Chapter 156
The Battle
of Those Left Behind ⑧ - The Enemy
of My Enemy...
Translator : PolterGlast
Glorious, the First
Prince of the Grifonia Empire, announced he would be conducting a large-scale
military exercise. Under this pretext, he departed from the Imperial Capital,
Griffin, leading his reorganized personal guard of ten thousand men.
The force he led was a
combat group with an independent command structure, and it was thought to be an
extremely significant threat to the Kyle Kingdom.
Imperial Guard Iron
Cavalry: 3,000 riders
Imperial Guard
Cavalry: 2,000 riders
Imperial Guard
Infantry: 2,000 men
Imperial Guard
Archers: 3,000 men
"Just as I thought,
he's on the move. And it seems a civil war has broken out in the Kyle
Kingdom... I wonder why my bad feelings always turn out to be right."
Viscount Sieghart von
Kämpfer, who had been entrusted with the defense and domestic affairs of the
former Margrave Goth's territory bordering the Kyle Kingdom, grumbled as he
always did.
"So, shall we
commence with that plan?"
"Yep, let's do it
thoroughly. Just as we discussed beforehand."
He gave a listless
reply to his adjutant's question. There wasn't a shred of tension in him.
"If I just let
them pass, Prince Grat (the Third Prince) will get mad at me. Besides, if by
some chance the First Prince's army were to achieve some military success, all
our hard work up to now would be for nothing. And... I'd hate it even more if
we repelled them and I got called a royalty-killer."
His adjutant stared at
him in amazement as he muttered this.
This man was saying
that with a mere 5,000 troops entrusted to him by the Third Prince, it was
possible to defeat the 10,000-strong army led by the First Prince... Could such
a thing actually be done?
Half-incredulous, the
adjutant silently carried out the orders he was given.
※
Unaware of Sieghart's
schemes, the army led by the First Prince, having departed the Imperial
Capital, was advancing smoothly.
"If we continue
at this pace, we'll reach the former Goth territory tomorrow. Which means we
should be able to arrive at the border in two days. Now, I wonder if Grat's
dog, Sieghart, will obediently wag his tail and yield the path to us?"
As he said this, the
First Prince was certain he would. The man's forces numbered a mere 5,000, and
what's more, he had few cavalry and no iron cavalry. If he was an incompetent
fool who would stand on ceremony and fight an army twice his size, or a
scoundrel who would turn his blade on royalty, then they would simply crush him
in an instant.
"In the end, he's
nothing more than a fool from a country barony. He won't even be an obstacle to
us."
Pleased by his
retainer's sycophancy, he tilted his wine cup.
After camping for two
more nights, including tonight, they would be at the border. From there, his
grand comeback story would begin. He was intoxicated not only by alcohol, but
also by a sweet dream.
However, in the
encampment that night, some of the soldiers had suddenly begun to stir
restlessly.
"Hey! Did you
hear? Apparently, merchants are buying up food in the nearby villages and towns
for a high price!"
"Yeah, I heard
that too. The guys in the supply corps supposedly sold off their surplus food
for twice the price."
"I just heard a
guy from another unit sold his personal reserve rations for three times the
price!"
"What! No way I'm
letting a money-making opportunity like that slip by. This is no time to be
lazing around here!"
They had been told
that this march was a border inspection exercise.
Even the First
Prince's high command couldn't exactly say they planned to break the truce and
invade enemy territory. For the sake of secrecy, they had no choice but to call
it an exercise in preparation for any contingency, a show of force due to the
tense atmosphere at the border.
Unfortunately, this
led to a lack of tension among the soldiers.
Because it was called
an exercise, the large-scale supply corps that would normally accompany an army
in a real war was not present. After all, if it were an exercise within the
Grifonia Empire, they could procure food at any time.
However, unlike usual,
a directive from the First Prince had ordered each soldier to prepare their own
rations for the time being.
Due to these
circumstances, the soldiers participating in the expedition had all come this
far carrying more seeds for profit (their own food) than usual.
Of course, even though
it was the Imperial Guard, it was undeniable that many soldiers had been
hastily gathered to fill the ranks after their defeat in the previous war, and
there were issues with their morale and discipline.
And the next day, upon
learning a part of the situation, the First Prince would become enraged.
"What do you mean
there's no food? What is the meaning of this! I'm sure I gave strict orders for
the soldiers to bring their own rations for the time being!"
"It seems that...
since the notice was for a domestic exercise, they brought little food with
them and have apparently used it all up on the way here."
