Ron Esrotel climbed up to the top of the gate of the Pontifical Temple and shouted loudly to the soldiers who were regrouping below.
We have been brought up according to the doctrine of the Crimiana, so to speak, and the Lord God is our mother and our sister. Why did we repay this debt of gratitude with such an act of ingratitude? In retrospect, I was treated as a cardinal in the Church for 49 years. During that time, I received an education without any pretext, and we, too, loved the Crimianist faith with all our hearts and dreamed of a "true ideal world" that no longer existed outside the fences of this country.
Ron Esrotel's voice rings out. The soldiers listen to his voice as if they are trying to catch their breath.
"But the former Pope, Jouvencel Vieille, has tried to line his own pockets by selling the utopia we have created with our blood, sweat, and tears to Agartha and others. Moreover, that woman came to Aphrodite in this battle with the emblem of the Crimean religion. This is nothing short of blasphemy against the religion of the Crimiana, and by extension, against the Lord Goddess!"
The nodding of the soldiers was clearly visible from the top of the gate. Ron Esrotel raised his voice even higher.
"I am sure that they will march against us, using the emblem of the Crimean religion as a shield. Do not be cowed! Do not be intimidated! The emblem of the Crimean religion is a stain, defiled by their hands! Cut it down! Burn it! Let it all burn! I will be the first to do so! You will follow in their footsteps! Kill the traitor! Kill them!"
The soldiers cheer. Ron Esrotel watched the scene with a satisfied smile on his face.
"I say!"
A young cardinal in armor approached at a brisk pace. He took a deep breath and spoke in one voice.
"The bandits have started to land in the harbor!"
"Well, here they come."
I looked in the direction of the harbor, and sure enough, people seemed to be gathering one after another. Ron Esrotel shouted again to the soldiers below.
Our holy war is about to begin! Draw the enemy close enough and strike at once! The signal for the attack will be the fire arrows I myself will unleash! Everyone, take your positions!"
Under his command, the soldiers who had gathered there began to move in a steady stream.
Vieille's army landed in the harbor, but did not move immediately. Ron Esrotel stared at the harbor and called out to those who were standing by.
The enemy will surely come to the Papal temple. As soon as I fire a flaming arrow at them, set off a firework!
The young soldier bows reverently. From his position, Ron Esrotel cannot see the nations that follow the Crimean Nation deployed at sea. However, he knows from reports from his men that they are still anchored at sea.
Despite the first fireworks, they did not move. This fact shocked Ron Esrother more than a little, but he soon realized that they were taking an opportunistic position.
It was Vieille, you know. If, by any chance, we are defeated by her, Vieille will purge those who betrayed her without hesitation. It does not matter if it is at the national level. It was easy to imagine that she would be subjected to a severe purge in the future, if not now.
The countries that had come to reinforce the Lon Éroter would only attack if they were certain that they could win the war. But this was to the advantage of Ron Ysrother and his men.
If they actively participated in the war and gave them a great victory such as capturing Vieille, the country would have a strong voice in the future. If they can decide the outcome of the war themselves, they can reduce the bounty to the countries that went to the war. In a sense, the current situation was convenient for them.
He looks at the Agartha's ships deployed offshore. They are well positioned, even though they are the enemy. From that position, they could join the attack or retreat from the spot at will. Even if the forces deployed on the sea start to move, it is quite possible for them to escape from the range of the attack from that position. On the other hand, if Vieille sees the advantage and decides to attack, he can land in the harbor and be ready to attack in less than an hour. The scouts report that there is still no sign of Agartha or any other reinforcements coming ashore. The enemy does not seem to be willing to ally themselves with Vieille as well. This means that the battle at the Pope's temple will determine the future course of the war.
Ron Esrother was absolutely confident of winning this battle. The defense of the Papal temple was ironclad. Even if they were to break through the gate he was now in, the temple was made up of a series of narrow paths. Moreover, it was made in such a way that it could be attacked from any and every possible place. As long as they held this gate, they would not be defeated.
Vieille's army is coming up the hill to this gate. The gate is tightly closed to prevent their invasion. When the enemy army has climbed the hill, they attack with magic and arrows. The wall with this gate is built in the shape of a fan around the square. If we rain down magic and arrows from there, the enemy will pile up corpses in the square. Then, some soldiers will fall and run away. Then the enemy will be crushed in no time. Soldiers will start running away. That is the time to attack. Open the gates and destroy the fleeing enemy with all your forces. At the same time, fireworks erupt. The forces deployed on the sea begin to move. Agartha and her reinforcements deployed off the harbor turn their bows and retreat. If this happens, victory is assured. The forces at sea block the enemy's retreat. Then, Vieille, the general, can be captured, or he can choose to commit suicide. But he must be taken into custody.
The only thing she can do is to throw herself into the sea.
Ron Esrotel chuckles as he thinks about this.
"Mr. Ron Eslotel."
When his name is called unexpectedly, he shudders involuntarily. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a soldier with a stern face waiting for me.
"Deal?"
The man bowed quickly and spoke to him in a quiet voice, as if he was afraid to look around.
"There's one thing that's been bothering me. ......"
"What's bothering you?"
None of the scouts we've sent out have returned.
What?
"Ever since they reported the landing of the pirates, none of the scouts have returned."
"......"
There are more than a dozen scouts on the loose, all of them reasonably well trained. They are dressed in the garb of the faithful, and are completely infiltrated as ordinary people. It was unbelievable that all but one had not returned.
"Release the scouts once more."
"......"
"The movements of the enemy forces may make it difficult for them to leave their positions. Send out scouts again to check the situation.
"Yes, sir."
The man bowed and left. Ron Esrotel looks again at the troops in the harbor. Nothing seems to have changed since the last time he saw them. At that moment, there was a movement of the enemy.
The troops at the port are moving slowly. From the hilltop, they seemed to be moving in a very controlled manner. Ron Esrotel clenched his fists.
At that moment, the surrounding soldiers cheered. He looks around to see what is going on. The soldiers' eyes were fixed on the direction of the port. When they turned their eyes toward the port again, they found a startling sight. .......