The Extra Wants To Live

After barely regaining consciousness following his treatment, Carl called Ali and made him a notary to create a secret agreement with Hidan. Carl and Hidan would naturally not speak out about this, and Ali would keep his mouth shut even after death for Hidan, who made this decision for the people—unless someone broke their promise.

Instead of immediately freeing Hidan, Carl sent a messenger demanding an appropriate ransom, then took sufficient rest and calmly headed north. Naturally, the news of his victory was announced to Goban, who had surrounded Jihan. Goban laughed heartily and made the siege even more thorough.

Jihan, greatly discouraged by his defeat, realized that things were going wrong when he saw the Laurel Tree Alliance's bold siege. They desperately awaited reinforcements, but of course, they never came. Jihan retreated completely and devoted himself to defense, allowing the Laurel Tree Alliance's supplies to proceed smoothly and safely beyond Jihan and into the northern territories.

Carl advanced leisurely north for five days, besieging the panic-stricken northern city of Gabiha. Ten days after the war and five days after the siege of Gabiha began, a wagon full of gold, jewels, silk, and dyes arrived.

After receiving the ransom, Carl freed Hidan and his men. The wagons that came to pay the ransom also brought food and water for the liberated prisoners, though they appeared precarious, perhaps due to the difficulty of affording such an enormous sum of money. In an act of mercy, Carl distributed ample supplies to Hidan. The supply route was safe, and the supplies were plentiful; considering the ransom received from Hidan, it was nothing. Carl's merciful act of freeing the enemy general so early in the war caused a small uproar within the Laurel Alliance. However, doubts about Carl, who had already proven himself, quickly subsided. To prove once again the name of the one who plants laurel trees, Hidan did not return to the battlefield after his release.

No further support was provided to Jihan either. Although Hidan was removed from his position as general, taking responsibility for the defeat, he remained a powerful military commander. Dissatisfied with having lost his position due to a single battle, Hidan obstructed the dispatch of new reinforcements at every turn, and he prevented conscription by preaching the noble sacrifice of Akhtar Ali. Jihan was blockaded, and enemy support was cut off.

Now all that remained for Carl was to march north and capture enemy castles and cities. The young Archduke's amazing achievements in a single battle greatly shocked Hardion. Not only the military but also the nobles of central political circles were excited, and the eastern part of the empire, which was the main player in the war, was thrown into a frenzy. Under the banner of the great empire, everyone's heart swelled with pride.

News of Carl's victory reached Yusuf, who was fighting fiercely in the central-eastern part of Tumaria. Yusuf realized that the subtle change in the rebels' behavior was due to Carl's actions, and he drew his sword in earnest, attacking the enemy with the momentum of a wildfire. Before long, autumn approached.

***

Jihan remained surrounded, and with Ali's sacrifice and Hidan's political maneuvering, no support arrived. The Laurel Alliance had achieved a great victory with minimal casualties, and their supplies were fully replenished, causing their morale to skyrocket.

In this situation, the besieged city of Gabiha could not muster the courage to engage Carl's force of fewer than 3,000 men in a field battle. Gabiha was paralyzed by fear, conscripting not only every able-bodied man in the city but also every woman. Though not a large city, it was located along a smaller river that flowed from the Celle Mountains. It served as a crucial link between the northwestern part of Tumaria and Jihan, as well as a breakwater to buy time from Hardion, who was advancing north.

Still, Gabiha was a city with a population of 20,000, and its combat-ready personnel, including conscripts, amounted to 8,000. "When on earth is support coming?" someone demanded. "I haven't heard from them yet…" another replied. Though Gabiha had 8,000 troops defending the city walls, they trembled in fear at Carl's force of fewer than 3,000 men.

Gabiha's standing army, only 500 men, represented 2.5 percent of the city's population—a percentage almost impossible to achieve without tax incentives and other benefits allowing Gabiha to act as a breakwater. Meanwhile, the eastern part of the empire had steadily increased its troops since the founding of the Laurel Union, with over 10,000 standing troops deployed to guard the borders and the Celle Mountains. There had been no support from the central government, and despite this, the region's ability to function during wartime, with farmers diligently harvesting crops before winter, was remarkable.

