164 – Deception, and the Thirty-Six Commandments (2)
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All of the 7th Division, including me, are so exhausted that it wouldn’t be surprising if we collapsed right now.
In such a situation, the soldiers had to travel at a fairly fast pace for several hours on horses they were unfamiliar with because they had never ridden before, so the atmosphere could have been very calming.
The soldiers laughed and chatted as if some kind of party was taking place.
“Look at those damn Swiss people! “You look like a dog chasing a chicken!”
“I would have thought we had everything captured. The Swiss idiots must be feeling a bit rotten because they missed us! “When we return home, let’s have a drink with that as a snack!”
“You idiots who came with 100,000 people and attacked us who were less than one division. “He is an idiot who will go down in history.”
I wish I could join in and share the joy.
I don’t have the strength to speak out loud because I’ve been overdoing things so far.
That’s why I can’t do horseback riding on my own, which requires a lot of physical strength.
I didn’t say anything and had no choice but to hold tightly to the waist of Anya, who was sitting in front of me and driving the horse.
“Thank you for your help. Thanks to you, I think I can somehow come back alive. “If I get back to the empire safely, I’ll buy you a drink.”
“If it weren’t for the director, we would all have died. So, of course, we should help you with this. And before that, aren’t you my benefactor who avenged our White Wolf tribe’s enemies and gave us a place to live?”
“Still, I am grateful. I will definitely repay you, so bring all the archer cavalry soldiers. “I will treat you well, even if it means costing me money to take care of the household.”
Actually, the reason I’m saying this now is to dilute my shameful feelings even a little.
That’s right, the place I’m in right now is still enemy territory, but it’s not that dangerous, and the tension has eased a lot.
Although he is sober and wearing leather armor, he is riding a horse leaning on Anya’s body.
Although she is a strong warrior, she also conveys a soft and soft feeling that is unique to women.
The body smells like flesh, which is not unpleasant, rather than the stinky smell that comes from rolled up socks that male soldiers always smell.
And for some reason, I am feeling a sense of comfort and warmth, so I wonder if it is okay for me, a married man, to be like this, and anyway, I feel a little strange.
But in my current state, if I hold the reins of the horse, sit on it, and move at a fast pace according to the horse’s movements, it is obvious what would happen.
In order to return alive, we have no choice but to do this.
But fortunately, the fire that was set on the military camp burned very brightly, and it seems to have tied up the Swiss guys for quite some time.
Even though several days have passed since he started running away, there is still no sign of Swiss soldiers pursuing him.
However, it is still too early to be reassured and we are only about halfway through Ticino Canton.
“Swissland bandits are throwing arrows and stones from the side!”
“You bastards, no bigger than dogs, cowardly attack you by stabbing your waist from the side!”
“Check the location of the enemy unit! Everyone equip your weapons and prepare to respond! “Prepare to respond and intercept!”
At those words, the soldiers dismounted from their horses, took out the weapons in their hands, and formed a formation.
There were non-commissioned officers who responded quickly to instructions from commanders and officers without being greatly embarrassed by enemy surprise attacks and comforted the soldiers, and there were soldiers who responded quickly even when they were exhausted.
I feel very proud of all of these people, but unfortunately, it would be the wrong choice to stop like that in the current situation.
Because now we are marching at the speed of light, about 50 kilometers every day, thanks to riding horses.
The enemies we are dealing with are crazy guys whose junior soldiers have the skillful combat skills of a non-commissioned officer, but when they become 10-year veteran soldiers, they have the strength of a knight.
They are extremely skilled, and they must have been pursuing us by forcefully marching, risking any stragglers, following the orders of the Duke of Switzerland, who was obviously furious by now.
But what if time is wasted here responding to these guys?
“No, right now, tell the soldiers to go straight ahead without even thinking about responding. Even if people are killed or injured by arrows and stones flying from the side, we do not respond.”
“The enemy knows that we are too tired to fight properly, but seeing that they can’t even come out of the forest and only shoot arrows, it looks like there are dozens to hundreds of people at most.”
“Their goal is not to harm us. It was simply to buy time for the Duke of Switzerland’s army to catch up with the 7th Division. Therefore, from now on, unless the enemy directly intercepts you, you must not dismount from your horse outside of your sleep time and the minimum rest period specified separately. “Just like when your White Wolf tribe marched.”
