Chapter 53
Guillaume's expedition was not smooth from the beginning.
-Clang!
"Eek...!"
"Maintain distance with the person in front and beside you!"
Conscripts who hadn't even received proper basic training caused various accidents during the march, resulting in non-combat casualties.
"Uh, I, I don't want to fight!"
"Catch him!"
As some soldiers with severely low morale even attempted to desert, the kingdom army, which had numbered 70,000, had reduced to 65,000 by the time they arrived at the Baldua Plains.
"...The imperial army has deployed in a single line formation without separate divisions. I'm curious about your thoughts on how to deal with them."
In the subdued atmosphere following a series of incidents, Guillaume began a strategy meeting by gathering the kingdom army officers.
While the officers were watching each other and Guillaume's reactions, Antoine, who had joined at Guillaume's instruction, slowly stood up.
"Although it could change if the imperial army alters their formation, I think we should divide our forces into left wing, center, and right wing."
"...Hmm."
"We'll place 35,000 in the center including 3,000 cavalry and reserves as the main force, and deploy 15,000 each on the left and right wings to defend the flanks."
He argued for a typical and safe deployment often used by the kingdom army.
"With conscripts being the majority and lacking officers to control them, it's realistically difficult to maintain or maneuver complex formations now. We should assign simple roles like flank protection to the conscripts deployed on the left and right wings, and place the elite troops in the center to face the enemy's main force."
Guillaume, wearing plate armor, watched Antoine with an unreadable expression while resting his chin on his hand.
"Of course, the left and right wings shouldn't collapse too quickly, so some elite troops should be placed on the left and right wings to assist the conscripts in maintaining their lines."
"..."
"Although the imperial army is numerically inferior, their cavalry is more than twice ours, and their individual combat power even surpasses ours. Rather than using the 3,000 cavalry separately, it would be better to keep them together in the rear, waiting to assist our forces according to the enemy's movements."
"I think so too. If the reserves and cavalry waiting in the rear move to respond to the empire's attack, the imperial army won't be able to break our defense."
Officers who had long served in the kingdom army nodded at Antoine's words, and some even stood up to support his statement.
"..."
After checking the proportion of those supporting Antoine's statement and those sitting with dissatisfied expressions,
-Click.
"...A weak idea, Duke Clavière."
Guillaume stood up and looked down at Antoine, who had finished speaking and sat back down.
Before the officers could react to such a provocative attitude,
"Defense, defense, defense. It's laughable. Have you already forgotten what our purpose is?"
Guillaume raised his voice and seized control of the atmosphere.
"Saint-Toire, Anyac, Montfieu. Rochelle, Chenet, Triel. They're all territories of the Brotan Kingdom. Yet, defense? When we should be crushing the enemies immediately and recapturing our territories, defense?"
"The defense I mentioned is just the policy for this battle, not saying we should turn to defense..."
"Shut up, Duke Clavière. The commander leading the kingdom army now is me, not you!"
"..."
He continued speaking, suppressing Antoine with his authority.
"Bevis, Gaston. The reason they were defeated was extremely simple. It was because they were naive and far too afraid, just like you."
"I...!"
"Divide the troops into three? Fine. Place reserves in the rear to prepare for enemy attacks? That's good. But, do you think Bevis and Gaston didn't know this? Of course not."
Officers who had been friends with Bevis and Gaston flushed at Guillaume's words openly belittling them, but,
"What they lacked was boldness. What would have happened if Gaston had attacked without fear when the enemy force was estimated at 20,000? What if Bevis had quickly attacked knowing the imperial army was exhausted from forced marches? They were defeated because they moved safely, steadily, just as the enemy wanted!"
Young officers who were dissatisfied with Antoine's passive and cautious proposal held expectations for Guillaume's aggressive stance.
"Duke Clavière. Do you think the imperial army will fall for such an obvious strategy as you mentioned?"
"...Then, what strategy does Your Majesty intend to use?"
Guillaume, who had been mocking Antoine's proposed strategy as obvious, responded to his question,
"Swift and decisive. We will form a fish scale formation to break the enemy's center."
He presented the bold fish scale formation.
"We'll place all 20,000 elite troops who defeated the Caen Kingdom army at the front to break through the enemy's center."
"...!"
"When our forces crush the enemy's thin center, the conscripts following behind will take on the 'simple role' you wanted of annihilating the imperial army split in half."
"The conscripts' morale is so low that deserters keep cropping up. It's dangerous to go on the offensive!"
