"Oh?"
Leo III turned to Duchess Rubina.
She smiled meaningfully and reminded the King of Cesare de Carlo's new title.
“Isn’t the Pisano estate right next to G\aeta?”
"Yes."
Leo III nodded.
“The deceased Duke of Pisano had the authority to raise private soldiers.”
“It definitely was.”
The King persistently harassed the old Duke of Pisano with various taxes and creative edicts because he was afraid that he would raise a private army of threatening size.
“Now that Duke Pisano has passed away, isn’t the army he raised now in the hands of someone trustworthy?”
“...!”
The King never once considered Cesare a viable military force.
Unlike Alfonso, Cesare had no particular talent with the sword and hated sweating under the sun.
At least he's good at catching things, so he's good at hunting?
Above all, he was an illegitimate child.
An illegitimate child whose incompetence is a virtue, cheerful and lively when he is with them like a court jester, but harmless once he is sent home.
His first child has filled that role exceedingly well.
But now was not the time to be picky. Rubina was right.
The private army that the old Duke of Pisano had secretly trained now belonged to Cesare.
“Your Majesty, send Cesare north. It is time for him to explore his ‘own territory’.”
Rubina urged Leo III with confidence.
Even though he was granted a fief, Duke Cesare was unable to inspect his own fief because he was concerned about his father's feelings.
Because he couldn't decide whether he should stop being a bum in the capital.
But compared to her son who was saving his body, the mother was a much more daring gambler.
She felt that now was her son's chance to overtake Prince Alfonso and take the lead.
To do that, the Prince must improve his major while he is isolated.
“Count Cesare... No, it is time for Duke Pisano to do his part.”
Whether there had been a prior arrangement or not, Count Contarini stepped forward to assist Duchess Rubina.
“It is the law that a royal man must practice noblesse oblige when the country is in danger.”
He's a royal man. Yes, he's a royal man now.
The status problem that had kept Cesare confined to the back room had now been cured! The King nodded willingly.
“Good, let’s send the Duke of Pisano up to the fiefdom to raise an army.”
With the money from the Pisano estate, an army is created, commanded by trustworthy blood relatives.
This was Leo III's favorite composition: having one's fill of pheasant, one's eggs, one's dinner, one's digging a ditch, and one's catch of crayfish.
“Huh? You want me to go up to Pisano’s estate tomorrow?”
“Yeah! Didn’t it go well?”
Duchess Rubina smiled expectantly as she looked at her son who looked just like her.
“This is an opportunity that your mother worked hard to create. If you ruin it, I won’t let you off easy.”
“Mother, can’t you talk it over with your son before you do something?”
“I’ve handed your major to you on a silver platter, so what are you complaining about?”
“You have to win to become a major!”
Cesare was quick to get irritated with his mother, who was very greedy and had little understanding of reality.
“Mother, am I a horse at a racecourse? As the horse owner, you just provide the feed, and the horse and jockey will decide whether to win?”
“Cesare! Why are you saying that!”
Certainly, Duchess Rubina was waiting for Cesare with all her heart for more than just food.
But the son's temper did not subside.
“We don’t even know how many private soldiers there are in Pisano’s territory right now, and you’re sending your son there? You’re sending me to block Gallico’s heavy cavalry!”
“You can do it! You're my son. Why can’t you do it?”
“Ha! That’s fast!”
He tousled his red hair in frustration.
“Have you heard that the private soldiers of Duke Pisano are excellent? Do you know exactly how many there are?”
“I checked everything and sent you there! According to the list of private soldiers by territory secured by Count Contarini, there are 6,000 infantrymen!”
“It’s been over ten years since it was built! Do you think those soldiers are still there?”
Since the great nobles became reluctant to cooperate with the central government, the lists of private soldiers by territory were not updated.
Because no one was willing to tell the King their exact situation.
“The Gallico army is an elite force of 16,000 soldiers! Are you planning to kill your son?”
“Are you sure you’re not going to die?”
"Mother!"
Rubina looked at her son with sparkling eyes, oblivious to his annoyance.
“I will appease and pacify His Majesty and make you the commander-in-chief of the Etruscan army!”
Cesare poured out his resentment on his mother, who he could not tell whether was due to her naivety or her greed clouding her vision.
“What kind of commander-in-chief is this! Stop knocking on the window while you’re eating ghost wheat!”
