Chapter 42: Unfriendly Allies

Although we all knew the war would start again sooner or later, we never imagined it would happen so quickly.

After a short period of rest and regrouping, the Winston launched a full-scale attack on the southern bank of the Morning Light River at the turn of spring and summer. More than a dozen smaller port cities along the river were attacked one after another, but Kampnavia, where we were stationed, was not among them. I guessed that the bloody battle we had won more than two months earlier had changed the city’s value in the enemy’s eyes.

In Fred’s words, it was “a stupid offensive that was destined to be effective.”

The Winston, who were not good at fighting on water, launched their attack when the spring flood had not yet receded and the summer flood was about to rise. Attacking in such a way was to use their own weakness against the enemy’s strength, which was very stupid. But for one thing, the Delanmaya Army from top to bottom had already been scared out of their wits by the Winston Army’s successive victories; for another, the defense line along the river was simply too long, and many cities’ garrison forces were not strong enough to resist the Winston’s power ful attack on their own. Sooner or later, one unlucky city lord would become a victim of the Winston’s mighty force. So this offensive was also “destined to be effective.”

What puzzled my friend was that Crown Prince Louis, the Winston commander, had shown such delicate and exquisite tactics on the battlefield before, which were on a completely different level from the crude fighting now going on. He could not imagine why the enemy commander he had always admired would suddenly lower his standards so much. According to his original thinking, they only needed to wait another six months. Once the Winston soldiers had become skilled at fighting on water, and once Delanmaya had let down its guard about the war, all they needed was a small surprise attack at the right moment, and they could win a decisive victory at very little cost.

Maybe he was a strange commander who was a genius at land battles but an idiot at water battles. That was possible in Winston, which lacked waterways. That was what I thought.

But Fred seemed to have a different view. He felt that this attack had been unusually hurried, as if some invisible force was urging and driving the enemy commander.

No matter how you looked at it, the facts once again proved Fred’s wisdom.

The Winston spent more than a month along the Morning Light River, moving from west to east, testing and attacking small ports one by one. Their attacks were so regular that long before they withdrew from one city, the next city had already made full preparations for defense (Kampnavia was skipped just as people had expected). This pattern continued all the way to Davo City, which was four cities away from us.

While Count von Hillington, the lord of Davo City, was wondering why the enemy had still not arrived three days later than expected, Winston warships suddenly appeared at Rileyville Port, the first port to be attacked on the western side. At the cost of fewer than four hundred advance troops, they occupied the port with lightning speed.

It was said that when Baron Watson, the lord of Rileyville, found a group of Winston soldiers standing in front of his bed, he showed the fearless attitude of a noble soldier. He was not panicked at all. He just rubbed his sleepy eyes and said in surprise, “You’re back?”

This saying earned the Delanmayans an unprecedented reputation for hospitality.

Fred’s comment on this was: “Our noble lords seem to treat the enemy as invited guests who come with invitations.” We deeply agreed with that.

The fall of Rileyville marked the spread of war on Delanmaya’s soil once again.

The important officers at headquarters, who had already witnessed the power of the Winston iron cavalry, began to gather their forces and swore to drive the Winston, who had already landed on the southern bank, back into the water.

Their old and muddled minds could probably still understand one fact: when the Winston Army was numerous enough to trample and gallop freely across the land on the southern bank of the Morning Light River, Delanmaya would not be far from total defeat and the end of the nation.

Fred answered the call and led one thousand light cavalry to report at the Centuria Plains outside Rileyville. He left Riley, Dakla, Rodrick, and Roll behind to guard the city. Before setting out, he repeatedly told Riley that he must not only pay attention to battle reports from Rileyville, but also strengthen the defense of the Morning Light River to guard against Winston sneak attacks. He also made clear the marks used for passing messages and warned Riley to be wary of unfamiliar allied forces.

When we arrived at the camp on the Centuria Plains, nearly ten thousand Delanmaya soldiers had already gathered there, and their numbers were still growing.

While I was marveling at the strength of our army and feeling confident about the coming battle, Fred said angrily in a low voice beside me:

“What are these idiots doing?”

I soon understood what Fred meant.

“What is the meaning of this, General Vincent?” Fred rushed into the main tent and shouted at our frontline commander.

“So it’s you. Our hero who won the battle against Winston, the young Count.” Vincent looked at Fred mockingly and winked at several of his staff officers.

“Since there are already so many troops here, why don’t you seize the favorable moment and attack a few days earlier? The enemy has crossed the river and traveled a long way. They are not firmly established and lack cavalry, which is like losing their most powerful weapon. This is the perfect time to launch an attack!”

