24 – Crown Prince vs Northern Grand Duke – 8
“Can not be done.”
“Yes?”
“Absolutely not.”
It was a somewhat expected answer, but hearing it myself was a bit embarrassing.
“Why?”
“Do you know how much money it costs to muster 35,000 soldiers? Tens of thousands of ducats fit well. It would take hundreds of thousands of ducats to advance these soldiers northward. Spending so much money and not getting any results, going down to the central region? Not only is it a huge financial loss, but His Highness the Crown Prince will become the laughing stock of the middle lady. Unfortunately, this operation plan is dismissed. If you bring it up to His Highness, the Crown Prince will make a fuss about killing you. Let me cut it on my line.”
Having said that, Diane de Balboa handed Charles’ plan to his subordinate.
“Well, that’s what I expected.”
“yes? Then why the hell… ”
“I brought the second operation proposal in preparation for this situation. You absolutely need to fix this. I’m begging you.”
Charles presented another plan proposal, and Diane accepted it with a sigh.
[There is a river in front of the allies, and a forest behind them. If the allies in the front are defeated and run away, they will run away to the forest in the rear, but if you place an ambush here, you can easily defeat the enemy’s pursuing forces and reduce the damage to allies.]
The sentence of the operation book started like that. The plan dealt with how to secure the retreat route when the allies fled, and where the retreat route was to facilitate the retreat of the allies. Looking at the plan, Dian furrowed his eyebrows.
“Charles.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“You only wrote down the disadvantages of our allies, but there are many advantages to them. Heavy infantry is basically stronger than light infantry. Even if a little mud gets into it, its strength does not change. Besides, the allies are led by me, the only sword master in the world. Even so, it’s too early to conclude that we will lose.”
Diane’s words were not wrong. The prince’s army basically had an advantage in numbers and equipment. The problem was which of the right words and the right words was more correct.
Most of the problems were like that. Opinions that are only unilaterally wrong rarely exist in the world. Opinions that made sense were pitted against each other, and the more reasonable opinion won.
Charles sighed. No matter how hard you try to persuade Dian here, Dian will not be persuaded because he is buried in the ‘reason’ he believes in. then…
“Professor, maybe you are right. But there is a one-in-a-kind thing, so give me just 3,000.”
Diane pondered for a while. And after the troubles are over.
“I’m sorry, Charles. I believe you, but 3,000 is too many. It would be more useful if we used that force for a frontal breakthrough.”
“Then half of that is fine.”
“It’s half difficult. I’ll give you a thousand. Take them and secure our allies’ retreat. Of course, we’re not going to retreat. It is to consider your potential to become an outstanding strategist in the future.”
Adding that, Diane de Balboa began to advance, and Charles, with a thousand men, headed for the forest behind the army.
—–
“Charles! Long time no see!”
It was scout officer Gabriel who shouted that and led the soldiers. He had gone on a reconnaissance mission with me the other day, and he seemed to be doing well after that.
“Gabriel.”
“We couldn’t get the operation message because we were in a hurry. What can we do?”
I opened the map and compared it to the terrain around me. Perhaps thanks to Diane’s scouting party, the map was accurate in its own way.
“Hey, how about that hill?”
“Yes?”
“Let’s assume that His Highness the Crown Prince’s army is defeated. So, will you run away this way?”
“Do you think you will lose?”
“Let’s start with a home like that. If you lose, you will run away, but then the enemy will come after you. Where should I place the soldiers to protect the fleeing allies and attack the pursuing enemies?”
“… ”
Gabriel thought for a while and then said.
“You asked how the hill was over there?”
“Yes. The most likely candidate right now is over there.”
“Then, what if the entire path through the side of the hill was dug shallow? If the ground of the road is made low, one-sided attacks from both hills are possible, so it will be convenient for the fleeing side and difficult for the pursuing side.”
“That’s a good idea. Let’s proceed right away.”
I consulted with Gabriel and started looking for a good place to place an ambush, and also had the soldiers shovel to create an area where the allies could fight advantageously. After holding a shovel and leading by example, Gabriel asked me.
“But why are you doing this?”
“There is nothing wrong with being careful.”
“You’re working too hard for just being careful. Don’t you think you’re going to lose?”
Gabriel, I thought you were just a scouting officer, but you’re sharper than I thought.
“Right. His Highness the Crown Prince will be defeated. And our shoveling will preserve the Crown Prince’s troops to some extent.”
At those words, Gabriel pondered as if it was difficult, and then said this.
“But can a thousand men stabilize the retreat of our allies? Isn’t it a battle of 35,000 vs 15,000? I think a thousand ambush soldiers will just break through.”
“No, the enemy will not force their way through our ambush.”
“Yes? Why?”
“The enemy’s vanguard is quite competent. We use that competence in reverse.”
Although he said that, Gabriel made a puzzled expression as if he did not understand properly, and Charles did not bother to explain further. It’s a story you’ll find out after a few hours anyway.
—–
Crown Prince, Leonhard von Arcadia.
If the emperor had not suddenly lost his mind due to an accident while hunting, he would have naturally inherited the empire.
However, the emperor who should have given the empire to the crown prince lost his mind. Now, princes and princesses were aiming for the throne.
The moment the emperor dies, countless wolves aiming for the throne and attacking.
However, the territory and troops possessed by the crown prince were the strongest in the empire. No one had a military strength comparable to that of the crown prince.
Princess Leonia’s troops, at least six to seven thousand. 2nd Prince Lucas’s strength was 10,000 at most. On the other hand, the prince’s troops, 35,000. There are huge numbers of heavy infantry and heavy cavalry.
What an overwhelming force difference is this? That’s why Crown Prince Leonhard thought. When you have an advantage, you should go on the offensive and expand your territory.
As the first scapegoat, the imperial family was too burdened. No matter how crown prince you are, the moment you attack the same imperial family, other imperial families will join forces to fight against the crown prince. If so, it would be difficult for even the crown prince to break through easily.
So, the prince targeted an external enemy. If they went to subjugate external enemies, the people in the middle would have a justification for the empire and would not be attacked by the imperial family.
Grand Duke of the North, House Kronor.
They used to show a defiant attitude towards the center after the emperor lost his mind. He did not pay taxes for several years and sent his daughter instead of the Grand Duke on important occasions. How arrogant are these people? If you conquer them, the people of the empire will surely be happy.
I thought so and invaded. Of course, the coldness of the North was not a lie. A land that is cold, poor, and has more monsters than humans. Originally, I wouldn’t have even been interested in this kind of land.
However, ahead of the upcoming war of succession, the crown prince wanted to make good use of his strategic advantage of having the most powerful power, so he needed a little more land and people.
And then back to the present, the prince and the Northern Grand Duke were glaring at each other with the river in the center.
The prince felt uncomfortable about having to cross the river and attack the enemy. The river was covered with thin ice, making it impossible to cross easily.
However, the superiority of the allies was not shaken. The allies had the world’s only sword master, Dian de Balboa, and there were more than twice as many troops as the enemy.
“Dian, can you?”
“Don’t worry. There is not a single sword master in the enemy.”
The prince nodded in satisfaction. If she is in charge of advance, it would not be unreasonable for her to cross this river and destroy the enemy.
And on July 19, 1501 by the imperial calendar, a magnificent drum sound announcing the march began to be heard from the camp of the prince’s army.
-ridge! ridge! ridge!
The soldiers of the prince’s army moved forward, stepping in sync with the sound of drums.
Sigh just let dian get alive