“Don’t you trust your mother’s abilities?”
“No, and what good will it do if I become the Commander-in-Chief? If the Commander-in-Chief’s son’s first resume is written as ‘defeat in such-and-such battle,’ it will really help my mother’s ambition!”
This is my mother's ambition, not mine.
Duchess Rubina finally lost her temper at her son's remark that drew a line.
“Why are you so pessimistic? Did your mother really mean to ruin you? It’s all because you have such foolish thoughts!”
“Thoughts? What are you thinking?”
Cesare had never seen his mother think straight.
Rubina thought she was very smart, but she was far from being strategic or wise; she had only gotten to where she was by possessing an animalistic instinct that allowed her to please Leo III like an eerie ghost.
If she were wise, she wouldn't have handled the arsenic incident that way.
As expected, she said it with great pride.
“Originally, high-ranking nobles were captured and exchanged for ransom, not killed. If you become the commander-in-chief...”
“Are you really my biological mother?”
Philip IV of the Gallico Kingdom is a madman who even imprisoned Prince Alfonso, the rightful heir to the throne.
Cesare felt a chill down his spine as he thought about what the King would do if he were captured.
“Anyway! His Majesty’s order has already been given. Let’s leave immediately tomorrow.”
However, Rubina, not Cesare, held the key to this relationship.
Cesare looked up at the sky and sighed. It was Leo III's order, so he could not disobey.
Please, I hope that the condition of the Pisano estate will be better than I expected.
There was another man who suffered because of an order he could not disobey.
“Lord Dino, isn’t that armor uncomfortable?”
Prince Alfonso asked Sir Bernardino.
They were walking wearing only part of their heavy cavalry armor and boots.
“Isn’t Your Highness carrying the same weight?”
Alfonso was also walking on foot and wearing cavalry armor. He was dressed in such a way that it was difficult to tell whether he was an infantryman or a cavalryman.
He smiled kindly and gave an unkind answer.
“That’s because you’re the oldest one here.”
“Prince!”
“I respected the elderly.”
Beside him, Sir Manfredi grumbled.
“I can’t believe they’re sending us on this mission. Isn’t this a total hoot?”
Prince Alfonso consoled Sir Manfredi.
“Instead, there’s no need to die. Let’s think positively.”
They were tasked with blocking one of the enemy's escape routes from the rear of the battlefield.
It was a nice mission, but it was just a matter of sitting on a small rocky mountain about 30 minutes away from where the main battle was taking place, guarding the path, and then strolling back when the main force's messenger arrived after the battle was over.
Alfonso, too, when he first received this mission, thought, 'They gave us this task because they didn't want to share the credit with us.'
“I understand that it is difficult to send the heir to the Etruscan throne into a dangerous battlefield, but I expected you to at least escort the commander-in-chief’s tent. This is a snub!”
“That’s because there is a guard cavalry unit directly under Sternheim.”
Even as they settled down on the rocky mountain, Sir Bernardino continued to comfort Sir Manfredi, who continued to grumble.
“Instead, wouldn’t it be better for us to take it easy and then slowly retreat?”
He covered his forehead with his hand.
“Oh, the sunlight is so strong. Shouldn’t we pitch a tent or something?”
Sir Bernardino made a little joke about the picnic.
It was true that the sun was shining brightly. He looked out to the distant horizon. It was the direction of the battlefield.
He closed his eyes once, thinking that he could see black dots because the sunlight was so hot, and then opened them again.
“No, are you already getting presbyopia?”
“?”
“Do you see something dark on the horizon?”
Prince Alfonso looked in the direction Sir Bernardino had pointed, leaving Sir Bernardino blinking.
As he frowned deeply to avoid the sunlight, something dark caught his eye.
Alfonso wasn't the only one who saw it. From the Prince's side, Sir Manfredi's tense voice burst out.
“Enemy detected at approximately 1800 piedades ahead!”
The report continued even as Alfonso watched the enemy with distorted eyes.
“The unit is infantry! Light infantry, I guess! Approximately... 50, no, 80 people! Moving straight this way!”
Alfonso's judgment was quick. He whispered to Sir Elko, who was holding his position beside him.
“Lord Elko, go down south immediately and request reinforcements.”
The main battle base is in the north, but the camp is in the south.
“The number of people requested is 50.”
At this level, they may be able to dispatch it from the campsite.
