites. He had served under a man who had risen to power by excavating the first generation of magic giant golems, and was recently promoted to general.

Although a general’s rank was typically responsible for commanding thousands, Igor, being relatively new, was assigned as the commander of a guerrilla operation.

“They’re not like our magic giant golems—those ‘imitations’ have too many limitations. Just don’t let them drag us down, alright?”

“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”

With a disgruntled snort, Igor turned on his heel and headed back to the tent, his entourage following close behind.

The “imitations” Igor referred to were the second-generation magic giant golems of Avalushi. The first-generation golems, which their army possessed, were much more advanced, and the military leadership, aware of this superiority, had started using the term “imitations” as a derogatory label.

“My apologies.”

“He’s probably just tired. Besides, it’s true that the first generation is more advanced.”

“That depends on how it’s used. The first generation has terrible fuel efficiency.”

“Hmph, no need to sugarcoat it. So, when are we starting the operation?”

“I’m not sugarcoating anything… but fine. Most of the cavalry will arrive by evening. We don’t need a large cavalry force to attack the city, so we’ll wait for them to join us and launch a night raid after the sun sets.”

Liliene glanced around the clearing after hearing Yaliskov’s response.

She had heard that around 200 cavalry would participate, but only about 30 were currently visible. Since the plan involved a direct assault using the magic giant golems, the cavalry was likely serving a support role.

Their real strength would come into play during the occupation, patrols, and defense after the city fell.

Interestingly, although not widely known, horses, while not nocturnal, possess excellent night vision, making them useful even in night raids.

“Understood. We’ll take turns patrolling and resting until then.”

“Yes, please do.”

With their conversation finished, Liliene turned on her heel and headed toward the Avalushi camp, where her companions were waiting.

“Good work. Was that the long-haired man you spoke of?”

As Liliene returned, Isamu called out to her.

“Yes, Yaliskov, the former Supreme Commander’s prodigy.”

“A strategist, huh…”

“True or not, they say he’s the mastermind behind this entire campaign. His achievements were recognized, and now he’s a battalion commander at such a young age.”

In Zun’s military ranks, a battalion commander was two steps below a general, roughly equivalent to a lieutenant colonel in modern Earth terms.

Considering that most officers only reached such ranks in their forties or later, Yaliskov was indeed a rising star.

“He’s on a different level than the others. We must be cautious.”

“Understood. There was another high-ranking figure, though—who was that?”

“Yes, a general. Apparently, he’s the supreme commander of this operation. He looks down on us, and from the way they interacted, it’s clear his relationship with Yaliskov isn’t exactly smooth.”

“I see… Well, it’s good to know there’s some tension between them.”

“Exactly. No matter the regime, some things remain the same.”

Liliene chuckled, recalling the tense exchange between Yaliskov and Igor.

Igor had no reservations about openly eyeing Liliene, possibly because she was a woman. However, when it came to Yaliskov, he didn’t even make eye contact as he left, making it clear he didn’t think highly of him.

“Well, it’s not like this changes what we need to do. Let’s take a short break. We’ve been on the move since last night, after all.” 

Liliene said.

As she suggested, the group had been in constant motion, and now they finally took a moment to rest.

“Reporting! A caravan heading south from the Meraja area has been spotted! It appears to be a convoy with an escort!”

It was well past noon when a scout rushed to the Zun-Avalushi combined forces, who had been resting before the Meraja assault, to deliver the report.

“How many?” 

Yaliskov asked.

“There are three large wagons, two smaller ones, and about fifteen guards who seem to be adventurers!” the scout replied.

“It’s not from the Gattuso Trading Company, is it? That’s a sizable group… quite a few guards as well. Could it be a caravan headed for Kapolfi?” 

Yaliskov muttered as he nodded slightly.

Lately, the raids by Zun forces disguised as bandits, along with attacks from roaming monsters, had become sporadic. For merchants with decent protection, traveling between towns had become quite a profitable venture.

In fact, companies like the Gattuso Trading Company, which had ties with Zun, were exploiting their immunity from attacks to make a fortune.

“What should we do?” 

One of the officers asked.

“There’s a possibility it could interfere with the operation’s timing…”

Since the convoy was traveling south, there was a chance it might cross paths with their forces, which were set to depart for battle in the evening, but the likelihood was slim.

“Getting involved could cause unnecessary complications—”

“What are you hesitating for? With just three magic giant golems, that small force will be wiped out in no time!” 

A loud, crude voice cut off Yaliskov’s thoughts.

“Hey! Send out three magic giant golems and three of the ‘imitations’ right away!”

