I Told You, Didn't I? (3)
The rift within the punitive army deepened as time passed.
The soldiers, forcefully gathered from various regions, felt no real sense of belonging. On top of that, with dwindling supplies leaving them hungry, their morale plummeted rapidly.
But the biggest reason was undoubtedly the disappearance of their Commander-in-Chief, Ghislain.
Not only Ghislain, but even the Yulian Mercenary Corps had been missing for days, and by now, everyone had realized the truth.
"That bastard is out of his mind. He started all this, so where the hell did he disappear to?"
"Shouldn't we just surrender?"
"If he really ran away, what happens to us?"
Every day, the soldiers whispered among themselves, their anxiety growing. The command structure, which should have been maintaining order, was instead embroiled in infighting.
"We need to negotiate now!"
"Negotiate? What are you talking about? We already declared our intent to suppress the rebels!"
"Then what do you suggest we do? Our supplies are running out!"
"So, we should at least send word to the lords to send more provisions…"
"Oh, sure, like they'd just hand it over! That madman already looted everything they had! If we ask for more, they'll just see this as an opportunity to demand their forces back!"
"Then we have no choice but to raid another territory!"
Listening to them, it was impossible to tell whether they were supposed to be a punitive army or mere bandits. They were that mentally cornered.
As the neutral lords continued to bicker, yelling at each other, Count Hervis, who had been leading the punitive army in Ghislain's absence, rubbed his forehead.
With each passing day, the situation deteriorated, becoming harder to control. He had no idea how to lead this army anymore.
He turned to the kingdom's army corps commanders and asked,
"Is there no way to secure more supplies from the kingdom's reserves? Surely, provisions were stockpiled in preparation for war."
"We have already exhausted everything allocated to each corps. The rest is under the control of Marquis Falkenheim."
"Damn it…"
Marquis Falkenheim, who had even seized control over the kingdom's army, was personally managing all military supplies, ensuring that even the kingdom's forces had no direct access to them.
In reality, even the kingdom's troops had to receive their rations from Marquis Falkenheim. And now, all those supplies were entirely under his army's control.
At this point, the commanders of the punitive army were starting to calculate when they should withdraw. After all, nearly half of the army was originally from Marquis Falkenheim's faction.
Although Ghislain had taken the soldiers while leaving the lords behind, the commanders still had no choice but to ultimately follow their true lord.
In the end, they approached Count Hervis with a request.
"We would like to return now."
"We can't stay here any longer."
"The soldiers are becoming too restless. If this continues, they will be impossible to control."
Of course, Count Hervis had no intention of granting that request. If the army dwindled further, the remaining lords would be utterly doomed.
But he couldn't just leave things as they were, either. The discontent within the forced conscripts was rising.
For now, they were restrained simply because of the sheer size of the army, but if someone lit the spark, the flames would spread uncontrollably.
"So, in the end, we must decide this with a battle…"
But he lacked confidence. Facing Marquis Falkenheim's highly disciplined and well-supplied troops with this ragtag army would only lead to certain defeat. There wasn't a single superhuman among them.
"Damn it… the Yulian Mercenary Corps… those crazy bastards…"
Count Hervis clutched his head in frustration, cursing the Yulian Mercenary Corps for creating this mess and then vanishing.
He turned his anger toward Andrew.
"Still no word from them? Did they really just run away?"
"How should I know…? I have no idea…"
"Damn it! Then how long are we supposed to wait?!"
"…U-until they return?"
"Aaaargh! Stop saying nonsense like that!"
The only hope left was for the Yulian Mercenary Corps to succeed. But waiting for them was excruciating.
"R-report! The Marquis's army has begun to move!"
The sudden report from the reconnaissance unit sent the punitive army into a panic, rushing to prepare for battle.
The Marquis's army was approaching in an orderly formation, surrounding the punitive army. Count Hervis bit his lip as he observed the enemy's movements.
"Damn it… they figured it out."
Just as he feared, the Marquis's army had realized the punitive army was falling apart. They had been observing the camp daily.
Although the punitive army's mages tried to obscure their movements, the army was too large to completely conceal. Moreover, the Marquis's mages were far superior.
