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Vol 05 Chapter 172: Third Southern Campaign VIII

「If I were to describe the military character of Kepka Barca in one phrase, it would be ‘strategically bold, tactically cautious.’」

Alexios stated this in front of the commanders of the coalition forces… myself, Bartolo, and the patricians and generals commanding our allied armies.

The most crucial aspect of war is intelligence. We know almost nothing about Kepka Barca.

That’s why we turned to Alexios, someone who knew the Barca family as he was born in it, and who had recently battled with Kepka, to provide us with information about Kepka.

「Kepka will take strategic risks to gain an advantageous position. Specifically, he prefers to surprise the enemy by prioritizing speed. The situation up until now is a perfect reflection of Kepka’s nature.」

I have never commanded a navy and am not well-versed in naval warfare. However, I can imagine how risky it is to cross the sea.

If one were to adopt a cautious approach, one would meticulously prepare and conquer the entire island of Triskelia before crossing to the Adernian Peninsula. However, Kepka skipped Triskelia and directly invaded the Adernian Peninsula to exploit the southern Kirisian cities’ vulnerability.

It seems that Pofenia has already secured two-thirds of Triskelia… Conversely, this means one-third remains in enemy hands. If the enemy on that remaining third were to destroy Pofenia’s base on Triskelia, the supply lines would be cut off, leaving Kepka isolated on the Adernian Peninsula.

But Kepka knowingly took that risk and embarked on the invasion.

It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy.

However, his tactics seem to favor low-risk, low-reward, as shown by Kepka’s perfect withdrawal when our coalition forces appeared.

Even during the siege of Lezado, he employed very few unconventional tactics. It seems he used a very standard, textbook approach to warfare.

Indeed, ‘strategically bold, tactically cautious’ fits perfectly.

「Therefore… I can’t say for certain, but Kepka Barca will likely prefer to engage us in battle on open plains. He will likely favor areas without obstacles like rivers or forests, and ideally with minimal elevation changes, such as small hills.」

「I see… In that case, we can almost pinpoint the battlefield.」

I nodded in agreement. Thanks to the detailed maps submitted by Lezado, Gehenna, and Nemes, we have a good understanding of the terrain.

While there are many plains, few places are entirely free of obstacles.

「You say his tactics are cautious, but can you tell us about the composition of the enemy forces and what kind of tactics he prefers?」

Bartolo asked Alexios.

Knowing the composition and tactics of the Pofenian army would give us a significant advantage in battle.

If it comes to a large-scale battle, the results will be decisive. We cannot afford to lose, especially since our country has less national strength than Pofenia.

「Their approach is generally straightforward, with no elaborate tricks. Since their soldiers are a mix of mercenaries of various ethnicities, they can’t perform highly sophisticated maneuvers. However…」

Alexios paused for a moment.

「Due to their mercenary nature, they have a very diverse range of units. Although the soldiers’ morale is low, every soldier has a lot of war experience, and their individual combat skills are quite high. While their coordination with other units might be lacking, the cohesion within the small units—each mercenary group—is strong.」

In other words, they are flexible but lack unity. If the situation deteriorates, entire units and the mercenary groups that make them will likely flee en masse rather than individually. It’s easier to escape together than alone.

「As for the types of units, from what I’ve observed, they include ‘slingers,’ ‘longbowmen,’ ‘javelin throwers,’ ‘pikemen,’ ‘swordsmen,’ ‘phalanxes,’ ‘axemen,’ and ‘cavalry.’ Additionally, there are mercenary groups and slave soldiers who are essentially Barca family’s private army. Unlike other mercenaries, these troops have better overall coordination and higher morale, However, their primary role is to act as reserves and to deal with fleeing mercenaries.」

From what I’ve heard, it sounds like a salad bowl of different units. With so many different types of units, complex tactics would be difficult to execute.

It would be a challenge just to command each individual unit.

However, regardless of the enemy’s armament or formation, if they can fully utilize their diverse range of units, they should be able to gain an advantage in battle.

「Their numbers are thirty thousand… while we have over forty thousand. We could consider encircling them… or perhaps we could exploit their weak coordination by launching a central breakthrough.」

Bartolo muttered, lost in thought. His face is flushed from alcohol, but his eyes are deadly serious.

