Arc 4 Chapter 20 : To the Mountain

[Alesio POV]

Two days had passed since we seized the city of Sarisa. Yet the Reconnaissance Unit had found no signs whatsoever that the Imperial forces stationed in this region were making any movements to reclaim the city we had conquered.

At present, I was inside a building that had been converted into the command center of the Draconian Royal Army. We had gathered here to discuss our next course of action after capturing Sarisa, a city located within the territory of the Cataluna Margraviate.

“Gentlemen, let us begin our meeting and discuss how we intend to conquer this region as swiftly as possible,” General Melisandru said, opening the meeting. “The first phase of our offensive was executed successfully, though unfortunately, we lost Lord Adrien—the commander of the First Infantry Unit.”

Despite the success of every plan we had carried out thus far, for some reason, none of us felt particularly confident about winning the war front in this region.

“As you all know, we failed to secure the food supplies stored in this city because the Imperial forces managed to destroy them before we could seize them,” the General continued, visibly displeased by the situation. “That means our remaining food supplies will last only ten days! Lord Alesio, what is the status of the logistical shipment from the Republic of Venetia?”

I had anticipated General Melisandru’s question. After failing to capture Sarisa’s food supplies, the Draconian Kingdom would inevitably place its hopes on the logistical shipments coming from my homeland.

“Do not worry, General. Seven days ago, a caravan convoy carrying enough provisions to supply the troops here for an entire month departed from the city of Avelino. I believe they will arrive here either tomorrow or the day after,” I replied, hoping to ease his concerns. “What we need now is an escort to ensure that the caravan can cross this territory safely.”

“Very well. We will establish a patrol team along the route from the Stretto Pass to this city,” the General said, accepting my request. “Now, what should our next move be to conquer the fortress city of Cataluna?”

Unlike the small city of Sarisa, the fortress city of Cataluna possessed towering walls that would be difficult to breach. Although our forces outnumbered the enemy by nearly four to one, we would inevitably suffer heavy casualties if we failed to devise an effective battle strategy.

The meeting continued for several hours as we debated the matter.

In the end, everyone agreed that three thousand troops would remain behind in Sarisa, while thirty-five thousand soldiers would advance to besiege the fortress city of Cataluna.

The following day, the Draconian Kingdom’s main army of thirty-five thousand soldiers marched toward the fortress city of Cataluna, approximately fifty kilometers west of Sarisa.

With a force this large, the journey would take two days.

It was certain that the Imperial forces would be waiting for us there. They had already become aware of our presence after our assault on Sarisa several days earlier. That meant they must have already devised strategies to repel our main army by whatever means necessary.

However, with the sheer number of troops we were bringing, there was no way they could withstand the relentless assault of the Draconian forces without reinforcements arriving from the Imperial heartland.

Sooner or later, we would take control of this region and push the threat deeper into Imperial territory. And their reinforcements would never arrive here, because our Intelligence Team’s sub-unit—Instigator had already devised a plan to keep them occupied elsewhere.

After two days of marching, we finally caught sight of the walls of Cataluna Fortress on the horizon. The Draconian main army then established a camp two kilometers from the city so that the exhausted soldiers could rest after covering such a considerable distance.

However, we soon received an unexpected report from the Reconnaissance Unit, which had been patrolling the surrounding area.

They reported that not a single Imperial soldier could be seen atop the fortress walls.

General Melisandru then asked me to lead a team of one hundred men to investigate the condition of Cataluna Fortress, a request I readily accepted.

When we arrived directly before the city walls, I could not sense the presence of a single person within them. We decided to scale the walls using ropes fitted with grappling hooks at their ends.

Once we reached the top of the walls, the entire city appeared eerily deserted, like a ghost town abandoned by its inhabitants.

“What happened here...?”

We decided to search the buildings one by one to make certain that this was not some kind of trap laid by the Imperial forces. Yet even after searching for several hours, we still could not find a single person anywhere in the city.

“Where did all the Imperial forces in this city go!?”

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[Raul POV]

At present, I was making my way toward the tent where Marquis Fran was stationed. I was accompanied by approximately thirteen thousand Imperial soldiers tasked with guarding this region. We were currently positioned in the northern area along the border between the Cataluna Margraviate and the Duchy of Grenaut.

When the Draconian Kingdom’s main army attacked the city of Sarisa, all the forces stationed within Cataluna Fortress evacuated the city and moved here instead, deliberately deceiving the enemy forces.

This was the second stage of the plan I had presented to Marquis Fran to defeat the forty thousand Draconian soldiers invading this region.

When I arrived at Marquis Fran’s tent, the guards allowed me inside without question, as the Marquis himself had summoned me for a brief discussion concerning the latest developments on this war front.

“Raul, you have arrived,” Marquis Fran said. He was sitting behind his work desk, a map spread across its surface. “Sit down. Let us discuss our current situation and your plan to conduct an operation within the territory of the Republic of Venetia.”

“Very well, General.”

I took the chair opposite his desk.

