Episode 68 I have no choice but to change the board myself. (4)
Zwalter stared blankly at the map before him.
Until just a moment ago, I was still thinking about how to form a formation and decide the outcome.
If the enemy’s supply unit has been annihilated, you have more options.
But before that, I had to make sure what was going on.
“Tell me in detail what happened.”
The other vassals also looked at the blood-covered Giselle without saying anything.
Jiselle took a look around Daejeon and reported the situation calmly.
“… … So we annihilated the enemy forces by surprise and burned all their supplies. It was a bit of a waste, but it was hard to bring them back. Oh, this is the head of Baron Fabreau, the commander of the supply unit. Does anyone know?”
Homer opened the box, looked closely at the tree inside, and stammered.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m Baron Fabreau of Digald. I’ve seen him a few times before.”
All the attendants let out gasps. Only Randolph blinked, not knowing what to do.
I wanted to hit Jiselle right away when I met her, but it wasn’t the right atmosphere.
Having spent his entire life on the battlefield, he knew this instinctively.
‘He’s not the usual troublemaker. He’s giving off the vibe of a human butcher. Why is he like that…?’
I couldn’t understand English at all.
It’s strange that the Archduke, who has never experienced war and has only lived in the territory, is behaving like that.
Zwalter was surprised in a different way than Randolph.
“A surprise attack… How could you move so carelessly?”
Although he was being harsh, his voice contained more surprise than anger.
A surprise attack is a strategy that, once successful, can cause great damage to the enemy.
However, it was a double-edged sword, as failure could lead to annihilation.
So, it was a tactic used only after carefully examining numerous conditions such as weather, location, terrain, time, and the enemy’s disposition.
But, he led his troops out and attempted a surprise attack without the lord’s permission.
It was something only a madman would do, but without hesitation, Jiselle led her troops out to launch a surprise attack, and it even succeeded.
“There aren’t many methods we can use anyway.”
Jiselle answered indifferently. Zwalter shouted with a frustrated expression.
“Even so, shouldn’t you have discussed it with us! You should have properly organized and prepared your forces before going out! If you had failed, you and the mercenaries would have all died! Don’t you know that even a handful of forces are in short supply right now?”
“If that had been the case, it might have failed.”
“what?”
“The traitor has already come out and given Digald a pretext for war. How can I guarantee that there won’t be more traitors?”
“You bastard, what are you talking about now!”
Zwalter couldn’t hold back his anger and got up from his seat.
The vassals and knights who remain in Ferdium now are those who are willing to fight with their lives at stake.
It was a dangerous statement to suggest that there might be a traitor among them.
How could they risk their lives to follow you if they doubted your loyalty?
But Giselle answered expressionlessly.
“Can you really guarantee that there is no such person by your father’s side?”
“What, what?”
“I don’t trust anyone. I only trust myself.”
Zwalter was speechless when he saw his son speaking resolutely while covered in blood.
Even the deceased were unable to refute it.
Because it is true that there were traitors among those who actually went.
The Archduke’s appearance now was like a volcano about to erupt.
Everyone was so overwhelmed by the atmosphere that they couldn’t even open their mouths.
Jiselle, who looked around at everyone with cold eyes, opened her mouth again.
“We are guarding the castle here. No one is allowed to leave the castle now. If you do, you will face my sword.”
Randolph stood up, his face distorted by the radical and dogmatic declaration.
Zwalter reached out and stopped him from shouting something.
“Okay, since it was a success anyway, we can skip the surprise attack. Then why do you want to hold a sit-in?”
“The enemy is a large army. We have no choice but to lead a separate supply unit for this small territory battle. However, since the supply unit has been completely destroyed, they will not be able to maintain their forces for long.”
“… … .”
“In the meantime, ask Count Rogers for reinforcements again. Once reinforcements arrive, open the gates and go out to attack.”
“What are you going to do if support is late or doesn’t come?”
“Even if reinforcements don’t arrive, the enemy can’t hold out much longer than we can. While the enemy is withdrawing and preparing to attack again, we can find a way to do the same.”
The enemy’s main force must have brought some supplies, but they will only be able to last a few days at most to feed that large army.
The question was whether Perdium could hold out all this time.
Since they have brought a large army and siege weapons, it will not be easy to hold out for long in Ferdium Castle, which is not a fortress.
“We have to hold out for at least a week.”
“We have no choice but to do our best. That will give us a higher chance of winning than a short-term battle.”
“Umm… … .”
There was some truth to what Giselle said.
If you lose the game by spinning it around, it’s over, but if you can hold out by the wall, your chances of winning increase.
The reason why the Mercury side is at a disadvantage in a long-term battle is because they are surrounded and their supply route is cut off, and the besieging side also faces supply problems.
Zwalter, who had been pondering, looked back at Randolph.
“What do you think?”
“Ahem, I don’t know.”
Although it was a reasonable opinion, Randolph, who was hurt by Giselle’s arbitrary actions, could not give a positive answer.
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On the other hand, Homer, who had insisted on Mercury from the beginning, quickly voted in favor of Gisele’s opinion.
“This time, the Archduke’s words seem to be correct. I think it would be better to ask for support from Loges again and hold out.”
Other vassals also responded positively.
“It’s the same as having lost contact with each other.”
“We can’t immediately prepare supplies to feed 6,000 people. It’s to our advantage to hold out.”
“The Archduke has done a great thing. This is his chance!”
There was no reason to disagree with Giselle’s opinion if it gave her a better chance of survival.
The Archduke had always been a thorn in his side, but this time things went well thanks to Giselle acting as she pleased.
Homer, Albert, and the other vassals all looked at Giselle and smiled happily.
But Randolph still looked at Giselle with suspicious eyes.
