I Became the Strategist the Monarchs Obsess Over

Chapter 20

The Scout Officer and Charles dismounted from their horses. Charles approached the villagers and asked.

"What happened? Were there bandits?"

At this, the oldest elder, leaning on a cane, came forward.

"Not bandits. Something similar, though."

"If not bandits, then..."

"The Chronor Family's army was here."

Karl von Chronor. The Duke of Duke Chronor's Dominion and the man tasked with defending the North. He was also the Crown Prince's adversary in this Northern Conquest.

"This is strange. This place is supposed to be the Chronor Family's territory, so why would Duke Chronor plunder his own territory?"

The Scout Officer asked this, and Charles immediately responded.

"Scorched Earth Tactics."

"Scorched Earth Tactics?"

"Gabriel, the North has vast lands, doesn't it?"

"That's correct."

"But its productivity is lower compared to the central region."

"That's true."

"Because the land is vast, the supply lines naturally stretch thin. So how do we manage that?"

"By... resupplying locally?"

Resupplying locally was just a euphemism for plundering. For armies of this era, plundering was a routine practice.

"However, now they can't resupply locally."

Because the enemy plundered first.

"Ah!"

Gabriel clapped his hands as if he had just realized something.

That's right. In the case of the Northern Hemisphere, the cold climate results in low productivity. The land is vast but the productivity is low, so the supply lines naturally stretch thin. To solve this stretched supply line, local resupply—essentially plundering the local residents—becomes necessary.

But what if the defenders preemptively plunder the food supplies the invaders intend to take? The invaders would starve, their morale would drop, and they might desert or fail to fight properly.

Historically, this tactic was frequently used in Russia. Both Napoleon and Hitler fell victim to it, so there's no need to question its effectiveness.

"Strategist, then shouldn't we report this to our superiors immediately? We should report to General Valboa and await the next orders..."

"Wait."

I raised my hand to stop Scout Officer Gabriel.

"Why so?"

"If we report back, what do you think the next step will be?"

"Hmm... Won't they come up with a countermeasure?"

"They'll send scouts to determine which villages have been plundered and which haven't. Only then can they send soldiers to the unplundered villages."

"As expected of you, Strategist. Then, what should we do?"

"If it's a task the next scouts will have to do anyway, we'll do it ourselves right now."

"But... wouldn't that be dangerous? We only have twenty people. If we encounter enemy forces plundering a village, we'll be pursued immediately. While scouts are always prepared to risk their lives, Strategist, are you okay with this?"

"Well... if it comes to that, I'll just die."

Of course, I had no intention of dying. I was simply relying on Glasia to handle any truly dangerous situations.

"Hahaha! This is hilarious."

Gabriel laughed heartily.

"Strategist, you're nothing like the previous strategist. You're either far braver or far more foolish. It must be one of the two."

Perhaps it was both. With those thoughts, we immediately checked the map and set out for the next village.

-----

That night, we stayed in Valen Village. Since it had already been plundered once, we calculated that the enemy wouldn't return. Our guess was correct. The enemy didn't revisit a village they had already plundered.

The next day, we traveled through the villages surrounding Valen Village, checking whether they had been plundered or not. As a result, we found that many villages north of Valen Village had been plundered, whereas many to the south had not.

When we asked the villagers in the plundered areas when the enemy had left, they generally said one or two days ago. This meant that the enemy had likely already moved on. While the chance of encountering them wasn't zero, it was relatively low.

"It seems they plundered the northern area using Valen Village as a boundary and have already returned to their main base."

"That's right. They seem to have only plundered north of this area."

Gabriel agreed with my statement.

"The next village we're heading to, Philippa, is south of Valen Village. So, it's likely it hasn't been plundered."

"Yes, that's correct."

"It looks like we can stay in Philippa tonight."

"Yes. I'm getting tired of military rations. I hope we can have some warm soup."

I completely agreed with that. Since joining the Scout Unit, I had realized just how scarce food was. Occasionally, soldiers would hunt rabbits, but that was considered a luxury. Hunting rabbits daily could compromise the scouting mission, so we usually ate prepared jerky or black bread. When people hear "black bread," they may think it's real bread, but it's actually more like porridge. It's made by soaking rock-hard bread in hot water until it's edible. For the record, it tasted terrible.

