The secret of victory that Major Curley learned from Bern Valou was never to miss a chance for pursuit.
If Sylph was a strategist who aimed for swift and decisive surprise attacks, then Bern excelled at reading his opponent's moves and trapping them.
Avoiding the enemy's attacks, forcing them to retreat, and then pursuing them was Bern's specialty.
Thus, Bern's winning strategy often revolved around "pursuit battles."
He would cut off the enemy's retreat, systematically defeat smaller groups, and gradually accumulate damage.
During the pursuit, Bern was said to enjoy leading from the front, crushing the enemy like ants running for cover.
That's why, seeing the enemy flee and retreat in disarray, Major Curley decided to pursue them.
For Austin, this was the first victory in a long time—a battle against a fleeing enemy force and Austin's soldiers, who remained unharmed.
Seeing this situation, Major Curley was too elated by victory to make a calm judgment.
He believed Bern's final strategy had succeeded.
From here, he only had to chase the enemy to the brink.
Caught up in his past successes, he thought this way without considering the difference in military strength.
────The consequences of Austin's General Staff being under the complete control of Bern Valou had been made apparent.
"…Touri, do you understand your victory condition?"
"To force the Austin Army to retreat."
"That's right."
Sylph coldly assessed this pursuit.
Her expression was a blend of disappointment, resignation, and contempt.
"There isn't a single chance in ten thousand for success in this pursuit. Reinforcements from the Alliance will arrive within the next three days."
"Reinforcements…"
"The hero Arunoma whom you know well is gathering a massive army. It's checkmate if they join up."
Just as we had received reinforcements from the Sabbath, the Alliance also had reinforcements ready.
If the enemy joins up with them, all hope of victory would be lost.
"Then, in other words, the Austin Army must retreat within the next three days."
"There's a chance he'll arrive early, so ideally within the day."
A pursuit operation rarely results in intense combat.
Therefore, the damage wouldn't be too significant if the retreat decision were made today.
"Well then, Sylph. Should I go back to the General Staff Headquarters right away and try to persuade command?"
"No. You should charge in and win."
"Huh?"
When I asked Sylph that, she gave me a bored expression.
She pointed far ahead in the direction the Allied forces were fleeing.
"In the first place, this pursuit is disadvantageous at this point. It's over if they regroup and counterattack while you're in the rear."
"Ah, yes."
"Rather than going back, it's better to crush the enemy in front of you. It should be easy enough."
"…Right."
She said it would be easy to defeat the enemy in front, but it's far from it.
"Pursuit battles are about time and speed. We're already behind; catching up will be tough."
"Then get ahead of them. Touri, where are they headed?"
"Eh? Umm, probably to their rear position?"
The enemy is scattering and fleeing in different directions.
They're probably heading to their respective bases, but who knows where they are.
"No, they're going for the forest. In a pursuit across the plains, soldiers will aim for the forest first."
"Ah."
"You're an Austin native; you know the geography here better. Where's the nearest forest?"
"S-Southwest."
Yes, that's right.
We didn't head straight to our Marshdale position during the Sylph Offensive.
Following the instructions of Platoon Leader Garback, we headed for a forested area with plenty of cover.
"If the forest is southwest, most of the Allied soldiers will head there. You can catch up and hit them on the flank if you take a shortcut."
"…!"
"Austin's forces are pursuing the Allied soldiers from behind, but it's more effective to flank a fleeing enemy."
"R-Right."
"You need to first strike the enemies in front of you. After causing enough damage, withdraw and go persuade the fools at Headquarters."
Indeed, it seems most of the enemies are heading southwest.
If we move in a straight line, we might catch up quickly.
"After you've defeated the enemy, return while assisting with the retreat of the surrounding units."
"Assist with the retreat?"
"Any other commander but you would lose. You guys are finished if they counterattack. Don't let your formation fall apart."
Sylph Nova gave instructions precisely, as if fully confident in what I could accomplish.
"Get as many units as possible to report that the operation has failed. That'll make the Aust commanders go pale and pull back their troops."
"…"
"What you need to do now is maintain your forces and bring the failed pursuit directly to the command center."
Sylph made no attempt to hide her displeasure.
I simply walked dully on the dry soil of the battlefield.
"Force the retreat order within half a day. If you do that, the damage shouldn't be too bad."
"…Half a day, huh?"