“First, our Reconnaissance Unit has confirmed that thirty thousand soldiers from the Draconian Kingdom are currently occupying Cataluna Fortress and have turned it into their operational base in this region,” Marquis Fran informed me. “It is rather frustrating, to be honest, having to watch our enemies occupy my city as though they were perfectly comfortable there.”

I could understand what the Marquis was feeling. Not long ago, half of his city had already been destroyed by an assault involving demons and monsters several months earlier.

“In addition, they have stationed approximately eight thousand troops in Sarisa to serve as their logistical hub,” he continued, pointing toward the icon representing Sarisa on the map, east of Cataluna. “The Reconnaissance Unit also reported seeing a caravan convoy carrying enough supplies to last them an entire month entering this region.”

A month, huh?

It seemed they truly intended to send such a large quantity of supplies in a single shipment.

“I have already followed the strategy you devised earlier. All the fields and plantations in this region have been burned, and the livestock has been relocated so that the enemy cannot use them as a food source for their army,” Marquis Fran said, looking somewhat sullen. “Because of this, many of my people have been protesting and demanding compensation once this war is over.”

“Do not worry, General. Are not all damages caused by the war supposed to be covered by the central government?” I said, attempting to reassure him.

“Even so, seeing their own homeland destroyed like this has left them deeply saddened, especially after they suffered through a similar disaster before.”

Marquis Fran sighed helplessly. It seemed this war had taken quite a toll on his mental well-being.

“We will discuss that matter another time. For now, we need to think about how to destroy that damn Draconians occupying my city!”

Being a noble responsible for governing such a vast territory certainly seemed far more troublesome than I had imagined.

Would I one day inherit the Duchy of Toledo from Duke Alvaro and rule over it myself?

“First, we know that the Draconian forces currently operating in this region have only about one month’s worth of food supplies,” I explained.

The Marquis nodded in agreement.

“But they can still send additional logistical supplies along the same routes they used to enter this territory, allowing them to continue feeding their army for as long as possible while carrying out their invasion of our Imperial lands.”

Marquis Fran rested a hand against his chin as he studied the map, listening carefully to my words.

“According to the Reconnaissance Unit’s reports, the Draconian forces have established numerous patrols around the roads used by those caravans. That means our troops will not be able to attack their supply lines easily.”

“That is precisely why I previously proposed that the unit under my command conduct an operation inside the territory of the Republic of Venetia. We will prevent their logistical supplies from entering our territory and force nearly forty thousand Draconian soldiers to starve here,” I told Marquis Fran.

The Marquis stared at me seriously this time.

“Will an additional two hundred soldiers really be enough to carry out this plan? If I remember correctly, approximately two hundred men are also assigned to escort the caravans carrying logistical supplies for the Draconian army. If your plan succeeds, they could simply increase the size of the escort three- or fourfold to ensure that the food reaches our enemies here.”

I met the Marquis’s gaze with equal seriousness before answering.

“I have a spy within the Logistics Department of the Republic Venetia. He will provide me with enough information to overcome their escort forces. At the very least, that is preferable to confronting the thousands of soldiers stationed in this region, is it not?”

Seeing how unwavering my resolve was, Marquis Fran finally nodded. He stamped an official document before handing it to me.

“This is your official appointment letter, authorizing you to lead the operation within the territory of the Republic Venetia. Show this document to other units whenever you require assistance from them.”

I nodded, took the letter, and slipped it into my pocket.

“One more question before you leave, Raul,” Marquis Fran said, now sitting back in a more relaxed posture. “What should we do if the Draconian army decides to advance deeper into the Duchy of Grenaut in search of food?”

Hearing the Marquis’s question, I smiled at him.

“If that happens, it will only make things easier for us. You and the forces stationed here will become flies constantly buzzing around them, interfering with their search for food.”

After concluding my discussion of the strategy with Marquis Fran, I began recruiting several priests, mages, and soldiers according to the requirements of the operation inside the Republic of Venetia.

Once everything was prepared, I gathered them together to brief them on the mission they would undertake.

“My name is Raul de Garcia! Marquis Fran has appointed me to lead the Special Operation you will be carrying out from this moment onward!” I shouted before the two hundred soldiers who would soon be under my command. “We will cross the Montana Mountains and enter the territory of the Republic of Venetia, where we will attack the caravan convoy transporting logistical supplies to the Draconian army currently invading this region!”

Upon hearing my declaration, everyone began whispering among themselves.

“Do you have any questions?” I asked them.

A brown-haired man raised his hand.

He was Joshua—one of the members of the Disciplinary Committee that I led at the academy.

“Captain, you said we will be crossing the Montana Mountains! Wouldn’t it be difficult to traverse those mountains with this many people!?” Joshua asked.

“Do not worry. I know of a safe route that will allow us to cross the mountains and emerge within enemy territory without difficulty,” I replied.

Indeed.

It was time to collect on the agreement I had made with the Dwarves.

I would use the labyrinth they possessed and lead the two hundred soldiers under my command through the Montana Mountains without being detected by the enemy.