CHAPTER 536: CHAPTER 514: FORMULATING THE PLAN (PART 1)

Upon hearing Prince Kongdai’s words, Puzilio couldn’t help but want to force a smile.

He came here with almost no purpose or demands, ostensibly to help his aunt with a small favor, yet unexpectedly found himself entangled.

He had no particular view or opinion on the Salvation Army or the Thousand River Valley’s battlefield; he simply wished to smoothly inherit the Duke’s position.

Were it not for the fear of his father discovering his relationship with his aunt, he wouldn’t have agreed, otherwise, this web of lies would have been exposed.

According to Old Duke Omes’s understanding, Puzilio and his brother, who commanded the Shattered Stone Plain’s troops, were both in the Thousand River Valley for training.

The battlefield of Thousand River Valley hadn’t involved too much politics, unlike the internal conflicts in Leia that would affect everything. It served perfectly to train family successors and new soldiers.

Therefore, he had no choice but to lie again: "My father sent troops primarily as a favor to Mizam and the Old Pope.

If you are willing, our family also has many charming and dignified noble ladies. If we could solidify this favor, it would be beneficial.

The second reason is to train the family’s private soldiers, allowing the family’s youth to gain experience. Therefore, I must inform you that we won’t exert full effort after this battle."

"What if I ask you to undertake some perilous tasks?" Lakunio promptly inquired.

"Then I believe I have the right to refuse; that’s my bottom line," Puzilio stated firmly, "Frankly, this is voluntary aid, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Your Highness Prince Kongdai, we can indeed exert full effort, but as you know, significant rewards incentivize brave men. We are already offering near-free aid; should this reward really come from me?" At this point, Puzilio conveniently provided a favor for his family’s youth.

Since they were already here, why not gather some hay while hunting rabbits and secure some benefits for the family?

These young members of the family received favors, and in the future, Puzilio’s voice within the Oslar Clan would carry more weight.

He even suspected that part of the reason the old Duke had him bring these family novices to the battlefield was to strengthen his foundation among the new generation.

"If you are willing to grant land to Oslar family lads in the Thousand River Valley, they would certainly give their utmost effort."

For many Land Servants, getting knighted through wartime advancements and earning commendations was their lifelong dream.

These Land Servants mostly hailed from affluent Armored Farmers, eventually becoming Oslar family’s Land Servants through employment.

The Double-wage Swordsmen all came from knight families, and many indeed belonged to branches of the Oslar Clan, though unable to gain land and estates, they had to venture out.

For these two classes, the former aspired for class elevation, while the latter aimed to preserve their class, both endlessly craving land and honor.

If Prince Kongdai is willing to provide estates to these elite infantry, they will surely fight to the death.

"How many estates do you hope to gain from me?" Prince Kongdai showed magnanimity, indifferent to the fact that Thousand River Valley was rife with rebels; adding more Leia nobility made no difference.

"It depends on the lads’ performance; you may grant as you see fit," Puzilio replied candidly, "I trust you are a fair and reasonable person."

"This army of four thousand, do you believe they’ll display any critical actions?" He cast an incredulous glance at Prince Kongdai.

Puzilio was essentially setting up Prince Kongdai, who might give even more land to demonstrate fairness.

Despite Lakunio knowing the two were enacting the good guard, bad guard trick, Prince Kongdai was somewhat over the top.

"We have two thousand five hundred Land Servants, three hundred Double-wage Swordsmen, over eight hundred Clan Knights. I believe they equate to a force of six thousand ordinary Night Guards."

In the Empire’s system, Night Guards were simply tax-reduced labor soldiers, and Armored Soldiers were salaried elite Armored Farmers.

Typically, these two handled land security battles and small-scale engagements between lords, emphasizing individual prowess.

They’d fought too many security battles, hence didn’t engage in normal warfare.

When facing regular infantry like the Salvation Army, they would be overwhelmed as seen in the previous Rapids City battle.

Land Servants were somewhat unique, serving as external combat regular infantry, stressing discipline and organization, personal valor being secondary.

After the Windmill Land battle, due to many nobles long hiring a Mercenary Corps, transforming many Mercenaries into family privates.

