45 – Operation Lasso (1)

From the time the war plan was established to the beginning of the war of conquest, the preparation period required was about three months.

First, for the first month, officials are dispatched to all the county’s territories to figure out the number of people who can be recruited, and to purchase supplies consumed accordingly.

These materials, of course, include weapons such as knives, spears, lances, shields, bows, arrows, and crossbows, food such as flour, barley flour, and salted meat, and even alcohol.

After figuring out the materials and the number of conscripts, he goes to recruit soldiers for a month, and for the remaining month, he gathers the scattered barons’ troops near Nantes Castle while checking whether there are any problems in the enemy’s territory and route. .

So it’s been three months in total, but because the ambitious Count Schwein urged his barons and nobles…

We had to finish everything in just two months.

Fortunately, most of our Kreutel soldiers were standing soldiers, so it was easy to grasp supplies, so there was no problem in meeting the deadline…

The barons and nobles under the count’s command would have had to prepare like roasting beans over lightning.

Even if the military of this era is already ‘prepared’, accidents happen in unexpected places, and there is nothing urgent, so in a hurry…

Without knowing my feelings, Schwein, who was wearing gold-encrusted armor on the highest watchtower of the castle, looked down at me and the soldiers below and said,

“Heroes of the proud county of Nantes, let them rejoice. Because, you soldiers will achieve victory with a brilliant record in the first campaign today!! The Goddess of Victory is already smiling at us!!”

Even though I wrote ‘encourage you at the head of the bed after having sex’, historically the most confidence-inspiring phrase for a monarch with that personality, to the girls who deliberately entered as concubines…

I never thought I would fall into narcissism to that extent.

Regardless of whether the soldiers heard it or not, His Excellency Schwein stuck his sword into the ground and continued talking.

“Fortunate knights, warriors who are advancing with me in this victorious war!! I swear on my name today that after I, Schwein von Nantes, have conquered the arrogant Count Helsmann, I will fully praise you for your work! He who wants more land, more money and more women, follow me!!!”

After saying that, Schwein clenched his right hand and held it up.

Correspondingly, several windswept-looking soldiers responded with cheers.

“Glory to the Countess of Nantes! Honor to His Excellency Schwein!”

“Long live Your Excellency, Count of Nantes!!!”

“O great god, protect Your Excellency, who wages a righteous war!!”

And after a while, the other soldiers also took advantage of the created atmosphere and naturally cheered and started shouting.

As more than 10,000 soldiers cheered at once, a huge noise like the sky shaking hit my ears.

Then Count Schwein laughed, raised and lowered his arms, calmed the soldiers, and shouted:

“I, Schwein von Nantes, guarantee! Villages that resist can be burned or plundered. Satisfy your desires, hunger, and material desires! All troops march out!!!”

As it was decided before, I, who was in charge of the vanguard of the Count of Nantes’s army, shouted the line I had decided to send the soldiers to march.

“We, the warriors of Creutel, who have been entrusted with the glorious vanguard! Be grateful for the opportunity to honor the noble will of the Countess of Nantes! All troops march!!”

After all the soldiers had been systematically trained, we began marching in an orderly manner, following me on horseback, matching fives, columns, and even feet, just as we had learned in the ceremony and marching drills.

As a result, we were able to pass through the gates as if marching alone.

As we passed through the gates, the people whom the Count had prepared in advance to boost the morale of the soldiers began to scatter various kinds of flowers towards us.

The faces of the soldiers who had received this kind of welcome for the first time were very bright, but I frowned at the extravagant event prepared by the count.

Because the serfs must have spent at least several nights scouring the mountains to gather flowers to sow while so many armies passed by.

“I’m sorry…”

Balt, who was riding next to me, looked at me and asked.

“No, but don’t soldiers like it?”

“Balt, the soldiers would love it… but the serfs who would have collected those flowers would have stayed up all night collecting them. We, Kreutel, offer ‘full price’ when preparing for such an event, but most lords…”

Upon hearing that, Balt’s expression softened.

“You must have suffered for several days without paying anything. In the meantime, I wouldn’t have been able to do the farming properly…”

“That’s right, then you will only lose public opinion. It’s crazy.”

There was silence for a while between me and Balt, and while we were walking through the rain of flowers that scattered like that…

A heavy paper bouquet flew towards me.

Seeing that, Balt looked at me and smiled.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a paper bouquet. The friend who handed this to me is a very nice guy… I don’t know who it is, but to send a paper bouquet to His Excellency who is in the vanguard…”

I ignored it for a moment and looked for a letter hidden inside the paper bouquet.

And after a while, I found a letter hidden inside it.

Sure enough, the names of the two maids I had sent to the Count, “Aine and Sylphy,” were written on the letter.

