Ch.185Suppression (4)

“Ambush!!”

“Watch out for arrows!!”

“Damn it…”

How many attacks is this now?

I understand that our large army is easily spotted by the enemy due to its size. But isn’t this too much?

Every time we try to advance even a little, enemies suddenly appear from beyond the hills and forests to attack, and when we hastily switch to defensive formation, they quickly flee far away.

Of course, changing formation isn’t something that happens instantly, so it takes time and slows our march. With these constant surprise attacks, the fatigue of our soldiers is no joke.

What’s worse, the ambushes aren’t our only problem.

‘Cowardly bastards.’

All the wells along our march route have animal carcasses thrown in them, making the water completely undrinkable. Boiling the water would make it somewhat potable, but stopping to boil water wastes an enormous amount of time.

Those around the King are likely nobles of Burgundy no different from us, so the probability is very high that it was the King himself who ordered this strategy.

He truly is acting like the scum he is.

“Everyone, stay alert! The tyrant resorting to such tactics is an admission that he cannot properly face us!”

“Yes, sir!!”

That’s somewhat true.

If they could easily defeat us, they wouldn’t resort to such petty and underhanded tactics but would have directly engaged us in battle.

The soldiers and knights seem to understand this well, as they respond to my encouragement not with cynicism but with great enthusiasm.

‘If only that were truly the case.’

What if the King is doing this to win with minimal casualties?

What if he’s using every possible method to ensure we don’t let our guard down?

…No, let’s not think about that. We’ve already come too far to consider such things.

……….

“How much longer will you wait? At this rate, they’ll actually reach Dijon!”

“I’m aware.”

“Surely you don’t intend to engage in a siege? That’s impossible. Dijon has too many towns outside its walls to be suitable for a siege, and it’s so densely developed that once battle breaks out, there will be extreme casualties!”

If time passes without any changes, Dijon will certainly become a battlefield. And given that most of the Kingdom of Lotaring’s resources are concentrated in Dijon, if that happens, it would be a catastrophe beyond description.

The adjutant reacts intensely as he watches General Simon, who is merely buying time while the rebels approach Dijon without launching any attacks. After all, if something terrible happens, he could be blamed for failing to properly assist the general.

The adjutant looks at General Simon with suspicious eyes, wondering if he might be sympathizing with the rebels.

“Do you think I don’t know that?”

“…Your Excellency, then why are you waiting?”

“I’m simply following His Majesty’s orders. The only command I received was to delay the enemy’s advance as much as possible. I received no other orders.”

“…”

The adjutant is left speechless by the general’s answer.

Those eyes, that tone, that expression—they all show he’s speaking with sincerity, not deception.

Why? Isn’t a general’s position one where even the king’s orders can be disregarded in battle if necessary?

“Look at them. Haven’t they made such radical choices because they couldn’t properly interpret His Majesty’s will?”

“His Majesty’s will, you say…?”

“When interpreting His Majesty’s words, there’s no need to think deeply. Just take them at face value, understand them as they appear on the surface. His Majesty truly implemented those policies to help them, but if you overthink things, you end up like those fellows, mistaking goodwill for hostility.”

“…?”

The adjutant, who had been struggling to continue his questioning, is rendered even more speechless by the general’s absurd answer.

What nonsense is this?

The king’s true intention was to help his vassals? If the general is truly saying this, it’s a terribly unfunny joke.

Don’t all the material and circumstantial evidence indicate that numerous policies were implemented deliberately to drive them to rebellion for the purpose of purging them?

“You look like you don’t understand. Well… I was the same once, so I won’t mock you.”

“You were the same, Your Excellency?”

“It’s what my mentor, General Aras, taught me. You’ll naturally come to understand it as you interact more with His Majesty.”

General Simon says nothing more after that. He knows better than anyone that further explanation would be futile without direct experience.

Of course, the adjutant becomes even more confused by the general’s attitude, but Simon feels no need to correct this confusion and simply ignores it.

Knock knock—

“Enter.”

“Your Excellency, His Majesty’s orders have arrived, instructing us to meet the enemy at the Bonne Plains.”

“Finally.”

Bonne is located about 30 kilometers from Dijon. It’s extremely close to the capital, so if things go wrong, something truly terrible could happen.

