Ten days since the vote, the United Rosythian and Equus Army headed by Bartolo arrived at the DeMorgal Kingdom.


    In the border between the Rosyth Kingdom and the DeMorgal Kingdom lies the Blouse Territory.


    Although this territory had now been reduced in size significantly, it is still nevertheless extremely vast.


    Immediately after arriving, Bartolo asks Lethys:


    “What’s the war situation?”


    “There’s not much difference from the situation from yesterday. We still have a force of 8,000. The enmy forces number around 22,000. Ourrgest force, headed by General Tonino, numbers 6,000. The enemy’srgest force, headed by Prince Aldo, number 15,000. The others are dispersed among each of the territories.”


    “I see……..”


    It’s be so that General Tonino’s 6,000 would have to take on Prince Aldo’s 15,000.


    The problem is……”


    “How long would General Tonino be able to wait?”


    “While General Tonino is using the geography, ambush, and scorched-earth tactics, the line is slowly decreasing, I fear, it’s a week at most.”


    The strategy General Tonino adopted is quite close to what you would call Gueri Tactics.


    Groups of few soldiers would hide in the forests and rocks and sporadically attack. They would burn down the viges on the path of the enemy’s march and poison the wells or fill them with dust.


    The militarily inexperienced Aldo is experiencing quite the difficulties.


    “Then let us make haste to reinforce General Tonino.”


    “Eh!? But in the east lies the territories of the great nsmen of the Aldo faction! Would that be fine? I suggest we pay due caution to our rear and….”


    “That won’t be a problem.”


    Bartolo interrupts Lethys’ words. He then exins with a smile on his face.


    That area is of the former Pax Faction. Depending on the tide of war, they’ll change sides to us, you know.”


    “Is…..is that so?”


    “Yes. For the meantime, the war potential held by the Blouse n shall head to the east. …….We can’t, after all, say that we’re working together, yes?”


    Bartolo just implicitly said they’re being a hindrance and holding them back.


    Lethys makes aplicated face.


    Although it’s fine and good that his own soldiers won’t get diminished,pletely not getting in on any military exploits is quite dissatisfactory in itself.


    However, without the support of the Rosyth Army, it’s easy to see that the Carlo Faction will fail.


    “I understand. …..Please bring along my brother Rene with you. He has memorized the geography of the area after all.”


    Rene Blouse is under house arrest in a remote area due to the sin of bloodlessly capitting their capital. However, since the one who ordered that, King DeMorgal, has died, he has returned. Or rather, now is not the time to be silently staying in house arrest.


    “Thank you very much. In anycase, I’m very much unfamiliar with the geography of this country. You’ll save us much trouble.”


    Bartolo gives his thanks.


    Getting knowledge of the geography is an extremely important matter in war.


    It’ll also have a great influence in the speed of the army’s advance.


    “Now then, I say we strike while the iron is hot. Let’s make haste.”


    Bartolo hurriedly leaves the ce……


    ……together with 8,800 soldiers.


    “Tonino!! Rejoice. Reinforcements areing! 8,800 soldiers strong. It looks like they’ll arrive by tomorrow!!”


    “………Well, for good news, it’s quite good, yes. Haa……Our country will be a vassal state of the Rosyth Kingdom, huh………”


    Tonino drops his shoulder.


    Carlo ps that back.


    “Well, think of the bright side, that’s much better than dying right?”


    “I think you should be a bit down too.”


    Tonino and Carlo’s army is positioned at a distant location from the royal controlled territories about 10 km away.


    The number of troops that the two directly control is around 3,000.


    The remaining 3,000 are dispersed in their respective areas while continuously conducting sporadic attacks.


    Although dispersed military power is not that of a celebrated strategy…….6,000 troops, more so 3,000 troops, aren’t that much different against an enemy 15,000 strong.


    Therefore, there are times where one’s forces being dispersed is better.


    “That Aldo must be fuming right now, huh. That guy has a temper after all.”


    “Haha, it’s easy to imagine, right? He must be taking it out on his retainers, huh.”


