Chapter 249 - Chapter 242: Military Council
The Duchy of Halusberg, located at the northernmost tip of the kingdom and almost due north from the royal capital, is said to have been established by a cousin of the first king.
With a total population of about five thousand people, nearly all of whom live in the ducal capital of Resendorf, its scale is not particularly large even among noble territories. However, as relatives of the royal family, it has played an important role as the eyes and ears of the royal family in the north of the kingdom, and as a place of refuge for the royal family in times of emergency.
Ingrid, the wife of Oscar Rhodeberg III, was also originally a member of the House of Halusberg.
The Halusberg estate, located in the ducal capital of Resendorf within that duchy, is currently serving as the residence for the King and his family, who have evacuated from the royal capital.
And on an afternoon in late November. In a hall within this estate, a military council that would decide the fate of the Rhodeberg Kingdom was about to begin.
"...Gentlemen of the kingdom's nobility, first, as the king of this country, I wish to express my gratitude. I thank you for gathering here, on this day, at this hour, for this military council."
Accompanied by the current Duke of Halusberg, a small elderly man, and his chief of staff, Count Burkhard, Oscar entered the conference room and spoke to the nobles who had already gathered in the room and were offering the salute of a subject by kneeling on one knee.
"We are Your Majesty's loyal subjects, and nobles who bear the responsibility of protecting the kingdom. We consider it our natural duty to respond to Your Majesty's command and hasten to your side."
The one who answered on behalf of the nobles was Marquis Siegfried Bechtolsheim. Among the nobles of equal rank, Marquis Staufenberg, the leader of the Northeastern faction, was also present, but Marquis Bechtolsheim performed this role because he was older than Marquis Staufenberg, who had inherited the family headship in his thirties due to the early death of his predecessor.
"Your loyalty is duly received... Now then, let us get straight to the main point. We have no time. Everyone, please make yourselves comfortable."
At Oscar's word, the nobles stood up and surrounded a large table placed in the center of the hall. Count Burkhard spread a map across that table.
This map, so large that its vertical length easily exceeded a person's height, recorded the terrain, highways, and positions of major cities within the kingdom as accurately as possible. It was one of the most important assets passed down through the royal family, filled with national military secrets.
"I shall handle the specific details. First, based on reconnaissance and information obtained via 'Far-talk' in some instances, I will explain the primary positions of the Republic of Betumia's army."
As he spoke, Count Burkhard placed pieces used for military councils and tabletop exercises onto the map.
"The force believed to be the main body of the enemy's combat units is the force besieging the royal capital, Lichthagen. Their total strength is fifty thousand. Additionally, the force that took the Marquisate of Galdwin in the southwest consists of approximately twenty thousand plus. Furthermore, the force besieging the Marquisate of Bittenfeld in the southeast also numbers twenty thousand plus. These are considered the main strength of Betumia."
The Count placed five large pieces slightly below the center of the map, two toward the bottom-left edge, and two toward the center-right of the bottom-right.
"And it is believed that there are forces of twenty thousand each in the Earldom of Kivileft and the Earldom of Ahatz. Both of these are old pieces of information, but the enemy would want to solidify the defense of their supply bases from the home country. It likely hasn't changed much even now. Besides that, reasonably large units seem to be deployed at the borders with the Pallas Empire and the Kingdom of Lancel, appearing to block the borders. Up to this point, the total is one hundred and fifty thousand."
The Count continued speaking while placing more large pieces.
"As for the remaining fifty thousand enemies, these seem to be units for supply and the suppression of controlled areas. Some are relatively large units on the scale of a thousand people, while many small units on the scale of dozens of people have also been confirmed."
Further small pieces were placed in several locations across the bottom third of the map.
"The reactions of the people in the south vary. Some flee north as refugees, while many others choose to become slaves of Betumia themselves, thinking it is better than starving to death from famine and war. It seems some Betumia soldiers are behaving quite violently, committing assaults and rapes, and resistance against this is also being seen... That is the general situation in the southern part of the kingdom."
Having finished the brief explanation and the placement of the pieces, Count Burkhard looked up.
"...Indeed, seeing it anew, it is a terrifying scale of army."
One of the gathered nobles muttered, as if unintentionally. Noein, standing at the back edge of the hall, also thought that it was only natural.
Even in the Rhodeberg Kingdom, considered one of the leading powers in the southern part of the Adleon continent, mobilizing twenty thousand people—about one percent of the population—would be called a great war. To send a force ten times that size across the sea from their home country... the national power of the Republic of Betumia was beyond imagination.
"I agree, but there is no point in saying such things now. We have no choice but to find a path to victory from this situation. Today, positions and peerage do not matter. I seek your candid opinions and active discussion. Any plan will do. Please present them."
"Then, if I may be so bold, I shall speak!"
As soon as Count Burkhard spoke, one noble was the first to request permission to speak. It was Count Nordlingen, one of the central nobles of the Northeastern faction, known as a headlong type of military commander.
