Chapter 51: Revolution Era - The Value of a Person
As time passed and the peak of summer’s heat raged on.
I led an army, freshly conscripted and trained from all over the Francia
Republic, leaving the capital to head towards the front lines.
Having left the capital in Christine’s care not long ago, the thought of doing
so again filled me with unease.
Especially since just before my departure, Louis went off to study in the
Magic Kingdom of Holland, leaving her all the more on my mind.
But to express such concerns would be a slight against Christine, so I had no
choice but to trust in her.
“Ugh, it’s so hooooot....”
My thoughts were interrupted by a voice nearby.
Glancing over, I saw Eris slumped over her horse.
Draped in robes and a hood, with a veil covering her face, her attire seemed
oppressively hot under the summer sun.
At this point, it felt less like Eris was riding the horse and more like the
horse was carrying Eris.
“You should’ve just taken a carriage.”
“Ugh, sitting still in a carriage just makes my butt hurt and it’s so boring I
could die.”
Well, Eris was never one to stay still for long.
But still.
“I’m worried you’ll die of heatstroke before you die of boredom at this rate.”
“It’s okay. I might look like this, but I’m very healthy, so I’ll manage
somehow.”
Indeed, as a saintess with absurdly powerful holy power, I’ve never seen her
fall ill, even after years of being together.
Even so, with her sun-sensitive skin wrapped up and being transported on a
horse, such words seemed futile....
Suddenly, the thought occurred to me that I could ask Christine for an
artifact to keep cool even in summer.
As is often the case with artifacts from the Magic Kingdom, they’d be
outrageously expensive, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay as a gift.
After all, it’s the least I can do for Christine, who I just saved from the
brink of death.
“...Well, alright. I’ll figure something out soon.”
Eris looked momentarily puzzled, but soon reverted back to her slumped
position on the horse, as if such concerns were of no consequence to her.
As the horse moved, Eris’ gloved hand swayed limply.
It’s a wonder she doesn’t fall off.
I glanced briefly at the soldiers following us.
They were 15,000 men, hastily conscripted from all over the Kingdom of Francia
and only given basic training.
Thanks to Christine’s efforts in averting an immediate crisis and the
combination of the republic’s financial situation and the national
conscription system, the size of our forces had changed dramatically from the
times of civil war within the kingdom.
It feels a little strange to think that some of them might have gathered from
the old Duke Lafayette or the territory of the Southern Alliance of
Nobles.
Nonetheless, this boosted our numbers, if not the quality, and somewhat
alleviated our numerical disadvantage.
With the forces now more or less balanced, this time, both sides would move
past mere skirmishes and scouting to engage in a proper decisive battle.
I turned back to Eris and spoke.
“This time, stay back from the front lines, Eris.”
Eris seemed lost in thought, her response coming a beat too late.
“Huh? Why?”
“The scale of the battle is just too large this time.”
In the skirmishes against Count Lionel, where Eris had been active on the
front lines, the total forces involved barely reached 3,000, and the nature of
a siege meant the battlefield was confined.
“Both sides will have tens of thousands of troops, and we’ll be fighting in
open fields.”
At that scale, unless one is a Blue Knight, it’s not a battle where the
prowess of a single knight can turn the tide.
I’ll be too busy with command to look after Eris as well.
“Even with Sir Beaumont by your side, it’s not safe. There’s a risk you could
get caught in artillery fire; it’s just too dangerous.”
Setting aside her special status as a saintess, Eris is a princess. If not for
her abilities, she’s someone who should never have been sent to the
battlefield in the first place.
“...What if I still want to go?”
I sighed lightly and gestured behind me, prompting the attendants following us
to keep their distance.
Eris straightened up from her slouched position on the horse, looking directly
at me.
“Her Royal Highness Princess Essiliste Lillian de Francia.”
“Yes, speak, Duke Lafayette.”
“There may be thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of casualties. Even
with all your might on the front lines, Your Highness, you may not save even
half, not even a tenth.”
It’s clear that the ideals Eris holds, despite being only 18, are noble.
They differ from the hypocrisy of the Republic or ideological beliefs like
those of Zidor.
