The Girl Who Eats the God of Death

Chapter 21 - Sardines Taste Salty But Delicious

Belta Castle, in the middle of a meeting.

The generals gathered, while the defeated general Ghamzeh was prostrating with his face kissing the floor.

All responsibility lies with him who commands and carries out his operations. There was actually a chance of delaying his operation when news that the Yalder Division had been moved to their ears. He should have stopped the movement for a while and carried out even more deep reconnaissance.

Ghamzeh's regret is deep. Everything is in vain now. After this, there is no doubt that Diener has supreme power.

"I, this filthy Ghamzeh, have failed, though entrusted the warrior of the Princess. I have no reason. I am ready to accept his punishment. And to uphold discipline, please punish this useless me."

"You're wrong, Ghamzeh. I'm the one who ordered you to do the mission. You and your men have fought bravely. I want you to lend me your power from here on out. Don't be rash, the battle will continue."

"Princess. If so, morals cannot be maintained. Especially in times like these, it is vital to let failure go unpunished. Please, please, punish me. No need to sympathize."

Ghamzeh refused, his words almost spoken from him. He was prepared to absolve the fault of the stewardship of the Belta faction with his death.

Understanding that, Diener helped him. Diener does this as an investment.

Ghamzeh himself was clearly not a fool. He had connections within the Capital Territory and had a talent for making plans. This time it did end in failure, but it could be said, they managed to put emphasis on Canaan, therefore, the Royal Army now also had to allocate a defensive force to Cyrus.

"Mr Ghamzeh. It is foolish to waste your life only because of one defeat. In this war there is only one victory: When we liberate the Royal Capital and overthrow the rotten government. Your strength is still very necessary. I, Diener, respectfully ask you, please, for the Liberation Army, lend me your strength."

Diener pulled the hand of Ghamzeh, who was still bowing his head, and made him stand up. It's all just acting. But, in order to appease those around them who did not have any feelings of hostility between the factions, it was a necessary course of action.

With this, Ghamzeh will be even more docile. In this quiet time, Diener cataclysmically destroyed the Belta faction.

The faction, which consisted of former Royal people, was trying hard, acting as they pleased, and they forgot for what reason they were in this liberation war. The project for the southern region of the Kingdom was taking place at the same time, and they needed to speed it up. The most important thing is that everyone's will is in line with Altura's. This is the true feeling of Diener, who was once part of the Salvadoran faction. By the time they save the government, they will have to press ahead with a number of reforms, and it will not go smoothly unless everyone is united.

"However, to the point of killing so many brothers in our arms, what the God of Death is? Voleur, Borjek, Castie. They are brave men. Even until now I couldn't believe that they were killed that easily."

"Colonel of the Royal Army, Schera Zade. A female officer who even led 20 cavalry units from the former Third Army. According to the officers who surrendered, he originally came from a peasant village and enlisted in the army personally. He was a pitiful human who had strayed from the path he was supposed to tread. He does not know justice and only drowns himself in killing. A part of him deserves our sympathy, but we must never ignore his evil actions again."

Diener calmly conveyed Schera's background, but in her heart, her anger raged. He was a human that Diener knew in detail. Diener intends to kill him in the next battle. Schera's ability is a threat, but, she's just an incompetent girl who only knows how to attack.

If they set a trap and surrounded him, they could definitely kill him. Diener had heard deeply from Schera's former aide Vander that he knew absolutely nothing about war techniques. After killing Schera, Diener would mutilate him, and after that his anger would subside, perhaps.

Carefully thought out, a meticulous plan should not be defeated by the reckless courage of a single person. Of course he wouldn't admit to such a thing.

".....An ordinary soldier born in a peasant village was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in just a few years? A woman, but she has such a great ability. It's really hard to believe. I can only bow my head to his fame as a Death God."

Behrouz muttered as he stroked his white beard.

".....Just leave the matter of the Death God to me. I will wait for the gap and avenge our fallen comrade. Let me do it. Mr. Ghamzeh, at that time, respectfully lend me your 'help."

".....Understood, Mr. Diener. I, Ghamzeh, will devote myself to the Liberation Army until the end of my life."

Ghamzeh, who had been silent since then, finally lowered his head deeply and agreed.

