191 – Defense of the Yellow Plains (4)
In the past, when war broke out on the Korean Peninsula, a strategy to respond to the opponent’s offensive by building a fortress with wooden fences or fortifications was essential.
However, in Europe, after the decline of Rome and the era of knights, the culture of soldiers only fighting and not doing camp construction was established.
Therefore, the role of building camps was usually carried out by requisitioning local serfs, not soldiers.
From the time I was a recruit, I had them participate in various tasks when I was not training, and even created and organized an engineer, a branch specializing in civil engineering and construction in the field.
As a result, a month after the Marquis Simon’s army was expected to come back while reorganizing the battle lines, they succeeded in making some defensive equipment as well as a wooden fence.
Even if you prepare to fight in the best condition, it is a war that does not produce the best results…
Around the time when I felt a little relieved to be able to prepare more than I thought and be able to face the enemy.
A Baltic guy came up to me and said.
“A report came in from Colonel Samuel of the Intelligence Command. As expected by the Marquis, France’s allied forces, led by the Marquis Simon, are now camped 3 km from the Yellow Harbor River. Also, I haven’t been able to count the exact number yet, but it’s about 75,000… No, I brought about 79,000 soldiers.”
Hearing that, I was a little, no, quite embarrassed.
Because, when I said 75,000 at the military meeting a month ago, I assumed the worst case in which not a single corps of Marquis Simon’s corps deserted.
Therefore, I thought that the Montmartre army, which had no reason to belong to the Eastern Expeditionary Force, would give 60,000 to 70,000 to break away under the pretext of loss and efficiency.
I never thought I’d bring more soldiers than I thought.
What is encouraging is that the Marquis Simon proved that he was politically cornered, seeing that he had brought soldiers back and forth.
This is a fact that helps to gain a strategic advantage in its own way, but I sigh when I think of the amount of damage my allies will suffer.
However, the moment I, the commander-in-chief, let out a sigh, the morale of the allies who had to fight against an enemy with a numerical superiority of more than three times believing only in the name value of the ‘Marquis Creutel’ would fall to the ground.
So I answered calmly in a voice that I already knew.
“Even if there are 4,000 more ragtags than I thought, the victory of our team will not change. So, what are the enemies doing now?”
“Looking at the wooden fence we made, it seems that they are trying to make weapons for siege. So I’m sending my soldiers bit by bit to cut down timber in the forest above our camp. Aren’t you supposed to stop it?”
When siege weapons such as castles made of carved stones or bricks, catapults, or siege towers are mobilized, they gradually take damage and eventually collapse or break through.
So in a strategy game, if I am the player defending the castle, and the enemy is in a position to siege the castle, I must obstruct the enemy who is making siege tools.
Otherwise? Either the castle he is guarding is breached, or the damage to the soldiers fighting in the castle is magnified because of the tools.
But in reality?
In most cases, when you start making siege weapons, of course it’s right to hinder the other party so that they can’t make siege weapons, but…
“The Marquis Simon is eagerly begging us to come out of the castle and surprise him. Otherwise, we don’t have to move our soldiers to the woods, where we have to go several kilometers around the cage to get wood for our siege engines. Also, even if those guys who don’t have sappers as skilled as ours make things like catapults or hammerheads, it will take 2-3 weeks to make them properly… ”
“At that time, the allies will be able to mobilize sappers to reinforce the wooden fence or make additional equipment necessary for various water defenses.”
“Also, those idiots are fighting a war in a situation where half of the country is occupied or devastated, unlike us, who can get supplies through war merchants because the entire territory is safe. In such a situation, the actual blow to the lords was much greater on the side of the French Empire. In such a situation, if half of the expeditionary force was eaten up and the marquis, who lost two counties, wages a long battle… ? There is a high probability that he will be impeached by the rest of the nobles and removed from command.”
And if that happens, even though I won’t be openly ‘purged’ like Count Ilias or Count Isra…
In the future, the treatment received at the court will be lowered, and the rest of the nobles will try to bite and taste that guy.