But before she is a saintess, she is a princess, and she too must understand
reality.
“Treating the wounded who are brought to the rear will be challenging enough.
There’s no need to take unnecessary risks on the front lines.”
It’s hard to discern what emotions lie behind those veiled purple eyes.
Eris was silent for a moment before speaking.
“Your words are wise, Duke. Even if I take the risk, it might not make much of
a difference.”
Eris paused briefly before continuing.
“Still, I believe there will be a difference. At the very least, having a
saintess on the battlefield could boost the soldiers’ morale.”
“The value of ordinary soldiers and Your Highness is not the same.”
“Indeed. After hearing your words at Count Lionel’s territory, I’ve given it a
lot of thought. I used to believe that all lives are equally precious, but
I’ve realized that a commander in battle cannot afford such a perspective.”
“If you understand that...”
“Even so, I wish to take action. Those who are brought to the rear and treated
by me are likely those who can survive for a while without me. But on the
battlefield, there are those who will die without immediate treatment, and I
can save at least some of them.”
I sighed again.
The greater good for the people of Francia. Saving those who can be saved.
Does saving lives need a justification?
When I faced Ballian, I tried to convince myself, but ultimately, I couldn’t
fully empathize with the idea.
Deceiving myself and sacrificing my own people or myself to save others, I
couldn’t deem it right.
“...During the civil war, you wanted to avoid the battlefield.”
“That’s right. It was a war to sacrifice the people of this country for the
sake of the powerful. But it’s not the same now. Now, it’s a war where the
people of this country fight for the country, for their loved ones.”
Eris is a saintess.
She would be respected without going to such lengths.
The people already admire her without her having to do so.
As a princess, she enjoyed privileges from the people since she was young, so
even after leaving the palace for so long and even after a revolution erupted
with intentions to kill the royalty, did she say she ought to serve them?
“I can’t understand why you’d go to such lengths.”
“...May I say something a bit cowardly?”
“You? I’m curious. Go ahead.”
Even though she’s playful, Eris seems to be wrapped in an aura of goodwill.
Let’s see how “cowardly” her words can be.
But the words that Eris, silent for a moment, finally spoke struck me
squarely.
“Just suppose, hypothetically. If Countess Aquitaine fell on the battlefield
and a saintess who could heal her chose to stay in the rear out of fear,
resulting in her death... Would you not resent me?”
I was speechless.
I opened my mouth several times to say something, but in the end, I couldn’t
make a sound.
“As a commander, yes. In terms of tactics, not all lives are equal. But I
don’t know. Even a regular soldier, who may not have much tactical value, is
precious to someone, as precious as Countess Aquitaine is to you.”
Eris’ expression is hidden behind her veil.
“I simply can’t think that any one of them is less valuable than I am. They,
like me, have only one life, and they stand on the battlefield, risking that
life, precious to someone, perhaps more than anyone else.”
Though her face is hidden behind the veil, I can imagine the expression she’s
wearing.
“I’m not standing in the front lines taking risks like them. If it’s merely
about guarding against the worst, please let me do my best. There are people
who can only be saved in that moment...”
- Yes, she must have been a good mother.
A poignant smile, as if she were on the verge of tears, just like the one I
saw before.
- Right?
Because she speaks with the same voice as back then.
“Because to someone, they might be more precious than anyone else.”
***
In the eastern part of the Kingdom of Francia, in the County of Alsace, the
Imperial Army of the Germanian Empire is stationed.
After a fierce battle with the southern army of the Francia Republic, the
Imperial Army, under the command of Archduke Leopold, has been resting in
Alsace, recuperating and preparing for the next battle.
In the command tent, the Archduke and his staff were looking over a map spread
out on a table, discussing their strategy.
“It’s reported that a 15,000-strong army led by Duke Lafayette is moving
towards the front from their capital, Lumière.”
“Hmm, it’s regrettable that we couldn’t fully capitalize on our numerical
superiority in the western front.”
Archduke Leopold stroked his chin thoughtfully, murmuring with a hint of
bitterness.
Initially, the Republic’s forces numbered only 25,000, while the allied forces
had 46,000.
