263 – Battle of Gryfino (1)
Grand Duchy of Warsaw, Royal Palace conference room.
Stephan von Báthory, the Grand Duke and monarch of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, slammed the desk with his baton.
The surrounding generals were startled every time a banging sound was heard and kept looking at Archduke Bathory.
The terrible situation in which 60,000 dead, 20,000 seriously wounded, and 15,000 prisoners were taken out of an army of over 150,000 makes me feel so dirty that I almost die.
The so-called officers with stars are unable to come up with any countermeasures and remain silent like honey-drinking mutes, which is driving the Archduke even more crazy.
‘Aren’t these kids conniving with Peter Jaeger of the Reich Empire? Damn it, should we just purge the military at this point and fill it with trustworthy people?’
They didn’t directly find suspicion of treason, which should never be done during a war, but they even messed around with the card of purging the generals.
When their monarch was on the verge of losing his mind with anger and was about to vent his fierce anger, a young lieutenant general carefully raised his hand.
“Your Highness, Grand Duke of Warsaw, I have a plan. “Would you please listen to it?”
He was the only one in his late 40s in a group of generals whose average age was in the mid-50s, so he stood out easily.
There were many people who were dissatisfied with the fact that a young guy, even a lieutenant general, spoke first while the marshal and the general were silent.
Although he was not as good as Peter Jaeger of the Reich Empire, he was an elite member of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw who was promoted rapidly based on his extraordinary achievements.
The Archduke stopped being angry just a moment ago and answered with a hint of joy.
“Oh, Lieutenant General Timo. If it’s your plan, then of course I should listen. Okay, do you see a way?”
“Yes, Your Highness. “I have a plan.”
“Tell me quickly. Go ahead and say it! “If the plan you’re talking about is to slit that damned Peter Yeager’s head, then I don’t want anything else!”
Lieutenant General Timo Kivinen was a little surprised to see the Archduke, who was always thought to be calm and rarely showed his anger when he was excited, so angry.
Understanding that this may be because the current situation in the Grand Duchy is serious, he decided to focus on his own work.
He immediately brought a map of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, stood next to it, and pointed to the coast with his baton.
“Let me first summarize the current situation, Your Highness. Unfortunately, our Grand Duchy was defeated by the lesser bastards of the Reich Empire. It’s because of traitors. As a result, the western coastal area adjacent to the Reich Empire has been occupied by them, which is a very bad situation for the Grand Duchy.”
It is easy to lose a major battle and give up your castle to the enemy, but it is very difficult to regain a lost castle.
In order to kill the enemy soldiers trapped within the walls, you have to climb up the walls, and countless soldiers die in the process.
Because the enemy is protected by the castle wall, they do not suffer much damage when attacked by allies, but if weapons such as arrows, catapults, or ballistas are fired from the castle, the allies are hit without a shield and must die.
Even if the soldiers pass through countless arrows and magic and get close to the castle, they must cross the next gateway, the castle wall. Thousands of soldiers are camped on top of the castle wall, preparing to attack.
Even if the castle walls are barely occupied, soldiers who have rested well and stored up their stamina continue to pour in from inside the castle, so this hellish battle is a siege.
“However, when they occupied the western coastal area, they stole all the food thanks to the wisdom of His Highness the Archduke, giving our troops a secret tactic they could use.”
Even the generals thought it was a complete defeat, as they lost over 100,000 soldiers including prisoners and seriously wounded.
In the present case, it was believed that no matter what measures were taken, this unfavorable situation could not be reversed.
The young lieutenant general’s groundbreaking remarks that shattered prejudices made not only Archduke Bathory but also those who had been displeased that he had spoken before the generals and enemies on the topic of a single lieutenant general listen with curiosity.
Lieutenant General Timo was satisfied with this situation.
‘No matter how great Peter Yeager is, the strategy I have planned will definitely work. If I defeat him now and save the Grand Duchy from crisis, I will be able to take over the position of sire or even aim for promotion to marshal.’
The Grand Duke doesn’t even think about giving rice cakes, but he is drinking kimchi soup first.
“Now there is no food left in the villages, castles and cities of the western coastal region. Peter Yeager would of course be aware of this problem, and in order to prevent the people in the occupied territories from starving to death, he would have devised a plan to supply food through sea transportation. “It is impossible to feed the two million people living there with only carts.”
It may seem foolish to state the obvious before presenting your own strategy, but the thoughts of the people present were a little different.
Rather than starting a full-fledged operation for no reason, pointing out each and every reason why the plan must succeed is seen as a way to understand the current situation and come up with a plan, which gives trust.