However, food from villages was slightly better. Most of it consisted of beans or vegetable soup, and if we were very lucky, we might even get chicken. We prayed that the next village hadn't been plundered and headed toward it. And then...

-Fwoosh!

Contrary to our expectations, the village had already been plundered. No, to be precise, it was being plundered in real time. Soldiers were moving from house to house, taking food, and the villagers were resisting to protect their supplies, only to be killed by the soldiers' swords.

Watching this scene from a distance, Gabriel turned to me and asked.

"Strategist, your orders. What should we do?"

"How many are there?"

"At least three times our numbers. Although their equipment is much poorer than ours, the sheer numerical difference is hard to overcome."

"..."

"Sometimes retreating is the courageous choice. We should withdraw here."

Gabriel's suggestion was reasonable. Any normal strategist would have said the same. But I wasn't a normal strategist.

"There's a way."

"A way?"

"A way to cause them significant damage without losing to them."

Gabriel stared at me as if I were speaking nonsense.

"The problem is that the enemy is plundering supplies."

"Yes, that's true. They also seem to be plundering valuables as well."

The plundered valuables wouldn't be sent up the chain of command but would remain in the hands of the soldiers. While technically a crime, it was a common occurrence in the military.

"If we attack them during the plundering, we'll lose."

"Of course. The enemy is three times our size."

"But what if we attack them after they've finished plundering?"

At this, Gabriel looked puzzled.

"Think from the perspective of a plunderer, not a soldier. I'm poor. I joined the army to earn money and have gathered a lot of food and valuables. In this situation, if an enemy pursues me, what's the first thought that comes to mind?"

"Um... I have to kill the enemy?"

"No. [I want to escape this situation]. If we fight them before they achieve their goals, we'll lose. But if we strike after they've achieved their goals and are retreating, we'll have a chance to win."

Gabriel looked skeptical, as if questioning whether this was really a solid plan.

"Gabriel, I know I'm young and an outsider, and I understand if you don't trust me. But in this battle, I'm staking my life as well. Please trust me."

"...But if we lose, we die. This isn't a game on a chessboard. Life is precious..."

"If we achieve success in this battle, it could lead to promotions. Whether you seek honor or retirement, it will bring you closer to your goal."

At those words, Gabriel groaned and then said.

"Well, when I volunteered for the most dangerous position in the Scout Unit, I had already let go of my life. Let's give it a try."

Gabriel then whispered to the soldiers who had been listening from behind.

"Does anyone object? If you value your life, you can desert now. But you won't be able to return to His Highness the Crown Prince's camp."

"..."

"If you want to succeed, fight. If you don't want to die, leave now. This is your only chance."

"I will do it."

"I will do it."

Voices agreeing to the plan came from all around. As expected from the Scout Unit, which was known for volunteering for the most dangerous roles.

"Then, let's do this."

And so, we hid in the bushes, waiting for the enemy to finish plundering.

The plundering took some time. After several hours, the North Duke's soldiers, who had stolen all the village's grains and valuables, laughed in satisfaction and began riding away.

And with their horses slowed down by the heavy loads, our swift horses, carrying nothing but emergency rations and silver coins, began to catch up.

"D-Damn it! What's that!"

The soldiers of Duke Chronor shouted.

"It's the enemy! We're under attack!"

"There aren't many of them. Fight back! Stand your ground!"

However, no one was willing to fight back. Think about it. Who would risk their life when their bundle contained valuables worth fifty million won? All they wanted was to hide their valuables in a safe place.

Despite the officer's orders to fight, the soldiers only fled. And as they ran, our allies pursued them, killing them one by one.

"D-Damn it!!!"

Occasionally, there were those who charged at us bravely, but since they were few in number, we could easily subdue them.

We could also apprehend those who tried to escape with the plunder loaded onto their horses. The horses, burdened by too much loot, couldn't run properly.

And so, after a series of battles.

We killed or captured nearly half of the enemy.

On the other hand, our side suffered only three injuries.

It was a one-sided fight.

Gabriel asked.

"I never thought we would win so easily. How did you know we would win, Strategist?"

"Thieves, even if they're tense when they enter, lose their heads in greed and only think about escaping when they leave."

It was a strategy inspired by a historical figure who calmly watched thieves rob his house and struck them from behind when they tried to escape.

"Everyone!"

I shouted.

"Congratulations on your achievements."

At those words, the soldiers of the Scout Unit cheered.

They would be treated as heroes when they returned.