Their status was ambiguous, thus defined as Military Servants outside the Imperial Knight system, marking the origin of Land Servants.

Similarly to Mercenaries, they divided officers according to recruitment and training, granting soldiers fixed salaries by headcount.

However, most nobles and cities could only afford short-term Mercenaries; only great nobles could maintain elite Land Servants.

In Duke-level territorial disputes, various nobles could gather friends and foes, escalating battlefield numbers to tens of thousands in major wars.

Only then did Land Servants find opportunities to act on such large-scale battlefields.

However, due to prolonged peace within the Empire, these opportunities were rare, and not all great nobles were willing to fund such an infantry force.

Yet, the Oslar Clan, seated on gold and silver mines, possessed three full units of Land Servants, with the most recent one established in the past five years.

They bordered the Barbarous Norn of Bear Hammer Territory, with skirmishes occurring sporadically.

Moreover, with a literal gold mountain, Duke Omes wouldn’t sleep soundly without a substantial force.

"As the army’s commander, Your Highness, I implore you to entrust me with the responsibility of land grants as an incentive to the soldiers."

Taking on the role of the stern face, Lakunio took the duty from Prince Kongdai to prevent chaotic and overly generous actions.

Blinking, Prince Kongdai trusted Lakunio fully with this task.

He wouldn’t agree if it were someone else, but he was completely at ease with this battlefield teacher and old friend.

Lakunio sighed in relief, for land grants required meticulous work factoring politics, economy, and military aspects, while appeasing the majority.

He believed his disciple couldn’t manage it yet. Currently, Prince Kongdai needed competent Civil Servants and Governors.

Since Mizam’s death, everything was in disarray.

After settling key political issues, consensus on logistical matters was swiftly reached, following those were military problems impacting the current battle conditions.

"...Since Ludvik’s death, circumstances have altered."

"Kasha County is now in chaos; until a new Abbot of Blago Monastery is appointed, they will remain in disarray."

"Gray Horse Knight Veen recently departed Changfeng Castle, leading troops to reach Honey River Town’s border, likely intending to invade Honey River Town and Deer Horn Town."

"Due to recent alliances between Witch Catherine of Rapids City, the Salvation Army, and the Secret Faction, part of Kasha County’s monasteries have covertly defected to us."

Listing the conditions one by one, Lakunio placed a black stone on the map at Kasha County’s northwest position.

"Given the current battlefield situation and your secret arrival, I propose a bold plan: immediately launching an uninterrupted attack on Kasha County.

With you and me leading local Knights and your army directly into their midst, they surely wouldn’t foresee your fresh troops; with defected monasteries and appeasement policies, Kasha County would definitely fall.

If Kasha County falls completely, the Salvation Army’s front in Langsande County would shift from the original Rapids City line to the entire South Nao’an River line, thereby expanding the front’s length threefold."

"Then we seize the opportunity to annihilate the Salvation Army?"

"If the chance arises, we annihilate; otherwise, we contain," Lakunio drew several clear lines on the map.

"Meanwhile, the Honey River Town’s army withdraws to Deer Horn Town, burning fields and houses to deny provisioning.

Gray Horse Knight likely continues assaulting Deer Horn Town, at which point Charles leads the decreed unit to raid, cutting off their retreat while Shattered Stone Plain’s army waits in the north.

If Charles succeeds, Shattered Stone Plain’s army would move southward to press High Castle City. The southern Salvation Army rebel line is too stretched and dispersed to provide aid.

Moliat, if advancing, would lose High Castle; if defending, would lose Gray Horse Knight Veen and main Knights.

If Moliat advances, we’ll encircle and strike reinforcements; if Moliat defends, we devour Gray Horse Knight before heading south to attack Rapids City.

With Shattered Stone Plain’s army in the north, Moliat would equally be unable to aid the Salvation Army, whose stretched line means inevitably thin troops.

Our great army encircles Rapids City but does not attack, enabling the decreed unit to swiftly raid Joan of Arc Castle, decapitating that Demon Horn; then the Thousand River Valley’s battle situation would be set."