Watching from afar, the Marquis's commander, Count Godiff, smirked as he saw the disorganized punitive army struggling to form ranks.
"A few more days of pressure, and they'll collapse on their own."
The punitive army's rations, formation, and overall condition were a complete disaster. Seeing this, he decided to intensify the psychological pressure.
There was no need for an immediate battle. As long as they maintained the pressure, the enemy would crumble quickly.
Indeed, the punitive army's formation was a mess as they hurried to prepare for battle.
Seeing this, Count Godiff sneered.
"War isn't something you fight alone. That madman has reached his limit."
His opponent's bold, unpredictable strategies had been creative—he had to admit that much. The way Ghislain had gathered such a massive force was impressive.
But maintaining an army was an entirely different challenge. A military force was not something that functioned simply by sheer numbers.
"That's the limit of a mere mercenary. A man like him wouldn't have a clue about proper military strategy."
The punitive army was falling apart. At this rate, it would collapse within days.
The only move left for them was to go all-in on a final battle before they completely disintegrated.
"Stay on high alert. We don't know when they might get desperate and charge at us."
Count Godiff had no intention of allowing such a last-ditch attack to succeed. All he had to do was maintain his defensive posture and continue exerting pressure.
Once the punitive army completely fell apart, he would annihilate them.
"And after that, the Marquis will rule this kingdom."
He would hold absolute power—unchallenged by anyone.
As Count Godiff had anticipated, the punitive army deteriorated even faster.
Rations were reduced to a single meal per day—a thin soup with a small piece of bread.
Meanwhile, the commanders' infighting grew even worse. They screamed at each other daily, but no agreement was ever reached.
"If we're going to fight, we must do it now!"
"We're already falling apart—what's there to fight for?!"
"So, are you saying we should just sit here and die?!"
Even the lords who had directly participated were in disarray. The forcibly conscripted officers were even worse.
"Listen carefully. We'll seize the right moment to escape."
"If a battle breaks out, we surrender immediately and switch sides."
"From now on, let's plan our escape."
Most of the commanders had already made up their minds. They had never truly surrendered in the first place, so they felt no guilt about switching sides again.
Thus, the situation was spiraling into disaster for the punitive army.
With no option to flee or surrender, Count Hervis was left with only one choice—preparing for a final battle. There was no other way.
He tightened control over the troops and inspected their formations. Noticing this, the Marquis's army also began to move slowly.
Tension soared to its peak. At any moment, a single signal could trigger the battle.
Then, suddenly, a scout from the Marquis's army arrived with urgent news.
"A force is approaching from the flank! Approximately one thousand troops, all cavalry!"
"What army?"
"Judging by their banners and uniforms, it's Count Balesant's forces! They were charging in at full speed but have now slowed down."
Count Godiff narrowed his eyes at the report.
"They didn't even send a word and now they show up?"
There were a few units that had been sluggish in joining the campaign. However, even after all the others had arrived, Count Balesant's forces had not sent a single message.
He had planned to punish them once the war ended, yet here they were, arriving at the most precarious moment.
Moreover, he didn't like how they were slowing down in the middle of this tense standoff. Those nobodies—why were they suddenly acting so arrogant?
From Count Godiff's perspective, their arrival was useless. But to the punitive army, it was an entirely different matter.
Count Hervis wore an anxious expression.
"Damn it… reinforcements…?"
Even if their numbers were small, the mere fact that the enemy had gained reinforcements was a problem. It would raise the morale of the Marquis's army while crushing what little spirit remained in his own troops.
But then, something strange happened.
Count Balesant's forces did not merge with the Marquis's army. Instead, they rode straight between the two opposing forces.
They moved confidently, as if they were the main characters of a grand performance.
By the time they reached the center, they came to a halt.
Among the punitive army, those with sharp eyes noticed something odd—there were familiar faces among Count Balesant's troops.
"Huh? That's the acting Commander-in-Chief! He's right there!"
"The Yulian Mercenary Corps is with them too!"
"But… why are they wearing Balesant army uniforms?"
"Wait… did those bastards betray us?"
The punitive army was thrown into chaos. The people they had assumed were missing were now standing with the enemy.
Count Godiff also frowned at the sight.