    The twough in good spirit.


    The fact that reinforcements areing must have lightened their hearts.


    “A report from Third Regiment!! The surprise attack is sessful and the enemy and we managed to inflict damage on the enemy’s transportation corps. We destroyed three pack carriages!! Our damage is slight, 70 casualties!!!”


    “Good work. Report to all the regiments. As such, this long and protracted war is no more. The units are to rbine.”


    The messenger who had received Tonino’s words has once again mounts his horse and rides away.


    Tonino looks at that figure seeing him off until he disappears into the distance.


    “Aa!! Stop screwing with me!! What the hell is that!!”


    “For the meantime, unless you don’t tell me what you are fuming about, then I won’t be able to answer.


    Also, it hurts!”


    After seemingly calming down through hitting Alice’s face for a while, Aldo separates from her body.


    He then sits on a chair and shouts while raising his eyes.


    “Those bastards!! Again and again, damn it!! Always aiming for my transportation corps!!”


    “Then wouldn’t it be wise to advance while protecting the transportation corps?”


    Alice doesn’t understand the art of war. Or rather, she couldn’t even read much less that.


    However, if the transportation corps is being targeted, then doesn’t it follow that they should continue their march while protecting it?


    “If I were to do that, then the speed of the advance would unnecessarily get even slower!! Listen, okay? Soldiers are better the sooner theye!”


    “Haa….Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”


    For the time being, Alice gives off nods of agreement although she doesn’t really know whether what Aldo says is right or wrong.


    “Really, such cowards…….”


    “…….”


    Really? Out of all people, you’d say that?


    Alice holds back with her two hands such words that had nearly thoughtlessly slipped out of her mouth.


    If she had let it slip, then the beatings won’te to an end.


    Well, the real culprit was Alice anyway so she’s also really not in a position to say that.


    “King Aldo!! The Rosyth Kingdom seems to have raised an army!! They’re en route to converge with the enemy army tomorrow morning!!”


    “What did you say!? Those bastards……What the hell were they thinking involving another country’s army in a civil war!? AAAAA!! It’s because you lot were advancing slowly!!”


    “My, my apologies!!”


    Aldo gets angry at the messenger who had done nothing wrong.


    Although it goes without saying, the messenger’s job is to give information to Aldo. It’s not like he’s the onemanding the troops.


    The reason the advance is slow is that Aldo’smands are clumsy and hopeless after all.


    90% of the fault lies with Aldo while the remaining 10% lies with the great nsmen whopletely can’t go against him.


    “Isn’t it fine to let the enemy converge? Although it’s troublesome, if we were to hit them, it’ll be your victory. We’ll be able to change this unsettled war situation in one go.”


    The messenger is quite pitiful, so Alice gives a timely assist.


    Crisis is the time of opportunity, or something like that.


    “I’ll decide this battle even before they could converge!!”


    Aldo’s kickes flying towards Alice.


    Alice receives it head on.


    She takes up an ukemi to lessen the damage in a manner that Aldo won’t found out.[TLN1]


    If she were to do so in the open, Aldo would only get angry.


    She’ll show that she’d take it head on but in reality she wont get that much damage…….


    It’s one of Alice’s special techniques.


    “Oi!”


    “Ye, yes!!”


    The messenger gets startled and his body starts shaking.


    While Aldo is stepping on Alice’s face, he asks the messenger:


    “The number of the Rosyth army’s troops?”


    “…….it seems they number around 7,000 to 9.000.”


    “So, they’ll be about the same number as our army huh……”


    The army headed by the enemy general Tonino currently numbers around 6,000.


    If this army were tobine with the Rosyth Army, they’ll be a force not much different with his army.


    If it were to be a fight on equal numbers, then it’ll be a battle of pure soldier strength and themander’s true prowess.


    “Alright, we’ve won, huh.”


    “…….”


    Isn’t it the other way around?


    Alice hurriedly blocked and gulped away her true thoughts that had almost flown out from her mouth.


    As one would expect, she’d get killed if she had said that.


    “Lord Bartolo!! You did well foring here!”