If that happens, the family of the Marquis Simon will go to the countdown level towards destruction.
“Therefore, I will start the battle as quickly as he wants. Also, the enemy secretly spreads these rumors to me. ‘With the permission of His Highness, the Duke of Orléans, commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expeditionary Force, the Marquis of Creutel is conscripting the serfs of the Countess of Iris.’ Called. Also, order Baron Margherita to transport food for 100,000 people as you have done so far. Lastly, since I would like to meet the Marquis Simon personally before the start of the war, let me see you across the river.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
**
The Yellow Plain, normally filled with the sound of the river and the strong scent of grass carried by the breeze.
Now, in this place, two corps facing each other across the Yellow Harbor River, inevitably defeated unless the other is overthrown.
The two of them looked at each other silently without saying anything, but the Marquis Simon, commander of the eastern French defenders, broke the silence first.
“I, Jean von Simon, a Marquis of the glorious French Empire, report. You foolish and pitiful soldiers of the Kreutel family! Do you really think that you will be able to face our 80,000-strong army if you hide yourself in a thin wooden wall like that wooden stick?! If you guys believe that, you are more stupid than the boars living in the mountains!”
After saying that, the proclamator of the Marquis Simon paused, and then the soldiers of the Marquis Simon shouted cheers.
“Also, aren’t you Marquis of Creutel a usurper who fell for a concubine named Ella, purged his master, Count Schwein, and stole his title! Also, maybe you couldn’t throw away that habit, and all the subordinates under your command are lowly worm-like children, right? However, I understand That’s because there’s no choice but to use the maggots. However, the great emperor of the French Empire himself said he would spare your life if you surrender. So, if you want to go home even now, abandon the evil Marquis and surrender to Franchi!”
After the words of the proclamation of the Marquis Simon, the soldiers of France cheered loudly.
That would be the case, because the number of them shouted at the enemy’s soldiers who, compared to them, looked like nothing more than new blood.
Is that so? The atmosphere that had been heavy just before was relieved to a certain extent, and among the soldiers, some of the senior soldiers were smiling.
And no matter how effective that tip was, the recruits in Marquis Creutel’s corps muttered in frightened voices.
“No matter how much we built a fence and prepared for over a month, can we beat three times as many enemies?”
“If it’s a defensive battle, you might win against an enemy who’s three times as many, but… ”
Seeing that, the Marquis of Creutel thought.
‘We only have numbers, but you guys have everything but numbers.’
In fact, the French allied forces led by Marquis Simon are inferior to Marquis Creutel’s army in terms of demoralization due to successive defeats, lack of supply and quantity, and quality of soldiers.
However, they now have words that are bigger than that and shouldn’t be provoked carelessly…
“Yes, it is correct that our Kreutel corps is small in terms of simple numbers. However, your commander will be completely stoned. He has already been defeated several times. Even the last time they were defeated, didn’t the other counts drive the Duke of Orléans and the two counts close to annihilation? Only you, Marquis Simon, were defeated by us. Also, you poor serfs who are under the cover of battle cannot go home, starving and fighting naked.”
It is to induce homesickness by stimulating the desire to return to one’s hometown.
How powerful is this, how many generals and soldiers who shared life and death with Hang Yu could have deserted just because they sang the ‘Song of Cho’ when Hang Yu was cornered in Chohan?
“So, go back to your territory now. Count Iris and Count Akitel’s soldiers, come over to me. I swear on my name that I will give you plenty of food and money so you can go home. Also, this offer is the same for allies as well as for you French soldiers. All troops, return.”
With that said, the Marquis of Creutel quietly turned his horse and bit the soldiers.
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Marquis Simon, who saw this, said in an angry voice, taking out his anger on the horse.
“Damn it! We have a better chance of winning because we are outnumbered!! Why do allies need sympathy? Also, I and other aristocrats want to go back to their hometowns as well… but they look like pathetic serfs who look like they’ve lost everything just because they touched a bottle of homesickness!! Now that this has happened, I will definitely defeat that arrogant Kreutel bastard and avenge the disgrace!”