As I said, when Anya was leading the White Wolf Tribe, she never got off her horse while marching, except for sleeping and minimal rest.
So, since all the soldiers consumed only the minimum amount of water and food on horseback, the only time the soldiers could rest was when the horses ate grass and slept once a day.
No matter how biologically there are differences between humans and horses, how can horses endure such forced marches?
While I was lost in thought, the division commanders, including Anya, conveyed my orders to the entire unit.
“This is the division commander’s order. You must not be stranded by small bandits! “March as you are, getting hit by arrows and stones!”
“If you keep going, they will get tired and not be able to catch up!”
“Get on your horse! You have to hurry. “Let’s go back to our hometown.”
At those words, the soldiers ignored the Swiss villagers who were carelessly throwing arrows and stones in the forest.
Then they got back on the horse they were driving, put spurs on it, and gradually increased their speed.
That doesn’t mean it’s very fast since it’s about 10km per hour, but considering that one division marches at about 5km per hour, it’s roughly twice the speed.
If you steadily ride a horse and walk, you will naturally be able to outrun the trotting bandits.
The choice to survive is a choice, and being resentful is being resentful.
So, in order to relieve my anger even a little, I summoned up all my stamina and shouted.
“You bastards, Swiss bandits! You guys are no better than the bastards chasing chickens on the roof! I see that the Duke you like so much has the same expression. Is this the extent of the Swiss tradition you boast so much about? “Your ancestors will wail in hell when they see you fooling around!”
Like that, I was leaning on Anya’s back and cursing the Swiss guys coolly.
“Even though we lost the battle, thanks to you, we get to taste your idiotic traditions! “The Swiss mercenaries can only hide in the bushes and make a surprise attack, and if they fight from the front, they are nothing but idiots!”
“I feel so sorry for your parents who gave birth to you that I am about to cry! Even after giving birth to these cowardly eunuchs, you still sleep well?”
“It’s not too late, so find a skirt, put it on, and powder your face! “You cowardly idiots like a girl!”
In this way, I was barely able to escape the bad news of being ambushed while running away with my life barely spared.
In the process, I was able to avoid the worst situation of being caught and killed while retreating by making the wisest judgment possible.
And by driving our horses at a brisk pace for about an hour, we completely escaped the surprise attack of the enemy troops.
Because we encountered an ambush while already exhausted, the damage suffered by our division was greater than expected, even though the enemy force was only about a hundred men at most.
“It’s a mountain beyond a mountain. I thought it would be harder than I thought, but I never thought it would be this hard. f*ck, I’ll never do something like this again.”
**
A week later.
“f*ck, I see the Reich Empire flag! “Major, I can see our flag over there!”
At those words, everyone’s eyes, including mine, turned to the direction the soldier pointed.
And as far as I could see, I saw a fairly large castle.
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There were many flags symbolizing different corps and divisions of the Imperial Army fluttering on the walls, and unlike us who were almost dying from exhaustion, the guys on the walls looked perfectly fine.
In other words, although we were defeated anyway, this castle is now the front line between the empire and Switzerland.
This is the moment when I realize that the territory will not be lost to the enemy and that the division I lead has safely returned to the Reich Empire.
Both soldiers and officers shed tears at this beautiful scene.
“Hurray! “He came back alive!”
“The division commander was right! “We came back alive!”
“f*ck, this is a dream. Are you alive? Mom!”
I felt that all the fatigue and tension that had built up due to overexerting myself was being relieved at the same time…
“No, Colonel, thank you.”
I fell asleep, leaning against Anya’s back.
And this is how the war of conquest of Switzerland ended.
The total number of Swiss military deaths is 18,000. 8,000 Seriously injured
[Successful in repelling the invasion of the imperial army, devastation of the Ticino Canton]
Total Reich Imperial Army deaths: 10,000. 145 Seriously injured (almost all died or went missing during retreat)
[The Swiss expeditionary force is on the verge of annihilation due to a double agent. The enemy’s strategy was thwarted due to a defensive battle led by Major General Peter Yeager. Out of 8,000 soldiers of the 7th Division, 2,500 were killed]