28
Chapter 28
"I have a strategy."
The nobles were appalled when Charles raised his hand.
"How presumptuous! To dare voice an opinion before His Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Everyone here is a noble or imperial; this is no place for a mere academy cadet to speak!"
The old fogeys caused a brief commotion, but the Crown Prince soon raised his hand.
"Enough. He is Dian's proxy. While he holds that position, he must be treated as an equal to her. You may speak."
The nobles looked reluctant, but since the order came from the Crown Prince, they could do nothing but bow their heads.
Charles took out a map he had prepared and spread it out for the Crown Prince.
"This is where we are now, Talin Castle."
The Crown Prince nodded. Charles then pointed his finger to the right.
"And here is Crotea Castle. It's defended by a thousand garrison soldiers, but it's only a matter of time before it falls."
"Sir Juan is a capable commander. I'm sure he can hold out for a long time."
"Whether he holds out long or short is uncertain, but if we do nothing, it will inevitably fall. The real question is how we can move to save Crotea Castle."
"Save it?"
The Crown Prince's eyes widened. He hadn't believed that Crotea Castle could actually be saved.
"Let's think about this calmly. Why is it that our army of fifteen thousand stationed at Talin Castle cannot go to rescue Crotea Castle?"
"That is because... Seize Castle is blocking the way in the center."
Seize Castle sat between Talin and Crotea, with mountains to the north and the sea to the south, making it impossible to enter Crotea without passing through Seize. The problem was that ten thousand Kronor troops were stationed there. Any attempt to cross would inevitably lead to an interception by the Kronor army. However...
"To be precise, it isn't Seize Castle that is blocking the way."
Charles said this and pointed elsewhere.
"Strictly speaking, it's the sea that's in the way."
Indeed, the sea lay between Talin and Crotea. It was only because they were trying to travel by land that they were blocked by Seize Castle.
"We go across the sea. Directly from Talin Castle to Crotea Castle."
"..."
"..."
After a moment of silence.
The Crown Prince asked a question. However, he wasn't speaking to Charles, but to one of his subordinates.
"Liam."
"Yes."
Liam de Bordeaux. Though not as young as Charles, he was a relatively young strategist for the Crown Prince in his late twenties. Being close in age to the Crown Prince, they got along well.
Though he didn't rank among the top strategists in the world.
He was a decent enough strategist to be useful. However, he had one fatal flaw: his personality was terrible. His subordinates were likely in for a rough time.
Then, the Crown Prince asked Liam de Bordeaux.
"Do you believe Charles Jean Rochefort's plan is realistic?"
Liam pondered for a moment...
"It is a plan I had considered as well."
As he spoke, the room began to buzz. The nobles started whispering among themselves.
"However."
As Liam continued, the whispering began to die down.
"Upon review, we lack the necessary ships. Even if we gather every vessel docked at Talin Castle and the surrounding cities, we have only thirty merchant ships. Even if we clear out all the cargo space, it's impossible to transport fifteen thousand soldiers."
The Crown Prince sighed. He then spoke.
"In that case, the plan is discar—"
"It's possible with three thousand!"
The Crown Prince stopped mid-sentence at Charles's sudden outburst.
"What?"
"Excluding the wounded, there are exactly three thousand soldiers left in the Valboa Army. As the interim commander of the Valboa Army, I will take responsibility and cross over to the Crotea Peninsula with only the Valboa forces."
"...!"
Gasps erupted from all corners of the room. After a long silence, the one to speak was the Crown Prince's strategist, Liam.
"Charles Jean Rochefort, was it?"
"Yes."
"Charles, let me ask you one question. What would happen if three thousand Kronor troops invaded the area around our Talin Castle by sea?"
The moment he heard those words, Charles realized Liam's intention.
'Liam de Bordeaux, you bastard. You're trying to screw me over.'
But he had to answer carefully. If he avoided the question, the Crown Prince would see it as a defeat to Liam. To avoid losing this battle of wills, it was best to take a direct approach.
"The Kronor detachment will be surrounded by our forces, cut off from food supplies, and starve to death."
At those words, gasps of admiration echoed from the nobles.
"Charles Jean Rochefort. If that's the case, wouldn't the same thing happen if three thousand of our men sailed to the enemy's rear? They'd be surrounded in the rear, cut off from supplies, and die. I'm simply expressing my concern for you."
Concern my ass. He's just trying to keep me in check as a fellow strategist.
Despite these thoughts, I didn't let my voice falter. Even a second of lag could make it look like Liam was controlling the flow. In a debate, appearing to win is often more important than actually winning.
"The difference between our forces and the enemy is that we can coordinate with the main force."
"Coordinate with the main force?"
"The moment the Valboa Army crosses to the Crotea Peninsula, Your Highness will march toward Seize Castle. This will force the enemy's main force into a standoff with Your Highness, preventing them from sending reinforcements to the siege army at Crotea Castle. Meanwhile, I will join forces with the garrison at Crotea Castle to annihilate the siege army and cut off the enemy's supply lines. In this scenario, it is the Kronor siege army, not I, who will be isolated."
