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“What’s wrong, Prince Wein? You seem agitated.”
“No, I’m fine. It’s not like I’m thinking, ‘Look at this lucky bastard living the quiet life with his beloved’ or anything, so don’t mind me!” Wein grumbled like the poor sport he was.
“Your Highness!”
A flustered messenger dashed over.
“The soldiers outside are on the move!”
“So the time has finally come.”
Demetrio gave a solemn nod, and Wein responded to the report with a question.
“Who made the first move?”
“Bardloche!” the man replied.
Bardloche and his army were in trouble, and that was putting it lightly. They were stuck in a political corner and should’ve marched into battle like their lives depended on it. Unfortunately, they were surrounded by Manfred, Lowellmina, and Demetrio. This fact weighed heavily on every soldier, and all fell into mute despondency. Ironically enough, it could be said such composure in the face of adversity was proof of their discipline. They would stick together and fight no matter the odds.
“…”
Bardloche, who should’ve been leading his troops, couldn’t help but fall into a pit of despair.
“Your Highness…”
Even his top commanders had no clue what to say as time continued to pass. They still had a chance to escape. If they didn’t concern themselves with potential casualties, Bardloche and his troops could break past Lowellmina’s or Manfred’s lines.
But what would come afterward?
Bardloche had been made an enemy of the Empire practically overnight. Only a miracle could save him now. Escaping would only guarantee he’d be captured and executed later. Once he understood the inevitability that awaited him, it was challenging to see much hope beyond the immediate getaway.
And any chance of victory here was—
“Prince Bardloche!”
A conspicuously loud voice caught everyone’s attention.
“I have a plan!”
The voice belonged to Glen. The only shining beacon in the otherwise dismal camp stood firm as all eyes fell on him.
“A plan?” Bardloche repeated as he glanced up slowly. “Have you seen this blockade? What can we possibly do now?”
“With all due respect, Prince Bardloche, perhaps you should look closer.”
Whispers were traded around the two. Glen’s behavior was the height of insolence, but Bardloche was more puzzled than upset.
“…What do you see?”
“Three completely motionless armies all around us,” Glen replied.
A strange sensation gradually fell over Bardloche and everyone within earshot. The three enemy forces had yet to attack. They’d merely surrounded Bardloche’s camp and exchanged glares.
“In all likelihood, Demetrio’s troops in Nalthia are the weakest threat. We don’t know their political motivations, but any offense on their part will be swiftly crushed. Demetrio is aware of this, which is why the city has remained inactive. It may be prudent to leave them be,” Glen explained. “The other two ringleaders, Prince Manfred and Princess Lowellmina, understand that Your Highness’s defeat is their key to the throne. However, you only have one head, and conflict between your two rivals is inevitable. Even if one of them manages to take your head, the other will refuse to recognize them. As soon as either defeats us, it will spark a decisive clash between the remaining contenders.”
“Which means…”
“Yes, it is as you’ve deduced, Your Highness. It is absolutely vital that both sides conserve their strength and mitigate damage until the final conflict. That is the reason for this stalemate. Each army intends to force the other to wear us down so they can win the upcoming battle.”
Lowellmina and Manfred each wanted the other to engage Bardloche so they could swoop in and take his head at the last second. That was why Manfred didn’t attack from behind and why Lowellmina led her soldiers onto the battlefield instead of hiding away in the capital. Now the two watched each other closely. Their tactics for the final showdown were already in place.
“Hmph. So I’m just the opening act?!”
Bardloche’s grin seethed with anger and self-derision. Such negativity was dangerous in war, but Glen felt it rejuvenate his master.
“I understand your frustration. However, this is an excellent opportunity, Your Highness.”
“It is?”
“If both parties refuse to act, we can unilaterally attack either Manfred or Lowellmina.” Glen paused for a moment. “If we mobilize our entire army, they’ll respond in kind. However, I can tell that a few small units won’t be enough to end the stalemate. Therefore, after putting our main units on the defensive, we’ll send our best soldiers to attack Lowellmina’s camp and capture the princess. That is my suggestion if we hope to crawl back from the brink of death.”
The crowd stirred, offering comments like “That’s reckless” and “There’s no way it will work.” However, Glen stood his ground and gazed directly at Bardloche.
“…Why Lowellmina?” the prince questioned.
“It’s due to the nature of her army. Most are common soldiers, and our best warriors have a decent chance of shattering her defenses. The princess’s troops idolize her and will ruthlessly fight to the death if she is killed. Conversely, we can take Princess Lowellmina as a live hostage and demand her military disperse in exchange for her safe return. Doing so would leave Princess Lowellmina’s forces helpless against Manfred’s assembly of provincial leaders.”
Lowellmina herself possessed no skills as a military commander. Someone like her typically entrusted the fighting to her subordinates and awaited news of victory from the Imperial Capital.
And yet Lowellmina commanded an entire army. It did wonders for the soldiers’ morale, but it meant they’d lose that inspiration without her. Lowellmina’s troops were emotionally dependent on her, and this point formed the crux of Glen’s strategy.
Whether or not Prince Bardloche agrees to it is a whole other story…
It was outrageous for the captain of a single unit to advise his master, and Glen would never get another chance if the prince rejected his proposal here. It would also spell Bardloche’s defeat.
“Your name is Glen, right?” Bardloche asked simply.
Although startled to discover the prince remembered his name, Glen respectfully bowed his head.
“We’ll go with your plan. Take your soldiers and capture Lowellmina.”
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