"Thank you, Ghamzeh. I'm counting on you in the future. .....Diener. from here how are we moving?"

Altura asked, and Diener answered without waiting for a pause.

"Ready. We will soon welcome winter. We will prepare our troops during that time, and first, allow us to rebuild the lives of civilians. The good news is that the enemy general, Sharov, remains steadfast. It is very unlikely that he will launch an attack on us. As he attacked, it was easy to stop their movements. Snow is our strongest fortress. Right now, we have to gather people who agree with us, train our troops, and spread our cause around the world."

As the saying goes: "The country is rich, the army is strong." Right now, the plan of the Liberation Army is to devote themselves to it. After losing much of their war potential, his top priority was to gather strength.

"If so, what do you mean we'll wait until next spring to move to the Capital?"

"Yes. We'll move after that. The Empire, which gave us its support, attempted to seize the Madros Fortress in the northwestern region of the Kingdom. Even if it's winter, they'll defeat the Royal Army."

Prince Alan nodded after hearing it. The man closest to the throne, Prince Alexander, was on an expedition accompanied by 100,000 soldiers.

Alexander undertook the attack, leading the Fifth Corps and also carrying the Seventh Corps corps defending Fort Wealth in the northeastern region of the Empire. He was Alan's older brother, and a great man in the eyes of his father, the Emperor. He can handle everything flawlessly and is reliable in understanding one's true nature, his position and status may be unshakable. For Alan right now, this is not something to worry about.

"Because my brother, Alexander, led them, they must have captured Madros. If they intended to attack the Royal Capital, Canaan's defense would also get thinner. It would be to our advantage to gather strength and wait for a good opportunity."

Hearing Alan's words, Altura nodded excitedly. As Altura looked at Behrouz for approval, Behrouz did not appear to object.

"The plan has been decided. Everyone, I want you all to try your best and work to realize our dreams. I will also give everything I have."

"Ready, leave it to us."

Everybody's gone. After confirming that Altura and Alan started a friendly conversation, Diener also went to her own room.

There's a lot of things he has to do. The more time, the easier it was for him to execute his plan. When they attack Canaan again, it will not fail. But, since their opponent was Sharov, they might be drawn into a long battle with many casualties. The calm and reliable man must be dealt with first. The man had the arrogance and confidence that if he strengthened him, he could maintain the strategic position of Canaan against anything. And, he's right.

For the sake of the Liberation Army, it would be wise if they could lure the Royal Troops out of their positions and destroy them.

(.....It's almost time Commander Sharov retired. Sorry general Behrouz, I have no intention of comforting his personal feelings.)

He sowed seeds for this purpose. The only thing that needs to be done is to encourage the seed to sprout. This kind of scheme is Diener's specialty. Diener's lips curled up, and began writing a detailed secret message to instruct his agents.

* * * *

After successfully defending Cyrus, the Schera Cavalry and the United Legion of Yalder headed to the northwest of the kingdom on Sharov's orders.

In the northwest of the Kingdom, the Madros Fortress was the vanguard in the face of the Empire. To the west of them was the Wealth Fortress under Imperial rule, and both had a long history of conflict.

As for Canaan, Sharov had set it up at the Roshanak Fortress, Barbora acted as the vanguard, and Laus moved to defend the Cyrus Fortress.

Since he had no plans of making an attack in the winter, the surplus soldiers were sent back to the Capital. There were many exhausted and dissatisfied soldiers.

Barbora proposes to attack in the winter, but Sharov rejects her, saying that the risk is too high. In winter, the transport of supplies alone is already difficult.

In addition, the Yalder has gained spectacular contributions, repelling enemy surprise attack units, crossing mountains, defeating the rearguard, and attacking the main enemy headquarters on the side, but unfortunately, the enemy is not, he was not approved to be returned to the General. Sharov's report to the King was rejected, and Yalder was given direction that he would be returned to the General depending on his performance. Yalder once again lost her spirit, but she got back up, saying that she would overcome this test and make herself rise again.

The Schera promotion was also rejected. Thinking that a promotion to Colonel was overdone, he was told, "Later."

The one who expressed those concerns was Chief Minister Farzam. He felt fear for someone he had never met before rising through the ranks amidst a loud applause. It was like that the birth of a hero would threaten his position.

