xv

"The Fourth Guardian Fort in the Northeast is in an emergency!"

"Are they all crazy? They belong to the Free Army, but they are going to attack on the night of God's Arrival?"

"How could it be that the parliament actually approved the declaration of war?

"Stop chatting, the order from above, the battalion will immediately support the attacked outer forts! All companies will finish dinner in five minutes and assemble!"

The news of the enemy's surprise attack caused some confusion in Fort Forti for a while, but under the command of the officers, the confusion did not last long, and the atmosphere of festivities was soon replaced by combat readiness.

"All assembled, the first level of alert! All troops are in position in their own assembly area, and the garrison and artillery team rush to the head of the city! The second regiment will go out of the city as the vanguard to block the attack and ensure the safety of the forts!"

Lieutenant Soleton, holding a bundle of maps, walked briskly along the passage below the north wall of the fortress, passing countless of his comrades. The Captains of the Intelligence Department were nervously surveying the location of the enemy forces and the situation of the various departments, while the Captains of the Command oversaw the movement of the entire garrison of the fortress - as the captain of the Logistics Department, he was tasked with carrying maps to the temporary war room under the cover of the fortress wall on the north side.

"Lieutenant, hang up the largest map of 1:500 and bring a few smaller ones. Seeing him come in, Captain Edith reminded.

Naimon hung a tactical map of Forte Fort's suburbs on the wall, and Sain, Constan, and his lieutenant immediately came over to mark the map with the latest information. A few red squares and arrows pinned the two Guardforts to the northeast, and the blue arrows representing the second regiment were reinforcing in that direction. The high-ranking officials, including Radetz, Marshal Govar and Eggar, and Lieutenant Colonel Eugen, all sat upright and solemnly observed the battle map.

"Eugen, let's sum up the current situation. Govar pointed to the map, "What is the current situation on the north flank, has the enemy strength been clarified?"

The lieutenant colonel stood up and walked to the map, with a rare absence of chewing anything in his mouth: "The enemy forces are currently attacking the 3rd and 4th Guard Forts in the northeast. The banners were the 3rd and 9th divisions of the Fates Front, the exact strength of which is unknown. According to the establishment, the 3rd and 9th Divisions should have a total of nearly 20,000 men. However, given that the 9th Division was stationed in Brandy, more than 600 kilometers from Fort Fordi, it should have been too late to be alerted and mobilized even since the beginning of the month. Based on the flags and numbers, we estimate that the enemy army in front of us is about 10,000 men. ”

Govar bowed slightly: "Ten thousand, one and a half times our defenders on the north bank." Lieutenant Colonel, you should have a draft of the battle plan, right?"

"Yes. Eugen continued, "Since our forces must defend both the north and south banks at the same time, it seems that the seven thousand men on the north bank may be at a disadvantage. At this stage, the best way to do this is to use the artillery fire of the four forts and the fortified city to hold on and wait for reinforcements, and harass the enemy's supply lines with rangers. The main forces of our 8th Division in the northeast have been moved to Vodkagrad in advance, and reinforcements should be able to come over soon. Since we still have the advantage of being on the river, and can easily move between the north and south banks, it is expected that it will not be a problem to hold until reinforcements arrive. ”

Major Cussen added on the side: "The 8th Rulok Division has 10,000 soldiers, and it can be reached in five days to attack the enemy's back. The general reserve, composed of personnel transferred from the 1st Division of Steelburg and the 4th Division in the direction of St. Sen, has also arrived at Kengrad and will be able to reinforce us within twelve days. At that time, our army will have an advantage in terms of strength, and take advantage of the situation to coerce Lenny to achieve our political demands. ”

The marshal took a pen, a ruler, and a compass, measured and marked on the small map in front of him: "So, what is the movement of the enemy's southeastern army?"

Major Constein pointed to the map and reported: "None of the three Aveforts to the south have been attacked. Our scouts on the south bank did not think that the López army would be mobilized for at least three hours, and that the arrival of friendly forces in the north was probably more than they expected. ”

After listening to the report on the situation, all the staff officers probably had a bottom in their hearts, so they lowered their heads and pondered. There are 10,000 in the north and 8,000 in the south, whether it is on the south bank or the north bank, the enemy army is at least two to one ratio of our army, and the enemy army on the north bank is the "Fathes Division" known for its elite......

