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The main Crusader force had approached near the vicinity of Sibyaku, and during this time, they had faced all sorts of harassment and attacks. Their comfortably stocked provisions had run out, and their stretched supply lines had likely been cut off already by attacks from small groups, probably coming from the mountain side. Yuri Hou’s harassment knew no bounds.

They began by eliminating all light cavalry scouts one by one, causing them to disappear. When Epitaph adopted the unbelievable tactic of advancing with his entire army without waiting for a reconnaissance report, they took advantage of the weakness that this created and immediately began using ambushes. Just the other day, there had been a sixth major attack, and they had fallen victim to a well-coordinated large-scale night ambush, resulting in thousands of casualties to the Flusha Kingdom’s army. The atmosphere in the camp was very grim because there were no personnel available to evacuate the seriously injured and they had to be abandoned. It could be said that the Crusaders were hanging onto a glimmer of hope with these supplies.

They couldn’t go into battle with hungry soldiers. It was one thing to endure a little hunger if morale was high but if they were marching for long periods in such a hungry state, let alone going into battle without even having a meal, would make winning difficult. If they intended to win, they should at least ensure the soldiers were adequately fed before fighting.

Some commanders had said that if they encouraged their soldiers to fight and win, they would fight to the death, but hunger was still a big factor. There had been debates in the meeting about whether to feed the army with the horses or not. Even if they decided to slaughter the horses from the cart horses for consumption, and if they ended up eating the cavalry horses, it would weaken the cavalry forces.

But the soldiers going hungry was an even bigger problem, so Angelica was in favor of feeding the horses. Desperate times called for desperate measures. If the ship did not come, the horses that Angers had worked so hard to preserve would be consumed as meat.

Angie was simply staring at the horizon.

“Angie-sama—” (??)

“What is it?” (Angelica)

“T-the masts!” (??)

A soldier who had been looking in the wrong direction said.

Looking up, she could see masts on the northern horizon. For Angie, it was a miraculous sight. It seemed they had drifted a little north and then headed south from there. But when the five ships’ fleet revealed its full form, shadows akin to beans scattered by a giant god in the sky fell down. It fell straight onto the fleet, turned near the surface of the sea, then raced upwards again.

‘Ah… How easily they take away our hope.’

The fleet began emitting black smoke within a mere five minutes.

The ship’s steering began to become erratic, perhaps because the crews was busy putting out the fire. The coast around here was mostly rocky, except for where Ange was.

Some ships had run aground on the rocky reefs near the coast, and its waterline was rising, presumably because a hole had appeared in the bottom of the hull. Some ships were burning as they disappeared into the sea. The ships that should have been the lifeline of 100000 troops were disappearing. However, within that, Angie had found a ship to entrust a glimmer of hope.

“Hey, someone! Fetch Dillar-dono, who’s watching in the south. Hurry up!” (Angelica)

“Yes, milady!” (??)

The sound of hooves pounding the ground was heard in the background.

Perhaps because there was a good captain on board, one of the ships was heading towards them. While the bow of the ship seemed to have been hit by a Molotov cocktail, the stern appeared unscathed. It seemed the Molotov cocktails had run out, as there were no more being thrown.

Despite being engulfed in flames, the ship, with its mainsail fully raised, was making its way towards them. Movement could be seen in the ship’s stern sail. They had given up extinguishing the fire at the bow and were steering the ship.

“Hey, does anyone have an axe…?” (Angelica)

Angie turned to her subordinates and asked, but no one nodded, and they all wore troubled expressions. It wasn’t like they conveniently carried axes.

“If we’re going to board and overturn on this coastline, we’ll need axes to break open the hull and carry the cargo out. There should be a village northwest from here. Everyone, find axes, whether they’re for splitting wood or anything else!” (Angelica)

“Yes, milady! Understood! Let’s go!” (??)

With those words, leaving a few nearby guards behind, her subordinates all mounted their horses and raced away like the wind. The sailboat, increasing the fire on its deck, slowly made its way towards them. It was difficult to say whether they were skilled or not, but they were probably skilled. Despite the smoke making it hard to see ahead, they had managed to aim perfectly.