Schera herself did not care, and she indulged herself with food as usual. From the beginning, food was much more important than promotion.

Schera is currently eating a sauce with onions, and a decoction of vegetables like carrots. There was an awful lot of grass to eat, so Schera's face twitched as she ate it. Katarina was in a good mood and seemed to be enjoying her meal a lot, so she moved the vegetables she had on her plate to Katarina's plate. He really does not like vegetable food, and he also does not like bitter food.

–Northwest Kingdom, Madros Area Headquarters, Madros Castle.

"Well well, isn't that the Former Commander-in-Chief Candidate, Former General Yalder. So you're alive! Being stubborn will only make you bald! Hahaha-h!"

The one who came out to meet Yalder with a rough laugh was the commander of the Fifth Army, Lieutenant General Kerry Madros.

While patting his bald head, he told the angry Yalder to sit down.

Sitting on the chair violently, Yalder shouted loudly without restraint.

"I don't want to be told about balding by you, you bald bastard!"

"Like this it's easier to wear a helmet. Sooner or later you'll understand. That's if you can keep your head still stuck around your neck! Ahahahaha-!!"

Kerry laughed, and the officers in the room laughed as well. They were all brave men of Kerry's confidence, and they were filled with fighting spirit to the end. The Fifth Army was a heterogeneous army united by the inhabitants of the Madros region. They will never bow to the Empire.

"You don't know yourself! You even insulted me! Though I came here as reinforcements, what kind of treatment is this-! For God's sake, everyone's making fun of me!"

Yalder hit the table. His face became as red as a lobster.

"Duh, calm down Yalder. We are now of the same rank, so can't we talk more casually? The general and the general are not much different. Both are not really important to me. Howdidyou think? Come on, have a drink."

Kerry poured alcohol while patting Yalder on the shoulder. The cold weather in the northwest is fierce, and the alcohol will give you a little warmth.

The snow had not yet come down, but it was cold enough to pierce the skin. Usually, one would not think of starting a war at a time like this.

Yalder gulped down his drink. He took a deep breath, and then exhaled, calming down. He's known this guy for a long time. Kerry likes to make fun of people and has a very unpleasant character. Even so, he was very popular among the soldiers and excelled in courage– is really an unpleasant man.

"Hm? Ahh, the bego people of the Empire huh. Although it was now an outrageous cold winter, those people did not back down. We fought, intending to survive until the winter, with no results. The cause of all this is because of the moron who drove David's Army Corps."

The Fourth Army, led by the late David, and Kerry's Fifth Army continued to fight for the region. Since the fool from the Capital carelessly moved them, Kerry's army became like this. If they naively secluded themselves in their new fortress that was supposed to be a stronghold against the Imperial Army, they would probably be annihilated without a remnant. Kerry left the recently completed and useless First Fortress, and he fought the battle while evacuating the population. He begins to conduct guerrilla warfare, utilizing soon the advantages and means at his disposal, to disrupt the enemy's supply trains. Because of this, they successfully resisted the enemy's movements and managed to survive until the winter.

“.......Kerry. About Mr. David, very unfortunate in Belta..”.

“Ahhh, I know. He's not a careful guy, but he's a liquor maniac. The liquor he chose was delicious. What happened to him is unfortunate."

There was no reason why David, who boasted of his family lineage, and Kerry, whose birthplace in the remote Madros Territory, could be familiar. That said, the two of them have never been involved in a conflict, and they have a relationship where they try not to interfere with each other. The liquor David sent her as a gift turned out to be very tasty.

".....Is the rumor about Prince Alexander becoming the Commander of the Imperial Army true?"

"Yes, he might earn points to secure the throne. The enthusiasm of these people is very high. The bastards from the Wealth family also attacked us despite the cold weather like this. It's so annoying that you won't believe it."

Lieutenant General Gustav Wealth was the commander of the Seventh Corps of the Wealth Area in the Empire's territory. He was a mortal enemy whom Kerry had a grudge against his ancestors.

Kerry, for the sake of protecting Madros Territory, and Gustav, for the sake of protecting Wealth Territory, had a relationship in which they killed each other.

They have a blood-soaked and inseparable relationship that has lasted for over 200 years. This fate was also the main reason why Kerry and his comrades would not be willing to surrender to the Imperial Army.

