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He stood at attention and saluted in front of my desk. The elite troops closest to the royal capital belonged to Dimitri’s army.

The Daz Household’s territory was located near the Noza Household’s border, where a large number of refugees were currently being sent. The basic strategy was to station the army near the royal family’s territory and feed the refugees farther away, so the Daz Household’s army was deployed near the border, training the Second Army. After completing their training and reorganization, they rushed north.

“Good work. Was there any trouble on the way?” (Yuri)

“It went smoothly. No congestion at all.” (Dimitri)

‘That’s been managed perfectly. From Karakumo to Sibyaku, the main highway can become blocked, disrupting troop transportation. To prevent large troop movements from overlapping on the same day, adjustments were made, and civilians have been banned from using it for two weeks. Civilians tend to move in the opposite direction of the troop flow from Karakumo to Sibyaku, causing chaos if allowed.’

“Today, we received a report that the Rube Household successfully ambushed the enemy. They inflicted considerable damage.” (Dimitri)

“That’s good news.” (Yuri)

“However, the enemy seems largely unfazed by the ambush and is advancing rapidly. Despite the Rube Household losing 1,000 out of 5,000, they should have killed at least 2,000 to 3,000 of the enemy.” (Dimitri)

‘Normally, such a significant blow would require some reorganization and impact morale. An equivalent number of severely wounded would require evacuation. Naturally, the severely wounded cannot return to the front line quickly. For example, someone with a spear wound in the leg cannot return to the front the next day with just a bandage.’

I tapped my pen on the desk.

‘This is troubling.’

“When we checked between enemy breaks, corpses were moved to the roadside and were being eaten by wolves.” (Yuri)

‘If they’re going that far, they might be abandoning the severely wounded. Usually, armies don’t do that. Injury is routine for military personnel, and soldiers understand it could be them tomorrow. They’re stitched up, wrapped in dirty bandages, and evacuated to lie in a rough bed. Even that is much better than being left on the battlefield. Evacuation means being taken back to a safe zone. After bravely fighting and getting injured, being left behind on a battlefield where the enemy could arrive at any moment is intolerable. Naturally, anyone would want to flee. Well, since this is deep within Shan’s territory, even if they wanted to escape, they probably couldn’t.’

“I see… It seems they’re in quite a hurry.” (Dimitri)

“The enemy is already very close to the royal capital. Will you make it in time?” (Yuri)

‘As I expected, Kotlaha is surrounded by an isolated army. The Rube Household’s forces set their ambush much further south than Kotlaha.’

“We will make it in time.” (Dimitri)

“Make sure the commander maintains close contact with Soim’s independent cavalry unit. He knows the situation best.” (Yuri)

“Yes. I’ll be leading the troops myself, so it will be fine.” (Dimitri)

‘What?’

“You’re going yourself?” (Yuri)

“Yes, it’s my well-trained army after all.” (Dimitri)

‘Well, that’s true.’

“Alright, but don’t die. You’re too valuable to be wasted here.” (Yuri)

“Understood. I won’t die.” (Dimitri)

Dimitri said this and saluted.

“Then go. I’m counting on you.” (Yuri)

“Yes, Your Excellency!” (Dimitri)

With that response, he turned on his heel and left the office.

—

“Yuri-kun?” (Myaro)

It was Myaro’s voice.

“Ah, I’m here.” (Yuri)

“You’re observing again?” (Myaro)

“Yeah.” (Yuri)

I was standing on the observation deck of the castle’s spire, holding a telescope, and re-examining the terrain I had already memorized in detail. To the north of the royal capital, a wilderness stretches out. The pastures to the south of the capital were cleared from forests, but the north wasn’t like that. It looked barren as if nothing had ever grown there. The sparse grass clinging to the thin topsoil is generally short and thin, lacking the lushness of the southern pastures.

‘There’s probably, there is some geological change around the river flowing through the center of the capital. I’m not very knowledgeable about geology, so I donn’t really understand.’

“Up we go.” (Myaro)

Myaro also climbed up onto the circular observation deck, which was about a meter in diameter.

“In less than a week, the entire army will be assembled here.” (Myaro)

She said this while looking in the same direction as me.

“Yeah, an army of 63,000. Though most of them are just foot soldiers.” (Yuri)

‘We only have about 1,300 muskets. We also have some weapons the enemy doesn’t possess, like Molotov cocktails, but overall, we could be considered a poor household that can only grow stronger through hard work.’

“Thanks to sending supplies to Dimitri’s army, our reserves have decreased by three days’ worth.” (Myaro)

“I see.” (Yuri)

‘The food remaining in the capital isn’t much. With the combined forces of the recruited soldiers, the 63,000-strong army would only have enough food to last for about a month. So, providing supplies to Dimitri’s forces has reduced our reserves by three days. We need to allocate provisions with some flexibility, and any unused supplies will have to be destroyed or burned during the retreat. We can’t afford to carry unnecessary baggage, and leaving supplies behind would only benefit the enemy. But the enemy is facing the same food shortages. We’ve been sending out Eagles from the eastern end of the Hou Household’s territory, and ships have been systematically sunk at sea.’

“Do you have any idea how the enemy will deploy and move? Can you guess their strategy?” (Myaro)

“Not really.” (Yuri)

‘It’s impossible to know what someone I’ve never met is thinking. It’s a different story if you’ve fought them many times before. The enemy commander could be as foolish as Dolla or as clever as Myaro.’

“I’d like to ask you, though.” (Yuri)

“Me?” (Myaro)

Myaro looked puzzled.

“You’re better at Togi than I am.” (Yuri)

‘Of course, we also conduct tabletop exercises at the School of Knights. Myaro was quite skilled.’

