Chapter 112: |
Chapter 112
[Stats]
Intellect: 44 (+5) → 54
Originally, his intellect was 39. However, he received a +5 correction due to his transfer to be a military doctor, and then jumped 10 more due to his attribute effect.
Raymond felt like his head was spinning. He felt like he was very smart!
At the time, Lemarton was humbling with delight.
“No, I’m ashamed. I’m just saying the basics of the tactics I’ve learned, Duke Bon.” Then he smirked at Raymond.
Raymond wondered how to react.
‘What should I do? Should I say that I don’t think that’s right?’
He has yet to find out the true purpose of the enemy.
‘If I don’t find out the definite purpose of the enemy, they won’t accept my opinion,’ Raymond thought.
What is the enemy really aiming for?
‘……I’m not sure.’
Although his intelligence stat increased due to attribute effects, Raymond was fundamentally not a soldier. There were limits to his strategic thinking.
Instead, Raymond decided to think in his own way.
‘If I were an enemy, what would I want the most? What would I want to target the most?’
As a snob, he thought about what he wanted the most.
At this moment, what would the enemy want to have most?
- …… No way?’
A chill rose from Raymond’s spine.
‘It’s the Vestian supply base! Everything else is a trick, and it’s obvious they’re aiming for the Vestian supply base!’
He looked at the map.
If you take the road that passes through the Kunka estate, you will find the Vestian supply base.
It was a base for piling up supplies supplied from the Kingdom of Houston!
‘They must be aiming for the items piled up in the supply base!
Raymond felt dizzy.
‘No! The medicinal herbs and therapeutic ingredients I ordered are all in that supply station!’
Raymond recently ordered a huge amount of medicinal herbs and therapeutic ingredients worth 500,000 penas obtained by threatening senior healers.
The materials are now piled up at the Vestian supply base.
If that base breaks, he will suffer bankruptcy.
‘It’s not the time to stay still. We have to stop it!’
“I’m sorry, but may I speak?”
Raymond immediately raised his hand. All eyes were on him in the conference hall.
“It seems to me that the purpose of the Kingdom of Droughton is elsewhere.”
“…… what?”
Lemarton wriggled his eyebrows.
Normally his heart will sink, but he was able to not back down thanks to the C-grade Heart of Steel.
“I will protect my property!”
Raymond, determined, opened his mouth.
“It’s possible that the enemy is targeting the Vestian supply base north of the road. The reason for judging that is…”
His speech skill manifested in time.
A calm, coherent, and confident voice echoed through out the conference room.
People in the meeting became quickly absorbed with Raymond’s explanation.
***
“………. That’s all.”
That’s how Raymond ended his remarks.
There was silence in the barracks. It was silence mixed with astonishment.
Everyone looked at Raymond in surprise.
‘Yes, it is possible enough.’
‘When the base of Vestian falls, we’re going to be in big trouble.’
Meanwhile, Lemarton bit his lips tightly.
This is because this directly contradicts his opinion.
“Vestian base is in the far end of our military. Do you think 10,000 heavy-duty troops can raid the remote area no matter how well you move on a paved road?”
‘Yikes, he is mad.’
Lemarton was a powerful prince who could not be compared to Seytil.
A big man who proudly seeks the next king’s power with Kairn.
‘But I can’t back down. It’s my hundreds of thousands of penas at stake!’
Also, if all the herbs are lost, patients will die without proper treatment in the future.
There will be a lot of other damage.
‘I couldn’t back down thinking about that.’
“It’s possible.”
“What?”
“All they had to do is to send out light calvary consisting of 10,000 troops and run. With that, they will get there in no time.”
Military leaders swallowed their silence.
It’s a possible story.
Even so, the Vestian supply base was at the end of the line, and the opponents’ defense was insufficient.
“They’re not going to try to occupy the supply base. They’re going to set fire to everything and run away.”
Once they got to that point, no one could refute Raymond’s opinion anymore. Everyone acknowledged that Raymond’s claim was correct.
At that time, Christine came forward.
“I speak as the representative from the house Raven”
“……!”
“I agree with Baron Penin. We believe that the defense of the supply base should be strengthened.”
Marquis Ayton, who attended on behalf of Clever’s army, also spoke.
“I agree with Baron Penin.”
“I, Duke Bon, also agrees with Baron Penin’s opinion.”
Since then, one by one, remarks have poured out in sympathy with Raymond’s opinion.
Lemarton was white in shame, but he couldn’t say a word.
That’s because Raymond was right, even in Lemarton’s opinion.
But at the last minute, an unexpected variable appeared.
This is what the commander-in-chief Duke Raif said.
“We will not further strengthen the defense of the Vestian supply base.”
“……!”
Raymond opened his eyes wide.
‘How come?! Could it be that he is in trouble because of his bad relationship with Seytil?’
‘Oh, my, my, my,’ he bit his lips. ‘What should I do?’
He is the commander in chief.