“Your Highness.”
Sir Elko bowed his head and quickly got up from his seat. He didn't say anything nonsensical like, 'How can I leave the Prince behind...'
He won't be of any help in the battle anyway, and if they stay here like this, everyone will die.
Sir Elko quickly climbed down the rocky mountain and disappeared into the southern path.
With this, this side has exactly 11 people, neither cavalry nor infantry, but something in between.
“All hands! Get into position! Hold the ground and do not leave your position!”
It would have been worth a try if they had archers. Since the opponent was light infantry, crossbowmen were unnecessary and longbows would have been sufficient.
Was running away the answer? No. Because of the weight of the weapon, even if they run away, they will be caught.
Here, with the advantage of terrain, it is somewhat possible to hold out. But at 1:8, do they have a chance of winning?
Prince Alfonso's mouth went dry.
He gave orders like a machine and performed his duties as he had been taught, but this reality did not feel real to him.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
The enemy's vanguard came crashing down on the rocky mountain. The pagan army was equipped with palm-sized shields and huge crescent swords.
But, as befitting light infantry, their first attack was with stones.
Tta-tang! Tta-tada-tak!
Pebbles began to fly in heaps towards the Etruscan knights.
Fortunately, the knights were wearing heavy armor except for their legs.
Alfonso's shouts energized the men.
“Hold the position! No advance allowed! Hold on until the projectiles fall, then kill them when they approach!”
He was shaking like crazy, but his voice came out incredibly calm.
The slingshots were annoying and felt like a full-body beating, but no one was injured enough to be taken out of combat.
Alfonso looked ahead carefully, then swung his sword at the first pagan who approached him.
Crunch!
The Prince's sword cut off the pagan's wrist.
“Ugh!”
The pagan sank to the ground, screaming in an unintelligible language. Hot blood splattered on the white stone mountain. That was the signal.
Chaenggang!
Bam!
Boom!
The Prince's knights, who had fixed their positions on the stone mountain, began to engage in combat simultaneously.
There was only one way up the mountain. They had to block this road as much as possible and hold out.
'Please!'
He hopes it ends without anyone dying. He hopes reinforcements arrive before anyone dies.
Leo III turned to Duchess Rubina.
She smiled meaningfully and reminded the King of Cesare de Carlo's new title.
“Isn’t the Pisano estate right next to G\aeta?”
"Yes."
Leo III nodded.
“The deceased Duke of Pisano had the authority to raise private soldiers.”
“It definitely was.”
The King persistently harassed the old Duke of Pisano with various taxes and creative edicts because he was afraid that he would raise a private army of threatening size.
“Now that Duke Pisano has passed away, isn’t the army he raised now in the hands of someone trustworthy?”
“...!”
The King never once considered Cesare a viable military force.
Unlike Alfonso, Cesare had no particular talent with the sword and hated sweating under the sun.
At least he's good at catching things, so he's good at hunting?
Above all, he was an illegitimate child.
An illegitimate child whose incompetence is a virtue, cheerful and lively when he is with them like a court jester, but harmless once he is sent home.
His first child has filled that role exceedingly well.
But now was not the time to be picky. Rubina was right.
The private army that the old Duke of Pisano had secretly trained now belonged to Cesare.
“Your Majesty, send Cesare north. It is time for him to explore his ‘own territory’.”
Rubina urged Leo III with confidence.
Even though he was granted a fief, Duke Cesare was unable to inspect his own fief because he was concerned about his father's feelings.
Because he couldn't decide whether he should stop being a bum in the capital.
But compared to her son who was saving his body, the mother was a much more daring gambler.
She felt that now was her son's chance to overtake Prince Alfonso and take the lead.
To do that, the Prince must improve his major while he is isolated.
“Count Cesare... No, it is time for Duke Pisano to do his part.”
Whether there had been a prior arrangement or not, Count Contarini stepped forward to assist Duchess Rubina.
“It is the law that a royal man must practice noblesse oblige when the country is in danger.”
He's a royal man. Yes, he's a royal man now.
The status problem that had kept Cesare confined to the back room had now been cured! The King nodded willingly.
“Good, let’s send the Duke of Pisano up to the fiefdom to raise an army.”
With the money from the Pisano estate, an army is created, commanded by trustworthy blood relatives.
