Ch.13The Burgundian War of Succession (3)

“…I pledge my loyalty to His Excellency Claude of Bourgogne.”

“I gladly accept your loyalty.”

‘You’re probably seething inside, but as expected of a nobleman who’s mastered emotional control, your expression management is impeccable.’

The first thing I did upon meeting my younger uncle was to receive his oath of loyalty.

My uncle showed some reluctance at my request, but in the end, he knelt before me and swore his allegiance.

“Hehe…”

“…”

Chloe, who had been crying and wailing about me going to the battlefield just days ago, is now delighted at this scene. With her head slightly bowed, she wears an uncharacteristically cold smile.

…I shouldn’t let the child develop bad habits.

She’s been through a lot emotionally, so I should send her on a vacation once this is over.

“Count Nevers.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“I wish to unify the command… would that be acceptable? We cannot respond to the Carolingian Kingdom otherwise.”

“…”

He clearly doesn’t like it.

His face completely changed color.

Well… it makes sense, since nobles desperately want to protect their territories and private armies.

I don’t particularly need to worry about reputation since I’ll deal with him later anyway, but since we’re facing an enemy, I should at least humor him to prevent any rash actions.

“I’ll recognize your military authority. However, you will be in charge of the central army alongside me.”

“…Yes.”

To prevent him from retreating alone or stabbing me in the back, I need to keep this fellow under my surveillance. The best place for that is right beside me and my subordinates.

Judging by those eyes, he seems to have anticipated I would make such a move.

“Your Excellency, I’ve brought the map.”

While we relatives were bickering, the vassals brought maps showing the terrain around Nevers to the command room.

Ah, finally.

*Rustle rustle*

“Hmm…”

The vassals spread the map on the large table in the command room, and I let out a short sigh as I examined it.

As I’d heard, the area near Nevers Castle and the northwest is completely flat plains. With no forests and only shallow streams for rivers, it’s perfect terrain for moving large armies.

‘Our side barely scraped together 20,000 troops from a divided duchy’s manpower and resources, but the Carolingian Kingdom, with territory more than three times larger, will naturally have more. At least double, I’d guess.’

Facing such an army on plains would be suicide unless you’re a monster like Alexander or Genghis Khan.

There’s a reason why China, which possessed the North China Plain, kept reunifying even after repeated divisions. In such flat terrain, smaller states simply cannot withstand the military might of larger powers.

‘But… the southwest has lakes and marshlands.’

Assuming equal quality of troops, the only thing that will determine victory at this point is choosing the right terrain.

I need to choose between holding a siege at Nevers Castle or utilizing the marshlands.

A castle siege would be stable but would drag on long enough for my big uncle coming down from the north to become a significant variable. Using the marshlands could give us an advantage, but… it’s quite a gamble.

…This is giving me a headache.

‘Sigh… if magic were as powerful as in manga or movies, I wouldn’t have to worry about this… wait, would that be true?’

The Carolingian Kingdom, with its larger population and prosperity, would naturally have more skilled magicians than us.

If magic were that powerful, we’d actually be at a disadvantage.

I’ve always been frustrated that magic is only used for lighting candles, but now I’m rather relieved.

“…Your Excellency?”

“Ah, yes… I got lost in thought, please continue.”

Everyone seemed puzzled by my silence.

The generals, knights, and mercenary captains who had been discussing tactics all turned to look at me at once.

I still find it difficult to get used to this concentrated attention.

“Is there any information about the enemy’s formation or size?”

“Yes, Your Excellency. The Carolingian Kingdom has always primarily used heavy infantry, heavy spearmen, and heavy cavalry, so they likely will this time as well. As for their size, it remains unclear since our scouts haven’t returned yet.”

“Hmm…”

The white-haired general who reportedly served actively on the battlefield during my grandfather’s time spoke thus.

I’m newly grateful that grandfather left behind so many good generals. If only his diplomacy had been as good.

“They’re completely covered in iron, it seems…”

In contrast, while our mercenaries are properly heavily armored, most of our troops are lightly armored.

…The difference in equipment is too great. How did grandfather manage to defeat them so thoroughly?

‘Wait a minute… heavy armor?’

The enemy is mostly heavily armored while our forces are mostly lightly armored, plus marshlands.

I definitely remember a similar incident from history.

In my previous life… that is, Earth’s history… yes,

Agincourt.

