CH 362

Chapter 362 – Chrysanthemum War II (3)

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The sound of bugles rang out noisily throughout the enemy encampment.

They probably didn’t expect us to cross the river without making any preparations whatsoever. They most likely intended to wait and observe our course of action. However, Laura, along with twelve mercenary captains, instantly came rushing forward with three hundred cavalrymen following right behind them.

I smiled wryly.

“There’s no stopping that girl. Let’s see, shall I follow after them?”

I pulled on the reins of my horse. My warhorse let out a snort as it moved forward. This was the excellent steed with a black mane that Barbatos had gifted me. There was honestly nothing impressive about my horsemanship, but my steed could cross a thin river like this as if it were a road of dirt.

Hundreds of cavalrymen crossed the river at the same time.

It was quite the sight.

The sprays of water sparkled in every direction, creating a symphony of splashes that echoed around us. Above, the golden rays of the evening sun cascaded down from the Alps, casting a radiant curtain of light over the scene. The glistening water droplets danced in the sunlight, shimmering like curtains of their own and adding to the breathtaking beauty of the moment.

“Your Highness Duchess, it is dangerous! Please retreat!”

A dwarven mercenary captain caught up to Laura.

“I have no intention to hide cowardly behind our soldiers and give commands!”

“The valor of a single soldier is nothing compared to the recklessness of a general! Your Highness, please reconsider!”

“In that case, you all can go ahead of me.”

Laura let out a laugh. I was following right behind them, but I could barely hear them because of the sound of water. Regardless, I had a gist of what they were talking about.

“If I am ahead of you, then you simply have to get ahead of me. A simple solution for a simple problem!”

The mercenary captains were at a loss for words.

Laura dealt one final blow on top of that.

“This is a new royal command. Those who arrive later than me in the enemy’s encampment shall be punished according to military law! Those who are late will be deemed as not being Helvetian men!”

Laura’s blonde hair fluttered in the wind as she picked up her speed. The mercenary captains were flabbergasted, but what could they do? They couldn’t let their supreme commander act as the vanguard.

“Damn it! As you command!”

“I never thought I would end up serving a person like this as my acting commander!”

The captains charged past Laura. They had probably given up on reason.

Once the captains took the lead, the soldiers redoubled their courage as they followed suit. Hundreds of cavalrymen crossed the river in an instant.

The enemy troops had yet to get into formation. They were simply shooting their arrows sporadically. Shooting a couple of arrows couldn’t do much to our hundreds of cavalrymen that were constantly moving.

Our cavalrymen easily jumped over the fences that had no one defending them.

The enemy soldiers were like headless chickens as they bumbled about and allowed our cavalrymen through their line of defense.

They gathered as best as they could to create defensive positions. There was even a defense position that managed to gather around twenty people. However, defensive positions made in this manner were incredibly passive.

“Do not attack the defensive positions!”

Laura shouted. She had arrived a moment later than the mercenary captains.

“Prevent the enemies from gathering! This is a hunt!”

The experienced mercenaries immediately understood what Laura was ordering them to do. Our troops avoided the enemies in defensive positions and dealt with the enemy foot soldiers that had yet to group up.

The enemy soldiers fell like stalks of straw as the speed of our horses was added to the swinging of our blades. The result was obvious as they had allowed our cavalrymen to get through before they could properly put up their defenses.

“Uaaaghhh!”

“R-Retreat! Retreat!”

The battle reached a conclusion in an instant.

The approximately 200 enemy soldiers were defeated before they could even lift a finger. Excluding the few that ran away the moment we started crossing the river—they were wise men who knew how to survive in this world—everyone was wiped out.

The enemy troops that managed to create defensive positions were dealt with by casually firing arrows and throwing spears at them. They must have been filled with dread since they had just watched their comrades get slaughtered all around them. They quickly surrendered the moment six of them got struck by arrows.

We took in about fifty enemy soldiers as prisoners. They were surrounded by intimidating dwarves and elves that unexpectedly looked rather menacing. Laura questioned the utterly terrified prisoners.

“Who is your commander?”

The human who met Laura’s gaze was hesitant. He most likely felt reluctant about selling out his own side’s info. Laura promptly swung her sword the moment she saw his hesitation. The tip of her blade sliced through the center of the prisoner’s neck.

“K-Kugh…….”

It sounded like he was gargling water. The prisoner let out a pathetic sound for his final breath as he collapsed on the grass powerlessly.

“Hm.”

Laura lightly swung her long sword down to remove the blood. She then turned to face the next prisoner. The prisoner shrieked in fear.

“Who is your commander?”

“It’s Duke Sforza, Your Highness!”

The prisoner groveled.

Ludovico de Sforza. That was the name of the lord who ruled the large city of Milano. He had opposed the House of Farnese during the Chrysanthemum War and was now supporting the royal family. Milano was the leading power that managed the frontlines in the northern region of Sardinia, making Sforza the perfect individual to appoint as the supreme commander.

“Sforza…… The Duke of Milano, is it? An adequate choice.”

Laura nodded her head.

“Is Earl Pavia under Duke Sforza?”

“I-I apologize. I do not know that much…….”