"Tch! Useless
fools. We'll deal with their punishment later. Purchase food from the vicinity!
When we advance near the border tomorrow, requisition some from that brat
Sieghart, too. If he's reluctant, offer to buy it at a slightly inflated
price!"
The First Prince was
displeased.
Without sufficient
food, an army's operations would be swiftly paralyzed. This was even more true
when entering enemy territory; it was necessary to bring a large amount of food
that could sustain them for a considerable period.
But his irritation was
not to end there.
"Your Highness,
Prince Glorious, for what purpose have you come to the border leading such a
formidable army?"
A man who, just a few
years ago, would not have been in a position to even speak to him, now lined up
his soldiers on the highway as if to obstruct his march and boldly challenged
him.
"You! Who do you
think you're speaking to, you mere viscount! How rude!"
The First Prince's
retainer flared up, but Sieghart acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"I speak with
full knowledge of my impertinence.
I speak to Prince
Glorious, who advances his army into the border region entrusted to Lord Grat
under the sanction of His Majesty the Emperor without any prior notice; who
sends his army to a border region where a truce was signed under the sanction
of His Majesty the Emperor, thereby provoking the suspicion of the Kyle
Kingdom; and who seeks to reach the border without permission from His Majesty
the Emperor or Lord Grat."
The First Prince's
camp was taken aback.
There was likely no
other person who would so boldly criticize the First Prince while borrowing the
name of His Majesty the Emperor. And what he said was a sound argument with no
room for rebuttal.
"Viscount
Kämpfer, it is no surprise that you are unaware. Much less Grat, who is so far
away.
We have received
intelligence that the Kyle Kingdom army has broken the truce and is secretly
plotting an invasion of the Empire. We have rushed here for that reason.
The matter is urgent
and concerns the very survival of the Empire. We must cooperate for the future
of the Empire. And we believe that temporary discord and misunderstanding are
unavoidable.
You may do as you
please if you wish to show your loyalty, but we will force our way through here
if we must."
Saying so, the First
Prince smiled fearlessly.
"Is that so?
According to the information we have received, we have also heard that a civil
war has broken out in the Kyle Kingdom.
It seems there is a
great fool who would plot an invasion across the border while their own country
is in turmoil from a civil war. If there is someone who would do such a thing,
the Kyle Kingdom will become a laughingstock among its neighbors as an
untrustworthy nation that would violate a truce and its borders."
Laden with sarcasm,
Sieghart laughed back.
"If Your Highness,
Prince Glorious, says that the survival of the Empire is at stake, then we have
no choice. We too are soldiers of the Empire. We will open the way, but we wish
to uphold our own principles.
Until we receive
orders from His Majesty the Emperor or Lord Grat, we are unable to offer any
cooperation whatsoever, except in the case of an enemy attack.
With that
understanding, may we have Your Highness's consent?"
"Of course, that
is fine. Neither I nor my army expect any support from you. You may uphold your
own principles."
What a fool. In the
end, it's all about self-preservation. Thinking this, the First Prince
magnanimously agreed and advanced his army further.
But he did not notice
the faint smirk on Sieghart's face as he secured that verbal promise.
※
The First Prince
advanced his army near the border and set up camp, where he once again learned
the severity of the situation.
"What do you mean
there is absolutely no food? W-what is going on! Did you not go to purchase
from merchants and nearby farming villages? Can you people not even procure
food within the Empire!"
The First Prince,
having taken a moment's rest in the camp, couldn't believe the report from his
subordinate.
"Well... all the
food in the nearby villages and towns has been bought up, and there isn't a
single head of livestock like cattle, pigs, or chickens left.
Apparently, there was
a disaster in some region, and the price of food is soaring. Because of that, I
hear merchants are buying everything up at several times the market price.
And since they were
buying at such a high price... well... our army's soldiers also apparently
rushed to sell off their food..."
"What! Are you
saying the soldiers sold off even their own rations, and now our army doesn't
even have enough food for tomorrow?"
"If we reduce the
amount of food the soldiers eat, we can somehow manage for another three
days..."
The First Prince felt
as if he would faint. There was no way such a convenient buyout of food could
happen. It had to be that man's doing.
"How vicious...
At this point, I don't care if it's forced purchasing or what. Gather as much
food as you can for now! To the merchants, offer them a price even higher than
what they paid. At this point, I don't care how much it costs!
