29 – Rotate Ethlon Plains (1)
When I received the declaration of war, I was actually expecting it to some extent.
Since ancient times, the king of a poor country has always waged war in order to satisfy the desires of his own power and vassals by occupying a richer country.
This is a law that prevails like the truth in history.
Therefore, those who declared war this time are obviously envious of the fact that our territory is reviving compared to before, and must have waged a war to gain a share through this.
It seems that no matter how much you think about it with ‘one baron’s strength’, you won’t be able to defeat us, so it seems that the two barons from over there are united…
If so, aren’t there a lot of serfs in the territory similar to us or a little more, of course we are higher in food, money, and the loyalty of the people…
With that thought in mind, I moved to the conference room where the military doctor would be holding a war.
**
Even before entering the meeting room, my vassals were already shouting without hiding their anger, as if they were very angry.
“A Celtic baron from Romania and a baron from Santoburg. The nobles who don’t even look like barons dare to say to our Excellency the Baron!!”
“Even if they are the same baron, aren’t they different from those Romanian idiots and His Excellency?”
“Even our baron’s father, Sir Paul von Kreuttel, isn’t he a nobleman with the title of ‘viscount’? You have a different level of integrity than those idiots.”
“Even so, as if you were an aristocrat of the same class, what? Do you believe that if you know honor, you will fight fair and square?! I’m going to beat all these idiots with honor!”
… Even when I first inherited the barony, ‘what can a 17-year-old baron do well?’ People who used to used to make people by making them so-called ‘bastards’, and they bought all the grain they collected with taxes, and now they almost praise it…
I don’t know what Viscount Creutel will think when he sees this scene now.
However, there’s nothing wrong with the fact that the nobles of our realm show their full support for me, even if it’s a bit ridiculous.
No, rather, I am more confident that we can win the war because the unity is going well.
When I entered the room where they were having a heated discussion, my vassals greeted me with angular attention.
“It’s a lot of trouble. So Lord Frost, where do you think it’s good to attack?”
“I think we will face each other in the Ethlon Plains. We will likely go with 2,000 soldiers and 50 knights… They will probably come with the intention of plundering us, so at least 2,500 will come.”
“therefore?”
“As far as I know, there is no place other than the Ethlon Plain where such a large force can face off. Coincidentally, the other side also designated the Ethlon Plain, so I think it would be good to wage a fair war there like a knight.”
Fair battle, war… If a senior studying war history heard it, he would have laughed.
“The most stupid guy in the world is a guy who fights fair and square. Oh, of course, you should declare war properly, but if you go to war fair and square, you’re an idiot. You’re giving up all the strategic advantage you could get by ambush your opponent.”
If so, should we intervene here and plan a strategy that considers a night raid or a surprise attack? I thought about doing it, but I still don’t have enough information…
“2,500 soldiers… our forces are at a numerical disadvantage…”
“The quality of soldiers is different. Eighty percent of the enemy’s infantry is probably conscripted serfs, and they can’t stand up to trained soldiers.”
“Okay, then let’s talk about the whole operation again.”
After hearing that, Frost bowed his head in front of me and continued the conversation.
“First of all, we take 2,000 soldiers of our standing army and march along the Lime Mountain and camp on the Ethlon Plain about a day ahead of the enemy. Then, accurately grasp the size of the enemy, and if the number of enemies exceeds 4,000, we will retreat and summon the entire army to the ‘Esheim Plain’ 30 kilometers away from here to conduct a rotation.”
“Okay, so what about the organization of the troops?”
“50 knights, 1500 spearmen, 400 crossbowmen, 100 soldiers to escort the supply unit passing through the supply route from the battlefield to the rear. In the case of the soldiers in charge of supply, each of them was given a cart, and you don’t have to worry because everything they pass through is our territory.”
It is a tactic that I have nothing to point out as a non-war strategist at the moment.
No, I think it’s a pretty outstanding military deployment.
In particular, it is said that as many as 400 crossbowmen were deployed, and considering that the majority of casualties are caused by ‘long-range weapons such as bows’ when analyzing wars…
The old knight made use of his experience and arranged them as efficiently as possible.
“Okay, let’s do that.”
After I finished the framework of the war, Jack in front of me said with a surprised expression.
“Do you have any other thoughts, Bocchan? As always, I thought you would tell us a novel story that we hadn’t thought of, but…”
Honestly, as Jack said, if I put my mind to it and come up with an idea, I might be able to come up with a new strategy.
For example, like the tercio used by the Spanish army, more crossbows were placed on the left and right wings of the spearmen, and when they collided, they used a strategy of firing from both sides.
How to enter the enemy’s territory first, plunder the enemy’s territory, and then lower morale with ‘bait the villagers’, etc…
Because I have tactics in my head that warriors of this age, steeped in chivalry and old customs, do not think of.
