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Vol 04 Chapter 136-2: The Third Persis-Kirisia War

「As expected from barbarians. They’re nothing special.」

The king of one of the main city-states of Kirisia, Reim, skewered the fleeing Persis infantry with his spear, killing soldiers while muttering under his breath.

He wore a dissatisfied expression, probably because he hadn’t had enough of a fight.

Everyone born in Reim underwent rigorous military training from a young age. This was true even for the royal family… rather, especially for the royal family, who were subjected to even stricter training.

Their skills and the spirit of combat instilled from childhood made Reim the strongest land army in Kirisia.

「No, really. Running away from the battlefield… it’s unthinkable for us.」

The captain of the Sacred Squad, a unit composed entirely of homosexual couples, agreed with the King of Reim.

The members of the Sacred Squads fought desperately to protect their lovers and to demonstrate their strength. They never fled.

The only force on the Kirisia Peninsula that could rival the Reim heavy infantry was this Sacred Squad.

「Shall we ride this momentum all the way to the capital, Jamshid?」

「That sounds wonderful. We’ll have our pick of the beautiful boys of Persis… gulp.」

The two exchanged banter, blooming with excitement over their conversation. Victory seemed within their grasp, and the entire Kirisian army relaxed at that moment.

「You’re getting too comfortable, even though you haven’t won yet.」

A leisurely voice cut through from beyond the dust cloud.

As King Reim and the captain of the Sacred Squad squinted through the dust, a woman astride a camel emerged from the other side.

She had golden hair and bronzed skin—a striking beauty.

She wore a red fabric that had been dyed a deep crimson from blood, having cut down fleeing Persis infantry as she advanced.

「I see we have distinguished generals here. I am Aisha, leader of the Aram people, and behind me are five hundred of the world’s strongest warriors, the pride of the Arams.」

Aisha gestured behind her with her thumb. From beyond the dust, camel cavalry, also dyed in red, made their appearance.

「Well, well, Lady Chieftain, how polite of you. However, a woman on the battlefield? Persis must truly be desperate for warriors.」

「Ah? Aren’t you going to introduce yourself after I went out of my way to name myself? How rude.」

Aisha playfully mocked King Reim.

「We have no name to give to a woman. Did you say your name was Aisha? You’d better flee while you still can. The battle is decided. If you linger on the battlefield, who knows what will happen to you… though I have no interest in women.」

The captain of the Sacred Squads also refrained from introducing himself, maintaining a mocking tone.

Aisha smirked broadly.

「Oh… concerned about me, are you?」

Then she vanished.

「Where did she go!」

King Reim frantically looked around.

「Right here.」

A voice came from behind him. When King Reim hurriedly turned, Aisha was there.

Holding something in her left hand, Aisha revealed it to be the head of the captain of the Sacred Squad. By the time King Reim realized this, his own head had already been separated from his body.

Aisha yelled out.

「Come on!! It’s hunting time!!! Kill them all!!!」

◇

With the intervention of Aisha and the Arams, the tide of battle began to significantly turn in favor of Persis. The first to meet their onslaught were the Sacred Squad and Reim’s heavy infantry who were swiftly turned into corpses, this sent shockwaves of panic through the Kirisian forces.

Witnessing their reliable comrades being butchered instantaneously, the Kirisian heavy infantry fell into disarray. Their formation broke, creating gaps. The Aram warriors exploited these openings, further widening the breaches in the enemy lines.

◇

The Arams were a nomadic tribe that engaged in commerce, hunting, and war while they wandered from oasis to oasis.

Though their population was only fifty thousand, the five hundred warrior-nobles, which constituted one percent of their population, all possessed the [Blessing of the Hunter] which explosively increased their physical abilities.

This made them the strongest unit in the world. No army could feasibly defeat them in combat…

However, they couldn’t overcome the sheer force of numbers. That’s why they had submitted to the Persis Empire.

It was impossible for them to annihilate an army of a hundred thousand Kirisian heavy infantry. However, they could create chaos and halt the enemy’s movements. And that was more than enough.

With Xerxes leading the Immortals to fill the gaps, the Kirisian army once again found itself encircled by the Persis forces. Their last hope, the Sacred Squad, and the Reim heavy infantry, had been decimated.

Persis infantry on the flanks, Aisha and the Immortals at the front, and the Partodia cavalry approaching from behind sealed the fate of the Kirisians. Any chance of breaking through was now impossible.

Thus, the Kirisian army of a hundred thousand was annihilated.

◇

Two days later, off the coast of the city-state Claris: Four hundred Kirisian warships gathered, awaiting the seven hundred ships of the Persis Imperial Navy.