"If you can't, then everything precious to you will be destroyed. Just like for me, who's lost everything."
"...!"
With communications cut off, all I can do now is support our allies.
Without even a moment to hesitate, Sylph immediately answered with the most effective course of action for the situation.
"Also, you should spread the wounded who can't move in a thin, broad line in front of the trench."
"In a thin, broad line?"
"Have them scuff up the ground a bit; that'll buy you some time."
After giving her final instruction, Sylph leaned against the trench wall.
She then opened a bottle of Vok and took a swig, as if to indicate she had no more advice.
"Hurry up and move your troops. It'll be for nothing if you take too long to deploy."
"…Sylph, what's the point of spreading the wounded out and scruffing the ground?"
"From the perspective of the Allied forces, they'll think, 'This was a losing battle, but then the enemy made a foolish charge.'"
This sharp tactical intuition of hers is something I do not possess.
"If there's someone scuffing up the ground in the rear, they'll look like artillery units. This charge won't appear as a 'foolish mistake,' but rather as a 'trap disguised as a mistake.'"
"Oh!"
Because it was a foolish pursuit, we could make the enemy suspect it was a trap and buy ourselves time.
In that time, I could support my allies and urge Headquarters to retreat.
It is a simple and best method.
"I've shown you the way. Use your natural instincts and turn this around before Arunoma's forces join in."
"…Yes."
To minimize the casualties of this war,
And to prevent Austin from perishing due to this foolish pursuit.
"You heard her! Those who can move, follow me. Anyone who is injured, deploy to the front of the trench! Please hurry!"
"Hey, Touri. What about keeping an eye on these Sabbatian soldiers?"
"Just leave them be. Let them do what they want."
Accepting Sylph Nova's strategic advice,
I instructed everyone to prepare for battle.
"Go on, my hated enemy, Touri."
"I'm off, my bitter adversary, Sylph."
With Sylph pushing me forward, I led Gavel Company.
"Follow me, Gavel Guerrilla Company! We're going to save our allies!"
I ran out between the trenches to the front line with a rifle in hand.
***
"Prepare for a flanking attack!"
"Rahhh, kill them all!"
First, I pursued the retreating enemy as Sylph instructed.
Since I took the shortest route, I was able to catch up in about an hour.
"Prioritize scattering them over inflicting damage!"
"Got it!"
"As long as the enemy disappears from sight, that will do—"
The Flamer soldiers panicked and fled when they saw our troops.
I'm sure they had their fair share of hardships caused by Bern's pursuits.
They must be terrified of Austin's troops pursuing them.
"Touri! There are friendly troops on the right flank who are on the verge of being defeated."
"Alright, Lieutenant Gavel! Cover them and instruct them to retreat."
"Leave it to me!"
But among our forces, it seemed only our unit was comfortably winning during the pursuit.
The surrounding units, filled with wounded soldiers and with low morale, were on the verge of retreat one after another.
"How could you not see this coming, Major Curley…"
Obviously, this attack was reckless.
Things might have been different if Bern had been able to use tactics like cutting off the enemy's retreat routes and defeating them one by one…
It seems that Major Curley's abilities are not enough to command like Bern.
"T-Thank you for your help, Iris Regiment. I owe you for this…"
"No need for thanks. I need just need you to retreat immediately and report to Headquarters that, 'This pursuit operation is reckless and impossible to succeed!'"
"R-Right, understood."
As Sylph and I anticipated, the pursuit initially succeeded.
But our forces began to falter as we advanced further, and retreat began in various places.
We were a small force that simply charged into the trenches where a large army was holed up.
…No matter how much we tried to shake their morale, the advantage of defense and the difference in military strength can't be overturned.
"Iris-sama, our company's platoon's Penn and Fujuri Platoon are unharmed. Please allow them to accompany you."
"…Thank you very much."
After driving off the Allied soldiers ahead, I halted the pursuit and focused on assisting surrounding units.
Captain Kennel and Captain Zieve are using wounded soldiers to create an imitation artillery unit in the rear.
"We need to get as many of our allies to retreat as possible…"
In most sectors, defeats were beginning due to reckless pursuit.
Captain Kennel and Captain Zieve's sectors weren't pursuing, and I tried to rescue the soldiers in adjacent sectors, but…
Everywhere else is suffering major losses.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the eastern position defended by the Sabbatian forces had begun to retreat at the discretion of Marshal Truk.