Without a second thought, Igor issued the order.

“General Igor! You can’t just issue orders like that—” 

Yaliskov hastily tried to intervene.

“Do you have a problem with that? I hold the command of the entire army. Stop whining and deploy the golems.”

“But there’s a high chance they’ll just pass by without trouble. If that’s the case, it would be a waste of—”

“Shut up! We’ve come all the way out to this backwater, and you think I’ll let this chance slip by without making a bit of extra money? Just do it! That’s an order!”

Yaliskov tried to argue, but Igor’s furious outburst silenced him.

In Zun, which does not follow a feudal system, conquering a city does not mean the conqueror will be granted that city.

However, spoils of war gained on the battlefield, excluding potential hostages, are allowed to be kept by the soldiers themselves. This practice is tolerated, especially given that high-ranking officials and military personnel in Zun receive low salaries. It is only natural that Igor would seek such opportunities for personal gain.

For Yaliskov, as a soldier himself, obeying his superior’s orders is an absolute duty.

“…Understood. We will deploy them immediately.”

“Hmph, that’s what you should’ve done from the start.”

With a sneer directed at the reluctantly compliant Yaliskov, Igor stomped back to his tent.

“…You heard the exchange, right? Send out three from your side as well.”

“Understood.”

Yaliskov gave instructions to Liliene, who had been observing the commotion, while smiling bitterly.

“Isa, Drexler, Marcella, you ready?”

“Understood,” 

The three responded in unison.

By the way, Isa was the alias Isamu used when he first met Greg. Since Isamu’s name might have already spread to neighboring countries, he used it as a precaution.

“Alright, Orihime, it’s your turn. We’re counting on you.”

“Nyaff.”

As Isamu moved toward the control seat, he spoke to Orihime, who had jumped onto his shoulder.

“Well then, let’s see what this first-generation model can do.”

Muttering to himself, Isamu activated the magic giant golem.

Through the golem’s eyes, Isamu saw the Zun forces also boarding three of their magic giant golems.

“So that’s how they board…”

The rear of the first-generation golem opened wide, allowing the operator to climb inside. Instead of a seat, the pilot inserted their arms and legs into tube-like sections, and finally, their head into a hemispherical part, at which point the rear hatch closed.

“If I recall, this is the master-slave system. Liliene said the magic power path, an original feature of the second generation, wasn’t present in this version.”

Isamu recalled what Liliene and Greg had previously told him about the operation methods of the first-generation models.

As he pondered this, his eyes caught sight of colorless magic power emanating from the joints and head of the golem.

“That’s quite the amount of magic power… The magic stone is pretty large too, so they must still have plenty in stock.”

The first-generation golems, standing about 6 meters tall—1.5 times the size of the second generation—activated without issue. After tilting their heads from side to side and opening and closing their hands a few times, a voice echoed from one of them.

“Alright, let’s move out! Imitations, don’t fall behind!”

“So, the first generation models can talk through built-in speakers?! That’s some tech we definitely need to adopt…”

One of the major shortcomings of the second generation was its inability to speak, which was part of the reason they were derided as “imitations.”

While Isamu was quietly excited by the prospect of new technological advances, the three first-generation golems began moving toward the highway, with the second-generation units following closely behind.

Although the path wasn’t entirely cleared of trees and wasn’t perfectly flat, the pace was steady, and the shorter second-generation units were able to navigate more smoothly.

After about an hour of advancing through the forest, the road came into view.

“Alright, from here, we’ll head north along the highway.”

Following the orders from the first-generation units, they moved north while keeping the road within view to their right. About 30 minutes later, they spotted a group of carriages and riders approaching from the front.

The first-generation leader gave a hand signal to stop. These basic hand signals had been taught by Avalushi to the Zun pilots.

“Alright, Orihime, it’s up to you now.”

“Nyaa.”

As they waited for the right moment to leap out, Isamu spoke softly to Orihime.

Nyaoooowwn!

After a brief pause, Orihime let out a long, resonant meow while still connected to the magic power path. A few seconds later, the figure on horseback leading the caravan seemed to check something inside their coat, and then turned to signal the riders behind them.

“Alright, Framboise and Samuel must have received the message.”

“Nyaff.”

Orihime gave a short meow in response to Isamu’s words.

After observing the situation for a while, Isamu noticed a faint green magic aura rising from Framboise, who was at the front of the caravan, and Samuel, who was right behind her.

At that moment, a “charge” hand signal came from the first-generation unit ahead, and the first-generation golems rushed toward the highway.

Isamu and the second-generation golems followed right after them.

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