Chapter 86: Tenth Episode: Chapter 4 (2/2)
”Dammit!” Oscar turned around awkwardly, but before he even started waving his sword, a team of sword knights tackled him to the ground.
”Hey, have you heard?”
”What…?”
”His Highness was beaten up by the assault team today.”
”Oh my god really?”
”Yes, really! I saw it with my own eyes, His Highness’s jacket had at least a hundred footprints on it.”
”That’s terrible! May the God of Light save his soul!”
From that day onward, every morning became Oscar’s nightmare, he would need to face a whole team of infantry or cavalry alone. According to his tutor, that will train his judgment on the battlefield. Concussion aside, he had experienced a broken nose, swollen eyes, accidentally kicked in the nether region, had his skin sliced off with a wooden sword, and most outrageously, one of the knights had tossed at him his riding boots, causing the spiky spur to pierce into his shoulder. The incident resulted in him lying on the stretcher with a boot stuck on his shoulder like some clown. Oscar believed if his physical condition allowed, he would have murdered everyone who witnessed it and kill himself afterwards.
His tutor spoke again, ”This is the battlefield, you knights did well, the more misfortune His Highness endured here, the higher chances he’ll be alive in the future.”
Days flew past in mud-groveling and dirt-wallowing as Oscar shot up in height as well as weight. Nevertheless, his figure was considered to be more well-proportioned. If he would eat less every day, he would definitely grow to be a handsome young man.
General Rayleigh did consider to limit Oscar’s food intake. He customized a meal plan for Oscar who fell into a hysteria after he’s seen it. Oscar pulled out a dagger and pinned the menu onto the table with it, shouting at his tutor, ”You can either get that as far as you can away from me, or you can leave your body behind.”
The tutor could tell the kid was not kidding. Everyone have their moments of uncompromise. To Oscar, he could tolerate the hellish daily training of being beaten up, but if anyone touches his dinner table…
The daily exercise needed a large amount of energy to support, so Oscar did have a reasonable excuse to slaughter those idiots who tried to make him a vegetarian, although General Rayleigh wasn’t an idiot, his practices had, in fact, been quite effective. Initially, around the end of the 4th Month, Oscar’s face would be swollen, battered by a swarm of knights. In half a month, even though Oscar was still the one lying face down in the mud, he could already take on some of the tackles and lightly scratch some of the unlucky ones on the other side. Another month had passed, the charges of the infantry units no longer could threaten his safety unless they use lances or heavy shields. Of course, he still couldn’t endure the cavalry charges, usually one round was all it needs for him to kiss the earth.
”What can I do now?” Oscar was stressed! He couldn’t care less about his honor, he was really trying to overcome this issue. Like his tutor had said, many things could happen on a battlefield, some famous generals and marshals did die by stray arrows or a stampede.
Baron Gondor Abassia used to be a division commander of an infantry, he had successfully created a history with his victory against an advantageous cavalry at the Don River. Oscar found out about this, so he asked his military advisor’s opinion on how to defeat a team of cavalry.
Baron Abassia’s explanation was ‘to figure out if a cavalry was strong, look at their stables.’ This makes sense! In modern warfare, the quality and quantity of the cavalry had become the key to winning a war, that was because the mobility and destructive power of a cavalry was incomparable by other army types.
However! Baron Abassia knew the power of that word, ”however” could usually change the property of an event into some other things.
However, are an army of cavalry really that difficult to overcome?
No, it’s not. The reason why Abassia could win against the cavalry, was his understanding of a cavalry’s weakness, their radius of battle.
”Radius of battle?” Oscar’s military dictionary was still new, he remembered the term, it’s regarding the effective range of an army against their enemies. On a cavalry army, that would mean the distance they need to launch the second assault if the first assault didn’t work out the way it was imagined.
It sounded difficult to understand, but Oscar wasn’t completely clueless. Cavaliers depend on their horses to provide the impact and destructive power. Horses need a long time and distance to gather momentum from idleness to galloping. This means the first attack that failed would put the cavalry in a position where they need time and space to regroup for the second attack.
This was the cavalry’s weakness. Their radius of battle would be limited by the geography, enemies’ disruption, a bow and arrow’s range of attack etc.
”That means, when an enemy started closing into your front line, the key moment would be arriving soon!” Abassia almost danced as he explained. ”I would have chosen to put the heavy knights on the side of the battlefield, you know why? Your front line determines your enemies column, because the assault team needed the penetration.”
”That way, the archers behind the heavy knights would be able to send a barrage of shots accurately on your enemies. Don’t believe in scatter shots, I can guarantee those can’t do anything! Don’t go stingy on your arrows at this point, aim them at the dust cloud, and fire from above.”
”Next, the most important point, the archers need to retreat behind the heavy knights before the enemies approached the front line. At this point, the enemy commander would definitely change formation, either into two columns to attack both left and right sides simultaneously, or into an evasion formation out of the space between the two heavy armor sides. No matter what, their radius of battle would have shrunk by a lot, and their speed would slow down as they…”
”Hold on! Hold on!” Oscar interrupted, this wasn’t what he was asking. ”I was hypothesizing if I only have one man with a stick, and the enemy is a whole squad of fully armed cavaliers, what do I do?”
The former hero of the Imperial Guards General Abassia only spends a fraction of a second to think before using his arm to hook at Oscar’s neck.
”Child! Listen to adults! Compared to the piece of stick, you need a white flag more.”
Because of that, in early 6th Month of Year 792, as summer slowly befell the university city, Prince O’Neil Andrew Morisette fired his military advisor, and through some personal connections, reinstated Baron Abassia’s military rank. Not only that, on the second day of becoming the major general of the Imperial Guard, he received a notice to be transferred into the War History and Theories thirty-ninth class. Quoting the Prince, ”Don’t be fooled by his status as a war hero, he still have ways to learn!”
