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Chapter 525
Chapter 525
Chapter 525: Reason for Change
When Marcel woke up, a full day had passed.
"I apologize. I decided that rest was necessary."
"...I've caused you worry."
He did feel like insisting he should have been woken, but it was because of Marcel that Lizette had thought that way, that his body had been pushed so hard. And so, Marcel apologized to Lizette and climbed out of bed.
"What's the situation?"
"The enemy hasn't made a move, but upon hearing you collapsed, the Duke has been creating a fuss."
"Who follows him?"
"Almost no one. The memory of his reckless charge is still fresh."
"Hmm..."
Having slept once, Marcel's mind was clear. And because his fatigue had considerably eased, he did not become angry at the Duke's actions.
"I should have made better use of him."
"You tried to, but the Duke ignored your advice, sir."
Marcel nodded at Lizette's words. If they had fought when Marcel said to march, it would have almost certainly been a victory. But after dragging it out, the Duke suddenly felt like fighting after Count Adlernat joined in. Moreover, he commanded Marcel to stay in the city. Their cooperative relationship was essentially a failure at that point.
The Duke had made his attitude clear. He did not want intervention from the kingdom. So Marcel discarded his reservations. If he kept considering the Duke, they could not win a battle with slim chances of victory.
"If our positions were reversed, would Arnold have used the Duke effectively?"
"He might have managed to ride along. He seems resistant to being underestimated."
"...My foolish elder brother, the crown prince, once evaluated me as capable but arrogant. I dismissed it as envy from an average person, but indeed my arrogance seems like a flaw."
"I don't think being confident can be considered a flaw. People like the Duke are just incompatible."
"Lizette, you always put things in a way that makes me feel good. But I can't indulge in that. I have to make efforts to improve."
"I can't imagine why you need to change for the Duke."
Unusually, Lizette frowned. To her, this battle was already a done deal. She had long given up on Duke Pastore, who had ignored Marcel's advice at a nearly certain moment of victory. In Lizette's view, anyone who didn't recognize Marcel's capabilities was evil. So she found it hard to accept that Marcel would change for the Duke.
"I'm not changing for the Duke. I'm changing to match a worthy adversary. I'm passionate and proud. There are always a certain number of people who don't want to follow me, even if I show my abilities. Until now, that was okay, but it's a flaw when dealing with Arnold."
Marcel gave a bitter smile as he said this. There was a time when he would have flatly refused to change for such people. But that sentiment had already flown away.
He acknowledged Arnold as a worthy adversary for the first time. He didn't mind making any effort to defeat him.
"The nobles are in a meeting?"
"Yes, they seem to be discussing things without the Duke."
"Alright."
And so...
"Oh!? Ambassador Marcel!"
"You've awakened!"
"I've worried you, it seems. My apologies. It seems the fatigue of recent days hit me. The defeat the other day was my responsibility. I've caused you trouble."
Marcel bowed his head to the nobles. They did as they were told. The unexpected accident occurred, but Marcel judged that it was his responsibility to prevent it.
"Oh, raise your head, please!"
"That's right! You've been doing your best, ambassador!"
The nobles were puzzled by his unexpected behavior. It was different from before.
"I did my best, but a loss is a loss. Moreover, I fell at a crucial time. The loss of time here is fatal."
Marcel shared information with the nobles. That the enemy was likely to mobilize Rondine. That would enable the border army to move. If the border army moves, the battle situation will change dramatically. That's why they didn't have time. He shared all of it.
However, the nobles could not understand as much as Marcel. There was a gap in awareness between them. Marcel thought they had to be completely crushed to win, but some of the nobles were somewhat complacent.
They lacked a sense of crisis because they lacked understanding. Marcel decided to correct this.
"The border army is probably already on the move. We likely have about one day left. We will have to retreat to the capital to avoid annihilation. But if we simply retreat, they will pursue us from behind."
"Can the border army really get here that quickly...?"
"I understand it's hard to believe. However, I don't typically get this sort of prediction wrong. If we don't retreat, it's annihilation. But we can't simply retreat either. And I don't think the Duke will accept the retreat."
Marcel understood the reason why Duke Pastore would not comply. It was not because he was considering the appropriateness of the instructions, but because he did not want to follow Marcel. If he complied, it would mean accepting the kingdom's intervention. Therefore, he consistently opposed Marcel's words.
Therefore...
"Let's make the Duke, who insists on staying, the rearguard. He's the Alliance leader, but he also has a son in the capital. The son is no less of a problem than the Duke... but we have no other choice."
"I see... But wouldn't it look bad to leave the Alliance leader behind?"
"That's why I'm discussing this with you. Under the Duke, including injured soldiers, there are about 3,000. Under me, there are 2,000 who can move. We're going to split the army. I'm sorry, but some of you will need to stay with the Duke."
Saying this, Marcel once again bowed his head to the nobles. Being in the rearguard is dangerous. Yet...
"I'll take on that role."
"Count Adlernat..."
"If someone has to do it, I'll do it. My son has already offended Prince Arnold. If the Duke's army doesn't win, there is no future for my family."
"That's a significant resolve. But there's no need to give up. I'll tell you something I trust you with. Prince Arnold will never kill you. Rather, he can't kill you."
"...What do you mean?"
"Prince Arnold is still an outsider after all. The one to judge will probably be Prince Julio. His enemy is the Duke only. Others are not enemies. You should be forgiven."
"...Why are you telling me this?"
"I don't want you to launch a reckless attack."
If someone is willing to be the rearguard, they wouldn't betray him after hearing this. And if Count Adlernat doesn't betray him, the other nobles won't either. Marcel had such calculations.
Of course, there was no lie in the words he spoke.
"...I'll become a prisoner and buy some time."
"Do that. In the capital, we have a thousand men left for defense. If we establish a defense line, three thousand should be sufficient. We'll somehow manage with negotiations. I don't want to use this method, but I'll try to bring about a conclusion that is advantageous to you."
"Thank you."
Now it's a losing battle. Right now, Marcel is moving to make it a better losing battle. The nobles finally understood that.
There was a chance to win.
The first time, the chance was certain.
The second time, the chance was slim.
They missed both.
The battlefield wasn't so forgiving as to offer a third chance.
Afterwards, the Duke's army was split in two.
One retreated to the capital, while the other remained on the spot.
The rearguard still numbered three thousand.
That was a force that couldn't be ignored, so Arnold couldn't send out a pursuit unit.
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