Chapter 253: Military Base |
I forcibly stopped Lupetta, who wanted to go home, and spent the night thoroughly inseminating her.
It was quite exciting to take Lupetta, who refused me because Melgin was waiting for her at the inn, into the bedroom of the villa. Thanks to this, I was able to enjoy myself even after the second round. I can say it was a really good night.
[…What? Lupetta has already gone home?]
When I woke up, Lupetta had already disappeared.
According to Tesh, she hurried home early in the morning. It’s a sad story, even though in the second half, Lupetta seemed to have started to open up to me, and it was so erotic that it got all muddy and fun. I wonder if she’s experiencing sage time now that the morning sun is shining. I’m just a little curious about what kind of face she made when she returned to the inn.
In any case, today’s activities will begin at the villa.
After taking a morning bath to clean my body, which was covered in various bodily fluids, I had a slightly late breakfast with Eve. By the time I had a cup of tea, I had my schedule for the day organized in my head.
[Go to the base.]
[That’s a good idea. I’ll arrange it right away.]
So, I decided to show my face to the military. Now that my father and grandfather are away, I will be in the position of being the highest official in Newnelly City. At such times, by inspecting the military, the next head of the family can demonstrate his sense of responsibility.
Riding on the prepared carriage, I headed to the Newnelly military base.
When I entered the main building of the base, which is also the center of the Quordenze army, I was immediately guided to the headquarters conference room. It seemed that multiple senior military officers would be attending to my visit.
[I heard that the Nambonan soldiers are coming to Newnelly. Are they outside?]
They must have come here to accompany my grandfather’s return to Newnelly. However, since I couldn’t find any such soldiers at the training ground, I decided to ask the officer first.
[They’re on a field trip to Newnelly Field this morning.]
The senior military officer seemed to have read my intent to ask why they had entered the field and continued talking.
[According to the unit commander, Raylight of the Gatoren family, he has been entrusted with the training and discipline of the Nambonan soldiers by Young Master.]
Apparently, the former wandering son of the Gatoren family, Raylight, had also come to Newnelly as the unit leader. Since I had left the affairs of the Nambonan soldiers to him, he was probably suited to be the coordinator.
[In addition, Young Master’s private army is also accompanying the expedition. We have given permission.]
That private army was the people I hired with my pocket money a few years ago. They were gathered to conduct experiments to test tactics, formations, and weapons based on my past life knowledge.
However, the logic of how to fight is different between Earth and the Eruo continent. Military knowledge born in a world without a Lord or Highlord does not necessarily function correctly. And above all, I wasn’t very knowledgeable about military matters. As a result of the experiment’s significance being shaken, I ended up settling down as a unit to do my chores in the castle town.
[I’ll leave that to you guys, so there’s no problem.]
However, these days, the number of chores around the castle is decreasing as the members of the Pioneering Association are working tirelessly. For this reason, it was usually left in the hands of the military and allowed military officers to use the forces as they saw fit. It seems that my private soldiers are mobilized to civil engineering construction sites and accompany monster hunting in Newnelly Field.
They are the only unit in Quordenze that can use muskets, but it seems that they are not particularly praised for that.
[In other words, the Nambonan soldiers led by Raylight are doing marching training in the Field?]
When I asked that question, the senior military officer shook his head in denial.
[He said that marching training was one of the purposes, but… The story of the incident was yesterday afternoon, when a member of the association visited the base. They asked me to place a set of weapons developed by Young Master here.]
[Oh, that one about organizing the warehouse?]
In order to secure space for the Pioneering Association’s production department, the stock of muskets was to be moved to the base.
Even so, they really move pretty quick to have already brought it in. It must have been quite a hindrance.
[Yessir. Since we have already been informed by Young Master, the task was completed without a hitch. However, Raylight, who was watching the whole thing, showed interest in the new weapon…]
Let’s try firing one shot, he said, and decided to go on an expedition.
[I see, that’s why my soldiers came with him. They’re used to handling muskets.]
