Chapter 56 – The Prince’s Army of Invasion

The Katzbarie territory is vast as it is a large domain. Vilgard began a full-scale invasion of such land. With multiple legions, he brought many villages and towns under his control simultaneously.

This alarmed Shred, the lord of the territory. From Shred’s perspective, Vilgard had attacked without any prior notice using military force.

However, Vilgard had sent a notice before the army crossed the border, demanding compliance.

From Vilgard’s point of view, he was merely pressing to clarify whether Shred was a rebel opposing the royal family. And there was no room for negotiation with rebels.

“This is too barbaric! This is why those who haven’t received proper noble education..”

“Shred-sama…”

Maikent looked at the flustered Shred with a resigned expression.

It was understandable that Shred, who had received the education of a high-ranking noble, wished for more noble-like dealings with Vilgard. However, it was difficult given Vilgard’s belligerent nature.

After all, he had been expanding his power so rapidly. It was unlikely that he would take time to negotiate, especially to make concessions.

“Old man! Quickly respond! We still have the territorial army! Recruit soldiers too!”

“…Understood. However, Prince Vilgard is invading simultaneously with multiple armies, making it difficult to grasp the enemy’s exact strength. And where and how much damage has been done is also unclear…”

“I don’t care, quickly strike back! If their forces are divided, we can defeat them one by one!”

Maikent also had battlefield experience. He had even led troops before. From his perspective, invading with dispersed forces seemed like a poor strategy.

However, upon facing it in reality, he realised that it was far from a poor strategy. Instead, they were forced to react defensively on all fronts.

Firstly, it was difficult to grasp the total number of enemy forces. Moreover, with simultaneous invasions of towns and villages, it was hard to determine where and in what order to respond.

*

A few days later, amidst all this, Maikent managed to conscript some troops and engaged one of Vilgard’s forces. The force they confronted head-on was manageable in size.

However, by the time they confronted the enemy, their numbers had doubled and another army was moving to attack from a different direction.

While this was happening, yet another of Vilgard’s armies was advancing towards the capital, taking control of more towns along the way.

‘Unbelievable…! Even though they are acting separately…! When we finally deploy our troops, they coordinate perfectly to counter us…!’

At this moment, Maikent was awed by the command and coordination of Vilgard’s forces. Defeating them individually was impossible. Instead, their smaller forces were being decisively hunted down whenever they moved out.

The Vilgard army moved like a single organism, dispersing and regrouping according to the situation, with some units acting as decoys while others advanced. Their coordination and the quality of their soldiers were exceptional.

Maikent acted with the assumption that the visible enemy forces were not alone but constantly coordinated with other units in different regions.

‘If we respond with inadequate forces, we could be ambushed by a separate detachment coming from an unknown direction…! Yet, if we keep reacting defensively, towns and villages on the way to the capital will be completely taken over…!’

A lesser commander would have already engaged Vilgard’s forces and been annihilated. However, Maikent avoided direct confrontation. While towns and villages were lost, his army remained intact and unexhausted.

‘It would be dangerous to attack while their forces are dispersed…! But I can predict when their scattered units will regroup…!’

If they were to fight, that would be the moment. Until then, he couldn’t afford to waste his troops. To get permission for this strategy, Maikent went to speak with Shred.

“Old man! You haven’t driven away Prince Vilgard’s forces at all! You haven’t even fought properly yet! Are you planning to betray me!?”

Day by day, Shred grew more frantic. Maikent spoke to him in a calm voice.

“Shred-sama. The former lord entrusted you to me. I am determined to protect you, even at the cost of my life.”

“Then do something quickly! They’re already close to the capital!”

About a month had passed since Vilgard’s invasion began. They had brought many towns under their control and were now closing in on the capital.

“I have been reporting all along that Prince Vilgard’s forces are advancing through this vast Katzbarie territory by dividing their army for efficiency. Each of these units is composed of elite soldiers. If we attack recklessly, other hidden forces will quickly appear and surround us.”

“I wasn’t told they could do that!”

“It is likely a strength of the nomadic people. They are reputed to be skilled with horses and bows, and they possess more advanced communication skills than we anticipated.”

It had been confirmed that numerous cavalry units were swiftly moving throughout the territory. They were constantly on the move, with frequent sightings reported.

Some even shot arrows trailing red smoke, clearly using them to communicate with distant units.

An attempt had been made to capture these messenger cavalry with a small detachment.

However, they shot arrows while fleeing on horseback and, before long, other cavalry units would surround them. Not a single messenger was captured.

“Attacking the prince’s dispersed forces is too dangerous. That’s why we’ve held back and allowed their advance until now. But soon, these armies should consolidate.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because their destination is the capital. They will surely need to prepare to capture this city. They will likely gather at Lake Labrie for rest soon.”

The capital has a decent defensive setup and won’t fall easily if we go into a siege. However, there are considerable risks associated with a siege.

First, the territorial army, now numbering close to 50,000 due to conscription. If they go into a siege with this entire force, their food supplies will quickly run out.

Moreover, going into a siege implies expecting reinforcements. The only reinforcements available are the 20,000 troops stationed at the southern border.

But if they move those 20,000 troops, there’s a possibility the Imperial Knights will see an opportunity and invade. If they can move them skillfully, they might be able to catch the besieging army in a pincer attack, but the risk is still high.

On the other hand, the Vilgard army isn’t suited for taking fortified cities. Their cavalry tactics are impressive but if they withdraw into the capital, it will take them time to capture it.

And Vilgard himself must understand this well. That’s why he’ll consolidate his army here and let his soldiers rest at Lake Labrie before moving on to the final assault on the capital.

After all, despite advancing this far, our territorial army remains mostly unscathed.

“Well… you have a plan, right!?”

“Yes. We will target the early morning after their rest day.”

When letting soldiers rest, they ensure proper meals and plenty of sleep. Before attacking the capital, they’ll provide satisfying meals and ample sleep time.

And at the moment the sky begins to lighten, they will launch an attack on the still-sleeping soldiers.

‘Ideally, I would prefer a night raid…’

A night raid inevitably requires fire. The enemy will surely have guards on duty, and seeing numerous lights in the pitch-dark will immediately signal a night raid.

With a small-scale night raid, fewer lights could be used, but that wouldn’t be enough to repel the Vilgard army. To settle this battle, a large-scale surprise attack must succeed.

Considering this, Maikent planned a dawn raid before sunrise.

‘We’ll move as close as possible during the night. The enemy’s field camp should use a lot of fire…We can approximate their positions then. At dawn, we’ll launch a surprise attack aimed at those positions.’

If the surprise attack succeeds, Vilgard will be forced to retreat his army. This could lead to ceasefire negotiations.

“All right… understood. I have already sent a request for reinforcements to Gordric-tono. If they arrive, we may have additional options. I’m counting on you.”

“Understood…”

To be honest, Maikent thought coordinating with Gordric here was a bad move. Gordric and Vilgard were enemies.

Acting as if they were in an alliance with Gordric would only leave them with fewer excuses.

I wish he had consulted me beforehand…Maikent thought. But it was too late now. And there was no doubt that the former lord had entrusted him with Shred.

Maikent steeled himself, knowing the decisive battle was near.