Chapter 92. War begins (4)
“No problem. The morale of the soldiers is already high, and if we do not counterattack with the current momentum, I think we will miss the time.”
“In addition, the enemies must have been tired of the continuous attack, so it would be an appropriate time.”
The nobles who served as the best advisors in this war supported his will.
“Isn't this the time when Your Highness should personally issue a counterattack order?”
“If the Lords say so, then that must be the correct answer.”
“And wouldn't it be nice to see Your Majesty trample down the enemy with dignity?”
“If possible, I would like to show my father that side of me.”
Jeil smiled bitterly and shrugged his shoulders.
In this war, Theonel personally called on the first and gave him command of the North-Eastern Front.
Of course, just in case, I attached experienced people as my first lieutenants, but that was natural.
Rather, entrusting the military to such a situation was not the first thing to know how much his father believed in him.
As long as you trust and entrust it, it is your duty as a son and successor to live up to it.
Jeil sincerely thinks so.
Triple Alliance. Temporary barracks for attacking the Northeastern Front.
There, the leaders of the Three Kingdoms Alliance were discussing the current war situation.
“Looks like you’re struggling more than you thought.”
The Duke of Seville, who was in charge of the Kingdom of Damaniel, frowned as he looked down at the board placed on the map on the table.
It seems that they don't like the current situation where they can't easily cross the border.
“You didn't expect it to be easy, did you?”
On the other hand, Marquis Louisman, a knight of the Merman Empire, calmly judged the current situation while answering.
40,000 advance party. And even with the 11th, which added 70,000 additional allied troops, they have not yet crossed the border fortress.
I also understand being upset.
But being impatient is not the same as winning.
“Since ancient times, in war, those who are relaxed and calm about the situation will always win.”
“Hmm. I know.”
“Above all, isn’t it still before the full-scale offensive begins?”
“I guess so.”
They already knew that the Ernesia Kingdom army, which had come out with additional support, would arrive on the northeastern front and launch a counterattack as early as tomorrow, but they were carefree.
Because everything was as expected.
“Did you hear that the situation in the south is the same?”
“yes. I heard that Mestain is leading the direct army.”
“...One of the two greatest Masters of the Kingdom of Ernesia?”
One of the few sword masters in the kingdom of Ernesia directly leads an army to counterattack.
The South will surely receive a more fierce counterattack than this.
“By the way, Sir Seville? Weren't there three masters of Ernesia?”
Surely, with the latest information, Ernesia has one more sword master, so it would be correct to say that it is now the 3rd master?
Especially in the position of always standing on the battlefield, isn't it possible that you don't know because you're sensitive to each and every one of these rumors?
When I asked such a trivial question, Seville snorted.
“You mean the third master is the second princess? That would be incorrect information.”
There are many exaggerated rumors, as well as a child named Arell who started this war, and Seville asserted that.
The other side was puzzled by such a look.
‘Umm.... I wonder if that's an exaggeration, no one knows?'
I think his attitude of asserting that it is nonsense without actually checking it is undesirable, but it is also undesirable to ruin the atmosphere by scratching the other person's flaws in this place.
Anyway, there is no information that the third master participated in the war.
then it wouldn't matter
“Let's go along with the Ernesia guys' counterattack as planned.”
“You know. It doesn't matter, but are the preparations for the future right?”
“No problem.”
Ruiman nodded with a confident expression.
Just at that moment, new footsteps were heard in the barracks.
“Don't worry about everything. We are already ready to proceed as scheduled.”
The one who showed up was a man wearing a different style of armor.
“Oh oh! Sir Zelkian! You have finally arrived!”
The Duke of Seville stood up and greeted the man who entered.
Count Zelkian, a knight belonging to the Principality of Sefen.
He also has a confident smile on his lips, as if he had already heard the conversation as he entered.
“After everything is ready.”
The faces of the other two, who already knew what it meant, brightened up.
“I guess so. I mean, the real war starts now.”
They laughed in unison.
The next day, the main force led by Prince Jeil launched a full-scale counterattack.
Leaving troops to defend the existing fortifications, he planned to advance about two-thirds of the main force, which he had brought, to clamp down on both sides of the enemy allied forces and suffocate them.
The main unit of the allied forces is hiding in a place between the Yangtze Mountains, but it is not in a place where you can't hit it if you work hard.
“Even now, they say they are desperately trying to cross the wall.”
“You have to finish it before you touch the wall with dirty hands anymore.”
The morale of the lords was full, and the best was full of desire to fight back.
“good night! Counterattack immediately!”
Jeil, who was in command of the unit for the counterattack, ordered an attack on the main body of the enemy army, but he had to suffer somewhat to return to both sides, but he judged that if he pushed through this offensive, he would be able to easily annihilate the enemy army.
The first order has been given, and soon the troops lying in ambush on both sides will ambush the enemy and crush them.
All that remains is to quietly wait for the report.
Let's wait for the results, hiding the nervousness of the first battlefield.
After a while, a messenger rushes and kneels in front of him.
“Urgent news!”
“You're faster than I thought.”
Is there news that the enemy has already been defeated?
However, the messenger's complexion is pale blue.
The faces of the lords, including Jeil, hardened at that fact.
“Could it be that the surprise attack failed?”
