Chapter 90
Chapter 90
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Bekavia and Caliper's Joint Military Conference
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bekavia and Caliper's joint military conference.
As they entered the military meeting, Sophia probed tentatively.
"What do you think the enemy's intentions are?"
This was a question for General Delbadova, but indirectly for Als as well.
General Delbadova nodded.
"In truth, our advance this far was all part of their plan."
"Part of their plan?"
"From the moment the enemy attacked into the Karlon Mountains, we worked to discern their intentions. Why attack our stationary forces?"
"We found the answer."
"Indeed. It was Ilrain here who made the deduction."
"Hmm? I see. Als Ilrain. Ilrain... Hmmm."
"What's the matter?"
"It's nothing. The name's just unfamiliar, so it caught my interest. So? What were their intentions?"
"Hm, Ilrain. Explain it yourself."
This was to give him face. It pushed Als forward so his achievements wouldn't all go to Delbadova.
It was unnecessary from Als's perspective.
Als let out a small sigh and pointed to the map as he explained.
"The enemy's goal is simple. Use ambush forces to break through the Biyan Mountains you're defending and encircle Arandal positioned behind it."
"Arandal!? What nonsense is that! There are no such ambush forces to begin with!"
"Of course your intelligence network wouldn't have caught them. They'd been lying low within Tunka i territory. Aren't you focusing your spies inside your own borders right now?"
"You're right. But even if ambush forces emerged from Tunka i territory, they'd be detected by our network during their march."
"That's why those ambush forces will consist entirely of cavalry. Even if spotted, they won't lag in a speed war."
"No way..."
It was then.
"Urgent report! A cavalry force of four thousand has suddenly appeared, heading for the Biyan Mountains!"
"See?"
Bekavia's officers fell silent.
"The enemy's aim is to encircle Arandal, cut off your supply lines, and seize advantageous positions to force us to attack. Now that your supplies are severed, that's your only option left."
"Why go through all this if you knew?!"
"To turn it against them."
With that, Als pointed to a spot.
"When the enemy forms cavalry to target the Biyan Mountains, the place they're hiding them is almost certainly here."
"Harbart Fortress...!"
"Exactly. In that case, the shortest route to the Biyan Mountains would be like this. Knowing that reveals how their supply lines are formed. And where their supply depots are."
Als pointed to four spots.
"We won't go rescue Arandal. Instead, we'll strike into Tunka i territory. We'll raid their supply depots along that route to cover our shortages."
It was a sort of chicken game. Als was essentially saying to the enemy, "Let's see who blinks first."
"In the end, they'll be the desperate ones. They're the invaders. If we push into Tunka i territory, their supplies will grind to a halt. The Western forces, coming from afar, are undoubtedly reliant on Tunka i for logistics. They can't sit idle if that's threatened."
"What if they turn back to annihilate us? There won't be an easy escape route. You're not suggesting we all die after the plan succeeds, are you?"
It was Bali Austin's question.
Als gave a simple answer.
"We escape through this point."
"Isn't that... Albad Kingdom territory?"
"Diplomatically, Albad has no reason to refuse us. Even if they do, it hardly matters. Tunka i and the Westerners pursuing us won't dare enter Albad territory either. We slip in briefly, then exit toward Bekavia. If Albad mobilizes en masse against us, that'd be trouble, but the odds are extremely low. Extremely."
"That makes sense. Albad has no reason to antagonize us now. Hm, it's perfect. Astonishingly so."
"You're too kind."
"No exaggeration. This plan... it resembles the tactic Wade used in the Madon-Caliper War. Wade marched into Albad territory in reverse, tilting the entire war."
"..."
"It might even be more difficult than that. You had to pinpoint supply routes and depots. Of course, Wade had already achieved an improbable victory against Julian Craig's forces beforehand, so direct comparison is tough... Brilliant. Als Ilrain, was it? I shouldn't say this lightly, but I get why they call Caliper's generation the Golden One."
The praise continued. Als glanced at Sophia as if to say, "Shut him up," but she stared at the map with a grave expression.
Then she spoke.
"...No."
"Princess? Why suddenly..."
"This plan won't work!"
"Is there a problem?"
"Of course! Arandal will be in danger!"
