Fun Territory Defense Chapter 196 (Patreon)

[Another Viewpoint] Situation at the Front Line

[Cosworth  Jiernetta]

His brothers have all lost the war and have become prisoners of war. He feels as if his eyes are darkened with anger after receiving such an unheard-of report.

"...How could they lose with all that equipment? I thought I had deployed not only the black jade, but also the two-legged flying dragon wyvern, and even the red-copper earth dragon earth dragon."

Unintentionally, he shatters the glass in his hand. Seeing the glass break with a grating sound, the soldier who came to report shook his shoulders.

"Well, well...it seems that Scuderia Kingdom is also developing new weapons and also possesses amazing base building technology..."

"Building technology...? Are you saying that the fortresses in the territories of Scudetto, the Marquis of Fertio, and the Count of Ferdinand were stronger than you imagined?"

I ask back in a low voice, and the soldier shakes his head from side to side.

"No, no...it is a technique to build a stronghold in the middle of nowhere in less than half a day. As a result, the Werner Fortress in the southwest has fallen...Also, His Highness Istana immediately attempted to retake it, but was defeated. We are now forced to retreat south to the Fortress."

"Istana? The idiots around Unimog can't be helped, but Istana was defeated? Then, I must recalculate the strength of the Scuderia Kingdom. However, I have lost two small kingdoms, my foolish brothers. Does that mean that I am the next suitable choice to be King?"

The soldier who had been bowing nodded his head repeatedly with a flattering look on his face as he sniffed and said so. He is a man without a backbone.

He let out a sigh, sat up, and brushed his hair back.

"Back to royal capital! I, the First Prince Cosworth Jiernetta, will give you direct command! It's all-out war against the Scuderia Kingdom! They will crush us once and for all!"

[Istana Jiernetta]

"It's appalling. The return of Cosworth, my eldest brother, means that all those below me, the second prince, will be in name only... Well, if things go badly, I may have to seek further help from the Solstice Empire, but then our historic Jiernetta Kingdom itself will be in danger. We will not be able to talk about the succession to our throne. We cannot tolerate any more defeats."

When I told him this, the Commander of the Hellenic Magicians pulled his chin with a serious expression on his face.

"Yes...but to be honest, it will not be easy with that Fortress. If it is possible, we will have to retreat temporarily to the royal capital and prepare another battlefield with our forces..."

Hellenic mutters and bows his head. He must not have thought that his proposal would be adopted. After all, they are proposing to flee back to the royal capital as soon as their important base is taken. If Cosworth heard this, he might even be beheaded.

However, there is no doubt that he was prepared for such a heavy punishment. And the content of the proposal is probably correct.

"...I don't think my eldest brother would allow it, but depending on the content, I might be able to advise him. So, what do you think Commander Hellenic can do to resolve the current situation?"

I asked, and Hellenic snorted with a grim look on his face and slowly opened his mouth.

"Commander Steyr, who went out with the newly deployed artillery to retake Werner, was killed in action. Believing the information that he had only a small force left, and despite the fact that it was an operation to recapture the city with firearms that took him by surprise, he was defeated without even achieving decent results... The men of the Knights who fled back said that the fortress of Werner had become a completely different thing. The Knights who escaped said that the Werner Fortress had become something else entirely. This can only be attributed to the terrible building techniques of the example."

"...I understand that as well. That is why I am asking what another battlefield Commander Hellenic mentioned."

When I tell him this, Hellenic nods deeply and replies.

"In other words, we need to prepare a situation where the Royal Army of Scuderia cannot establish a base. I think we need to go back to the mainstream battles of over a hundred years ago..."

Hellenic's own idea was a little muddled. I raised my eyebrows and exhaled deeply.

In ancient times, no country was able to train men to fight, and those who tended the fields were forced to fight as soldiers. That is why magicians, who alone could become a great fighting force, were valued and raged. This way of fighting changed with the establishment of knightly orders, which could be called professional soldiers. The appearance of knights who could use bows and arrows and horses at a certain level made it difficult for magicians to exert their full strength.

As a result, defensive battles against strongholds with high walls became the main battleground for magicians. Conversely, in field battles, cavalry using horses became the most powerful, and for a while this style of warfare was the mainstream.

As countries rose and fell in the struggle for territory, a more efficient tactic was established.

The most efficient tactic was to add sorcerers to the cavalry. They would be mobile and equipped with the offensive power that would determine the course of the war. The sorcerer could fight without knowing where he was, or, in the case of a small Fortress, he could make defense difficult by using magic on the move. Unless it is the royal capital of a large country, it is not possible to have a large number of four elemental magicians. Most of the strongholds would have fallen within a month.

In contrast, several methods were devised to counter the horse-drawn magicians. The most effective of these were surprise attacks on the march and traps using bridges, cliffs, and mountain paths. In other words, attack a stronghold before it is attacked.

If this way of fighting works, the invasion will be many times faster and easier than before. This was the mainstream way of warfare until about a hundred years ago.

I looked up, remembering those and the history of warfare.

"...You mean to say that the Scuderia Kingdom will lay a trap ahead of the invasion and surprise the invaders?"

When I mentioned this, Hellenic nodded deeply.

"Yes. The place we will target is the river. We can't possibly move the entire base. We will hit it before that amazing building technique is used. We will use the black ball to drop the bridge, and then attack with magic while moving to the place of confusion. No matter how many fire cannons we destroy, the attack will not hit the sorcerer who is moving on horseback."

"...So you set a trap, surprise them, and take them into the field."

I mutter as I summarize Hellenic's words. Indeed, it would be foolish to take on a fortress that is impervious to fire and black balls. Then the tactic of not letting them build a base would be correct.

"...The question is whether that Cosworth will approve of this strategy."

Thinking of the hardships that will occur in the future, I let out a quiet sigh.