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The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 144

The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 144

The Western army has began massacring civilians.

The military council chamber had turned into a pandemonium.

Some officers, including Mainz Armstrong, a general of Balas, raised their voices saying they should rescue civilians.

“It’s estimated that over 100,000 have already died! At this rate, several more civilians will die! Are you going to ignore that? The military exists to protect the people! We must act!”

Olaf, Ash, and Landon Crow agreed with his words.

On the other hand, there was also opposition.

“Then what should we do? There’s no way to defeat the enemy! Are you saying we should move knowing we’ll be defeated? Wouldn’t it be better to at least preserve our troops?”

This was Rutger’s argument.

Jurgen Dresden and Sophia agreed with this.

Sophia’s agreement could be considered unexpected given her past actions.

In the past war in Beckavia, she had adamantly refused my strategy saying she wouldn’t put civilians at risk.

Of course, the situation now is completely different.

Sophia also cited her own experience as an example. “There was a similar incident before. Wade prioritized the success of the operation over civilian safety, while I prioritized civilian safety. It doesn’t matter whose choice was right. Each had their reasons for thinking that way, and there was a chance of success whichever method we chose. But this is different. There’s no chance of winning at all! It’s suicide!”

That’s what it means to face an opponent who has taken a good position and built a fortress.

Bang! Ash slammed the table and shouted. “Then are we just going to sit back and watch hundreds of thousands of civilians die? Shouldn’t we at least try something!”

“Then you tell me how! How to eliminate an enemy that’s dug in!”

“If we put our heads together, we’ll come up with something! I don’t like that attitude of giving up without even trying!”

“It’s because there isn’t anything! There’s no method! We’re already cornered!”

Sophia, the princess of Beckavia, and Ash, the prince of Tunkai. They were in similar positions, but Sophia was more cool-headed.

The officers were divided into two factions, arguing heatedly.

There were more neutral officers like Eonia, Anton, but even the neutral faction began to be persuaded and started taking sides.

Finally, they began to demand an answer from me.

Sophia shook her head and said to me, “Elaine, as the commander-in-chief, put an end to this meaningless debate.”

As for me, I agreed with Sophia.

This is an impossible war.

We could surround the enemy without eliminating them and proceed with civilian rescue operations, but it wouldn’t be very effective.

The problem in that case is when we retreat. The enemy will certainly Chase after us as we withdraw.

If that happens, we might not even be able to properly preserve our current forces and could lose the war itself.

It’s good to rescue civilians, but if we lose the war, it all becomes meaningless. Many more civilians will suffer.

It’s unfortunate that civilians are dying right now, but there’s nothing we can do about it.

However.

‘I don’t like it.’

I was implicitly sensing it.

That the enemy is enjoying watching me struggle like this.

That enemy commander Tetora Anistri is probably laughing, seeing us act exactly as she predicted.

I felt a bubbling sensation in my gut. It was a mix of competitiveness towards an opponent who had outmaneuvered me, and anger towards an enemy who used such a low tactic as civilian massacre.

That’s why I made a somewhat emotional decision.

“Doing nothing at all is impossible. So for now, let’s put our heads together and try to come up with a method, as Ash suggested.”

“There’s no method to speak of! You know that too!”

“Even so, it’s better than doing nothing. Right, Ms. Sophia? Didn’t you always say? That the breakthrough in war is always hidden in unexpected places.”

“That’s…!”

She seems to have no rebuttal when I throw her own words back at her.

Sophia sighs and nods.

And so the officers began to openly discuss ways to break through this situation.

Ash was the first to speak up.

“We have many great warriors on our side. There’s Eonia Mirabel, myself, and that terrifying brother Anton over there. If we take the lead and pierce through the enemy’s vanguard, even attacking that fortress might not be so reckless.”

Rutger immediately refutes this.

“Not reckless, you say. That’s exactly what we call reckless. The most we can do in this operation is to surround the enemy’s main force with appropriate troops and then use the remaining forces to carry out civilian rescue operations. If you’re not satisfied with that, you’d better propose a way to eliminate the enemy’s main force.”

“How about targeting their supplies?” Olaf asked.

Rutger refutes this as well.

“The enemy has dug pits and stored massive amounts of food in them. Unless we have a high-level spy who can infiltrate those food storage areas, it’s impossible. The same goes for water. They have very well-equipped wells.”

There is a way to cut off the groundwater itself upstream, but that requires a huge construction project. It’s not a matter of a day or two, but a big project that would take at least 3 months. Obviously, it’s impossible in the current situation.

“How about fire attacks?”

Aggert boldly suggests.