If Gustav took control of the Madros Area, he would definitely take revenge for everything that had happened. If their positions were reversed, Kerry would do the same. Anyway, there is no solution. It's a matter of killing or being killed. This will probably continue until the city belonging to their enemy is destroyed. Before they are killed, they must kill. That is the duty of the feudal lord.

The beginning of this hatred he said was rooted in the Madros who gave up being killed, or the Madros killed the Wealth people who surrendered– now, no one knows which is right. No matter which one was right, the Madros family sided with the Kingdom, and the Wealth family sided with the Empire.

There is a custom of Madros people tattooing a guardian animal on their chest. Werga Wealth carved a sacred bird on their shoulders. The irony that this tattoo became a symbol used to distinguish their ethnicity and the edges further inflame the flames of their enmity even greater.

"....Even though it was almost winter, they showed no signs of retreating??? 100,000 is a big army. It must be very troublesome to keep it."

"Although so, they attack us while still saving energy. The prince himself led them. It's a great place to write your name. They came even though we retreated while carefully burning all the plants we nurtured. Of course we left nothing for them to eat, we burned everything to charcoal. This cold season, after their supply has weakened is our winning point. We'll show hell to those imperial people."

The Fifth Army had already evacuated all the citizens on the Imperial Army's invasion route, poisoned the wells, burned the fields, and emptied the food supplies. They did not want to give anything to the Imperial soldiers. This method was not only thought of by Kerry and the soldiers, but the citizens also thought so.

If they are caught, they will be tortured and killed. Because they knew of the threat, no one would mind doing so.

Kerry finished the liquor in his glass and held the glass tightly. Yalder also subconsciously strengthened her grasp. He stared at the map laid out on the table and rubbed his beard.

"The northwest direction of Madros is the Second Fort, to the west there is the Third Fort, and the Fourth Fort in the southwest huh. The Second Fort is along the coast, and the Third Fort is surrounded by mountains. So the Fourth Fortress is the weakest point of Madros–the fort is on the plain and the easiest to fall. If it was me, I would have targeted the Fourth Fort."

Yalder prefers frontal attacks. Without a second thought, he chose the most vulnerable Fortress. If he has a big army and doesn't have to worry about supplies, he's not wrong. There was no need to bother attacking a difficult location. It also takes time to prepare and execute a direct attack with just strength alone.

Kerry insists that the Fourth Fortress will be safe. He had the determination and confidence that they would keep him until the end.

"Therefore, the fortress was made the most solid. Dude, that fortress isn't gonna fall that easy. I command there myself. Yo Yalder's. I plan to send you to the Second Fort on the beach. Beneath it is a road to the supply storehouse. If the Fortress falls, the Fifth Army and your own troops will fall into a predicament. Although this is a dangerous place, how is it?"

Kerry pointed to the Second Fort built along the beach. It was a barrier built to block the main road. But, it was hard to say sturdy, and if the invading weapons were used to attack, it would be difficult to defend.

"Basically it gives me a good position. I, Yalder, and my United Legion, will defend that Fortress, let me show you. And also, this time I will make the people in the Royal Capital acknowledge my actions!"

While amusedly watching Yalder grit her teeth and encourage herself, Kerry smiled. He knew that Yalder would not agree with his plan, but they were old friends, so he would not reject it. No doubt Yalder will get angry and hit him.

"Wan, don't rush that, Yalder. Let me finish it. This is a task that only you can do. A task I can only entrust to the demoted Lieutenant General Yalder and his depraved and miserable United Legion. Make sure you pay attention to your squat brain. I will not forgive failure. Understood?"

"****** are. Suddenly put on a grim face, did you not just insult me but my troops too!? If it's stupid, I won't forgive you!"

"This is his plan–"

Stretching his voice, Kerry explained to Yalder. Before he finished talking, Yalder was emotional and hit him with his right hand, and Kerry replied with a header. The meeting room was chaotic. The officers around them just looked at it, showing no signs of stopping them, and the two Lieutenant Generals continued to brawl, causing as many scratches on each other's faces as they could. The current situation was very similar to two drunkards fighting in a tavern. The fight continued until Sidamo heard the commotion, bringing the guards to stop them.

