Chapter 582: Total Army Mobilization

Chapter 582: Total Army Mobilization

When Leonard learned that his right-wing force, which he had divided into three parts for the frontline, had been ambushed by Ansem, he made an immediate decision. It was the worst possible outcome for Ansem.

“I suppose I should say ‘as expected from Leonard’. His decision was irritatingly accurate and quick.”

Ansem had already identified his next target by the time he had driven the enemy’s right wing to a rout. The Imperial army was keeping a close eye on the main body of the kingdom’s forces but if a small group moved, the Imperial army should have noticed immediately. Hence, they would come to counterattack.

Reading this, Ansem had his army lie in ambush at the site of the previous attack. However, Leonard, anticipating Ansem’s move, had made the decision to “mobilize all forces” at the same time as the right wing was driven to a rout.

The enemy was a small group. Their aim was to destroy each one individually. If they tried to search recklessly, they would fall right into the trap. So, it’s better to become a large army and make it impossible for them to do anything. That was his judgment, and it was the strategy Ansem absolutely did not want to be adopted.

“I heard he was a fearless commander, but he’s careful… No, should I say he’s timid rather than careful?”

“Exactly. He’s leading the Imperial army, which has superior forces, yet he’s behaving as if we are the ones superior. Because of this, there’s no opportunity for us to take advantage.”

The Imperial army’s right wing was routed, but it was only the headquarters that were destroyed. There were many soldiers who escaped. Leonard prioritized accommodating them.

The effect of their recent victory had been diminished as the next move was blocked. However, it wasn’t that there was no effect at all.

“Retreat. We can’t hope for any more military achievements.”

“Is that alright? The enemy will be more vigilant. The next chance will be…”

“We have changed the situation. We have killed one of the enemy generals and made the enemy vigilant about ambushes. That’s enough.”

The situation had improved from one where retreat was the best option, to one where various strategies could be used. As the Kingdom’s army had switched to an offensive stance and killed one of the enemy generals, which they were supposed to be retreating, it was likely to slow down the enemy’s future movements.

Although the Imperial army’s superiority remained the same, the atmosphere had changed quite a bit.

“Milene.”

“Here.”

“Inform the main body of our successful ambush and the killing of the enemy general. Afterwards, convey this information accurately to each city. Accurately. There’s no need for any exaggeration. With just that, each city will be less likely to be swayed.”

“Understood.”

After instructing Milene, Ansem turned his gaze towards where the Imperial army’s main headquarters was. In Ansem’s heart, there was a part of him that underestimated Leonard. After all, he was just Arnold’s younger brother.

The reason he got close to the position of the crown prince was because Arnold was behind him. Because he valued Arnold, his evaluation of Leonard, who was merely being carried along, was low.

However, after seeing how quickly Leonard made his decisions this time, he thought he needed to reevaluate him.

“I knew he was an excellent prince… But he is indeed Arnold’s twin brother. I didn’t think of him as inferior… But he’s not to be underestimated.”

■■■

“In any case, the highest priority is to protect the soldiers who managed to escape! Vin! Reorganize the right-wing unit! I’m counting on you! Theodore! I’m going to see how the soldiers are, I need a guard!” Leonard ordered.

“Understood. We will incorporate those who can fight into the units. What about the commanders?” Vin asked.

“We’ll decide that later. For now, gather the soldiers scattered throughout the kingdom! Soldiers who have fled into enemy territory tend to become bandits. For their sake and for the sake of the kingdom’s people, we must protect them responsibly,” Leonard replied.

“Got it. I’ll start right away,” Vin agreed.

Once he finished giving out his orders, Leonard got on his horse to check on the soldiers. As he did this, Harnish, who had temporarily retreated from the front line, approached.

“Your Highness! The central unit has successfully retreated!” Harnish reported.

“General Harnish, you did well to hold back and retreat. This decision should save us,” Leonard praised.

When the right wing collapsed, Harnish was the closest to Ansem. He received the message that Ansem had appeared before the main unit did. He had considered rushing to the rescue immediately, but Harnish decided to abandon the siege of the castle and take a defensive position while waiting for Leonard’s instructions.

If he were to speak frankly, he wanted to avenge the right-wing unit. He was confident he could do it. However, he said, “His Highness is showing restraint. I can’t let myself get carried away.”

Since the war started, Leonard had always played it safe. This was because he did not know what the enemy would do. There were voices saying he was overly cautious, but to that, Leonard would respond with one word: Ansem.

This was a reflection of how much he was wary of Ansem, and his actions also led to Harnish’s restraint. The collapse of the right-wing unit was proof that Leonard’s wariness of Ansem was justified, and recklessly charging in would only result in the same fate. This was how Harnish judged the situation.

“I’m grateful. I’m going to check on the soldiers. I’d like you to come with me,” Leonard invited.

“I will accompany you,” Harnish confirmed.

“How is the central unit doing?” Leonard asked.

“They seemed a bit dissatisfied with the retreat, but their morale is still high. They’re ready to move at any time,” Harnish answered.

“I also want to move immediately, but first, we need to protect the soldiers from the collapsed right-wing unit. Given this large army, even Ansem can’t stage a surprise attack. He should also be retreating,” Leonard reasoned.

“According to the report, the enemy force was around 10,000… The command ability to easily defeat a unit of 30,000 with a surprise attack is beyond imagination,” Harnish noted.

“I see. He’s indeed someone who is focused on winning to the point of staging a surprise attack from there. Honestly, I feel outmaneuvered,” Leonard confessed.

He had been trying to anticipate the enemy’s movements as much as possible. However, Ansem had been moving beyond those expectations. Despite having set up a solid surveillance network, the enemy created a separate unit of 10,000 and caused 30,000 to flee, something unimaginable. He didn’t know where the punch would come from. All he could do was keep his guard up. Even then, a punch could slip through the gaps in his guard, but now was the time to endure. The enemy had a clear weakness.

“The Kingdom Army will probably trumpet their victory. It’ll be a tailwind for them, but it might also become a headwind for Ansem,” Leonard speculated.

“What do you mean?” Harnish asked.

“The Kingdom is not monolithic. Victory can deceive people, especially those who are only watching from behind,” Leonard explained.

With that, he spurred his horse into a gallop. For the next few days, the Imperial Army was left unable to move.

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