[That seems to be the case. I heard that the vice-commander of the private corps was also there when Raylight asked for permission to go on an expedition.]
It’s a musket that no one appreciates, but the vice commander of the private soldiers corps was the only one who became a fan. Perhaps it was the vice-commander who suggested the expedition.
[Well, then it makes sense that they chose to go to the Field.]
The reason for the selection was to prevent information leaks. The activities of spies will be greatly restricted in the Field, where detection magic is less effective. If there is someone acting suspiciously within visual range, they can be easily eliminated.
Muskets are the Quordenze family’s secret weapon, so they must be handled with care. My private soldiers corps is well-trained for security.
[In any case, it’s an interesting initiative. I’d like to ask them about their experience later.]
Since I took the trouble to make it, I want it to be put to good use if possible. Since we have spent a considerable amount of money developing a complete set of muskets, we didn’t want it to literally be shelved.
[Will it be fine later?]
I waved my hand lightly at the senior officer who said, “Weren’t you here to see the Nambonan soldiers? Let’s send someone to the Field now to bring them back.”
[No, it’s alright. I just came to see the military today. Since my father and grandfather were away, I thought I’d show my face once. I also came to see the Nambonan soldiers, but I’m not in a hurry. ]
[So that is the case.]
[Yeah. I’m sorry for coming here all of a sudden. ….were you all having some sort of meeting?]
A map was spread out on a desk in the corner of the room. It was a close-up map of the Quordenze and Spierzeig territories, about the size of a tatami mat. And on top of it were a number of beautifully shaped stones.
[Yessir. We were just comparing the information that we received from various places and conducting a force analysis.]
As I walked up to the desk, senior military officers also approached me.
[This is a prediction of future troop deployment.]
[Hmm… the white pieces are the Quordenze army, and the black pieces are the Spierzeig?]
White stones were scattered in the Quordenze territory, and black stones scattered in the Spierszeig territory. It probably represents the military strength held in each region.
Although there were not many of them, the green and red stones placed here and there were interesting. In the northern part of the Voistra plain, several white stones and black stones were lined up facing each other, with one green stone on the white stone side and one red stone on the black stone side.
[What about the green and red?]
[The green stones represent our Lord-class army, and the red stones represent the enemy’s Lord-class army. The white stones and black stones are regular units and do not include the Lord-class soldiers.]
Well, that’s what I thought.
I picked up the pointer that was left on the desk and poke at the green stone placed in the northern part of the Voistra Plain.
[This is my grandfather.]
[Yessir. The piece it’s facing belongs to Kindlor Spierzeig, the previous Head of the Spierzeig family.]
[…Isn’t it hard to understand at first glance? It would be nice if you could write the names on the piece.]
[Since it was a light review meeting, we simply used general-purpose ones.]
Apparently, they also have named pieces available. However, if they use that method, they will have to worry about not being able to find the piece with someone’s name on it, and it will be difficult to place the stones intuitively. It is said that a general-purpose piece without a name is the easiest to use for a formal military council, but for a review meeting with several people.
[The square pieces represent important people, and the round pieces represent the Lord-class of branch families and shadow families.]
It seems that there are rules not only for color but also for shape. My grandfather’s green piece was square in shape, and the opposite Kindlor was also a square red piece. If you look at the board, the rectangular pieces were solidified in Othelloria City and Newnelly City.
[…why are there strangely numerous round red stones on the Spierzeig side?]
Green and red pieces were lined up along the Amelia River, which is the boundary of the Quordenze-Spierzeig territory. However, the number was overwhelmingly on Spierszeig’s side. It’s full of red pieces, which means it’s full of Lord-class soldiers. Estimated to be three times as large as Quordenze.
[We are predicting the location of the troops, so we have placed pieces in possible locations just in case. It is extremely difficult to pinpoint the whereabouts of not only branch families but also the shadow houses.]
The true family structure of a Noble family is a military secret. The Quordenze family is also putting effort into espionage, but they are unable to fully grasp the full story of the Lords of the shadow family, whose existence has been kept secret.