This was Leo III's favorite composition: having one's fill of pheasant, one's eggs, one's dinner, one's digging a ditch, and one's catch of crayfish.
***
“Huh? You want me to go up to Pisano’s estate tomorrow?”
“Yeah! Didn’t it go well?”
Duchess Rubina smiled expectantly as she looked at her son who looked just like her.
“This is an opportunity that your mother worked hard to create. If you ruin it, I won’t let you off easy.”
“Mother, can’t you talk it over with your son before you do something?”
“I’ve handed your major to you on a silver platter, so what are you complaining about?”
“You have to win to become a major!”
Cesare was quick to get irritated with his mother, who was very greedy and had little understanding of reality.
“Mother, am I a horse at a racecourse? As the horse owner, you just provide the feed, and the horse and jockey will decide whether to win?”
“Cesare! Why are you saying that!”
Certainly, Duchess Rubina was waiting for Cesare with all her heart for more than just food.
But the son's temper did not subside.
“We don’t even know how many private soldiers there are in Pisano’s territory right now, and you’re sending your son there? You’re sending me to block Gallico’s heavy cavalry!”
“You can do it! You're my son. Why can’t you do it?”
“Ha! That’s fast!”
He tousled his red hair in frustration.
“Have you heard that the private soldiers of Duke Pisano are excellent? Do you know exactly how many there are?”
“I checked everything and sent you there! According to the list of private soldiers by territory secured by Count Contarini, there are 6,000 infantrymen!”
“It’s been over ten years since it was built! Do you think those soldiers are still there?”
Since the great nobles became reluctant to cooperate with the central government, the lists of private soldiers by territory were not updated.
Because no one was willing to tell the King their exact situation.
“The Gallico army is an elite force of 16,000 soldiers! Are you planning to kill your son?”
“Are you sure you’re not going to die?”
"Mother!"
Rubina looked at her son with sparkling eyes, oblivious to his annoyance.
“I will appease and pacify His Majesty and make you the commander-in-chief of the Etruscan army!”
Cesare poured out his resentment on his mother, who he could not tell whether was due to her naivety or her greed clouding her vision.
“What kind of commander-in-chief is this! Stop knocking on the window while you’re eating ghost wheat!”
“Don’t you trust your mother’s abilities?”
“No, and what good will it do if I become the Commander-in-Chief? If the Commander-in-Chief’s son’s first resume is written as ‘defeat in such-and-such battle,’ it will really help my mother’s ambition!”
This is my mother's ambition, not mine.
Duchess Rubina finally lost her temper at her son's remark that drew a line.
“Why are you so pessimistic? Did your mother really mean to ruin you? It’s all because you have such foolish thoughts!”
“Thoughts? What are you thinking?”
Cesare had never seen his mother think straight.
Rubina thought she was very smart, but she was far from being strategic or wise; she had only gotten to where she was by possessing an animalistic instinct that allowed her to please Leo III like an eerie ghost.
If she were wise, she wouldn't have handled the arsenic incident that way.
As expected, she said it with great pride.
“Originally, high-ranking nobles were captured and exchanged for ransom, not killed. If you become the commander-in-chief...”
“Are you really my biological mother?”
Philip IV of the Gallico Kingdom is a madman who even imprisoned Prince Alfonso, the rightful heir to the throne.
Cesare felt a chill down his spine as he thought about what the King would do if he were captured.
“Anyway! His Majesty’s order has already been given. Let’s leave immediately tomorrow.”
However, Rubina, not Cesare, held the key to this relationship.
Cesare looked up at the sky and sighed. It was Leo III's order, so he could not disobey.
Please, I hope that the condition of the Pisano estate will be better than I expected.
***
There was another man who suffered because of an order he could not disobey.
“Lord Dino, isn’t that armor uncomfortable?”
Prince Alfonso asked Sir Bernardino.
They were walking wearing only part of their heavy cavalry armor and boots.
“Isn’t Your Highness carrying the same weight?”
Alfonso was also walking on foot and wearing cavalry armor. He was dressed in such a way that it was difficult to tell whether he was an infantryman or a cavalryman.
He smiled kindly and gave an unkind answer.
“That’s because you’re the oldest one here.”
“Prince!”
“I respected the elderly.”
Beside him, Sir Manfredi grumbled.
“I can’t believe they’re sending us on this mission. Isn’t this a total hoot?”
