Chapter 273 - 42: War Arrangements
Chapter 273: Chapter 42: War Arrangements
When Robson left the granary, it was still pitch black outside.
Robson’s strategy was essentially a blitzkrieg: arrive, reorganize briefly, don their gear, and strike at once.
He was able to execute a successful night raid because he had calculated the necessary speed and distance before they even set out.
The battle had started around eight in the evening and lasted for three to four hours. It must be the early hours of the next day.
"Go, find some firewood and set that hut over there on fire." Robson pointed to a distant wooden hut. The hut was already dilapidated, but it looked quite dry.
"Yes, my lord."
The guard took a torch and walked over. Soon, the entire hut was engulfed in a roaring fire.
Drawn by the fire, a griffin emerged from the distant darkness. It circled above Robson a few times before finding a suitable spot to land.
Robson didn’t have to wait long. Soon, a short Knight, escorted by several soldiers, was brought before him.
The Knight wore leather armor, his expression strained. As a Griffin Knight, he was one of the military’s elite. He could clearly feel the killing intent radiating from the soldiers behind him.
The requirements for a Griffin Knight’s Extraordinary level weren’t high; after all, it’s not like they fought much in the air. The main requirements were a suitable physique, extensive military knowledge, and a touch of talent with griffins.
Even so, these requirements alone were enough to disqualify most people.
"Greetings, Lord Viscount," the Knight said, swallowing hard.
"You are all dismissed," Robson said to the soldiers behind the Knight. They acknowledged the order and departed.
"Greetings," Robson said, smiling at the Knight. "Do you have an urgent report for me?"
The Knight nodded.
Robson had a map brought out and casually cast a Lighting Technique. The Knight stared blankly for a moment.
"Please," Robson said, gesturing to the map. The Knight belatedly snapped to attention.
"My lord, previously, Earl Fengman ordered me to monitor the enemy’s movements."
"Yesterday morning, there was enemy activity at Bai Ma Ferry. An enemy force came from the north and crossed the ferry. Twenty large ships made ten round trips, so I estimate their numbers at around two thousand men."
"In the afternoon, those two thousand men marched out from Bai Ma Ferry, heading swiftly for Ror Town. There were cavalry among them, but I couldn’t get an exact count.
When I left, the enemy was still ferrying troops across from the far side of Bai Ma Ferry," the Knight reported.
’So fast?!’
Robson was shocked. He considered his own speed absolutely first-rate; the enemy shouldn’t have had time to react while he was taking Ancient Dumu Town.
’And he, Lord Robson, had never heard of anyone else employing such breakneck tactics.’
’If they hadn’t anticipated his tactics, then the most likely explanation was that this force had been arranged in advance—reinforcements for the Beastmen at Wisley Path.’
’Judging by their grasp of timing and opportunity, the Beastmen Commander-in-Chief was no pushover.’
’If Robson hadn’t successfully blitzed Ancient Dumu Town today, and those enemy reinforcements had charged in, the entire human army at Wisley Town would have been in grave danger.’
"How many enemy troops are stationed at Bai Ma Ferry?" Robson asked the Griffin Knight.
"I don’t know," the Griffin Knight replied honestly, shaking his head.
Robson nodded, not at all annoyed by the Griffin Knight’s lack of detailed reconnaissance. In fact, the man’s willingness to admit what he didn’t know already made him a competent scout.
’What does a commander fear most? False intelligence. It gets people killed!’
"We don’t know, then..." Robson mused, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes, his gaze fixed on Bai Ma Ferry on the map.
"Go. Sound the call to assemble. Tell the Knight Order and the Cavalry Team outside to break off their pursuit."
...
Even the Fengman Knight Order, having served under Robson for a considerable time, was long familiar with the various signals used in the Robson Camp.
As for the Cavalry Team, that went without saying. Learning the signals from their captain was the very first thing a new recruit did upon enlistment.
Soon, Knight Commander Elon and Claude arrived at Robson’s side.
Robson was studying the map. When the two men arrived, he relayed the Griffin Knight’s report.
"Well? What are your thoughts?" Robson asked, looking at the three of them. His focus, however, was on Claude and Ais.
’It wasn’t that Robson truly needed their input. From the start of the Western Front campaign until now, he, Lord Robson, had made practically all the decisions himself.’
’But his future domain couldn’t rely on him alone to lead its armies. Training his subordinates was essential.’
Claude, seeing Robson’s expectant gaze on him, scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Me? My lord, you know me. If you’re asking me, my answer is always that we can fight ’em," Claude said with a laugh.
"I’m sure you already have a plan, Lord Viscount," Knight Commander Elon said.
Robson was somewhat disappointed by their answers and turned his gaze to Ais. To his surprise, it was the unassuming Ais who actually dared to voice an opinion.
"My lord, I think... perhaps we should attack the army that’s on the march," Ais said.
"Oh? And why is that?" Robson asked, looking at Ais with interest.
"Why...? It’s just a feeling that we should attack them. You did say we should all speak our minds, right? Ha ha." Ais rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed by Robson’s pointed question.
Robson nodded. He hadn’t expected to cultivate a brilliant general overnight.
"We have successfully captured Ancient Dumu Town," Robson began, "and this enemy force is heading toward Ror Town.
Our march was so swift that even if the enemy is using Thunderhawks for communication, they can’t possibly know that we’ve already taken Ancient Dumu Town.
Even if they find out now, they’re only halfway to their destination at best. It’s too late for them to turn back to Bai Ma Ferry or push on to Ror Town.
Therefore, our best option is to exploit this information gap and use our speed to crush these enemy reinforcements," Robson said, pointing to the road between Bai Ma Ferry and Ror Town on the map.
Ais looked like he was beginning to understand.
"Then why don’t we attack Bai Ma Ferry directly? Wouldn’t that cut off the Beastmen’s line of retreat?" Ais asked curiously.
A subordinate willing to learn was a good thing. Robson didn’t mind explaining further.
"The enemy has already reinforced Bai Ma Ferry. We don’t know the situation there, nor do we know how many more reinforcements are behind them. We cannot gamble with the lives of our allies in Wisley Path.
Do you understand? We’re not at a complete disadvantage. If we can take Ror Town, we can seize the initiative on the entire battlefield and turn the tables, trapping the Beastmen within Wisley Path.
Taking Bai Ma Ferry could lead to a major victory, but it’s a gamble. Taking Ror Town, however, guarantees us an advantage. Once Count Sriphine’s reinforcements arrive, our position will be completely secure," Robson explained.
"Then we set out at dawn?" Knight Commander Elon asked, looking to Robson.
Robson’s gaze returned to the map.
"Set out at dawn?"
"No. The battlefield is ever-changing. The men are fresh off a victory, and their morale is high.
If my calculations are correct, it will only take us about two hours to force-march from Ancient Dumu Town to the enemy’s position.
It’s around midnight now. By the time we arrive, the enemy will be sound asleep," Robson said.
"Besides, as long as we stick to the Ancient Trade Route, our army can advance or retreat at will. If things go south, we can always pull back, implement our backup plan, and fall back to the entrance of Wisley Path to link up with Bo Yang and rescue our allies."
"Since you’ve already considered every angle, Lord Viscount, I have nothing more to add. Just give the order," Knight Commander Elon said.
One had to admit, some things simply came down to talent.
Knight Commander Elon had spent half his life in the army and served under many commanders, but Robson was by far the one who gave him the greatest peace of mind.