“A young soldier indeed. Your courage is commendable, but you lack experience and tactical training.” Our commander-in-chief remained calm and stayed motionless in his chair. The officers around them smiled knowingly at the right moment, silently showing their support for their superior.

“You are too young, Count… oh, no, in the army we should call you Lieutenant Colonel.” This officer, who held the title of Marquis, skillfully reminded Fred of his position. In terms of title, he was not much higher than Fred, but in terms of military rank, he had absolute authority.

“When you reach my age, you will understand what it means to appear weak to the enemy and what it means to seek victory through stability.”

“It is only necessary to appear weak to the enemy when the difference in strength between us and them is not clear. By staying put like this, you are wasting the opportunity, sir!” Fred was completely unaware of the hidden meaning in the other man’s words and insisted on his own opinion.

His words finally angered our supreme commander. He flew into a rage, slammed the table, and shouted, “Mind your place, sir. Do you think I need to take tactical lessons from you? You are an officer. What you need to do is obey, not command the army in place of your superiors. Now, get out. This tent is not a place where an officer of your rank can enter as he pleases. Until I give you my permission, wait outside.”

Fred suppressed his anger, saluted, and led us away. As I was leaving, I saw the noble officers around all wearing looks of gloating satisfaction. At that moment, they still did not know how wise and correct the opinion of this young man they were mocking actually was.

In the following three days, apart from routine military inspections and passing on orders, no one showed Fred any friendliness or gave him any information. Some minor nobles whose ranks were far lower than Fred’s were often busy preparing for war meetings, but Fred did not attend a single one.

My friend had been cast out of the normal battle order by the allied forces. In the camp, the allied soldiers looked at us with mocking expressions, which reminded me of the treatment I had received as a new recruit in the deserter squad led by Carlson the Back. No, it was even worse than that time. Practicing running away was certainly shameful, but deep inside, who wouldn’t want to escape with their life from a battlefield full of unknown deadly dangers? But the looks we received now were more of pity—pity for stupidity.

Everyone regarded Fred as a fool who didn’t know what was good for him and talked back to his superior. Being his subordinate was something worthy of pity.

Part of this should be blamed on Fred himself. Anyone who directly clashes with his superior on the very first day of arrival would not be looked upon favorably.

But could he really be blamed for this? If he had flattered and fawned over his superiors like the others, and agreed with our commander’s muddled and stupid tactical arrangements, then he would not be Fred. He would not be my respected friend who was called “King.”

Carlson still led the soldiers in running around the camp wall three times a day. This behavior puzzled the allied forces. They watched our soldiers running and waving their weapons, fighting desperately against imaginary enemies, as if watching a monkey show. They laughed so hard they were bent over, making the soldiers blush and feel extremely embarrassed.

Finally, on the third day, some soldiers suggested stopping this exercise.

“Sir, I am not questioning the method of this exercise, but those people’s mockery is embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing?” Carlson said, lying on the ground with his eyes half open. “That is exactly what I want. If you can still run without worry while feeling embarrassed, then your chance of staying alive on the battlefield will be greater. Unfortunately, there aren’t many suitable hunting dogs here.”

“But sir…”

“Follow orders, soldier.” Hearing the argument, Fred walked over. “Let them laugh. Starting tomorrow, I will train with you.”

The young soldier said nothing more. These men who fought on the front lines did not see so many high and mighty officials. Whether a battlefield commander-in-chief existed meant nothing to them. But when they fought bravely against the enemy, when they risked their names and lives in desperate battle, and when they finally won the fear and respect of the enemy, this young commander had always been by their side, leading them out of the mire of disgrace and turning them into true soldiers. The scars on his body were more than any of them, and the enemies he had killed were not fewer than any of theirs. This warrior’s image was deeply burned into their hearts, and his status was far above all their previous and even future commanders. Even just standing beside him was enough to make these simple soldiers feel proud. Moreover, he did not cling to his status; he was willing to train with them amid everyone’s mockery.

At that moment, even if the training was about how to run away, it was also a precious reward.

“Run!” Fred ran in front and gave the order. Carlson, Dakla, and Red Flame followed closely behind, and even Poirot joined in. I stayed at the back of the formation to take care of any soldiers who might fall behind.

“Swing your swords!”

“Kill!”

“Thrust!”

“Kill!”

“Turn around and run!”

“Ah…”

…

No one cared about other people’s looks anymore. In the soldiers’ eyes, there was only the officer in front of the formation waving his black war blade.