So, Abassia became an imperial guard bafflingly, and became Prince Oscar’s fellow student mysteriously. His wife and children were also invited to Sparjoxin, he still hadn’t received his infantry division, but at least this disabled veteran had returned to the troops! At least… he had gotten his military-signed payslip back. If it were before, he would have cried. But now, he kept forgetting where he put it. Lady Aeolia seemed to have been misinformed, because his payslip as a military advisor still comes in monthly. Abassia wanted to discuss this with the Prince, but he was stopped by his wife. As she said, ”His Highness would want it back some day or another, why the need to hurry?”
Yes, the Prince will eventually come to collect his investment returns, we need not be so hurried.
So how did time fly by so quickly? Oscar asked when he showed his fiancée who had returned from Faran.
”Looking at my scar you’d know I don’t feel much better than you do!” Oscar tried to comfort the princess, ”In 3rd Month my injury was focused on my head, then it switched to the upper abdomen when I noticed it the following month. I noticed that again in the 5th Month, but in the 6th Month I hurt my legs! My knights were more shrewd than rats!”
Alanis teared up and caressed her future husband’s scars. Her overflowing scents and her little hands almost drove Oscar over the edge, but she started crying like a baby. She cried and whined about both their fates, about how the People of Dulin were brutish animals, that her father was a pig, her mother was a witch who only knew how to force her. She also promised to execute all the people who bullied her, showed her disdain, and forced her to Faran to endure the humiliation.
It didn’t matter if the Princess’ curses were real, Oscar nodded and promised every little thing, making Alanis smile again. However, Oscar could tell the Princess was still very depressed. That probably had to do with the news that came from Dulin. A few days ago, the court chief delivered the message from His Majesty to Princess Alanis, saying she’s banned from participating in politics, flipping her off of the power ladder she was climbing.
”You shouldn’t have been so aggressive.” Oscar regretted it as soon as it left his mouth.
”You think so too?” Alanis looked like she was about to cry again.
”How do I put this…” Prince Oscar kept touching his nose, his fiancée was a little too overbearing. She shouldn’t have suggested ideas for the Emperor in Dulin’s political storm. She would definitely become a shining target for other people.
”Blame your father!” Oscar finally found a suitable scapegoat. ”He used your strategy to make old Kachev enter his cage. Honestly, Alanis, this tactic is clever! But what happened after? He sent you to Faran to deal with the pressure from the Queen, and now he banned you from politics. He’s the wicked one!”
Alanis was not an idiot, she knew Oscar was trying to avoid the important issue, and that made her furious.
”In that case, shouldn’t we also look into your responsibility?”
Oscar was taken aback slightly. ”My responsibility? What has this got to do with me? You didn’t even discuss with me before taking your idea to His Majesty! How has that got anything to do with me?”
Alanis squinted. ”Nothing to do with you? Don’t forget your surname! That’s the main reason the Royalty banned me from participating in politics, they will not let an Andrew have that kind of power! They…”
”Take that back, Alanis!” The wrath got to Oscar too. ”You mean to say my surname is the problem? Stop kidding with me! You’ll only let me think you’re trying to cover up that idiotic political brain of yours.”
”My word!” Alanis bolted from her chair. ”Oscar, thank you! I finally understood what you really think of me!”
”Where are you going?” Oscar pulled at Alanis’ arm before she banged the door close while leaving.
”I’m going to go wash my hair… and open up my skull! If my political wits are not as idiotic as you said, I will make you take those words back!”
***************
”What happened to His Highness?” A knight asked in a murmur.
”Not sure, he had defeated at least half a team of knights, I heard a few of them had broken bones!”
”That’s crazy!”
”I saw it myself! He looked just like…”
”A mad dog?”
”That’s right! Like a mad dog!”
”Why?”
”Not sure, according to hearsay he had a fight with Her Highness Princess Alanis.”
”Oh…” The knight exhaled and made a face to indicate his understanding.
”He’s coming! At attention!”
Yes, Oscar was approaching! He dragged his exhausted body into the resting room. He finally couldn’t hold it in when he was receiving the salutes from the guards.
”Hey! You two! What else do you know?”
The one on the door’s left was young. He smiled shyly. ”Your Highness, I also knew your hotel will be officially opened end of the month.”
Oscar rubbed his head while shaking it.
The one on the right countered. ”That’s wrong! The hotel had some issues with the operations, so it will only be officiated early 9th Month.”
”That’s enough!” Oscar yelled. ”Who told you this?”
Of course Oscar had the reason to throw tantrum, he didn’t like his private matters being broadcasted.
”It’s me!” Lobble Alfa Morisette shuffled out from the side hall of the resting room.
”My partner! Only when you step into the bright spotlight can I hide behind you and manage the property safely!”
Oscar frowned. ”I’ve got to say, you and your sister Alanis is of the same sort! Sometimes, you’re just unbelievable!”
Lobble hooked himself onto his partner’s neck joyously. ”No matter how you say it, it’s normal for couples to fight. Your war is still ways away from being done! You will argue in bed and out of bed, you will fight from the kitchen to the bathroom, and you will battle from your own manor to Hamilton Palace! My friend, this is life. The true meaning of life is to war, between couples, between parents and children, between followers and the God of Light. This is the way of our existence. To live, we must continue fighting.”
”You’re not serious?” Oscar glared at Lobble.
”Of course I’m serious! The opening day of our hotel will be the biggest battle of my life!”
Oscar nodded and looked at his own scars before turning to the thick pile of books on War Theories on the desk in the room. Is this going to be his life? Where does his battle lie?