However, even if I use these tactics, there is no guarantee that I will succeed ‘at first’ unless I am a genius specializing in warfare like ‘Napoleon’ or ‘Admiral Yi Sun-sin’.
No, rather, if a kid who is going to the real battle for the first time proposes a new strategy and tactics and fails, it will be like a seonmudang chasing people.
Therefore, if it is not a battle that cannot be won with ordinary tactics, it is absolutely right to just listen to the words of ‘a senior who has been rolling on the battlefield for a long time’.
“I am new to war. Therefore, when it comes to battle, I thought it right to listen to you.”
After hearing that, the other knights smiled and nodded as if they were satisfied that I trusted them.
“Then, we will act according to this strategy until we encounter the enemy. After preparing, we will go out in two months. Let each one thoroughly prepare! dissolution!”
**
Among scholars and soldiers who study history, there is one saying that passes as absolute truth.
‘Beginners of war discuss battles, and masters of war discuss supply and marching.’
And while preparing for this war, I was able to know why the words were right.
Hundreds to thousands of tons of food were needed to sustain a few thousand soldiers, not even leading an army of hundreds of thousands, for several months, and several tens of tons of iron and weapons.
And since water is consumed in an instant, it was found that when marching soldiers, they had to move almost along rivers and lakes.
No matter how much water I load, the water runs out in just three days, and the soldiers die of thirst.
Besides simple food, water, and iron, cloth and textiles used when camping, materials to repair wagons, blacksmiths to repair weapons, and various types of alcohol and prostitutes to maintain morale of the army…
If you add up the supplies of all the moving people, it’s almost a city moving.
Calculating and predicting all these things was beyond imagination, forcing me to spend more than expected.
At least, I was fortunate to be able to fight the war without purchasing grains such as wheat and barley because I had a lot of grain stocked up thanks to the increased food production of the 4-rotation method.
If, really, if I had bought ‘grain’, 500 gold coins would have gone out.
This money is enough for a year’s worth of a decent baron’s estate…
With these thoughts in mind, I checked the paperwork with all the budget details and purchase details, and sighed.
“Haa, it’s going to be hard to fight in a war…but preparing is no joke…”
Balt answered the words muttered to himself.
“So usually these things are done by bailiffs or inspectors, and nobles like Your Excellency just do the last check. By the way, His Excellency said that he was supervising himself, so didn’t he incur trouble?”
“I had no choice but to do that. I can’t believe the baileefs are thinking of embezzling even though they know I’ll be watching… No, a keg of beer (40 liters) is half a silver coin, but those things are written down as a single silver coin! If I had only read the abridged document I am reading now, I would have embezzled 20 gold coins.”
“hahahahaha, Your Excellency…”
Thinking of that time, when I heard the words of Balt who laughed awkwardly, I became even more angry.
“I understand that, but when I told them to put the wheat in the granary into the bale to load it onto the cart… they tried to mix the rotten wheat with the dirt, right? No, I can understand people who steal money with stupid words, but what the hell are they thinking about rotten wheat and soil?”
“It’s common among soldiers, but…”
“If this becomes commonplace, our estate will perish. If the soldiers get sick before they go to battle. we lose.”
He didn’t do anything wrong, but he must have lost his temper after hearing my stern words, so Balt replied in a sullen voice.
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Seeing that reaction, I felt sorry for taking out my anger on Balt, who was innocent.
“No, Balt. Those who have already done such things have already been hanged or enslaved depending on the severity of their crimes. It won’t happen in the future.”
“Yes, and even among the soldiers, Your Excellency’s evaluation has improved. According to what I heard, he is a virtuous chief who personally takes care of ‘food for the soldiers’.”
I was just punishing the evil ones who were trying to harass my soldiers by committing corruption, virtuoso…
I felt better when I received compliments that were a bit out of character.
“Yeah, well then. Corrupt servants were also caught and punished, and the evaluation among the soldiers rose. Alright Balt, go in and rest for today. All supplies have been checked.”
Balt heard that and answered with his mouth hanging in his ears.
“Is that true?”
“Okay, come in quickly. Ha… I have to go in and rest now. Instead, don’t drink too much because you’re on the field tomorrow.”
**
The day dawned before I knew it, and I was finally going to war for the first time in my life.
Yesterday, because I was buried in paperwork until late at night, I was nervous about going to war, but thanks to ‘physical fatigue’, I slept really well and woke up.
So, fortunately, I was able to face the first run of my life without being tired.
I headed slowly and confidently from my office to the plaza outside the gates where the soldiers were waiting.
Seeing me go off to war, some of the citizens welcomed me by throwing flowers at me, probably because of my ‘selection’ so far.
And after a while, I climbed onto my horse prepared in the plaza outside the city gate.
Then, he looked at the soldiers and shouted.
“All march out, defeat the two barons who unknowingly declared war on us!”