Chris IV’s camp, facing the Imperial Army.
Despite the imminent war, the atmosphere was already filled with joy as if victory had been claimed.
“Hahaha! Really? General Spinola is dead, and the Imperial Army has been annihilated?”
“Yes, my Lord! You can stop worrying about the Lorend Region now.”
“That’s truly wonderful news. This must have deeply shaken the enemy’s morale. It’s like we’ve just hit the jackpot!”
Chris IV spoke cheerfully.
Honestly, this was the first time he was hearing about the Imperial Army invading Lorend.
However, the fact that it arrived as an unexpected victory news was a very positive sign for Chris IV.
In the lead-up to a major battle, such news of victory could only be a tremendous boost to the morale of one’s own troops.
Considering Lorend’s weak military strength, Chris IV could roughly gauge the capacity of the defeated Imperial Army.
“That the Empire couldn’t seize even Lorend—perhaps they are nothing more than puppets beyond what we thought.”
“Exactly! Just look at how they couldn’t even conquer that little Bohemia. They are nothing but oversized straw men.”
“This war has certainly exposed their weaknesses. In contrast, our Northern Army consists of elite troops hardened by years of battle.”
“Plus, we have the support of Commander Mansfeld, who previously handled the Imperial Army. Our victory is assured!”
Chris IV, brimming with confidence, received flattery from his subordinates.
To them, it didn’t much matter if what they said was true or false.
The important thing was to keep their lord in good spirits at such moments, cementing their own paths to advancement.
Thus, with all the flattery from his servants, Chris IV felt even happier.
At that moment, amidst his elated mood, new news suddenly began to reach his ears.
“My Lord! My Lord!”
“What is it?”
“Y-You must come out quickly! Something seems off with the enemy’s camp!”
“What? The enemy camp?”
This unexpected comment from his subordinate startled Chris IV, who quickly stood up and rushed outside with his men.
The location of their camp was on a hill, ideal for observing the enemy’s movements.
From there, they indeed noticed something unusual about the enemy camp.
“What is it? The enemy camp looks rather chaotic.”
“It seems so. They appear to be moving around busily among themselves.”
“What on earth is happening? Why are they acting like this?”
“Umm…”
The subordinates struggled to find an answer to Chris IV’s inquiry.
Then, one of them spoke cautiously to his lord.
“This is merely my personal opinion, but it seems there might be internal strife among them.”
“Internal strife?”
This was quite an intriguing suggestion from Chris IV’s perspective.
Seeing his monarch interested in his words, the subordinate elaborated further.
“Yes, indeed. As you know, it’s quite likely the enemies have heard about our situation in Lorend as well. It must have been a considerable shock for them. Furthermore, there’s a rumor that General Tilly and Valenshtein do not get along well. Perhaps the news of our victory has intensified their feelings, leading to conflicts among themselves.”
“Ohh… then this could be a significant opportunity for us.”
“The chaos among the enemies is a great boon. How about launching an attack immediately?”
The basic principle of warfare is to exploit when the enemies are divided.
Knowing this well, the subordinates hurriedly began to voice their opinions, and Chris IV started to feel a rush of excitement.
“Certainly, that makes sense. They’re already wobbling from an unexpected defeat. In such negative circumstances, their pre-existing discord will surely amplify. So then…”
Considering the current situation, Chris IV deliberated.
He then began issuing commands to his subordinates without delay.
“Bring Commander Mansfeld here. We need to discuss an attack on the enemies right now.”
“Yes, understood, my Lord.”
*
The commanders gathered at the location as per Chris IV’s order.
There, he began discussing the current situation and what actions to take.
“I believe we should attack the enemies immediately. What do you all think?”
“Umm…”
Mansfeld began to show signs of hesitation at Chris IV’s words.
While Chris IV’s suggestion was certainly reasonable given the circumstances, at that moment,
his instincts were sending him nagging unease about the situation.
“I have a bad feeling about this… While it’s true the enemies are in a difficult position, is it really wise to attack right now?”
The General Tilly he knew was certainly not someone to underestimate.
Although the newly appointed Valenshtein might be a different story, he had faced Tilly before and experienced defeat.
Because of that, Mansfeld remained vigilant against him and felt the need to calmly assess the situation.
At that moment…
Christian, who was sitting next to him, spoke in a voice that seemed to carry a chill.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“What?”
“Why is that?”
Christian spoke surprisingly firmly.
At this, Chris IV and his subordinates began to look puzzled and somewhat uncomfortable.
Christian then addressed them clearly.
“It’s true that the enemy’s situation is quite poor. However, because of that, their openly suspicious movements during this critical time warrant caution. It could be a deception attempt to mislead us.”
“Umm…”
Christian’s argument held some validity.
However, Chris IV didn’t seem to feel much impact from her words.
“Are they trying to deceive us? Well, maybe that’s possible… But it might not be the case either. If their chaos is genuine and stabilizes over time, we’d be missing out on a huge opportunity—a chance for an easy victory…”
While he was willing to hear Mansfeld’s and Christian’s opinions, Chris IV’s mind was already leaning towards attacking the enemies.
If Christian had presented clearer evidence, it might have swayed him, but her fears were merely speculative.
Thus, the notion of taking time to gain precise information only made him anxious that they would stabilize the chaos beforehand.
“We attack.”
“B-but my Lord.”
“Their chaos may be a deception, but it might also be real. Missing this opportunity would mean losing what the heavens have provided. I hereby order a full assault on the Imperial Army!”
“Yes, my Lord!”
“I will carry out your command, my Lord!”
“Ugh…”
The subordinates responded resolutely to Chris IV’s words.
Mansfeld and Christian, too, had no option but to conform.
Even though the nagging feeling in their hearts remained, they were merely subordinates to Chris IV.
They couldn’t defy their master’s command, and since Mansfeld lacked confidence, they had no choice but to opt for an attack.
“It can’t be helped… At this point, we must proceed in a manner that maximizes our advantage…”
Choosing a backup plan, Mansfeld and Christian decided on their attack routes based on the ensuing offensive strategy.
Choosing paths that were relatively safe yet held potential for great achievements.
“Facing General Tilly head-on is daunting… I’d rather aim for that greenhorn, Valenshtein.”
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