Altitude Sickness (2)
“Gotberg, do you have a way to deal with frostbite and altitude sickness?”
“I do. I've already developed the medicine.”
“Oho!”
The 1st Regiment Commander lit up at my answer. Heike showed interest too, pressing me eagerly.
“Do you have enough for the entire 1st Regiment?”
“Hold on, Heike.”
Asella casually stepped in front of him.
“Of course, the Moonlight Palace came as allies to help subjugate the barbarians. But what we agreed on was only for the military, right?”
“Hmm.”
“If you're borrowing my personal physician too, you'll have to pay the appropriate price.”
Heike nodded at Asella's bold attitude.
“Right now, the important thing is defeating the enemy at hand. Asella, what do you want?”
“I want to subjugate the barbarians too. If we let them run wild, they'll trample the Empire's lands like the worthless scum they are.”
Clack, clack.
Asella paced leisurely around the meeting room.
“But Heike, I don't want to clash pointlessly with you in the process and lose valuable knights.”
“Hmm.”
Thud.
Asella stopped, tilting her head with a firm declaration.
“I'll take full command of this battle. If that's the condition, I'll treat your knights.”
“What do you mean, 3rd Imperial Princess?”
The 1st Regiment Commander immediately objected.
“Our 1st Regiment has plenty of experience fighting under the 1st Imperial Princess's command. Whereas I hear this is the Moonlight Palace's first real combat deployment.”
“And?”
“Well...”
Asella glared commandingly, and the Regiment Commander shut his mouth.
It was a ridiculous demand. Essentially, it was like throwing a tantrum: 'If you can't use them anyway, give them to me.' If Asella took overall command, the Moonlight Palace would claim all the military honors upon success. That was her aim, but it also meant bearing immense responsibility.
“Asella, this is a tricky battlefield with irregular terrain favoring the enemy. Can you issue the right commands?”
Asella calmly looked down at the map.
“Want me to brief you on the situation?”
Heike pointed at the map with the pointer.
“Mm. Blücher County has double walls and fortresses along the mountain range, with scattered civilian villages.”
“We're at the central southern fortress on the final line.”
“Right. There was a central fortress between our southern one and the northernmost northern fortress where Count Blücher resided.”
“Was?”
Heike delivered the bad news with a grave expression.
“It's been captured. Looks like they broke through before our reinforcements arrived.”
“What about Count Blücher and the civilians?”
“Fortunately, they managed to send a few messenger birds without the barbarians noticing. The survivors, including the Count and nearby villagers, are hiding in the central fortress's underground warehouse. But it's only a matter of time before they're found.”
Heike, experienced in combat command, explained the key points swiftly.
“Luckily, there's a deep cliff between the central fortress and our southern one. They can't cross recklessly. To head south into the Empire, they'd have to go through the western or eastern fortresses.”
“We block both entry routes, weaken their forces, and retake the central fortress.”
Asella accurately assessed the situation even from the brief briefing. She pointed at the map.
“Capture the eastern and western fortresses, destroy all bridges connecting to the outer defenses, and we'll only have to deal with the remnants in the central fortress. We can drag it into small-scale melee where our superior skill and equipment overwhelm them.”
“How do we capture both flank fortresses?”
“Have you forgotten, Heike?”
Asella smirked.
“I'm a 5th Hierarchy ice mage. And there's plenty of snow here.”
“You're prepared to join the fight personally.”
Heike stroked his chin, then turned to me.
“Gotberg, can you prepare medicine for all of them? We have about two hundred wounded.”
“Two hundred portions.”
Plus the four hundred from our side. Once the Moonlight Palace main force joins, my healers will arrive too. If I just tweak the ingredient ratios and hand mass production to them...
“What's the expected battle duration?”
“One day.”
“Half a day for one day's worth. Insulation and ointment for frostbite, diuretics for knights with altitude sickness, and aspirin for mild cases.”
“Mm.”
Heike pondered my response. Forcing frail knights into unfamiliar terrain would increase casualties. In the future I remembered, the Rock Tribe remained intact, so Heike probably hadn't won a decisive victory originally. Being wise, he'd anticipated that outcome. But with my treatment, victory was assured—at the cost of ceding all merits to Asella.
Victory or responsibility—which weighed more? Heike's deliberation was brief.
“Gotberg, I leave it to you.”
“Leave it to me.”
I immediately wrote a letter on messenger paper and sent it to the main force: secure large quantities of materials en route and prepare pharmaceuticals.
“Under the 3rd Imperial Princess's command...”
