Chapter 562
I Always Trust Your Judgment. (2)
Ghislain immediately issued new orders to the coalition army commanders.
"We will also divide our forces. However, we will not pursue the enemy. Instead, we will secure only the designated strongholds and encircle the area broadly."
At those words, many pressed their lips together, looking uneasy.
It was clear that the enemy was deliberately targeting their supply lines. The logic behind splitting their forces to block them was understandable.
However, the coalition army's greatest strength lay in its overwhelming numbers. By dividing their forces, they would be discarding that advantage.
Marquis Gideon, his expression filled with concern, asked,
"The Salvation Church has many superhumans. If we divide our forces, we will be at a disadvantage. Is there no other way?"
"There isn't. Since the enemy has committed to this strategy, we must respond accordingly. Targeting our supply lines means they intend to wear us down to death."
Marquis Suffolk, who had received Ghislain’s help in the Kingdom of Parsali, proposed an alternative.
"Then why not assign as many troops as possible to protect the supply lines? If we outnumber the enemy, defending should be easier."
If they knew the enemy’s target, they could simply fortify that location.
But Ghislain shook his head, dismissing the idea as too simplistic.
"Why do you think the enemy split their forces into even greater numbers than ours? They are not just after the supply lines."
"Then… what are they after?"
"They are trying to lure us into properly dividing our forces. If we don’t take the bait, they will leave the Kingdom of Grimwell and attack another kingdom instead."
"……."
Everyone furrowed their brows at his words. It was a possibility, but what if his judgment was wrong?
Could this be a deception tactic by the enemy?
Once their army was divided, it would be difficult to regroup. If the enemy's dispersion was a feint, they would suffer a significant setback.
Marquis Suffolk wiped the sweat from his brow and hesitantly asked,
"Are… you absolutely certain? If you're wrong, we’ll be the ones at a disadvantage. Wouldn't it be safer to just guard the supply lines for now and observe their movements?"
"I'm certain."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because that's exactly what I would do."
"……."
He wanted to retort, Who do you think you are? but when it came to war, Ghislain was someone. Arguing with him felt meaningless.
Ghislain elaborated further,
"The enemy has nothing to defend here anymore. They no longer need to move as one large force. That means there’s no reason for them to put themselves in a situation where they could suffer heavy losses in a single battle."
His gaze swept across the commanders as he continued with unwavering conviction.
"Right now, they intend to use their mobility to harass us. Just as they did before."
The Salvation Church had risen from all corners, throwing the continent into turmoil. Battles erupted everywhere, making it impossible for nations to respond swiftly.
It only meant that, although the tactics had changed to those of an army, the situation would unfold in a similar manner.
Ghislain once again explained in detail what would happen next.
“If we respond too late and focus only on protecting the supply lines, they will truly escape this kingdom. If that happens, they’ll be able to incite even greater chaos and division.”
Marquis Suffolk, looking frustrated, spoke again.
“Are you saying we should just let the enemy have their way?”
“Yes, for now, it’s better to let them. The enemy currently has two choices in their hands.”
Ghislain’s meaning was simple when the enemy proposed a fight, it was better to take them up on it.
It was a reasonable argument. If the homeland was counterattacked, the coalition army would have no choice but to scatter in pursuit of those bastards.
That would render all their efforts up to now meaningless.
Imagining such a future, the coalition’s high command turned pale.
‘It’s easy to say, but is that really possible?’
‘Executing such a maneuver is extremely difficult unless one is an exceptional strategist.’
‘Do they really have that level of capability?’
Everyone looked uncertain. To be honest, they had been winning easily so far, so it was hard to believe the enemy could pull off such a feat.
Having many superhuman warriors and possessing formidable combat strength was an entirely different matter from having exceptional commanders in every unit.
However, if there was even the slightest chance of such a scenario occurring, it could not be allowed to happen. On that point, they were all in agreement.
Ghislain looked around at everyone and said,
“You all understand the situation now, right? I’ll tell you what we need to do next.”
