Arc 4 Chapter 6 : Siena's Strategy

[Raul POV]

The following day, I was back at the academy.

Classes for the third-year students were supposed to resume by now. However, with a war looming over the Empire, students of their age were usually drafted into the reserve forces.

As I walked through the academy grounds, I noticed security personnel from the Ministry of Defense stationed throughout the campus. Their presence was hardly surprising. The Vice Minister himself was currently here to oversee the conscription of the third-year students.

Before long, I arrived at the academy's main hall.

The building was already filled with third-year students, both male and female, who had gathered to await further instructions. I found an empty seat and sat down, waiting for the Vice Minister to arrive.

"Captain?"

Someone called out to me.

I turned my head.

A petite woman was sitting beside me.

She was Tianna Lovecraft—one of the members of my Disciplinary Committee.

"What is it, Tianna?" I asked.

"Will all of the Disciplinary Committee members be going together this time?" the petite woman asked.

"Since Emperor Philip appointed me Captain of Reconnaissance of 21th unit, I have the authority to choose the members of my unit later," I replied. "I think I'll bring all of you with me."

A Reconnaissance Unit consisted of only fifty to one hundred soldiers. Their duties included locating enemy positions, conducting surveillance, performing patrols, and handling various other tasks related to scouting.

"That's a relief," Tianna said with a small smile. "It'll be much easier for me if we're all assigned to the same team."

After talking with Tianna for a little while longer, I noticed the Vice Minister entering the hall with several aides.

He walked toward the podium before turning his gaze toward the gathered students.

"Good afternoon, young blood of the Empire!"

The Vice Minister's voice echoed throughout the hall.

"My name is Vincent de Salamanca, Vice Minister of Defense of the Aragon Empire. As you all know, our nation has declared war on the Republic of Venetia. Our soldiers have already begun mobilizing to march against and defeat our enemies."

The Empire's primary military force would undoubtedly be concentrated in Hernant Duchy.

However, considering that the Republic of Venetia had previously dispatched an intelligence team into the territory of Margraviate Cataluna, it was highly likely that they would launch an attack there as well.

If that happened, this war would have two fronts.

Furthermore, an attack on Margraviate Cataluna would most likely be executed swiftly, allowing Venetia to seize the territory before the Empire had enough time to respond.

"This war presents an opportunity for young people like you to gain invaluable experience and demonstrate your abilities!" the Vice Minister continued, raising his voice. "Andreas the Punisher, Marco the Ironman, and Jarvis the Elemental were all knights and mages who entered the battlefield when they were around your age. Their young talents shone brightly in real combat."

There was some truth in his words.

Several academy students who had participated in actual battles had distinguished themselves and gone on to become famous.

Their careers as knights or mages flourished after gaining recognition through their achievements on the battlefield.

But such cases represented only a small portion of the students who went to war.

Most returned carrying trauma from what they had witnessed, unable to overcome the horrors of battle.

Only those who managed to conquer their fear could truly shine like the heroes the Vice Minister had mentioned.

"I am certain that at least one of you will return from this war covered in glory, alongside the Empire's victory over our enemies!" the Vice Minister proclaimed passionately. "That is why I urge you to find the courage within yourselves! This is your opportunity to serve your beloved homeland with every ounce of your strength, body, and soul. Show the world how the younger generation of the Empire will carry our dominance across this continent into the future!"

His speech was incredibly familiar.

It sounded almost exactly like the speeches given by the leaders of nations in my original world when they wanted to recruit young people for war.

"Glory—to the Empire!" the Vice Minister shouted, raising his clenched fist into the air.

The students and I stood and followed his lead.

"GLORY TO THE EMPIRE!"

"GLORY TO THE EMPIRE!"

After the ceremony, the Vice Minister called the students one by one onto the platform.

Each of us was given a special insignia reserved for academy students participating in the war, along with our assignment papers detailing our positions and duties during the conflict.

Once the ceremony was over, I gathered all the members of the Disciplinary Committee in our office to explain what we would be doing next.

"Hey, Tazz. You look pretty impressive wearing that insignia," Erik said, complimenting the large-built man.

"What do you think this insignia is made of?" Piers asked while examining the one he had received.

They all looked pleased and proud as they admired the Young Blood Insignia officially granted to them by the Empire.

It was more than just a badge.

It was proof that the state now recognized them as official soldiers of the Empire.

"All right. Everyone, listen to me."

At my words, everyone turned toward me and paid close attention.

"We'll be stationed in the territory of Margraviate Cataluna—the same place where we conducted our practical training before," I told them. "The territory borders both the Republic of Venetia and the Kingdom of Draconia."

"Huh? Isn't that place extremely far from the main front, Captain?" Piers asked, sounding slightly disappointed. "Does that mean we won't actually participate in the war!?"

Everyone seemed to have the same question.

I took out a rolled-up map and pinned it against the blackboard so that they could better understand my explanation.