For the first time in a while, Angie prayed to God.

—

The next day, early in the morning.

“It was indeed a remarkable efficiency, Angelica-dono.” (Epitaph)

Epitaph Palazzo remarked in an odd form of praise during the meeting.

“Allow me to express my gratitude as well. We owe you one.” (Fritz)

Fritz Ronny of the Galilia Union said, followed by various others expressing their thanks. Angelica responded to these with a modest attitude.

“Oh, no… I just did what I thought was best at the time. Anyone would have done the same…” (Angelica)

Thanks to Angelica’s swift action, the ship that had capsized had its hull torn open, allowing them to unload the cargo from the hold. The Crusaders managed to obtain the provisions equivalent to one medium-sized transport ship. It wasn’t a significant amount. They couldn’t feed the entire army twice, but they could split a normal meal into two and have it twice.

However, at least the Crusaders could eat well and sleep well. And after eating once more, they could prepare for the decisive battle. There would be a vast difference in the soldiers’ morale between fighting on an empty stomach after barely eating a piece of bread for breakfast and fighting after having eaten properly.

While Angelica thought it was indeed a remarkable achievement to pat herself on the back for, now was not the time to spend on such praise. After all, they had already consumed those provisions.

Angelica believed they should proceed with the council of war as soon as possible. This was because human being were creatures that got hungry in just about six hours. They were having a meal now. There wouldn’t be another. Then finally, after reconnaissance returned and they knew the enemy’s formation.

It would take an hour for the orders to be given and two hours to form up. After that, they would fight to determine the victor on the battlefield. It wasn’t a matter of becoming immobilized after six hours or losing strength immediately, but if six hours passed, they should at least start the battle with about two hours of leeway.

If they desired the best conditions, they should ideally conclude the council of war within an hour. For example, if the council of war lasted three hours, there was a risk that hunger might strike while they were fighting on the battlefield. However, the march had reached its limit, and if there hadn’t been distribution of provisions, this meeting would have turned into a hopeless atmosphere.

During the march, it was only because the Papal States were at the rear that desertion was prevented. Perhaps Epitaph was trying to lighten the mood of the meeting by praising, but there wasn’t much time left for such lengthy praise. Moreover, whether he knew it or not, Alfred was glaring at Angelica. It was a gaze that seemed to say, “Don’t get too full of yourself, you whore”.

“Well then, let’s begin the council of war.” (Epitaph)

Epitaph Palazzo said.

On top of the large table was a large piece of paper with simple lines drawn on it, showing things like city areas, forests, others. Since the location of the battlefield where a battle would take place was unknown, there were not always detailed large maps of the area. Angie heard that the battleground was a vast wilderness, so there was no need for a detailed topographical map or anything like that.

The attendants placed the pieces on the paper and write down the troop strength.

“The enemy formation is like this. Their numbers are about this much.” (??)

The numbers are written on the paper.

“…It looks like a classic encirclement annihilation formation.” (Zayed)

Zayed Samrikhamri, Prince of the Peninsula Kingdom, opening the discussion.

“They’re likely planning to station elite troops in the center to withstand the main force and press on both sides.” (??)

“However, I’m concerned about the lack of cavalry on the right wing. Is it possible they’ve concentrated cavalry on the left to break through from there?” (Quertz)

The one who said that was Quertz Wellingen of the Flusha Kingdom.

“Indeed, it seems there are too few cavalry troops.” (Alfred)

Alfred said.

“The enemy army probably numbers around 50,000? So, to have only about 3,000 cavalries… Are they hiding some somewhere?” (??)

Certainly, that was true. Even with some lords having crushed their horses for food along the way, the Crusaders still had just over 7,000 cavalries. Since the enemy was well-prepared, the number of just over 3,000 seemed far too few.

“If they intend to encircle and annihilate us, the usual strategy is to feign retreat in the center, launch an offensive from both sides, and semi-surround with infantry. Additionally, the cavalry would make a flanking attack.” (Zayed)

Prince Zayed said.

