Chapter Forty-One: Besieged, Part One

“Chief Gister, fighting bandits is so much easier. No need to slog through storms delivering supplies, no need to spend the whole day on edge guarding against ambushes. That feeling of the enemy lurking in the shadows while we’re exposed—it’s so unpleasant! Nothing beats the thrill of being able to strike wherever we want. Seeing the terror in those humans’ eyes brings me such satisfaction. Remember how wretched we were when we got ambushed? Begging every day not to bump into a human guerrilla squad—those were truly unforgettable days!” After their harrowing escape last time, Marido and Gister became more than mere comrades-in-arms. Marido now called Gister “boss” with infectious enthusiasm.

Gister listened to Marido’s unrestrained chatter, his brow darkening. That flight was a humiliation for Gister, yet Marido, with his loud mouth, never missed a chance to brag about it. This fool…

That wasn’t even the worst of it. When they returned, most of the blame fell on Gister, since he was the commanding officer, while Marido got away almost scot-free. It frustrated Gister to no end—Marido was the one who wanted to run first, tempting him with talk of concubines and whatnot. If not for that, he would have fought to the bitter end…

Regardless, surviving such a life-and-death ordeal together, the two quickly became intimate partners, sharing equal rank and responsibility. Working to redeem themselves, their synchronized tactics and hatred for their human pursuers ensured their bandit-clearing missions were highly effective. Soon, their ranks were restored, and they were put in charge of over a thousand soldiers to exterminate the human resistance.

Since most of the resistance operated in the mountains and forests, there were few centaur units. Among their thousand-strong force, only about a hundred were centaur cavalry. This was why Marido worked so hard to curry favor with Gister, knowing his own survival depended on the elven soldiers under Gister’s command.

Marido, still striving to redeem himself, hadn’t yet gotten leave to return home and enjoy the company of those centaur maidens he so often thought of. Winning battles mattered little to him; keeping his life intact was paramount!

“Hold your advance, Marido. Send a few men ahead to scout the woods.” Ever since that disastrous ambush, Gister had grown exceedingly cautious, always anticipating trouble at the slightest sign. This vigilance had brought them great success. Without question, Major Gister had evolved from a logistics officer to a frontline commander, his experience, tactics, and abilities now perfectly suited for the role.

Hearing Gister’s order, Marido immediately dropped his chatter, adopting a serious demeanor as he dispatched scouts. There was no room for levity; this was a deadly business. While commanding the centaurs, Marido silently prayed the enemy wouldn’t be too numerous—one more sweep and he could finally rotate home!

Truth be told, his greatest motivation right now was those centaur maidens waiting for him at home…

As expected, Major Gister’s sharp eye proved invaluable. Not long after the centaurs entered the forest, there came the sounds of whistling and gunfire.

“Form ranks, square formation—advance!” Major Gister shouted, his orders quickly relayed through the officers. The elven infantry swiftly shifted from column to their customary square, advancing steadily into the woods, with the centaurs under Marido’s command flanking the wings and rear, guarding against surprise attacks from the human resistance.

This time, Gister and Marido had stumbled upon a major operation: a human resistance settlement with over a thousand adult fighters. They had planned to ambush in the forest, but the centaur cavalry discovered them early, forcing the humans to attack head-on.

“Charge! Destroy these invaders!” The disorganized human resistance, realizing escape was impossible, rushed forward with guns and clubs.

“Hold! First rank, ready, aim, fire!” Major Gister shouted at the top of his lungs as the order rippled down the line.

Bang! Bang! Bang! A volley rang out, felling over a dozen resistance fighters. Human gunfire answered in return, but the elves’ first rank, expressionless, retreated to reload, indifferent to their fallen comrades. The second rank immediately fired another volley.

Thus, at a distance of several dozen paces, Major Gister’s infantry battalion maintained a continuous barrage using the six-stage firing method. In contrast, the human resistance, lacking organization, attempted to charge but their numbers were too few; nearly half fell before they could close the distance, forcing them to retreat and take cover behind trees, exchanging fire with the elves.

Seeing the humans’ assault repulsed, Gister ordered his troops to advance while firing, abandoning volley formation. The elves, with far superior marksmanship, decimated the resistance, leaving the ground littered with bodies.

The exchange ran at nearly a six-to-one casualty ratio against the humans. Less than an hour later, the resistance could no longer withstand the slaughter.

Gister seized the moment of their retreat, ordering a charge. The elven soldiers abandoned formation, drew their swords, and pursued the fleeing resistance. Marido was not to be left out in such a moment of glory! His aches and fatigue forgotten, he led over a hundred centaur warriors in a swift charge, overtaking the resistance and skewering the slower humans with his lance.

Seeing the centaurs, whose speed and endurance far surpassed their own, the resistance fighters knew their fate was sealed. Desperate, they turned to fight the centaur soldiers.

Marido, ever cunning, slowed his pace, becoming the rear commander rather than the spearhead—a display of adaptability worthy of praise.

The centaur cavalry soon joined forces with their elven allies, Gister’s troops overwhelming the humans in numbers. With morale, equipment, and numbers on their side, the elves began an efficient massacre. Marido, seeing victory assured, resumed his charge, eagerly collecting heads—a spectacle well suited to his bravado. Though an officer, these easy trophies were proof of his valor.

Soon, the bandit-clearing operation in the Istanbul region concluded successfully. Such battles played out across the region, as the Elven Empire, relying on its highly trained army, steadily reduced the numbers of human resistance fighters, while simultaneously destroying neutral human villages. This only drove more people into the resistance, and the elven generals observed a strange phenomenon: the more they killed, the larger the resistance grew; the more slaves they captured, the more resistance fighters there seemed to be, with no reduction in numbers.

The elves, blinded by bloodlust, gave no thought to appeasing the populace, instead increasing their military strength and intensifying the repression and slaughter. It seemed that the suppression in the Istanbul region would drag on for a very long time.