I Don’t Need a Guillotine for My Revolution

Chapter 93: Revolutionary Defense War - Prelude (2)

Having arrived in the Alsace Direction with 10,000 troops, Damien De Millbeau wore a serious expression.

“Count, are you alright?”

Peter de Cassel, Damien's knight, asked with concern.

Damien slightly turned his head to look at his loyal knight.

Except for Jerome de Huey, who had died charging under Lafayette's reckless orders during the battle against the Storm Witch, Peter de Cassel was the only knight remaining from Damien's early days.

“Your Excellency, this Peter de Cassel will serve you with utmost loyalty! Please do not worry too much!”

“Cassel…….”

Damien De Millbeau called to him, his face filled with emotion.

Having shared life and death, loyal and reliable…….

'…Come to think of it, the only things I've experienced with Cassel were being defeated by Pierre de Lafayette, Countess Aquitaine, and Archduke Leopold.'Recalling that far, Damien’s expression crumpled.

“Y-Your Excellency?”

His loyal knight, sadly, wasn't very dependable.

“Urgh…….”

'If only Gaston had come along, he would have been somewhat reliable.'

He didn't know how many of the Germania Empire's 120,000 troops would come, but he knew it would be far more than his mere 10,000.

No matter how close the river was, the bombardment would surely reach beyond it.

Damien shuddered, recalling how the positions, built with relentless effort during the battle with Archduke Leopold, had been shattered by incessant artillery fire.

In the end, facing an enemy with at least more artillery than his own forces, relying solely on the river for defense was not…….

“Ah!”

A thought flashed through Damien’s mind like lightning.

'We just need to hold out, right?'

“Sir Cassel.”

“Yes?”

“I think I might be a bit of a genius.”

“……Yes?”

Peter de Cassel’s face showed an ‘Oh no, he’s at it again……’ expression, but Damien clenched his fist.

'Come to think of it, I've always been outstanding.'

His father had favored him, knowingly or not, and he believed he was better than his dead older brother. Wasn't that how he became the Count?!

As long as the opponent wasn't that wicked and cowardly Marquis Lafayette or Countess Aquitaine, holding out should be entirely possible!

His fighting spirit ignited, Damien commanded with burning eyes.

“Go around to all the nearby villages and scrape together every shovel and piece of cloth.”

“Uh… yes?”

“The soldiers don’t have anything to do until the enemy arrives anyway, right?”

Seeing Cassel’s puzzled face, Damien added with a wicked smile.

“Shouldn’t the soldiers share the burden when their commander is racking his brain? Let’s work them hard, hehe……”

*

Duke Gunhild, commander of the Germania Empire forces tasked by Archduke Leopold with occupying Alsace, arrived on the battlefield with 30,000 troops.

-Keep this in mind, Duke Gunhild. In this battle, the Alsace Direction is a secondary front, not the main one. If you can sufficiently disperse the enemy forces, that will fulfill your role.

Duke Gunhild recalled the words Archduke Leopold had spoken to him, raising his telescope to survey the enemy lines across the river.

-If the enemy forces are substantial, you need not force a river crossing. I will allocate sufficient artillery; you can simply hold them down with artillery duels across the river. The decision is yours.

Despite being thoroughly pushed around by Raphael Valliant's Francia army in the last war, Archduke Leopold trusted him, providing ample troops and support.

He even gave specific instructions and autonomy, so the Duke vowed to meet Archduke Leopold’s expectations this time, no matter what.

However…….

Duke Gunhild frowned, looking at the enemy lines across the river through his telescope.

“……What is that?”

The enemy forces had arranged their formation in a long line along the riverbank.

Or rather, it seemed that way.

The reason for this appearance was that only rows of flags were visible, not the actual troops.

Only after Duke Gunhild and his staff officer, Count Baden, looked intently through the telescope for a long while, could they make out soldiers moving in the enemy defense line.

