Episode 166 Krafte War – Defense Plan
Bahua, Eastern Francia.
Without realizing it, I had to question the news brought by a guest who came in a hurry late at night.
“I beg your pardon?”
Did I hear wrong?
“There is no sign of the Krafte army returning its troops to their home country.”
“Unless you’re crazy, you can’t do that…”
Why don’t you send in the army when your home country is about to be devastated? Does that make sense?
They mobilized 200,000 troops in this war.
Considering Krafte’s population, virtually all of the troops who have received at least basic training were brought in, and no matter how Krafte is, it is unlikely that it will be able to stop 50,000 with just the conscripts hastily collected from its home country.
I never imagined that I would ever question Christine’s words in my life, but Christine handed me the report with a look on her face that said she understood me.
“This is a report on the importation of Krafte military supplies into Alsace. “I don’t know the exact items, but the number and quantity of materials brought in has increased significantly.”
I silently looked at the report Christine handed me.
Certainly, the influx of materials increased after the Battle of Bahua.
I wonder if this is a resupply of depleted ammunition, but it has increased especially after the uprisings in the Northern United Kingdom and the home country.
If you are going to return even a portion of the military to your home country, it is normal for it to be reduced. The number of troops has been reduced due to losses in the last battle, and supplies will have to be used in the home country as well.
No, even excluding that, they are procuring an abnormally large amount of supplies.
It is common sense to ensure that the military’s supply is not disrupted, but that does not mean that too much material is also poison. If you are not careful, it will become difficult to use flexible tactics to protect supplies.
But why do we do this?
No, more than that.
“How did you find out about this? “I heard that almost all attempts to infiltrate the Krafte army failed.”
Christine nodded calmly and answered.
“that’s right. The operation to infiltrate the ‘military’ was like that. However, they cannot prevent informants from being planted among the residents of the border area. “There is no way to distinguish them from the residents.”
“Hahaha… even before Alsace was occupied?”
When I asked with a smile, Christine answered carefully.
“yes. I started working from the point when Krafte predicted war. Alsace and Lorraine and even here in Bahua. “There are some people who have been working since the war with the empire, so it wasn’t difficult to connect.”
“….”
Our home country is under attack.
The number of troops was reduced due to losses in the last battle.
There is no movement to actually increase imported materials and dispatch troops to the home country?
According to common sense, this is a ridiculous action, but since the opponent is the king, I think he understands the idea.
…After inflicting serious damage on the revolutionary army through a surprise general offensive, the rest can be suppressed in an instant, even if they suffer some damage in the home country.
The great king might think like that.
To put it more seriously, he may want to put all his effort into his final war, regardless of whether his home country is devastated or not.
If so, that amount of material being brought in makes sense. They’re probably stockpiling it in advance before their home country is devastated and supplies become difficult to supply.
Maybe it was because I was lost in thought with a serious face, but Christine secretly looked at me and asked.
“Are you still angry? “It’s a paving stone that I laid down with the thought that it would be helpful in times of emergency, but it also means you, the leader of the army-”
Christine’s words were cut off by me hugging her tightly.
“no. Thanks to you, Christine, I survived. thank you.”
If the Krafte army, without knowing anything, was planning to attack us by withdrawing our troops from our home country, we could have been caught off guard and suffered a fatal blow.
No, in the first place, this war itself would have been difficult to establish as a proper war without Christine.
The Great King is such a strong enemy.
Christine hesitated a little, then leaned her head on my shoulder and sighed in relief.
“I’m glad it helped.”
Christine seemed a little amused, so I asked her in a joking tone.
“It is natural for you to hide the fact that you have a spy network in your country from the military or the National Assembly, but were you worried that I would be angry about that?”
A person who initially kept a close eye on the military and even my headquarters, what is he doing now?
“Uhm, sure. Even though it’s you, Pierre. “Somehow…”
Christine said that and avoided my gaze, so I gently grabbed her cheek and turned her head to meet her gaze.
“Christine I am not your father.”
“ah.”
Christine let out a sigh.
This is probably a trauma she also unconsciously had.
Although he doesn’t think that Eris and I see each other as a man-woman relationship, he is strangely wary of Eris.
Even though he has the habit of laying paving stones wherever he needs them as naturally as breathing, he is also worried that he may find it unpleasant.
“I am not wary of you if you step into my territory, nor am I afraid of your talents.”
The memory of her trying to help her father, who was in despair after losing her mother when she was a very young girl, was turned away by her father because of that, and even the murder attempt was tolerated, will remain a deep wound in her even to this day.
So she must have been wary of comparing herself to Eris, who was full of pure good intentions, fearing that the same thing might happen again with me.
There’s only one step left.
How difficult must it be for her to cling to me and not hesitate to do anything for me, but at the same time worry that I might be reluctant to do that to her?
“I told you, didn’t I? I’m already yours. “No matter what you do or what you look like, I will always be on your side.”
Christine, who had forgotten her usual facial expressions and looked at me blankly, asked in a whisper.
“No matter how cruel and selfish I am?”
“I am yours forever. … You said you would be mine too, so no matter what kind of person you are, I have no intention of letting you go. So you don’t have to worry anymore.”
Christine lowered her head and then wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me.
The kiss in the middle of the night tasted like tears.
* * *
Command headquarters the next day.
“yes? “It’s a defensive war, right?”
Damien de Mirbeau asked me with a puzzled look on his face, and I nodded calmly.
“They have not yet dispatched defense troops to Krafte’s home country. According to information, they are actually bringing in materials to prepare for an offensive. So it is reasonable to believe that they are preparing for an all-out offensive.”