"Have there been orders for Austin's forces to withdraw?!"
"Not yet. Damn it!"
"It's impossible to pursue them now! Isn't Major Curley just being stubborn?!"
Although retreat has already begun in various places, no specific instructions have been given.
…Austin's General Staff's decisions are slower than usual.
I had thought that Verdi wouldn't make a mistake in judgment at a time like this.
It looks like I might have to go to the command headquarters myself.
"Penn Platoon, please contact the higher-ups…"
"Yes, we are requesting to lift the communications block on Iris Valou."
"Is it still not restored?"
Communication devices given to platoon leaders don't have the authority to connect directly to General Staff; they can only reach sector commanders.
Though I asked them to lift the communications block, there was still no sign of restoration.
"…It seems the next sector's battle has ended. Has everyone been wiped out?"
"No, it looks like they're retreating. The soldiers are returning to their defensive positions."
"Thank god. They've retreated on their own."
As I ran through the trenches, I observed my surroundings closely.
The commander of the next sector is most likely competent and has already completed the retreat despite being against orders.
…Technically, it's not ideal, but it saves me the trouble of providing aid.
"It looks like the allies around here have completed their retreat."
"We've done all we can. Let's return to Headquarters."
It should be fine for me to leave the front lines in this situation.
We need to issue a retreat order before the enemy can regroup.
Having made that decision, I tried to return to Headquarters in the capital, Winn—
"…No, wait a moment. Who is the commanding officer here?"
"Umm, I'll go and ask."
At that moment, I realized something.
Someone capable of making accurate battlefield judgments and permitting a retreat at their own discretion.
If that's the case, surely the commander here has some authority?
"It's Captain Zafqua."
"Mr. Zafqua?!"
Just as I had predicted, the commander of this sector was an "Ace"' with the highest rank at the front lines.
And he was also my mentor, Captain Zafqua.
"Arrange an immediate meeting. Tell him that Iris Valou wishes to speak with him."
"Understood."
His defensive capabilities are still intact, and he is one of the pillars holding the front line.
If it's him, surely…
"I should be able to contact Headquarters through Captain Zafqua!"
***
Ten minutes later.
"Command, is this Lieutenant Colonel Verdi? It's me, Iris Valou!"
"Eh? Wait, why are you contacting me through Captain Zafqua?"
Captain Zafqua looked a bit surprised to see me, then after hearing the situation, he immediately allowed me to use his communication device.
"My communications have been cut off from Headquarters."
"That's ridiculous! Who's responsible for this?!"
"That's not important right now! You need to issue a withdrawal order quickly! Why aren't the troops pulling back?"
Captain Zafqua also had doubts about this pursuit operation.
Although he followed orders and pursued the enemy, as the surrounding units started to flee one after another, he likely thought their deaths would be in vain and withdrew his troops.
He reported this to Headquarters and proposed a retreat, but was ordered to, "Regroup and invade again as this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," which left him agonizing over what to do.
"This pursuit is reckless! It will only pile on more casualties!"
"…I think so too. But I was told this was an instruction from Bern Valou. Major Curley was excited earlier, saying that the plan was finally coming together."
"That's not true! The pursuit is on Major Curley's own judgment! It isn't Bern's instruction or anything!"
"What?!"
And that's when I understood why Verdi hadn't pulled back even in this situation.
This was because he had taken Major Curley's words at face value that this was Bern's final plan, and had been strongly advised to pursue the enemy.
One of the drawbacks of keeping Bern's plan a secret was that Verdi came to believe that, "Although this pursuit is reckless, there must be some strategy behind it."
"To begin with, I'm the one who has inherited Bern Valou's strategy."
"W-Wait, what?"
"Major Curley doesn't know the full extent of the plan!"
I shouted as loud as I could.
Bern's strategy maintained its secrecy by not communicating its details to either side.
And it was designed so that whoever "realized" it would take the lead in executing it.
"Even if I proposed something, it wouldn't have been accepted by General Staff Headquarters. I was only asking Major Curley for help to gain some credibility!"
I cannot leave this situation to Major Curley, who hasn't realized Bern's intent.
"…I understand, Touri. I actually found Major Curley's strange behavior acceptable now."
"Verdi…"
"I'll issue a withdrawal order to the entire army. If it's not Bern's instruction, then we shouldn't be pursuing recklessly like this."