"This is a map of the Empire's northern border," I said.

I pointed toward the map.

"The main front of this war will be located along the border in Hernant Duchy."

I used a ruler to indicate the region.

"This area is nearly eight hundred kilometers away from Margraviate Cataluna, where we've been assigned."

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Everyone stared at the map.

Not all of my subordinates were particularly familiar with the geography of their own nation.

"Last night, we received information that the Kingdom of Draconia has chosen to form an alliance with the Republic of Venetia," I continued. "Therefore, it is entirely possible that a new front will emerge in the northeast—specifically in Margraviate Cataluna, which borders both nations."

Several members nodded as they began to understand what I was getting at.

However, I doubted the soldiers currently stationed in Margraviate Cataluna would be capable of holding back an army that attempted to pass through the Stretto Route—a secret passage that Siena had likely discovered during her intelligence mission here.

"At present, the combined forces of the Venetian-Grecan Alliance amount to eighty thousand soldiers," I explained. "The Kingdom of Draconia possesses forty thousand troops, bringing the total strength of the three-nation alliance to one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers."

One hundred and twenty thousand soldiers.

That meant the combined forces of the three nations already exceeded the Empire's standing army, even before taking into account the reserve forces provided by the thirty percent contribution from nobles directly under the Emperor.

"My prediction is that this war will have two fronts," I said seriously. "The Western Front, centered around Tusculum City, and the Eastern Front, centered around Margraviate Cataluna—the territory where we will be stationed."

The members who had initially looked disappointed at the thought of being kept away from the war now looked tense.

"But Captain, how could their forces possibly attack Margraviate Cataluna when the Montana Mountains separate our nation from theirs?" Barney, one of the mages in the Disciplinary Committee, asked.

"Barney, in a war like this, the enemy will certainly have prepared unexpected plans designed to weaken the Empire," I replied. "We need to prepare for the worst so that we can respond quickly to any unexpected and dangerous maneuvers they make."

If my prediction was correct, then the attack on Margraviate Cataluna would be one of the keys to the Alliance's victory.

If we could repel their assault, the initiative in this war would fall into our hands.

[Luciano POV]

For the past several days, I had barely slept properly.

The declaration of war issued by the Aragon Empire had thrown everything into turmoil.

Although we had predicted that this would happen and had prepared for it in advance, the pressure weighing upon us was immense.

The future of our nation—whether it would prosper or fall into ruin—was at stake.

At present, I was waiting for Siena to arrive before heading to the war room, where the generals of the Republic of Greco and the Kingdom of Draconia had already gathered.

The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate the armies of our three nations and select a Supreme Commander for the combined forces, allowing us to establish a unified chain of command.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A knock came from the door of my office.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing a woman with black hair like mine.

But her orange eyes were identical to those of my late wife, Matilda.

"Sit down," I instructed her.

My daughter sat across from me.

Her face showed neither sadness nor happiness.

She had always been like this ever since awakening from the coma caused by that accident.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Siena?" I asked.

"Father, why did you arrange my engagement to Prince Vlad without discussing it with me first?"

At Siena's question, I rubbed my forehead.

I had, in fact, forgotten to discuss the matter with her.

I had simply been too occupied with matters of state to remember something as important as this.

"I'm sorry, Siena. I haven't had much time lately," I said apologetically. "My decision came rather suddenly because we didn't have enough leverage to convince the Kingdom of Draconia to form an alliance with us."

Upon hearing my explanation, Siena merely sighed.

"All right. But next time, talk to me before making a decision that concerns my life."

"Huh? You're not going to refuse the engagement?" I asked.

"If this is for the future of our nation, I don't mind sacrificing even my life, Father."

She looked directly into my eyes as she spoke.

Siena was a wonderful daughter.

As her father, I always felt guilty for exploiting her for my own political interests until I managed to secure the presidency.

"No, Siena. Your life is more important. You are the future of this nation," I told her. "Don't push yourself too hard during the battles to come. You are the one who will lead this country to the height of its glory."

Siena was a special child to our people.

She was the only descendant of the Venetian people in recorded history capable of wielding magic.

For generations, we had believed that our people were cursed, doomed to remain incapable of using magic forever.

But Siena's birth shattered that curse.

She represented a new beginning for our people—a chance for us to reach new heights by gaining access to the extraordinary power of magic.

I believed it was because of my late wife, Matilda.

She had been an exceptionally talented mage.

Even though our people had intermingled with mages over the years, we had never produced a child capable of wielding magic.

Yet fate had chosen to change that when Siena was born.

And I was certain that Matilda herself must have descended from a powerful mage family, even though she had never once spoken to me about her family's background.

"I suppose that's all I wanted to discuss, Father," Siena said as she rose from her chair. "Let's hurry to the war room. We need to discuss the Alliance's war strategy."

"All right."

The two of us left my office and walked toward the meeting room.

