Chapter 111: To the Eastern Front (3)

After joining the Eastern Front, Milton stabilized the lines of defense at once.

Horn Castle and Carnot Castle: to these two strongholds at the very forefront of this battlefield, Milton assigned additional troops and solidified the defense in such a manner that the Republics could no longer attack as rashly.

The frontline had recently begun exhibiting signs of weakness as their reserve corps began to run dry, but the Eastern Front was a fundamentally sturdy defensive curtain. The castles of Horn and Carnot acted as a steadfast front, while they were reinforced from behind by the equally steadfast keeps of Andemar, Bison and Lucerne. The five strongholds were arranged so that if any of them were to be ignored and the border was crossed, the invaders supply line would not be maintainable.

Yet the same applied for the Kobrook Republic.

The Kobrook Republics defensive line consisted of three castles and five smaller strongholds. The three castles were arranged in a triangular formation while the five minor forts formed a buffer at the front. If one were to penetrate while ignoring these eight gateways, their supply line would be cut off and they would be methodically exterminated.

It would only be possible to push the lines if at least two of these eight checkpoints were felled.

According to our intelligence, the enemys numbers are as follows.

Marquis Bologna handed Milton and Viscount Sabian a chart listing the enemys composition.

Litinque Castle 20,000

Bells Castle 10,000

Hornie Castle 10,000

Fortress Lientz 3,000

Fortress Belluno 3,000

Fortress Brunico 2,000

Fortress Merano 2,000

FortressBolchano 3,000

Is that a total force of 53,000? Thats more than I thought thered be.

Considering that all the strength of the Republics was meant to be piling into the North, the Kobrook Republic had left a considerable force standing.

Viscount Sabian frowned as he surveyed the map.

This is I see that they have arranged the forts in quite a troublesome manner.

They have indeed. Were you able to tell at first glance?

Yes. The forts have been positioned so that, lest we attack one, reinforcements from the others may arrive in less than a day. Merely capturing one stronghold would be insufficient to act as a starting point for launching a wider offensive.

Correct. A rather deliberate design.

The Kobrook Republics defensive line had been precisely constructed to exude this effect.

First, to attack the three main castles, the smaller forts had to be controlled. Ignoring the minor strongholds to attack the castles directly would leave one open to harassment from the rear by the forts forces.

However, the five forts were painstakingly designed to make such endeavors incredibly painful.

First was the distance their positions were not decided arbitrarily, but constructed so that they could easily act as backup to one another. If one fort came under attack, at least two other forts could send reinforcements at breakneck speed.

With sufficient deliberation we could capture a fort, but the greater issue is what comes afterwards. These keeps are

I assume they have been intentionally constructed so that defense is difficult. Along those lines, the forts walls would be low and not quite sturdy enough to rely on. Most importantly, they would be constructed to be too small for stationing a sizable force.

Marquis Bologna was awestruck.

Did you possess this information beforehand?

I did not, but such could be naturally deduced from the data you have given me, Marquis.

According to the reference material handed out by Marquis Bologna, the five minor forts did not house a considerable force. All of them had forces of only 2000 to 3000 men stationed at them.

And the reason was simply because they were not large enough to house more.

It would be difficult to continue occupying strongholds with such low defensive capabilities even if they were to be seized. Rather, it would become quite the grueling affair to stand against the reinforcements from the surrounding forts and the rear castles. Would that be correct?

That is precisely so. To those bastards, these five minor forts are not focal points that must be protected in fact, they play the part of bait to force a war of attrition. Should defending them become difficult, they surrender the forts with no qualms, only to attack them later with an offensive that our men likewise cannot withstand.

Though the Kobrook Republic did not possess geographical advantages such as the Grey Mountains, they nevertheless boasted an impenetrable iron wall against none other than the Strabus Kingdom. In fact, the Kobrook Republic had steadfastly protected this border for more than a century.

Furthermore, the Kobrook Republic retained a military force that best capitalized on their concrete defense; and that was their navy.

If the Hildess Republics pride were their mountaineers, the Kobrook Republics was their navy.

Their overall wartime strategy was to maintain a steadfast defense at their borders, while their fleets harassed the Strabus Kingdom along their East coast. It was because they were simply that confident in the sturdiness of their defense that they could focus their investments on their naval strength.

The one who conceived the current defensive curtain around Kobrook lands was the late Generalissimo Loskan, considered to be a once-in-a-century absolute genius of a strategist. Revered as a hero in the Kobrook Republic, the defensive lines along their borders were the fruits of his lifelong labor.

Even though over a century had passed since his death, the Strabus Kingdom had not been able to punch through this frontier.

Marquis Bologna asked Viscount Sabian with a voice brimming with expectation.

Good man, I suppose you are the one who proposed an offensive on the Eastern Front. Then I assume youve devised a scheme for breaking down this nuisance of a defense?

Viscount Sabian slightly smiled.

To give credit where it is due, I believe the Kobrook Republics lines are a masterpiece.

Do you mean to say you have no confidence?

Marquis Bologna frowned in disappointment, but Viscount Sabian continued.

That is not so. The current condition of the Kobrook Republics defense is not quite the same as usual. They possess a fatal weakness at present.

A weakness? Go on.

Viscount Sabian explained as he surveyed the map.

The enemys prime error is

Viscount Sabian calmly described the critical flaw in the Republics defensive lines and the strategy for exploiting this weakness in an orderly manner.

The proposed operation was elaborate, bold and more than anything, had a high probability of success.

When his explanation concluded, Marquis Bologna and his command staff had their mouths agape.

Randol Sabian

Is this man a genius?

Is there some way we can bring him to our kingdoms side? How could a man like this be no more than a Viscount?

Ahem Viscount Sabian.

Yes, is there a question?

No, not quite

Marquis Bologna was about to say something, but he faltered when he saw Milton at Viscount Sabians rear.

No, its nothing.

This was when Marquis Bologna resolved: when there were fewer prying eyes, he would make contact with Sabian in secret and offer that he transfer to his command.

Putting forward a transfer offer to a man serving an allied nation was an act that was rude at the least, but had the potential to cause friction and create a fissure.

Despite knowing this, the genius that was Randol Sabian was much too desirable.

Even treasure has its rightful owner. Hed be much better off as a Count in our Strabus Kingdom than a Viscount of some minor country like the Lester Kingdom.

Milton smirked as he watched the cogs turn in Marquis Bolognas mind.

Youre making it too obvious, you old uncle.

Milton admittedly understood where the Marquis was coming from. Bologna was not some lowly military officer operating on his own, but a Marquis in charge of the entirety of one frontier. It was only a given that he would highly value competent operational staff wherever he came across them.

But Milton was not concerned in the least.

The reason being

[Randol Sabian]

Tactician LV.5

Strength 11Command 82

Intellect 95Politics 85

Loyalty 93

Special Traits Strategy, Tactics, Intuition, Level-Headed, Silver Tongued.

Strategy LV.9(MAX): Excellent ability to discern the overall flow of war.

Tactics LV.9(MAX): The integrality and effectiveness of tactics used in battle are increased.

Intuition LV.7:Pre-emptively