‘It’s clear that I’ve achieved something… … but it’s too dangerous. If I’m not careful, I could end up a murderer.’
Randolph, who had spent his entire life on the battlefield, felt that the Archduke’s aura was unusual.
As Zwalter became troubled after hearing the opinions of his men, Giselle spoke again.
“There is another way.”
“What is that?”
“Even now, we must abandon the people and retreat to the northern fortress.”
“You bastard! Is that something a noble should say?”
Zwalter shouted at Giselle, pointing his sword at her.
The attendants also frowned and looked at him with contempt.
“If the castle is taken, the people of the territory will live like slaves and then all die! Don’t you know that?”
Even if they manage to get to the northern fortress and take Mercury, if the people of the territory are trampled, it may take decades to stabilize Perdium again.
But Giselle looked at the count with cold eyes.
“But I think Father knows that our chances of survival are better with you.”
“… … .”
Zwalter glared at Giselle without saying a word.
The person who broke that silence was none other than Homer.
“Stop! Stop it! We don’t have time to fight amongst ourselves. My lord, the Archduke’s tone may have been harsh, but it was not wrong. You must decide quickly!”
Zwalter turned his head and closed his eyes as if he didn’t want to see Giselle.
I wasn’t happy with the situation, but I had to make a decision quickly, as Homer had said.
‘The odds are low, but… … it’s better to bet on it.’
Originally, I had no intention of abandoning Yeongjimin and running away. I was just worried because the chances of winning were low.
In the meantime, since Jiselle had found a way out, the answer was almost certain.
Zwalter exhaled deeply and said.
“Very well, we will fight at the castle. Prepare to organize and deploy new troops. Also, reconsider the route by which we will send news to Count Rogers.”
All the vassals bowed their heads at the lord’s command.
Now that we have a little hope, we must do our best to stop it.
Then Randolph came forward and said:
“Wait a minute! Are you going to leave the mercenaries that the Archduke has gathered as they are? How about incorporating them into the territory’s forces?”
Everyone’s eyes turned back to Giselle.
Zwalter said coldly.
“I bet you wouldn’t think that way.”
“I will move separately.”
“Don’t you ever want to listen to me?”
“sorry.”
Jiselle flatly refused.
Randolph frowned. He wanted to take it by force somehow, but since the Archduke had already come forward and achieved great things, there was no reason to take the troops.
Zwalter said, suppressing his anger.
“Operational command must be followed.”
“Okay, I understand. But… … .”
“What is it?”
“Please let me block the gate.”
“The gate?”
“Yes.”
Zwalter leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowed.
‘Are you sparing my troops? What are you thinking?’
The wall area is most dangerous immediately after a siege begins.
You never know when you might be hit by a catapult, and you also have to fend off troops pouring out of siege towers on the walls.
But once the gate is breached, the area around the gate becomes the fiercest battlefield.
“What’s the reason? Is it because you’re afraid of standing on the wall?”
“I plan to wait at the gate and then move out to provide support in the dangerous area.”
“Support… … .”
“After all, they are mercenaries, so they lack training. I think it would be better to fill in the gaps that way.”
It made sense, so Zwalter accepted it with some uneasiness.
He’s not the type of guy who’ll just quietly follow along even if you don’t allow it anyway.
“Let it be so. But when the war is over, you will be held accountable for your arbitrary actions.”
“Please do so.”
Jiselle turned around as if her business was over.
Albert grabbed him quickly.
“Wait a minute! Where did you move the newly brought runestone?”
“I’ve already written it all down.”
“Huh? That much already? Where the hell is it?”
“Don’t worry, I used it where it was needed.”
Jiselle left Daejeon without further explanation.
‘The preparations are almost complete now.’
One by one, the board was being laid out according to his ideas.
But he didn’t reveal everything honestly.
‘Count Rogers will not be able to send support.’
In other territories, I received a response, even if it was a rejection, but contact with the Loges territory was completely cut off.
This means that all roads leading there are already blocked.
‘That’s just like him.’
I was convinced when I saw the soldiers who came with Digald’s name on their backs.
There were only two great lords in the north who could support that many troops.
One is Count Leipold. And the other is… … .
‘Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army, Duke Harold Desmond.’
The Kingdom of Rutania later reorganizes its military to counter the war that swept across the continent.
All the northern lords became Harold’s vassals, and Harold Desmond was given a new title of duke.
‘As expected, you were in charge of the North.’
Jiselle had met Harold in a previous life.
Although he was old-fashioned, he was quite good at strategy and was also capable of using force.
After being defeated by Giselle, Amelia gathered her remaining forces and fought a guerrilla war, but Harold openly confronted her with force.
‘Now that he’s in there, it’s probably going to be hard to hold out.’
Count Ferdium and his vassals chose to fight, believing only in the hope that Giselle had given them.
But Jiselle, who actually gave that opinion, did not think that Mercury would be possible.
Desmond would have sent such a large force and equipment with a siege in mind in the first place.
‘This is the best.’
Jiselle was confident that she would not be easily defeated even if she were to directly confront the enemy.
If six wizards made a surprise attack, they could inflict considerable damage.
Because the enemies don’t know there’s a wizard here.
If you lead a charge there and attack from the flank, you will be able to break the enemy’s formation.
If you plan your strategy well and move organically with your allies, you don’t have to lose even if you rotate.
‘But it’s not enough to just say there’s a chance of winning.’
If we engage in a confrontation, our allies’ damage is bound to increase.
If you lose, it’s over, and even if you win, it’s not a win.
You will be so badly wounded that you won’t be able to stop a second attack.
Jiselle didn’t want a victory that only brought hurt.
‘I have to set an example.’
We must make it clear to our enemies that if they touch Ferdium carelessly, they will die.
Up until now, Giselle has been preparing only for that.
For just one number.