Everyone nodded. The coalition’s leadership, though slightly startled by the enemy’s strategy, felt a chill in their hearts.
‘Whoever our opponent is, their tactics are both reckless and bold.’
‘To split up their forces like this in a major war without hesitation…’
‘This is incredible. Even knowing their plan, we have no choice but to go along with it. Can we really win?’
As a heavy silence settled over the room, Ghislain pointed to various locations on the map and spoke.
“For now, we will concede three of the supply routes. We’ll defend only one. Your task is to focus on holding key strategic locations to make it difficult for the enemy to escape. You just need to hold out.”
The sudden statement left the coalition leaders in shock.
“You’re saying we should give up the supply routes?”
“Why? We know that’s their target why would we let them have it?”
“Aren’t we trying to stop them right now?”
But Ghislain, looking unbothered, replied,
“We need to lay out at least that much bait for them to gain more confidence and attempt to crush us. You all realize by now that our opponent is no ordinary force, don’t you?”
“……”
The enemy’s strategy was far from normal, but neither was theirs. Both sides were fighting in a way that was dangerously precarious.
Marquis Gideon wiped his sweat and asked,
“Th-then, are you saying we just need to focus on defending our stronghold?”
“Yes, those bastards will keep dragging this out with mobile warfare no matter what.”
Another commander asked with a worried expression,
“What if we fail to hold the stronghold and they break through?”
“Even then, the enemy won’t immediately leave this kingdom. They’ll try to whittle down our numbers while the allied forces are still divided.”
“Hmm, I see……”
“If they leave this place, it’ll be exhausting for us, but the enemy, who lacks supplies, will suffer as well. The best-case scenario for them is eliminating all of us within the Kingdom of Grimwell while we’re scattered.”
The Duke of Fenris spoke with confidence, as if he knew the enemy commander well. He was even offering bait to ensure they could be completely captured.
Seeing this, Marquis Gideon felt a glimmer of hope and asked,
“I understand that we need to secure the stronghold and encircle them regionally. But who will be the one to chase them down and fight?”
“Myself, the Fenris Mobile Corps, and… Julien. That will be enough.”
Ghislain turned to Julien with a grin. Julien nodded without hesitation.
He had both the ability and the confidence to execute any strategy flawlessly.
“No problem.”
Ghislain smiled in satisfaction. As expected, he was a reliable one.
“You heard him, right? The two of us will handle the pursuit. The rest of you just need to hold your positions.”
If the enemy reduced their numbers and increased their speed, they would simply do the same. In fact, that would make things even easier for them.
Though everyone understood the plan, the uneasy expressions on their faces did not fade.
With the Duke of Fenris and Julien on their side, there was nothing to fear. But the thought of being separated from them and having to face the enemy’s main force, filled with superhumans, was naturally terrifying.
Seeing this, Ghislain clicked his tongue slightly and spoke.
“In exchange, we’ll reinforce your troops. Claude, send messengers to all the neighboring kingdoms and gather every last soldier.”
“Every last one…?”
“If we lose them here, the other regions are doomed anyway. So don’t hold back tell them to send everyone, and fast. If they don’t, tell them they’ll be invaded next.”
“Understood.”
Since the enemy was strong, they needed more forces. Reinforcements would also help ease the other commanders’ anxiety.
But Ghislain’s demands didn’t stop there.
“And summon all the mercenaries in the region. Not a single one is to be left out.”
At those words, the expressions of the allied leaders darkened once again.
Right now, other kingdoms were barely keeping their economies afloat thanks to mercenaries. That was how dire their situations were, forcing them to rely heavily on mercenary activity.
Marquis Gideon cautiously asked,
“Do we really need to bring in mercenaries as well?”
“I plan to create an overwhelming defensive line. That way, we can trap them and beat them down.”
“…….”
Not a single one of those cockroach-like bastards could be allowed to escape. Ghislain was fully determined to eradicate every last one of the Salvation Church’s lackeys here.
