Section 11 The Art of War

"War is a very terrible thing, and if you are not afraid of war, you should not be a general. ”

"What do you mean......, Lord Thomas," Ashrufat asked, hesitantly.

But Thomas did not answer, but continued to speak to himself.

"When I was just an ordinary knight, I was not afraid of war, although I had to charge. But when I started commanding the army, I started to get scared. My every move, my order, and my strategy are no longer just about me, but about the life and death of many people. ”

"I tried my best to shirk that responsibility. However, our king's majesty was so strong that he insisted that I be in command of the troops. Some people say I'm arrogant and rude, but I'm just scared, some people say I'm strategic, but in fact I'm just guessing with my brain, some people say I'm invincible, but in fact I'm just lucky. I look like I'm confident, but I don't have anything in my heart. ”

"But...... But...... You're really winning! And you're winning. The more Ashruphat listened, the more puzzled he became. "For example, this time you have completely calculated the enemy's path of advance, clearly judged their movements, and adopted the best tactics. ”

"As long as you have studied these things, you will definitely be able to know the Tao. Thomas sighed again, "I gave you the book I wrote, where did you read?"

"Notes on marches, garrisons and the part that judges the size of the enemy. ”

"Well, it's going well. You have to know that these are general principles, and almost all military books have them, at most they only have different angles and emphases. Even illiterate bandit leaders, or savage greenskins, they naturally follow these rules. If these rules were not followed, there would be no need for a war, and his army would have collapsed. Using these rules to guess the enemy's actions is basically the same. Lightly armed fast troops occasionally break the rules, but the main forces are absolutely a must. So it's easy to judge the enemy's movements. ”

"For example, the Greyhound Knights this time. They had to go down the river. Because there is no water source if you take the other route. If they ignore the problem of water and choose an inexplicable route at random, what will happen to us? There will be almost no effect, and our army can choose another place to meet it. However, they have to face the crisis of water shortage, and thirst can cause soldiers to lose their strength. So they can only come here. ”

"But there are several natural springs in these mountains!"

"Even if they did, I could have poisoned the spies and scouts. Ashrufat, don't try to break these rules. Because the violation of these rules is usually a boring adventure that outweighs the cost. The benefits are small, and the risks are great. ”

"But, in any case, aren't you accurate? today they didn't expect us to attack at all, and they were unprepared. Not to mention muskets, they didn't even have a spear formation......"

He stopped as there were other footsteps. Then someone approached the tent. Ashruphat saw Ryan's face.

"Mr. Thomas. "Ryan doesn't seem to see Ashrufat at all. He had obviously drunk a lot of wine, his face was red, his steps were a little vain, and his expression was excited.

"What's the matter, Ryan, are you still upset?"

"No, no, Mr. Thomas, you misunderstood. I'm sorry for my recklessness at the time. Because I was so excited, you know, I was able to get the head of the enemy general the first time I went into battle...... So seeing that you don't care, let me ...... for a moment Anyway, I'm sorry. I should have thought that these things were expected by you, and only a fool like me would be excited. I'm here to ask you for advice. ”

"Ask for what?"

"Master Thomas, please guide me in the true way of a general. Seeing your strategizing style today, I realized how naïve I am. I actually think that 'defensive counter-attack' is the best strategy...... Please tell me how you will judge the enemy's disposition and choose the best battle strategy for our side, for example, how do you judge today?"

Thomas let out a long sigh.

"Ryan, do you remember the legendary Gilles, the famous general through the ages, the one who is known as the best general in history? Do you remember his best, most outstanding battle?"

"Of course, I remember that when I was in the academy, I admired him the most. Of course, after all, he is an ancient man who only exists in the history books, and you are the general who is really in front of me, who really commands us to fight......"

"The most brilliant and outstanding battle of Gilles was only the annihilation of 70,000 enemies with 40,000 troops. In other words, even if military talent only appears once in a thousand years, the advantage that can be offset is only twice the number of troops. Not to mention that there is also a lot of luck in it. Ryan, if you have three times as many troops at your disposal, even Gilles will have to be defeated by you. ”

"I don't want you to learn my 'strategizing style', you know, I was forced to gamble like this. I want you, as I said, to assemble superior forces, to protect your logistics, to use your troops in a modest manner, to win in a modest manner. This is the royal way of war. ”

"But...... But...... Mistress Thomas, you have a great victory today. Perhaps completely unaware of such an answer, Ryan looked a little flustered.

