Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Raids and the Square Formation
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Just the next day, a small cavalry unit under Sancho's orders descended the hill.
Lightly armed, they carried small crossbows, oil-soaked torches, and the like as they carried out missions of scouting the enemy camps, harassing them, and raiding supply routes.
-Tat-tat-tang!
"Tch... This won't work."
Most were blocked by the Red Dragon Legion's defenses and achieved little,
"...Is that them?"
"They're done for, completely."
but those who managed to approach the Imperial Army's camp caught sight of the Fifth Legion soldiers milling about in disarray, their morale in the gutters.
"Fire!"
"Water! Get water!"
"Forget water! Grab dirt and smother it! Hurry!"
Some even scored minor successes by targeting the Fifth Legion's relatively lax defenses.
"Their defenses are tight."
"Yes, sir. Especially their scouts—they're extremely active. Many of our men came back without even sighting the enemy camps."
"...Thorough. Shift further out. Focus on hitting their supplies."
"Understood."
Sancho focused on the failed attempts, wanting to slowly strangle the Imperial Army rather than rush into battle.
"The Red Dragon Legion is defending even up to the Fifth Legion's campsites. That also means the Fifth hasn't prepared for the next fight yet."
"Hm."
"There were occasional spots where Fifth Legion troops were on guard, but their responses were markedly sloppy. The flags they planted kept changing, and even from afar, you could sense their disorder."
"Maybe it's overstepping, but I think we should attack before they reorganize."
"Exactly! The enemy's in chaos—why aren't we hitting them?!"
"...It's not time yet."
What should have been good news—the few successful raids—only fueled the officers' impatience, weighing heavier on their shoulders.
"...the mercenary band's contract has expired."
"Renewal?"
"Here are their demands."
"..."
The mercenaries sat idle in camp, draining supplies, and jacked up their pay with every renewal.
"The troops' morale is dropping."
"Mm..."
"...We can't underestimate the Red Dragon Legion's strength, but whispers are spreading among the reinforcements that Your Excellency's being too passive. Some are even saying you're scared of the enemy."
"...Noted."
With undercurrents from Alfred and the reinforcement officers eager for a quick fight, Sancho couldn't afford any respite despite his previous victory.
"In the end, they're the ones who set foot on our soil. If we keep needling their impatience and cut their supplies, they won't hold out long before they move."
"..."
"Attacking a dug-in enemy is tough. Whether they retreat or advance, we strike when they show an opening. I've got a plan for annihilating them too—just hold on a bit longer."
"...Your Excellency is right."
For a man who still believed negotiation after enemy retreat was better than all-out war even after one victory, the officers' enthusiasm was unwelcome.
He spent each day persuading them, trying to keep them from acting alone.
"Increase the raid frequency. Have we mapped their supply routes?"
"We've narrowed down a few likely spots and are scouting them."
"...Understood."
He knew it too.
No matter his position as overall commander, he couldn't ignore the officers' calls for full battle forever.
It was the coalition army's curse.
"They won't leave the Fifth Legion idle. If they attack, we smash the ex-Fifth troops first and break them."
"From their current deployment, they'll likely cover the Red Dragon Legion's flank."
"Probably. Hm..."
While awaiting the Imperial Army's inevitable slip-up, he refined strategies with his officers to line their pockets.
---
The Kingdom Army's frequent raids wore down the Red Dragon Legion and me,
"The enemy's attack is imminent. Send troops who can't recover right away to the rear, and temporarily attach those fit for combat to the Red Dragon Legion."
"...Agreed."
but it also gave me the perfect excuse to fully integrate the Fifth Legion.
With Deputy Legion Commander Axel signaling his compliance, the temporary merger proceeded smoothly.
"The surviving cavalry will join General Heinrich Rausch's cavalry. General Otto Lindemann will command them."
"...Yes, Legion Commander."
The Fifth Legion's cavalry had suffered heavy casualties over prolonged fighting, leaving only 500 fit for the field.