During a break, one of the noble officers came sneaking over with ill intent and asked:

“What are you training for?”

“Training to run away, sir.” The simple soldier answered truthfully without thinking.

“Hahaha, training to run away, hahaha…” Even if he had not deliberately come to pick a quarrel, such an answer was enough to make a group of young men who had never experienced battle burst into laughter. What’s more, he originally had bad intentions. “Hey, Link, did you hear that? They are training to run away, hahaha… Even running away needs training? Your commander really is a coward, hahaha…”

His loud announcement brought even more laughter from people in the camp. The routine training of the past few days was actually practicing running away—that was indeed something worth laughing at for an army, except for those who truly understood the value of this training.

The soldier, realizing he had said something inappropriate, blushed all over and tried to defend himself: “Our commander is not a coward, sir. You can’t say that… I mean…”

“Enough, sir.” I could not hold back any longer. I stepped forward to stop this disturbance. I could not turn a blind eye while my soldier was being humiliated. More importantly, I could not bear the insult from this vile officer toward my noble, dear friend.

“I’m sorry, sir, I wanted to say…” The soldier who had answered apologized to me.

“No need to apologize, soldier. You gave the correct answer. We are training to run away. Commander Carlson has said that from the very beginning. As for you, sir…” I turned to the officer who was laughing so hard he could not straighten up. “I don’t see what is so funny.”

Fred and the others heard the noise and watched us from not far away. I gave him a questioning look, and Fred nodded, signaling for me to handle this matter.

“Isn’t it funny? Do you and your superior expect these soldiers who only know how to run away to win battles?”

“No, sir. You should say that we not only know how to run away, but also how to win battles. I guarantee they are the most outstanding soldiers you have ever seen.” I raised my voice. The soldiers who had lowered their heads when they heard others laughing loudly now raised their heads one after another to listen to me.

“They held off an enemy five times their number. As far as I know, none of you could have done that. From that perspective…” I turned to face those one thousand soldiers and shouted, “You are the best soldiers!”

“Ah!…” One thousand people cheered loudly at the same time. I think my words had lit the proudest torch in their hearts. Their achievements in battle were enough to keep them proud when facing any allied forces.

No one continued to laugh. The noble officer who had stirred up trouble stood helpless in front of the thousand voices, not knowing how to end the situation. Fred nodded at me from afar with approval.

“Does Count Guderian intend to let these soldiers who are used to running away protect him?” He looked nervously at the people around him and forced himself to say these words of rebuttal. It was obvious that this rich young man had never been to the battlefield. In my eyes, his words had no force at all.

“As long as you cherish the lives of your soldiers and bring them honor and victory, they will naturally protect their commander with all their hearts and minds. Learning how to survive on the battlefield is a sign that the Count cherishes his soldiers. I can prove to you that every soldier here is willing to trade his own life for his commander’s life, including me.”

I took off my already light officer’s uniform, exposing my body covered with scars from battles, drew my short sword, and pointed it at the noble officer who had been picking a quarrel: “If you question the loyalty of my subordinates and the valor of my commander again, I will have no choice but to challenge you to a duel. If I die, the soldiers here will continue to challenge you. You may have one of your subordinates fight in your place. I really want to know how your subordinates, who don’t even know how to run away, can protect you.”

As if by agreement, the one thousand soldiers drew their weapons in unison and pointed them at the officer, who was already scared out of his wits. I didn’t know how many people would have the courage to face such a formation alone, even just to lift their heads and look at it directly. But it was very clear that this officer had no such courage. He pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with flowers and reeking of nasty artificial perfume from his exquisite armor, wiped his sweat, and stumbled away from in front of me, not even leaving a single polite word.

Watching this shameless and boring troublemaker leave, Fred led everyone over to me. He first gave me a warm hug, then put his arm around my shoulder and said:

“Jeff, you did very well. Even better than I imagined.”

“Really? I’ve gone and offended all the officers here for you.”

“It’s not your turn. This fellow had already offended everyone a long time ago.” Red Flame butted in from the side.

“Fred…”

“What?”

“Actually… a moment ago I was really afraid that guy would desperately challenge me to a duel. I might not have been able to beat him.”

“You bastard.” Carlson’s big palm came down on me. “I taught you for nothing. If you had lost, I would have made you run laps again.”

Even if we didn’t look, we all knew that in some unknown corner of this camp, many pairs of malicious eyes were watching us, especially our young commander. For us, what we had to face was by no means just the enemy in front of us. But I really was not worried at all, because beside me was Fred, the warrior who would never be defeated…