Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Reprimands and Reorganization
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Entering the barracks, I saw Casper and his crew with their heads bowed low.
Reprimanding them was General Ironheart. General Delbadova sat with his arms crossed, eyes squeezed shut.
Dorothy and I quietly took seats in the corner.
Ironheart shot a quick glance our way before continuing his scolding.
“You lot’s reckless actions triggered a full-scale clash! That led to six thousand casualties! Those men were wounded and killed because of you! How do you plan to make up for it!”
Casper ground his teeth and shot back.
“I believed that was the best course of action! You gave us the authority to command our units freely in the first place!”
“We didn’t give you leave to disobey the supreme commander!”
“It would’ve been fine if the plan had worked. If Ruan’s unit had arrived on time, we could’ve taken down that brute and retreated!”
At that, Ruan Chase shrugged.
“I simply prioritized the supreme commander’s orders. Besides, I didn’t like the plan from the start.”
“Ruan…!”
As Casper growled, Ruan snorted.
Ironheart looked exasperated and was about to yell again, but General Delbadova stopped him.
“Enough, Ironheart. The ultimate responsibility lies with me. It’s all on me.”
That much was true.
To put it bluntly, if I’d been supreme commander, I wouldn’t have let this happen. It was obvious they’d act out, so I would’ve sidelined them or done something to eliminate the variable.
From General Delbadova’s position, he might not have had a choice. The king himself had appointed them as commanders.
As a general directly under the royal family, Delbadova couldn’t easily touch that.
“I’ll take responsibility for this later.”
Casper’s group looked relieved for a moment.
“But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. We can’t just let officers who disobeyed orders slide. Casper Milias, Joshua Herald, Denian Geglish—from this point forward, I’m stripping you of your unit command rights.”
“You can’t…! His Majesty’s appointments aren’t for you to…”
“I’ll explain it to His Majesty. You three will now serve as my direct officers. Your former units will be reorganized, so bear that in mind.”
Casper trembled with rage. A de facto demotion.
For someone impersonating Wade, this kind of failure was unforgivable. Even one slip would invite heavy suspicion.
“Give us one more chance! I have a great plan to turn this war around!”
“No need. We’re going with the strategy Ilrain proposed.”
“I… I…!”
He seemed to want to claim he was Wade, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it to General Delbadova.
“Then let’s move on to unit reorganization, since time is short.”
General Delbadova placed their three units under his direct command.
He then divided his own royal direct troops among me, Dorothy, and Ruan.
“Als Ilrain and Dorothy Grimwood—I’m giving you my troops. Combined, you’ll each lead three thousand. Ruan Chase—you too.”
That made our three units a total of nine thousand. Effectively the main force.
Ruan clenched his fist in silent cheers. Meanwhile, Dorothy wailed about why her numbers had increased even more.
*
*
*
Our army hurried onward at dawn.
The destination was the Bian Mountains, where Bekavia’s forces were stationed. It was the only viable target, as seizing it would give us their supply lines.
To reach it, we had to pass through the Iblem Plains. Any other route meant treacherous terrain we couldn’t handle without supplies.
That was why the enemy had tried so hard to pin us down yesterday.
If we advanced too quickly, their pincer timing would be off, and we might choose a different path bypassing the Iblem Plains.
‘Maybe it worked out for the best.’
Whether the clash happened or not, we were using the enemy’s scheme against them, so we planned to take the Iblem Plains anyway. Skipping the fight might’ve raised unnecessary suspicions.
No casualties, fast advance, yet stubbornly sticking to the Iblem Plains—it could’ve looked fishy.
So yesterday’s skirmish became a kind of method acting.
The enemy now had no doubts about us taking the Iblem Plains.
The western army that clashed with us trailed about eight hundred meters behind.
Then, around noon, it finally happened.
“Enemy ahead! Battle stations, full army!”
The enemy appeared in a cloud of dust. Toonkai’s forces.
Roughly thirty thousand strong.
We were now caught in a pincer from front and rear.
In this tactically desperate bind, reinforcements arrived right on cue.
“Save the Caliper army!”
Bekavia’s relief force stabbed into Toonkai’s flank. Another thirty thousand.
‘This is the pivot.’
From the enemy’s view, they could’ve just fought here without issue.
Numbers were even anyway.
I’d prepared for a pitched battle, though slim odds—planning to convince General Ironheart for partial command and hit them with tactics.
Luckily, it didn’t come to that.
“Retreat! Fall back!”
As Bekavia crashed in, Toonkai began withdrawing. The western force behind us bypassed the battlefield and pulled out.
We couldn’t pursue.
No supplies on our end.
Bekavia’s army arrived towing several supply wagons—for our emergency resupply.
Our soldiers cheered at the sight of the wagon train.
*
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*
The Bekavia relief force that arrived.
Its supreme commander, Balli Austin, let out a sigh of relief.
“We made it just in time, Princess Sophia.”
“…”
“Princess?”
“Ah, yes. So we did.”
