176 – Eastern Franchi Expedition (11)

After the battle, Count Elias, who burned the enemy headquarters, and Count Isra, who destroyed supply routes and supplies, returned.

Normally, when you hear an order like this, you might think that you should play after collecting the dead and clearing the battlefield, but…

In the yard where all the soldiers except our army fought really badly, instead of resting while having a banquet, the soldiers’ morale would drop to the ground if they were ordered to clean the battlefield.

In particular, in the case of serfs who have no experience or determination to participate in the war, as they are now, if the fear of the first day of war is not erased with alcohol and women, PTSD often leads to crippled people.

Also, if you do the hard work of cleaning corpses in a situation where your physical strength is completely exhausted from fighting a war, you may die from exhaustion.

If that happens, there will be non-combat losses that you don’t have to take, so it’s a hundred times better to just rest well on the first day, as the Duke of Orléans ordered.

Even if expensive goods such as armor and weapons worn by allies or enemies in the meantime are stolen by looters, or there is a possibility of contagious diseases due to hygiene problems.

So, the duke discussed the post-war policy very briefly with the nobles, including me, and immediately began to devote himself to the banquet on the battlefield.

Rather than going to our barracks and enjoying the banquet at this time… In order to lay the next paving stone, I went to meet Earl Isra and Illius, who had made great contributions in this war.

**

On the walls, ceiling, and corners of the tent made of thick cloth, you can see the armor and sword worn by Earl Ilias in this battle, as well as a desk and chair made of luxurious wood.

If it weren’t for the fabric walls and ceiling, the interior would be like a room in a modestly decorated mansion.

Normally, no, until this battle happened, there was a difference between the Marquis and the Earl that could not be easily overcome, so I couldn’t have a friendly conversation…

Thanks to the strategy I told them about, the two main characters in this battle came to have goodwill towards me, and I tried to pretend to be close friends as much as possible because getting along well with them was good for the future.

As a result, Count Isra and Count Ilias and I were able to converse comfortably inside the barracks, just like a brother and sister with a 2-3 year age difference.

“Yes, Count Isra. I’m Elias… When we invaded the headquarters of the Marquis Simon, the Baron Delphine said this. ‘No, when the knights charge, they have to mobilize as many numbers as possible and hit them in one shot… Why do you have to split it in two?’”

“Normally, that would be correct. When I was young, I was also taught by my father not to split knights and charge when you become a baron in the future.”

“But, isn’t this a surprise? So I, Elias, said this. ‘We are far fewer in number than the enemy, so it’s all the more important to create confusion. So lead your soldiers and strike the other side as I command.’ And, of course, thanks to the success of this operation, I was able to personally kill Baron Diphe, who was guarding the base. Of course, we burned all the supplies and tents in the headquarters!”

“Awesome, Count. So, did he receive a ‘sign of apology’ from the poor man who proved he was wrong?”

At that, Earl Elias smiled and brought a piece of ham from the corner of the tent.

“Baron Delphine acknowledged the correctness of my strategy and brought me the raw ham he had been saving.”

“Looking at the seal attached to the ham, it seems to be the highest quality product made in the Marquis of Rhine… ”

“Isn’t that why the baron tried to eat it alone without sharing it with his men?”

Baron Delphine, under the Duke of Orléans, is over 40 years old, so he probably wouldn’t have stole the ham to eat alone…

Still, I answered with a joke that didn’t work to match the mood.

“When I saw it at the last military meeting, the width of the armor seemed to be 1.5 times mine. I thought it was all muscle, but it must have been fat from secretly eating it. That’s right… I haven’t seen people like that.”

“Isn’t that why we can eat such delicious raw ham? Your Excellency Marquis.”

“Ilias, you cut it up and give it to me. And now it’s time to tell my story… Mr. Creutel, are you all right?”

“I am an old man who has not done much in this war. So, we should listen to your stories.”

