“…Therefore, the Empire has already mobilized a force exceeding 400,000 troops at minimum. Add to that the reinforcements from various regions, and it might even climb to half a million.”
“….”
“….”
Upon hearing the half-million figure, the command staff of Dedolant was left speechless.
The Empire’s 1st Army alone already dwarfs 200,000 men.
Sure, two of their Legions fell in the recent fighting, but it’s still one heck of a formidable army!
And now they’re supposedly swelling their ranks to more than double that size…
If this keeps up, it’s starting to feel like the infamous ‘Yoke of Seton’ is about to revisit us.
Ah, by the way, the Seton in question here was one of the Empire’s legendary commanders in the past.
He was a huge figure in the Empire’s western conquest, and during that campaign, he utterly crushed the ancient kingdom that would later become Dedolant.
This is why the Empire’s western borders expanded, setting the stage for today’s demarcation.
“Of course, more than half of the 500,000 troops were mobilized after the recent conscription order, so their true combat effectiveness isn’t all that impressive. Still, their main force is in the 1st Army, and as we’ve seen, they have already suffered defeats against us.”
Right, that’s true… Well, more like they’ve been defeated before. But they’re rebuilding while strategizing and regaining strength.
And of course, there’s the matter of that cunning advisor of theirs muddying the waters even further…
“Currently, no direct reinforcements from the Empire have reached us here in Dedolant. We’re just aware that the Allied Forces of the eastern Three Kingdoms have moved into position.”
“Nobogorod’s heavily armed infantry units are wreaking havoc on the borders of Artria. To counter this, His Highness the Prince personally dispatched our finest troops to reinforce the remaining defenses.”
“And as for Benito…?”
Just as the officer was about to continue, the tent flaps swung open, and Prince Georg entered.
Everyone hastily rose from their seats at this unexpected interruption.
“Your Highness!”
“Carry on without worrying about me.”
He looked absolutely exhausted, his face etched with weariness. Everyone wondered what could possibly have brought him here, but pressing the matter could wait—they needed to focus on the situation at hand.
“The Empire’s 4th Legion and troops from the Southern Kingdom have entered Benito. Additionally, another 50,000 Imperial troops have been spotted, but their exact unit and intentions remain unclear. Why they bypassed Dedolant and Artria for Benito is still under investigation.”
At this, Prince Georg raised a hand, halting the proceedings. Stepping up beside the officer, he addressed the assembled commanders.
“A few moments ago, Imperial Second Princess was sighted on the Benito front.”
“Your Highness?”
“I heard this directly from our scouts. The 5th Legion stationed in Benito has also confirmed this in their latest report.”
The Imperial Second Princess. Not exactly some legendary warrior or cunning strategist herself, but wherever she shows up, big moves by the Empire tend to follow. This has been true in both the Empire’s conflict with the eastern Three Kingdom Alliance and its alliance with the Southern Kingdom.
Whenever some major event or shift happens, the Second Princess is usually right in the thick of things.
Given this track record, the commanders had two working theories: either a massive assault on Benito is imminent…
Or the Second Princess is simply a red herring, meant to distract us and draw our gaze to the south.
Come on, it’s obvious the main battlefield is here, the central front. This is where Dedolant’s main forces are concentrated, and it’s how this war’s outcome will be decided.
Yet, the Empire keeps expanding battlefronts, both north and south, while doing precious little to strengthen the central front.
On the surface, it seems too much like a ruse—but their scouts’ accounts check out, and given the Empire’s tendencies, it’s certainly plausible.
Mobilizing an additional 50,000 troops isn’t even that big of a stretch for the Empire.
In the end, they’re clearly expanding the battlefield to weaken us by spreading us thinner.
It’s simple: Dedolant is being squeezed, and once they can no longer bear the strain, they’ll simply collapse under their own weight.
“Your Highness, is this about more than just targeting our army? Does the Empire intend to surround Dedolant with a massive dragnet?”
“We’re assuming so for now. By pinning us down both north and south, splitting our forces, the Empire can essentially bolster its central front without lifting a finger.”
After losing two Western Legions, the Empire hasn’t bolstered its 1st Army, beyond the Eastern Allied Forces. This leaves them with nine legions, around 180,000 troops—a number Dedolant and Artria might be able to take on.
Actually, they could take on—except not now. Spreading their forces north and south has significantly weakened Dedolant’s army. They’re now barely scraping under 100,000 strong.
“Your Highness, if they are indeed expanding the battlefront so widely, shouldn’t we focus all our efforts on breaking through the center?”
“Sounds nice in theory. But there are still nine legions of the Empire—nearly double our size—on the central front. How exactly do you propose we break through them?”
“And you’re telling me to just sit here and watch as both the north and south close in on us?! At this rate, the Deo people will be subjected to another ‘Yoke of Seton’!”
