Chapter 92 : Threat (2)
Threat (2)
Alessandro asked Gregory in surprise.
"What do you mean, that's good news? Do you want the kingdom to be destroyed? Everyone's going to die!"
Gregory glanced at Alessandro once, then explained his plan for the future.
"War is, by its nature, about siding with the invaded rather than the invader. That means, in our situation—where the front line is being pushed back—this might actually be the most suitable scenario for us."
Normally, if another kingdom were to send support, some sort of compromise would be required—like hiring them by paying money or compensating them for helping with defense for a certain period.
Such compensation usually involved blind trust in that kingdom, luxury goods distributed within the kingdom, or renowned horses and similar.
However, this situation was different. The kingdom coming to support aimed to prevent a strategic stronghold from being lost, and other kingdoms also sent support to block the enemy's growth.
Since their resolve was clear, they had no choice but to cooperate without any conditions. Gregory decided to use that to his advantage. He shared his thoughts with the knights of the order.
"Hmmm... Are you saying we should entrust our headquarters to others and infiltrate enemy territory? What if another kingdom changes its mind and causes an uprising from within?"
"You don't have to worry about that. Who is the one working above us?"
"Pa, Parsei?"
Everyone suddenly began to feel reassured about their worries. Since their superior was Parsei, they didn't think just any kingdom would be accepted.
Given his scrupulous character, he'd never let a kingdom with signs of internal unrest into their own.
"Ah..."
Everyone just let out the same sigh. No one continued speaking. With no objections, Gregory tacitly took everyone's agreement for granted. Since they were all gathered in the conference room anyway, he decided to finalize the battle strategy as well.
"Do all of you agree to confront the Blandi Kingdom directly?"
"..."
"Then, I'll talk about our plan going forward."
Just as Gregory was about to continue, Brea spoke up.
"Wait, I have a question."
Gregory thought Brea would just whine and express her doubts about the operation again. So he asked in a rather uninterested tone.
"What's your question?"
"If the battle drags on in the rear, wouldn't Arme Kingdom take a loss? How are you planning to handle that?"
Gregory clicked his tongue at her sharp analysis. She had never shown this side before. For some reason, she wasn't missing a single point that needed to be considered, and she participated in the meeting not with complaints but with a serious demeanor.
'Ah, right... You were one of those who're good at scheming in your own way.'
And the reason her question was so insightful was simple. If there was combat in the rear, casualties would noticeably increase.
Handling the corpses would obviously get difficult. Corpses rot and stink, and leaving the bodies of soldiers from other kingdoms unattended wasn't an option, either.
"Hmmm... That's a sharp question. But you don't have to worry about that. Why do you think that is?"
Brea pondered for a long time. The more she tried to grasp Gregory's strategy, the deeper it seemed to become. She thought there was a lot to learn from him.
Gregory couldn't figure out what had happened at yesterday's festival, so he was distracted by her sudden change. Still, in the heat of the current meeting, he didn't bother with such trivial feelings.
"I'm not sure."
"To put it simply, it's human selfishness. If a kingdom that attacked the rear saw other kingdoms join on the defender's side, how do you think they'd react?"
"They'd be reluctant to attack, wouldn't they?"
"Exactly. On the surface, they may claim to be helping Blandi Kingdom, but they'll want to minimize losses. Will they really go all in and launch a full-scale attack? No, they wouldn't risk their own troops like that, because they might lose their own territory if they do. Moreover, the fact that those kingdoms already attacked ours is an unchangeable reality. So they can keep their promises to Blandi Kingdom as well."
Alessandro's expression brightened.
"Wow... That's amazing, Gregory. How do you understand even that? So, in the end, you're saying both nations would avoid a major battle to minimize damage?"
"That's right. I thought you all knew these things since no one reacted, but I guess not. From now on, I'll explain even the small details."
Everyone thought Gregory's strategy was beyond clever. He anticipated and simulated situations that you wouldn't know unless you experienced them firsthand.
His display of such seasoned judgment even seemed suspiciously skilled. Everyone listened closely to Gregory.
"Well, since it seems we've got some direction about defending the kingdom, I think we should discuss ways to infiltrate Blandi Kingdom."
"That's reasonable. It'll be more stable if we also explain the code of conduct for the battle."
Everyone decided to individually think about what might be the best methods. Since having too many 'sailors' could cause the 'boat' to go astray, people thought it would be best to come up with firm ideas ahead of time and base their reasoning on that, establishing a clear direction.
'Hmmm... Where would Blandi Kingdom be showing its most fatal weakness right now?'
Gregory tried to find the kingdom's weak point based on memories from his previous life. However, since it was a story from a time before he lived, he couldn't possibly know everything perfectly.
Therefore, he had to find the most effective solution in the given situation. The clue he reached was that the morale of the soldiers was gradually dropping.
The most urgent problem right now in Blandi Kingdom was the food crisis. If he attacked the enemy's food supply, it could work.
'But... It might not be that easy.'
Even so, Gregory couldn't help but feel uneasy. He had led them to a complete victory in the first battle, but now, they were on the offensive.
No matter how many siege weapons they recovered and how many soldiers they gathered for the assault, the enemy, recognizing the seriousness of the food problem, would have no reason not to maintain strict security.
Unlike the previous battle, there would be extreme casualties, and this time, it wouldn't be surprising if someone actually died.
Gregory thought he had to put his utmost effort into planning this operation. Even though the black cloud knight order was exerting their strength behind the scenes, if they hadn't exposed all the traitors, it was impossible to say how many were still out there. So, bringing a large contingent of soldiers would be both urgent and troublesome.
'No brilliant idea comes to mind...'
Even after much thought, he couldn't find a way to break through this situation. If everything ended up failing, it would certainly cause major problems for the national administration of Arme Kingdom as well...
"How about... this method?"
Just then, Ernest, eyes shining, looked at everyone. Gregory thought perhaps he was just trying to lift the heavy mood with his own ideas.
"Considering all circumstances so far, I can see only one way. So I'd like to cautiously make a suggestion."
Walter was curious as to what Ernest, usually unexpected, had in mind.
"All of the dawn knight order should go assist the twilight knight order."
Gregory felt disappointed at Ernest's words. Up until now, the discussion had been about how it was impossible to help the twilight knight order, so this sudden proposal felt out of the blue.
However, the more Ernest continued, the more Gregory found himself admiring Ernest's brilliant mind.
"The fundamental problem right now seems to be the Blandi Kingdom. Their headcount is countless, and since the twilight knight order is blocking the Breton Kingdom, there won't be a major clash there."
Alessandro asked Ernest,
"There's a war going on—how can you say no major battle will occur? Didn't Gregory just say earlier that only when reinforcements from other kingdoms arrive will the clashes lessen?"
It was a fairly perceptive analysis. Yet the more Ernest spoke, the more Gregory felt as if he was having a revelation. It was as though Ernest was suggesting a solution even Gregory hadn't noticed.
'No way... Could it really be that method? It might be an outstanding approach...'
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