Chapter 551 - Solely Your Choice

<Episode 551> Solely Your Choice

Sir Manfredi turned around in surprise at the appearance of the unexpected guest, and Sir Bernardino said nothing, as if he had already noticed that Alfonso spoke briefly.

"I called her."

Sir Manfredi immediately agreed. He, too, was slowly getting used to it. Prince Alfonso always had his wife present when making important decisions. And beyond the fact that there were no secrets between the Prince and his consort, Ariadne was currently the most adept at political judgment among them.

 Sir Manfredi, who wanted to outsource the decision-making, looked at Ariadne like a devotee worshipping a priest of the Temple. However, his mistress did not seem to have any intention of playing the role of an oracle. Instead, she said.

"Whichever you prefer, I can provide the supporting evidence."

It seemed that Alfonso had hoped for the goddess's oracle just as much. The Prince replied with a faint smile.

"We are all putting our heads together right now precisely because we do not know that, Your Ladyship."

She, too, wore a slight smile. Not moving was the constant, and indeed the superior. Yet, everyone was agonizing because they wanted to move. This fact was clearly visible to Ariadne, but Prince Alfonso and his two knights had not yet realized their own feelings. He, too, was visible only to her. They needed a little priming. Finally, she opened her mouth.

"Do you remember why His Majesty allowed you and your Knights to stay in the capital throughout the winter?"

"The boundary of the northern border."

"Defense of San Carlo!"

While the Prince remained silent, Sir Manfredi and Sir Bernardino spoke at the same time. The sounds of their voices collided in the air, creating a jarring crack. Ariadne smiled gently without blaming anyone.

"You are both correct. That is because the royal decree issued by His Majesty Leo III can be interpreted in two ways."

"The northern border is so suspicious that I cannot sleep. This winter, Alfonso de Carlo and the Knights of the Black Helmet are to be stationed in the central region to defend San Carlo and demonstrate their loyalty to me - Leo III of the Etruscans, Lord of the Jesak Church, Guardian of the Heavens."

"If you read it with emphasis on 'northern border' and 'guardian of the heavens', it reads as His Majesty the King encouraging the Black Helm Knights' advance northward."

She pointed to the following phrase.

"If you read it with an emphasis on 'stationed in the central region' and 'defending San Carlo, the moment the Knights of the Black Helmet leave the central region, it would amount to disobeying the King's command."

Sir Manfredi raised an objection.

"Your Highness, the Princess, however, isn't 'garrisoning' merely a term referring to the current situation?"

His argument was that 'garrisoning,' by its very definition, was merely a state of standby before battle. Unless one intended to lure the enemy into one's garrison to fight in front of a tent, it was inevitable for the army to move to a pitched battleground. 

Cavalry typically engaged in pitched battles on open plains where mobility could be maximized. In such cases, it was customary for the battlefield to span two to three miglios if small, or ten miglios if wide. Therefore, it was only natural to move dozens of miglios to find such a vast plain.

"Since you ordered us to 'station in the central region' to defend the 'northern border', it is logically inevitable that you have granted the commander the authority to change our position."

Ariadne smiled. Sir Manfredi was burning with the urge to run away.

"That is a very favorable interpretation for us."

And this was an interpretation that would protect them from Leo III when they went to the battlefield. If the Knights of the Black Helmet were stationed inside San Carlo Castle and leaving the castle would amount to neglecting its defense, Ariadne would never have advised them to head north.

 However, the Knights of the Black Helmet had not received Leo III's permission and were living in temporary tents outside San Carlo. 'Temporary tents' could be moved anywhere. Yet, Alfonso listened to Ariadne's explanation with a half-hearted ear and was exploring an unpleasant possibility. It was so grating, like a thorn in the skin, that he could not simply let it slide.

"The movement of siege weapons, the movement of siege weapons..."

If he were the commander, he would never have grouped the heavy cavalry and siege weapons into a single unit to cross the snow-covered Prinoyak Mountains. The path from Gallico to Trevero was, at best, a trail often used by hunters. Even if separate transport troops were attached to the siege weapons, the knights would have to crawl up the extremely narrow mountain path clad in full plate armor, with their horses also wearing armor of the same material and pattern. 

The situation for the transport troops was even worse. They would have to practically lift battering rams and catapults to cross the mountain. Even the invention of the wheel could not save humanity from labor in pathless places. If an obstacle appeared that the transport troops could not overcome on their own, the heavy cavalry would have no choice but to dismount and assist them. 

If they were to be ambushed by a proper skirmisher in such a place... then the entire army would be annihilated. An absurd situation could unfold where the heavy cavalry, the pinnacle of national power, is lost to light infantry numbering fewer than a thousand. Alfonso believed that it would be better to abandon the battle rather than choose such a marching route.

