Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 414

Chapter 414: Chapter 414 - Tamers War - Single Obstruction (1/2)

The constant rhythm of the march had managed to calm Kharzan’s nerves slightly. His forces advanced without problem even while being so close to the inner city. Perhaps his paranoia had been unfounded after all.

The mathematical certainty of his situation was reassuring. He was in the center of 12,000 soldiers, now that he had absorbed additional forces from his frontier positions, represented overwhelming power by any conventional measure. No individual, no matter how skilled, could stand against such numbers.

"My Lord," a messenger landed beside him. "Increased activity at the abyss frontier wall."

Kharzan frowned but didn’t alarm himself. Activity was expected... Yano would naturally be mobilizing whatever forces they could gather.

"What type of activity?"

"Troop movements, my Lord. They appear to be reorganizing, but entering and exiting from within the wall makes it difficult to determine their exact numbers."

Kharzan considered the information. They were still quite far from the main wall, any response Yano was organizing would arrive too late to affect his current advance.

He had already made the decision to gather all his soldiers at the bridge once they completed this phase of advance. His new frontier line wasn’t as important as the attack he was about to make, so he was absorbing those forces.

The first 10,000 had become 12,000 and increasing.

He had to make an effort to give Yino the opportunity to see his great contribution to the joint effort of this war. Political survival required demonstrating value to powerful allies.

"Maintain observation, but continue the advance," he ordered with the confidence of someone whose plans were proceeding smoothly.

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The army entered the inner city, where the character of the terrain changed dramatically. Buildings became more numerous and denser, structures that reflected centuries of urban growth and constant replanning.

In tamer cities, initially there had been no real urban planning. Constructions had sprouted organically around centers of power and resources, creating a chaotic maze of streets and districts that followed no logical pattern.

But over time this had been corrected, one of the many unique advantages of having earth tamers capable of rearranging terrain and displacing entire buildings when necessary.

Now they navigated mainly through a main avenue that had been ironically designed specifically to allow rapid military movement against Yino in the bridge, but Kharzan couldn’t shake his concern about the buildings flanking their route.

The architecture was distinctly upper-class, multi-story mansions with reinforced foundations, wide windows that could serve as attacking positions, and rooftops that provided commanding views of the street below.

"General Valdris," he called to his most experienced commander, "what’s your opinion on possible counterattacks from the houses and mansions on the sides of the road?"

Valdris studied the question. "It’s a valid concern, my Lord. Many windows, many blind angles. But our front line still has most of our earth tamers who should feel any underground movement and be able to stop any attack smaller than our numbers with the walls."

"And if it’s a major attack?"

"With respect, my Lord, if they had sufficient forces for a major attack, they wouldn’t have abandoned the territory so easily."

It made sense, but something continued bothering Kharzan. It was too quiet for a city that should be full of civilian activity.

Another messenger approached, this one with an urgency in his posture that immediately captured Kharzan’s attention.

"My Lord," the soldier practically dove toward him, "there’s a single person directly ahead, approximately one kilometer away."

"A single person?"

The simplicity of the report was somehow more alarming than if the messenger had announced an entire enemy army. One person standing alone against twelve thousand soldiers suggested either madness or a trap of unprecedented audacity.

’He can’t be alone,’ Kharzan thought, his mind racing through possibilities. No commander of Sirius’s experience would position himself so vulnerably without some hidden advantage.