His resolute will was conveyed to everyone present. Since they had entrusted this war to him, there was no room for opposition.
Even if there were objections, Ghislain had no intention of listening to them.
“Then, I’ll begin reorganizing our forces and inform everyone of their assigned locations. We must move as quickly as possible.”
Ghislain would lead 20,000 troops from the Fenris Mobile Corps, while Julien would command another 20,000 soldiers, selecting the best cavalrymen from the allied forces to form a reorganized unit.
The remaining allied forces, including the Ritania Army, were divided into six corps, each consisting of approximately 30,000 to 50,000 troops.
In total, eight corps were formed.
Though they had fewer corps than the enemy, the shortage of superhumans meant they had no choice but to assign larger forces to each corps.
If reinforcements and mercenaries arrived, they could further increase the number of corps.
The commanders of the allied forces reaffirmed their resolve. Just moments ago, they had been filled with worry, but now they clenched their fists and shouted with determination.
“Since it’s come to this, let’s make sure to crush them completely this time!”
“That’s right! How much longer are we going to let them drag us around?”
“The continent will finally have peace!”
Everyone knew that fear wouldn’t help. With reinforcements on the way, the best course of action was to muster their strength and stand against the enemy.
Seeing the commanders fired up, Ghislain spoke.
“We must reach our strongholds and establish defensive positions as quickly as possible. For now, the enemy doesn’t know where we’re heading, so they’ll be monitoring the situation.”
Everyone nodded.
There were many strongholds that led to other kingdoms. If the enemy truly intended to divide and conquer them, they would first need to confirm the movements of the allied forces before making their move.
As the meeting concluded, Marquis Gideon suddenly spoke in a puzzled tone.
“But wait, where’s the war record scribe today?”
The scribe, who always stuck close to Julien, meticulously documenting everything, was nowhere to be seen.
Ghislain tilted his head at the remark.
The allied forces had their own scribes, of course. However, they were not permitted to attend strategic meetings.
They would only record battle reports after the fighting had ended, a necessary measure to prevent espionage.
A man of Marquis Gideon’s caliber should have known this. And yet, he was speaking as if the scribe’s presence was expected.
“Why bring up the scribe now…….”
At that moment, Claude suddenly stepped forward, raising his voice.
“Alright, alright! Let’s get moving! The enemy must be on the move by now! This meeting has gone on for too long! You all need to act immediately!”
Could this bastard be up to something again?
Something was off. Ghislain immediately turned to Wendy.
Wendy widened her eyes and shook her head frantically. She had no idea what was going on.
Before Ghislain could question anything further, Claude made a scene again.
“Ah, so busy! So busy! Come on, hurry up and move! I’ll make sure to request reinforcements as soon as possible!”
Claude forcibly ushered the commanders out.
No one dared to go against Claude, the second-in-command of the Ritania Army. They simply followed his lead, being pushed along.
Ghislain gazed at Claude with a piercing look.
“What?”
“…….”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“……Never mind.”
“Then I’ll be on my way. Ah, so busy, so busy.”
“Wait a moment.”
“What now?”
Claude eyed him warily as Ghislain glanced around before speaking.
“I’ll give you an additional mission.”
“Huh?”
The battle plans had already been set, detailing which strongholds each commander would defend. And with the high-ranking officers already gone, why was he receiving a separate order?
Ghislain stepped closer. Claude instinctively tried to back away in fear, but he was quickly caught.
Ghislain leaned in and whispered something into his ear.
Claude’s expression turned bewildered as he repeated in disbelief,
“Really? Like that?”
“Proceed as planned.”
Keeping this a secret even from their own allies was strange. That meant there had to be a reason.
Narrowing his eyes, Claude asked,
“You’re keeping it this secret… does that mean…?”
Ghislain nodded.
“Yes. There’s still something that doesn’t sit right with me.”
Count Biphenbelt was a brilliant strategist. And any strategist worth their name never relied on just one plan.
Which meant he must have hidden another move up his sleeve.
And Ghislain was going to uncover it.