'Oh no, it's gone off the schedule. For good.
　I didn't think we'd make it this far without encountering a single scout.

　Our army is 43,000 strong.
　Therefore, our routes of march are limited.

　The route to Rezad splits into two along the way.
　There are two branches along the way: the west road, which largely bypasses the forest, and the east road, which runs straight through the forest.

　According to Bartolo's reading, they would meet the enemy before they reached the junction....

　''We've reached the fork in the road. ...Which way do we march?
　'I like the East Road, don't I? The sooner the better. I'm worried about the ambush but if you proceed with caution, you won't succeed in the ambush.

　It's a trap for Kongming!
　This is only possible in a fictional world.

　Usually, the ambushers are able to find out in advance because they are carefully scouted and examined.
　Well, real oversight does exist, and "The bird just took off and surprised me, and my army collapsed! Although there are true stories that exist that are false.

　As a rule, they rarely succeed.

　A sorcerer in this world can use a dog or a hawk, so the probability of success for an ambush is lower than on Earth (my home).

　Even if you can't see it with human eyes, a dog's nose and a hawk's eyes can't be fooled.

　"Well, even if you think about the supply, the east road is the best way to go.

　With an army as large as 43,000, a problem that had not surfaced before is now coming to the surface.
　It was the problem of supply.

　Or rather, this was a problem during the Second Southern Conquest.

　However, it was difficult to build a Transportation Corps in one year.
　Therefore, they decided to use the river's water transportation system.

　It was much easier to transport the Transportation Corps by boat than by horse or donkey.
　Moreover, the river flowed almost in a straight line from King Losais' country to Rezad.

　We could march straight along the river.

　This makes it easy to replenish large amounts of food and wine, and siege weapons with consumables such as arrows and spears.
　This makes the soldiers' luggage lighter and their speed of advance is faster.

　However, this will be the only time they can use the river.
　There is no other place in the world where the terrain is so convenient.

　You'll need to decide on a route of attack. We should decide on our route of attack after hearing the scouts' report.







　The next day.

　'Good news. Your Majesty. The enemy is dividing the army in two.
　What do you mean?

　Bartolo told me that....
　Apparently, the enemy forces have divided the West Road and the East Road into two parts to protect both.

　Indeed, I understand that the confluence of the two roads is right under Rezad's nose, so we have to hold them off here.
　.........
　But how much do you think it's a good idea to split it in two?
　Isn't this a poor strategy?

　The enemy didn't just split in two without a second thought. They must have some kind of rear base ready to join us right away.
　'It would be nice if we could destroy each one of them but I don't think the enemy is going to let us off the hook so easily.

　The question is, how do we deliver a solid blowout?

　Bartolo. Let's split up our numbers. Let's see if we can't get this thing going.
　That's what I was thinking, too. Let's do it.





　The army guarding the East Road, hereafter the West.

　'Captain, Losey's army is on the move. They seem to have taken the east road.
　I was right after all. Well, that stupid General Nemeth is going to be very disappointed with himself right now.

　The Gallic mercenary captain grinned.
　In his mind's eye, he stepped on the ground and pictured a frustrated Nemeth general.






　The army defending the West Road, hereafter the Western Army.

　''General, it seems that the enemy has taken the east road.
　.........I can picture the face of a barbarian (Balloi) smiling proudly. I'll join you with only a thousand men left.

　The Western Army pulled out of the camp and began to march to join the Eastern Army.



　About five hours after the western army began its march.
　In a few more hours, when they would be able to meet up with the Eastern Army, the situation suddenly changed.

　''........Why are the Rosais Army here?''

　Suddenly, the flag of the Lossies army appeared.
　That flag, shelving in the sky, was undoubtedly the flag of Lossies' army.

　The general shouted at his second in command.

　'What have the scouts been doing!
　'No, no I'm sorry. It was an oversight.

　However, it was Nemeth's general who said that since this was within the alliance, a few scouts would be fine.
　I can't blame my second in command.

　''Well, that's fine. But why is Rosais' army........

　The General was puzzled.
　The news that the Eastern Army had been defeated never reached the General.

　In other words, Rosais' army had come to shorten the road by some means.

　(Judging from the number of flags, the number is around six thousand.......not a number that can move through the forest. (How.........no way!

　The General comes to one possibility.
　He holds his head and slams his fist down hard on the ground.

　'd*mn!　I am a Cilician, you Cilician!　I can't believe I didn't see this coming!　I didn't expect me to be scratched in the back by a barbarian (Barbaroi) with these hands!
　Right, General?　What's going on?　Now do you understand why Rosais' army showed up?

　The general looks up and glares at his second-in-command.

　'A ship!　They used the river to get around it!　d*mn, I didn't expect the barbarians (Barbaroi) to use the ship so much...







　The enemy must be surprised to see you now.

　Bartolo laughs merrily as he sips his drink.
　He has already finished setting up a strong camp on top of the hill.

　The enemy is ten thousand.
　It's not an easy task to attack a hill defended by six thousand people with ten thousand.

　Moreover, the defender is Bartolo.
　It will take at least a day to get there.

　"And in a day's time, Your Majesty will outnumber the Eastern Army. All that's left is for you to join me and beat up these stupid Cilician men.

