Chapter 26
Chapter 26
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Dispatch
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the day of dispatch had arrived.
The two legions assembled before the capital's Adria Castle were conducting their departure ceremony, listening to the emperor's address of encouragement from atop the castle gates.
Until yesterday, their discipline had been a complete mess, but there was no way they could show such a sight even in front of the emperor. Yuno had summoned all the commanders at dawn, rousing the entire army and drilling them relentlessly to establish at least a minimum level of discipline. It had some effect, as the two legions now stood without any disarray before the emperor.
Wearing an awkward uniform, Yuno stood at the very front of the legions alongside Crown Prince Franz, listening to half the emperor's dispatch speech with one ear while letting the other half flow past as he checked his physical condition once more.
Circulating mana through his body once, he felt not only refreshed but also an overflowing strength in every muscle. With energy surging through him, even his mind cleared up. He attributed this to the effect of spending the night nestled in Katrin Aragon's breasts, silently offering his master another word of thanks in his heart.
The ceremony concluded as the emperor descended from the gates and bestowed the commander-in-chief's standard upon the crown prince. The two legions then began their march westward.
"Yuno, I'll head ahead and join the 1st Legion. You stick to the plan: lead the 10th and 11th Legions, cut off enemy supplies heading to Streb Fortress while we assault it, and stay vigilant against any potential reinforcements."
Franz planned to use spatial translocation to join the 1st, 4th, and 5th Legions first, consolidating them into the 1st Army, then attack Streb Fortress the moment Yuno's 2nd Army crossed the border.
"Yes, brother. I'll do my utmost."
"Please support Yuno well, Young Lord Kent."
"Hahaha, no need to worry, Your Highness Crown Prince! The Windrage Army under my command is the finest elite on the eastern front! Plus, I've brought the Windforce Knights, so I guarantee no enemies will come up from the south!"
Franz shook hands with Kent Windrage, instructed Yuno to send a communication at least once a day no matter what, and vanished via spatial translocation.
"Now then, shall we set off, Third Imperial Prince? Just trust this uncle of yours, and I promise victory in this war. Hahaha!"
Yuno eyed his boisterous uncle with a gaze tinged with doubt.
In this campaign, Yuno's maternal uncle, Kent Windrage, had been appointed commander of the 11th Legion, responsible for the southern sector of the assault. Since Yuno was concurrently commanding the 10th Legion and moving with them, a separate commander for the 11th was needed, and Kent had been selected.
Kent Windrage had once been nothing more than a playboy wastrel, but rumors said the Windrage Duke's strict education over the past six years had reformed him somewhat. More crucially, the duke—concerned for Yuno on his first campaign—had sent his eldest son along with 5,000 elite troops and ten senior knights from the Windforce Order.
The Windrage Duke had advised limiting Kent's rank to chiliarch regardless of the troops sent, but practically, that was impossible.
There was no guarantee other noble sons appointed as legion commanders would outperform Kent, and seating some middling count's or marquis's son in the role would only provoke Kent's backlash. Judging that Kent, as his uncle, was preferable if abilities were comparable, Yuno had appointed him to the 11th Legion—but he couldn't shake the chill in his chest.
Though uneasy about Legion Commander Kent, the 5,000 Windrage troops he brought were armed and disciplined on par with the empire's regular army, so Yuno resolved to trust the soldiers over the commander. Even during the march, the Windrage contingent in the 11th Legion maintained ironclad discipline incomparable to the 10th.
Moreover, seeing the young novice chiliarchs—appointed as such—being gently coached and assisted by veteran chiliarchs as their deputies eased Yuno's mind somewhat.
The 11th Legion offered some reassurance, but the problem lay with the 10th Legion under his direct command.
While marching to the Theseito border, Yuno had trained the 10th Legion in spare moments, whipping the utterly disorganized mercenaries—private soldiers through and through—into something worthy of being called an imperial legion.
Over the past month, Yuno had studied military science through the night, marched by day, and trained the legion in the evenings.
Initially, the soldiers grumbled about marching by day and training before dinner, but when their legion commander, deputy army commander, and imperial prince rolled in the dirt alongside them, the complaints swiftly died down.
Following Richtenaur Count's advice to win the soldiers' hearts, Yuno ate with them, listened to their grievances, led from the front in training without using mana, and during inspections, shared his own wine and snacks with those on guard duty.
Of course, the wine came with the condition of drinking only after shift changes, but when had these country bumpkin recruits ever tasted fine liquor bestowed by royalty?
The soldiers received Yuno's gifts with trembling hands, too awestruck to even think of drinking casually.
For dinner, he even dipped into his personal funds to provide quality rations, so by the start of the march, voices cursing Yuno had turned to praises, and the 10th Legion grew stronger under his command as a true imperial force.
But there was an unforeseen side effect Yuno hadn't anticipated.
"What in the world is His Highness the Third Prince thinking? Mingling with those ignorant rabble—how does that help? Demoting us to deputies! It's outrageous!"
"If we'd supported him well, we could've led him to victory... What a pity."
"Indeed! We should've known something was up from the first day he shut down our drinking parties."
"Tch! Think being a Swordmaster makes him all that? In a large-scale war, the commander's ability matters, not individual soldier prowess..."
"Maybe because he's not the legitimate heir. If Second Prince Heinrich were here, it'd be different..."
"Hey! Watch your mouth! We're not alone here!"
"Just saying! Come on, let's drink."
It was the noble sons, resentful of Yuno's neglect. Seeing them carouse daily with wine and the prostitutes they'd brought from the capital, Yuno had finally drawn his sword.
About a fortnight into the march, he raided their drinking party, stripped them of command, and handed authority to the most senior privates.
At first, even those seniors—originally private soldiers of the nobles—feared reprisals back home, but Yuno promised to shelter them personally if needed, so they swore loyalty and began ordering the noble sons around as deputies.
These "noble sons" were currently titleless commoners—effectively flat civilians—so it was feasible.
Their resentment soared to the heavens, but Yuno ignored it.
Regardless of the noble sons' complaints, the march continued, and after over a month, the Valkan Empire's Theseito Expeditionary 2nd Army reached the western edge of the Jenon Plains.
"Uncle, I'm counting on you for the southern sector. Keep communications constant, and if you spot the enemy, don't engage—report to me first before acting."
"Hahaha, don't worry, Your Highness Yuno. Just trust your uncle here. Uhahaha!"
Nearing the border, Yuno's Expeditionary 2nd Army split into two. The 10th Legion under Yuno headed west of Streb, while Kent's 11th went south, and a magic communication went out to Franz's 1st Army simultaneously.
"Hm! Yuno just crossed the border. 1st Legion Commander! Are the troops ready?"
"Yes, Your Highness. All soldiers of the 1st, 4th, and 5th Legions are prepared."
"4th Legion Commander! Any issues with supplies? Once we cross, it's Theseito soil! Ensure not a single grain of wheat is delayed!"
"Current rations suffice for half a year for the entire 1st Army, and we'll maintain supply lines flawlessly!"
"5th Legion Commander! You're handling siege weapons, right? How far along is production?"
"Ninety percent complete. We'll assemble at Streb—easier to transport and conceal that way."
"Good! We march too! Expeditionary 1st Army—cross the border toward midnight and reach Streb within 24 hours!"
"As you command, Your Highness!"
That dawn, Franz's Expeditionary 1st Army also crossed into Theseito. Thus began Yuno's first battle: the Bloody Fortress, Streb.