During the Hundred Years’ War, 6,000 English soldiers literally drove the French army, three times their size, into mud and slaughtered them.

The heavily armored French soldiers couldn’t fight properly as they got stuck or slipped in the mud of Agincourt, and they were literally butchered by the English army, which was only one-third their size.

Even the English archers who had been shooting arrows grabbed their entrenching hammers and went to the front lines to smash the French “shellfish” who were floundering face-down in the mud.

This miraculous victory brought the French kingdom to the brink of collapse, and a treaty was signed to transfer the French throne to England in the next generation.

Though it became useless when Joan of Arc, known as the Maid of Orleans, appeared later.

If we could replicate the Battle of Agincourt…

“General.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Is there a way to drive the Carolingian army into the marshlands in the southwest?”

“Oh…”

As expected of a general who has long served in the military, he seems to have immediately understood what I meant.

“Heh… rather than a certain victory through siege, you wish to achieve a great feat?”

The old general’s tone is quite disrespectful, as if conveying the sentiment “Can a youngster like you handle this?”, but his expression is extremely solemn.

“Of course, whose grandson do you think I am?”

Hearing my answer, the general smiled broadly without making a sound.

The wrinkles made his face look like a Hahoe mask, but there was nothing grotesque about it.

Perhaps he sees my grandfather in me?

“Truly, truly… admirable. However, this old man with only experience cannot, no matter how much I think about it, come up with a way to drive the enemy army into the marshlands. They know the disadvantages of heavy armor better than we do.”

“I see…”

Unless the Carolingian army is foolish, they wouldn’t set up camp in the southwestern marshlands while ignoring the northwestern plains.

They seem to have frequently utilized heavily armored soldiers for a very long time, so they must know not only the advantages but also the disadvantages of heavy armor very well. Therefore, they would be even less likely to enter the marshlands.

Unless we scatter some bait… bait… huh?

“Bait?”

In feudal warfare, capturing the enemy commander ends the battle, and capturing the enemy monarch ends the war. It wasn’t for nothing that Japan, with its feudal culture during the Imjin War, desperately rushed to Hanyang trying to capture King Seonjo.

So the best bait is… right here!

The effect would be not just excellent but intoxicatingly good.

“Pardon? Bait?”

“General, I’ve found a way to lure the enemy army into the marshlands.”

“How could such a method… what?”

The general, who had been smiling broadly until just now, instantly froze.

Because my finger was pointing at myself.

Others present showed similar reactions to the general.

“It’s a bit late to ask, but what is your name?”

“Aras… Victor Aras, sir.”

“Good, Aras, I’m counting on you.”

Aras’s lips and eyes were trembling, but he answered my question sincerely.

Hmm, I like his loyalty. The upcoming operation—

“Duke… what are you saying…”

…Oh.

I forgot about Chloe.

For Chloe, who cherishes me dearly, this operation—

“You said… you said it wouldn’t be dangerous… that you’d stay in the rear…”

“Wait, Chloe… calm down… please calm down…”

Chloe’s face is literally deathly pale. She’s so white that it wouldn’t be strange if she died of a heart attack right now.

Chloe’s eyes are moistening, and her tone has changed to almost wailing, but no one around tries to stop her. Rather, they seem to strongly agree with her.

I was greatly flustered and tried to calm Chloe down, and seeing this, Aras took a short breath and then exhaled as if sighing before speaking.

“Your Excellency… defending in marshlands is dozens of times more difficult than defending on flat ground. You know this, which is why you want to drive the enemy into the marshlands, correct? If Your Grace were in the marshlands, could you hold out against the powerful Carolingian army’s attacks until reinforcements arrive?”

“Um… that would be difficult?”

Having lost a bit of my dignity due to Chloe’s reaction, I answered with an uncertain tone, and hearing this, Aras’s expression instantly changed to that of a grandfather looking at his immature grandson.

Indeed, no matter how good the theory is, it doesn’t work against someone with practical experience… Don’t look at me like that!

“Sigh… but the idea was very good.”

“Huh…?”

“There’s no need for the person in the marshlands to actually be Your Grace.”

“For instance, wouldn’t it be sufficient if the enemy believed Your Excellency was in the marshlands?”

Aras said this while alternately looking at the high-flying Bourgogne family banner and my ducal robes.