    “It’s only natural since our country’s friend, King DeMorgal is in danger after all. Let us together crush the enemy!”


    Bartolo greets King DeMorgal (Carlo).


    Carlo reciprocates and politely ushers in Bartolo. If Bartolo’s navel would bounce back after getting disced, Carlo’s neck seems as if it’d fly away. [TLN2]


    Bartolo faces Tonino who’s standing still on Carlo’s right side.


    “It’s been a long time. General Tonino. It’s been a year, yes?”


    “Yes…It’s been a long time. …..I never thought our first meeting would be like this…….”


    While making a bitter smile, Tonino tightly grasps Bartolo’s hands.


    The two exchange a passionate handshake.


    “Now then, let’s hurry and start the war council. Where is the enemy?”


    “They’ve made camp around three hours away from here. They number around 15,000, approximately the same number as us.”


    “The same, huh……then everything will be decided on the field, yes?”


    The two smile with a grin.


    Both have true strength befitting of the title great general. It’s unthinkable they’d lose to a fifteen-year-old greenhorn in an equal battle.


    Therefore, the talk has shifted not to talk of how to win but with how to win while minimizing the number of victims.


    “It seems Prince Aldo is quite annoyed at my pestering. With his personality, we’d certainly be able to bait him to field battle.


    “That’s convenient. Inviting a snail is hard work after all.”


    If in this situation Aldo were a coward like Carlo, then he’d stay holed up in camp and note out.


    If that were to happen, they’d surely be at a loss as to what to do with him.


    The Military Rule of 3:1. The defending force would have the advantage ording to that.


    “It’s fine to have Prince Carlo as the (official) suprememander but…….what do we do for the chain ofmand? Should we consolidate in your side?”


    “I suggest we go with Lord Bartolo’s suggestion. Their side has more soldiers after all.”


    The talks proceed without dissent.


    It’s only natural that the Rosyth Army that hade to their rescue would be more effective.


    The war council rmends Bartolo for the main leadership.


    Carlo is being treated as irrelevant. He ends up yuing with pebbles maybe because he ended up getting sad.


    “This is quite a changed formation, huh. Can you make use of it?”


    I don’t have experience trying a war of 10,000 soldiers. Or rather, it’s the first time our country has engaged in 10,000-men wars….although trying it out small scale yields results. Help me out.”


    Before anyone noticed, the two aren’t using polite speech between themselves anymore. Their war council is advancing enjoyably. Again, Carlo is being ignored.


    “The problem is the 400 cavalry men held by Prince Aldo. I dare say they’d be positioned in the nks just like the textbooks but…..you intend to ce your 600 cavalry into the left nk, yes? (400 is from the Equus tribe, the remaining 200 is from the Carlo army.) What would you do to protect the right nk?”


    “Let me ce you into the right nk and directly lead them there. Let’s also concentrate the bulk of the DeMorgal soldiers there. Yourmand structure is fairly different from our army after all so I think it’s much better that we have two separate ones instead of clumsilybining them. We’ll also ce all the bomb spear wielding light infantry there.”


    The bomb spear is the best anti-cavalry weapon that exists. Even if the projectile misses, the sound of the explosion would still startle the horses.


    Cavalry’s strength is assault with speed reinforced by their run-up.


    With the bomb spear, that attack would for a moment be stopped. Cavalry that has been put to a stop are not enemies.


    ………Since bomb spears would also have an influence against one’s own cavalry, it’s been considered that no cavalry can be deployed and used in the right nk.


    “Isn’t it fine if you just hand over the bomb spears?”


    “No, using it is difficult. With our specialist soldiers, you won’t have to worry about anything.


    If it got stolen and copied, it’d be a huge problem.


    Then again, it’s close to impossible to manufacture gunpowder and, of course, deciphering Tetra’s magic ignition device.


    “Now then, let’s certainly win in tomorrow’s battle.”


    “Yeah, let’s drink the night away after it ends.”


    Bartolo and Tonino exchange a fiery handshake and embraced each other.


    Carlo’s ignored again.