"Is the idea of sending a second regiment to reinforce too risky? The gendarmerie captain frowned, turned to the map, and suggested, "In the face of 10,000 heavily armed enemy troops, it will be difficult for the firepower of the fort to resist for a long time, even if they support each other. ”

"It's night, and it's hard for the enemy to take the fort even with artillery, let alone reinforcements. Some people objected, "In order to prevent the loss of each attack, it is ...... to send more reinforcements"

Just then, a panting second lieutenant slammed the door open and rushed in. Previously, when he was in the Firebird Tournament, Naimon had seen him in the team of the Second Regiment.

"...... The 2nd Regiment has been caught in a bitter battle with the enemy cuirassiers, and has retreated into the artillery cover of the main fort and the 3rd fort, asking for reinforcements!"

The room suddenly fell silent.

"It's better to think about how to break through first. Someone suddenly whispered like this, and the deliberately lowered voice couldn't tell who it was. In a quiet environment, everyone can hear clearly. Everyone was slightly embarrassed, only Marshal Govar and Lieutenant Colonel Eugen looked as usual.

*** ***

After pondering for a moment, Eugen finally stood up with his support on the table and asked in a deep voice, "How did the Fourth Guard Castle fall? Is the Third Guard still fighting? and most importantly, what level of artillery did he hear?"

"Report to Sir, Fort 4 was captured before we arrived. The Third Guardian was still fighting, and we could hear it coming from that direction...... I think it's not a lot of intense cannon fire. We resisted the enemy cavalry with our light artillery and spear batteries, and the battle was still in a stalemate. The musket company was already loaded with bayonets. ”

Eugen nodded: "It's hard work, you go out and rest first." Cussen, what are your observations?"

The detection mage, who had been keeping his eyes closed, rubbed his face before opening his eyes and said, "The Fourth Guardian Fort has indeed fallen, but the protection is still intact, and the 'eyes' I have set up there have not yet failed. At the head of the 3rd Acropolis there was still artillery for our troops. ”

Hearing these questions from the lieutenant colonel, even the most dull staff officer reacted. Edith spoke first: "You mean, the enemy army is likely to be just a lightly armed forward force?!"

"That's right. When I heard that two divisions had been flagged, I wondered: if two divisions had arrived, why did they fly so many flags so that we could recognize their superiority in strength and take countermeasures?" Eugen stood up, walked to the map, picked up a red pen, and revised the red rectangular symbols on the top to indicate the enemy, and said as he changed, "and now I confirm this even more: they only have cavalry and light artillery. By the standard number of horses of the Free Army, their total strength would not have exceeded 6,000, and even with the temporarily requisitioned horses, they would have 10,000 men at most, and they would have barely carried any baggage. ”

Naimon suddenly remembered the number of firebirds, and slapped his high-fives: "I see, they must have secretly requisitioned that part of the firebirds!"

The remark elicited a low chuckle. However, Eugen took this information very seriously: "Lieutenant, your information is valuable. We can believe that the other party is deliberately collecting firebirds, hoping to create the illusion that the army is coming. However, due to the limitation of the number of vanguard troops, their collection of firebirds was so limited that we did not find it. ”

Everyone in the staff lowered their heads and thought about it, and they all felt that this was indeed the case, and even the marshal nodded slightly in approval.

"If we take into account the fact that the enemy is under-manned and that the army is on an expedition, the best decision now is not to hold on to reinforcements, but to concentrate our forces on the city to counterattack! We can mobilize troops from the south bank to defend the fortress, and concentrate the rest of the troops with all our strength in order to defeat the enemy all at once. With the second regiment as an anvil and the remaining three regiments as hammers, they hit the enemy flanks directly. ”

Eugen's pen tip waved across the map, and the blue arrows split into two paths, passing through the second and third guards, enclosing the red rectangular square.

"If you listen to the plan alone, it's a perfect plan. Do you have any objections to this plan?" Radets and Govar looked around the room. The marshal's words showed that he was inclined to this scheme, and the vast majority of them nodded in agreement—except for one person.

"I have an objection. ”

Standing up was the head of the intelligence and gendarmerie department, Major Constein.

"Although it is a bit abrupt, I have to point out that Lieutenant Colonel Eugen's plan is too much speculation. All this speculation is based on a few unreliable facts, which can be explained by the opposite theory - for example, the enemy army is hoping to lure us out of the city, and then solve our army in the field with superior forces. ”

The lieutenant colonel smiled slightly, and retorted sarcastically: "No, I don't think that's very likely. If the other side really has superior forces, it can directly attack the city with artillery during the day, and there is no need to choose the night. Night battles are not a good option for a side with a large number of troops, as it can cause unnecessary confusion. You know, it's a tactical issue...... Major?"

