32
Chapter 32
Tap, tap, tap.
An anxious sound echoed through the quiet military camp. It was the sound of the Crown Prince's fingers repeatedly drumming on the wooden table.
"Your Highness."
"What is it! Have you heard from the detachment?"
Slam! The Crown Prince stood up, striking the table, but the retainer's response was different.
"It is time for your meal."
"..."
The Crown Prince sat back down and began drumming on the table once again.
About five minutes passed.
"Messenger!"
"What is it! Have you heard from the detachment?"
"Yes! Charles Jean Rochefort's detachment has won a great victory and cut off the enemy's supply lines!"
In that moment, the Crown Prince felt an indescribable rush of euphoria. If the enemy's supplies were cut, they would have to retreat. Then, Seize Castle and Crotea Castle would practically be his.
He had been defeated by an enemy half his size. It was a massive humiliation. But now, it was time for him to settle the score.
"Listen up, everyone! The enemy's supply lines are severed, and they cannot fight effectively! Advance and annihilate them! This is our revenge for the Imor River!"
At the Crown Prince's command, the retainers began to move busily. The prelude to the pursuit of Seize Castle had begun.
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What is the weakest army in the world?
An undertrained army? No. An army lacking discipline? Not that either. The answer is an 'army whose supply lines have been cut.'
Undertrained soldiers can always gain experience to become veteran soldiers. Discipline can change entirely depending on the quality of the commander.
However, the impact of supplies on an army is clear. An army without food, with dull blades and tattered armor—such an army is the weakest in the world. No matter how elite the soldiers are, their combat effectiveness plummets the moment their food runs out.
This was precisely the case for Grand Duke Kronor's army. With their supply lines severed by Charles, the morale of the Grand Duke's forces dropped lower than ever.
The Grand Duke first split his army in two: five thousand under his own command and five thousand under Emilia. He stationed Emilia's force at the very rear to block the Crown Prince's Army, while he led his own five thousand to the front to push back Charles's forces by force.
Charles and Juan's force of about three thousand soldiers fought just enough to pretend to be pushed back, then pivoted to strike the rear of the retreating enemy. It was a maneuver that Leonia would later describe as an artistic display of military command.
While Emilia von Kronor's detachment suffered at the hands of the Crown Prince's Army, Karl von Kronor's main force was decimated by Charles Jean Rochefort's detachment. Caught in this double pincer, the Grand Duchy's army inevitably suffered catastrophic losses.
This conflict, later known as the Withdrawal from Seize Castle, was evaluated not as a brilliant scheme by the Crown Prince, but as a decisive blunder by Grand Duke Kronor. It was also the moment when Charles Jean Rochefort's reputation truly took off for his ability to sharply exploit the enemy's mistake.
It is said that of the 15,000 soldiers in the Kronor army, only 5,000 remained by the time they returned to the North.
The Crown Prince seized the momentum to capture several more castles in the North. He had managed to acquire the very castles he was originally destined to lose.
After the battle, the Crown Prince reportedly wore a beaming, joyful expression for several months. It was understandable; although he had lost more than half his men and nearly lost the castles, he had secured the territory, thus saving his pride.
Eventually, after all the fighting ceased, the war was evaluated as follows.
Grand Duke Kronor was a capable fighter, but he was ignorant of how to manage a large-scale army. Because of this, he made a grave error that proved fatal for the Northern Army.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince managed to save face. Although he suffered heavy defeats in individual battles, he captured several castles, allowing some to view the war as a victory of sorts. That was the general consensus.
Having gained territory despite the loss of soldiers, the Crown Prince would be able to make a comeback.
But what of Grand Duke Kronor? Having caused the loss of so many soldiers belonging to the nobles who had answered his call, he could no longer hold his head high in the North.
In a feudal society, a leader's face was equivalent to the prestige of the state. Hard times lay ahead for the Grand Duke. Winter was coming for him.
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"Tell me what you desire."
These were the first words the Crown Prince spoke after the Withdrawal from Seize Castle.
"Charles Jean Rochefort, you have performed a great service. I shall reward you, so ask for anything. Money? Honor? Or perhaps you wish for me to arrange a marriage with the daughter of a ducal house?"
Marriage to a daughter of a ducal house. It was a staggering proposal, especially coming from the status-obsessed Crown Prince.
A marriage into a ducal house. What did that truly mean? The answer was simple: the Crown Prince was offering to fix the only flaw in Charles's life—his birth.
By marrying into such a family, he would no longer have to endure whispers about being from fallen local nobility, and his background would no longer hinder his rise to important positions.
The ducal house would benefit by currying favor with the Crown Prince, and Charles could overcome his humble origins. But what was in it for the Crown Prince?
That was the real question. Why would a man who judged everyone by their birth go so far as to elevate someone else's status? The answer was simple...
"Charles Jean Rochefort. Become my retainer."
Exactly. That was the goal. The Crown Prince had made this shocking offer to lure Charles into his inner circle. By marrying him to the daughter of one of his aides, he calculated that Charles would be unable to leave his side. How would Charles handle this?
"Your Highness."
"Speak."
"I am deeply grateful for such a generous offer, but I am still a student. I wish to focus on my studies."
At those words, Liam wore a delighted expression. He felt relieved, believing his own position was no longer under threat.
'I never even wanted your spot in the first place.'
Charles thought to himself that it was absurd for Liam to be fighting a one-sided war that Charles had no interest in.
"Your dedication is commendable, but it would be in your best interest to join me immediately. The reason cadets at Arcadia Academy gain experience is so they may eventually join our ranks. I am simply opening that door for you earlier than others. Why would you refuse such a generous offer?"
To be fair, he wasn't entirely wrong. Arcadia Academy was essentially a military school, and most cadets aimed to join the Crown Prince's faction, as it was the most powerful. To them, his camp was the absolute pinnacle of success.
However, there was one blind spot. The Crown Prince's faction was destined to collapse in the near future. Knowing that, there was no reason to join them.
"Your Highness, I am indeed grateful for your generosity. However, my abilities are still far lacking, and I believe I require more study."
"I shall provide you with a private tutor."
"I believe there is no place that offers teachers of higher quality than the Academy."
To this, even the Crown Prince could not argue. Arcadia Academy hired instructors with proven records from all walks of life. First-rate generals and retired top-tier diplomats became professors. Since the best in their fields taught the students, there was no better place to learn than Arcadia Academy.
"I see. In that case, I will wait until you graduate."
Sorry, but I'm still not joining your side even then... Charles thought to himself while bowing his head.
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Regardless of whether he joined the Crown Prince's camp, Charles was rewarded for his achievements.
He received various items totaling around 10,000 ducats.
To put it in perspective, 10,000 ducats was enough to build a real castle capable of housing thousands, not just a small fort.
It was also an amount that could buy an average mid-sized mercenary group—not just hire them, but buy them outright.
While the wealth was great, the far more significant gain was the fame he had acquired.
Having secured the retreat at the Imor River and severed the enemy's supply lines during the Withdrawal from Seize Castle, Charles's name began to be whispered among socialites.
Consequently, the number of people who recognized his name within the Academy grew steadily.
Then, as the break ended, he was in the carriage returning to the Academy.
"Why are there so many people gathered over there?"
When Charles asked, the coachman simply shook his head as if he didn't know.
And as Charles's carriage passed by...
-Waaaaah!!!
"W-what is this?"
As Charles stood there bewildered, voices began to chant his name from all directions.
-Charles! Charles! Charles!
Politically, it was a war between the Crown Prince and Grand Duke Kronor, but to the public, it was the Empire against an external enemy; thus, Charles had become a hero.