Though Duke Lafayette did bring an additional 3,000, they were exhausted from
a forced march and arrived quite late, so the allied forces should have won a
decisive victory under normal circumstances.
However, after losing 4,000 troops in the last battle, the Republic’s forces
have been bolstered to 39,000, while the allied forces have significantly
decreased to 40,000.
Most of the casualties came from units that engaged with the northern army.
Even with Duke Lorraine’s conscription efforts, the numbers have dwindled to
this.
Archduke Leopold inwardly scoffed.
To put it bluntly, it wasn’t their concern how much King Louis’s army
suffered.
In fact, the more King Louis’s forces dwindled, the better, and if he were to
fall in battle, all the better.
However, this scenario was predicated on the premise that the Germanian Empire
would emerge victorious, while the inept Francia Kingdom’s forces faced
defeat.
The stubborn resistance of the southern forces, contrary to expectations, led
to a tactical withdrawal to preserve their strength. As a result, the last
battle was known as a victory for the Francia revolutionary forces against the
allied forces, shocking the entire continent.
Given this turn of events, for the sake of the empire and the Kaiser’s
prestige, a decisive victory must be achieved at least once.
“We have no choice. Relying on those fools will only lead to the same outcome
as before. Our forces will also move to Lorraine and engage them in a decisive
battle on the same field.”
“But are you certain, Your Grace? If we completely vacate the Alsace
region...”
“Hmph, let the Francian nobles fend for themselves and protect their own
territories.”
When Archduke Leopold coldly uttered these words, an officer entered the tent
and saluted.
“Your Grace, reinforcements from the homeland have arrived.”
“Is that so? We must go to greet them.”
Although the reinforcements should have been a cause for joy, a bitter smile
played around the edges of Archduke Leopold’s mouth.
Joined by his staff and officers, Archduke Leopold stepped out of the command
tent and noticed a group of about twenty people approaching.
The number was ridiculously small for reinforcements from the homeland.
After all, the initial mobilization of troops under the pretext of quelling a
rebellion in a foreign king’s land had ended in defeat, tarnishing their
reputation.
In such a situation, blindly bolstering the forces with a large number of
troops would bring too much political burden on the empire.
However, Archduke Leopold did not underestimate the reinforcements that had
just arrived.
If anything, the problem was that he might be overestimating them.
The newcomers, clad in various flamboyant robes and swirling capes, were a
striking sight.
At the forefront, a woman taller than Archduke Leopold herself approached, her
robe billowing around her.
“Welcome, Frau Weinfeldt.”
The woman, greeted by Archduke Leopold, squinted her wrinkled eyes and puffed
smoke from the pipe in her mouth before speaking.
“Imperial Guard Mage Division Commander, Wilhelmina von Weinfeldt, greets
Archduke Leopold.”
Archduke Leopold slightly furrowed his brow at the tobacco smoke but the aged
sorceress laughed as if amused.
“It seems the enemy was not as easy as expected.”
“Indeed, it appears I have disappointed the Kaiserin due to my inadequacies.”
“Nonsense, Your Grace. The Kaiserin’s disappointment lies not with you but
with the disloyalty of the nobles who provided only insufficient forces.”
Wilhelmina took another leisurely puff from her pipe, then exhaled the smoke.
“Otherwise, Your Grace, the empire’s hero and pride, would not have retreated
from merely dealing with a couple of Francia’s traitors.”
Archduke Leopold chuckled in response.
“Indeed, that’s the case. On behalf of the imperial forces, I welcome you,
Frau Weinfeldt. I look forward to the valor the Imperial Guard Mage Division
will display on the battlefield.”
As the Guard Mage Division was led to their quarters, Archduke Leopold glanced
at them and turned away with a wry smile.
A group formed from individuals whom the empire had invested in for over a
decade, sending them to study in the Kingdom of Magic or granting them titles
to recruit them, all in a determined effort to bolster their magical forces
following consecutive defeats to the Kingdom of Francia and the Kingdom of
Krafte.
Sending such individuals indicated that the Kaiserin must be quite angered by
the previous defeat.
“Ah, I had hoped for a proper confrontation this time, Duke Lafayette.”
With this turn of events, it’s hardly a fair fight, is it?
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