Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Deception, and the Thirty-Six Stratagems' Hasty Retreat (1)
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The sovereign of the Principality of Switchland, Duke Christian von Switchland, was in a very foul mood.
No, ever since opening his eyes on the field cot in his barracks that morning, his irritation and rage boiled up like fire every single day until he lay down to sleep again that night.
One might think Duke Christian had some kind of anger management issue, but there was exactly one reason he was in a bad mood twenty-four hours a day, every day.
He often shouted the name of a madman who disturbed his mind and cursed him out.
"Argh! Major General Peter Jaeger, you filthy cur worse than a dog! If I capture you, I'll slice off your flesh piece by piece and chew it myself!"
Normally on the battlefield, even if someone spat curses like that, no sane person would actually follow through once they killed the enemy.
But Duke Christian of Switchland was dead serious—if he captured Major General Jaeger, he intended to lock him in the dungeon of his ducal castle and tear off his flesh one strip at a time.
However, reality was a different story. Over a month had passed, and even with around 100,000 Switchland troops, they hadn't breached the unit commanded by Major General Jaeger and his slightly over 6,000 men—not despite the Reich Empire forces holding a defensively advantageous position with fewer numbers.
So for now, it remained nothing more than an unattainable dream.
But Christian knew that the more he vented his rage, the lower the morale of his entire army would sink.
"Whew. For now, I've finished all the urgent business I needed to handle today. I should inspect the camp, drill the men on tightening their vigilance, and then discuss future countermeasures with the nobles."
He rose from the chair in his tent and stepped outside for the inspection.
Outside, soldiers were gathering in small groups by the cauldrons issued to each squad, preparing their meals.
"Squad Leader Hans, what are you doing? Just tear up some jerky, mix it with flour, cheese, and water, and eat that."
"You lot look so pitiful eating like that, so I was thinking of grabbing a few flat stones from my tent and baking some flour-and-water dough on them for you."
"As expected of the squad leader—your experience really shows."
"Cut the crap. Tell the others not to waste the flour like that. Mixing cheese and jerky into flour dough and eating it like a wrap is way better."
Just moments ago, the duke had been so furious he hadn't even thought about hunger, but even he couldn't ignore the old adage he'd heard among the mercenaries.
'A mercenary is always hungry, cold, and exhausted. That's why he's always starving.'
He didn't know who said it, but even he—a duke ruling an entire nation—couldn't be exempt from those words. He gave a wry smile.
Finishing his inspection, he walked on, thinking he'd call the nobles for a late-night meeting over some food.
"Keep a sharp eye ahead. You never know when that damned Jaeger might come charging in. Miss it, and we're done for."
"Got it, Senior Private Peter."
"And don't stand so ramrod straight. We're not some pampered guards at a noble's mansion gate. Just keep your eyes peeled forward—get caught slacking after your shift, and you'll be in for it."
As Senior Private Peter said, among mercenaries, it was frowned upon to stand at rigid attention for prolonged vigilance, no matter how urgent the situation.
Because holding a spear in one hand in that showy, uncomfortable pose needlessly drained your stamina.
By the book, you were supposed to stand at perfect attention like a statue, but no commander or noble on a battlefield ever enforced it.
However, Duke Christian was currently swayed by a complex mix of fury, wariness, and fear toward this man called Major General Jaeger.
So even the tiniest lapse became something he fixated on excessively, reacting with overkill.
"You idiots! If you're proud soldiers of the Principality of Switchland, how dare you stand guard so sloppily? If you miss a Reich Empire raid because of it, how do you plan to take responsibility?!"
Hearing that, the senior private thought it was too much, even if it was the duke speaking.
Standing at attention properly meant straightening your back completely, gripping the spear in your right hand with your arm fully extended at a fifteen-degree angle.
But vigilance was about keeping your wits sharp—no one said you had to hold that exact pose rigidly to see everything.
Besides, they'd been fighting that blood-mad bastard from dawn till dusk again today, barely hanging on...
He wanted to protest that it was unfair, but talking back to the duke risked losing his head.
"Sorry, sir! Forgive us!"
"Don't get complacent! The moment you slack off even a little from the textbook form, those Reich bastards under that damned Jaeger will overrun us! We're already short on resolve to guard and fight to the death—now you want to relax?!"
"......Sorry, sir."
"Sorry doesn't end wars, and sorry won't kill that Jaeger cur! You call yourself a Switchland mercenary after that? Maybe ditch the mercenary life and just wear a skirt instead."
The soldier named Peter endured a full thirty minutes of direct tongue-lashing from the duke, who warned him as he turned to leave.
"Right, under Baron d'Evian, eh? Got it. There's a meeting soon—I'll make sure to tell that guy his Senior Private Peter was slacking on guard duty!"
The duke wanted to check other units' vigilance too, but the strategy meeting took priority, so he turned away.
On his way to the command tent, he received a report from a spy successfully infiltrated into the Reich Empire forces.
'Major General Jaeger and his men are catching spies like madmen, so we can't get their numbers or details. But one thing's certain: the Crown Prince has already fled, and the entire Reich Empire force will bolt the day after tomorrow.'
Command tent of the Switchland Principality army.
The duke's numerous retainers waited silently for him to speak, and he wasted no time.
"Straight to the point: the Crown Prince has fled. And the Reich Empire forces are set to tuck tail and run from the Rischen Hills the day after tomorrow."
Worry clouded the nobles' faces.
Because for this war, the Principality of Switchland had mobilized right up to the limit of conscripts it could field.
No matter what, they had to capture the Crown Prince to claim a massive chunk of the Empire's rich territories as reward.
Letting the strategic top priority slip away meant—not tactically, but strategically—they could never claim victory.
Plus, the duke and other nobles had been under the illusion that the Crown Prince was holding the rear with that damned Jaeger to the bitter end, so the shock hit even harder.
And there had been solid reasons for that illusion.
By all common sense, why would a 26-year-old Empire viscount and major general stand at the vanguard unless it was to protect the Crown Prince?
Plus, the Empire camp always flew banners symbolizing the Imperial Crown Prince.
"So we'll launch a full assault over the next two days and somehow take the head of that damned Jaeger bastard who invaded our Principality of Switchland. And not a single Reich Empire soldier here gets to go home alive."
The nobles inwardly cursed the duke but kept it to themselves.
Because first off, as the duke said, they had to kill the madman who'd slain 10,000 of their 100,000 and critically wounded 6,000 more.
"Prepare thoroughly. On the honor of Switchland mercenaries, Major General Jaeger doesn't leave here alive."
As he said that and everyone prepared to disperse, the duke grabbed Baron d'Evian.
"One of your senior privates, a Peter—he was slacking on guard duty. Just so you know."
Fuming to the top of his head over Jaeger, the duke repaid even trivial mistakes with insane scoldings.
The next day, shocking news reached Duke Switchland.
"Your Grace, disaster! The Reich Empire camp is in flames! The fire's too fierce—we can't pursue without putting it out first!"
Hearing that, the duke rushed out, stared blankly at the burning Reich Empire camp, and collapsed to his knees in dismay.
He could only groan "Ah... Aah..." in futile lament, speechless.
Meanwhile, Major General Jaeger had mounted everyone except the fallen on horses and was withdrawing at breakneck speed.
Even with wounded in tow, they moved at nearly double their normal marching pace.
So the Switchland soldiers received brutal orders to catch them at any cost.
"Run as if to your deaths and take Major General Jaeger's head! If we don't kill him, Switchland has no future!"