He has absolute power in the battlefield. A giant who is much taller and holds much power than the third prince in this meeting.
But he didn’t back down.
There’s too much wealth accumulated at the Vestian Supply Base to back down out of fear.
‘No matter how great the commander-in-chief is, I can’t throw away hundred of thousands of penas.’
“May I dare to say one thing to you, Your Excellency?”
Is it an illusion?
An interesting light flashed through the Duke Raif’s eyes.
‘You’ve changed.’
The Duke immediately noticed the change in Raymond.
Not long ago, he couldn’t even make eye contact properly, but now he ahd taken off the coward’s tee.
Not only that, but that natural dignity?
‘Does that means he is still constantly growing? It’s amazing.’
He hid those feelings and let him open his mouth.
“Let me tell you.”
“If we leave the base of Vestian as it is, our troops could be in great danger. Please reconsider.”
But the Duke asked an unexpected question, “Who said we would be leaving them alone?”
“…What?”
“I’m thinking of selling a trap in reverse.”
The Duke Raif went on sharply.
“You can’t miss a golden opportunity to deal a blow to your enemy. If you strengthen your defense, your enemies will run away. Rather, you will show a more relaxed attitude and attract your enemies to the trap.”
“……!”
The Duke Raif did not ignore Raymond’s opinion.
On the contrary.
He intended to take full advantage of Raymond’s opinion and hit the enemy hard!
“That’s the end of the strategic meeting. The staff will come up with specific operations.”
The Duke rose from his seat and looked straight at Raymond.
“Baron Penin.”
“What?”
“It was a strong and useful opinion you brought up.”
“……!”
Raymond looked surprised.
‘That’s a compliment, right? It’s a compliment, right?’
‘I have a bad relationship with Seytil, but he still praised me?’
But the surprise Raymond felt was no match for others.
The whole conference hall was stunned.
Who would have thought that the Duke Raif, who is stingy with praises, would say something like that.
In particular, Seytil’s face turned sour.
Moreover, the Duke did not stop with just a single praise.
He told a more surprising demand.
“You will continue to participate in all strategy meetings. We will not allow your non-attendance.”
“.……!”
Raymond was taken aback, but the Duke Raif quickly disappeared.
***
After that, the entire situation went as Raymond expected.
The enemy suffered a heavy blow when they tried to raid the Vestian Supply Base as they were struck by a trap they had set in reverse.
Thanks to Raymond, they achieved a huge victory again.
“Did you hear that? This victory is all thanks to our prince.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes, the prince who attended the strategy meeting has seen through the Doughton’s scheme. If it wasn’t for our prince, we would have suffered a great defeat.”
“Huh, he is really amazing. As expected of our prince. What on earth is it that our prince can’t do?”
“That is right. He is good at treating people, has a warm heart, and from what I saw at that time, he seemed to be talented in swordmanship and now- excellent at strategy and tactics too. He is just so perfect!”
The joy of the victory led to Raymond’s praise.
The shouts of “Long Live Raymond!” rang throughout the barracks.
“Long live Raymond!”
“Long Live our Prince!”
“……but I heard he shouldn’t be called a prince.”
“Oh, I don’t know! It’s just between us, anyway. And honestly, our prince is much better than the other princes, right?”
“That’s what it is.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
In the eyes of ordinary soldiers, the other princes were unlucky ones who only show off in high places.
Only Raymond shone brilliantly by their side.
“Let’s all follow our prince!”
“Majesty Raymond!”
Such cries spread throughout the barracks.
Of course, it was a breathless cry.
It was about something that could have struck a horn if it went into another prince’s ear by mistake.
However, it was also a cry that did not sink easily.
In a difficult battlefield, you need someone to trust and follow. In other words, you need a hero to rely on.
The soldiers began to regard Raymond as such a hero, little by little.
But a few days later.
Something happened that poured cold water on the heat of such joy.
The army of the Kingdom of Droughton launched an all-out offensive.
***
In the capital of the Kingdom of Droughton.
Grand Duke Berard was asking coldly through his crystal ball.
“Is the preparation all done as Grand Duke Bon said?”
-Yes, Grand Duke!
Is it because of Berard’s discomfort?
The opposing general in the crystal ball reported flat and low.
– All formationshave been placed as ordered by His Majesty the Grand Duke! This time, I’ll make an example to those Houston bastards!
“Yes, go ahead. I’ll trust you this time.”
– I believe it-
The crystal-bound general shuddered.
He realized it was the last warning.
After the crystal ball went out, Archduke Berard toned down in a frosty voice.
“Raymond.”
Raymond!
It was such a sickening name.
He suffered another great defeat because of him.
“This is the last time. After this battle, this war will be cemented as a victory for our army. I will seize you and you will kneel before me. I will put your neck on the flag and crush the Kingdom of Houston.”
But he suddenly got worried.
‘He’s not going to see through this operation, is he?’
He’s a genius.