Ch.16Peace Treaty

*Thud—*

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!”

“No…”

Where did it all go wrong?

The soldiers, suffering from the pressure of being surrounded on all sides, couldn’t maintain their composure. When the enemy’s reinforcements finally arrived and attacked alongside the mounted troops, the result was devastating.

The heavily armored soldiers I had ordered to follow slowly from behind were now covered in mud, their innards spilling out between the gaps in their armor. The frontline soldiers couldn’t withstand the enemy’s impact.

“…No, there’s still a way.”

If I could capture Duke Burgon… Yes, if I could somehow catch that bastard—

*Squelch—!*

“—!?”

A blade covered in mud and blood rises from my stomach.

I can’t… speak. It hurts so much, but I… can’t breathe…

Damn it…

……….

“Ah, I can finally see the eastern army over… there…?”

I ran like mad toward the southeast and finally found an army, but…

The banners bearing our family crest are nowhere to be seen, and all the armor looks dreadfully dull. It’s impossible to imagine this being the proud army of the Kingdom of Caroling.

That means…

“Emergency, emergency!!!! Everyone prepare for battle!!”

“What? The eastern army?”

After I shouted a warning, some idiot speaks up from behind.

These bastards…

“There is no eastern army, it’s a trap!!”

Even after I tell them, these fools are still fumbling around like imbeciles.

Why are they so slow? Right now—

“Huh?”

The scene I just witnessed… the scene I saw while scouting the east… is now visible from the north as well.

An army wearing dull armor, covered in mud from head to toe, carrying no banners—they’re over there too.

People who saw my reaction turned their heads northward in confusion, and like a wave of crowd psychology, it spread throughout the entire army until most were facing north.

…They must be thinking the same thing I am.

“…West, flee to the west! Quickly!”

……….

“Lord Aras! Another army is approaching from the west!”

“Hmm… we haven’t yet achieved complete victory.”

Despite our pincer attack from the southeast and north, the enemy’s northern army held out quite well.

Our soldiers were tired or injured from fighting the enemy’s eastern army earlier, and the resistance was unexpectedly stubborn.

If only an hour had passed, they would all be dead by now, but the problem is they’ve held out until reinforcements arrived.

“Our casualties?”

“It’s difficult to count during the melee, sir!”

“…I suppose so.”

Even in battles on normal flat ground, it’s hard to assess casualties during combat—how much more difficult in this slippery mud?

‘…Bodies are strewn across the ground.’

Not just enemy corpses, but many of our own as well.

Although we easily defeated the enemy in the previous battle, combat is still combat, and our troops must be accumulated fatigue by now.

‘Hmm… what should I do?’

Deploying troops who have already fought two battles is generally very difficult.

But most of the enemy forces are heavily armored soldiers who can barely move in this swamp. And they have no good generals.

Should we engage them, or should we retreat—

“Sir, the enemy is charging!”

“What?”

My deep contemplation was interrupted by a soldier’s shout, but I couldn’t feel annoyed.

I snapped my head toward the west and witnessed men in blue-gleaming armor rushing toward us through the mud-filled swamp.

They call it a charge, but watching them struggle in the swamp… they look like turtles with silver-painted shells.

…I worried for nothing. I forgot they were idiots.

……….

“What the hell!? Why are they charging without orders?”

“Y-Your Highness… The knights and nobles led their private soldiers in a charge, saying we needed to help our allies quickly…”

Those crazy bastards.

These cowards who cover themselves in iron out of fear for their lives dare to disobey my orders?

No… they have no reason to follow my orders. They’re my brother’s subjects, not mine.

Moreover, in the chain of command, they’re reinforcements, so they have even less reason to obey me.

“There’s a risk of friendly fire! Archers, cease fire and draw swords! Sound the charge!”

“Yes, sir!!”

If I leave them to charge alone, it’s obvious something bad will happen.

Damn it… I have a bad feeling about this, but there’s no choice. If we don’t follow them, it will be a disaster.

No… has it already happened?

……….

“Um… Chloe.”

Chloe is clinging to me so tightly, as if what just happened has become a trauma for her, preventing me from moving at all.

It’s fine since we’re siblings, but… isn’t she clinging too much? If she could just move away a little—

“If you go, I’ll die.”

“I haven’t even said anything yet…?”

Die…? Why say something so morbid…?

She must be… joking, right? Yes, that must be it.

“…No one can deny Your Highness’s achievements. Though you borrowed the strength of generals for detailed tactics, everyone does that, and the grand flow of this battle was created by you, Your Highness.”

A general in the command room says this to me.

To my ears, it sounds like he’s telling me to be satisfied and stay put…

“Above all, if the Duke is captured, it’s literally over. No matter how advantageous our position, the battlefield is unpredictable—”

“Enough, enough, I understand… I’ll stay put.”

