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Vol 04 Chapter 111-1: The One-Eyed and the Hawk III

The allied forces continued to advance swiftly. Our forces are just a day away from the capital.

It has only been two days since we conquered the first city.

The reason our alliance was able to continue this rapid advance is simple: many cities and villages opened their gates and surrendered to us.

Each city that surrendered was granted limited independence and requirement for military service, but the taxes imposed on them varied.

First are the cities, villages, and patrician families that surrendered before we even began to recommend their surrender. We imposed a tax of one percent on them—a negligible amount.

Next are those who accepted our recommendation to surrender and opened their gates. They were taxed two percent.

Finally, the cities, villages, and patrician families that surrendered after we began our attack and they were on the verge of losing. They were taxed four percent.

In any case, all these rates are lower than the ones imposed during King Belvedire’s era. We have to make them lower to prevent them from turning against us. Ideally, I would have liked to take more time and impose heavier taxes… but time is against us. I’m worried about Bartolo.

Not every city welcomed us, of course. Only forty percent behaved quietly, while sixty percent resisted.

The cities, villages, and patrician families of Adernian descent tended to resist strongly. Unlike the Kirisians, their loyalty to their king was stronger. Naturally, we overpowered such resistant groups by force. The blast javelins helped us a lot, and Alexios proved to be more capable than I expected.

When it comes to besieging castles, he might even be better than Bartolo. Well, I’ve never actually seen Bartolo besiege a castle.

Naturally, those who resisted were not granted autonomy. We imposed a tax of forty percent on them, I plan to reduce the rate depending on their compliance in the future.

Their treatment seems significantly worse compared to the treatment of those cities that surrendered early, but…

The taxes imposed on those not granted autonomy also include the cost of maintaining the infrastructure, security, and all the miscellaneous expenses necessary for the proper governance of the city.

Conversely, the taxes imposed on those granted autonomy are much lower because they are exempt from all expenses related to the upkeep of the city. This doesn’t mean they are free from these expenses; since they are self-governing, the city must raise and manage its own taxes for the upkeep of the city and its government.

In some cases, cities and villages not granted autonomy might find themselves economically better off. Still, in most cases, the cities that surrendered early generally face a lighter burden.

Probably the city with the third largest population has the lightest tax burden on its citizens. Overall, their burden might not exceed ten percent.

For reference, the tax rate in my direct territories is currently thirty percent, with plans to reduce it to below twenty percent.

◇

「So that’s the Belvedire army. They number about eight thousand, I suppose? They sure are desperate.」

「We also have eight thousand. We are even regarding numbers. They also have the option of retreating into the castle walls if they lose the field battle. In contrast, if we lose, it’s over for us. Strategically, we are at a disadvantage.」

Maybe it would have been better to prioritize helping Bartolo against the Rozel Kingdom over defeating King Belvedire’s Country? Or perhaps we should have waited for the reinforcements from Mutzio…

No, it’s pointless to ponder now. We must focus only on winning.

「Alexios-dono, do you have any thoughts?」

The right tool for the right job. I’m not a military genius. It’s always best to ask the experts in times like these.

「If the numbers are equal, it’s better to clash head-on rather than resort to petty tricks… However, it’s no fun to clash without any strategy.」

I’ve thought this before, but this guy is really roundabout. Get to the point already.

Seeing my expression, Alexios grew a little pale and began to speak.

「I actually have a strategy that I’ve been quietly advancing…」

Alexios then proposed his plan to me. It was a deviously cunning strategy.

It was as vile as something Iarl would come up with. Oh, and that’s a compliment, by the way.

◇

「Tch, those traitors… If they had just bought us one more day, we could have mobilized another two thousand…」

King Belvedire grimaced as he surveyed the enemy forces, which were equal in number to his own.

The Belvedire army consisted of eight thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry. On the other hand, reports suggested that the allied forces had just over seven thousand infantry and between six to seven hundred cavalry.

Most of the cavalry were Lezado’s Germanis cavalry, far more skilled than the Adernian cavalry.

In terms of numbers, the Belvedire side could be said to have a slight advantage. Additionally, the Belvedire army had successfully positioned itself on higher ground.

Tactically and strategically, the Belvedire forces held the upper hand. However, this advantage was slight enough that it could potentially be overturned.

In a battle where the forces are equal, the difference in commanders’ skills becomes crucial. Undoubtedly, the commanders of the allied forces were superior to those of the Belvedire army.

Especially the Rosais army had been on a winning streak recently.

◇

The allied forces were the first to make a move. In response, the Belvedire army began to organize their formation.

With the Belvedire army positioned on higher ground, they could better utilize momentum, giving them a significant advantage. In contrast, the allied forces had to climb a slope to engage the enemy, which not only slowed them down but also increased their fatigue.

The terrain was decidedly in favor of the Belvedire army.

The two forces faced each other. In the vast plains where they fought, neither side could prepare ambushes like hidden troops, nor was there room to set traps such as pitfalls.

Thus, the battle would follow traditional tactics.

According to the standard playbook in the Adernia Peninsula, light infantry would initiate the attack with slingshots, bows and arrows, and javelins to disrupt the enemy’s formation. Once disarray was caused, the heavy infantry would charge.

Both sides’ cavalry would then attempt to flank the heavy infantry, with light infantry supporting the cavalry.

Cavalry on the Adernia Peninsula was generally not very strong, so it was rare for cavalry to successfully flank the heavy infantry. Most often, the outcome of the battle was decided by the collision of the heavy infantry units. Thus, the number and quality of the heavy infantry predominantly determined the direction of the battle.

In this case, although the allied forces had twice the cavalry compared to the Belvedire army, the latter were aware of this. To prevent being outflanked by the cavalry, the Belvedire army had strategically placed many of their light infantry on the flanks.

The allied forces, having to ascend the slope, couldn’t effectively utilize their cavalry’s mobility.

As such, the likelihood of the battle being decided by a cavalry flank attack was low, and the engagement between the heavy infantry units was very likely to determine the outcome of this conflict.

The heavy infantry on both sides consisted mainly of Adernian peasants conscripted into service. While the quality and morale of the allied forces’ heavy infantry were slightly superior, when considering their fatigue, there was virtually no difference.

It was truly an evenly matched battle. It would not be surprising for the tide to turn in either direction.

◇

After a tense standoff, the light infantry began to advance forward. Just as the skirmish with slings, bows, and javelins was about to begin…

「Huh?」

King Belvedire tilted his head in confusion. For some reason, there was an unarmed soldier among the allied light infantry, stepping forward and shouting something.

「What is he yelling about?」

「It’s serious!! That soldier appears to be from one of the cities or villages that surrendered to the allied forces… It seems he’s calling out to those from his hometown.」

「What!?」

King Belvedire’s eyes widened. This couldn’t possibly be a morale booster. Most likely, it was a call to surrender.

This could greatly affect morale.

「Should we shoot him?」

「Fool!! Doing that would shatter our own forces!」

King Belvedire restrained his bloodthirsty subordinates. He mounted his horse and rode to the front lines to boost his soldiers’ morale himself.