Free Web NovelChapter 415: Chapter 412: A Troubled Mind
After the start of spring, the Valois region saw frequent rainfall. This was clearly a detriment to the war, and the marching armies were severely slowed.
"Faster!" Urgent shouts could be heard everywhere as the Empire Army carried out its tense deployment. Heavy artillery sank into the mud, and draft horses alone weren’t enough to pull the guns out of the ruts they’d created. Soldiers had to pull from the front and push from behind.
The rainy season brought many other inconveniences, leaving everyone exhausted. The musty smell of the campaign tents and sleeping bags made it hard for anyone to sleep soundly.
In truth, after nearly three months of fighting, just as a blade grows dull, the main force of the Empire Army had accumulated significant fatigue and many injuries. However, a string of victories had sustained their high morale, masking these numerous problems. Now, that aura of invincibility had been shattered.
"Don’t you Mages have anyone who can change this damn weather?" a young officer traveling with Richard joked. He put a cigarette between his lips and offered another to Richard.
Richard declined. The young officer pointed to the cigarette in his own mouth and mimed striking a match.
A fine curtain of rain still veiled the sky. Richard rubbed his hands together, lighting his colleague’s cigarette out of thin air. Another arc of light flashed. "Now your cigarette is waterproof."
"So if I swallow it, will it keep burning in my stomach?" Besides the morbid joke, smoke billowed from the other man’s mouth and nostrils. Richard didn’t move away, letting himself be engulfed by the secondhand smoke. He heard the man continue, "Not bad at all. I’m starting to get reluctant to part with you, Colonel Richard."
"We’re in the same division now, so we’ll be fighting together in the upcoming battle." The military command had finally seen the light. They no longer grouped their precious Mages together. Instead, they had them change out of their distinctive uniforms and had each Caster hide within the ranks.
Braving the curtain of rain, Richard attended the pre-battle mobilization rally. His mind was elsewhere. He vaguely heard the general on the stage bellowing, his voice magically enhanced by an [Amplification Technique].
Something about the enemy approaching, something about this battle deciding the fate of the entire Valois theater, and the absolute need for victory.
In a daze, he recalled his graduation speech. Richard had been just as absent-minded then as he was now.
However, the general’s words were not an exaggeration. The Empire Army’s seemingly unstoppable advance had not only exhausted the vanguard units but also created a more fatal problem: the defensive lines behind the main force were now vulnerable. The Empire Army’s left and right flanks were locked in a struggle with the Kingdom’s First and Third Legions. Since these were not main forces, they hadn’t received adequate supplies, and their progress wasn’t as smooth as expected. The southern and northwestern coasts of the Kingdom remained in the hands of the Valois people.
And now, the main force was facing the National Guard—an army of "amateurs" assembled from all over the country—and had surprisingly failed to achieve a breakthrough. Command had never anticipated this situation. Behind the Empire Army’s main force lay a fragile, poorly constructed defensive line and a tenuous supply line that stretched all the way back to the capital of the Kongdi Region.
Furthermore, intelligence showed that the National Guard was still expanding. The Rebel Army from the south, which had missed the battle for the Royal Capital, had now arrived. They had formed eight new grand legions, an armed force of at least 200,000 men that held an overwhelming numerical advantage over the Empire Army’s current main force.
Therefore, this battle in the northern Valuva Region had to be won. Otherwise, it would lead to an unimaginable, unacceptable rout. To overcome the enemy’s numerical superiority, the high command decided against rotating the troops, instead ordering the vanguard to remain at the front and merge with the reinforcing units.
"Get them deployed in front of the first trench! Coordinate with the engineers! Faster, move faster!" A frontline commander was giving orders about some new contraption.
Richard saw cartloads of metal contraptions. They were mainly made of thick, coiled iron wire, with sharp barbs wrapped around them. It was tricky to deploy. The engineers wore thick leather or cotton gloves, but because the coils were so tight, they could still easily cut their hands when forcing them apart.
With great difficulty, a stretch of wire fencing was erected in front of the trench. Richard examined the new contraption closely and noticed a small metal tag hanging from each section: "Kempson Steel Factory..." It also had a production date and a batch number.
’I remember Kempson is in Bayern territory... Does this mean if the Valois Army captures some, they can just place an order for more?’ For some reason, the absurd thought popped into Richard’s head.
The Empire Army normally only dug trenches when besieging a city. But now, in a rare move to protect the main forward camp, frontline commanders had begun digging trenches and building defensive fortifications.
The more aggressive officers and soldiers were deeply unhappy with such "cowardly behavior." The ones complaining the loudest were the engineers forced to dig in the muddy rain. Amid a storm of curses, the cautious commander earned himself the nickname "Turtle Richard."
This had nothing to do with Colonel Richard, the Military Mage. The commander in question just happened to share his name: Major Richard Hunch, commander of the First Division’s Engineer Regiment in the new Southern Legion. He was the very same guy who shared Richard’s tent, shared books with him, and had him light his cigarettes.
The other commanders didn’t think this turtle-like behavior was the best solution. In the command headquarters, they jointly decided on a plan of active defense and had already begun occupying the high ground and establishing positions.
...
The rain grew heavier, and with it came the enemy.
Artillery fire announced the beginning of the battle as both sides exchanged volleys. The Empire Army’s cannons had a longer range, but the National Guard’s artillery seemed more mobile and laid down a denser barrage. Once the Valois Army confirmed that the Empire’s first infantry line had been scattered by the bombardment, they launched a decisive attack.
Richard and the other officers had already witnessed their death-defying column charges, so the general had opted to reinforce the firepower on the wings and commit all of the cavalry to breaking up the enemy formations.
During a pre-battle meeting, "Turtle Richard" had even slammed his fist on the table, shouting, "Trenches! Use more trenches to stop them!" He was thrown out of the tent on the grounds of disturbing the peace.
"Send in the cavalry battalion! Reserves, get ready!"
Upon receiving the order, the Imperial cavalry began to accelerate, attempting to charge the enemy column’s flank. However, the National Guard’s infantry changed formation. They spread out to avoid the incoming artillery fire and cavalry charge, braving the bullets from the front as they rapidly closed the distance with the Empire’s infantry.
Richard the Caster stood on high ground, watching the enemy’s entire tactical shift through a telescope. His mission was assassination. General Carl’s strategy had been approved, and a number of Mages were tasked with surprise attacks on high-value targets, like artillery emplacements or commanders. Of course, the Valois Army had Mages too, which meant their vital points would undoubtedly be guarded by their own Casters.
So, Richard observed patiently, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Beside him was a Hunter from the Bayern Legion. The Bayern Legion had been passive and had dragged its feet, only getting "forced" to dawdle to the front lines after the Imperial vanguard’s defeat. The Bayern army seemed to have a large number of mountain hunter units.
The Hunter beside Richard was also observing. He then took out his rifle and set it up. The weapon was wrapped in cloth, so Richard couldn’t see its form, but he could tell from its length that the Bayern Hunter was not using a standard-issue Imperial rifle.
’No, I’m too distracted...’ Even on the battlefield today, Richard couldn’t seem to focus his thoughts. He forced himself to concentrate, and finally, he locked onto a high-value target through his telescope.
