Chapter 91
The Red Dragon Corps steadily took control of the Dronado Forest.
Aided by Viktor's ability to always strike first, the Red Dragon Corps scouts toyed with the kingdom's scouts, achieving overwhelming results with only single-digit casualties.
"It's certainly convenient."
"It's nice that the gunpowder doesn't spill even if you accidentally flip it."
"Really, it hits surprisingly well too."
In particular, among the Red Dragon Corps scout units, those using flintlock rifles stood out.
The overwhelming convenience compared to matchlock muskets, and the improved accuracy and destructive power from the combination of rifling and Lorenz bullets proved their worth even in dense forests where the use of projectile weapons was conventionally difficult.
"Um... General Viktor."
"Hmm?"
"Those flintlock rifles... are there any more?"
"I heard they're still at the prototype stage. It'll be difficult to bring in more for a while."
"...I understand."
Their achievements became known not only to the scout units but also to the main force, so much so that some officers separately approached Viktor to ask if there were more flintlock rifles.
They were greatly disappointed by Viktor's explanation that they were still prototypes and difficult to mass-produce due to the need for high-level technology such as precise spring and barrel processing.
"We've secured the central highway."
"...Good."
Afterwards, the Red Dragon Corps scouts actively hunted the kingdom's scouts, and eventually, as most of the kingdom's scouts who couldn't withstand this withdrew, the preliminary skirmish in the Dronado Forest concluded with a victory for the Red Dragon Corps.
The kingdom's army handed over most of the Dronado Forest to the Red Dragon Corps, and having completely changed their policy to information gathering, they left only a small number of scouts to collect information on the imperial army's movements.
The Red Dragon Corps main force marched into the Dronado Forest, and,
"Enemy units are approaching!"
"...Begin."
"Yes!"
The kingdom's raiding parties, having confirmed this, also began their activities.
Several small mercenary groups of dozens of members and several mercenary groups of over 100 members scattered and moved towards the Red Dragon Corps passing through the Dronado Forest.
Their goal was to disrupt the imperial scouts and strike at supply routes.
-Ratatatatat!
"Argh!"
"Ambush, it's an ambush!"
"Where are they!"
Most suffered heavy casualties as soon as they entered the forest, ambushed by the Red Dragon Corps, and other mercenary groups hesitated seeing this, but,
"How long are we supposed to die like dogs! We should also..."
"I'll add more to your pay."
"That..."
"Double it."
"...I understand Count's noble intentions well!"
Sancho, knowing the case of the Brotan Kingdom which had completely lost its national status, persuaded nobles who shared his intentions and poured in an enormous amount of money that made the mercenaries' eyes spin, and,
-Swoosh!
"Over there! That way!"
"Throw even knives... Argh!"
The mercenaries' all-direction attacks continued day and night for several days.
Sancho sent hundreds of mercenaries into the Dronado Forest every day to ensure that even the imperial army with its excellent scouts would inevitably suffer damage, and,
"Found them! Over there!"
"Tch..."
With the kingdom's scout units that had preserved their strength also supporting their attacks,
-Bang! Ratatat!
"...They keep coming annoyingly."
"These madmen..."
The imperial army, which had to block hundreds of enemies every day after advancing to advantageous positions first, gradually accumulated fatigue.
Initially, the scout units took turns blocking the kingdom's army's raids, but due to their excessive fatigue, even regular infantry had to roam the forest.
"...Are you still awake?"
"..."
Viktor, commanding all of these, also gradually became gaunt.
"Didn't you say a big battle was waiting? You should at least get some sleep."
"..."
"Our soldiers are also those trained through numerous battles. Don't you trust them?"
"...It's not that I don't trust them, but what can't be done, can't be done."
"Even so..."
"Wait. ...Call Sergei for me."
"...Yes, General."
Although the morale of the Red Dragon Corps was high due to their one-sided winning streak,
"...These cockroach-like bastards."
"Did you get any sleep yesterday?"
"Don't even ask."
As it was true that the Red Dragon Corps had few troops, even Viktor had no way to prevent the soldiers from getting tired in this situation.
"...Mercenaries won't spring up infinitely just because they're given money. There must be a limit."
"So, you're not going to sleep today either?"
"Hmm. If we can just hold out until the 5th Corps arrives at Al Cante..."
"Miss Erika. Please help. I don't know how many days it's been since the General slept."
"Uh, what should we do?"
Anna had to stamp her feet in frustration at the sight of Viktor's dark circles deepening with each passing day.
Of course, the kingdom's army's situation wasn't good either.
"...You're saying there are no results at all?"
"The enemy is a small elite force, surely the fatigue..."
