Chapter 38. The Brotan Kingdom (2)

Normally, I don't think of myself as a genius.

I was able to achieve results in the Rus Kingdom because I studied the great victories pulled off by genius commanders in history, and could utilize the mini-map and tactical map.

I think it's not that difficult to find appropriate examples and command troops with the tactical map if you just apply well after grasping the situation, terrain, and each other's strengths and weaknesses.

But now is the time to showcase my abilities and push through my opinions.

"Do you really think so?"

When Friedrich, who had previously denied the possibility of defeating them, asked me with suspicious eyes,

"Yes. With the current minimal advantages of defense, defense only provides the enemy with the opportunity to choose their desired battlefield."

I answered with a firm voice.

When a small number faces a large number, it's generally considered best to defend using advantages such as terrain.

As artillery hasn't been properly commercialized yet, and mages are even rarer than that artillery, many generals still prefer well-prepared defense over attack.

It was the same when I was in the Rus Kingdom.

To persuade soldiers who tend to be proud and conservative with strategies that might seem unreasonable at first glance, I need to appear as a genius, or at least an equivalently capable person, and push through with consistency and conviction.

In my view, there's a sufficient chance of victory, so now is the opportunity, having received Gerhart's approval.

"Although the enemy's forces are numerous, the Brotan Kingdom's troops are currently advancing separately. By concentrating our imperial forces at one point and going on the offensive, we can defeat the enemies separately with forces in local superiority."

"Huh."

After hearing my argument, Friedrich shook his head as if in disbelief.

"The strategy you mentioned seems to be based on the assumption that the Brotan Kingdom's forces attack strongholds while divided. However, couldn't the Brotan Kingdom's army just start marching separately but converge their forces at one point?"

He moved the pieces on the map back and forth.

"Although the expected advance routes are divided by lakes and mountains, there aren't completely no connecting points between the advance routes. Here, they could gather their entire army right in front of Montfieu, or they could join here about 40 km away from Rochelle. If the enemy combines just two directions of their army, it's already 60,000, so it's not a strategy that can be attempted carelessly."

Montfieu and Rochelle, Saint-Toire and Chenet, Anyac and Triel are each about 120 km apart.

As Friedrich said, between the Montfieu advance route and the Anyac advance route are several steep mountains, and between the Montfieu advance route and the Saint-Toire advance route is an elongated lake blocking the way, so the points where joining is possible are fixed.

The points where the Brotan Kingdom's forces, which have started moving from each point, can join are right in front of our stronghold, near Montfieu before the mountains and lake begin, and where the lake ends, totaling three places.

"They will absolutely not combine their forces from near Montfieu."

Contrary to Friedrich's claim that the kingdom's army could rush together immediately, my thought is that even if they join quickly, it would be at the end point of the lake.

"...I'm curious about the basis for your confidence."

The basis is, of course, the mini-map that's still showing me the movements of the Brotan Kingdom's army, but I can't say that directly.

Even if I did, they wouldn't believe it, and I have no intention of revealing my lifeline to others.

"The kingdom's army we face is large in number, but the majority are conscripts, and as they've recently greatly expanded their scale, they're inevitably in a situation where control and supply are unstable. However, the Brotan Kingdom chose rapid marching instead of thoroughly preparing and attacking."

So I fill in the middle plausibly to match the results I know from the mini-map.

Mentioning the talk from the beginning of the meeting and using it as a basis.

"That decision would have been influenced by the ceasefire between the empire and the Rus Kingdom, news of the empire dispatching reinforcements, supply issues, etc., so the kingdom's army must be hoping for a quick resolution. In such a situation, if they combine forces, the marching speed will slow down, control will be more difficult, and the supply burden will also be more severe."

By adding some speculation to the orthodox theory to increase persuasiveness, I can make it seem as if my conviction was created from inferences based on given facts.

"Hmm..."

"I think the only move the Brotan Kingdom's army can choose is to march separately first to induce our force dispersion, then determine the attack point after grasping our movements. If that happens, they will decide on a favorable attack point as they wish and attack, so to prevent this, we must attack first before their forces combine."

"..."

I paused briefly to allow the people in the meeting room to exchange opinions.

"Supplies, indeed..."

"Come to think of it, even after winning the battle with the Caen Kingdom, they didn't reinforce troops for a long time."

"Since the kingdom's army has only been replenished for about a month, it is an unusually quick movement."

"Corps Commander Gerhart, what do you think?"

"...It's persuasive. If it goes according to plan, it might be a good opportunity. However."

Gerhart, who had been talking with officers and staff including Friedrich, looked towards me.