[On the other hand, since we know the location of our branch family and shadow, will the number of green pieces decrease?]
[That’s right. I think Spierzeig is also considering the same thing, but I’m sure they also have a large number of Quordenze pieces lined up on the map.]
In that act, I felt fear of the power of the Lords and Highlords. It can be seen that they are very wary of a situation in which their Lords and Highlords jump out due to a poor attack. I felt like I could understand why the shadow house was so useful as a deterrent.
[…I don’t think anyone would think of crossing the Amelia River.]
With the exception of some areas, the coast of the Amelia River is well covered from north to south and west with red and black pieces representing regular troops. Knights and military officers who put their master’s safety first would not want to cross a river like this. Ships can easily be blown away by the Lord’s magic.
[Even if we cross the Amelia River, it will be difficult to maintain it. The main force of Spierzeig’s army will immediately come out to intercept us. We will be pushed back immediately.]
Even if they moved quickly and sent their lords to the opposite shore ahead of them, the ships carrying reinforcements would not be able to keep up. This is because if their ships are noticed by Spierzeig’s army, it will be sunk immediately. The Lord-class soldiers, left alone on the opposite shore, will be left waiting to be crushed to death.
[Should we repeatedly cross the dangerous river and attack Spierzeig territory all at once, or should we secure a beachhead in another area and attack Spierzeig territory overland… Master and Old Master were once forced to make that choice, and in the end… chose the latter.]
That was the war of aggression against the Nobles in the eastern part of the Empire.
The eastern part of the Empire, which was crowded with small and weak Nobles, was convenient. From my father’s point of view, it was easy to stir things up, and from my grandfather’s point of view, it was easy to crush them.
If things go wrong, there is a possibility that the Imperial nobility in the eastern part of the Empire will unite and attack the Quordenze territory under the orders of the Spierzeig family. There must have been a desire to deal with it as soon as possible.
[Securing a beachhead on the other side of the Amelia River, quickly eliminating potential enemies… No, I don’t think that’s all there is to it. There’s also the case that my father and grandfather were unable to achieve their goals. We should annex the Noble territories in the eastern part of the Empire. If so, I can see a future in which the next generation and beyond will be able to compete with the Spierzeig family.]
If we look back at history, the Quordenze family has always been at a disadvantage to the Spierzeig family. It’s just that the current era is irregular.
What would happen if we ignored the Nobles in the eastern part of the Empire and attempted the river crossing challenge? If they are not able to defeat the Spierzeig family, there is a possibility that the Quordenze family will be forced to take a back seat again in the future. Because the territory’s own strength is better than the opponent.
While securing a beachhead, we gained power by preying on the Nobles in the eastern part of the Empire. That way, even if the Spierzeig invasion were to fail midway through, the Quordenze territory’s self-reliance would be greatly improved. It may be a karma for father or grandfather, but they can continue their revenge by passing on the grudge to the next generation.
[Overthrowing the Spierzeig family may be our first goal…However, we need to keep in mind that it is also necessary to protect the family. We should also assume failure can happen. That’s not to say it won’t happen. However, we would like Young Master who has been appointed the next head of the family to understand the circumstances surrounding this…]
All the senior military officers seemed reluctant to answer.
It doesn’t feel very good to be expecting to lose to your arch-enemy, and above all, in that case, you’re entrusting your hatred to future generations. To me, it’s like being forced to take out a mortgage for a second-generation home even before you were born. I guess they’ve omitted explanations about that so far, not wanting to put any unnecessary pressure on me.
[However, with Operation Snake’s Fang, we were able to make great progress. All that’s left is to get through the big battle on Voistra Plain…]
The fall of Othelloria is near, the executive military officer said as he looked at the map. The voice was filled with emotion.
[A head-on collision with the Spierzeig army… I think it’s going to be a big battle. I wonder if we can win with a nice surprise attack. Like Operation Snake’s Fang.]