Just as Kerry predicted. He glanced at Yalder's body, and his body was covered in wounds. He knew the wounds were not serious. Kerry is clearly the same.

–Night, a few days after that.

Leaving the Second Fortress in a towering blaze, Schera led his 2,000 cavalry into the Imperial Army encampment.

On their horses were tied 100 heads of Royal warriors. In addition, he also brought the second son of the Madros family, Darus Madros, with his hands and feet tied.

His mouth was gagged and his face was swollen from a scratch, and there were wasted scars. He'll be an offering to the Imperial Army, a tumblr.

"Catarina. Are we close?"

"Siap–, There are signs of scouts around. Looks like we've been staked."

"Oh. Then after the plan. Lift it."

As he gave instructions to the cavalry behind him, they tied a white cloth to their spears and raised it up high. It was a sign of surrender, a white flag. The Schera cavalry raised many white flags and continued to move.

Schera eats dried sardines, a local product of Madros. It was food for many, and so that they could make use of salt, it was very salty. It is not a food that is often eaten kosongan, and indeed the purpose for side dishes. The best way to eat it is to put it in soup.

Schera's face grimaced with salinity. Katarina held out a water bottle, but Schera shook her head and refused. He took another sardine out of the pouch, and this time sucked it out of its tail. A bitter taste spread within his mouth.

"I wonder if the Imperial Army has any good food. I'm getting excited."

"This term, it is better not to be too hopeful. Probability–"

Katarina was willing to take out a local Wealth product, but the infantry from the surrounding bushes jumped out, disturbing her.

They raised their torches and pointed spears at the cavalry unit. Schera immediately chewed on his dried sardines. He chewed it until it was small, the small bones gave off a crackling sound. After the bitter taste was gone, the salty taste re-emerged, and Schera's face frowned from the salinity.

"Stop-stop! Stop your horses!!"

"Don't move! Don't you dare move! If there's even a slight suspicious move, we'll kill you all in place!"

"The Royal soldiers!? Do you know the meaning of the white flag!?"

As they shouted loudly, they intimidated Schera and his group. The cavalry remained calm, and they waited for their commander's order. Not even the horses spoke. The Imperial soldiers observed this strange cavalry with suspicious gazes. Usually, people like this would be filled with fear. Then the commander of the patrol unit shouted at them.

"We are the patrol unit of the Seventh Corps of the Keyland Empire! What business are you guys doing here!? Depending on your answers, we will attack! You better answer them carefully!"

At that question, Schera moved her horse to step forward and replied calmly but piercingly.

"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Schera Zade, a cavalry affiliated with the United Special Legion of the Yuze Kingdom. Coming to surrender to the Keyland Empire, we had already burned the Second Fort and taken a man from the Madros family hostage. I want to meet the commander of the Imperial Army. We have nowhere to go."

With Schera's signal, his men's cavalry threw off the heads they were carrying. The Imperial soldiers took it to check it out.

In front of them, they could see a bright red light in the night sky. There was definitely a blaze around the Second Fort.

As the commander of the patrol unit confirmed that, he stared at Schera while remaining alert.

".....You're not a Madros citizen, are you?"

The people of Madros will not give up. In other words, if they were Madros, he intended to kill them here. There were many soldiers from the Empire's Seventh Corps born in the Wealth Region. This commander is a Wealth citizen.

"I was born in the Central Border Zone. How's it?"

"......No, I get it. However, it is not my authority to accept your surrender. I'll guide you to headquarters, and you'll have to explain your situation there. Do not try to do strange things. We're not the only soldiers around here."

"I appreciate that. Then please guide us."

"here. Follow me."

At Schera's insistence, the commander guided them and began to walk. The spear and arrow units were in a ready formation with their weapons surrounding that cavalry. If there was any suspicious behavior, they would instantly shoot arrows and attack with their spears. The cavalry unit showed no fear at all, and silently followed Schera.

Without realizing it, the white flag had been replaced with a black flag bearing the symbol of a fearsome bird. Their self-esteem may not hold it back, there is no losing word for the Schera Cavalry.

The Imperial soldiers were completely unaware of it.

Glancing at them, Schera's mouth smiled savagely.

"–I'm really looking forward to this."