A Large Battle

Ria was troubled.

A trouble from the depths of her heart.

It wasn’t about how they were going to win this war.

It was what was the best method about method they would use to win it.

She thought about this over and over.

According to the plan, it would be as simple as it had been until then. Despite that, they would make use of magnificently fresh tactics, planning to disempower the enemy’s forces.

As for collapsing them, she had received a report from her reconnaissance unit that the enemy’s supply lines had been thoroughly shredded up.

But. There was a but.
Demon Tribe’s Disturbance Unit-san overdid it.

When you took prisoners, you had to feed them.

There was no way she could take food from citizens. If she did that, it would be her antagonizing the people.

Manesh wasn’t prepared to satisfy the mouths of a few dozen thousand more people.

How should she deal with the hungry enemies and citizens?
She hadn’t thought that something like this might be done on purpose by her allies. Surely not.

By them.

Were they trying to raise the flag of defeat?

“Yeah, so this territory will touch mine around here…”

“That would be convenient. This one here would also be advantageous for…”
Looming over a map, they were talking about how to deal with Cordova’s territories after the war.

Acting on instinct, Ria unsheathed her katana and sliced through the table.

“Gentlemen, what in the world are you discussing?”

“With a military difference of 10,000 at best, moreover in a situation where our cavalry are inferior to theirs, why are you discussing what happens after the war?”

What was war? Fervent, brutal, death, somber!
For them to already be discussing land rights… it wasn’t a topic meant to be discussed in a strategy meeting.

Until now, they hadn’t seen Ria’s anger.

But right now, her expression was perfectly showing her feelings.

Ria was strict towards humans that treated war lightly. She might even detest them.

“Serge, replace the table.”

“Then Fio, please prepare one. We will take an intermission in the meanwhile. I also need to cool my head.”
Leaving the tent, the only ones left were her staff officers, still earnestly bowing their heads in agreement.

Ria sat down heavily on a cushion in her tent.

No one realized what the problem was. It was unbearable to Ria.

“Are you alright?”

She was a non-drinker. Naturally, it had milk tea in it.

“Yeah, thanks.”

The milk tea had a sweet fragrance, relaxing her frustrated mind.

“I showed one of my improper points, huh.”

“Really?”

So Carla had noticed as well?

“No, I believe that was also good.”

“What you the right thing.”
She agreed with Ria.

“Ria-chan~?”

Beckoning Maal over, Ria held her close to her chest.

“Ah~, Onee-chan’s crafty~”

(Can’t be helped. She’s the Onee-chan, so let’s give her half Maal hugging rights.)

And it continued after that, her comrades entering one after another.

After her travelling companions, Fio entered—she was a bit surprised at the amount of people in the tent.

She wanted to say that she came on her own.

Serge agreed with a carefree feeling, even Maal nodded in Ria’s embrace.

“Everyone, I need your help with something.”
With a serious expression, she spoke.

Several days later, the Ogress and Cordovan armies faced each other.

Because of their armies’ scales, neither side could go for a war of attrition.
With both sides facing off so early in the morning, without any speeches, their armies deployed like streams of water, rushing into combat.

Cordova’s army formation hadn’t changed from its usual one.

This was Cordova’s tried and true strategy. Even though it had already been broken, they probably had no other option.

Or perhaps they would display their normal strategy, holding some other plan for later?

When it comes to armies of this scale, hastily implemented tactics would have counterproductive effects. Ones that had been thoroughly accustomed to would show the greatest effect.
It couldn’t be said that they were negligent. However, it also couldn’t be said that they were innovative either.

The Ogress army, different from what they’d done thus far, used their strongest war potential from the start, pushing through the front.

The golems’ charging power was on another level compared to cavalrymen. The Cordovan infantry that had been prided up till now for their defensive potential were being overrun.
Their countless spears and steel breastplates were powerless against the simple ma.s.s of golems trampling them.

Their center broken through, Cordova’s soldiers split into left and right.

However, even though this was a plain that was an appropriate battlefield for innumerably large forces, there was a limit to the size of the left and right areas.
Uneven and rugged terrain along with the greatly reduced forest hindered their cavalry’s mobility, making it impossible for Cordova’s cavalrymen to make the best of use their special quality. [2]

Already, all that remained was a war of violation.

When their order collapsed, again, they immediately tried to retreat. The Cordovan army that turned into groups of soldiers surrendered disappointingly quickly.

Even as queen, she wouldn’t kill those who have lost the will to fight.

Even if she knew that killing them would be advantageous to them in respect to food, Ria didn’t kill them.
Although this was also a problem to do with Ria’s sense of aesthetics, it was also the result of her future occupation policies.

A fight that they shouldn’t have had the hegemony on unexpectedly turned into a one-sided battle.

They weren’t enemies anymore, they were just pitiful individuals.

This giant war that started in the morning had ended by the evening.

Processing all of them took as much as three days.

And Ria was angry.

In order to feed 200,000 captives, she had to turn the captured horses into food.

Just like with cats, Ria loved horses. This was something she wasn’t able to endure easily.

It’s said that the supreme commander keeping their heart and mind in balance was extraordinarily important.

“Let me rub your b.o.o.bs!”

When Shizuna walked into her tent after being summoned, Ria began to slowly ma.s.sage her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

“Ooh! No it’s not!”

“What’re you saying, you’re feeling good too right? Hooh, what are these? These b.u.mps here?”

She could because she knew that Shizuna actually liked it.

“Nope~”

“I mean, aren’t you already wet?”

Their fooling around didn’t end until Carla called for her.

“Now then, time to make a speech huh?”

She stepped into a bath to wash herself off. Then, wearing polished and sparkling armor, Ria in stood of the captive Cordovan soldiers.

Up till then, the country named Cordova… just how much oppression had it caused? She concretely compared it to Manesh.

Furthermore, Ria suspended a lure right in front of them.

After this, they would become their vanguard towards Cordova’s capital city.
Although cruelties towards the citizens were prohibited, they were allowed to keep any of the royal palace’s spoils.

It was absurd.

She even said it was fine if they raped however they wanted.

If they rendered any distinguished services in this fight, they would be promoted to Ogress n.o.bles.

“However, only for three days after breaking through the capital city’s walls. Any person who continues beyond that point will be executed, no exceptions.”

The morale of the Ogress soldiers that had, until the other day, been under Cordova’s command couldn’t raise any higher.
Ria’s great army of 400,000 advanced towards Cordova’s capital.