"Fatigue? Do we have to spend this much money just to make the enemy a bit tired?"
Due to the imperial army's response being even more thorough than Sancho had expected, they couldn't achieve any results worth showing to the nobles who had invested their wealth, and,
"I'll give more money. How much do you want?"
"An epidemic is spreading among our members, making it difficult to move."
"...Then it can't be helped."
As defeats continued to pile up, the mercenary leaders refused raid missions with various excuses.
"It's not a matter of money. No matter how much money we receive, what use is it if we lose our lives?"
"That's right. If they said to engage in battle, that's one thing, but to enter the Dronado Forest where the enemy has established themselves..."
They gathered among themselves to complain, and Sancho, to whom even a small force was precious, knew this but didn't restrain them.
"Count! A report from Al Cante! About 15,000 enemy troops attacked, and Fort Frieze has fallen!"
"...Too fast."
To make matters worse, news came that the imperial 5th Corps had captured Fort Frieze at the forefront of Al Cante.
"Did they see through the deception? ...But their movement is too fast for that. Maybe they read our response from the beginning."
Sancho, who had given up Al Cante and La Tredo only to inflict severe damage on the Red Dragon Corps, not intending to hand them over to the imperial army for free,
"Gather the mercenary leaders. We'll prepare for the decisive battle."
He prepared the luring operation a little earlier than planned.
After sending separate letters to the leaders of several large mercenary groups, he gathered all the remaining mercenary group leaders and,
"We will attack the enemy at this entrance of Al Berdo Pass where the Dronado Forest ends. Leaders, deploy your forces here and here, so that you can attack together when our allies on both wings attack the enemy."
"Understood."
"If you do well in this battle, I'll double all bonuses. If you capture or kill Viktor, I'll personally report your merit to His Majesty. Medals, positions... I'll do my best."
"..."
After instructing to deploy about 5,000 troops gathered from various mercenary groups at the entrance of Al Berdo Pass, he dismissed the meeting and,
"You deploy your forces here. When these mercenary groups lure the enemy, we'll strike simultaneously and annihilate the enemy that has pursued them."
"...Alright."
"You are the key to this battle. I'm counting on you."
He secretly gathered the leaders who had received letters and regular officers to tell them the strategy he truly had in mind.
His plan was to use the mercenary groups, whose combat effectiveness was difficult to expect, as bait to lure the Red Dragon Corps and then defeat them inside Al Berdo Pass.
"You wait in the rear and coordinate so that they can retreat to this point."
"Understood."
Thinking that the Red Dragon Corps might not pursue with just mercenary groups, he entrusted 4,000 regular troops to particularly trustworthy officers and had them perform the role of bait together.
He instructed the remaining regular troops to move as told to the bait units, but to retreat to the ambush point before encountering the enemy.
The leaders felt fear at Sancho's thoroughness in deceiving even his own troops to make the forces look like tempting bait, while feeling relieved that they hadn't been selected as sacrificial lambs.
After finishing preparations for the main force, he finally wrote instructions to send to Alejo.
He wrote instructions to dominate the entrance of Al Berdo Pass as much as possible to prevent Viktor from grasping the detailed movements of the kingdom's army, handed the letter to a messenger, and leaned back in his hard chair.
"..."
He thought this battle would determine the fate of the Esperia Kingdom.
Although he had used up his private funds generously and was now close to being penniless,
He pondered strategies while looking at the map hanging beside him, without a single regret.
---
A few days later.
The raids that had been bothering us finally stopped.
"...Did you really sleep?"
"Yes."
"Your health is more important than anything, General. Please, be careful. Please."
"...Hmm."
Anna seemed relieved, but for me, who was constantly watching the kingdom army's movements through the mini-map, it wasn't time to relax yet.
The kingdom's scout units, which had been spread mainly around the edges of the Dronado Forest, were now densely gathered at the entrance of Al Berdo Pass, and the kingdom's main force waiting in the distance also seemed to be preparing for battle by dividing their forces into several groups.
As it was a movement that clearly showed they had something up their sleeve,
"We need to reduce the activity radius of our scout units in preparation for raids."
"Understood, General."
I didn't refuse and reduced the activities of the scout units under the pretext of raids.
Of course, it doesn't have much meaning that I pulled them back since I can check with the mini-map even without scouts penetrating deeply, but.
"...Indeed."
To the eyes of the kingdom's army preparing their strategy, we must look like we've closed our eyes and ears.
With the 5th Corps smoothly taking control of the empty Al Cante, they must be in a hurry too.
Considering what the opposing general has been doing so far, he seems competent enough to notice this gap.
I slowly marched the Red Dragon Corps forward while continuing to watch the mini-map closely.