"I think I need to hear more to make a judgment. Can you explain the detailed plan?"

"Yes."

I began explaining, referring to the terrain marked on the mini-map.

"15,000 troops from the 10th Corps and 1st Provisional Corps led by me and Corps Commander Gerhart, and half of the forces guarding Rochelle, 10,000, totaling 25,000, will join with the 10,000 defense forces of Chenet. Then these 35,000 troops will advance quickly, encounter the enemy from the Saint-Toire direction at a point where they can't receive help, and defeat them."

"Well well..."

"The forces in Triel will advance to here, the entrance of the Ardenne Gorge, and defend. At this position, the width of the gorge narrows to about 20m, making it difficult to even triple the forces to attempt a breakthrough."

"..."

"The 10,000 remaining in Rochelle will march right up to where this lake ends, taking on the role of delaying the enemy from the Montfieu direction from immediately joining with the enemy from the Saint-Toire direction."

"Then, you're saying to join with our forces that drove out the enemy from Chenet and attack the 25,000 enemy troops."

"That's right."

Overall, Triel, which corresponds to the left wing, draws in the enemy, while concentrating forces on Chenet, which corresponds to the right wing, to break through and then encircle.

The officers pondered, looking at the expected advance routes I had drawn on the map.

"...What do you all think?"

At Gerhart's question, many people, whether staff or officers, raised their hands or stood up to question me.

"If the Brotan Kingdom's army quickly gathers and marches contrary to expectations, do you have a countermeasure for that?"

"We will deploy scouts from the 1st Provisional Corps, who roamed the rough terrain of the Rus Kingdom, on a large scale to grasp the situation. If they gather in larger numbers than now, their marching speed will slow down even more, and it will be difficult to hide their movements. Moreover, it's almost impossible to control 90,000 conscripts simultaneously, so if we break their morale with continuous supply route attacks and night raids while avoiding pitched battles, they will collapse more easily."

Perhaps because they were relatively elite imperial officers, even those who had been intimidated and discussing retreat now seriously gave opinions about my strategy.

"Although our forced march would be fast, it might be difficult to match the timing now that the kingdom's army has already departed first."

"The kingdom's army is advancing very slowly due to its size and the low discipline characteristic of conscripts. Especially if it's a force that has been organized recently, it's expected to move about 20 km a day at most. Our imperial army can move about 40 km through forced marches, so we can sufficiently preempt the necessary points."

"Hmm..."

"Also, if we send cavalry ahead to reveal our presence, the enemy will think our main force has arrived and slow down their marching speed. There are several other ways to slow down the kingdom's army."

"Is that so?"

I persuaded the officers one by one, presenting various strategies utilized by famous generals in history.

"In your plan, Corps Commander, Rochelle's forces must hold off 25,000 in the field with 10,000 men. Although the imperial army is elite, special methods are needed to hold back more than double the forces for more than a day."

"Of course. Since the 10th Corps and 1st Provisional Corps haven't arrived in Rochelle long ago, the kingdom's army probably hasn't accurately grasped our strength. We can use that point."

"Ah, then..."

After talking with the officers for about several dozen minutes like that,

"Do we go with this?"

"Yes."

"...Understood."

As Friedrich also agreed to execute the operation, the imperial army's strategy was decided.

"I'll take charge of Rochelle's forces."

"Yes. Corps Commander Gerhart and I will head towards Chenet."

After a short time determining each person's role.

"As time is crucial in this strategy, we need to depart immediately."

"Understood. Corps Commander Gerhart. Before you depart, could you come alone to my tent for a moment? I have something to say to you separately."

"Hmm, alright."

The officers gathered in the meeting room quickly dispersed, holding papers containing the operation details.

---

Before leading the troops to depart, Gerhart visited Viktor's tent as he had requested.

"Ah, Corps Commander Gerhart. Please enter directly."

"Hmm."

Anna, who was standing in front of the tent, let Gerhart in and quickly left her position.

Gerhart carefully opened the tent flap and entered.

"What is it, Corps Commander Viktor."

There was no one else in Viktor's tent.

He, who had been standing looking at the map hanging on the wall, turned around at the sound of Gerhart's voice from behind.

"Corps Commander Gerhart."

"..."

Viktor called Gerhart's name in a deeply sunken voice.

Gerhart felt an inexplicable gloominess in Viktor's eyes.

"I have a request."

"A request."

Seeing Viktor's appearance quite different from his active appearance in the meeting room, Gerhart instinctively felt that his request wouldn't be ordinary.

As he expected,

"In this battle, would you entrust the command of the 10th Corps to me?"

"...What?"

Viktor's request was far beyond Gerhart's range of expectations.