"If it were Philip, he would be more than capable of issuing such an order, but..."

If the Mad King of Gallico were to relentlessly pressure his subordinates to bring him the Pope's head by a certain date, no matter what, a commander under Philip might be forced to push himself too hard.  However, Philip was mad, not unintelligent. While he could send his men into a death trap for his own purposes, he was not the type to gamble on losing the entire Heavy Knights when there were other alternatives. 

There was exactly one path that would allow the Heavy Knights and siege weapons to comfortably reach Trevero. 

Alfonso sprang to his feet.

"Bernardino. Check the Via Publius from Gallico to Gaeta Immediately."

"Yes?"

"If Philip IV had even a shred of sanity left in him, he would not cross Prinoyak in the dead of winter and take the mountain path to Trevero, but would travel along the Via Publius to Gaeta, and from there take the Via Aurelius to Trevero."

Sir Manfredi's mouth dropped open at the sound of those words.

"Isn't that a violation of our border!"

"That's why I'm telling you to send scouts right now."

"Wouldn't it be better to send a substantial advance party instead?"

Sir Manfredi suggested.

"At least around 300... We need a certain number of troops to stop Gallico's forces from advancing southward on the battlefield."

If you only send scouts and find that Philip's Knights are actually crossing the Etruscan border and heading south, you will have to just sit back and watch.

"If you need someone to lead the charge, I will set out!"

Sir Manfredi patted his chest. He was not afraid of Leo III's punishment. To be precise, he thought, "Surely he wouldn't punish me for guarding the border?" Sir Bernardino also replied with delight.

"Your Highness. If that is true, His Majesty Leo III would naturally permit the uprising..."

"I disagree."

Sir Bernardino's words were cut off. It was Ariadne.

"If the Knights of the Black Helmet engage the Montpellier Heavy Cavalry and, I apologize, suffer a defeat, His Majesty Leo III will use the fact that you marched out without his orders as an excuse to shift the blame onto you."

Sir Manfredi protested.

"There is no way we will be defeated!"

"If you win, the situation gets worse."

Ariadne smiled faintly. It was more of a spasm of her facial muscles than a smile. When she thought about what was about to happen, there was no way her muscles wouldn't stiffen.

"You moved your army without the King's command and defeated the greatest enemy at the border."

In an instant, Sir Bernardino and Sir Manfredi fell silent simultaneously. They, too, possessed that much common sense. The cheers of the people, the clamor to appoint the Prince as Crown Prince. The commoners, bearing no responsibility, might even comfortably ask when the abdication would take place. Leo III's reaction at that moment was vivid in his mind.

"Whether from the front, behind, or by any pretext, retaliation will surely come."

That was the kind of person His Majesty the King was. A groan filled the room. It didn't matter whose it was. Everyone let out a sigh of their own accord.

"Having confirmed that the border has been violated, I send a messenger to His Majesty Leo III and advise him to act upon receiving orders from Taranto."

However, this was an answer that could not satisfy either the hot-blooded young man or the faithful old man. The hot-blooded young man was the first to raise his voice.

"Your Highness!"

He beat his chest.

"Are you telling me to just sit by and watch those Gallico bastards ravage our homeland out of fear of retaliation from none other than His Majesty the King?"

The consequence of Prince Alfonso's party turning a blind eye to the trampling of the Etruscan Kingdom's legitimate rights is that the headquarters of the innocent Yesam Church will be occupied by a foolish ruler consumed by evil. Sir Bernardino said nothing, but he, too, did not appear pleased. Sir Manfredi raised his voice once again.

"If we save Trevero, His Holiness the Pope will reward him without any disappointment."

Ariadne pointed out.

"The envoys from the Holy See came empty-handed."

"Negotiating every single thing to receive and signing off before deploying troops is something only the Republic of Porto would do!"

Sir Manfredi had a point. If the kingdom was ruled by an honorable knight, it was only right that the monarch of the Yesak religion fulfill their duty by marching out to protect the leader. Furthermore, it was a fine Yesak tradition for the Pope, having received assistance, to express sufficient gratitude to the secular monarch.

"Surely His Holiness would not allow His Majesty Leo III to mistreat Prince Alfonso, who saved the City of Gold?"

It was a reasonable argument to some extent. If the Pope were saved this time, given Justinian VIII's known character, he would likely try to repay the favor to the best of his ability.

"His Majesty the King may not be pleased with the way things are going, but ultimately, he has no choice but to be mindful of His Holiness the Pope!"

Sir Manfredi looked at Prince Alfonso and urged him again.

"Your Highness, if it is true that they have invaded our borders, you must dispatch troops!"

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