WeTried Translations

Translator: Nemui

Editor: Nemui

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 174: The Caruna Region

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While the response to the rebellion in the Muret region began, the army led by Countess Cecilia Fargier completed its preparations and advanced south. They prepared for the rebel forces of the Caruna region to rise in response to Yorgos Caruna's army.

Their force numbered six thousand in total. Of those, the core regular troops numbered two thousand. They consisted of one regiment directly under Cecilia, built around the elites of the former Loire royal army, and half of the two thousand troops assigned to defend the royal domain. Added to them were one thousand noble territorial troops and mercenaries in total, and three thousand conscripts.

Considering the exhaustion and instability of current Arelian society, the poverty of the national treasury, the decline in the royal family's ability to rally support, and the fact that the other conquered lands were not stable either, though not as bad as Muret or Caruna, this force of six thousand was the limit they could mobilize after leaving behind the minimum troops necessary to defend the royal capital, the royal domain, and the Loire region.

Thanks also to preparations made during winter, Cecilia's army reached the capital of the Caruna region about three weeks before the expected arrival of Yorgos's army. There, it joined the Arelian Royal Army garrison stationed in the Caruna region.

"...I see. I did not think they would be in perfect condition, but this is worse than expected."

"M-my apologies."

"No, even if I told you to do something about it, there would be limits. His Majesty has said he will not question your responsibility as the local commander."

Cecilia told the apologetic garrison commander this in a flat tone.

With the exception of the Loire region, where Cecilia had commanded the army, the policy of the Arelian Royal Army was to station soldiers from other conquered lands in each conquered land. In the Caruna region, there were five hundred troops from the central kingdom placed as a supervisory force, and a total of fifteen hundred sent from the Muret region and the three former small countries. Originally, the total garrison had numbered three thousand, but due to the shortage in the national budget, its size had been reduced to two thousand.

That was how it was supposed to be, but the current situation was even worse.

In order to prevent collusion with local residents and maintain pressure on the conquered lands, the garrisons had until now been allowed a certain degree of perks. They could accept bribes, embezzle a little, or commit acts of violence and disorder while having them overlooked. In the Caruna region, where oppressive rule had been imposed, this tendency was especially strong. Gilbert and Childebert had deliberately allowed the garrison to do as it pleased in order to suppress the Carunans.

However, in order to make each conquered land peacefully independent and turn them into friendly neighboring countries, the new king Samuel strictly prohibited the illegal acts of the garrisons. As a result, in the Caruna region, soldiers who had lost both their perks and their reason to continue staying there appeared one after another. Deserters returning to their homelands had not stopped.

It seemed many soldiers believed that because their homelands would become independent again before too long, they would not be punished for fleeing the Arelian Royal Army now. The officers were trying to tighten discipline, but even among the knights who were officers, quite a few were deserting. The commander's explanation was that the situation had gone beyond what effort on the ground could fix.

At present, the garrison that should have numbered two thousand on paper had only a little over half that in actual numbers.

It was hard to believe that this disaster was limited to the Caruna region. The three former small-country regions, beginning with the Grand Duchy of Faro, were probably experiencing similar things, even if not to this extent. It would not be strange if the garrisons that were supposed to have a little over five hundred men each had been reduced further.

"...Perhaps Lord Mosetti is more of a great general than expected."

Cecilia murmured to herself so those around her would not hear.

Marquis Angelo Mosetti had continued sending detailed reports on the situation to the royal family. According to them, he had continued to maintain the size of the garrisons in the Novakia and Muret regions for the most part. Officers and soldiers from the Muret region who had been stationed in the Novakia region had deserted to join the rebellion, or rather Angelo had deliberately overlooked their desertion because they would only have been a hindrance if left in the unit. But aside from them, the officers and soldiers were apparently following Angelo without fleeing.

His way of fighting was to stand in front himself and lead his officers and men. In addition, he was known even in peacetime for being caring and attentive. That was why both knights and soldiers admired him and why morale and order were being maintained even in difficult circumstances. Angelo had been spoken of as though straightforwardness was his only virtue, but if he lived long enough, perhaps he might unexpectedly become a general like Marquis Robert Montesquieu.