“Hmm… The enemy is probably eager for a quick victory. They might pretend to retreat, lure our main force, and then use cavalry to encircle us.” (Myaro)

“That seems likely.” (Yuri)

‘There’s no advantage for us to attack, so even if baited, we mustn’t take the offensive. However, history shows many examples where forces attacked despite such situations. If the enemy dangles high-quality bait, even I might be tempted to bite like a fish. Even the generals who fell for the enemy’s strategies and attacked didn’t do so with the intention of being lured into defeat. At the time, they undoubtedly believed they could win and were lured by the prospect of gaining an advantage.’

“They might rely on their numbers and come at us head-on. Unlike Togi, the forces aren’t evenly matched.” (Myaro)

“I’d be happy if they did.” (Yuri)

‘But would they? The enemy must be aware that their troops are inferior to ours in terms of stamina. In a melee, they’d be at a disadvantage. Conversely, what they clearly excel in is the quality and quantity of firearms, as well as their numbers. So, they might be thinking of primarily engaging in gunfire and then using cavalry to finish us off after breaking our formation. Well, we won’t be able to grasp their intentions until they’ve taken their positions.’

“I’d appreciate it if they underestimated us and let their guard down.” (Myaro)

Myaro said this, leaning on the railing of the observation deck. She seemed somewhat relaxed, perhaps because she didn’t have any immediate tasks to attend to.

“That’s unlikely. Their determination is as strong as iron… They’re desperate too.” (Yuri)

‘If we had fought near the Hot River, it would be one thing, but we’ve already severely weakened them with hunger and strikes. Yet, they are now at a point where they can’t turn back. They won’t let their guard down.’

“With over 100000 soldiers, the costs just to get here must be staggering…” (Myaro)

“I’d laugh if it weren’t so much money. Equipment, expedition expenses, salaries… Well, the cost of the ships would’ve been an unexpected expense.” (Yuri)

‘Turning back now would be like throwing that money into the sea. Expedition expenses won’t be refunded, and they can’t withhold pay since they didn’t fight. Once they retreat, there will likely be deaths from starvation and disease. And of course, since they’ll be pursued, the losses will be even greater. There’s no way they can turn back.’

“If we win, it’ll be a great victory. They won’t recover for a while.” (Myaro)

“If we win.” (Yuri)

Our forces are only 63000 strong. The enemy… well, depending on how much Dimitri can do, they’ll probably have about ninety thousand. We’ve used up most of our Molotov cocktails, so we don’t have many left.

“Considering it’s Yuri-kun’s army, I don’t think you’ll lose.” (Myaro)

“I wonder. Despite appearances, I might just be an average commander.” (Yuri)

‘When it comes to actual combat, I might end up making foolish decisions one after another. That’s what scares me the most.’

“Hehe, if you were just an average commander, we’d already be having the decisive battle near Hot Bridge.” (Myaro)

‘Well, that’s true. Actually, if our roles were reversed, Kien would have probably chosen to have the decisive battle near Hot Bridge or somewhere north of Mital. Not fighting at Hot Bridge gave us an extra month for training. The sweat shed during training saves blood lost in battle. That’s a significant advantage.’

“Yuri-kun, you’re capable and skilled in warfare. I can vouch for that.” (Myaro)

‘It’s nice to hear that.’

“Even if we win, it won’t be because of me. If Myaro weren’t here, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything.” (Yuri)

“What… are you saying? You won’t gain anything by praising me.” (Myaro)

“It’s true. You supervised the flow of refugees, food inspection, distribution. That was all you.” (Yuri)

‘Without her, this country, which was in extreme chaos after the queen’s assassination and the disruption of royal authority, wouldn’t have been able to regain its fighting capacity. I’m not saying we couldn’t assemble an army, but most of that army would have been as useless as ever. If I settled things with force, Myaro brought order through administration. Her contributions are immeasurable.’

“If you weren’t here, it would have been difficult to gather scattered armies from various places at the same time.” (Yuri)

‘We dispatched the inland armies early and transported the coastal ones by ship. It’s easier said than done, but without meticulous administrative work, it wouldn’t have been possible. Well, even though we managed to transport them, the cargo hold got messed up and needed half a day for cleaning, delaying departure. There were various minor incidents, but we can absorb the delay within the one-week buffer period. All the schedule management was done by Myaro. So, no soldier is starving, and despite the massive refugee movement, there have been no deaths from starvation among the people.’

“If we manage to gather 63,000 soldiers here, it’ll be your achievement.” (Yuri)

‘I can say that with confidence.’

“Hehe, I’m glad to hear that. When you say things like that…” (Myaro)

Myaro certainly seemed pleased. Despite all the talk, it seemed that she still found joy and took pride in this kind of work.

“Oh, there’s Dimitri’s army down there.” (Myaro)

“Hmm?” (Yuri)

Looking down, I spotted a group moving along the main road north of the capital. Without a doubt, it was Dimitri. From up here, a force of 4000 seemed surprisingly small.

“Well then, I should get going soon. I need to wrap up some work.” (Myaro)

“I see. I’ll head out after a bit more thinking.” (Yuri)

‘Deep down, I couldn’t help but worry. We’ve laid all the groundwork for victory, but winning is still not guaranteed.’

As I pondered, a sense of worry crept in, fearing that I might have overlooked something, making my hands tremble. Myaro grabbed my sleeve, pulling me close, and clasped both of my hands tightly.

“We can win. Everything will be alright… Let’s win.” (Myaro)

“You’re right.” (Yuri)

As Myaro released my hands and descended the ladder, I wondered if my calluses had softened from the brief break from staff duty. But what lingered on my hands was the soft, warm sensation of Myaro’s touch for some time.