Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

154  Tactic

"Another mage..." - Luther shivered, the memory of that man-made disaster still vivid in his mind. Despite his five decades on the battlefield, he had never witnessed such devastating power concentrated in the hands of a single individual. It was akin to the legends passed down by their ancestors, tales warning of the formidable power wielded by rare mages.

"We need to avoid a direct confrontation with such a formidable opponent. We can't face him in an open field, we will be doomed fighting head on." - Henry said - "The diversionary tactic will be an essential contingency and a way to end everything quickly, minimizing our losses. I know that we are lacking a General in the frontlines at this moment and I expect to fill this void as soon as possible, but can you do it, Luther?' - Henry asked, pointing at the snow with his twig.

Luther's eyes carefully studied the drawing etched into the snow, his hand instinctively reaching up to scratch at his white beard as he delved into deep thought - "How many days would you need me to stall their forces?"

"We'll require a month, perhaps two" - Henry stated - "The journey to their capital alone will need twenty days on foot, but that's assuming we meet no obstacle on our way there. Despite the loss of their king and numerous nobles, there may still be individuals willing to sacrifice themselves for the royal family." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The old General pondered, his years of experience playing all possible situations in his head - "I can manage it, my liege. I've spent a lifetime defending our borders. I know every tree and every corner along the way. Sitting up some trouble won't be a challenge. It's child play. And, Mirante is only a two-day journey from the border, making it easy to get supplies and mitigate other logistic problems."

Henry smiled - "I expected nothing less from my trusted General. However…" - The twig in his hand moved again, drawing a circle - "What is the base of all diversionary tactics?"

"Speed and deception" - Luther echoed, not even hesitating to answer - "Speed is the essence. The swifter we move, the less time our enemy has to react and regroup. And, deception is the cloak that hides our true intentions."

Henry's smile widened - "Exactly. However, how will you achieve both at the same time?" - He looked expectantly at the old General. This was quite a hard question to be answered, at least in these regions where you couldn't see much strategy on wars and mostly frontal confrontations, fearless of death.

A brief silence enveloped the place as Henry turned his gaze towards the old General, awaiting his response. Unexpectedly, it was Leier who broke the silence, her voice echoing - "Fewer numbers, you need fewer numbers" - she said, repeating the crucial insight.

Leier had been by the king's side for years, gaining a deep understanding of various war strategies and insights. The one being discussed now was one she had not only seen but had also been part once, a few years ago. It was the strategy used against Luak, where they disguised themselves as bandits to hunt hundreds of them down.

"Yes, precisely. Fewer numbers" - Henry remarked, almost clapping his hands. He hadn't expected her to respond. Maybe Olaro, but not Leier - "Moving with such a large force would be near impossible without drawing attention. Therefore, you'll need to split the soldiers and launch attacks on multiple fronts." Luther nodded, quickly grasping the essence of the king's words 0 "So, we don't need to mobilize all soldiers at once. We can establish a rotational system. Not every soldier needs to be actively engaged in combat, and Mirante can serve as our operational base. It will maintain our troops in a good shape." - The old general mused, but he soon found a problem - "However, we may struggle to respond promptly when the final battle commences. We'll be short of soldiers and it would take some time for them to assemble."

Henry shook his head, as if already anticipating the question - "No need to worry. I'll dispatch a messenger in advance to alert you. Then, you can assemble our forces. We will attack them on both sides, giving them no time to react."

Luther nodded, understanding the plan. At the moment, he couldn't see any flaws in it. If executed correctly, they could easily triumph and minimize their losses substantially - "I understand, my liege."

"Excellent" - Henry said, using the twig to destroy all evidences from the drawing in the snow - "You all can sleep for the night. Tomorrow promises to be a great day, especially for us, Olaro." - The king directed his gaze towards the bald man, who had remained unusually quiet throughout the discussion.

"I'm already looking forward to it, Your Majesty" - Olaro replied, slightly embarrassed. He understood everything that had been discussed, but couldn't help feeling a bit self-conscious that a woman who rarely took the lead had quickly grasped the plan.

Henry's smile widened, his eyes resting on the trio before him. Everything would be fine.

-x-

Morning came, and the army resumed its march along the White Merchant Road, which had their footsteps marked on the white blanket of the never-ending snow. Luckily, Henry had ordered the Sun God Company to pause their operations in the South Region, ensuring smooth passage for the soldiers and keeping the roads clear and unobstructed.

If they hadn't stopped the merchants' activities, they would have encountered numerous delays, forcing them to halt repeatedly. Merchants were a social being and they would try to do networking in every occasion. As the sun rose high above their heads, the walls of Mirante filled the horizon. The fortress that defended the kingdom for centuries.

"Mirante" - Henry murmured, memories flooding back of the civil war. He remembered Luther's powerful strike on the gates, opening the way for the soldiers to enter - "It's been a while." Henry hadn't returned to Mirante since the end of the civil war. He only ordered it to be rebuilt, wishing to construct a sturdier protection.

"It begins" - Henry couldn't help but mutter.