Vol 4 Chapter 30 (1/2)
A+
A-
Chapter 30
Chapter 4 Episode 30
Editor:Starbuck11
There was always a cause-and-effect in all things in nature.
Whether it was the science-ruled Earth, or the mystery and miracle-filled another world, that rule alone stays the same.
There was always a cause and a consequence.
(What will happen, what is the consequence of this event...)
Sudou and Sardina, the two of them were contemplating the same thing.
And Seria desperately tried to understand the situation while looking at Sardina who has her face down.
(I'm here as a military strategist. Think... What do I know, what should I see in this situation... All started the moment when that messenger arrived...)
Seria could still remember every single conversations after the surprise attack.
And finally, Seria noticed something.
(Wait... What did the messenger say? Part of our army sortied out?)
Then she remembered what Sudou said after that.
(Sudou said we might suffer fatal injury if we continue to act recklessly... reckless? In other words, their sortie was not part of her highness' expectations... Those troops came out from the camp, in other words, if the surprise attack was actually a decoy then... the unit that sortied out will...)
After she thought further ahead, all the pieces started to come together.
(Depending on our troops' movements after this, it will decide the trend of the war... And the real intention of letting Rolf-dono and Saitou calm the troops...)
After that, Seria's thoughts come to a conclusion.
”The surprise attack is a decoy... Then what awaits for the lured unit is...”
When Seria said those words, Sardina raised her face and look at her with a sharp look.
Eyes filled with rage and sorrow.
It showed that the conclusion that Seria had reached was the correct one.
Sardina and Seria stared at each other in silence.
Other than that, Sudou had an unchanging smile on his face.
After a while, the heavy silence was broken by a knight who runs into the tent.
He was coming into the tent hastily.
He kneeled before Sardina immediately while trying to fix his rough breath.
”Report ! Saitou-sama and Rolf-sama have successfully calmed the army.”
Seria unintentionally stroked her chest after she heard the report.
It can be said that having Rolf who was originally tasked to defend the rear come to the front line was a fortunate thing.
At first, Sardina just wants more manpower before she launched the all-out battle, but it has unexpectedly brought good luck.
It would've been impossible to calm the soldiers unless the words came out from a man with a proven track record like Rolf.
Saitou was not bad either, but
he won't be able to calm the current situation alone.
Seria smiled in relief.
However, Sardina's wary expression have not yet disappeared.
”How many soldiers went out without permission?”
”We've confirmed the soldiers who sortied numbered around eight thousands, the soldiers mostly belong to the 3rd, 5th, and 8th chivalric orders that were part of the western region army.”
Hearing that, Sardina clicked her tongue.
If Zalda’s intention was to lure Ortomea's troops, then their chance of coming back was low.
(Eight thousands... It's more than I had expected... And as I had feared, it was the troops from the western area we had asked as reinforcements... My command seems to not have spread properly...)
Most of the reinforcement soldiers had gone out without Sardina's permission.
That was one of the Empire's downside for having a large territory.
Even though they had come from the same Imperial Army, for those who were not familiar with her command, it was particularly hard to enforce an order.
Thus Sardina herself could not utilize them efficiently.
”Rolf-sama also asked permission to sent a rescue unit...”
Sardina didn't reply the messenger...
If they do nothing, eight thousands men might well die.
However, knowing that there was a trap, Sardina could not order the rest of the army to jump into it either...
”We have no choice but to cut our losses, huh..?”
Sudou opened his mouth while looking at Sardina who kept silent.
His voice felt irritating.
Despite the current situation, Sudou's manner of speaking didn't even change.
”Cut our losses, you said?”
Seria looked puzzled, unable to understand such term.
”Yes, cut one's losses. If we tried to help and save those soldiers poorly, we might suffer a bigger disaster instead...”
Cut one's losses
In term of business, it was a move where one abandons an enterprise or course of action that was clearly going to be unprofitable or unsuccessful before one suffers too much losses or harm.
Following that thought, what did Sudou meant by saying “cut our losses”?
The answer was...
”We should not send a rescue unit, you want us to abandon them, is that right?”
Seria held her breath when Sardina said those words while glaring at Sudou full of hatred.
”Of course, if your highness wanted to... This Sudou will not say anything more and dispatch a rescue unit... However, although it might be rude of me, I want to say that if we sent a rescue unit now, the chance of success for the invasion would be drastically reduced. Furthermore, It is already too late, if we go now, instead of a rescue we will be
be met with a crus.h.i.+ng defeat...”
Sudou laughed lightly...
It was written on his face.
That he wants Sardina to decide...
”You already know that much yet still want me to decide huh?”
(Sudou Akitake... He was the right-hand man of Gaies who had already pa.s.sed away...)
Although his personality can be said as nothing but disgusting, when it comes to his ability, Sardina could not say anything.
In fact, Sudou merely stated the truth.
And like the old people said, sometimes the truth can be painful...
”Of course... If we let our subordinates got killed in front of us like that, the morale of the whole army will fall. That is why, no matter which path your highness choose, we will sustain heavy damage. If that is the case then, I suggest we take the choice with less damage...”
”Should we maintain morale, or should we choose to preserve the soldiers' numbers, is that it?”
Sardina then chewed her thumb's fingernail.
(If we don't send a rescue unit, the soldiers will be dissatisfied with my command... Creating the possibility of them deserting the army... But if we sent a rescue team while fully knowing that it was a trap, we might suffer heavier losses instead...)
Either choice was a major problem for Ortomea Empire army, one wrong move here might cause the invasion to become a complete failure.
It was a very difficult choice.
And the right answer might not exist when it comes to these two choices.
It was two disadvantageous options.