“Hmm...”
The 1st Regiment Commander and Wood Palace Knight Commander looked dubious. It was understandable—an inexperienced young Asella demanding overall command.
But I trusted her. The Asella I knew handled army operations flawlessly. Well, she was judging purely on theory now, so errors might occur. I'd step in to correct them.
“Heike, let's plan the strategy right away.”
“Good. Propose it.”
Heike handed the pointer to Asella decisively.
“Wood Palace takes the eastern fortress, Moonlight Palace the western to split their forces and advance. If we capture before reinforcements...”
Asella's plan was textbook perfect. The 1st Regiment Commander and Wood Palace Commander nodded, gradually convinced.
“Indeed, an excellent operation.”
Heike acknowledged her too. But I had a slight addition.
“Gotberg, any objections?”
Heike noticed my expression.
“May I venture an opinion?”
“What is it? Speak.”
Asella grumbled, slightly offended, handing me the pointer. I shifted the evenly split forces she had planned toward the right flank.
“Why not keep the already divided 1st and 2nd Regiments in their original formations instead of mixing?”
“It improves coordination. But it concentrates forces east, delaying the western capture. Enemy reinforcements could arrive faster.”
“Only one pass leads to the center.”
“Meaning?”
I emphasized.
“Use the east as bait, infiltrate the rescue from the west—more efficient.”
The 1st Regiment stirred at being bait. Asella, intrigued, smirked faintly.
“Go on.”
“1st Regiment enters the eastern fortress first, luring all enemies. Once gathered, 2nd Regiment seizes the western. Then proceed as Your Highness planned.”
“The enemy aren't idiots. You think they'll abandon all posts to swarm one fortress?”
“They are idiots.”
Everyone looked baffled at my claim.
“The barbarians have tribes. The Rock Tribe we're facing are relatively low-intelligence—they barely grasp the whole battlefield.”
“Rock Tribe? First I've heard of tribes.”
Even Heike, who'd fought barbarians before, tilted his head.
“Northern barbarians have four major tribes. The Thunder Tribe has wise chiefs, but Rock Tribe acts on instinct like monsters.”
I shared knowledge from experience.
“Her Highness Asella's plan is masterful, but it assumes a strategic army. Here, we can take easy advantages like against monsters.”
“Then why are they evenly distributed across fortresses? Low intelligence wouldn't deploy like that.”
I had a convincing answer for Asella's valid point.
“They just looted each fortress, got fat, and fell asleep.”
“Indeed. No signs of organized units among the enemy.”
Heike accepted my view. The other knights nodded.
“So Gotberg, you mean 1st Regiment draws attention while 2nd rescues central hostages?”
“Exactly. Then destroy all bridges, isolate, and annihilate.”
“Clearly fewer casualties than all-out war.”
“Makes sense. Imperial Knights are more suited to defensive holdings anyway.”
Heike and the 1st Regiment Commander seemed convinced of my rational plan.
“Asella, your thoughts?”
Asella glanced sideways at me, lifted her chin, and replied to Heike.
“Excellent proposal. We'll adopt it.”
“I'm honored.”
Asella might think I undermined her. I bowed politely.
“Gotberg, you're skilled in strategy too. Battlefield experience?”
“Some.”
“Not just healing studies. The more I learn, the more fascinating you are.”
Heike grinned and patted my shoulder—stronger than expected, jolting me forward.
“Then let's detail formations based on this. First, 1st Regiment's 1st Battalion...”
“Hey, Heike.”
Asella cut him off.
“What is it, Asella?”
“One thing to watch in this subjugation. Consider this a warning.”
Asella jabbed her thumb at me emphatically.
“Don't touch this guy. I won't let it slide twice.”
Two days later, our main force arrived: Moonlight Palace Knights, one battalion of 400 from the 2nd Regiment, and my healer faction.
“Have you been well, teacher? The materials you requested are here.”
Hugo arrived arms full of large bundles. No altitude symptoms—healthy constitution indeed.
“Eri?”
“Left her with the bakery girl at the fountain square. She often looks after Eri.”
“Gah. That, uh, is she your—ow!”
I pinched Chloe's thigh as she started gossiping.
“Considering the casualty rate, we need diuretics and frostbite ointment for nearly five hundred. No time—start production now.”
““Yes sir!””
My twelve healers responded energetically. All in perfectly fitted white coats, starting to look like real doctors.
“Moonlight Palace healers, let's move.”
Sucking on candy, I led the way. Healers in billowing white coats followed behind.