Our forces currently number around 7,000. It’s impossible to increase this any further. In addition to this, we add the 200 Equus cavalry that Muzio brought with him. It ballooned to this number because in the Equus tribe you’re counted as a warrior as long as you can handle a bow regardless of whether you are a woman or a child.
The Belvedere Kingdom and Eville Kingdom each have 5,000 men for a total of 10,000.
Ledus, on the other hand, commands a force of 3,000 Equus cavalry and is currently crossing the mountains.
Meanwhile, the 11,000 strong army headed by Bartolo is currently surrounded in the DeMorgal Kingdom by the enemy a little less than 9,000 strong.
Now then, which should we deal with first?
“Your Majesty! We’ve received a handwritten letter from the Cretian City-States!”
The messenger hands over the letter.
It seems the three states had a discussion and decided to unite and give my country support.
Lezzad and Gehenna (TLN: Author wrote Nemes, but I think this should be Gehenna) would each send a thousand troops to attack the Belvedere Kingdom from the rear.
Nemes would support us with military rations and supplies.
Furthermore, if the Rosyth Kingdom still has anything more to request, then the countries wouldn’t mind lending some war funds.
“If a god abandons, another picks you up, huh. I’m especially thankful for the war funds….”
Honestly speaking, my country’s finances are currently burning to oblivion. It’s already at quite dangerous levels. Furthermore, we’ve decided on tax reductions by next year….
It makes one not want to think what happens after the war, huh…
In any case, it’s good that we manage to secure loans. As long as we can continue to do so, the country’s finances won’t decend to bankruptcy since it’ll make us unable to gather capital. You can say that thanks to these loans, we’ll be able to secure some leeway.
……..However, there’s nothing more troublesome than loaning money from other countries.
They’re probably trying to follow Caesar’s example and try to make the target indebted beyond what they can handle.
However, the objective has been decided, huh.
“Gentlemen, Lezzad and Gehenna intend to pin Belvedere down. Send a thousand soldiers to the Belvedere Kingdom and buy some time through delaying tactics.”
The problem, however, would be Zoldias, huh……
I wonder what we should do. Well, for the meantime, I did send Yal to negotiate with King Zoldias and request that they distract the Eville Kingdom.
“Your Majesty! A letter from Lord Yal has arrived!”
“How quick!”
I take the letter and read it.
“I see……”
Yal reads the order documents that came from Almis.
He had already heard from King Zoldias the circumstances behind the coalition. Then, he was immediately asked by King Zoldias if it would be better for him to return to the Rosyth Kingdom.
“What is written?”
A sorcerer that Yal brought with him to serve as Falconer asks him.
Yal hands over the letter to her.
“As you can see….he wants us to keep up our efforts and keep negotiating with King Zoldias. He also wants us to distract Eville from behind. If possible, he wants an alliance with King Zoldias.”
Yal gives a short summary.
First, an alliance is impossible. This was evident in the negotiations with King Zoldias.
That king feels that the Rosyth Kingdom is as much a dangerous kingdom as the Gillbed Kingdom.
That instinct is correct. Should the Rosyth Kingdom annex the Gillbed Kingdom, it’s bright as day that the next target would be the Zoldias Kingdom.
That said, for King Zoldias, it’s also true that the Eville Kingdom is a threat.
Should the Eville Kingdom manage to obtain a territory from the Rosyth Kingdom and strengthen themselves, it would be the Zoldias Kingdom who would find themselves in a bind.
“Alright, I guess we should go now.”
Yal heads for the Zoldias Royal Palace.
“Lord Yal Claudius, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Are you perhaps thinking of returning home?”
“No, Your Majesty. There’s nothing I could do for my country if I go home.”
Besides, how could he go home? The Eville Kingdom lies between the Rosyth Kingdom and the Zoldias Kingdom. Going home is impossible.
“I’ll say this in advance. I won’t take an alliance. I don’t like strengthening a neighboring country. It’s better for you to get small or better yet disappear from Adernia entirely.”
Zoldias declares to Yal.
At present, he is 25 years old.
Although he is short, his body is solidly built. It’s the build of a king of a country that’s mostly mountainous.
Whether it’s because of his youth, or his personality, King Zoldias often tells what he thinks frankly. He doesn’t hold himself back.
“By no means. We won’t be asking for things like reinforcements and the like. Our country will win after all.”
“Oh?”
King Zoldias squints his eyes. He has taken interest in Yal who, in spite of his country being in a dangerous situation, could still act so boldly.
“But I don’t think your country has that much of a leeway?”
“I’m sure His Majesty have heard of the weapons our country produces called bomb spears, yes? King Rosyth is also an inventor. We also have other weapons besides that, you know?”
It’s a lie.
At the very least, Yal doesn’t know of other weapons other than that.
That said, the bomb spear is an innovative weapon and that no other country still understands the fundamental principle behind it.
Therefore, what Yal declared might still have been true. It has enough persuasive power to make another think so.
“What I am hoping is that the Zoldias Kingdom strike the Eville Kingdom.”
“I already told you we won’t be mobilizing any troops……”
“We don’t wish for any reinforcements now, you know? If the Eville Kingdom is to lose to my country, isn’t it better for your country to join in on the fray?”