"Thank you very much."
Verdi immediately issued a withdrawal order after listening to my explanation.
His speed and accuracy in understanding this situation are Verdi's greatest virtues.
…With the death of Bern, this man is undoubtedly the most capable staff officer.
"…Well then. I'm sorry, Touri, but…"
"Yes, I will continue to support the withdrawal of the other units. Leave it to me."
"Thank you."
After finishing the call, I took a deep breath.
It took a bit of time, but I was able to stop the pursuit somehow.
"Are you finished with the discussion, Touri?"
"Thank you very much, Captain Zafqua."
"There's no need to thank me. I was simply responding to a request from my superior."
Captain Zafqua is still as taciturn as ever, answering with few words.
I'm grateful that I happened to cross paths with him.
"Touri, the surrounding allies are starting to retreat."
"That's good. Captain Zafqua, can you support the nearby units in their withdrawal?"
"Understood."
As soon as the withdrawal order was issued, most of the units began to retreat one after another.
They likely realized that it was a reckless offensive.
"…I'm really glad."
I was betrayed by someone I thought was an ally, Major Curley.
Little did I know that I would end up getting a kick in the butt from Sylph.
With this, Austin will be saved from destruction.
"Finally, the war is coming to an end—"
────Yes, it was right after I thought that.
"Hmm, what's that?"
"…Is something wrong?"
Lieutenant Gavel raised his voice as he noticed something.
When I looked in the direction he pointed, countless enemies were approaching from there.
"…It's a counterattack unit, isn't it?"
"Yeah. It looks like they're targeting this area."
The enemy must have seen our pursuit as a foolish strategy and prepared for a counterattack.
However, that was expected. It was only natural that we would be counterattacked.
Rather, the fact that we hadn't been attacked until now was likely thanks to the bluff from the "ground scruffing strategy."
"Do you think we can fend off the offensive, Captain Zafqua?"
"If it's just this sector, we can just about defend it. However, it's likely all the other bases will be breached."
"Eh, really?"
If we can retreat now, we should be able to adequately defend the trenches.
We should be able to hold on if we can push the defense to their advantage.
That's what I thought, but Captain Zafqua was biting his lip and sweat was dripping down his forehead.
What in the world was he so anxious about—
"…Wait."
"You noticed, Touri?"
"What's with that number of enemy soldiers?!"
…Upon closer observation, I realized that the enemy shadows were not just in the direction Lieutenant Gavel had pointed to.
In the east, south, southeast, and southwest, an astonishing number of soldiers were approaching in every direction.
There was a vast army that made me question my eyes.
"Wait a moment. There was no report about that large army!"
"Yeah, there wasn't."
"…Their equipment and uniforms are too new. They're probably new recruits."
Most of them were clad in shabby equipment.
But they clearly had higher morale than other Allied troops, and they were such a large army that it was ridiculous to count them.
"Then they're soldiers who just arrived?"
"Yeah, but they are well-organized and have high morale."
"…"
"The enemy must have a charismatic leader… Someone capable of rallying that many new recruits."
…My heart nearly froze at his words.
I had been told that there was still more time before he got here.
"They must be the reinforcements from the Allied forces."
This couldn't have come at a worse time.
A hero appeared on the front lines, bringing with him a huge number of volunteers from across Flamer.
She said it would take three more days for him to arrive.
However, with Flamel being put in a deadly predicament,
There was no way that the man beloved by the goddess of fortune would not show himself.
"Don't tell me—"
What is the most important thing in winning a war?
Is it having an unparalleled ace?
Perhaps it's an overwhelming difference in military strength?
Or maybe it's a sharp tactical awareness?
No. The most important thing in winning a war is luck.
There were no tactics, no strategy, nothing of the sort.
The Austin Army was left stranded in an open plain without trenches due to their foolish pursuit.
Surrounding that area, an army of 100,000 appeared.
At the most opportune moment to win, reinforcements showed up.
Leading the way is the hero who saved Flamel.
The man who had defended the capital by defeating the great Austin Army led by Bern Valou in a dire situation.
A man like a "protagonist" who continued to deliver victories to Flamel, standing on the front lines of countless battles to liberate the country.
And although he borrowed the power of Sylph Nova, he is the only commander to have ever left a mark against Bern Valou.
"Arunoma…"
Arunoma Diskens had appeared on the Winn Front.