Episode 94: Withdrawal
Rewinding time a bit, to the Western Army Headquarters, in the operations room—.
With Commander Volfirio at the head, the executives were all gathered there when a messenger soldier came rushing in.
“Reporting! From Forssa Fort, a new smoke signal has been confirmed! —Enemy reinforcements, approximately thirty thousand!”
“Th-thirty thousand…!?”
The air in the room froze. Everyone held their breath, at a loss for words.
—It must be some kind of mistake.
As that hopeful thought filled the space, the messenger continued his report.
“A-and that’s not all! The enemy soldiers are shouting… The one leading this reinforcement is the King of the Kirchhen Kingdom—Luverios!”
“Luverios…!?”
The one who involuntarily raised his voice was Volfirio.
In that instant, the numerous doubts that had been nagging at his chest all unraveled at once.
(I see… King Luverios himself has taken to the field. That’s why the Eastern Front Army had no choice but to move…!)
Why the partner they were supposed to be conducting secret trade with had bared their fangs at this timing—the reason finally made sense to him now.
(With Luverios on the move, there’s no chance of victory left for us…!)
A deep, heavy despair spread through Volfirio’s heart.
The reinforcements numbered thirty thousand. Among them, surely included were Knight Commander Zefard and Chief Court Magician Ignas.
There was no way the Western Army’s forces could stand against that.
“W-withdraw…”
In a dazed tone, but with a firm voice, Volfirio muttered.
“There’s no hope of winning anymore… While Regiment Commander Mauricio is buying us time, we at headquarters will withdraw. As quickly as possible…!”
At those words, the executives nodded in silence.
None of them had the resolve to martyr themselves in a battle with no chance of victory.
But then.
“Please wait!”
In the heavy atmosphere, that voice rang out sharply. Everyone’s gazes were drawn toward the source.
The speaker was a man standing at the entrance. Black hair, a sharp-featured face. Probably a young man in his late teens or twenties.
“…Who are you?”
One of the executives directed a piercing glare at him. But the young man replied without flinching.
“I am Centurion Captain Ricardo Barcelos. I know this is out of place, but… I have a suggestion, so I’ve come forward.”
“A suggestion?”
The executives exchanged glances.
They wanted to ignore him and just flee quickly, but perhaps he had some miraculous plan to turn things around.
With that faint hope, they urged him to speak.
“This is an emergency! Hurry up and say it!”
“With all due respect.”
Ricardo knelt on the spot and directed his gaze toward Volfirio.
“Your Highness—please, take to the front lines!”
“Take to the field!?”
Volfirio’s voice rose in pitch.
Ricardo gazed at Volfirio pleadingly and continued his explanation.
“Yes. The enemy’s thirty thousand reinforcements haven’t arrived yet. Right now—we still have the advantage in numbers. If Your Highness Volfirio stands at the front, we can push them back!”
“And what good would pushing them back do!? In the end, once the thirty thousand led by Luverios arrive, defeat is inevitable, isn’t it!?”
“That’s a fair point, Your Highness. But if we can repel the enemy even temporarily, our army can retreat while maintaining order.”
Ricardo layered on further explanation.
If they started withdrawing in the current state, morale would collapse, and formations would break. The Western Army would rout in disarray, and many soldiers would lose their lives to the enemy’s pursuit.
But—what if they could push the enemy back now?
If they could blunt the enemy’s pursuit even for a short time, they could regroup, maintain command, and carry out an organized withdrawal.
In that case, the enemy wouldn’t be able to pursue easily, and their own casualties should decrease significantly.
“And for that, Your Highness Volfirio’s appearance on the field is absolutely essential.”
A member of the royal family showing themselves at the front—that alone would boost the soldiers’ morale and prevent the battle line from collapsing.
Even if Volfirio lacked charisma, the fact that ‘the royal is not fleeing but staying at the front’ would give the soldiers hope.
“B-but… If I go out there, the enemy will target me, won’t they!?”
“We will protect you with our lives. Standing at the front doesn’t mean you have to be at the very forefront. Just appear in a place visible to the soldiers.”
“N-no… No, no!”
Volfirio raised his voice harshly.
“I am royalty! And the prince second in line to the throne! If something happens to me, how do you plan to take responsibility!? Can you guarantee absolute safety!?”
“…Of course, there’s no guarantee of absolute safety. That’s war. However—”
“Enough! This conversation is pointless! We don’t have time to talk with you! Withdraw! Withdraw!”
““Yes, sir!””
The executives stood up all at once in response to Volfirio’s words.
And with the commander in the lead, they hurried toward the exit of the operations room.
But—Ricardo persisted.
“Please wait, Your Highness Volfirio! Just by showing yourself, thousands of soldiers can be saved!”
He wasn’t telling Volfirio to go die or anything.
Just to appear in a position visible to the soldiers—that’s all.
However—Volfirio let out a hysterical, high-pitched shriek.
“Persistent! So persistent! So damn persistent! Why should I risk danger for those lowly soldiers!?”
Volfirio had become the commander of the Western Army not to fight.
It was to profit from secret trade.
He had no intention of fighting, and hadn’t cared about the soldiers’ fates from the start.
Besides, the enemy nation’s king had personally led a large army here.
This situation was something no one could have predicted.
Even if he withdrew, he probably wouldn’t be held too accountable.
In that case—for his own safety, he should escape as soon as possible.
Shoving aside the kneeling there, Ricardo.
Volfirio left the operations room.
“If you want to save your allies that badly… then you go fight, Captain Ricardo.”
“I’ve assigned you to the army’s rearguard. Do your utmost to hold off the enemy and buy us time to escape!”