"I'm taking a gamble that doesn't win much, but I just got lucky to win. There's really nothing to boast about. ”

The master and apprentice looked at each other for a long time, and they were silent to each other.

"Mr. Thomas, I'm real...... I'm really...... I want to learn from you, the way of command, ......"

Thomas let out a wry laugh.

"Lane, do you know why I am here today to let the knights as reserves and serve as pursuits, so that the knights attack first, and the archers and militia follow? However, if they are a pursuing force, the trainee knights will chase after them because of their desire for military success, and will never retreat halfway. The knights were well-armed, skilled and courageous, but they valued honor. When attacking the enemy, the knights can be unstoppable, but once the enemy has fled, the knights do not bother to chase after them. Although the militia is not strong in combat and not resolute enough, they are numerous. When they see that the situation is favorable, they can also exert their good combat effectiveness......"

"I know all of this!" Ryan interrupted Thomas's explanation.

"Master Thomas," and before he knew it, his title had changed from a specialized honorific title like "Sensei" to a generic honorific title called "Adult." "Let the right army do the right thing, I have known this for a long time. What I want to know is how to judge the actions of the enemy. How to lay out the right tactics for the enemy's actions. When to set up an ambush and when to attack head-on. How can you be surprised. How to outnumber. I want to be a famous general, not a mediocre and stupid general who doesn't know anything but military discipline!"

"If you really have a thorough grasp of military discipline, there are not many people in the world who can beat you. Thomas shook his head and said sadly.

Ryan didn't say anything more, but Ashrufat could see that the eagerness in his gaze had cooled.

"Anything else? Ryan?"

"Yes, Lord Thomas, I have heard that you will canonize a group of knights, including two militia captains. ”

"Yes, I do. They were very heroic today. Such heroic acts should be rewarded. ”

"But I advise you to think carefully. Those militias...... They did almost nothing today. Today's results are brilliant, but it is not their turn to share in the glory. The canonization of these lowly militiamen is not in the spirit of knighthood. ”

"This is something that Her Royal Highness has authorized me. I'll take your opinion into account. Go back. ”

Ryan turned around and left. Ashrufat felt that he glared at him viciously before leaving. This baffled Ashrufat.

"Ashrufat, the flamboyant use of soldiers is something that every young man dreams of, but in fact such a thing does not exist. For me, if I had a hundred more knights, or three hundred more militiamen, I would not hesitate to use a counter-attacking strategy. ”

"I still don't understand. Ashrufat replied sincerely.

"The first time I saw you, young man, I thought you were a good fighter. Your body has a calmness that has been tempered for a long time. You should have ...... at the time At least you believed at the time that you were certain that you could escape, right?"

"Yes. Ashrufat replied.

"That's the truth, you can only be a good general if you are afraid of war. Because of fear, you don't take risks that outweigh the benefits. Feel fear, but overcome it...... Today, though, you can't understand that. Maybe one day you'll understand. ”

"Can I understand one day?"

"You're the only man I've ever met who has the potential to command an army. ”

"I think this also needs potential? I think ......."

"Of course, two hundred and five is two hundred and five, and two two hundred and five standing together are still two two hundred and five, and they will not become Wu Bai. Even if he repeatedly taught and instilled those truths, even if he changed his habits with cruel training, it was useless. Once the critical moment of real crisis arrives, human instinct will still be exposed. The brave will choose to fight, the weak will flee, the calm will make the right decision decisively, and the fool will bet on the wrong treasure and drag others to die...... Ashrufat, can you help me get that violin?"

Ashrufat did as he was told, and Thomas picked up the harp and began to play, singing an unfamiliar song. This song is sad and desolate, and it is not a song of joy after victory.

Ashrufat knew that Thomas did not want to be disturbed any longer, so he withdrew from the tent as well. There was silence near the tent now, except for the occasional singing from the tent.

“...... Things change and stars move a few degrees in autumn, and the war has not yet arrived...... Foresight and foresight, go to the soup and never give up......"