Good decisions, Bad decisions [KvK K276 vs K33] ch2

After the defeat against Masao in the war between K276 and K33, Vangark and his forces regrouped. While the enemy was stronger than any one of them individually, they were currently acting alone, providing a slight advantage.

In their makeshift camp after the retreat, they debated the best course of action to counter the enemy's strength. The king stared into the campfire in front of him, pondering the questions posed by his companions. Some voices expressed pessimism, while others held onto a glimmer of hope. After a few hours of contemplation, the king raised his voice.

"Riddler, you will enter the battle," he declared, eliciting surprise and disapproval from many.

"It's not prudent; he's weaker than any of us," Loconet argued.

"This won't work; there has to be another way, surely," Shinichi added.

"Masao doesn't know him; he only knows the rest of you after the attack on EripmaV," the king interrupted, asserting his authority. "We will set a trap, and all of us will have to participate."

Preparations began immediately. Vangark ordered Riddler to position himself not far from the enemy kingdom's main castle, and he instructed everyone else to be a few kilometers away, ready to send reinforcements from there, including the dragons hidden in the clouds. While they followed the orders, some considered this mission suicidal. It seemed that the only one who had no doubt about the plan was the king himself, maintaining the conviction that Riddler, by not being seen in battle, would be a tempting target for Masao, who would not hesitate to attack as soon as he spotted him. A total of eight armies waited in the vicinity of Riddler, and eight dragons flew beyond the clouds.

When everything was ready to set the plan in motion, reports came in that Masao had troops in two other major cities. After assessing the troops in each of them, archers in one and spearmen in the other, the king ordered Shinichi to deploy to the latter city, while he would attack the former. All of this was based on the assumption that Masao would first target Riddler from his position without withdrawing the troops from those two major fortifications.

Vangark gave the order, and Riddler began a false attack on the main castle, sending scouts to the other two major cities. At first, nothing happened, and Masao seemed oblivious to these attacks. The brief wait for something to occur felt endless, and even the gates of the main castle opened, with the same infantry army they had faced before now marching toward the new member of K276. The first part of the plan was working.

When the red-haired warrior was on the brink of the enemy, he was surprised and surrounded by a large army that, despite their numerical disadvantage, decided to fight. However, the allied dragons, which this time attacked from the open sky, left no chance for victory. Masao was captured, and his entire army lay scattered on the battlefield. The news of this defeat did not reach the other two major cities that were being occupied quickly, so Shinichi and Vangark took advantage of the element of surprise and won their respective battles. The rest of the enemy army retreated upon realizing that they had lost their Lord and were attacked on two other fronts.

The K276 forces celebrated their victory, even the skeptics were among the most joyful; for them, it was a completely unexpected outcome. The king interrupted the celebrations and immediately ordered the capture of the enemy's main castle. The war had not yet been won, and with Masao as a prisoner, things were in their favor.

"The prisoner has escaped," Riddler reported upon entering the king's tent. Those present turned their gazes to the king, expecting a new command. It was time to rethink their strategy while checking the troops stationed in the enemy's main castle. If Masao were to attack, it would have to be against them, the Hoffits and the weakest among them. Thinking of these, Vangark ordered that they be reinforced from other positions and not stationed with the strongest. Being separated from the main group would play to their advantage. Time was against them, and they knew that an attack could happen at any moment, so they had to be ready.

"He won't attack us in this castle; he knows he was close to losing. It would be risky for him to attack again," Vangark told Shinichi as they tried to predict their enemy's next move.

"My lord, Masao attacked our kingdom, King’s Landing. Bezedash was guarding it and was taken prisoner," a Hoffit interrupted after midnight.

This changed their plans. The enemy wouldn't engage them in battle; instead, they would attempt to conquer their kingdom. At this late hour, with everyone showing signs of fatigue, the king only requested reports from scouts. Having this information would be crucial in determining their strategy. At the same time, he cursed Bezedash's recklessness, as they had discussed these issues in previous wars, and the same mistakes kept happening. Some asked for permission to rest, which the king did not deny. It had been hours of intense battle, and asking them to remain on their feet would only further jeopardize victory.

They debated for hours on which troops to use, and this time, it was the king who was not convinced by the plan. After analyzing the report they had received, the king and Shinichi made a decision: they would each attack King’s Landing alone. Both would go with infantry, and Vangark would attempt to break through; if he failed, Shinishi, coming from behind, might secure victory.

Both positioned themselves near King’s Landing, exchanged glances, and wished each other luck. The king led his army toward the castle, while Shinishi reached the fortress gates to find only the lifeless bodies of their allies scattered everywhere. The first attack had utterly failed, which was a terrible sign. Nevertheless, she continued the march to confront the enemy, and the outcome was no different: all her men died, and she was taken prisoner and locked in the same cell as her king.

"At least we're still alive," the king said to Vangark as he looked at him, battered and bruised. Vangark managed a smile, despite thinking about how they had lost. Fighting alone against such a formidable enemy was the worst recklessness they could have committed. They had forgotten the principle of teamwork and intelligence, and it had cost them dearly. It could mean the kingdom's defeat.

"Let's rest for a couple of hours, and then we'll think about how to escape. Once we're out, we'll figure out what to do," the king finally replied.