Chapter 265 - 34: Exiting the Pass
Chapter 265: Chapter 34: Exiting the Pass
Robson finished writing the last letter.
Although the letters formed a thick stack, they all contained the same message.
Robson had written them in imitation of Valentino’s tone.
The gist of it was: ’I, Valentino, was unable to secure military pay from the Kingdom Government, yet you dared to dispatch troops on your own. I had no choice but to let you go.’
’As it turns out, I never expected that you lot would cause such a disaster, getting yourselves surrounded by a paltry force of just over ten thousand men.’
’Although you’ve suffered a defeat, don’t lose heart. I am now sending my trusted and favored general, Viscount Robertson, to rescue you. For now, all of you are to defend your positions and wait for Viscount Robertson’s reinforcements.’
’I, Valentino, must now remain in the rear to mobilize logistical supplies and can no longer attend to the matters on the front line. You are all to obey Viscount Robertson. He will report and summarize the situation to me, which I will then submit to the Kingdom Government.’
The letter might have seemed unremarkable, but it was a testament to one’s fundamental skills. In just a few short lines, it had essentially said everything that needed to be said.
It mainly addressed three things. First, the current situation was the result of those nobles mobilizing without authorization. Valentino, the Commander-in-Chief, had already lost command authority before this happened. Why had she lost it? Because the Kingdom Government wouldn’t provide military pay. This was Robson’s way of first absolving Valentino of any fault.
Second, after detailed discussions at the Supreme Command Department and with the highest directive from Earl Fengman, it instructed them: ’Do not be discouraged. Hold your positions. The enemy is only ten thousand strong and not that powerful. Reinforcements are on the way; wait for Viscount Robertson to rescue you.’ This was primarily to stabilize morale.
The third and most important point was to clarify the right of command for the upcoming battles, as well as the authority to determine rewards and punishments.
The right of command would allow Robson to gain the Kingdom Government’s endorsement and the nominal title of Commander-in-Chief, which would be extremely convenient for commanding the army. One should not underestimate a title. Sometimes, that bit of official standing was all that mattered. For truly great undertakings, one had to fight for this legitimacy.
The most crucial part of the entire letter, however, was the reporting authority mentioned at the end. This authority could essentially determine how the Kingdom would judge the merits and faults of each noble after the war.
On paper, both sides were evenly matched, yet the war had devolved into its current state. Who deserved credit, and who was at fault?
With just a few strokes of his pen on the merit reports, Robson could rewrite the life trajectories of many nobles.
If he wielded this power well, he could not only discipline the disobedient nobles of Ehrlichland but also meddle in the affairs of Ador Province. Lord Robson could get a piece of that action.
He read it over several times and, confirming there were no issues, nodded in satisfaction.
’It’s been a long time since I navigated the social circles of my past life,’ Robson thought, ’but it seems Lord Robson has still got the touch for this sort of thing.’
After his inspection, Robson handed the bundle of letters to Knight Commander Deman, who stood before him.
Knight Deman was also a member of the Fengman Clan. However, unlike Knight Commander Elon, Knight Commander Deman led the Griffin Knight Order.
Don’t be fooled by the Fengman Clan’s remote location; they were one of the top ten great clans in the kingdom and raised a few griffins. Although their scale couldn’t compare to the kingdom’s three great families, they were more than sufficient for the Eastern Front.
"I’ll have to trouble you with these. Help me deliver them to Count Valentino. She’ll tell you what to do then," Robson said.
In truth, Valentino had already handed over command of the army to Robson before they left Fengman City.
But they had needed to travel quickly, and their departure was so rushed that many things hadn’t been discussed in detail.
Sending the documents back now was to get Valentino’s official endorsement, to go through the proper channels before forwarding them to the trapped nobles.
"My Lord Viscount, you speak too gravely. This is merely our duty."
Knight Commander Deman didn’t say much more. After the polite exchange, he took the letters and turned to leave.
The military situation was urgent, allowing no room for carelessness.