A head-on battle will likely cause great damage to our soldiers as well. I said this casually, but all the executives shook their heads, as if there was no such naive idea.
[Please refrain from such reckless behavior. We are currently in an advantageous situation even though we are invading Spierzeig territory. We are not cornered enough to rely on a high-stakes strategy.]
Another senior military officer interjected from the side.
[Besides, there are no more strategic points worth taking by surprise.]
It seems that there is no place like Reisleaf Castle that would become a big winning spot if captured. If there is one, it’s probably around Othelloria City.
[Oh, then let’s think about it for a bit. As a mental exercise. …………For example, we can cross the Amelia River from the southern part of the inland region or Sylopeia territory and aim for Othelloria City all at once.]
I tried expressing the movement of the army using a pointing stick. The plan was to pretend to fight in the northern part of the Voistra Plains, but then secretly attack Othelloria City from the southern part.
[It’s a pretty wide open area. If we move our troops, it will be immediately noticed by the enemy. The main forces stationed in Othelloria City will probably move in to intercept quickly. Breaking through is not realistic.]
[Wouldn’t the main force move to the northern part of Voistra as the decisive battle approaches? The plan is to wait for that and launch a surprise attack.]
Let’s pound on the main Spierzeig force, a mountain of black stones placed in Othelloria City.
[Although this is a major decisive battle where the survival of the family is at stake, we will still leave the bare minimum number of soldiers at our home base. At least, they should be able to thwart a small-scale invasion. Of course, we will send everything else to the front lines. That’s likely to happen.]
[Is that so?]
[It is…. There are multiple Noble houses under the Spierzeig family. Those houses have been vassals since the time of the Voistra Kingdom, but it is unclear what will happen in the future. In recent years, Especially after the fall of Reisleaf, the Spierzeig family’s centripetal force has decreased significantly. Under these circumstances, they cannot afford to leave any holes in the defense of Othelloria City.]
If you’re at a disadvantage, you won’t be able to trust your allies, right? Certainly, there is a possibility that there will be some Nobles who would steal Othelloria City in the midst of the chaos and use it as a souvenir for Quordenze.
[In any case, the idea of crossing the river from the southern part of Voistra and attacking Othelloria City is not realistic. It is completely expected that the three families of Quordenze, Sylopeia, and Evenafis will forcefully attack the area, so the defense system must be perfect.]
On the map, a large number of round red pieces were placed in that area. This means that there is a high possibility that personnel from the Spierzeig family’s branch family, or shadow houses, are stationed there.
It can be seen that they are extremely wary of a forcible breakthrough into Amelia by the Three Houses Alliance. Naturally, then, the defense equipment should be solid as well.
[Then, how about this?]
I moved the pointer slightly northeast from there. This is the only area where there is a break in the original line laid out along the Amelia River.
[…I don’t really understand what Young Master means?]
[Here. Spierzeig’s security is probably weaker here. … Our guard is even weaker.]
The senior military officers looked at each other in confusion.
[You may not know this, Young Master, but this land…]
[Arknoa Contaminated Area. It’s believed to be an area that was contaminated by the Demonic Beast Arknoa about 100 years ago. I know this because I toured it before going to the Royal Capital.]
It was terrible. Seeing that hellish scene of a vast land being ruthlessly polluted, the horror of a mature demon beast is felt in my bones.
[Can we march through this area and launch a surprise attack?]
Then, one of the senior military officers showed an expression as if he had come to a conclusion. He picked up a spare pointing stick that was placed in the corner of the room and touched the tip of it to the Arknoa Contaminated Area that I had pointed to.
[This is the Arknoa Contaminated Area. And…]
As it is, the pointer moves westward, crossing the Amelia River and entering Spierzeig territory. The tip of the pointer came to a dead stop just short of the city of Weldburg.
[…This is the Arknoa Contaminated Area.]
Illustration (By Mitemin)
It seemed that the others understood this too. Another senior military officer spoke up.