The biggest change since becoming a duke is that I’ve come to marvel at tyrants.

It’s not that my subjects are being unreasonable—they’re offering sincere advice for my benefit from all directions like a tsunami, and it’s unbearable.

Those tyrants just ignored all this and did whatever they wanted, didn’t they?

They must have been insane. Yes, they were called tyrants because they were mad.

“Hehe…”

“…”

When I reaffirmed that I wouldn’t go out, Chloe giggled with a broad smile.

Is she that happy? Well, what sister wouldn’t be happy knowing her brother won’t be going somewhere dangerous—

*CRASH!*

“Uh…?”

“Your Highness, a great victory! A great victory!!”

Just then, a messenger with an excited face burst through the headquarters door, shouting.

Because of the sudden loud noise, everyone in the headquarters was startled at first, but that surprise quickly turned to joy.

…Excellent.

“Woooooooo!!”

“Your Highness, congratulations!!”

“Enough, enough! I can’t hear the messenger!”

After I quieted the generals, the messenger finally began explaining what had happened on the battlefield.

The first battle with the eastern army resulted in complete annihilation in the literal sense, and in the second battle with the northern army, about 15,000 men escaped when the enemy’s western army joined midway.

That means… everyone except those 15,000 was either killed or captured?

“Our casualties?”

“They’re still being counted, sir.”

“I see… understood.”

This is insane.

Fighting 40,000 with 20,000, and grinding down 25,000 of them?

Though the full extent of our losses hasn’t been revealed yet… it’s incredible how effective utilizing the swamp was.

Even for me, who knows about the Battle of Agincourt, a similar swamp battle, hearing these results sends chills down my spine. How much more shocking must it be for the other generals who don’t have such knowledge?

I only planned the operation with Aras without even going to the front lines, yet the generals’ gazes have turned frighteningly fanatical. Don’t look at me like that!

“…Did Aras say he wouldn’t pursue?”

“Yes, the army is too exhaust… ed…”

What’s with that fear? Did you think I’d be angry about not chasing them?

The fact that they couldn’t stop the enemy’s retreat means the army was too exhausted to pursue. Aras’s judgment is correct.

Now I need to think about those 15,000 who escaped—

*CRASH!*

“Your Highness! The enemy has proposed negotiations—”

No need to think about it anymore.

“Good, tell them we’ll set up camp in front of Nevers Castle and they should send their negotiation party there. But make sure the supreme commander of the Caroling army comes too.”

“Yes, sir!”

Now it’s my turn to take the stage again.

“…”

In this cauldron of madness, Chloe was the only one who wasn’t rejoicing.

……….

“Pleased to meet you. I am Claude, Duke of Burgundy.”

Burgundy and Caroling speak the same language, so no interpreter was needed.

It’s fortunate that the king’s brother with full authority is among the enemy commanders. I can quickly end the Caroling front and focus on my great-uncle who’s coming down from the north.

“Umm…?”

“Kuk…”

The Caroling envoy sitting across from me wore an extremely stupid expression. Not just the envoy, but the enemy commanders sitting behind him as well.

I can guess what they’re thinking, and I can barely hold back my laughter.

“It seems Count Nevers performed his role quite well.”

“…!”

Only after I gave this decisive clue did the Caroling representatives finally make expressions that screamed “We’ve been tricked!” as their faces contorted.

Seeing the enemies’ frustration makes me feel so good. Just a little more… no, I should restrain myself for now.

“Ahem, to get to the point… Burgundy’s demands are simple. Recognition of me, Claude de Burgundy, as the successor to the Duchy of Burgundy; acknowledgment that the Duchy of Burgundy and the Kingdom of Caroling are completely separate states; and the cession of the Bar region along with appropriate reparations.”

“Bar… you say?”

“That’s right.”

The first two demands are obviously necessary, so strictly speaking, they’re not even up for negotiation.

Thus, the most important part of this negotiation is the cession of the Bar region. That’s where my great-uncle is currently rampaging.

The Bar region, which allows travel between inland and coastal areas, is something we must acquire by any means necessary.

“…We came here for a ceasefire agreement, not to surrender. We still have 15,000 elite soldiers remaining, so we will never sign such a humiliating treaty.”

As expected, this is their response.

They must also understand the importance of the Bar region and will try to prevent its loss by any means.

But… how about this?

“General Aras, how many Caroling nobles have we captured?”

“So many that we can’t even count them all.”

“How much ransom do you think we should demand?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure, as this is my first time collecting ransoms.”

At my signal, Aras began speaking as we had previously agreed.

Wow, he’s an excellent actor. He could change professions if he wanted.

“Ah… I was thinking we might use those ransoms to purchase Bar.”

As we started our conversation, the expressions on the Caroling side literally began to rot.

Having been burned once before, they probably know better.

What we, what my grandfather did during the previous war.

“…”

Why are you staring at me like that?