Ch.15The Burgundian War of Succession (5)

“…What did you say?”

“The bastard has been deposed, and Count Nevers has taken his place.”

The information extracted from interrogating the captured enemy scouts was shockingly unbelievable.

We had also gathered intelligence from merchants in the area, and both groups said almost the same thing: that the Count of Nevers had ascended to the position of Duke of Burgundy.

It seems that not only my eastern army but also the western and northern armies had reached similar conclusions, as messengers from those directions were saying the same thing.

“Claude, who as a bastard had no support base, couldn’t resist the coup by vassals who didn’t want a bastard on the throne, so they imprisoned him and then elevated Count Nevers as the new duke?”

…It makes sense.

The reports from scouts who found Count Nevers wearing ducal robes and flying the Burgundy ducal banner at the enemy encampment, after he had openly launched a rebellion with such insults, only added credibility to this information.

‘Count Nevers… I’ll have to kill him.’

The Kingdom of Caroling started this war on the pretext of reclaiming the Duchy of Burgundy after its duke died without an heir.

If a bastard were the heir, the nobles of the world would be split half and half on whether to recognize him, but if it’s the previous duke’s brother, anyone would consider him a legitimate successor.

His Majesty the King probably intended to find some excuse to kill him later, but now we must definitely kill him here. Once the war ends, it will become difficult to touch him carelessly.

“Everyone is doing well, but run a little faster! We have been entrusted with the crucial mission of blocking their eastern retreat route!”

“Yes, sir!!!”

And I, who will accomplish this, will become the greatest contributor to this war.

Die for my advancement and revenge.

……….

“That damn nephew…”

“…Are you alright, sir?”

After surveying Claude’s subordinates spread out around them, Count Nevers’ subordinate nervously addressed his lord who was openly cursing.

“If he has any conscience, he’ll pretend not to hear this much.”

Disguise myself as the Duke of Burgundy to lure the enemy into the swamp? Even if I’m captured, there’s no risk of death compared to him, a bastard, so don’t worry?

Yes, by common sense, that’s correct. But given how boldly my father conducted his affairs, who knows what he might do to me.

[Don’t worry if things go strangely. My cousin will be safely guarded at Nevers Castle, so there’s no need to worry about succession.]

Hah… He’s even threatening me with my son.

There’s not a single thing I like about this.

Except for one thing.

“Ah… it’s been a while…”

Though they’re barely visible on the horizon, seeing those Caroling swine swarming reminds me of old times.

In my youth, when I roamed battlefields with my father, fertilizing the plains abundantly with blood.

If everything goes according to plan, I could achieve a victory just as thrilling. It feels good to experience this feeling again.

“Don’t forget to fight casually and then quickly retreat along the prepared dirt path to the southern swamp. And tighten the laces on your shoes just in case.”

“Yes, sir!”

“And conscripted soldiers, if you see enemies in heavy armor, you can’t handle them, so just fall back. Others will fight in your place anyway!”

“Y-Yes, sir!!!”

Honestly, even if he hadn’t taken my son hostage, I would have agreed to this plan.

To witness the annihilation of those pigs—how magnificent would that be?

“Lastly… arrange the wagons in a line as my nephew instructed.”

Along with the method of using laces, he even taught me such a brilliant tactic.

Though he’s a bastard, it seems he truly carries Burgundy blood.

…Still, the ducal title is mine. How dare a bastard try to claim my father’s legacy?

……….

“The enemy is trying to break through the east!!”

“Block them somehow!!”

‘Damn it…’

As expected of the infamous Duchy of Burgundy.

We’re better armed and outnumber them by 3,000 men.

But that seems to mean nothing to those bastards.

‘Madmen.’

When facing heavily armored soldiers, they throw sand in their faces or persistently target weak points like joints that aren’t protected by armor.

The wagons they brought are also problematic. They’ve arranged them in a line at the front to prevent our cavalry from charging.

They’ve even destroyed the wheels, making them difficult to move. It feels like we’re conducting a siege.

‘Damn it…’

Our heavy cavalry is our definite advantage, but it’s hard to use them effectively like this.

…We need to bypass the wagons.

“All cavalry, listen!!! The sheep are trying to flee, so bypass these wagons to the east and pursue them!!”

“Yes, sir!!”

Rumble—

At my command, hundreds of cavalry headed east all at once.