“In this case, they can only enter from one flank. And we have superiority in cavalry numbers. It’s plausible they’re hiding some somewhere.” (??)

Then, Epitaph Palazzo tapped his hands twice on the table.

“We must not fall for Yuri Hou’s stratagems. Two years ago, he showed us illusions that didn’t exist and calmly crossed bridges we thought were burning. Manipulating people’s hearts, making them imagine non-existent things, and pushing them to fight is his strategy.” (Epitaph)

‘Indeed, that is true. But is it plausible that the right wing had only about 400 cavalries?’

“This country saw its queen fall just four months ago, and powerful lords began vying for control. Many knights may have fallen during the civil war for control of the throne. Or perhaps some are still resisting somewhere, and there’s a shortage of nobles becoming cavalry. That’s also quite possible. In other words, they might be completely depleted of cavalry forces, yet they’re trying to show us a phantom cavalry unit.” (Epitaph)

‘…That’s certainly a possibility when you think about it. In fact, despite no information suggesting a large cavalry ambush, everyone in the meeting was trying to create a phantom cavalry unit based solely on speculation. If cavalry doesn’t appear, we’ll fear that our depleted cavalry is lurking as an ambush, wasting troops on unnecessary precautions. If that happens, Yuri Hou may have created a major weakness but only attacked it psychologically. But, generally speaking, cavalry would still be necessary.

“…That’s also possible. In fact, it’s conceivable that they’re lurking as an ambush.” (??)

“So, what measures do you intend to take?” (Zayed)

Prince Zayed inquired.

‘Certainly, a rough plan should be presented. It would take too long to decide everything by consensus.’

“First, we will deliberately ignore the cavalry ambush. We won’t go along with the enemy’s plan and will only think about breaking through to the center. That’s one plan. We will pour a force far exceeding what Yuri Hou has estimated as the maximum into the center all at once and defeat them.” (Epitaph)

‘Rushing in all at once sounds good, but it’s actually quite difficult. For infantry, only the front three rows or so actually engage in combat unless there’s a very wide battlefront. However, that’s not the case of the entire army attacking at once. Therefore, the attacking power does not simply increase tenfold between ten rows and a hundred rows. For example, it’s not like throwing a ten times heavier iron ball would hit ten times harder. Of course, having more rows makes it harder to break through and increases the force that presses on the enemy’s position, so it’s significant, but it doesn’t directly increase attacking power.’

“Then, the second option is to target the enemy’s right wing with cavalry. In this case, we’ll defend our right wing with minimal cavalry and Galilian infantry under Fritz-dono’s command, concentrating cavalry on the left wing as much as possible.” (Epitaph)

‘Ah, I see. We’ll neutralize the visible roughly 3000 cavalries with the minimum counter force.’

“If the enemy tries a flanking attack with hidden cavalry, we’ll repel it with cavalry. If there are no hidden troops, we’ll initiate the flanking attack… Angelica-dono, what do you think?” (Epitaph)

Suddenly, the topic was directed at Angie. She hadn’t spoken a word since the council began since she was considering her position. She hadn’t uttered a word since the council began. That was because Alfred was there.  If she were to say something, Alfred would surely move to negate it. Even if it’s militarily sound, Alfred would deny it. His pathological hatred ran deep beyond reason.

Doing so would strip the purity from the meeting while injecting politics. As a result, Angie didn’t want the Crusader to lose. It was too late to retreat once they have gotten this far.

“Both options are excellent. However, I must add that the central columns have numerous unidentified carriages protruding above the soldiers’ heights. They have been clearly visible to the scouts. The use of these carriages is a concern.” (Angelica)

Angie modestly added her opinion.

“So, the second option seems more appropriate?” (Epitaph)

“No…not necessarily.” (Angelica)

Why did they insist on her opinion? She wasn’t sure. Angie was just a lowly lord among kings and representatives here. She had no legendary military feats or such circumstances to boast of. While she believed she was doing well, her opinion didn’t carry much weight. Even though the men here might think she was skillful, but deep down, they probably didn’t recognize her military prowess.