[Young Master, the Demon Beast Arknoa is a mature demon beast that was born in the Weldburg Fields of Spierzeig territory. It happened to invade Quordenze and desecrate the land. Therefore, the contaminated area is not only on the Quordenze side, but also on the Spierzeig side on the opposite bank. Even if anyone crosses the river, they will find land contaminated with corrupted soil. It is impossible to march through. Therefore, not only we, but also Spierzeig’s side, are not taking attention in that area.]
[I know that. But, I hear you can pass through here.]
[Who did Young Master hear that from?]
[From an adventurer. Her name is Lupetta.]
Lupetta said that she always passed through this area when going back and forth between Quordenze and Spierzeig. If you try to pass through actual Spierzeig territory, you will have to pay taxes at the checkpoint, and it seems that Lord-class people tend to avoid it because it is difficult to check their identity.
Apparently some of the senior military officers knew about Lupetta. The initiative in responding had now shifted to them.
[Lupetta-dono is able to pass through the Arknoa Contaminated Area because she is a Lord-class. Of course, even if for a Lord-class, it would be difficult to pass through without a great deal of determination. It is that difficult to walk through the polluted land. As for normal soldiers…. Serf won’t survive the march. That’s why everyone left that area alone.]
In areas with strong pollution, even shoes rot and fall off. You can’t even take a relaxing break. Even I could understand the logic behind why serfs cannot pass through such a place.
[In addition, although it is not shown on the map, the land in the Arknoa Contaminated Area on the Spierzeig side is generally low-lying and extremely wetland. It is impossible to proceed satisfactorily except for the land that is on high ground. And that hill is full of corrupted soil.]
In other words, the whole area was contaminated, but the swampland was just contaminated soil washed away along with the water. Rather than saying that the high ground is contaminated, it may be more accurate to say that the high ground has not yet been purified.
[No, I know that too. I mean, if it’s a small elite unit made up of only Highlord and Lords like Operation Snake’s Fang, wouldn’t it be possible to pass?]
The Military officers are extremely overprotective of their master. They’d always want a large amount of meat shields in the form of ordinary soldiers protecting their master. A troop consisting only of the Highlord and Lords would inevitably have a small number of people, so it was probably not envisioned in the first place.
[The situation is different from the Nambonan defense at the beginning of the year.]
As expected, there was an immediate denial.
[At that time, there was an emergency situation, but once we arrived at Nambonan City, we could absorb the remaining troops and increase the number of soldiers protecting the area around Young Master. However, what Young Master just said was that we were in enemy territory. This is a surprise attack on the island. There are no soldiers on the other side who can serve as our soldiers. Only a small group of elite troops will be advancing through enemy territory. This is totally unacceptable.]
Furthermore, another military officer also raised his voice.
[Let’s say that Young Master’s surprise attack is successful and takes the city of Weldburg. Then, once the city is taken, the main force will come from Othelloria City. Even if we forcibly recruit the citizens of Weldburg as soldiers, there will never be a large number of them. Since we cannot send reinforcements to Young Master from the mainland, you will easily be surrounded and crushed.]
Although it was just a casual conversation, the senior military officers were already in preaching mode. It seemed like the level of preaching would rise if I made an unnecessary rebuttal, but I decided to continue speaking.
[For example, suppose a large-scale battle occurs on the front lines in the northern part of the Voistra Plain. At that time, I will lead a small group of elite soldiers, cross the Arknoa Contaminated Area, and forcefully attack the city of Weldburg. The military officer should have already been dispatched to the front line, so I might be able to take it down in a relatively short amount of time. Having taken the city, I’ll quickly head to the front line. Then, I end up attacking the rear of the Spierzeig army fighting on the front line. Couldn’t this pincer attack be the decisive blow to the battle?]
Spierzeig’s army would be shocked to think that they would be targeted from behind.