However, despite knowing this danger, Simon doesn’t question the order at all.

Partly because he sees no possibility of losing to such a coalition army that, despite having skilled individuals, lacks a unified system. But more importantly, questioning the king’s orders is unthinkable.

A soldier must obey the orders of his superiors. If one doesn’t follow His Majesty’s orders, they’re no longer a soldier but a band of thieves.

“Your Excellency, what should we do with the officers and cadets who sympathize with the rebels?”

“Hmm… if they have eyes and can think, they should know very well that we’ve already won this war, but reason cannot persuade emotion. Send them to the front lines.”

“The front lines? Surely you don’t mean to expend them in battle?”

“No, something even more interesting.”

“…?”

“Well, we’ve already finished all our discussions and strategies, so let’s hurry and march out.”

Simon adopts an attitude suggesting he won’t answer any more questions, and seeing this firm stance, the adjutant’s curiosity grows stronger, but he refrains from asking further.

After all, he’ll soon understand His Excellency’s intentions anyway.

……….

“The Bonne Plains are in sight!!”

“I never knew such an open space could feel so good…”

The soldiers, whose minds had been worn down by constant delaying tactics, feel greatly relieved at the sight of the vast plain where the horizon is visible.

In such terrain, the enemy surely cannot hide.

Unless they’ve dug massive tunnels in advance, the chances of being ambushed are greatly reduced.

“Everyone, stay sharp! From here on, we’re in what can be considered royal territory!”

However, that’s only the thinking of the common soldiers.

The knights, nobles, and other high-ranking individuals feel not relief but increased tension at the sight of this plain.

From here, one could reach Dijon in just half a day by simply walking.

“Is the plain easier to move on? The enemy will feel the same!”

“It’s close enough to reach Dijon before sunset if we depart in the morning! Don’t let your guard down!!”

It’s too close to Dijon for delaying tactics to continue, and the plain is perfectly suited for large-scale armies.

This means that a major battle here is almost a certainty.

Rather than feeling relieved at the open plain, one should be more tense and prepared for battle.

“Your Highness! The king’s army has assembled ahead!!”

“…As expected.”

And that tension becomes reality.

The cavalry who had ridden far ahead for reconnaissance return with the news everyone had been waiting for but dreading.

“Shouldn’t we let the soldiers rest first? They’re exhausted from the constant attacks and marching. If we fight the enemy in this state, it could be disastrous. We should build fortifications here where the risk of surprise attacks is low and let the soldiers rest.”

“…Do so.”

The rebel army has reached a plain that’s right in front of their destination, easy to advance on, and open with no risk of being checked, but paradoxically, they stop their advance.

……….

“They’re right in front of us.”

To receive battlefield updates in less than three hours is remarkable compared to the days it used to take—the difference is incredible.

If we lose this battle, something truly terrible will happen.

“So the rebels have stopped their march to build fortifications and rest to recover from fatigue…”

What should I do?

Letting them rest undisturbed is quite irritating—should I attack?

But I’m a layman when it comes to military matters. I know historical battles with lessons, but I lack the military knowledge to conduct battles.

“…Tell them to act according to the field commander’s judgment.”

A superior who’s a layman in military affairs meddling in the field could lead to terrible consequences.

While grand strategy is one thing, tactics should follow the field commander’s judgment as much as possible.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Well, he’ll handle it well. Simon has many achievements, including serving as a mercenary commander in the Holy Empire’s crusade, and he comes with Aras’s recommendation.

Of course, it would be a lie to say I’m not anxious, but it should be fine.

We’ve prepared well, have sufficient reserve forces, and reinforcements, though modest, are on their way.

‘Duke Bermand, I’ll have to treat you well later.’

A few days ago, I suddenly received a letter from Duke Bermand, who had previously shown no intention of participating, stating that he would join the battle against the rebels. Based on the distance and when I received the letter, he should arrive here in Dijon today or tomorrow.

Generally, vassals have no reason to participate in battles that aren’t against foreign enemies, and they’re extremely reluctant to fight rebels with whom they share blood ties, so I didn’t force participation. But suddenly, Duke Bermand changed his mind and decided to join.

I don’t know why he suddenly changed his mind, and his help isn’t strictly necessary, but help is help, so I should express my gratitude to Duke Bermand and accommodate him after this is over.