Prince Alfonso consoled Sir Manfredi.
“Instead, there’s no need to die. Let’s think positively.”
They were tasked with blocking one of the enemy's escape routes from the rear of the battlefield.
It was a nice mission, but it was just a matter of sitting on a small rocky mountain about 30 minutes away from where the main battle was taking place, guarding the path, and then strolling back when the main force's messenger arrived after the battle was over.
Alfonso, too, when he first received this mission, thought, 'They gave us this task because they didn't want to share the credit with us.'
“I understand that it is difficult to send the heir to the Etruscan throne into a dangerous battlefield, but I expected you to at least escort the commander-in-chief’s tent. This is a snub!”
“That’s because there is a guard cavalry unit directly under Sternheim.”
Even as they settled down on the rocky mountain, Sir Bernardino continued to comfort Sir Manfredi, who continued to grumble.
“Instead, wouldn’t it be better for us to take it easy and then slowly retreat?”
He covered his forehead with his hand.
“Oh, the sunlight is so strong. Shouldn’t we pitch a tent or something?”
Sir Bernardino made a little joke about the picnic.
It was true that the sun was shining brightly. He looked out to the distant horizon. It was the direction of the battlefield.
He closed his eyes once, thinking that he could see black dots because the sunlight was so hot, and then opened them again.
“No, are you already getting presbyopia?”
“?”
“Do you see something dark on the horizon?”
Prince Alfonso looked in the direction Sir Bernardino had pointed, leaving Sir Bernardino blinking.
As he frowned deeply to avoid the sunlight, something dark caught his eye.
Alfonso wasn't the only one who saw it. From the Prince's side, Sir Manfredi's tense voice burst out.
“Enemy detected at approximately 1800 piedades ahead!”
The report continued even as Alfonso watched the enemy with distorted eyes.
“The unit is infantry! Light infantry, I guess! Approximately... 50, no, 80 people! Moving straight this way!”
Alfonso's judgment was quick. He whispered to Sir Elko, who was holding his position beside him.
“Lord Elko, go down south immediately and request reinforcements.”
The main battle base is in the north, but the camp is in the south.
“The number of people requested is 50.”
At this level, they may be able to dispatch it from the campsite.
“Your Highness.”
Sir Elko bowed his head and quickly got up from his seat. He didn't say anything nonsensical like, 'How can I leave the Prince behind...'
He won't be of any help in the battle anyway, and if they stay here like this, everyone will die.
Sir Elko quickly climbed down the rocky mountain and disappeared into the southern path.
With this, this side has exactly 11 people, neither cavalry nor infantry, but something in between.
“All hands! Get into position! Hold the ground and do not leave your position!”
It would have been worth a try if they had archers. Since the opponent was light infantry, crossbowmen were unnecessary and longbows would have been sufficient.
Was running away the answer? No. Because of the weight of the weapon, even if they run away, they will be caught.
Here, with the advantage of terrain, it is somewhat possible to hold out. But at 1:8, do they have a chance of winning?
Prince Alfonso's mouth went dry.
He gave orders like a machine and performed his duties as he had been taught, but this reality did not feel real to him.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
The enemy's vanguard came crashing down on the rocky mountain. The pagan army was equipped with palm-sized shields and huge crescent swords.
But, as befitting light infantry, their first attack was with stones.
Tta-tang! Tta-tada-tak!
Pebbles began to fly in heaps towards the Etruscan knights.
Fortunately, the knights were wearing heavy armor except for their legs.
Alfonso's shouts energized the men.
“Hold the position! No advance allowed! Hold on until the projectiles fall, then kill them when they approach!”
He was shaking like crazy, but his voice came out incredibly calm.
The slingshots were annoying and felt like a full-body beating, but no one was injured enough to be taken out of combat.
Alfonso looked ahead carefully, then swung his sword at the first pagan who approached him.
Crunch!
The Prince's sword cut off the pagan's wrist.
“Ugh!”
The pagan sank to the ground, screaming in an unintelligible language. Hot blood splattered on the white stone mountain. That was the signal.
Chaenggang!
Bam!
Boom!
The Prince's knights, who had fixed their positions on the stone mountain, began to engage in combat simultaneously.
There was only one way up the mountain. They had to block this road as much as possible and hold out.
'Please!'
He hopes it ends without anyone dying. He hopes reinforcements arrive before anyone dies.
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