It would be difficult for a mere soldier to know the situation around his superiors. Thankfully, not all soldiers were unknowledgeable. Laura found out that Earl Pavia was a part of the enemy troops. She also learned that the enemy’s headquarters was located in the city of Novara.

The rest of our army leisurely crossed the river while Laura interrogated the prisoners and looked at the map. It wasn’t a big battle, but the fact that we had won our first battle seemed to relax their faces further.

“What do you intend to do, Duchess?”

I asked Laura.

Referentially, I entered the battle around the same time as Laura, but I didn’t personally fight. I simply shot the crossbow I had on my back a couple times. I’m a pacifist, after all. It’s my creed to leave the scary fights to the scary lady.

“Mm. The enemy chose to use a city as their base of operation instead of creating a main base on the frontline.”

Laura pointed at the map. The mercenary captains also gathered to listen.

“There is only one reason why they have not left their city yet. Their forces have not fully gathered yet.”

The Empire intended to go to war from the very beginning, but Sardinia was trying to end it after only a diplomatic dispute. Thus, it was only natural that Sardinia would be half a step behind in preparing for war.

There’s also a reason why that half-step was increased to a full step. It’s because we seized a monopoly over the Helvetian mercenaries. Even from Sardinia’s perspective, Helvetica was the easiest and quickest mercenary market they could reach, but we took them first…….

No matter how desperately Sardinia rallied its troops, it was inevitable that it would be slow. We were a full step ahead of the enemy.

“Sardinia must be in the middle of drafting mercenaries in the center of their country. They’re planning to use the city as their base and defend it until the rest of their forces finally arrive.”

“Your Highness, does that not mean that they do not have many soldiers defending the city right now?”

An elven mercenary captain asked.

“The enemy has yet to learn of our arrival. If we rush them now, then we should be able to besiege Milano in an instant.”

“That would not be wise.”

Laura shook her head.

“They may not have mercenaries, but that does not mean that they do not have civilian soldiers as well. Civilians will fight tooth and nail to defend their homes. Adding to this, Milano is a massive city. It will not be easy to conquer such a place.”

Sardinia had put the local patriotism of the people into consideration when setting up their defenses.

Civilians are weaker than mercenaries; however, they sometimes display great power strictly when they are defending their homes. If their city falls, then their family, parents, and children will be pillaged. They have no choice but to struggle desperately against their invaders.

“Furthermore, take a look at where their main base of Novara is located.”

Laura pointed at the map.

“It is right next to Milano.”

“Indeed. They are in a position where they could easily send reinforcements if we were to attack Milano. Thus, there is a high chance that they positioned their civilian soldiers in Milano while they placed the little number of mercenaries they do have here in Novara.”

“Certainly…….”

The captains nodded their heads seriously.

Laura was filled with confidence as she assured the captains.

“Listen carefully. The foundation of the enemy’s strategy revolves around civilian soldiers and sending mercenaries as reinforcement. They plan to defend Milano with the civilian soldiers and hinder us by sending out what little mercenaries they have as guerilla units. Their goal is to stall until they have gathered enough troops in the rear.”

The captains nodded in understanding. Some of them even looked moved. Of course, I was included in that.

I’m an amateur when it comes to military tactics, but even I can tell how impressive Laura is. Being able to read the other party’s intent at all times is Laura’s strength.

She can gather the pieces of information that have been fragmented and see through the enemy’s plan. That may sound easy, but in this case, Laura had only obtained two pieces of information from the prisoners. The fact that the enemy’s supreme commander is the Duke of Milano and that their main base is in Novara.

With only these two pieces of information, she managed to put together the enemy’s entire plan. That was a feat that a common person like myself could never achieve. This should’ve made the mercenary captains also realize how capable their supreme commander is. Although a majority of them still seemed half in doubt.

Laura spoke.

“If we attack Milano here, then we would be playing into the enemy’s hand. I forbid the attacking of Milano.”

“Your Highness, how about we pillage the area around Milano?”

A dwarven mercenary captain suggested. He was the captain whom Laura had kissed the foot of.

“If we pillage the area around the city, then even Duke Milano would be incapable of staying still.”

“At the price of raising the imperial army’s infamy.”

Laura shook her head again.

“That would be harming innocent people in a battle of honor between nobles. I forbid it.”

“Pillaging is not immoral during a war, Your Highness.”

“Because war itself is immoral. There is no reason for us to voluntarily make an enemy out of the people.”

The captains tilted their heads. They all seemed confused now.

“If we are not going to carry out a siege or pillage the area, then I do not know what else we can do.”

“It seems you have misunderstood me. I simply said that we will not attack Milano.”

Laura pointed at a specific point on the map.

“A location that is not Milano. As long as it is a place that our Empire can rightfully attack, then it is fine.”

Pavia.

The spot Laura was pointing at had that name written in cursive.

“We will not attack Milano or Novara. We will quickly slip between these two cities and head to Pavia. This is the area that sold me as a slave. Adding to this, Earl Pavia dared to slander His Excellency the Emperor.”

She smiled.

“They cannot complain if they were to be pillaged by us. Men, let us turn Pavia into a hellscape.”