“If the feigned presence of cavalry suggests deception, could those wagons also be part of a deception?” (Alfred)

Sure enough, Alfred challenged her.

“I see. Alfred-dono, do you support the first option for a central breakthrough then?” (Epitaph)

“Y-Yes…” (Alfred)

She found herself nodded. Despite being her brother, he gave her a headache. He had survived the worst conditions in the succession struggle, so he wasn’t a fool. Yet, he occasionally displayed terrible habits.

“Then let the remaining forces of the Tyrellme God-Protected Empire take the center. Angelica-dono, will you lead the cavalry on the left wing?” (Epitaph)

‘What? Did I hear it wrong?’

“Foolish!” (Alfred)

Alfred roared, and he wasn’t alone. The others also cast doubtful glances at Epitaph.

“Alfred-dono, please calm yourself. In this strategy, the cavalry is key. Those who lead it must be familiar with the Devil and that is Yuri Hou. That’s what I believe. Angelica fought him directly two years ago. She’s qualified.” (Epitaph)

It seemed that the odd setup from the beginning of the meeting was intended for this proposal.

“To entrust such trivial matters to this silly girl–…! No, it’s not about that! She is my vassal! I have the right to command her!” (Alfred)

“Well, I would like to entrust her with this.” (Epitaph)

Epitaph also seemed a little taken aback by Alfred’s temper. Both of them were undoubtedly madmen at heart, but even madmen found it odd to deal with others of their kind.

‘Well, it’s rare to find someone so angry at the Archbishop of the Papal States.’

“I will never allow it!” (Alfred)

Alfred declared.

It was a statement of unwavering resolve.

“…Angelica-dono, I would like to hear your thoughts.” (Epitaph)

Honestly, Angie was somewhat looking forward to leading the large cavalry corps. However, being still relatively unknown, she doubted her ability to command a cavalry unit filled with people far superior to her. Above all, Alfred had made a misstep due to his illness. Angie felt another door had opened before her.

Angie stood up from her chair once.

“I have sworn an oath of allegiance to His Majesty King Alfred, and I have no intention of accepting any orders without his permission.” (Angelica)

She then bowed politely to Epitaph. This was in fact in line with etiquette, and even if it was an epitaph, Angie could not be appointed to any role without going over Alfred’s head. Since Epitaph was the commander in chief, it would seem that he was free to give orders as he pleased, but the oath of allegiance between Alfred and Angie was concluded between individuals, and it was not like Epitaph had made a contract with Angie and then entrusted him to Alfred. Therefore, strictly speaking, Epitaph didn’t have the authority to command her.

As they often said, a vassal’s vassal was not one’s own vassal. This raised a question. If Epitaph ordered Alfred to hand over his wife, would he have to comply? It was a matter of principle.

In fact, when Epitaph assigned Angie menial tasks, she always sought Alfred’s permission. However, because it was a trivial matter unlikely to be associated with great achievements, Epitaph overlooked Alfred’s displeasure. She hadn’t been chosen for a role that should have been reserved for the kings of great nations. If she succeeded in this task, she would undoubtedly achieve great renown.

Alfred’s outburst stemmed from the fear that if Angelica were rewarded generously in recognition of her accomplishments, she might become uncontrollable. Epitaph seemed oblivious, but Alfred, plagued by illness, would never give his permission.

“Alfred-dono, are you absolutely sure?” (Epitaph)

“I’ll say it again, I won’t allow it.” (Alfred)

As expected, that was his stance. Even among the assembled lords, those unfamiliar with the internal affairs of House Tyrellme could sense that Alfred feared Angie. She was still just a twenty-year-old girl. Inside, they might be mocking the extent of this man’s timidity. The damage to his reputation and authority caused by this stubbornness was immeasurable. Truly, it was a severe flaw.

“Well then… Quertz Wellingen-dono, may I ask for your assistance?” (Epitaph)

‘Asking the Duke of Wellingen for help, is it?’

He had proven himself capable many times over and was suitable for the task.

“Then, let’s proceed to determine the detailed order of the formation.” (Epitaph)

Epitaph Palazzo continued the war council.