More than a month had passed since the start of the war. The soldiers standing on Gabiha's walls were shocked as they saw the clouds of dust from the approaching Imperial Central Army of Hardion. Holding high the banners of Hardion and the Emperor, the army approached proudly. From Gabiha, they could only see that this force was numerous. What they didn't know was that they were the elite standing army of the central empire and that tens of thousands of additional troops would soon be dispatched through gradual conscription. This first dispatch was meant to support Carl, who had laid the foundation for victory in the early stages of the war. It was the result of a joint effort by both the military and central politics to solidify their position, with victory almost certain.

Despite opposition from some nobles who wanted to keep Carl in check, claiming that the Laurel Union was created for the war against Tumaria and that Carl should be able to win without central support, these objections were dismissed as mere opposition for its own sake. With the empire's people clamoring for victory, no one would withdraw now. Politics dictated that Carl must be supported, lest those in opposition face a political crisis during the post-war rewards process.

Accordingly, support for Carl was full-scale. Those tasked with commanding the first dispatched army held positions worthy of their rank.

"Captain Zigel, it's been a while," Carl greeted. "Hahaha! Hasn't it been a year yet?" replied Baduan Zigel, Imperial Central Army Infantry Captain, with a hearty laugh. His chest puffed out as if it were full of fat and muscle. Despite being one of the highest-ranking officers in the central army, Baduan had an easygoing personality.

"The news of Your Excellency's victory reverberates throughout the empire! What an unbelievable victory!" Baduan exclaimed, shaking Carl's hand with his bear-like grip. His large mouth, buried in his thick beard, opened wide with excitement. He continued cheerfully, with a boyish twinkle in his eye, "It was a deception so perfect it could serve as a textbook! But I wouldn't dare follow it. In enemy territory, such a bold deception would be considered absurd."
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Baduan was very excited and babbled.

He pointed out that Carl's deception was such that even a tiny part that was slightly out of alignment would have ruined the whole thing.

It wasn't like Baduan was trying to belittle Carl's achievements.

It was a praise to Carl for perfectly executing a difficult strategy that was originally considered an unacceptable action.

If I told you that you broke into someone else's house, knew the layout of the house and the owner well, devised a strategy, and won, you wouldn't believe it.

"It was thanks to the soldiers' silent and obedient follow-up. As Captain Ziegel said, it was a dangerous strategy for anyone to see, but everyone trusted me and fought, so shouldn't I take responsibility for this and achieve victory?"

"Hahahaha! That's right! I see!"

Baduan laughs heartily at Carl, who pretends to be humble but confidently says, "You fought and trusted me, so you won."

However, Baduan, who had been smiling with sparkling eyes like a child, soon looked at Carl with a heavy face as if it were a lie.

"Even so, not everything can go according to plan forever. That's war."

"I know."

"But are you really going to do it?"

Baduan asks in a voice as firm as rock.

Where was the warm-hearted uncle's appearance? Baduan Zigel, the infantry captain of the Central Army of the Hardion Empire, was looking fiercely at Archduke Carl Felt Hardion.

"exactly."

Carl answered calmly, as if Baduan's sharp gaze were a spring breeze.

There was not a single trace of hesitation on his face, only a clear expression of gleaming confidence and firm determination.

'It is rockier than rock, icier than ice, and fiery than fire.'

Baduan looked at Carl like that and quietly admired him.

He's still not sure about this young Archduke's abilities.

War is a dance on a huge slab with too many things swirling around.

Even the heroic and extraordinary aspects that Carl has shown so far cannot fully prove him.

"I understand. Then I will trust the one who plants the laurel tree and entrust him with the sword."

However, the reason Baduan decided to trust Carl was because he saw the bearing of a king in Carl, who was only 18 years old.

Never in Baduan's lifetime had he seen anyone act with such confidence.

And he have never seen anyone so confident and yet so cool-headed.

Emperor Azgoth also had this aspect, but he was only a politician.

Azgoth was a seasoned politician who always controlled everything with an ambiguous attitude, and even though he was the emperor and the supreme figure of the empire, he could not make decisions with confidence like Carl's.