…The feeling of the ground trembling as hundreds of horses gallop—it’s quite intimidating even though they’re our allies. It must be even more so for the enemy.

“Marquis Marche!!! The enemy has started to change their retreat direction to the south!!”

“Good… I can see it clearly.”

It’s going according to plan. We’ve succeeded in driving the enemy south…!

That cursed Burgundy banner is moving away toward the south—

Whoosh—!

“Ugh…!?”

At that moment, the wagons were suddenly engulfed in flames from torches thrown by the enemy.

The wagons, positioned with just an arm’s length between them, caught fire from adjacent wagons, and soon all of them were ablaze.

‘Stupid fools…’

If they had prepared this, they should have used it during battle. What’s the point of using it when they’re already retreating?

It’s a shame we can’t quickly extinguish the fire without water nearby, but it doesn’t matter. Most of our forces have already crossed beyond the wagons.

To resort to such tactics, they must truly be cornered.

“Send messengers to the northern and western armies!! Tell them we’ve succeeded in driving Burgundy’s pretender into the swamp, so they should head straight south instead of to the previously known enemy position!!”

“Yes, sir!!”

Revenge is within reach.

……….

“Tsk… why are those bastards so fast…?”

I can see the enemies’ faces with the naked eye, but I can’t close the distance. My feet keep sinking and slipping in the mud.

To prevent the enemy from escaping east, we moved our forces not simply south but southeast, but the swamp seems quite vast, and before we knew it, we were in it too.

“Any news of our forces?”

“The northern and western armies are coming right away, and they ask us to keep the enemy from escaping eastward.”

“No ambushes?”

“No, sir. There’s a vast mudflat with good visibility, and no terrain like hills or forests where an army could hide.”

Good, no risk of ambush.

It’s a bit frustrating that we can’t reach them, but if we keep going like this, eventually—

Rumble—

“…?”

What was that just now?

Very slightly… the ground trembled. Like when cavalry charge all at once.

We had all the riders dismount since horses can’t enter the wetlands, so what was that sound?

It seems I wasn’t the only one who heard it; everyone is looking around.

“What on earth—!?”

The enemy who had been fleeing until just now has turned around and is coming this way.

No… way…

Whoosh—

“…!”

I instinctively turned my head north and discovered enemy cavalry raising dust as they charged toward us.

Was that trembling sound from them…? Was burning the wagons earlier also to send a signal?

“…Those madmen, since the open field makes ambushes difficult, they just decided to charge straight at us?”

Those cavalry probably departed from Nevers Castle.

I thought the enemy kept glancing back just to check on our forces, but… this was part of it too.

There are so many of them.

Roughly estimating, there must be 2,000. No wonder the enemy earlier had only horses pulling wagons but hardly any cavalry.

“But… even if they bring cavalry, they can’t enter the swamp… No, that’s not it.”

Those cavalry can’t be all. Surely more reinforcements will come.

Their goal must be to threaten us and keep us from leaving this mudflat until their reinforcements arrive.

Or they might dismount and surround us with 2,000 soldiers. Yes, this seems more likely.

There’s only one option available now. Well, since there’s only one, it can’t really be called an option.

“What are you all doing! The enemy is coming from the front! We were going to fight anyway, so prepare for battle!”

“B-But… behind us…”

“You fools! Those are cavalry—how are they going to enter this slippery ground!?”

The conscripted soldiers somewhat believe my words, but the knights, nobles, and mercenaries know that cavalry can dismount, so their expressions don’t improve at all despite my words.

But they also know there’s no other way.

To survive, we must face and somehow defeat the approaching enemy. If we retreat hastily, we won’t be able to counter properly and it will be the end.

As I continued to shout and urge them, the army finally began to prepare to meet the enemy.

“Judging by the emblem on that banner, isn’t that the House of Marche, whose father and son both had their heads cut off by my father?”

“…”

The problem is, the enemy stopped advancing.

Intending to buy time until reinforcements arrive, they’re maintaining a precarious distance while making low-quality provocations.

…If we retreat, our formation will loosen and they’ll attack immediately; conversely, if we advance, they’ll fall back again.

We can’t expect our reinforcements to arrive quickly because of the wetland, and if we just stand here maintaining defense, we’ll surely be destroyed by the follow-up forces.

“…Damn it.”