"Given our current situation where we are inferior to the enemy in total mobilized manpower, I humbly think that it would be most effective to become a single, solid force and annihilate the enemy's main body besieging the royal capital! After that, while maintaining momentum, we would push into the Earldom of Ahatz in the southwest and cut off the enemy's supplies from their home country—"
"Hmph, truly a humble thought."
One of the northwestern nobles gathered on the left side of the hall across the table muttered, and Count Nordlingen's blood rushed to his head.
"What did you say!"
"In the kingdom's current state, even if we scrape together the peasants, the total number of soldiers would be around fifty thousand. We might win against the enemy's main body if we are lucky, but our own losses would be immeasurable. To then march to the southwestern tip of the country with a depleted army? We would be surrounded by other enemy units and annihilated on the way. Besides, while the army is marching south, what do you intend to do about the defenseless northern part of the kingdom? This is why pig-headed warriors are..."
"Shut up! A mere member of the weakest Northwestern faction!"
"Hey, those are words that insult all of us Northwestern nobles!"
"Don't get cocky just because you've expanded your influence in the last few years!"
"Quiet! The Northeastern faction hasn't produced any decent results lately, yet..."
Several other nobles cut into the argument between individuals, and it threatened to develop into a shouting match between the Northwestern faction and the Northeastern faction.
"Silence!"
"Do not speak."
The ones who stopped it were the sharp, angry shout of Marquis Bechtolsheim and the voice of Marquis Staufenberg, which, though not particularly loud, resonated well. It was a single word from the leaders of the factions.
"My apologies. On behalf of the Northwestern faction, I apologize for the insulting manner of the denial."
"I also feel sorry that remarks were made that meaninglessly disparaged your faction... Your Majesty. Minister Burkhard. May I also present a proposal?"
After exchanging apologies with Marquis Bechtolsheim, Marquis Staufenberg began to speak. Although he had ascended to the position of head of a Marquis house at a young age, his talent as a faction leader was already appraised in noble society as being beyond reproach.
"Very well."
"By all means, please do."
"I am grateful. Then... as an opinion was raised earlier, there are indeed problems with a frontal assault by the entire army. Therefore, I propose to use sixty percent of the total manpower, approximately thirty thousand, as the main force, and use this to first attack the southeastern part of the kingdom. Meanwhile, the remaining twenty thousand forces will devote themselves to defense, holding back the enemy in the central and western parts of the kingdom."
Marquis Staufenberg explained using blue pieces, distinct from the red pieces placed on the map.
"With a force of thirty thousand centered on regular soldiers, it would be possible to reach the Marquisate of Bittenfeld in the southeast and defeat the enemy's main force in the east. A merger with the remaining units of the Marquisate would also be possible. Then, we would march to Laden and recapture the port. This part must be achieved by sheer force and determination... but if successful, we can strongly strangle the enemy's neck."
Unlike the previous Count Nordlingen, Marquis Staufenberg spoke dispassionately.
"At that point, the remaining twenty thousand would also march all at once, and together with the main force that retook Laden, they would pincer and annihilate the enemy's main body from the north and south. With the merged great army, we would also recapture the Earldom of Ahatz. We would then defeat the remaining enemy forces within the country one by one... If we do this, I believe a chance of victory becomes visible."
At a proposal that was somewhat more feasible than the first opinion, the expressions of the nobles brightened slightly.
"...No, even if we recapture Laden once, I do not believe Betumia would give up while leaving many soldiers abandoned in a foreign land. Reinforcements would immediately arrive from the enemy's home country, and Laden would be seized back. If that happens, this time our main body would be pincered from the sea and the inland."
"...I see. It is indeed as the Minister says."
The one who denied it was Count Burkhard. Whether he was convinced by the opinion that considered not only the current enemy within the kingdom but also the Betumia home country, Marquis Staufenberg nodded with a bitter expression.
After that, proposals were made by several other nobles, but none showed hope, as they were either based on overly optimistic predictions or the odds were too poor even for a gamble.
As the opinions were exhausted and a desperate atmosphere began to drift through the hall, Oscar, standing in the center front, opened his mouth.
"...Viscount Arqvist. Are you there?"
"Yes. I am here."
Stepping forward from the back left edge of the conference room, Noein, who had not uttered a single word until then, answered.
"You are a hero who once achieved the desperate defense of a fortress with a small force in the great war of the southwestern border, and two years ago, repelled the personal expedition of Cadne Lancel First, also with a small force. If you have any good ideas, I wish to hear them."
While listening to Oscar's words, the nobles also shifted their gaze to Noein. They directed looks of expectation toward Noein, hoping that Viscount Arqvist, who had achieved miracle-like victories before, might offer some dream-like proposal.
"...I have one proposal."
While receiving everyone's gaze upon himself, Noein opened his mouth.