Chapter 189 - 168: Military Preparations
Chapter 189: Chapter 168: Military Preparations
Led by Viscount Sriwizi, Prince Noah, Robson, and a late-arriving Valentino guided the main army into Thermopylae.
This pass, the site of countless famous battles throughout history, showed no signs of its ancient past. Instead, its architecture was dominated by the practical, simple aesthetic that had defined the Frank Kingdom since the reign of King Louis.
After all, the pass had been breached by the Beastmen thirty years ago, at which time they had razed the entire fortress to the ground.
Upon entering Thermopylae, Viscount Sriwizi tactfully relinquished command. And that authority did not fall to anyone else—it landed squarely upon Prince Noah.
The earlier conversation between Prince Noah and Robson had been laden with implications, and Viscount Sriwizi was no fool.
In any case, he had been desperate for someone to share the burden.
Now that Prince Noah had volunteered, the tallest man would hold up the falling sky. It seemed Viscount Sriwizi had lost command of his army, but in reality, he would now bear a much smaller cost.
Sometimes, the prospect of paying a smaller price is a temptation in itself.
「In the conference hall of Thermopylae」
The previous engagement had concluded swiftly. A host of senior officers, including Valentino, had now arrived at Thermopylae. The officers stationed at the fortress had also received Viscount Sriwizi’s summons and hurried to the conference hall.
The coming battle would be a matter of life and death. Every piece of information was vital to their own survival and that of the entire fortress, so no one wanted to miss a thing.
"Your Highness, the officers of Thermopylae have all assembled. Please, give us your orders," said Viscount Sriwizi.
Prince Noah surveyed the room. Without a clear point of comparison before, he hadn’t understood. But now, with a "mirror" before him, he finally realized why Robson’s army was so victorious.
One group stood in spotless armor—some weren’t wearing armor at all. Seeing their clean, polished faces, Noah guessed they hadn’t even kept up with regular training during their time at Thermopylae.
In contrast, the blood on the other group’s blades had not yet fully dried. The crimson stains on their armor added to their menacing aura.
"Ahem. Since everyone has assembled, I’ll say a few words."
"I’m sure you all understand our current situation."
"Every thirty years, the Beastmen dare to amass their armies and ravage the lands of the Franks! This time, their audacity is boundless! They actually intend to punch through Thermopylae and drive straight into the heart of the Frankish Great Plains!"
"The Frank Kingdom is vast, but we have no more land to lose! All that is left is to resist to the death..." Prince Noah began, rising to his feet to deliver a passionate and stirring speech.
A round of supportive applause naturally followed, though it sounded somewhat perfunctory and impatient.
After all, in everyone’s mind, Prince Noah was not without blame for the collapse of the Western Front. ’So now he knows to resist to the death? What was he doing before?’
Of course, Prince Noah wasn’t embarrassed. ’So what if they’re just going through the motions? Perfunctory applause is still applause, isn’t it?’
After his speech, Prince Noah took a sip of water before sitting back down in his seat.
"Of course, fighting is important, but a fight must be waged with method and strategy. The greatest difference between us humans and the Beastmen is our intellect."
"My father the king often taught me that to get things done, one must learn to gather ideas and solicit opinions from all parties. The strength of the collective is limitless," Prince Noah said.
When Prince Noah finished, a slight stir went through the crowd, mostly from the Thermopylae contingent. It seemed some of the Knights wanted to use this opportunity to distinguish themselves.
"So, Sir Robson," Prince Noah said, his tone shifting as he turned to the man seated at his right hand, "what are your thoughts on how we should proceed with the defense?"
The implication was clear: Prince Noah had done his part; now it was Robson’s turn to do the actual work.
Robson arched an eyebrow. He understood the Prince’s intentions, of course, but he hadn’t expected him to be so direct—so blatant.
’So much for gathering ideas. What kind of brainstorming involves cornering one person and asking them?’
For Prince Noah, it couldn’t be helped. In truth, he wanted to gather ideas from everyone, but looking around, there seemed to be few competent men present. The most capable among them was, without a doubt, Robson.
Robson’s subordinates had, up to this point, merely been executing his orders, so it was impossible to gauge their individual talents—and that included Valentino.
As for the officers from Thermopylae...
With their pale, clean faces, they looked like coddled heirs sent here to gild their reputations. After all, no one could have imagined that the Western Front would collapse overnight.
If he had to rely on this lot, Prince Noah—and this wasn’t arrogance, merely fact—was confident that he knew more than them, having at least read a Military Book or two.
His name having been called, Robson rose to his feet. It was his time to perform.
’This coming war,’ he thought, ’is one I cannot afford to lose, no matter what.’
On a personal level, the Crown’s support for Lord Robson in the coming enfeoffment of territories hinged entirely on this war. If he could secure the backing of both the Crown and the Marquis, a rich fiefdom would be the least he could expect.
But the most critical factor was how much support he could secure from the Kingdom Government during the initial development of his new lands. That was what truly mattered!
After all, Marquis Oscillate could pull some strings to help him manage the affairs of his fiefdom, but when it came to the Kingdom Government, even a marquis’s influence had its limits.