Rebirth in a Ruined Nation! The Life of a New Strategist Starting From Now - Chapter 22

The Battle of Hakusha Plain (5) – Promise

“Only those who will take part in the surprise attack were informed of this plan. They didn’t even inform me.”

Raimaru-san expressed his dismay in the dimly lit tent.

“How did you find out, then?” (Luzel)

“I overheard the conversation when I went to the headquarter to advise Wickharlt-sama that it was best for us to stay like this until the 10th Division arrived. After more investigation, I learn that Wickharlt-sama’s intention to make a surprise attack on the Frankurlt army is final.”

“I see. So, what brought you to our camp?” (Luzel)

“I’m embarrassed to say this, but I don’t know who else I could trust this information to.”

Even in the dark, I could sense Raimaru-san seemed disheartened.

“I can’t say I blame Scuderia-dono. If I were him, I would do the same,” Captain Luzel said, but that was a different story.

“Wickharlt-sama is in a terrible situation right now…”

Raimaru-san’s shoulder quivered in shock when he heard my remarks.

Wickharlt-sama agreed to the proposal made by me, the proxy of the lieutenant of the 10th Division, a division directly under the King. Wickharlt-sama, however, reneged on his words just a few hours later. If he was beaten and caused considerable damage to the 6th Division…the consequences would be terrible.

“Are you here to tell us that today’s military council should be treated as if it never happened?” Captain Luzel asked Raimaru-san sharply.

Wickharlt-sama could avoid some of the guilt by claiming that Rays-sama’s words did not reach him in time. But the kingdom would view both me and Captain Luzel as inept.

Although many soldiers witnessed our arrival at the 6th Division camp, Rays-sama’s words did not reach Wickhartl-sama in time. What the heck are you two doing? That was the type of questioning I imagined we’d be asked if Wickharlt-sama claimed Rays-sama’s words didn’t reach him in time.

Captain Luzel wouldn’t accept it, even if I didn’t really care. 

“No! That’s not why I came here! I only want to ask for your assistance in convincing Wickharlt-sama to stop! That’s all there is to it!” Captain Luzel’s claim was quickly dismissed by Raimaru-san.

“Good. Then, Roa, do you have any suggestions for what we should do?”

It would be difficult to stop Wickharlt-sama now. If we attempted, we may cause internal strife between ourselves and the 6th Division.

Captain Luzel continued his speech after seeing my silence.

“For the 6th Division to meet Frankurlt’s troops here. Fate is cruel.”

That sentence triggered a realization in me.

Was everything fated? Was it truly just a coincidence?

Currently, the 6th and 4th Divisions were tasked with fighting Gorber on the frontline. The 7th Division was also patrolling the border, although they mostly provided logistic support for the 6th and 4th Divisions.

The 4th Division was now in charge of constructing the new fort in Eren Village in the northwest region. That meant that if Gorber attacked from the south, they would almost certainly encounter the 6th Division.

Now that I think about it, the Frankurlt army’s establishment of a camp at Hakusha Plain was similarly odd. Because of the frequent flooding, this location was neither suited for fighting nor valuable.

There were two bridges not far from Hakusha Plain, one to the north and one to the south. Why did the Frankurlt army choose to camp here rather than along the bridge?

Maybe if there was a landslide that caused the Frankurlt army to be trapped here, then it made sense for the Frankurlt army to build their camp in Hakusha Plain.

But, based on my knowledge of history, there was no landslide. That implied everything was a trap designed to destroy the 6th Division. They planned to destroy the current 6th Division, which had some momentum but was still somewhat lacking as a proper Knight Order.

General Frankurlt might be a seasoned General, but was he capable of devising such a plan? No, I didn’t believe so. General Frankurlt’s only notable accomplishments were the war with General Nisol and this battle against General Wickharlt.

If this battle and the Eren Village incident were actually linked… I got a feeling that there was someone who was manipulating everything behind the scenes.

In my memory, there was one person who could do that.

For a long time, that person’s name never came to the public and even in the record of Gorber Kingdom, that person was rarely mentioned.

One person whose name was mentioned as the brain of the Gorber kingdom in a diary of a Gorber kingdom’s noble.

Sakuri. A military strategist whose existence remains unclear even in my previous life.

?

“Roa? Are you paying attention?”

Captain Luzel shook my shoulders, and that pulled me back into the present.

“Ah, Sorry.”

“Have you thought about a plan to stop Wickharlt-sama?”

The two men looked at me with anticipation. Since I successfully persuaded Wickharlt-sama to stop during the day, they ended up putting a lot of hope in me.

But convincing Wickharlt-sama now would be difficult, and once Wickharlt-sama launched the surprise attack, the river would overflow.

Because stopping the surprise attack was impossible, it left me with two options.

The first and the most logical option was to abandon General Wickharlt. The general was only going to bring a few elites with him, so most of the soldiers were at the camp, therefore the price of making this decision would be little.

Abandoning the general here and waiting for Rays-sama would be the simplest and least risky option.

After Rays-sama arrived, we will confront the Frankurlt army. The morale of the 6th Division would soar if we dubbed it a mourning battle for General Wickharlt.

I felt a shiver the moment I realized what I was thinking. This wasn’t a war on top of a book. This was an actual war, and I’ve thought about leaving someone to die? Could I even pull it off? Me?

“But you will create a strategy that causes the lowest casualty, right?”

I recalled Frein’s words. Frein, the man who gave up his valuable time to teach me how to ride a horse so that I could survive on the battlefield.

“Argh…Damn it!”

I racked my brain. I summoned what little courage I have and turned to face Captain Luzel.

I inhaled deeply.

“Captain Luzel, are you willing to die with me?”

?

T/N: Roa’s words sounded like something from a tragedy romance novel with a double suicide ending…anyway, I got an exam so only 2 chapters this week. Enjoy.