For the Persis forces to land on the Kirisian Peninsula, they needed to conquer the city-state of Claris, a city facing the sea. Gaining control of the sea was crucial for the assault.

Moreover, the Persis army, numbering over four hundred thousand, could not sustain its logistics solely through land transportation.

Maritime transport was indispensable.

The defeat on land could not be reversed, but they could attempt to reclaim their losses at sea.

And the Kirisians were a seafaring people. For them, even a trip to a neighboring town typically involved taking a boat, not a road.

On the other hand, the Persis Empire was a land-based Empire. Most of their soldiers had never seen the sea before, and most of their marines couldn’t even swim. At sea, unlike on land, the difference in skill and ship performance greatly impacted the outcome. The odds were greatly on Kirisia’s side.

◇

「Look, General! The golden eagle banner is in sight!」

A red flag with a golden eagle painted on it. This flashy flag was the national flag of the Persis Empire.

The tribes of the Orient trembled at the sight of this flag. However, the brave Kirisians were never daunted.

「Ha ha, do they think an eagle can win at sea? They should have drawn a seagull instead.」

Laughter erupted at the general’s words. They were confident in their superiority at sea.

For the Kirisians, ships were their legs, and the sea was their road. They couldn’t afford to lose to the Persians.

「General, I see a different flag as well. That’s a crescent moon… It’s Pofenia! It’s the Pofenian flag!」

「What!!」

The general squinted. As time passed, it became clear to him too.

No mistake about it. It was the flag with a crescent moon, the national flag of Pofenia.

This meant only one thing. Pofenia had formed an alliance with the Persis Empire.

Pofenia was a republic located directly south of the Adernian Peninsula. Like the Kirisians, the Pofenians engaged in maritime trade, using ships as their legs and the sea as their roads.

Their sailing abilities were on par with those of the Kirisians.

「…How many ships?」

「…I can’t count them all. At least three hundred, I would say.」

A cold sweat ran down the general’s cheek.

◇

Battle of Claris Offshore. Kirisian Navy: 400 ships vs. Persis Navy: 700 ships & Pofenian Navy: 300 ships. Result: Total annihilation of the Kirisian Navy.

Two days after the battle of Claris Offshore, Claris fell. Ten days later, Alto fell. Twenty days later, Terbai fell. Forty days later, Reim fell.

Thus, the entire Kirisia Peninsula was conquered by the Persis Empire. The maritime sovereignty of the Eastern Tethys Sea changed from Kirisian hands to the Persis Empire and the Republic of Pofenia.

The Third Persis-Kirisia War ended in victory for the Persis Empire.

It goes without saying that the outcome of this war would have a significant impact on the politics and economy of the Adernian Peninsula.

◇

Xerxes III

The fourth emperor of the Persis Empire, he brought about the empire’s golden age.

His first battle was at the age of twelve during the campaign against Misur. Leading a combined force of infantry and cavalry, he captured the king of the Misur Kingdom, achieving a spectacular victory.

At the age of fifteen, the Persis Empire conquered the entire territory of the Misur Kingdom, accomplishing the unification of the Orient. Around the same time, Xerxes father, the Emperor of the Persis Empire died. After winning a five-year succession dispute, he ascended to the throne.

While his father was known for his oppressive rule, Xerxes III governed leniently, employing capable individuals regardless of their status or race and significantly reducing local tax rates. However, he also executed all members of rebelling tribes and dismissed feudal lords from their positions across various regions, implementing a policy of both carrot and stick.

The regional lords were gathered at the center, and satraps were dispatched to the provinces. Additionally, ‘the king’s eyes and ears’ were sent to monitor the regions. The Immortals, the emperor’s personal guard, were strengthened to push forward centralization. A network of royal roads was constructed across the Empire to allow the army to move swiftly.

The economic activities of the Aram traders were protected, and numerous public works such as the construction of cities, roads, and temples were carried out, greatly flourishing the economy.

On the foreign conquest front, multiple expeditions were conducted. Two campaigns were launched into Barat to secure the spice trade routes. Nomadic tribes across the regions were forced to pay tribute, and horse nomads like the Partodia tribe were brought under control. The long-desired campaign into Kirisia was successfully carried out, securing maritime dominance over the Eastern Tethys Sea.

Through these campaigns, Xerxes III extended his empire unprecedentedly from the Orient to the Occident, spanning from Kirisia in the west to Barat in the east, truly embodying the title ‘king of kings’.

The unification of east and west, alongside road construction, and the simultaneous unification of the Tianhua region by the Scarlet Empire in the Far East, formed a major transcontinental trade route. Architectural techniques and natural philosophy from Kirisia flowed into the Persis Empire.

The Persis Empire reached its peak in culture, economy, territory, and military.

However… (to be continued)