27
Chapter 27
Wails of grief echoed from all directions.
Sounds of agony and weeping filled the air.
It was a stark contrast to yesterday's dignified march.
Many soldiers were severely wounded by swords, spears, and arrows,
and the march slowed considerably as the uninjured helped support their comrades.
Only one unit remained unscathed: the company that had been lying in ambush with Charles.
Gabriel muttered as he looked upon the wounded.
"This is truly horrific. To think we could have ended up like that if we had taken just one wrong step..."
The other soldiers nodded in agreement.
"Thank you so much, Strategist. My son was born just two months ago; without you, we would have become fish food in that river."
That wasn't far from the truth. Had Charles not provided the operational plan, they likely would be dead.
As Charles nodded, a messenger approached from a distance. Having avoided the fighting, the messenger shouted to him.
"Lord Charles Jean Rochefort! Is Lord Charles Jean Rochefort here!"
"I am."
"Lady Dian has orders for you. Please follow me."
Orders from Dian! Charles was startled. He had heard she was seriously injured, but had she regained consciousness already?
Following the messenger, he found Dian lying on a stretcher, looking up at him. Seeing the always dignified Professor Dian de Valboa in this state left him with a heavy heart.
"General."
Mindful of the crowd, he addressed her as General rather than Professor and bowed. He would have prostrated himself, but he was on horseback.
"Charles."
Dian inclined her head slightly to return the greeting.
"I've been briefed on the situation. The soldiers survived because you secured the retreat path."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well done. If not for you, the casualties would have been far worse. Thanks to you, His Highness the Crown Prince was able to keep his forces largely intact."
"I only did what was necessary."
However, Dian shook her head.
"No, you did far more than what was necessary. While we were all charging full speed in the wrong direction, you were the only one who knew which way to go. I am simply ashamed as an adult."
Charles neither agreed nor disagreed. It was true, but admitting it in front of everyone would be like calling them all fools. Normally, Dian wouldn't have said such things publicly, but her injuries seemed to have made her unusually honest.
"Charles Jean Rochefort."
"Yes."
"From this moment on, I entrust all command of the Valboa Army to you. Until I recover my strength and can lead again, you are the leader of the Valboa Army. Support His Highness the Crown Prince well."
Charles was utterly shocked by those words. There were many knights under Dian's command, yet she had bypassed all of them to hand authority to him.
Of course, Charles had performed exceptionally. Saving thousands with only a thousand soldiers made it somewhat understandable, but it was still a radical appointment. To entrust the entire army's command to a Temporary Strategist and cadet from Arcadia Academy! It was unthinkable in normal times, and Charles wasn't the only one who felt that way.
"General! This is absurd! How can you entrust the command of the entire army to this brat! The war isn't over yet! The Northern Army will push further in! Do you really believe this novice can stop the enemy?"
It was Paul, who had been working under Charles, shouting.
'Here he goes again...'
He had belittled him from the very beginning, and now he was even raising his voice to the Professor.
"Charles is trustworthy. In fact, I was the one who was wr—ugh."
In the next moment, Dian lost consciousness. The knights panicked and called out to her, but after a quick check, the doctor said she had simply fainted. Meanwhile, the knights of the Valboa Army were in a predicament, as Dian de Valboa had told them to follow Charles just before blacking out.
"Haha, what on earth are we to do..."
No matter how many achievements he had, he was still just a cadet of Arcadia Academy. This would have been his first time commanding a real army, let alone one of this scale. Many were deeply uncomfortable with entrusting the fate of the army to such a novice.
Carrying that weight of pressure, Charles stepped into the role of Acting Commander-in-Chief.
-----
We entered a castle in the rear called Talin.
Two days after arriving, a count of the remaining soldiers showed about 15,000. Considering there were 35,000 before the battle began, the scale of the loss was staggering; more than half had either died or gone missing.
The losses were even more severe for Dian de Valboa's forces. Dian had originally commanded 5,000 men, but only 3,000 remained after the conflict.
This meant that until Dian regained consciousness, Charles was responsible for managing these 3,000 soldiers.
'Three thousand... a large number if you call it large, but small if you call it small.'
Too many to ignore, yet too few to shift the overall situation. Charles knew he had to maximize the potential of these 3,000 men.
'The best way to utilize these 3,000 would be...'
To obtain independent command. There was little point in operating under the Crown Prince, who was an incompetent strategist. To truly earn merit, Charles believed he had to move the army himself.
The following day, the Crown Prince summoned his generals.
Dian de Valboa should have attended, but since she was unconscious, Charles attended in her stead as her agent.
As Charles took his seat at the meeting table, the other nobles began to whisper.
Just as one noble was about to speak to him, the Crown Prince entered.
Charles's first impression was that the Crown Prince bore a strong resemblance to Princess Leonia. While Leonia far surpassed him in ability, they shared a similar appearance.
In other words, the Crown Prince was incredibly handsome—which was only natural, given that Princess Leonia was a stunning beauty.
As the Crown Prince appeared, the band began to play. Those seated in the meeting room rose and bowed deeply before him, and Charles did the same.
Once the Crown Prince took his seat, he spoke.
"Welcome, everyone. However, I see a face I don't recognize."
The Crown Prince looked at Charles, and Charles replied.
"I am attending on behalf of Lady Dian de Valboa. I have been entrusted with command until she awakens."
"So, you are the Temporary Strategist who secured the retreat path."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Whispers broke out around them; it seemed word of his success in securing the retreat had spread. However, the Crown Prince said nothing more, neither praising Charles's achievements nor his insight. This was likely because Charles came from a fallen noble family in the provinces; unlike Princess Leonia, the Crown Prince judged people by their birth rather than their ability.
"Well then, let us begin the military council."
With that, the formal proceedings began.
"Liam, report on the situation."
"Yes. Ten thousand Kronor soldiers have crossed the Crotea Peninsula and reached Seize Castle. Baron Albon, the castle lord, defected to the enemy the moment he heard of our defeat. As a result, Seize Castle is now in enemy hands, and Crotea Castle, located further forward, is isolated."
While it sounded complex, the situation was roughly this.
Crotea Castle sat on the far right of the map, Seize Castle to its left, and Talin Castle to the left of that.
Crotea Castle guarded the outskirts of the Crotea Peninsula, while Talin Castle guarded the entrance to the imperial mainland. Seize Castle served as the bridge between the two.
The North had established a linked defense system, but the central hub, Seize Castle, had been compromised.
If drawn on a map, it looked like this:
---------------Mountains----------------
----------Seize Castle------------
Talin Castle-----Sea-----Crotea
This meant the connection between Talin and Crotea was cut, leaving Crotea Castle stranded.
"Ten thousand Kronor soldiers are garrisoning Seize Castle, and another three thousand are besieging Crotea Castle. Sir Juan, who is defending the city, is requesting reinforcements. But as you know, Seize Castle is in the way, and its lord..."
"Betrayed us."
"Correct. Unfortunately, the central bridge has turned against us. If this continues, our front and rear lines will be severed, and Crotea Castle will fall."
Crotea Castle was Dian de Valboa's territory. If she learned her castle had fallen, she would be heartbroken upon regaining consciousness.
"Does anyone here have a way to retake Seize Castle and save Crotea Castle?"
No one raised their hand. It was no surprise; their remaining force was only 15,000, and the soldiers' morale had plummeted after the crushing defeat. How could they hope to win against the Northern Army?
However, there was one man.
"I have a plan."
Charles Jean Rochefort was the only one to quietly raise his hand.