"No, I don't think it's just a matter of tactics. After all, there are inextricably linked between our army and the current 'enemy army', and I have to suspect that some special circumstances are suspicious. ”

Constance coldly and immediately pushed back. Hearing these words questioning his loyalty, Eugen finally couldn't laugh anymore. He subconsciously fumbled in his trouser pocket, took out a cigar with his unsteady hand, and lit it. Everyone didn't react for a moment, and after a while, they opened their mouths wide.

"Edith, does Lieutenant Colonel smoke too?" asked Naimon with a look of surprise on his face. It wasn't just him, the newcomer, who was surprised, almost all the officers from Field Marshal Govar down to the same sentiment were feeling the same emotion—Eggar, and Eugen was usually the one who emptied someone's pipe when he smelled smoke.

Edith explained with a worried face: "He chewed gum to quit smoking. I've worked with him for four or five years, and I've only met him once or twice...... Every time he starts smoking, his opponent is out of luck. ”

Ignoring everyone's astonishment, the Chief of Staff just smoked one cigar after another, staring at Constan with a falcon-like gaze that was completely different from normal days. After a minute of confrontation between the two sides, the military police major finally couldn't hold back and stepped forward and said sharply: "Lieutenant colonel, please don't waste time. With all due respect, you have a lot of records in the gendarmerie during this time, and there is no lack of suspicion in your attitude to work and correspondence, and out of duty I must oppose the plan you have proposed. These records have been submitted to His Excellency the Field Marshal. If it weren't for this emergency, I wouldn't have wanted to say it in front of everyone......"

Govar frowned: "Major, now is not the time to pursue the traitor, is it? Although Lieutenant Colonel Eugen has a little more correspondence, I have seen that those are just ordinary greetings and justifications for his choice, and I can't see any insinuations or secret codes......

"Your Excellency, there is no room for error in the work of our gendarmerie. If Eugen is suspicious, then his proposal must be questioned, no matter how plausible...... I would like to opt for a safe standby option. ”

"Hold on?" Eugen sneered disdainfully, snuffing out his cigar, "what about the four forts? What about the Second Regiment? If the other side is only the vanguard cavalry, and do not defeat them with superior forces, when will it be? If you really doubt me, then I am willing to take all responsibility for the misjudgment of this battle, or what you consider to be a betrayal." I'm not going to stay in a safe place, how about I personally direct reinforcements to attack?"

Constance sneered: "Go and surrender?"

"If I were to surrender, I would have surrendered that night. May I ask you, Mr. Adjutant of the Gendarmerie Department, who rescued you from the siege of Lenny? Isn't that our Special Operations Department? If you still have doubts, please send a company of gendarmerie to be my escort - whether I am defeated or I want to escape or surrender, you can bring me to justice. I swear by my honor. ”

Constance seemed to want to refute, but was stopped by the sound of the marshal slamming the table.

"That's enough! Stop, you two, now is not the time to argue about this, are you going to let the friendly troops bleed?!Eugen, arrange the sortie according to your plan, and Konstan will transfer your gendarmerie company!"

Goval's expression was stern, but there was a sense of helplessness. Now that almost all of the troops are short of commanders, he really doesn't have much choice.

"Yes. Eugen replied immediately.

"Obey ......," Constan replied with a sense of reluctance and concern. He immediately turned and pushed the door open, and walked briskly to the gendarmerie department, leaving the remaining staff officers to look at each other.

The old marshal looked at his back, sighed, and rubbed his face vigorously with his hands.

"Alright, Staff. For the sake of your commander's life, let's make a perfect plan in ten minutes, right?" Eugen ripped off the large map from the wall and spread it out on the table, "We're going to put in all three field regiments and mobilize troops from the South Bank Fortress to replenish ......"

It was probably the fastest battle plan ever developed by the General Staff.

*** ***

The gates of the fortress were opened again.

The battle plan had been passed down to the level as was customary for the Free Army, with the regimental commander seeing the enemy hundreds of yards away with the power of night vision, and every company commander, whether magical or not, knew all the emergency signals. They all know how to act before they make contact with enemy forces, and they also know where their troops should go. They marched without any cover, because the most important thing was to attract the attention of the enemy cavalry who were attacking the second regiment.

The temporary staff headquarters was transferred to the city walls, and was now in charge of the second staff officer Peter Cussen. After Eugen went to the center of the battlefield to command the front line under the escort of a full company of gendarmes, as he had promised, the magic users who were responsible for directing with the light signals were left behind.