「The land battle seems manageable, but the real problem is at sea.」

I addressed the biggest issue in this war. The Pofenian navy is currently blockading the southern waters of the Adernian Peninsula.

Even if we manage to annihilate the Pofenian army, as long as their navy remains intact… A continued naval blockade would severely impact the economies of the southern countries, which would eventually spread to the entire Adernian Peninsula.

This is a critical issue for our country, which profits from the trade of paper and distilled liquor.

「The Pofenian navy has about three hundred ships, while our navy only has a hundred ships even after gathering all available ships in Lezado, Gehenna, and Nemes.」

Moreover, Pofenia still has many ships back home and the capacity to build more. We can’t win a straight-up naval battle.

「If we win on land, we can negotiate the withdrawal of their navy, Your Majesty. Besides, this war wasn’t initiated by the Pofenian Senate. The Senate is currently divided between two factions: the Coastal Party, which advocates for aggressive maritime expansion, and the Plains Party, which wants to reduce military spending and focus on developing domestic farmlands. The Senate holds enough power to recall the generals from the field. Currently, the Coastal Party’s influence is strong, letting Kepka do what he wants, but if we defeat him on land, the Plains Party will gain influence, and Kepka will be forced to retreat.」

In agreement with Alexios, Abraham spoke up.

「I share Alexios-dono’s view. Gehenna has long placed spies in Pofenia to gather intelligence, and never has the Senate planned an invasion of the Adernian Peninsula. Kepka’s invasion must be his own initiative.」

I see. So, the goal isn’t necessarily to achieve a complete victory in war, but rather to negotiate a peace settlement.

If that’s the case, capturing Kepka alive would be the best outcome.

On the other hand, it might be wise to keep our navy scattered and preserved rather than concentrating it.

「Alright! Let’s wait for the responses from King Evile and King Belvedire, and then we’ll set out. Let’s drive these invaders out of our homeland!」

As I raised my fist, the representatives from the various countries raised their voices as well.

…Well, we’re invaders too, but that’s beside the point.

◇

Formal letters of intent to join the war effort were sent by King Evile and King Belvedire. Although they don’t have much to gain from this war, it’s likely that they aim to curry favor with me—or at least, show that they have no intention of opposing me.

The military power of both countries is already vastly inferior to ours.

However, the armies of Nemes and Gehenna will not be joining the fight. Moving them recklessly could result in their being defeated individually.

Nevertheless, their naval presence is exerting enough pressure on Pofenia. They are contributing significantly in this regard.

Once the collective will of the coalition was clear, we began our advance. The Pofenian army was in the midst of pillaging and ravaging the area around Lezado.

Maintaining an army is usually more difficult than organizing one, especially in enemy territory.

However, this may not hold true for the Pofenian army.

This is because armies like ours, the Rosais army, wage war to control the land and its people. Therefore, we avoid plundering as much as possible. If the inhabitants hold a grudge against us, it makes subsequent governance difficult.

However, Pofenia is only interested in the land, not the people. They either sell the former inhabitants as slaves, kill them, or drive them out. So, it doesn’t matter to them if they incur the wrath of the local population through plundering.

In fact, it seems they are killing the elderly and children while capturing the young men and women alive. They are like a swarm of locusts.

We don’t know when they might turn their attention to Nemes or Gehenna. We must eliminate them before they finish plundering Lezado and start moving.

◇

After we had been marching for a while, we came across a village… or what was left of one. Every house had its doors smashed, and the fields were trampled and the crops destroyed.

There were corpses scattered throughout the village which could only be described as chunks of meat. They are probably the remains of the villagers.

「This is terrible…」

「I’ve been a soldier for a long time, but it’s rare to see such devastation.」

Bartolo remarked, nodding.

The Pofenian army truly has no interest in the former inhabitants.

「Let’s pick up the pace a bit.」

It seems all the soldiers shared my sentiment, as our marching speed increased slightly.

◇

We found the Pofenia army about a day’s march from Lezado, entrenched in the middle of a plain. Their position was fortified and looked formidable.

「This is going to be a tough fight.」

Bartolo muttered as he observed the enemy’s fortifications.

