Chapter 8
"We depart tomorrow morning! Make sure you eat and get plenty of rest before then!"
"Any soldiers with even the slightest injuries, gather at the Field Hospital! We still have plenty of medicine, so you'll be treated!"
"All officers of Lieutenant Colonel rank and above from each unit, assemble at the Command Center! Lieutenant General Roitel has called for a military conference!"
War is always more troublesome to clean up after than to fight.
Cleaning up the corpses strewn across the ground, wiping up the blood, burning or burying the bodies to prevent the spread of disease. Oh, and on top of that, calculating the amount of supplies consumed and reorganizing the units.
Regardless of the scale of the battle, a mountain of work and paperwork is forced upon us.
Moreover, what we are doing now is a Civil War. Both we and the enemy are from the same Kingdom.
It's quite tricky because we have to identify and record the identities of all the dead, both friend and foe. Even a single mistake can easily lead to morale problems for the entire unit.
"Baden, I'm leaving the unit management to you."
"....You mean all of our Revolutionary Army and the 19th Division that joined us this time?"
"Yes. I can't be in charge of strategy and administration at the same time, can I?"
"I haven't handled a large-scale unit of this size before...."
"You have to have this kind of experience if you want to get promoted and become a commander. I'll give you another star as soon as we occupy the Capital, so do your best."
"L, Lieutenant General? I'll do my best!!"
If it were like when we were in the Northern Army, I would do it myself, but now I have other duties, so I entrusted it to Major General Baden, one of my subordinates.
He's a friend I've been keeping an eye on because he has a talent for administration, even if his field command ability is a bit lacking.
At first, he was hesitant and tried to back out, but his eyes immediately lit up when I promised to make him a 3-Star General. As expected, there's no better carrot than promotion to control soldiers.
Actually, a mere Deputy Commander like me doesn't have the authority to decide ranks....well, does it matter?
We can do whatever we want once we get into the Capital and turn everything upside down anyway. Once we take the royal palace and subdue the Nobility, might makes right.
"Then good luck. I'm going to the meeting."
"Yes! Good luck to you too, Lieutenant General!"
Thus liberated from paperwork, I gathered the core officers of the Revolutionary Army in the barracks on the second day after the Battle.
The purpose of the gathering was none other than to determine the future route of advance and strategy.
"Is everyone here?"
"Everyone except the medical officers is here."
"Those guys are doctors, not soldiers, so it doesn't matter. Then, without further ado, let's get right to the point."
I spread a map of the entire Kingdom on the office desk.
It was a valuable, detailed map that showed all the cities, terrain, and transportation routes, and there were only a few copies even in the entire Northern Army.
"Thanks to the comrades of the 19th Division joining us, our current strength is about 48,000. It's not a small force, but it's still somewhat lacking to directly attack the Capital."
There are quite a few standing armies stationed in the Capital, including the Royal Guard. If we clash head-on, we will suffer considerable damage.
"Therefore, before the attack, we will replenish our forces and weaken the enemy's strength."
"So you're going to subdue and persuade nearby units."
"Not all of them, just some. We won't have enough time to swallow up everything we can find."
I looked up at Brigadier General Ellan, who had been the Deputy Commander of the 19th Division.
"According to the map, the nearest units are the 15th Division and the 39th Grenadier Regiment. Do you know anything about their commanders?"
"The 39th Regiment....as far as I know, it's Colonel Holland's unit. It's a local unit, so most of the soldiers and officers are from the Southern Region."
"I'm also from the Southern Region, so I can talk to them. What about their political leanings?"
"They're more loyal to their homeland than to the Royal Family. I met them once before, and even then, they barely made any patriotic remarks."
Perfect conditions. If I play my cards right, they might come over to our side on their own.
Grenadiers are Elite Soldiers who specialize in using Hand Grenades. Such a unit would certainly be a great help in strengthening the Revolutionary Army's forces.
"Then, what about the 15th Division?"
"I heard they have similar tendencies to our former Division Commander."
"Meaning they're stubborn and hopeless."
On the other hand, if they're similar to Major General Heinburg, we'll have to treat them accordingly. Instead of targeting the top, let's subdue them by targeting the bottom.
"How much paper stock do we have left in the unit?"
"We should still have several hundred thousand sheets. Why?"