Lieutenant Soleton stood by the wall, holding a low-light telescope borrowed from Cusson, monitoring the battlefield. The contour lines on the map become hills, fortifications, and castles, while the criss-crossed red and blue arrows become living soldiers. Those familiar figures looked like black dots from this distance. Pointing the objective farther away, you can vaguely see that the soldiers of the 2nd Regiment have been surrounded by the enemy in a semicircle from northeast to south, relying on mounds and waist-deep trenches to fight the enemy troops to the northeast - no, I am afraid to say stubborn resistance. The cannon of the Third Guard Castle had stopped roaring, and several sections of the southern wall had twisted into oddly shaped steps, presumably broken by magical officers with magic such as stone shaping or shapeshifting.

"It doesn't look like it's going well. Naimon muttered to himself, now he sincerely wished for the rebels to win. As in most things in the world, a friend's friend is not necessarily a friend: the Phaetes are his teacher, Clade, and López's allies are not his allies. What's more, he already has a slight affection for these people in the staff......

"We all know it's not good, you should be reporting the battle, Lieutenant?" reminded Edith as she waited to send an intelligence signal to the troops below.

Naimon carefully observed the black spots of the same uniform, and tried to describe it in more technical terms: "Well, the southern flank of the enemy is fighting with the second regiment, and our army has a slight advantage......"

Just then, he caught a glimpse of the Fourth Fort farther away, and a red glow swept through it—a signal that stood for "New Threat Spotted, Alert" in the Free Army's magic signal table. He immediately carefully observed the enemy's movements, and noticed that many of the wings were slowly retreating.

“...... No, wait a minute, they're starting to close the line. Inform the lieutenant colonel that the enemy forces on the southern flank have discovered the movement of our troops!"

Edith nodded, and shot a red beam of warning in the direction of the main force. According to the predetermined battle plan, after being discovered, the 1st and 3rd Regiments turned to the northeast, preparing to recapture the 3rd Guard, leaving the weaker 4th Regiment to continue to support the besieged friendly forces.

"Oh, your plan is to recapture the fortifications and then cut the enemy. It's too risky, and according to my personal tactical guess, you should consider the possibility that the enemy will throw reserves from the north to bypass your main force and strike at your back. ”

Hearing this somewhat familiar voice, Naimon turned his head and, as expected, saw His Excellency Viscount Rasta wandering around.

"Mr. Knight, aren't you supposed to be under the control of the gendarmerie, and that monster from Constance would allow you to wander outside?"

"Ah, it's not lounging. Your gendarmerie captain is shrewd, and he thinks that with the gendarmerie company in battle, there will only be enough men and magicians to control me in the city. I can't leave here, so I'll have to discuss tactics with you. The viscount replied with a wry smile, "After all, if you lose, I will probably be tied up with ropes and hanged by the Phatas." ”

"Okay. Why the North? If I were the commander of the opposing side, I would consider preserving the gains I had and throwing my reserves into those forts. As soon as we take the Third Guard, we will have to shrink to the main fortress and defend the isolated city. ”

"But that will not bring victory, only prepare for the siege in the future. If it were me, I would have pooled all my chips and thrown them into the game against you. Actually, I think this could be a game to lure you out of the city and then annihilate you. Rasta said cautiously.

Naimon was stunned: "You judge it the same way, do you think that there are actually more enemy troops than us?"

Rasta shook his head: "No, more than you is definitely a layman's judgment. An army with absolute numerical superiority will never choose night battles and field battles. Only those who do not have enough guns and baggage will choose to do so. If they really have twice the number of troops, why not choose a safe daytime attack, or attack with friendly forces on the south bank? The current situation only proves that the opponent is actually very limited in number, and can only use this kind of risky trickery to seize the foothold. The Phaetes have always fought like this, and you probably aren't too familiar with them - people often know their enemies more than they know their friends, and we are all too familiar with the methods of the Phaetes. ”

The goalkeeper nodded suspiciously, and these words sounded reasonable. Eugen, Constan, Rasta, everyone's analysis sounded very reasonable, and he was a little confused. The real decision-making process of war always seems to be shrouded in a layer of fog: two sides, or several sides, keep guessing the other's policy, and then show their cards together. A gamble between wisdom and wisdom.

"Will I be able to make such an analysis one day?" It's not hard to make an analysis at all.

"But can I analyze it?" He can't even tell whether other people's analysis is good or bad, so how can he analyze it correctly?

At that moment, Major Cussen's detection magic locked onto the enemy.

"Enemy reserves have appeared from the north, about two thousand to three thousand cavalry, Edith, signal!"

The young lieutenant's eyes widened. It was really the northern flank, and there weren't many troops!Almost at the same time, two white rays of light flew out of Edith's hand and streaked across the sky.

The war is blazing.