Sophia felt an odd dissonance.
‘Why did the enemy attack the Caliper army?’
Even from Bekavia’s perspective, Caliper had been annoying, just sitting back instead of helping.
The western preemptive supply cut was weird too.
‘Reports said they cut supplies first.’
A solid tactical move, forcing Caliper into a corner.
‘Caliper’s no better. Not even trying to reclaim their supply line, just charging straight up.’
Whatever, Caliper engaged, and without supplies, they ended up on the run.
That drew General Landon Crowe of Toonkai south with thirty thousand toward them.
Sophia had no choice.
She couldn’t just watch Caliper get wiped out.
So she matched Toonkai’s numbers with her own relief force, prepped supply wagons, and went.
“Something bothering you…?”
“A little. Let’s go meet Caliper’s officers first.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After ordering other officers to handle supplies, Sophia headed to the Caliper camp.
Balli Austin, thinking her tense, tried lightening the mood with a joke.
“By the way, did you know? Wade’s supposedly in the Caliper camp now.”
“Wade?”
“Yeah, Casper Milias, the prodigy of the Milias Marquisate. They say he’s being treated as Wade in Caliper.”
“What nonsense.”
“Haha, you think so too, Princess?”
“It’s a cheap ploy to rally the masses. Idolizing for politics, even impersonating. Disgusting.”
“Still, when you meet Casper, go easy on him. He’s favored by the Salleon faction, one of Caliper’s two major groups. No point provoking them.”
“I know.”
Arriving where Caliper’s officers were, Sophia gaped in shock.
“W-W-Wade!?”
Seeing Als’s face, she recoiled. Als, half-expecting her, put a finger to his lips and winked.
“Shh!”
“…!”
The gesture snapped her back.
“Princess? Wade?”
“N-No! I mean, yes, that’s right. Caliper has Casper Milias! He’s the one they call Wade! Silly me. Ho ho…”
From Sophia’s position, outing Als was impossible.
Especially now, allied with Crossing— no reason to upset him.
“What are you saying, Princess? You just called it nonsense…”
“Quiet, Balli!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Caliper’s side was equally stunned by her reaction.
The genius princess endorsing Casper as Wade?
Delbadova looked baffled but extended a hand first.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Delbadova Rguin, Caliper’s supreme commander.”
“Balli Austin. Supreme commander of Bekavia’s First Army.”
“And you’re… the genius princess, I take it.”
Sophia gave a light nod, then eyed Caliper’s officers.
“Pleased. Sophia Veron. If possible, could you introduce your subordinate officers? So many young faces—it’s intriguing.”
“Hmm. These are ones His Majesty personally selected. Cadets, really.”
“Cadets, huh. I see.”
“Starting here: Casper Milias. Joshua Herald, Ruan Chase, Denian Geglish, Dorothy Grimwood. Als Ilrain.”
“Hmm? Hmm. Hmmm.”
Sophia glared at Als suspiciously. Als muttered just loud enough.
“Genius princess… Pfft!”
“You…!!”
Catching it somehow, Sophia flushed.
“Let’s skip more intros and head in. We were about to hold a staff meeting.”
“Very well.”
The joint Caliper-Bekavia staff conference.
While they met, the western forces and Toonkai moved swiftly.
*
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*
Even with thirty thousand pulling out from Sophia and Balli Austin’s Bekavia camp, it wasn’t a big issue.
Facing Toonkai had dispatched the same thirty thousand, so forces balanced.
If the enemy tried anything, Bekavia’s Second Army up top could help.
Just hold until Sophia returned.
With Caliper’s watchers now joining the front, the war situation improved even.
Bian Mountains were easy to defend; perfect for stalling if enemies pressed.
They’d prepped for various scenarios.
But no one predicted this.
Thud thud! Thud thud! Thud thud!
Dust rose. Bekavia soldiers rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
Four thousand cavalry charging from the distant plains.
“Alert! Emergeeeency!”
Chaos in the camp. With Sophia and Austin absent, panic worsened.
The temporary commander couldn’t speak.
“We’re done for…!”
A mobile ambush. Toonkai’s specialty with cavalry.
They’d guarded against it, but…
“Damn them! They hid it perfectly…!”
This cavalry had lain low in Toonkai territory, not joining the front. Bekavia’s spies, focused domestically, couldn’t spot it.
When Sophia’s army left to save Caliper, they bolted full speed here.
Spies caught it then, but cavalry outpaced them.
“Enemy advancing!”
Toonkai’s ten thousand infantry in standoff now climbed toward Bian Mountains.
“Stay calm! This is mountains! Cavalry can’t…”
But thud thud! Toonkai cavalry charged up regardless.
Leading them: a young man and a woman in her prime.
“Push straight in!”
“Ash! You’re too far ahead!”
They forced a breach, crumbling Bekavia’s defensive lines. Soon infantry closed in.
Outnumbered, Bekavia judged they couldn’t hold, withdrew, and retreated to Arandal.