[On paper, that’s how it should be. However, on the battlefield, there are many uncertainties and the situation is ever changing. Will it be possible to accurately know when the decisive battle will begin while staying inland? Will it be possible to safely break through the Arknoa Contaminated Area? Will it really be possible to advance without being tangled by the enemy army, even though the area is a lightly guarded area? Can they be quickly defeated, and what will happen if Spierzeig’s army notices the pincer attack and launches an all-out attack on the surprise attack force? …. I can’t imagine that things will go according to plan. If you just want to break through the front lines, it’s much more reliable to defeat them in a head-on battle.]
It was just a small idea, but it was completely retorted. Further pursuit continues from another senior military officer.
[Young Master would be the General to carry out that surprise attack. However, Young Master alone cannot reach the front lines.]
[Why can’t I?]
[The Spierzeig side would also like to avoid their own army being caught in a pincer attack. If that was the case, they would probably send out the remaining troops they had left in Othelloria City just in case. Their movement would be much faster than us, who don’t have a geographical advantage. The surprise attack force led by Young Master will collide with the Othelloria troops on the way to the front line, and their advance will be blocked. By the time they break through, the battle will be over.]
[…If that’s the case, why don’t we head to Othelloria City instead of the front lines? Soldiers will probably have been sent out from other cities along the way, and if we’re facing the remaining forces of Othelloria, we might be able to break through on the battlefield.]
If I may say so myself, I feel like the strategy is becoming more and more haphazard.
[In that case, it is thought that the Othelloria troops will retreat by drawing Young Master’s surprise attack force deep into Spierzeig territory. It will be drawn in slowly and eventually lead to the battle to capture Othelloria city. In that case, at Othelloria castle, the leader of the Spierszeig family, who is waiting, will stand as the supreme commander, so it will not be easy to defeat him. While Young Master cannot afford to attack, your retreat will be blocked and you will be crushed to death.]
Generally speaking, a battle to capture a city head-on is not something that is carried out by surprise attack. I realized that heading to Othelloria City was a complete mistake.
[In order to successfully carry out a pincer attack on the front line, you need at least two units. One unit is heading towards the front line, and the other unit is attacking the Othelloria unit that is trying to intercept it. However…]
Illustration (By Mitemin)
The senior military officer pointed his hand at me.
The hand looks like it’s pinching something. It looks like a fox made from shadow puppets. The index finger and little finger are also attached to the thumb, so it’s a fox without ears.
[Snakes have strong fangs in their upper jaws, but only weak teeth in their lower jaws.]
The earless fox opens and closes its mouth. Apparently, that was an image of a snake’s head, not a fox’s.
[Dividing the surprise attack force into two is like a snake with its mouth wide open. Weak teeth will not be able to hold back Othelloria’s reserve force. If the lower jaw is broken, no matter how strong the upper jaw is, even if it has strong fangs, it is impossible to stab it into the enemy.]
If I head to the frontline, I’d be likened to just the fang of that snake. There is no point in dividing the surprise attack force, which is already small in number. There will only be strong fangs and weak teeth. However, even if he were to head to the front line as a single snake, a blocking force from Othelloria City would stand in his way.
[…We’ll be blocked on all sides. It turns out that a surprise attack isn’t realistic at this stage. Maybe it would be better to work with my grandfather to think about breaking through the front lines.]
When I honestly admitted that, the senior military officers seemed relieved and their expressions softened.
Did they really think I was going to force a surprise attack? This is just a small talk, but I’d like to follow up just in case.
[The overthrow of Spierzeig is my Quordenze’s earnest desire. Ever since I was named the next head of the family, I have become more aware of this. What should I do now to build a better future? I want to keep thinking about it. That’s why, please lend me your strength.]
In order to protect my cute little sister with my own hands and continue to hold Lupetta, I must destroy the Spierzeig family. When I think about that, I can’t help but add strength to my voice.
[Oh…!]
[It’s a really great mindset.]
[How splendid!]
It seems that the announcement of the overthrow of Spierzeig brought the military officers more joy and excitement than anything else.
They were trembling with emotion for a while.