“Uh… is that really true? There was nothing like that in the Chasseurs’ report, but to be honest, when they suddenly changed their stance while preparing for an offensive and told us to prepare for defense, it was too sudden, so….”
Louis Desais smiled awkwardly, and I answered.
“The source of information is the Count of Aquitaine.”
“ah.”
“oh.”
No one counters.
Everyone remained silent, without any question as to how such information was obtained.
Whether it’s because of the presence Christine has shown so far, or because I don’t allow myself to doubt the information she brings.
Either way, it is extremely effective in calming down and organizing the confusion in the current situation.
“For that reason, we scrap the existing attack plan and create a defense plan.”
“Huyu~ Are you sure…. Our home country is about to be devastated, and we are preparing an all-out offensive here. “The war against Krafte really overturns all existing common sense.”
“I think he may be crazy as a king, but as a general, he’s excellent. “If we had been leisurely preparing for an attack without knowing this and then faced their full-scale offensive, everyone here knows what a terrible outcome it would have been, right?”
Jerome Morel, who used to talk frivolously, also hardened his expression when he heard what I said.
Eris was overworked to the point where she temporarily lost her eyesight, even though she used as much crystal as water, which was not enough even with all of Frangia’s budget, and we had to throw everything away to fight, and we were barely able to fight on equal footing.
If you run into those people again without properly preparing, defeat is as obvious as fire.
“But what do you plan to do? To be honest, I don’t think it will be much different from the last battle if we fight again. “It may be less shocking than when I first saw the Krafte army’s unique tactics, but regardless, they are as strong as monsters in themselves.”
“That’s a valid point, Werther. So we give up the field battle.”
“yes? Then…”
I added while Alexandre Werther was a little embarrassed.
“We meet the enemy here in Bahua. “I will introduce all the residents and engage the enemy in street fighting.”
“Oh, since our cavalry’s losses are so great, are you saying we’re going to have a dog fight? Haha-”
“Yeah. It’s exactly what you think, Morel. “They suffered severe losses in artillery power in the last battle, but they maintained their cavalry power better than we did.”
When it comes to urban warfare, no matter how elite the Krafte army may be, the use of its capabilities is bound to be limited.
The Krafte army, which lost a lot of artillery in the last battle, will have a hard time breaking through if it fortifies a large city like Bahua.
“It sure is! Please put me in the vanguard this time!”
Nicola, you were so brave this time, so I answered with a wry smile.
“ah. “I will consider it, sir.”
Due to its nature, urban warfare is a battlefield where tactical intervention is minimal. Since he has the best momentum, it would be okay to leave him as the vanguard.
“By the way, Your Excellency the Marquis.”
“Something Commander Deze?”
“Are you sure you don’t mind? Bahua is quite a big city. “It is one thing to introduce all the residents here, but if street fighting breaks out, the city will suffer tremendous damage.”
“that’s right. The political burden will be considerable. But that doesn’t mean my head will fly off.”
If I had suggested something like that during our last battle, I would have seriously worried about my neck.
If the commander-in-chief, who had been defeated in a series of cavalry battles in Alsace, had made such a suggestion even before he had even fought properly, the National Assembly would have naturally been in an uproar.
“We have already won victory over the Great King of Krafte. “There may be opposition from the National Assembly, but if I can lose some of my popularity and block them, it will be cheap.”
If we go through the second round with that Krafte army, it is doubtful how serious a sacrifice we will have to make or whether we will be able to win.
In the first place, that great king completely excluded strategic considerations and placed everything on tactics, and this side must also sacrifice something to stop it.
“Well, that’s certainly true, but I’m a little worried that if they give up their attack after going that far, the Marquis will be attacked by his political opponents.”
“I never knew you cared about me so much.”
Louis Desget looked quite aggrieved.
“We have been through all the hardships of childbirth together so far, and you are amazing. Besides that, the Marquis de Lafayette is absolutely necessary for the revolutionary army.”
Oh Louis Dejet. This guy inspires me.
“That’s right! Who else but the Marquis de Lafayette can stand against that great king! Only this Excellency, Marquis Damien de Mirbeau, is the true revolutionary army-”
“Okay, I understand.”
If it weren’t for that tactless guy, the emotion would have lasted a bit longer.
I sighed lightly and then looked at the generals and opened my mouth.
“You don’t have to worry about that. Because the great king will definitely come.”
“yes? “You make a simple statement.”
“Launching a general offensive while the home country is in ruins may be a ploy to catch the general’s guard, but it is something a king would never do. “No matter how great he is, there is no way he won’t get a backlash.”
Rather than going to war to protect the country, is the country being used as a throwaway card for the sake of war?
This is crazy behavior that denies the essence of the military. That’s literally a country owned by the military.
“If we withdraw the attack just because we are preparing for street fighting, the king’s choice will become a huge political burden.”
Anyway, Bahua is a city that must be passed through as it is on the way to the capital Lumiere.
However, they belatedly cancel the attack because they think it will be difficult to attack, and then send reinforcements to the home country?
Is there any way that public opinion in the home country, which is already being invaded by the Great King’s neglect, will improve?
“The only way to make up for that is to attack us head on and achieve a clear victory. So, the great king will definitely come. Everyone, don’t worry about my political position and prepare thoroughly for a defensive battle.”
In the end, the issue of political positioning is just a fight over who will be more fearful if the other party collapses first.
And if it’s the great king I know.
This is a person who will charge head-on into a heavily fortified city with the intention of breaking through with great fanfare.
