219 – All-Out Battle of Alas (2)
On the way to Brightenfield Plains in the Earldom of Alas, I wondered how to gain the upper hand against the enemy’s artillery.
When I was pondering for a long time by myself for about a week, Count Frost approached me and asked in a worried voice.
“Your Highness, it will take a few more weeks before we can still encounter the enemy. So, if you have any concerns, please tell me, Frost. Worries are halved when shared, but embracing them alone can become a disease.”
As the overall commander and strategist of this battle, I have the ultimate responsibility for devising the best course of action.
As Count Frost said, if you get sick while wrestling alone with a solution to a problem that can’t be solved by worrying alone… That would be an irreversible catastrophe.
The representative example was the Battle of Waterloo, where he was shattered after taking care of his body on the battlefield, right?
Napoleon fell ill with hemorrhoids because he overreacted to come up with a good strategy while living in the field.
Napoleon was eventually defeated because the war was turned upside down as four marshals under Napoleon took command instead of him.
“Let’s do that. In fact, did you know that the emperor of Elaine owns 60 cannons made by the Duke of Brussels?”
“Yes, I was heartbroken when I heard that story. If it’s at the level of replicating a matchlock, the damage to allies won’t be that great, but if it’s a cannon… Because we will be hit hard too.”
“That’s why I’m worried too. How can we achieve victory while minimizing the damage to our soldiers? Do you have any good ideas?”
I asked that, but in fact, I didn’t expect him to come up with a solution to this problem right away.
Because I, who have presented a new concept weapon called a cannon and strategies and tactics using it, have been thinking about it for a week because I have no idea how to fight against an enemy armed with a cannon.
Is that so? Count Frost responded with a smile as if trying to change the heavy atmosphere.
“I don’t know. Come to think of it, a cannon is a really helpful weapon if we have it, but it’s really frustrating that the muzzle is pointed at us. I feel like praying to the real Deus and asking him to get rid of that filthy enemy cannon.”
It was an attempt to lighten the mood in the count’s own way, but it wasn’t that funny.
Still, this one statement really resonates with me. I feel like praying for the disappearance of the cannon… If the enemy cannons are gone… Can I stop worrying about these useless things?
I can’t get rid of the enemy’s cannons in my head, but at least I can think of a way to ease my worries.
Yes, if Deus doesn’t clear the enemy’s cannon from our front…. I can secretly send soldiers to their camp and destroy them myself.
Just in time, there are a number of spies hiding in the emperor’s army, including the spies that were put in while freeing Count Farius.
Among the guys who infiltrated, some had status equivalent to that of a low-ranking officer, such as a knight’s attendant, so you should be able to find out the barracks where the artillerymen are stationed and the rough internal structure.
Even if the emperor is suspected of being terminally ill, he’s not an idiot like Schwein, so it’s highly likely that he didn’t have all the gunpowder and artillery in one place…
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If you could destroy even one cannon in a war like this, where would it be? My soldiers will take much less damage.
In that case, before starting the war to the emperor I respected and respected, I should give a small gift with a heart of prayer to Deus.
The corners of his mouth go up when he thinks of the surprise and fear he would feel when he receives a surprise party hosted by me before he even arrives on the battlefield.
Seeing that, Count Frost finally put on a relieved expression and said,
“It seems that His Highness has already found the answer. It is an honor to be of assistance.”
“Yes, Count Frost, if it had not been for you, I would have pondered over this for several more weeks. But after sharing my concerns, I soon found the answer. So today, as a token of my gratitude, I will send you a barrel of the finest wine from Architel. Share a drink with the knights. If Deus doesn’t help me get rid of the emperor’s cannon, shouldn’t I do it myself?”
**
The night I talked with Count Frost.
I summoned Baron Samuel, the intelligence commander in charge of intelligence and intelligence, to have a hearty conversation.
“Intelligence Commander, Baron Samuel, I am here urgently at your request.”
“I had a hard time coming. I’m thirsty, so let’s start talking after a glass of this wine.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
And Samuel and I tipped our wine glasses and drank our own wine, and I spoke first.