“Aren’t our Excellencies only 2-3 years apart from each other? good… Then when I burn the supply lines… ”

Count Isra and Count Elias boasted about how they contributed to this war for over an hour, no, over two hours.

I opened my eyes and focused when I said that they had been in danger of being caught by the enemy, and when Baron Delphine disobeyed orders and said strange things, I showed stress.

Then, they slowly began to loosen their guard, perhaps because I, who was the object of admiration and awe, listened to what I had to say.

Then let’s continue to offer them a glass or two of the wine I brought from the province of Akitel…

As a result, they seemed to have let go of all their resistance to me, perhaps because of their drunkenness.

So taking advantage of that gap, I told them this.

‘In this place today, it’s okay to think of him as my brother rather than the Marquis. There isn’t much of an age difference anyway, isn’t it between you and me? Also, thanks to all of you moving well, I was able to achieve a suitable feat. I’ll be indebted to you from now on, so I’d like to be friendly with you.’

Then the guys were completely released, probably because they were in a state of drunkenness.

Even so, I didn’t call him a real hyung like we did at dinner parties in Korea.

And just as it happened, the two of them started talking about their old days in excited voices, as if they had nothing to brag about anymore.

“Ilias, I still remember the days when you fought together under Count River. Yes, back when I wasn’t yet Baron Isra… You boasted so much that you were Baron Elias, and charged the enemy as ordered… oops… I never thought I would strike down my armor with a mace and be transported to the rear. I never really thought about it.”

“To say such a thing in front of the Marquis… Haven’t you ever asked to be sent to the end of the formation because the knights of the Territory told you to stand at the forefront when you first went to the battlefield?”

“Then you… It’s all decided by politics when it comes to marrying my wife, but Iris said chivalry is what makes her happy. What he said then… ”

If you openly talk about the past like that in front of me, it must mean that you have already completely let go of your guard against me.

Of course, in order to come this far, it happened because I gave them the recognition of ‘reliable opponents’ by giving them a huge feat of cutting off the enemy’s main base and supply route to retreat.

And now what I have to do is to listen to their stories, empathize with them, and raise their self-esteem.

“Isn’t everyone like that? I’ve been winning ever since I first went to war, but I’ve been afraid a lot. Especially the last time I fought Count Akitel on the plains of Waine, I was really scared. To be honest, I wanted to run away when I faced the terrible duke’s knights head-on.”

Other knights are terrifying, but it is a sight that I do not want to think of even now to see a ducal grandfather who is over 70 years old and as powerful as active knights lead 6,000 knights on the battlefield.

Even the knights coming after one grandfather gained confidence after seeing the duke charge ahead… It’s because you charge at the enemy with the determination to die.

“However, even in the face of the reckless strategy I proposed, you did not show a frightened expression, and succeeded in calmly cutting off and destroying the enemy headquarters and supply routes… As a knight, no, as an aristocrat, it was the greatest courage I could show. Now, if you guys win this war… Your achievements, younger than a marquis like me, will spread among bards.”

What I am saying is not a lie.

They were really brave, and they attacked the enemy headquarters and supply routes with honor more than anyone else, and made a feat worthy of being sung by poets.

And perhaps, if we succeed in capturing the Marquis of Simon, those two will have a well-deserved reputation according to the Emperor’s intention to create rivals against me.

So, everything is true.

Under the premise that the real war ends safely.

So I said with a sad face.

“However, how could I be jealous of you who are younger than me and are favored by His Majesty the Emperor? All I want is for the two Counts Illius and Isra to fulfill Your Majesty’s expectations. And I believe you will do well. Then I’ll be gone, counts who will become the pillars of the empire in the future.”

Normally, no matter how close they were, they would have been suspicious if I said this, but the two of them were already drunk and in a hazy state.

So, those two listened to me and put on happy faces as if imagining themselves having a ‘reputation that surpasses mine’.

And the next day, I ordered the soldiers to take over the territory more easily.

“Gather the serfs of the occupied Earl of Iris, provide them with proper wages and meals, and order the battlefield to be cleared.”