“So our archenemy, Captain Jaeger, has no choice but to risk his life for sea supply. This is because if maritime supply is cut off, food distribution not only for the people living in the coastal area but also for the Reich Imperial Army will become difficult. “What happens next?”
In China, there is a saying, “The people regard food as heaven,” So much so that the people fear running out of food more than dying.
If you die while fighting in a war, you can die as a human being no matter what form it takes, but those who suffer from hunger reach the point where they give up on being human.
If the hunger continues for a long time, it reaches the point where it eats not only dead and decayed corpses of animals or grass roots, but also human corpses.
Even if they do that, if they don’t have enough to eat, they will also eat their closest family members.
Her starving mother boils and eats her newborn child whom she loves so much.
We are a married couple who relies on and helps each other, but we have to worry because we never know when that starving husband will pick up a knife and stab us and eat us.
If people flock there, I feel like I should die like a human being…
The generals thought about that and answered with a slightly trembling voice.
“Although he is extremely cruel, he will try to find a way to survive by driving out the Reich army that invaded Warsaw.”
“Out of the 2 million, close to 500,000 will rise up, and even Peter Jaeger can’t handle that.”
“For a capable guy in his mid-40s to be a lieutenant general, the idea itself is truly evil.”
However, because Warsaw was also cornered, there was no one who opposed the operation to stop and kill the people of the western coastal region who had been their people until recently.
However, there were some who thought this way.
‘Peter Yeager is a rational person, so if there is any sign of cannibalism, he will break away immediately before it happens. Otherwise, he will know that he will suffer irreparable loss, not to mention the honor of his master, the Emperor.’
“It’s too terrible to even talk about, so I won’t say it. However, if my operation is successful, Warsaw can be saved. No, the reversal is possible. “Your Majesty the Archduke.”
Grand Duke Bathory, who was so excited by these words that he even felt impatient, stood up from his seat and spoke.
“Okay! Let me tell you! “We will support you in any operation.”
“Thank you, then look at the map again. All western coastal cities survive on the Reich Empire’s maritime supplies. So, if you want a comeback victory for the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, you must mobilize as much of the Navy, which is the pride of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, to cut off the enemy’s supply and completely blockade the port.”
“……Did the story become this long just to talk about such a strategy?”
The Archduke was angry, but Lieutenant General Timo said with an evil smile.
“Your Highness, a good operation must be simple, clear and efficient. In addition, the fate of the Grand Duchy depends on this operation, so all available naval power must be used. Wouldn’t it be a greater disloyalty to not properly state the reason and effect?”
“Mobilizing all naval power means risking the fate of Warsaw, but how many ships should be mobilized?”
“You must mobilize all naval power except for the front lines that can prevent pirates from attacking coastal cities in other regions. Please mobilize 100, no, 120 ships. In addition, I would like you to have the most elite troops on board the ship, excluding the crew.”
The Grand Duke hesitated for a moment at those words.
Although everything Lieutenant General Timo said was correct, he was afraid of having to fight again for the fate of the Grand Duchy.
It may not mean the country is ruined, but it could be a huge blow.
But when I think about it calmly again, even if we stop here, the Grand Duchy will face a major crisis.
While the Archduke was hesitating and postponing his answer, Bathory examined the expressions and complexions of the generals around him.
Their reactions were all different, but they all seemed to have come to the conclusion that there was no other way.
‘Now that it’s like this, I have no choice but to make a decision.’
“Viscount Timo Kivinen goes forward.”
Timo went in front of the Archduke as he said.
When the Archduke saw him, he made a serious expression that he had never shown before, and took the sword from his waist out of its sheath.
When I beckoned to the Grand Chief while holding my sword, he brought out the rank insignia of Tateush, who had lost the rank of captain in return for the previous battle.
As soon as Grand Duke Bathory received his insignia, he changed Lieutenant General Timo’s 3-star insignia into 4 stars.
“… Are you sincere, His Majesty the Archduke?”
“The fate of the Grand Duchy depends on that brat… However, the person who can carry out this operation most perfectly… Is the one who personally proposed it.”
“Ha, you’re a captain in your mid-40s. “What is my son doing?”
The generals’ grumbling did not reach the ears of Lieutenant General Timo, or even the Captain.
“I will hereby promote Lieutenant General Timo Kivinen to general and entrust him with the fate of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. As a proof of my trust in him, I, Archduke Stefan von Báthory, bestow upon him the treasured sword that I always carried with me. Captain Teemo should only be rewarded with victory. “All generals, follow Captain Timo’s instructions and requests and prepare for a decisive battle that will determine the fate of the Grand Duchy.”