“Before we start talking in earnest, I would like to ask. Do you currently know the location of the enemy’s ammunition magazine and the location of the warehouse where the cannons are stored?”
“A member of the crew who infiltrated as an attendant of the knight he freed with Count Farius a few days ago secured a part of the Elaine army’s encampment. And there was a picture of where the enemy’s cannons and ammunition were installed.”
In any era, the military organization prefers to operate according to the rules except in very special cases.
Especially when a large corps of over 100,000 is moving, it is more thorough because you don’t know what variables will occur if it doesn’t move as planned.
Considering such a trend, it is very likely that the place where the cannon and ammunition storage are installed will be installed as shown in the camp plan.
I said part of it, so even if the plan succeeds, you won’t be able to sabotage all the gunpowder and cannons the enemy has, but where is this?
“Then is it possible to infiltrate it?”
“It wouldn’t be too difficult if the infiltrating troops were disguised as the knights of the Elaine Empire and the soldiers under them. As for the justification for entering, it would be sufficient if the engineer himself came to inspect the goods.”
“Well, even our military, which is more faithful to principles than those guys, sometimes pretended to be a rank and stole weapons from the military barracks… The army of the Elaine Empire will do more.”
Even in the Republic of Korea, which was founded a few hundred years after the Middle Ages, there are not a few incidents that have caused problems by impersonating officers or their families in the military.
For example, 20 years ago, a crazy civilian wandered around the inside of a military base and said that there was a crazy case that a soldier on guard even handed over a gun when I was a 00 major.
How much more so in this world where status and class order are much stronger… Even if there are knights or soldiers guarding the powder magazine, being stamped with rank is less likely to be discovered than sneaking in in black robes.
No, even if the opponent has doubts, is he trying to insult me, a knight of the 00 Count family? It’s much safer.
“Okay, then let’s start talking in earnest. Write it down.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“First of all, the goal of this operation is to neutralize as many cannons as possible among the cannons possessed by the enemy and kill the artillery pieces. Therefore, unlike the previous action policy, we will grant the authority to immediately suspend operations in situations where failure is feared according to the judgment of the field commander.”
In normal times, no country would allow the field commander to arbitrarily suspend operations.
But once such an out-of-the-way operation has been taken, whatever the outcome, the adversary must be vigilant and ready to prevent it from happening again.
It’s as if we get immunity to germs that invade our bodies, even if we don’t get sick.
So, it is much more effective to stop quickly before the enemy gives you a hint to prepare for, and promise later.
“Then I will explain the operation. For this operation, 40 elite personnel from the intelligence command will be deployed. First, our agents initially play the enemy’s warlords, getting as close to the enemy as possible. After that, contact the agent who entered as Count Farius’ attendant by password and secure the location of the ammunition storage from him.”
I considered delaying the knights and serfs who had just returned from defeat before the military supply merchant and then joining them… Then it’s hard to join them, and they’ll be suspicious of us when they see us better nourished than serfs.
That’s why it would be easier to join in by disguising yourself as a military supply merchant. The enemies don’t know all the merchants, so it’s easy to trick them.
Also, it’s only natural that the military purveyor and the attendant are talking to each other to trade food and weapons, so even if you exchange documents, you won’t be suspicious.
“On the night the ammunition depot was secured, disguise yourself by taking the armor, weapons, gunpowder, and torches hidden at the bottom of the wagon. Then, they go to the place where the artillery is located and enter the ammunition depot under the pretext of material inspection. After that, stuff the gunpowder you brought into the cannon, drive the cannon into the ground, and fire the gunpowder as it is.”
Then the soldiers will rush out to solve this situation, but it is very likely that the agents will not find it even if they run away because they are in a state of consciousness.
Because an unexpected incident paralyzes reason, and the commanders will all try to judge everything with a short-sighted view.
“Then don’t try to check the enemy’s damage and run away immediately. More than that. Is there anything you want to ask?”