Liam's eyes widened at Charles's words. It seemed he hadn't considered such a maneuver. Soon after, Liam began to laugh loudly.
"Hahaha!"
The nobles looked puzzled by Liam's laughter. The Crown Prince felt the same.
"I'm impressed. To be honest, that was a very intriguing plan. Charles Jean Rochefort, you truly are a capable academy cadet."
"..."
That's strange. Liam isn't the type to give compliments so easily.
"However, there is one blind spot in your plan."
Typical. I wonder what he'll nitpick now.
"The fact is that our thirty-five thousand have already lost to the Kronor's fifteen thousand. The enemy's morale is soaring following such a massive victory. If twelve thousand of Your Highness's troops face ten thousand of the Kronor army... your plan might work if the standoff continues, but do you really think the Kronor army won't advance to attack Your Highness's forces?"
Honestly, it was an expected point. More than just expected, Charles had actually baited him into saying it. Liam de Bordeaux had fallen right into Charles's trap, precisely because he knew nothing about him.
'From here on, it's a battle of emotion, not logic. Watch closely, Liam. This is how you handle an incompetent monarch like Crown Prince Leonhardt.'
Thinking this, Charles gave a meaningful smile and turned his gaze away from Liam. He looked toward...
"Your Highness."
Charles knelt before the Crown Prince.
"Forgive my rudeness, but may I ask one question?"
The Crown Prince answered immediately.
"You may."
Then, Charles uttered the words he had prepared.
"Is our army weaker than the enemy's?"
"..."
"..."
The room fell silent at the sudden, audacious question.
Liam de Bordeaux frowned, as if realizing he had made a mistake. Being a capable strategist himself, he immediately grasped where he had erred. In that moment, he sensed his defeat.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince was torn. His thirty-five thousand had lost to fifteen thousand. Perhaps his army truly was weaker—enough to be defeated by a force less than half its size. But if he admitted that, what would happen to his dignity? The nobles here were all influential people. If he showed weakness before them, how would he be treated upon his return?
Yet, insisting they were strong after losing to a vastly smaller force was equally absurd. Claiming his army was powerful despite such an embarrassing defeat would only further damage his pride. Thus, the Crown Prince remained silent, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Just as he began to regret permitting the question, the arrogant brat who had asked it spoke again.
"Your Highness's army is incredibly strong."
"!?"
"What?"
Charles's unexpected comment surprised not only the nobles but the Crown Prince himself. A strong army that lost to half its size? Everyone thought it, but no one dared say it, for to do so would be to insult the Crown Prince's dignity. Charles continued.
"Your Highness's army is strong! Morale is high, equipment is superior, and the numbers are vast. The reason for the previous defeat was the river. Ask the soldiers yourself. Did they lose because the enemy was too strong? No. They lost because of the freezing ice and the mud that seeped through their armor. I have already heard such testimonies from dozens of soldiers."
"..."
"While our troops believe they lost simply because they were weak, the enemy knows the truth. Therefore, if a standoff occurs again, they will not be the ones to attack first. They have no guarantee of victory in a second fight."
A murmur began to spread through the room. People debated whether his words were true. However, there was one man who had already reached a conclusion in his heart. It was the Crown Prince.
"He's right..."
"Pardon?"
"Your Highness, what did you just say...?"
The Crown Prince found the previous defeat utterly humiliating. He, who prided himself on possessing the strongest army in the world, had lost to a force less than half his size—and to the Northern Army, which he had considered far weaker than the Central Army. He felt like he could die of embarrassment. That was why Charles's words, praising the Crown Prince's army as strong, were music to his ears.
"He is right! Our army is not weak! We lost simply because we fought in the wrong terrain! If we fight again, we will win!"
The nobles whispered at the Crown Prince's reaction, but Charles alone smirked as if he had expected this. Charles had cleared the game playing as Crown Prince Leonhardt von Arcadia. Thus, he knew Leonhardt's personality well. Proud, arrogant, and believing himself to always be the best. He knew Leonhardt would never fully admit defeat, and he had exploited that.
"Liam de Bordeaux."
At the Crown Prince's call, Liam quietly bowed his head.
"Charles is correct. Our army is powerful. If our main force fights the enemy's main force again, we will be victorious. To think we would lose to the likes of the Kronor army suggests that you were the one in error."
Liam thought to himself. Honestly, he had over a hundred points he wanted to argue, but the stupidest thing one could do in the Crown Prince's army was to talk back to the prince. Thus, he simply kept his head lowered and replied.
"Yes. It was my oversight."
"Since you understand, follow Charles Jean Rochefort's plan. Gather the ships for the Valboa Army. Do it now."
Liam wore a look of utter dismay, while Charles calmly accepted his victory.