The argument among the commanders grew heated for a moment. Some even invoked the dreaded name of Seton.
Prince Georg had to intervene, quelling the disturbance with his usual air of authority.
“The Empire has shifted to a grand strategy. They’re choking us slowly, using overwhelming resources and manpower to sap our strength.”
“Exactly… but the flaw in that strategy, as you’ve said, lies in delivering a crippling blow to their core. And Kael, their cunning advisor, surely foresaw this, right?”
Kael. The mere mention of his name elicited groans of frustration from some, while others outright fumed. Had it not been for that young upstart, things would’ve certainly turned out much better.
Some even dared to compare him to Seton—though many preferred the older legend. At least Seton had marched directly into battle with a sword in hand rather than scheming from the shadows like this young schemer.
“Which is why they’re leading our forces astray to the north and south. Without reinforcing the central theater, they’ve effectively rendered our breakthrough intentions useless.”
At this point, one of Prince Georg’s subordinates, Gruber, quietly raised his hand.
“Speak up, Gruber.”
“Ultimately, the reason we can’t deliver the knockout punch is that our forces are spread thin and inferior in numbers to the Empire’s 1st Army, correct?”
“Yes, that’s the primary reason.”
“Then why not simply bolster our numbers?”
The suggestion drew skeptical glances from his fellow officers. Who didn’t know that? If only increasing manpower was so straightforward.
The problem was that the combined forces of Dedolant and Artria had been largely depleted during the last series of feints and skirmishes. Even though they hadn’t been wiped out completely, losing 30,000 troops was no laughing matter.
But it seemed Gruber had a different idea in mind.
“Apart from Dedolant and its sibling kingdom, Artria… isn’t there another potential source of reinforcements?”
“Wait, you’re talking about Dugal?”
“More properly, what’s left of Dugal. I’ve heard that numerous high-ranking nobles from Dugal have already surrendered to us, and they’ve brought a respectable amount of troops with them.”
True enough, Dugal’s entire army hadn’t been annihilated by Dedolant. At least 30,000 survivors remained, though they’d since been stripped of their arms and sent home.
There had been initial discussions about integrating these troops into the Dedolant ranks, only to be shelved due to concerns over potential rebellion and the need to maintain stability in the former Dugal territories.
Gruber’s suggestion reignited the commanders’ calculations.
“Our current main forces have managed to recuperate somewhat. The Empire’s reorganization may have restored some order, but they haven’t fully rebuilt their lost legions.”
“The Empire’s edge lies in its vast manpower and resources. Originally, our plan was to prolong the conflict to our advantage, but now it seems like this same tactic could work against us.”
“Let’s not repeat the ‘Yoke of Seton.’ It cannot happen again.”
After analyzing the current positioning of both Dedolant and the Empire, as well as various other factors, the officers turned to Prince Georg.
“Your Highness, if we can mobilize forces from the remnants of Dugal, it could help balance the tribute burden.”
“Rebellion is a concern, but increasing the local police force in the former Dugal territories should mitigate that risk. After all, their families are still there—it’s unlikely they’d risk much.”
“And if we recruit volunteers from among the former Dugal army, who already number 30,000, we could expand that to as much as 50,000. Such a force might catch the Empire flat-footed.”
Prince Georg carefully weighed the proposal, considering the potential benefits and risks.
The stark reality was that they had no time to waste, but they also couldn’t afford to sit by idly while the battlefronts expanded uncontrollably.
“Gruber.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I’m entrusting you with the task—and full authority—to mobilize troops from Dugal. Move quickly and bring back as many capable fighters as you can to supplement our tribute.”
“Yes, Your Highness!!”
Ah, one more thing. Prince Georg added a precaution.
“Yes, conscription is fine, but don’t overdo it. If the former Dugal population turns against us, it could become a serious problem.”
“I understand, Your Highness.”
Once the meeting concluded, Prince Georg exhaled deeply. Calm. No panicking. Keep composed or else he wouldn’t survive the turmoil.
Clarity was key. He needed to keep his icy rationality at all times.
“Once we’ve regrouped, mobilized appropriately from Dugal, and once the Empire spreads itself too thin in the north and south, that will be the moment to strike with lightning speed through the central front. Only then can we secure a real chance of victory.”
The critical part was to not rush it. This had to be the plan: After Dedolant regroups fully and once the Empire gets carried away expanding their frontlines, there’ll be that crucial moment when they’re overextended. Exactly then, the moment will arrive to strike.
*
“…What?”
The very next day, a distressing message reached Prince Georg, leaving him in disbelief.
“Your Highness… the Empire’s forces just renamed one of the castles they seized from us. They’ve turned it into a defensive stronghold, renaming it… ‘Setongrad.'”
“…”
“Those repulsive bastards had the audacity to name one of Dedolant’s fortresses after Seton!!”