Instead of keeping them separate, I temporarily attached them to the Red Dragon Legion's cavalry and appointed Otto Lindemann—who hadn't joined the mutiny—as their leader.
"The remaining 4,000 infantry will form a temporary 3rd Infantry Regiment under the Red Dragon Legion. Baron Axel Lübeck."
"Yes."
"I'd like you to take command of the 3rd Infantry Regiment. This is temporary—once the Kingdom Army fighting ends, you'll resume as Fifth Legion Deputy Commander."
"...Understood."
I merged the remaining infantry temporarily into the Red Dragon Legion's 3rd Infantry Regiment.
Though nominally under Axel's command, what mattered was that my authority was now established.
If I could command them directly, I could make use of them somehow.
We'd lost officers to punishment, death, or injury, but with even fewer troops, we weren't short on leaders.
After shuffling assignments including the officers,
"The enemy is prowling our camps with small cavalry units."
"Hm. Like the last battle—they're making heavy use of cavalry."
I called a meeting to devise a proper counter-strategy.
"Their main thrust looks more likely to come from cavalry than infantry."
"Their cavalry movements were coordinated and cunning. Armed lightly, they're hard for our cavalry to chase."
Mentioning the enemy cavalry, I turned to Axel.
"They're using mobility to target our flanks and rear, so countering that is key. Regiment Commander Axel, can the 3rd Infantry hold them off?"
Axel, looking like he'd set aside much of his pride, shook his head.
"The 3rd Infantry has low morale and poor mobility—they'd just get dragged around by enemy raids. And we lack the numbers to cover many directions."
"..."
"Plus, if we take flanks or rear, the enemy might see it as an opening. We're elite, but the sting of defeat lingers."
"...Understood."
He answered bluntly, almost brazenly.
Not wrong, so I nodded.
"Can't we just advance in good order like before? They couldn't get close while we moved."
"That's because we've fought the enemy on our terms so far. If their cavalry and infantry hit from multiple angles, a single line won't handle double our numbers."
Alexandrov showed confidence, but our situation had changed.
Before, enemy attacks came from fixed directions, letting us advance in a straight line boldly. Now, they keenly exploited gaps from our movement.
"Supply status?"
"Still ample, but past a week, no guarantees."
And time wasn't on our side.
We could fend off raids for now, but we'd hit a limit eventually.
"..."
As I pondered ways to counter attacks from all sides,
"...Ah."
Suddenly, a formation and tactic struck my mind.
The tactic once used by what were called the most elite troops.
"...Legion Commander?"
"There's a way to counter attacks from flanks, rear, and front."
I pulled out a large sheet of paper and sketched what I'd thought of.
Filling it with troop markers and such,
"...Hm?"
"A new formation?"
The sharp ones among the officers quickly grasped it.
"A formation, yes. But..."
What I'd drawn was one of the pike and shot formations etched in my memory.
I finished the near-square troop layout and noted the scale below.
"This isn't for the whole force. I'd divide us into units of about 2,000 and array each like this."
"...Mixing regular infantry and musketeers?"
"Exactly."
I confirmed a staff officer's question and began explaining.
"In this formation, the musketeers surround the infantry arrayed in a near-square. Maintaining this shape while moving lets us respond to attacks from all directions, and when the enemy closes, the central infantry steps up."
"..."
"I'd space out about six of these. They'd cover each other, so advancing in formation would blunt the enemy's mobility."
The explanation ended, but the officers kept staring at the paper, mulling it over.
Axel spoke up first.
"...Mix the 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiments with the 3rd, then split again?"
"Right."
"To execute this, each formation needs a commander, and the troops must fluidly shift shapes in combat... Without specific training, won't it be tough? Especially now, when time's short..."
Fifth Legion officers nodded in agreement, but some Red Dragon Legion staff smiled at the point.
And I smiled confidently at his puzzled look.
"...Why the smile?"
"I can do it."
"...Pardon?"
Precisely commanding troops in detail is my specialty, after all.