Thinking that, Cecilia returned her attention to the current situation.

"I will not ask the garrison to participate actively in combat. I want you to assist our main force, continue maintaining public order, and gather information from each area of the Caruna region."

If peasant uprisings and similar disturbances broke out one after another in response to an organized rebellion, movement would become difficult. In addition, she wanted to grasp as quickly as possible where rebellions had occurred and on what scale, and to gather information. For such work, troops that had been stationed locally for a long time should naturally know the land better. They could also be expected to help guide movements along the shortest routes.

That was why Cecilia decided to use the unreliable garrison for tasks other than combat and spoke accordingly.

......

In order to oppose the invasion of Yorgos Caruna, who led five thousand troops, the most important thing was to identify his landing point.

For an army of thousands to land and then continue operating while maintaining its scale, it needed a bridgehead. The Caruna region faced the southern sea and had three major port cities. Yorgos would have to secure one of them in advance, land there, and conduct military operations based on the stockpiles in the city and the supplies unloaded from the ships.

Most likely, the rebel forces in the Caruna region intended to rise immediately before Yorgos Caruna's landing, secure one of the port cities, and welcome the army of the prince of a lost nation. If so, Cecilia's army should advance as quickly as possible to the secured port city, defeat the force that had risen before Yorgos's army arrived, retake the port city, and aim to intercept Yorgos and his men as they attempted to land.

An army attacking by sea was most defenseless at the moment of landing. In a sense, it was forced to endure the same hardships as an assault in a siege. That was why how swiftly they responded in the opening move would decide the flow of the battle from then on.

With that thinking, Cecilia established a temporary base in the Caruna region and put effort into gathering information. She sent out some of her own knights along with those among the garrison who seemed at least somewhat reliable, centering on knights, and worked at reconnaissance.

One week later, an urgent report reached Cecilia.

"Rebel forces have risen in the southeastern port city of Cuanca. Their strength is estimated at two thousand. Their commander is Viscount Dionisio Lucatti, the Carunan noble who rules Cuanca as his capital."

The one reporting this in the room set as headquarters was Rose, the knight who had become Cecilia's new adjutant after Celestin's death. She was Celestin's niece, and despite her youth, she was regarded as a bright and capable rising knight.

"I see... It is somewhat unexpected that the lord of a port city would rise directly."

Cecilia answered Rose's report calmly.

The Arelia royal family had put effort into directly controlling the three port cities, and the lords had been thoroughly won over. Therefore, Cecilia had expected that the lord of a port city would probably not rise directly. Instead, she had expected rebels who had infiltrated the city to rise, occupy the port city, and secure it as a landing point.

Given that expectation, it was somewhat surprising that Viscount Lucatti, one of the lords who had been seen as pro-Arelian, had personally taken command of the uprising. But that was only a personal feeling of surprise, and it posed no hindrance to the execution of the operation. If he chose Yorgos over the royal family, he would simply be suppressed by force.

"Our army can move immediately, yes?"

"Yes. As ordered, I have instructed them so that we can break camp and begin marching swiftly."

"Good. Then prepare to advance. We will move southeast and seize Cuanca before Yorgos Caruna arrives."

Rose saluted and left the room to deliver Cecilia's words to the unit commanders.

"...They must think they can defend it, but how naive."

Then Cecilia murmured to herself.

The expected strength of the rebel forces that would rise in response to Yorgos's arrival was four to five thousand. Moreover, they were expected to rise as several separate armies across the Caruna region.

That meant Viscount Lucatti's rebel army, with two thousand soldiers, could be seen as the main force that had moved early to secure a bridgehead for Yorgos's army.

Cecilia's army numbered six thousand in total. The enemy numbered two thousand. With a three-to-one difference in strength, it would not be difficult to defend a walled city for a while.

However, that would only be the case when fighting an army led by an ordinary general. To think they could continue a siege for more than a week against an army led by Cecilia Fargier. Had the title of wise general become so easy to look down on because of her defeat in that decisive battle two years ago?

Then, by achieving a brilliant victory, she would once again cloak this name in awe.

With a smile on her face for the first time in a while, Cecilia thought that.

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