"Make a lot of Propaganda Leaflets with them and distribute them. Tell them they'll get a hefty reward if they kill or capture the Division Commander and the officers who support him. And add that if they refuse, they should be prepared to be annihilated."
It's not hundreds, but just three or four people. If they just kill and offer a few officers, including the Division Commander, their entire safety will be guaranteed.
On top of that, they're being targeted by the army that crushed and absorbed the 19th Division in an instant. How many people would not be tempted by the Propaganda Leaflet?
Even if the soldiers' loyalty is firm, there will definitely be a few troublemakers.
After experiencing assassination attempts, officers will lose mutual trust in fear of when they might die.
This is a scheme that spreads distrust and vigilance within the 15th Division regardless of its success.
If the unit doesn't want to disintegrate, they have no choice but to surrender and join us. Given the Division Commander's tendencies, that's unlikely, though.
"I'll also write in detail about our cause and the circumstances that led to the Revolution."
"You can make up the content as you see fit. It's just a small trick that doesn't need to succeed anyway."
The result doesn't matter at all.
It's enough if it fulfills its purpose of breaking the unit through internal divisions. It's enough for us if the 19th Division stays put until we enter the Capital.
Since this is a medieval fantasy world, paper is a rather valuable resource, but it's a cheap price to pay to bring down a division.
"While we subdue and persuade these two units, we will continue our southward advance. Roughly....to this point. We'll stop once we cross River Tiola."
I pointed to the large river that runs east to west across the Kingdom's territory on the map.
"Isn't that too close to the Capital? It's a five-day march at average marching speed."
"That's the point. To make the high and mighty army in the Capital come running out on their own."
The River Tiola has a similar meaning to the Rubicon River of the Roman Empire. The one Caesar crossed, saying, "The die is cast."
If you cross this river, you get too close to the heart of the country, and it's even shallow.
Because of this, crossing the river is forbidden for all armies except the Royal Guard and certain designated units.
Therefore, it was also good for showing our resolve.
We've crossed a place we're not supposed to cross, so what is this if not Treason?
The Nobility and Royalty in the Central Region will be so pleased that their faces will turn red and blue. Enough that they'll be clamoring to somehow crush us.
The officers who heard my idea tilted their heads and asked back.
"Your idea sounds plausible, Lieutenant General....but will it really go as planned?"
"What if the pigs in the Capital ignore us and stay holed up in the palace?"
A perfectly valid point.
Common sense dictates that their chances of defeating us increase if they just hold out. It's standard practice to ignore the provocation and stay put.
But, you know, aren't you guys mistaken about something? Since when has this country ever had 'common sense'?
"Do you think those bastards who give up the Front Line because they're short on money for luxury will make such a rational decision?"
"Ah."
The officers understood at the speed of Mach with just a single point.
Yes, this country doesn't work according to reason. Abandon your preconceptions. It'll make things easier for you.
"We cross River Tiola and set up a last stand. The surrounding terrain is a plain with hardly any hills or mounds. It's the perfect condition for a decisive battle."
It's about ten days from here to River Tiola.
It will take at least two weeks for the Suppression Army to be formed after hearing about our rebellion and figuring out our location from the Capital, even if we're being optimistic.
They'll have to march too, and considering the time it takes to scout around, we have about two and a half weeks of leeway.
It's a pretty decent schedule, considering that we'll be marching for a long time, resting for a few days, and then having a proper fight.
"We annihilate the Suppression Army here, and using that momentum, we subdue the remaining troops in the Capital. It's nothing difficult."
"What if we encounter other units in the meantime? Besides the 15th Division and the 39th Regiment, there are still others who will get in our way."
"Ignore them. Deal with them the same way we did with the 15th Division. We don't have time to deal with every single small fry."
The longer we delay, the greater the chance that the Royal Family and the Nobility will escape from the Capital. A quick and decisive victory is our most important task.
"That concludes the meeting. You're all dismissed."
* * * * *
Sure enough, Carolus's prediction came true.
"Those bastards dare to reject His Majesty the Monarch’s grace and start a Revolution?! Summon the Royal Guard immediately! I will crush them with all my might and restore order to The Kingdom!!"
A few days later, Grand Duke Alexander, upon hearing the news of the formation of the Revolutionary Army, led all the main forces of the Capital and rushed out beyond the city walls.