　Bartolo slammed the empty pot on the ground and stomped on it.

　I wonder how it feels for the Cilician sea people to have their ships scratched by barbarians like us who can't even write, who can only chase sheep and plow the fields.




　Before deciding on the operation, Bartolo said.

　''I'll lead six thousand men to the rear and stall the reinforcements. Rezad's mercenary force is ten thousand. With thirty-seven thousand, we can crush them in front by numbers. Your Majesty, please move your troops as you have planned. However, please be careful of the ambushers.

　I can't say I'm a better soldier than Bartolo.
　I suppose I'm a mediocre general.

　But.
　From every word, "Well, even you can do this, can't you? I wonder if it's just my imagination?

　You think too much, Your Majesty.

　Alice made a slightly dumbfounded sound.
　Lately, Alice has been following me around as my direct guard.

　I gave up on her because she would stalk me even if I chased her away.

　Apparently, Yulia and Tetra, who are staying at home, have left me in charge.

　Well, it's fine that the women get along with each other, but.....


　'Well, Bartolo's not that rude. I guess I care too much...I mean, how am I supposed to watch out for an ambush?

　I don't know.
　At any rate, I placed the wagons in the center of my own army as Bartolo had taught me to do.

　The light infantry on the flanks, the Rosais army, which is highly mobile, inside it, and the innermost part of the country's army, which still employs the phalanx.

　If they're going to attack us with a small army, go ahead and attack us!

　'Your Majesty!　We're getting reports of an enemy attack at the tail end of the line!
　Intercept!
　No, we've already intercepted them. Master Ron Aemilius has repulsed them.

　Well, come to think of it, it was Ron who was guarding the tail end of the line.
　Well done!

　I knew it.
　'It's strange. The ambush that General Tonino of King Domorgal's country set up against Aldo kept succeeding, though.

　As Alice muttered, General Tonino, who appeared from somewhere, interrupted her.
　General Tonino was the general of King Domorgal's country and the one who had launched an ambush supply line attack on Prince Aldo during the civil war in King Domorgal's country.

　''Oh no, it's easy and an effective move when your opponent is an idiot, right?　That was an interesting way to set it up. I thought for sure it was one of the enemy's ploys to get me to let my guard down.

　Of course, Aldo doesn't have that kind of intelligence.
　If it had been, it would have been Aldo sitting on the throne of King Domorgal's kingdom by now, and our army would have been defeated.

　It was all thanks to Aldo's stupidity.

　And it's not a good idea to kick a dead man too much.
　He is dead.

　When any man dies, he is equally dead.
　Let's stop making fun of it.

　''But one of the enemy's generals is a Gaul.......so is the Kingdom of Roselle biting?
　I don't think so. There are a lot of Gauls in the world except for Roselle. It's a big place. I'm sure there are many people of all races, just because the captain is a Gallic.

　Cilician, Adelnian, Alvah, Poffenian, Gaul, Germanic, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.
　Apparently, it's like a salad ball unit.
　Well, isn't that what mercenaries are all about?

　Your Majesty!　Sir, we have enemy flags ahead!　About 10,000 men!

　Reports continue to come in from scouts and falconer spellcasters.
　It's unlikely to be a false alarm.

　Tell all the troops to prepare for battle! Prepare for battle! Beware of the garrison.

　You are most defenseless when you are rearranging your formation.
　If you are attacked by an ambush army at this time, it becomes a bit troublesome.


　Perhaps because I was well trained, the rearrangement of the formation was over in no time.
　During this time, we were attacked by enemy ambushers three times, but we played them all back.

　There was no way the oligarchs would be able to match a large army!

　Your adversaries aren't even assembled yet.
　''Well, they're mercenaries. And if the races are all different, it's going to be hard to set up a formation.

　I found out when I got close to them, the weapons they use are all different.
　The size of the shields, the swords, the shape of the spears, the length, the presence of armor.......

　Rosais' army is also different in the details, as the weapons are brought by the commoners...
　It is uniform in length and shape.

　It was like a hastily built army.

　Compared to that, the Germanic mercenary unit led by Alexios was amazing.
　Although their armaments are the same in terms of their disparate armaments, the speed with which their formations are formed, their morale, skill, and discipline are very different from the enemy that is in front of them right now.

　As expected, the more hastily a unit like this is built, the more the commander holds the key to victory.

　It's a good thing Alexios is not the commander.

　Everyone!　Charge!

　I raise my voice.
　No tricks are needed, or rather, I can't.

　We can crush them in numbers as it is.

　''Your Majesty, no!
　What?

　Alice grabbed my clothes as I tried to ride my horse to the front of the pack.

　'Don't let His Excellency Bartolo, his wife, and the rest of the great families and kinsmen of the Kingsguard say, "Don't let His Majesty run at the front! And I'm under strict orders to do so.
　Okay, okay.

　That's going to take away from my show. What's the point of a blessing........



　In addition, the battle itself was over in an hour.
　My masterful command........rather than my masterful command, I succeeded in destroying the enemy with the help of the excellent non-commissioned officers (centurion) that Bartolo had raised.

　.........
　What's the point of me coming into battle?