Also, go and threaten
that brat a little. If he hands over the food quietly, all is well. Tell him if
he doesn't cooperate, he will be charged with a crime later. And send a
messenger to Harry1 to have him arrange for transport from the
Imperial Capital immediately!" 1TL note: I've changed the name from Harley to Harry.
However, even these
orders from the First Prince had no effect.
The amount of food
gathered was minuscule, nowhere near enough to move an army, and all who went
out to make purchases ended up facing the First Prince's wrath.
The one who tried to
threaten Sieghart for food as per the First Prince's orders met an even more
miserable fate.
"Are you trying
to make a mockery of the declaration His Highness, Prince Glorious, made so
emphatically! For this act that tarnishes His Highness's honor, I will apply
the charge of lèse-majesté! Furthermore, the crime of telling falsehoods in His
Highness's name is unforgivable. Prepare for capital punishment!"
He was arrested by the
enraged Sieghart and thrown straight into a jail cell. After receiving this
report, the First Prince's camp could no longer ask him for food aid.
※
"Now then, is
everything going well, I wonder? In war, supply is the most important thing.
And so is the distribution that supports the logistics. Because they don't
understand things like this, they lose wars no matter how many soldiers they
gather."
Receiving the report
from his subordinate, the adjutant saw Sieghart smiling fearlessly, a
completely different expression from usual, and felt a chill run down his spine
as cold sweat trickled down his back.
He had made several
moves in advance, backed by the enormous funds he had gained from selling
sugar.
He had told the
merchants to buy up the local food supply at high prices, had them conduct a
blatant buyout, and then hid the purchased food.
The merchants, who had
a keen eye for profit, weighed the Third Prince, who was achieving victories in
the south, against the First Prince, who was shouldering the blame for a defeat
and was confined to the capital.
Furthermore, Sieghart
had brought them great profits through the sugar trade. The terms offered this
time were also sufficiently lucrative.
As a result, they
chose to follow Sieghart's wishes, diligently pursued their business, and
turned their backs on the First Prince.
To the citizens of the
former Margrave Goth's territory, Sieghart was also a benefactor.
After two major
defeats, the territory had fallen into ruin, overrun by bandits and thieves,
and they were impoverished.
He appeared, restored
order in the blink of an eye, and worked to restore the territory by
implementing various support measures.
As a result, the lives
of the citizens improved dramatically, and recently they had even been able to
live with some surplus.
This benefactor of
theirs had secretly contacted them through the representatives of various
regions.
"An army
dispatched from the capital may soon engage in looting or forced purchasing, so
take measures beforehand, such as selling off everything but the minimum
necessary food supply and hiding what you need in various places. Please be
very careful of requisitions or forced purchases."
He had added a further
note.
"Any surplus food
will be bought by merchants at a high price, so please feel free to sell
everything and make a profit. By the way, should you need food, we will take
responsibility for distributing it, so please feel at ease and sell everything.
As for livestock,
Sieghart will purchase them at a 20% above the market price, and a portion will
be sold back at a 20% discount at a later date, so please entrust them to us
without worry."
They hated Margrave
Goth, who had tormented them with his oppressive rule and sent many of their
relatives to their deaths on the battlefield, and the First Prince who stood
behind him.
For that reason, they
cooperated with Sieghart, and were even eager to do so.
Thus, the First
Prince's army came to suffer in 'enemy territory' within their own Empire.
※
"Is it about
time, I wonder?
Tell the merchants to
start selling food to the First Prince, little by little. Of course, for a
higher price than they bought it for! Don't give them more than a day's worth
of food at a time. Slowly, day by day, that's what's important."
Three days after the
First Prince's army began to suffer from food shortages, Sieghart gave his
second-stage orders. After this, the First Prince's army, with no other choice,
would be forced to continue making expensive purchases.
Sieghart recouped the
funds he had lost in the food buyout from the First Prince once again.
With more than enough
interest.
"Hmm, I suppose
we've secured the return of our funds? In this case, I guess the enemy of my
enemy is... my friend. I think this might have bought them about two weeks of
time, right? After that, I need them to clean things up quickly."
Sieghart muttered as
he looked at the written report.
"Well, with that
child in the borderlands of the Kyle Kingdom, the civil war will probably end
soon. I doubt any fool would try to attack that impregnable land..."
Thus, the First Prince
lost the perfect opportunity to intervene in the Kyle Kingdom's civil war. His
army, unable to even cross the border, had become no different from scarecrows
lined up on the frontier.
No one on the Kyle
Kingdom's side, including those who had joined the rebellion, yet knew of these
circumstances.
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