"What the hell do they think they're doing?"
If they had arrived, they should have immediately joined his ranks. Why were they drawing everyone's attention instead?
Everyone stood there, bewildered, watching as Count Balesant dismounted his horse.
He turned to Ghislain, who stood beside him, and asked,
"Do… do I really go first?"
"Of course," Ghislain replied with a smirk. "This is your chance to make a name for yourself."
Ghislain was a man who rewarded those who helped him. Since Count Balesant had contributed to this operation, he intended to let him take the spotlight for now.
A nearby mage stepped forward and cast a voice amplification spell.
Taking several deep breaths, Count Balesant suddenly grabbed his adjutant's arm and whispered nervously,
"Oh no, what do I do? I'm so nervous. Everyone's staring at me."
"…My Lord, the voice amplification spell is already active."
"Oh dear, my goodness! Ah, how embarrassing! Now everyone heard me!"
"..."
Both armies watched in silence, baffled by the bizarre display.
Then, with a trembling voice, Count Balesant finally began to speak.
"Uh… everyone, listen up? Uh… the Marquis Falkenheim has oppressed the royal family… failed to uphold the rights of his vassals… and has pursued power through unethical means…"
He began to list out all the terrible things Marquis Falkenheim had done.
The soldiers from both armies exchanged bored expressions.
Everyone in the kingdom already knew this.
But then, his next words sent shockwaves through the battlefield.
"And so, I, Count Balesant, have raised an army to punish Marquis Falkenheim… with the help of the Yulian Mercenary Corps, we launched a surprise attack on the Marquis's stronghold… after an intense battle… we have, in any case, captured Marquis Falkenheim himself!"
"..."
A deep silence fell over the battlefield.
Both the Marquis's army and the punitive army stared at him in utter disbelief.
Count Godiff's face turned red as he bellowed,
"What nonsense is this?! Are you trying to demoralize us with ridiculous lies?!"
He had no idea why Count Balesant was suddenly spouting such insanity.
But one thing was clear—he had betrayed them.
"Kill that bastard immediately! No, wipe them all out!"
At his command, the Marquis's army began to advance slowly.
At that moment, Ghislain pulled a man down from his horse—a man bound and gagged, his hair in disarray.
It was clear to anyone he was a prisoner.
Ghislain stood him upright and shouted,
"I am Astion, Acting Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom's Army! Together with Count Balesant, I have captured Marquis Falkenheim! See for yourselves!"
Count Godiff's eyes widened in shock.
Even from a distance, as a superhuman, he could clearly recognize the prisoner's face.
Before he even realized it, he shouted aloud,
"Lord F-F-Falkenheim… My Lord?!"
At his cry, the Marquis's army froze in place.
One by one, the commanders rushed forward to confirm the prisoner's identity.
"T-that… it's really the Marquis…"
"The Marquis… was captured?"
"W-what the hell happened?"
The Marquis's army's command structure descended into chaos. None of them had anticipated such an outcome.
Meanwhile, the punitive army erupted into thunderous cheers.
"WOOOOAAAAAHHH!!"
"Marquis Falkenheim has been captured!"
"The Commander-in-Chief brought back the Marquis himself!"
Count Hervis felt goosebumps rise all over his body.
They had actually pulled off that insane plan.
He still had no idea why Count Balesant was involved, but that didn't matter now.
Andrew grabbed Count Hervis's shoulders, laughing hysterically.
"Hahahaha! You see that?! You see that?! I told you it'd work! Holy shit! I was so ready to curse them out if they didn't show up! Hahahaha!"
The battle hadn't even begun, yet the punitive army was already celebrating victory.
Veins bulged on Count Godiff's forehead as he gritted his teeth. Furious, he raised his hand and opened his mouth to speak.
"A-all units, prepare—"
But he couldn't give the order.
Marquis Falkenheim was a hostage.
His mind went blank. He had no idea what to do.
Ghislain took slow, deliberate steps toward the Marquis's army.
With a wicked grin, he spoke in a relaxed tone.
"From now on… if anyone moves even a single step…"
His smirk deepened.
"I will behead Marquis."
"..."
Count Godiff's raised hand slowly lowered.
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