Honestly, I don’t see anything special about their encampment.

「It’s solid and unremarkable, and that’s precisely why it’s strong. Those who play it safe are the most troublesome. If they attempted one or two unconventional tactics, we’d have a chance to exploit them.」

A strength can simultaneously be a weakness. Having no apparent strengths means there are no apparent weaknesses either, meaning there are no obvious points to exploit.

「…Is that what you mean?」

「Exactly. For instance, a phalanx sacrifices mobility for increased striking power. Cavalry enhances mobility but is limited in where it can maneuver and is vulnerable to loud noises and obstacles. Because of these weaknesses, we can devise countermeasures. But the enemy doesn’t have such weaknesses…」

Bartolo wore an unusually serious expression.

Did we bite off more than we can chew?

Noticing my concerned look, Bartolo smiled.

「Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I will make sure to deliver victory to you.」

「I have faith in you. I know you will win.」

◇

Our coalition army of 43,000 left 3,000 soldiers at the main camp and lined up on the plains. In response, the Pofenian army, with 30,000 troops, left 2,000 at their camp and positioned themselves on the plains as well.

In the center of our formation, we placed around 10,000 phalanx soldiers from the allied countries.

We stationed the Rosais’ 30,000 heavy infantry on both wings organized in maniples.

On the extreme flanks were our cavalry—the Rosais praetorian cohort and the cavalry units from the allied countries, the Equus cavalry led by Mutzio, and the Germanis cavalry led by Alexios.

The plan is for the phalanx to hold the enemy in place, while the heavily armed infantry and cavalry crush their wings. This is Bartolo’s favored tactic.

On the other hand, the enemy formed a standard horizontal line formation. Both the center and the right wing had the same depth.

It is so ordinary that it is, in a way, unsettling.

「There seem to be a lot of people at the enemy’s main camp.」

「They are probably the Kirisian captives taken during the slave raids. If there are this many here, it means a significant number must be held at the port. We must resolve this before they are transported to Pofenia.」

Indeed. Rescuing them would greatly enhance the reputation of the Rosais army. It will help obscure the fact that we are also an invading force.

「Your Majesty… you have a rather wicked expression.」

「I always do.」

◇

The sounds of gongs, flutes, and drums echoed across the battlefield. Numerous flags fluttered in the sky.

A total of seventy thousand soldiers clashed head-on on the vast plains.

Our coalition army’s formation had thick flanks and a thin center, creating a concave shape. When the rectangular formation of the Pofenia army collided with us, their shape became convex.

Under normal circumstances, the center would collapse, but our center was held by the phalanx. While weak against flanking attacks, the phalanx has formidable offensive and defensive capabilities at the front.

Our flanks were manned by the highly mobile, heavily armed infantry of the Rosais army. They utilized their flexibility to gradually press against the enemy’s sides.

Meanwhile, a cavalry battle raged on the extreme flanks. Our coalition cavalry numbered three thousand, while the Pofenia cavalry had seven thousand—double our numbers.

Initially, it seemed we would be at a disadvantage, but to our surprise, we were holding our own.

The key factor was the presence of stirrups. Already, over eighty percent of the cavalry in the countries of the Adernian Peninsula are equipped with stirrups.

The stability of the rider thanks to the stirrups compensated for the two-to-one numerical disadvantage.

「He doesn’t seem as tough as we thought. If we keep pushing, we might win.」

「…No, Your Majesty. We should retreat.」

Huh?

I turned to look at Bartolo.

He had a grim expression.

「The enemy’s flanks are unexpectedly strong. And the attack on the center is more powerful than anticipated. If we continue like this, there’s a risk they’ll break through our center. We can still retreat now without breaking formation. Your Majesty, please make the wise decision.」

… Alright, if you say so.

「All units, retreat temporarily.」

The sound of the gong echoed across the battlefield, and our coalition began to retreat like a receding tide. In response, the Pofenia army also began to withdraw.

「Are they tough?」

「Quite troublesome. …But I’ve learned a lot from today’s battle. We will win tomorrow.」

However, despite Bartolo’s confident declaration, the battles on the second, third, and fourth days ended in stalemates, with both armies only wasting soldiers, time, and provisions.