“Didn’t you say the east, west, and north of the enemy position are mountainous? If we shoot fire arrows from high ground and they happen to hit their supplies, it would be a jackpot!”

“I told you, Aggert. The enemy is storing food in underground warehouses. There’s no chance of blind fire arrows hitting their supplies. Besides, this area was used for slash-and-burn agriculture last year, so there’s hardly any trees or grass for fire to spread.”

“Then how about the opposite – water attacks?”

“There are drains as well as mountain terrain! Don’t just spout nonsense!”

Dorofei, who was next to Aggert, tries to restrain him. Aggert clicks his tongue as if bored.

“Tch! You said to say anything! I did, and all I get is scolding.”

“Aggert! Shush!”

I was absorbing everyone’s opinions, searching for a path to the solution.

Ars’ clever mind and my quick calculation abilities were working at their peak. This also meant that the current situation was that difficult.

At that moment, Olaf made an expression as if he had found the answer.

“…A water attack might not be completely wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rutger. According to the information you provided, this Sadban mountain range was developed to build military fortresses during the Fensillon Empire era, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Doesn’t that apply not only to the midslope positions but also to the watchtower facilities on the mountain peaks? They must have developed the high ground to build the watchtower facilities. That means the high ground isn’t intact either. If we take the right measures, couldn’t we cause a landslide from the high ground?”

“A landslide!?”

The meeting room buzzed with excitement.

Encouraged, Olaf continues.

“First, we surround the enemy, and on a rainy day, we induce a landslide to hit their positions. If we do that, we can neutralize part of the enemy’s fortress. Then we can exploit that weakened point to attack the enemy fortress!”

Olaf immediately sent me a sign of approval, but I shook my head.

“It won’t work. It’s difficult to think we can induce a landslide at will. We don’t even know when it will rain. Unless we have extraordinary luck, it’s impossible. An operation that relies on luck… Relies on luck…? An operation that relies on luck…?”

Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind.

Sophia, noticing this, asks, “You’ve thought of a strategy, haven’t you?”

“…Yes. It might be worth trying.”

“What is it?”

“Fire attacks.”

“Fire attacks!?”

Who would have thought that Aggert’s casually thrown words would actually provide a hint.

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

“I can’t tell you right now.”

I wrote down the preparations needed for the operation on the documents in front of me, then stood up.

“Olaf! Please quickly prepare the supplies listed here. You can start moving right away.”

“Alright, understood!”

“Next, Anton! Go to Juras immediately and show him this. He’ll understand what to do.”

“Yes, sir!”

After giving orders to the other officers, the only ones left were Armstrong, the general of Balas, Meissen, and Dorofei.

Dorofei smiles awkwardly.

“Somehow I feel sorry for the others. We don’t have any particular roles to play.”

Meissen, who had only come as Jurgen’s attendant, had been uncomfortable throughout the military council meeting.

And General Armstrong, perhaps thinking he would be reprimanded by me for his harsh words during the council, didn’t look happy.

“Ars, can I leave now?”

“Leave?”

“You don’t have anything for me and, um… Senior Meissen, to do, right? And you have something to discuss with General Armstrong. Isn’t that so?”

“What are you talking about? The real strategy planning starts now.”

“What?”

These three remaining here.

They were the key to formulating this operation.

* * *

On the morning of the 5th day of the war.

Tetora, who had taken position in the Sadban mountains, was surrounded by all sorts of treasures.

These were the spoils plundered from civilians.

Thanks to these resources continuously coming into this position, they were abundant in everything, including food. The morale of the soldiers was sky-high.

“Hmm, so this is how you make the jewel of the continent. Not bad at all.”

Tetora smiled with satisfaction.

More than the plundered resources, she felt greater pleasure in rendering Wade helpless.

Even Wade, called a supernova on the continent, was at her mercy.

This had internal significance as well.

Wade was one of those who had thrashed Hanneman, one of the Western leaders. The fact that she was toying with Wade was no different from proving that she was above Hanneman.

“What a pity. I would have liked to face that Juras Pamilion fellow too.”

She sincerely believed that even this Juras would be nothing before her.

As she was feeling this intoxication,

“Report! The enemy troops stationed in Belen are advancing! Their target seems to be this Sadban mountain range!”

“…What?”

To think they would choose to move.

The best move the enemy can make right now is to simply stay put.

And yet they’re moving anyway.

“What’s the size of the enemy force?”

“The entire army is moving! The numbers appear to be around 60,000 to 63,000!”

Although they thoroughly plundered the surrounding territories, some people must have escaped. Many of those who fled to Belen volunteered for the army, burning with desire for revenge. That number was 3,000.