The palace guards saluted respectfully whenever we passed them.

I suppose that once this war was over, I would retire from politics and help Siena secure the position of the first female President of the Republic of Venetia.

I was certain that this nation would progress even further under the leadership of my talented daughter.

We eventually arrived at the meeting room.

Siena walked toward the area where the military officials were gathered, while I took the specially prepared seat reserved for me.

To my left were the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Defense, and the military officials of the Kingdom of Draconia.

On my right were the diplomats and senior military officers of the Republic of Greco.

"All right. Let us begin the meeting to discuss the Alliance's strategy for dealing with the Imperial army."

I opened the meeting without any formalities, unwilling to waste the precious time we had.

"First, let us hear what the Kingdom of Draconia has to say regarding this war."

At my words, the Kingdom of Draconia's Minister of Defense stood while holding a sheet of paper.

"The Kingdom of Draconia will deploy a total of forty thousand soldiers, along with one thousand knights and two hundred mages," the Minister announced. "Our forces will arrive in Cosentia City in approximately fifteen days, carrying enough food supplies to last twenty days. We hope that the Republic of Venetia will provide the logistical necessities for our troops throughout the duration of the war."

After making his request, the Minister returned to his seat.

"Thank you. We will ensure that all the needs of the Kingdom of Draconia's forces are met once they arrive within our territory," I replied.

"Next, is there anything the Republic of Greco wishes to discuss before we proceed?"

A diplomat from the Republic of Greco stood after hearing my question.

"Mr. President, I apologize, but our forces will arrive later than the ten days we originally promised."

"Why has this happened, Mr. Astropus?" I asked.

"A landslide has blocked the main road leading to the Republic of Venetia," he replied apologetically. "Our forces may not reach Tusculum City until fifteen days after the Imperial army arrives in the region."

Fifteen days?

That meant our forces would have to withstand the assault of the Emperor's army—an army far larger than ours—for even longer than we had anticipated.

"Very well, Mr. Astropus. We will lend the Republic of Venetia's fleet if doing so can accelerate the arrival of the Republic of Greco's forces in Tusculum City."

"Thank you, Mr. President."

After hearing the various requests and obstacles presented by our two allies, I called for the guards to bring in a large map of our nation's territory so that we could begin discussing our war strategy.

"The Alliance's military strategy will be presented by Major Siena of the Tigrenata Battalion."

I looked toward my daughter.

She stood after hearing her name.

"Major, please explain the strategy our forces will be adopting."

"Thank you, Mr. President."

Siena turned toward the gathered officials.

"As we know, the entire Imperial army will arrive in Hernant Duchy within approximately twenty days."

Everyone present focused their attention on my daughter, who was only twenty-one years old.

"My prediction is that the Empire will attack Tusculum City with eighty thousand troops while keeping the remaining twenty thousand behind to intercept reinforcements arriving from the Republic of Greco."

Siena then explained that the Republic of Venetia's forces would divide into two groups along the Western Front.

Twenty thousand troops would defend Tusculum City while gradually retreating, deliberately drawing the Imperial army deeper into our territory.

The remaining thirty thousand troops would sail along the Vicenzo River and land near Mazovia Forest, where they would destroy the twenty thousand Imperial soldiers left behind to intercept reinforcements from the Republic of Greco.

"After destroying the twenty thousand Imperial troops stationed in the rear, the forces of the Republic of Venetia and the Republic of Greco will join together and surround the remaining eighty thousand Imperial troops that have advanced deep into Venetian territory," Siena continued, explaining the strategy in detail.

"If this plan is executed successfully, the Imperial army will be surrounded from three directions, allowing us to destroy them in a decisive battle."

Siena herself had developed this plan before embarking on her intelligence mission within the Empire.

However, she had told me that she had obtained two additional secret plans after completing her mission in Imperial territory.

Someone stood and raised his hand after hearing Siena's explanation.

He was one of the military officials from the Republic of Greco.

"Major Siena, what happens if we fail to destroy the Empire's main army or fail to defeat the twenty thousand troops guarding their rear?"

"If our plan fails completely, the forty thousand soldiers of the Kingdom of Draconia will pass through the route I discovered in the Montana Mountains and launch an attack on Margraviate Cataluna," Siena answered.

"From there, they will begin driving deeper into Imperial territory, striking toward the heart of their capital, Terragona."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"If this plan succeeds, we will seize the initiative in this war."

This was the result of Siena's mission within the Aragon Empire.

I doubted they would ever expect us to attack from the very edge of their Empire—a region protected by towering mountains that should have been impossible for tens of thousands of troops to cross.

"But if this plan also fails, then there is still one final secret plan that I will keep in reserve for the most critical moment."

Siena then began explaining the secret plan that would shake the Empire to its foundations, destabilize the nation from within, and give our Alliance the opportunity to launch a counterattack deep into Imperial territory.