Jeil asked in a slightly urgent tone, and the messenger breathed heavily as if trying to choose his words and reported in a trembling voice.
“Two units were ambushed at the same time.”
“...Weren't they encamped there?”
Before the surprise attack, the location of the enemy main unit must have been confirmed through scouts several times.
And apart from that, there was no sign of their troops moving.
“That's it...
The messenger held his breath for a moment before continuing.
“It was a separate force from them.”
“I can't believe it... I thought it was ambush somewhere else from the beginning.”
Jeil muttered in confusion.
The lords also looked at each other reprimanding each other for the fact that there was a medical condition that they had not yet identified.
That moment.
Another messenger rushed to the barracks and knelt down in front, gasping for breath.
“…What else?”
It is undoubtedly not good news.
“Additional Triple Alliance forces are coming in!”
The messenger urgently exclaimed.
“Additional troops? Could it be the reinforcements? How many are there?”
Feeling a shallow headache as the offensive will become more violent than this, I asked for the detailed number of enemy soldiers.
“…210,000. It is definitely a report that they must be the main force of the real Three Kingdoms Alliance.”
At that moment, everyone including Cheil was silent.
At this moment, no one can think of anything to say.
* * *
Ernesia Kingdom's counterattack failed.
The intention to ambush and end the enemy's main force failed, and additional troops from the Three Kingdoms Alliance came in.
In the first place, the Northeastern Fortress is surrounded by rugged mountains, so in order to occupy it, there is no way other than the regular method of pushing through the military.
That's why the Three Kingdoms Alliance didn't think of anything other than the straight air method from the beginning.
The method of crushing the fortress itself with an outrageous force.
At first, about 110,000 troops were just an outpost to measure the solidity of the opponent's defense line in the first place.
The real force was 210,000 who marched behind him.
It was a deliberate and intentional decision to suppress it with the number of heads.
At that moment, the reinforcements led by the first prince had no choice but to change their strategy to a thorough sit-in rather than a counterattack.
And the situation in the south, another battlefield, was no different.
It was not easy on that side either, or more than that, a large army rushed in.
The same way, the overwhelming army did not see a clue to the counterattack itself, and they had no choice but to concentrate on defense.
In an instant, any hope of counterattack disappeared.
On this day, the lords whose heads were spinning even a little had a premonition as they saw the large army pushing in front of them.
...that this was only the beginning of the war going to its worst.
* * *
The meeting room of the royal castle of Ernesia Kingdom.
“They say it's only a matter of time before the Northeastern Fortress falls!”
The servant who received an urgent report urgently posted it.
“Including reinforcements, the enemy’s current total strength is 350,000 on each side… Is that true?”
Looking back at the two reports from the battlefield, Theonel asked in a serious tone.
About 700,000 on both sides.
On the other hand, the Kingdom of Ernesia was currently dispatching a total of 300,000 troops to each border.
I immediately ordered additional conscription and ordered reinforcements to be sent.
There is no hopeful observation whether it will be able to properly block it.
“It is reckless to simply hold on.
It's time to straighten the wires again.”
Theonel, who understood the meaning of the advice of his aides, let out a bitter moan.
“...Retreat?”
It means giving up border fortresses that are currently barely defending and putting off the front line.
“...Is there any other way?”
Theonel asks, holding back his bitter feelings.
Normally, upon hearing this, he would immediately become angry, but the aristocrat's suggestion of retreat was perfectly valid.
He's not stupid enough to be irritable even for the right words.
“Even if we try to forcefully defend it as it is now, it will only result in more sacrifices. Rather, it is time to let go of anger and reorganize the display in the rear.”
No one accused him of being a coward.
Considering the current war situation, everyone already expected that if they didn't improve their stance, they would experience a bigger defeat.
Theonel was also thinking of talking about retreat, even if he didn't bother to suggest it.
“More than anything else, I'm worried about Her Highness' safety.”
Jeil, who is now in command of the Northeastern Fortress, is said to be fighting despite this inferiority, but if left unattended, there will be problems with his safety.
“I see…
Theonel admitted it.
Although the crown prince's first war will be marked with retreat at the end of his thirteen years, war can't always give you the upper hand anyway.
Sometimes you have to know how to accept disadvantages.
“I'll tell Cheil to retreat directly from this body.”
Knowing the Crown Prince's sincerity, Theonel wanted to send a message himself.
If you're the best, you won't even think of retreating and will fight back.
If you die then, it doesn't matter.
He had no intention of blaming his son for that.
It was his own decision to send him to the battlefield as he had no experience yet.
If he had known that an all-out assault was going to happen like this, he would have led it himself.
“Put the wires behind you.”
I will give up the current fort, retreat to the rear fort, and take a breather there.
If so, it is not surrounded by mountains like the current border fortresses.
There is a waterway outside the castle.
To some extent, it could slow the enemy's advance.
“Let the people know that the current situation is not light.”
Martial law was declared in the kingdom.
“And tell each lord and nobleman. Among those who did not participate, those who can fight should come forward.”
That is to say.
It means that the lords and nobles who have not participated in the war yet and are guarding the territory should leave at least enough troops to protect their territory and head to the battlefield.
In other words, it is a national mobilization order.
The situation has come when we must mobilize all our forces to face it.
I admit that the time has come.
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶
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