Quickly unfolding its contents, it contained more explicit details about the count’s private life than I could have hoped for.

**

After completing the march, we moved to the ‘Bautmann Area’, which is on the border between the county of Nantes and the county of Hellsmann, the midway resting place for a week.

In the meantime, fortunately, despite the hasty preparations for the march, there was no situation in which food or alcohol could not be properly supplied.

However, like the army of the Middle Ages, soldiers who gradually began to desert from the count’s unit and other baron’s units began to occur.

Yesterday, at a strategy meeting held to prepare a detailed strategy for the war, it is said that about 1% of the troops deserted.

If up to 1% of the troops deserted, it would be regarded as a ‘tremendous number’ desertion in modern warfare, and commanders would have to reconsider their morale and carry out various strategies…

It is said that in a world where the formula holds that one out of 10 conscripted serfs will desert before fighting in war, it is rather small.

So, Viscount Creutel had been very worried until he grabbed me and marched out, but seeing that there were relatively few desertions so far, he liked that his worries were alleviated…

But honestly, even if it were me, I would have wanted to desert if I had been conscripted and couldn’t even get paid, and because of that, I couldn’t do farm work properly, which hindered my livelihood.

Also, desertion monitoring is not as thorough as in modern times, and there is no ‘disadvantage’ unless you are arrested on the spot because the proper family register is not maintained…

Seeing this incomprehensible situation, there was something said in a famous documentary.

“Hey, it’s like the Middle Ages.”

Really, it seems that the Middle Ages cannot be understood from the perspective of modern people.

With such thoughts in mind, I drove my horse and arrived at Bautman before I knew it.

When we entered the boundary of Bautmann, Bayleef and his subordinates, who were in charge of this area, had already come out to meet us.

As soon as they saw me, they quickly got down on their knees, bowed their heads, and said:

“Are you Sir Baron Ciel von Kreuttel?”

“Yes.”

“As ordered, we prepared 50 tons of flour and 50 tons of barley flour, 50 pigs, 1,000 chickens, and beer in the warehouse. We also recruited women from nearby towns and cities to provide entertainment for nobles and soldiers to enjoy. So, please put your stamp on this document.”

After saying that, Bayleaf held out the ‘document’ to me.

I asked, looking down at the baileef from the horse for one last check before stamping.

“You’re not telling lies, are you?”

Baeliff answered with a shudder, as if he was very afraid that I, the baron, would ask while pressuring him.

“Water, of course. dismissal…”

“Okay, believe me.”

After that, I put my stamp on the papers that Bayleaf held out.

**

And after a few hours, the count and the other barons came to see me at the vanguard.

We began to pass the time talking about the ‘war to come’ and all sorts of small talk while the soldiers built camps to serve as both quarters and impromptu banquet halls.

After talking like that for a few hours, a messenger came in and reported to us.

“I will report you. The banquet for the soldiers is ready.”

Until he heard that, the Count’s expression, which had been making a sour expression, straightened.

“is it? Thanks for letting me know. Everyone then enjoy a last banquet before going into battle.”

With those words ordering everyone to leave, all the barons quickly left the count’s tent.

And as I was about to leave, the count grabbed me by the shoulder and said,

“I believe you negotiated well with Bayleaf. So, you don’t have to report on supplies while you stand in the vanguard. However, occasionally have Viscount Creutel inspect you.”

“all right.”

No matter how much Viscount Creutel is fair and just as a guardian, the Viscount and I have a ‘father-son relationship’, so we don’t know when we might decide to make up our minds…

Entrusting the management of supplies to us, who have a relationship like this, if we make up our minds and bring ‘corrupted supplies’ or ‘poor quality food’, what will we do with the resulting non-combat losses such as food poisoning and financial losses…

Huh, of course, no matter how much I hate the count, I have no intention of selling my conscience for just this much profit…

That kid is really an idiot.

**

On that day, unpaid soldiers and other nobles enjoyed a frenzied feast before entering enemy territory.

I’m having a few drinks quietly with Ella, and quietly… no… rather violently…

Anyway, I went to bed and woke up without any problems.

After that, after a few more days of marching, we finally arrived at the Linz Plain, the decisive battleground.

As expected, the enemy was already encamped with over 10,000 foot soldiers and hundreds of knights.

When our vanguard and enemy scouts made contact, I ‘on purpose’ missed the scouts and shouted at our soldiers to let them know that we had come.

“Everyone, speed up!! The goal is Count Hellin’s castle and his city, Hellin City! Move faster than the enemy and completely encircle the enemy city!”

The dice have been cast, and now Count Schwein and Count Hellsmann will fall into each other’s ‘gutter’ on their own.