"Their morale is low because we haven't launched an offensive, Duke Clavière! If I command them directly to attack, there's no way we'll fail like Bevis or Gaston!"
"If the enemy threatens our flanks, it will be difficult to fend them off!"
"If the imperial army grasps our formation and changes theirs, it will be difficult for us to keep up with that speed!"
While some officers expressed concerns about Guillaume's opinion to pierce through the imperial army with a triangular formation centered on the 20,000 elite troops who had defeated the Caen Kingdom army,
"Excellent! It's time to show our strength!"
"If we annihilate those forces, that will be our chance to reclaim the Bildorne River basin!"
"Your Majesty has been victorious, while Count Lefebvre and Count Chartier were defeated. Isn't this the difference between the losers and Your Majesty!"
Most officers were longing for a great victory to overturn the consecutive defeats, so voices supporting Guillaume's opinion, which at least guaranteed that reward, were louder.
"Duke Clavière. You're too afraid of the empire. We are 65,000, and the enemy is only 40,000."
"That's true, but if the enemy attempts an encirclement by utilizing their mobility like what happened to General Bevis..."
Unlike the highly excited officers, Antoine was more concerned about the aftermath of defeat than the sweetness of victory.
Guillaume's strategy could put all 65,000 at risk the moment the kingdom army's charge failed.
Even if they couldn't retreat due to justification, the complete annihilation of these forces would mean the end of the Brotan Kingdom.
"Encirclement? Our numbers are much greater now, so for the enemy to encircle us, they'd have to deploy not a small number of soldiers to the flanks. Do you think we can't break through the imperial army's center after they've divided their forces like that?"
"That..."
"Our scale is much larger, and if the enemy's center is broken through, they'll already show clear signs of defeat. What use would it be for them to attack our flanks then!"
"Your Majesty's words are all correct! If you just give the order, I'll lead the soldiers at the forefront!"
"Hmm, Count Maurice Berto! That's the spirit. This is the courage we need right now!"
He wanted to somehow stop this unprecedentedly dangerous strategy, but Guillaume already seemed unwilling to listen to him.
As long as this was the battlefield, Guillaume's voice as the actual commander had to be stronger than Antoine's, who was supported by the nobles.
"We should strike before the enemy can respond. I'll decide quickly! Count Berto will take the vanguard, and who will take charge of the cavalry to assist our breakthrough!"
"Please entrust it to me, Damien Larouche!"
"Hmm, good!"
Regardless of Antoine's will, Guillaume's strategy was set in motion.
"Inform the soldiers! We will march as soon as we're ready and attack the enemy!"
"Yes!"
"..."
Antoine sat down helplessly, blankly staring at Guillaume's seemingly imposing back as he coordinated the officers' roles.
To him, Guillaume's confidence looked like a candle burning brilliantly just before going out.
---
"The enemy is approaching rapidly. It appears to be a fish scale formation with elite troops at the front."
"A fish scale formation... Guillaume has drawn his sword."
Contrary to my expectation that they would divide their forces and take a defensive formation like the kingdom army led by Bevis, Guillaume concentrated all his forces in the center and immediately went on the attack.
Our plan was to interfere with supplies using the mini-map and tactical map while keeping the enemy forces tied down, and to provoke a response by raiding the kingdom army's nearly empty defense points with a small number of troops, but.
"It's a shame. Didn't you say the reconnaissance of supply routes was complete?"
"That's right. If we had been given a few more days, we would have executed the plan, but it seems the enemy has realized that dragging out time is disadvantageous for them as well."
With the kingdom army launching a quick offensive, there was no time to leisurely disrupt the enemy's rear.
"We'll have to engage in a pitched battle."
"That's right."
Gerhart, mentioning the pitched battle, looked around for a moment and then,
"Well then, we should hear the Deputy Commander's strategy."
"...?"
As if there was no need to be considerate anymore, he suddenly placed a huge burden on my shoulders.
"I agree if it's the Deputy Commander."
"It's perfect timing as the troops were demanding the Deputy Commander's command. Good."
Before I could say anything, officers including Friedrich agreed, and I ended up standing in the middle of the tent as if pushed.
"..."
"Surely, you're not lacking confidence."
To Gerhart's question asking if I lacked confidence, I answered with a confident smile.
The enemy's infantry was more numerous than ours, but their cavalry was fewer, and the enemy's formation was concentrated in the center.
Although there were many differences in terrain and each other's situations,
"We will win."
I could recall one battle of Hannibal Barca, one of the great commanders.