"I never would have thought Sir Robson was also skilled at... this sort of thing," Knight Commander Elon couldn’t help but remark, watching Knight Commander Deman’s departing figure.
Robson hadn’t hidden what he was doing when he wrote the original draft of that bundle of letters in front of Knight Commander Elon.
Knight Commander Elon was a man of several decades, after all. While he couldn’t grasp everything, he understood the general gist of it. Knight Commander Elon had played a significant role in helping Robson establish a firm foothold in Qimo Fortress previously.
"It’s all just a few unorthodox tricks, nothing worth praising."
"How are our carriages? Are they ready for use?" Robson looked toward Ais, who was standing to the side.
The production methods of this world were somewhat similar to the ancient times of Robson’s past life; a single carriage craftsman would build an entire carriage from start to finish.
Robson had originally thought that the people of this era simply hadn’t considered modular production, but when he proposed the idea, the head of the Gauss Clan rejected it outright.
The reason given was the fear of leaking core secrets.
Only then did Robson understand. ’Ideas are easy to come by. What hinders productivity has never been human imagination, but human greed.’
Robson didn’t say much more about it.
Fortunately, the Gauss Clan had been deeply involved in the carriage industry for many years, and the craftsmen in their family were all skilled artisans.
Despite their backward production methods, they still managed to produce enough carriages for the first and second regiments within the limited time.
"I inspected them earlier. There are no problems," Ais replied.
Robson nodded, then had an attendant beside him bring over a map.
"Although we were force-marching, our speed was still within the normal range for an army on the move. We even intentionally held back a bit, so I imagine the enemy is likely unguarded right now," Baron Bo Yang said from the side.
Robson nodded.
"According to previous reconnaissance, the main enemy force of about ten thousand is currently camped on the plains of John Town. They are mostly lesser races.
These goblins and kobolds are deployed along the entire road, specifically to intercept us."
"They’re just small fry. If I lead the Fengman Knight Order in a charge, they’ll collapse on contact. My Lord Viscount need not worry about them," Knight Commander Elon said.
"I’m not worried about that. The main problem is how to ensure this horde of goblins doesn’t regroup after we break them...
With the carriages we have now, we can transport the entire first and second regiments, and part of the third. Any more than that would jeopardize our logistics...
These Soldiers should be enough for the situation over there."
Listening to the analysis from his old subordinates, Robson gazed beyond the pass. Feiying Pass itself was built on an Ancient River Channel, and beyond it lay the plains left behind by the ancient river.
In fact, the entire Ancient Trade Route was built on this Ancient River Channel, and it ran through the whole of Ehrlich Province.
As Robson listened to their analysis, he felt a sense of gratification. ’These guys haven’t been working under Lord Robson for long, but they’re already showing signs of becoming capable.’
’In the future, Ehrlichland is destined to be a turbulent place. Having a group of competent people under me is crucial.’
"In that case, let’s all get to work. Remember to select the necessary personnel from the Third Regiment. The newly formed Fourth through Seventh Regiments will be yours to command. Any problems?"
As he spoke, Robson turned his gaze to Baron Bo Yang.
Appointing Bo Yang to lead the army was a decision Robson had made after long consideration.
Bo Yang had been serving under Robson all this time, following him from Sunset Fortress all the way to the Eastern Front. There was certainly no question of his loyalty. As for his ability, Bo Yang had previously commanded Robson’s most elite first regiment.
As mentioned before, Ehrlichland was destined to become a battlefield on all fronts. Robson couldn’t possibly handle everything himself.
This was the perfect opportunity to let Bo Yang go out and test his wings.
Even if he failed, it wouldn’t matter much. The situation was already terrible, so losing a few thousand more Soldiers wouldn’t make a big difference. The one who would truly secure Robson’s rear in the future was Count Sriphine, currently in Odoc Province.
"As you command, my lord." Bo Yang hadn’t expected Robson to entrust him with such a heavy responsibility today, and he was quite thrilled.