What Sophia objected to was that it was ultimately a chicken game.
She feared the enemy might call their bluff.
"What if the enemy doesn't withdraw and pillages Arandal, slaughtering our people? Even if we win the war, Bekavia would collapse! Arandal is that kind of city!"
Bekavia's second city, accounting for much of its national power. As she said, if Arandal fell, the already weakened Bekavia couldn't endure and would perish.
Als retorted as if to say, what are you talking about.
"There's no way the enemy has time for that. Staying put severs their supplies completely."
"They could pillage Arandal for supplies!"
"Even then, it won't last. They'll waste time and isolate themselves. Crossing's forces won't let that slide. The enemy will surely abandon Arandal and retreat."
"What if they still attack?"
"...It'd be tragic. But it won't happen."
"You don't know that!"
To Sophia, her people's lives and the nation's survival came first. Victory in war was only for that.
Als argued that winning the war would resolve it naturally, but Sophia wanted to secure the nation's survival first, then win.
"Princess. Think rationally. As he says, the enemy has no window to besiege Arandal. Withdrawal is likely."
"Likely, but not certain. I can't approve this plan!"
Even Austin's persuasion failed to sway Sophia's stubbornness.
Irritated by the sight, Als spoke harshly.
"Then what? Charge the prepared enemy? To save Arandal?"
"If we must, we will."
"What about the countless soldiers who'll die in the process? My plan saves their lives and keeps Arandal safe!"
"Even with soldier sacrifices, Arandal's guaranteed safety matters more to me."
"Hah! You won't listen."
Als turned to Bali Austin. As supreme commander, override Sophia and decide.
But Austin lacked that authority. He was nominal commander; Sophia held most military power.
This was because Bekavia had recently lost many capable generals. If Grand General Karl Maxmen lived, he'd ignore Sophia and proceed, but Maxmen fell to Wade in the Three Lions War.
"...Sorry. We'll head to rescue Arandal."
"Unbelievable."
Als laughed in disbelief and lashed out at Sophia.
"You're incompetent. And yet they call you genius princess, supreme strategist. Have some shame."
"Say what you want."
Despite Als openly rebuking the princess, none of Bekavia's officers retorted or got angry.
That was the situation.
*
*
*
After the military meeting ended.
I sat on a rock to get some air. Dorothy approached me.
"Feeling a bit better?"
"Hoo! Why are there so many trolls around me?"
"Trolls? What's that?"
"Doesn't matter."
In the Polldik Mountains battle, the fat general who only cared for himself. In the Madon War, the Salleon faction who started war on their own. In the Chimera War, Dunan and his aides.
"At least General Delbadova was reasonable this time. Who knew trouble would come from the other side."
"Haha..."
Dorothy smiled wryly, then spoke as if resolved.
"I get Princess Sophia's thinking too. Not that I should say it now, but I think we should have informed Bekavia of this plan first."
"Sent a messenger? If intercepted, it's all for naught. Even if the contents weren't caught, just sending one to Bekavia would arouse suspicion. That's why we didn't."
"Yeah... I know... But how to put it. Our best plan isn't best for everyone. We were so convinced we were right that we ignored others' views. Maybe if we'd tried harder to communicate."
"Yeah, that's why this happened."
As an extreme example, consulting Arandal's lord might've gotten outright rejection.
People's reception varies by their situation.
Sophia was just in that spot now.
Dorothy sat beside me and sighed deeply.
"What happens now?"
"What else? We go rescue Arandal. No other way."
Abandoning Bekavia's army and fleeing here was tough. The enemy knew our supplies were cut, so they'd pin our legs to prevent escape.
At that point, we're done. Morale plummets, deserters everywhere.
So uniting with Bekavia to crush the enemy and save Arandal was best now.
'Or maybe Juras takes some action.'
That Juras guy was oddly quiet. Just splitting forces for standoff, no decisive moves.
'Working behind the scenes?'
Whatever, help coming our way was unlikely.
From Juras's view, I'd march into Tunka i to cut supplies. He couldn't predict Sophia sabotaging.
With time, we could've consulted Juras to break this, but no supplies meant no time.
We had to breakthrough ourselves.
'Miss the gods suddenly.'
If they were here, it'd be reassuring.
Going solo was tougher than expected.