Yal starts speaking on the premise that the Rosyth Kingdom will win.
King Zoldias can’t read Yal’s intentions.
If they would win, won’t it be better for them to just surge into the Eville Kingdom as is? The Rosyth Kingdom should have no need at all for the Zoldias Kingdom.
With Yal’s proposal, the Zoldias Kingdom will profit while others do the work. Zoldias can’t think how that would be profitable to the Rosyth Kingdom.
“Destroying the Eville Kingdom would be easy. However, should their capital fall, administering them would be very difficult. It won’t be that difficult if we manage them one by one but right now, we’re at war with several countries, yes? We can’t take our time. That’s why, after we win, we’ll have Your Majesty raise your troops. With that, your country would be able to easily obtain territory from the Eville Kingdom. Our country would leave a few troops behind for defense while we tidy up the other fronts.”
Zoldias silently looks at Yal while listening to his proposal.
Yal, on the other hand, continues his persuasion while keeping note of Zoldias’ reactions.
“How is it? So long as your country won’t take the Eville Kingdom down, my and your country won’t have a direct border. My country doesn’t have the leeway to swallow the Eville Kingdom. If we make the Eville Kingdom a buffer state, then the possibility of a territorial dispute breaking out between our countries would disappear.”
King Zoldias begins considering Yal’s proposal in his head.
With Yal’s proposal, the Zoldias Kingdom would receive no demerits nor risks.
In any case, the only loser would be the weakened Eville Kingdom.
The Zoldias Kingdom is a mountainous nation so there’s very little fertile land.
Therefore, taking territory from the Eville Kingdom is not a bad proposition.
In any case, there’s a basin (low-land region) in the border between the Eville and Zoldias Kingdoms where one can cultivate a considerable unit of wheat.
Should the Zoldias Kingdom be able to obtain that area, they would be able to obtain security.
King Zoldias has confidence in his military power. At any rate, he still is quite a young king. The younger a person, the more proactive he’d be is the same no matter the world.
Therefore, King Zoldias….
“I understand. Then, please proceed to lay out the conditions of your proposal. There’s no way you’d give us the right to profit while you fight for free, yes? What does your country want from us? What do you want me to do? I’ll say this in advance but we won’t mobilize our troops until after you’ve won.”
“It’s simple. ‘King Zoldias will support the Rosyth Kingdom’ We just want you to declare these few words.”
King Zoldias thinks for a little.
(I just have to say this and it’ll be fine? There’s nothing for me to lose to boot…..)
“I understand. My country will support the Rosyth Kingdom.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Alright, with this we managed to get a commitment.”
What Yal wanted was the words “My country will support the Rosyth Kingdom” from King Zoldias.
There won’t be any problems if they have just these words.
“Please gather everyone for me.”
Yal gathers the subordinates and sorcerers that he’s brought along with him to the Zoldias Kingdom.
He then speaks.
“Listen, everyone. Immediately propagate throughout the Zoldias Kingdom that King Zoldias had proclaimed his support for the Rosyth Kingdom. With that, Eville spies should be able to catch word of it. Just that is enough. With these, we’ll be able to startle their rear.”
This is the truth. King Zoldias won’t be able to deny it. Even if you say it was a secret agreement, both countries had agreed to it after all.
What’s important is that the contents of the words “support” don’t clearly come out. It can be interpreted as just his personal feelings, it can also be thought of as support in the form of provisions and war funds, and it can even be interpreted as an actual attack from the rear.
The Eville Kingdom should then descend into futile worry. At the very least, they won’t be able to send reinforcements against the Rosyth Kingdom.
This is what Yal was able to do.
“Now then, I guess we should contact His Majesty, King Rosyth.”
Yal prepared some paper and ink.
“Alright! Yal was able to get King Zoldias’ support!”
The great clansmen well up. This was quite the big news.
Even if just a declaration, they were able to startle them from behind.
“Your Majesty! Just now, the Eville and Belvedere armies have begun moving! Each of their 2,000 armies seem to be returning to their own countries!”
Perhaps, the news has probably reached both of their countries, huh.
Eville is returning in order to deal with the Zoldias Kingdom while Belvedere is returning in order to deal with the Leazzad and Gehenna united army.
With this, we were able to take away 4,000 men from the battlefield without fighting them. Nevertheless, the enemy still numbers 9,000 men strong including the Equus tribe. This is much more than my army.
“Alright, the plan is decided. We’ll crush them one by one. First we’ll hit Belvedere and Eville with a thousand men each and buy some time. We’ll send 5,000 against the Equus tribe and crush them. After we’ve made Muzio lord, we’ll take reinforcements from the Equus tribe and surround the Belvedere Kingdom in a pincer with the Lezzad-Gehenna United Army. We’ll merge with that army and then attack the Eville Kingdom. After that, we’ll head towards Bartolo to reinforce him. Does anybody have an opinion to share?”
Nobody raised their hand. In other words, nobody has an objection.
“Now then, we’ll take a vote!”
As such, the Anti-Coalition Strategy has safely been approved.
The counterattack begins here!!
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