Ars used them by deploying them throughout the units to boost morale. He spread word of the atrocities committed by the West, instilling a desire for vengeance in the soldiers.

“How foolish. Did they seriously think they could defeat me?”

Even so, Tetora didn’t think Ars was aiming for her main force.

This fortress she had built was impregnable. Even with 1.5 times the troops, it wouldn’t be enough to break through. You’d need to prepare at least 3 times the forces.

In other words, you’d need to bring 180,000 men to barely be able to capture it.

And yet they’re charging in with a similar number of 63,000. She could only assume they had some other intention.

“Shall we watch their unsightly struggle?”

She didn’t think for a moment that she would be defeated. She thought Ars’ current actions were just for show, a political gesture.

It was to create the appearance that he had made efforts to save civilians.

If it became known that civilians were left to die, it would tarnish his reputation.

So on the afternoon of the 5th day of the war.

Ars’ Balas forces climbed the southern hills of the mountainous region and found themselves face to face with the fortress Tetora had built.

“…Impressive.”

Rutger was amazed at the sturdiness and precision of the fortress.

First, the outer wall was built with thick stones, hindering the advance of soldiers, and right behind it stood a 1m high wooden palisade. The palisade was built in the form of a castle wall, with soldiers standing on top of it, aiming their spears.

Although it’s only 1m high, the difference in combat power due to elevation can’t be ignored. One soldier can easily face two enemies.

And there wasn’t just one layer of palisades.

There was another layer of palisades inside the formation. To reach Tetora at the center, you’d have to cross two of these walls.

“Ugh…”

Even Ash, who had advocated for a frontal assault, was left speechless by this fortress.

Ars smiled lightly as he faced this fortress.

“Everyone, take your positions!”

Tetora was dying of curiosity to see how Ars would approach.

His subsequent actions were far from what she had expected.

Ars, who had climbed the southern hill and taken position, stopped at a point out of range of the enemy’s arrows, and suddenly began to build a fortress.

“What… Is this?”

Tetora frowned at this eccentric behavior.

Enemy soldiers starting to build a fortress, carrying hammers and carts instead of weapons.

At this, General Zeck Wilter of Bülang, who had been living as Tetora’s slave, shouted, “Sky Mother, I don’t know what the enemy’s intentions are, but now is our chance! We must send our soldiers to charge and push back the enemy!”

The current position of the Balas army is on hilly terrain. Moreover, the soldiers at the front have put down their weapons and started construction work, so if we push hard now, we can destroy the front line and completely break the Balas army’s formation through the slope.

Tactically, that was correct.

But Tetora didn’t like this tactical answer. She didn’t want to leave the fortress.

‘Is that what he’s aiming for? To make me come out of the fortress and attack? Yes, he might be planning to do something when that happens.’

Her idea of a sure-win strategy was to stay in the fortress. That alone would guarantee victory.

So she thought there was no need to do anything unnecessary.

“Sky Mother, give me the troops! If you do, I will…”

“Shut up! Don’t move your mouth, you trash!”

Tetora didn’t like this action of Ars. She felt displeased that he was doing something she couldn’t predict.

It felt as if Ars was testing her.

‘I’m the one who should be doing the testing!’

Meanwhile, a letter from Ars arrives through a Western scout who had been captured.

“Sky Mother, there’s no need to read such things.”

“I told you to shut up!”

Tetora ignored Zeck’s advice and nervously unfolded the letter.

─I pay my respects to your foolishness.

Starting with such an introduction, the letter was filled with criticism for the plundering of civilians, and mockery and derision for those actions, all wrapped in difficult words. Perhaps due to improved writing skills from starting to write novels, there were many clever sentences designed to anger the opponent.

To summarize the content crudely, it went like this:

─Anyway, you’re still at the level of a barbarian? I’m not even surprised anymore, lolㅋㅋ

Crunch! Tetora unknowingly gritted her teeth.

She knows. This is just bravado. Yet, the ingenious mockery made her blood boil.

She immediately sent a reply full of mockery using the captured civilians, but Ars took the letter, burned it without even reading it, and then made a peculiar finger gesture towards where Tetora was. It was an insult that had been passed down since the days of the Fensillon Empire, and even in the West, this finger gesture was a great insult.

“That bastard──!”

Tetora, overcome with anger, glared at Ars for a while before turning away.

“Let’s see how long you can remain so arrogant…!”

She was firmly determined to make that guy lick her feet someday.


TL NOTE:

Schedule: Everyday

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The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road

The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road

Score 9.2
Status: Completed Type: Author: Released: 2022 Native Language: Korean
I ended up possessing Ars Elaine, a supporting character in the game. Struggling to prevent my death, I pave my way.

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