Soldiers revealing only their shoulders and heads.

“Is that… a trench?”

As Duke Gunhild muttered, Count Baden replied.

“……It appears so, Your Excellency. It has been dug during sieges to avoid fortress bombardment, but digging it this long along the riverbank is something I’ve never seen before.”

Duke Gunhild clicked his tongue.

“They dug trenches along that entire long riverbank?”

“It seems so. The enemy soldiers must be exhausted due to the short timeframe; how about an immediate attack?”

At the suggestion of his staff officer, Count Baden, Duke Gunhild fell into thought.

The Rhine River flowing between Francia and the Germania Empire was not that wide.

In narrow places, the width was less than 200m. Since it was still spring before the Alpine snow melted, the water also wasn't very deep.

There were bridges, and if necessary, establishing multiple crossing points for an immediate river crossing and charge was possible.

However…….

Duke Gunhild frowned, looking at the densely packed flags along the trench line beyond the riverbank.

There were quite a lot of flags, and the enemy had dug a long, long trench line along the riverbank.

If troops equivalent to that number of flags were truly hiding in the trenches, recklessly crossing the river could lead to severe damage from a potential ambush.

Crossing might be possible, but retreating across the river again while under enemy attack would certainly not be easy.

“Damn it. Such petty tricks…….”

Duke Gunhild smacked his lips, looking at the artillery units Archduke Leopold had generously provided.

Had the enemy crudely fortified and defended the riverbank, he would have rained artillery fire. However, since they dug into the ground, direct cannon fire would be meaningless.

Neither he nor Archduke Leopold had imagined this enemy tactic; Duke Gunhild felt bitter sitting idly by with artillery that could have been crucial on the main front.

'If it weren't for the river, I could at least probe the other side to grasp the situation…….'

Ultimately, Duke Gunhild, scowling deeply, gave the order.

“For now, deploy the artillery and fire a few rounds. If the enemy artillery comes out to return fire, we'll try to neutralize their artillery at least.”

“Yes, sir!”

*

Boom, boom, boom.

The roar of steel cannonballs echoed, accompanying the loud noise from across the river.

Faced with the bombardment from an overwhelming number of cannons, the Revolutionary Army…….

Was eating inside the trench.

“Wow, it’s loud.”

“Who cares…….”

Occasionally, cannonballs flew over their heads, hurting their ears, but that was all.

When Damien De Millbeau first ordered trenches dug along the riverbank, soldiers grimaced, thinking, 'What crazy hard labor is this?' However, as they leisurely ate, accompanied by the bombardment, their commander suddenly seemed different.

“Huh, Count Milbeau actually has some foresight.”

“Right? I thought he was incompetent since he always got beaten.”

The soldiers mumbled amongst themselves, putting bread in their mouths and chewing.

“Well, he’s a commander appointed by Marquis Lafayette, so he can’t be incompetent……”

“Keke, didn’t you curse yesterday that you’d die digging because of the coward Count?”

“Ahem, ahem. Pass the water over there.”

The soldiers, who had worked hard to prepare the trenches before the Germania Empire's arrival, felt relieved to rest inside.

If they had been hit by that bombardment out in the open, they wouldn't be having such relaxed thoughts.

Thus, the bombardment, yielding no results, reaction, or return fire, continued briefly before stopping.

Around the time the Revolutionary Army soldiers finished their meal, a voice amplified by mana came from the Germania Empire's camp.

[Hiding like rats underground and refusing battle, what cowardice is this! Do the rebels of the Francia puppet regime have no honor! On behalf of the noble Duke Gunhild of the Germania Empire, I demand an honorable battle from your commander!]

At this point, the Revolutionary Army also began poking their heads out of the trench to watch the figures shouting on horseback across the river.

They were too far away to see faces, but the generals on horseback and the mage amplifying their voices with mana clearly looked angry.

It was perfectly natural, as the clustered Revolutionary Army, with only their heads sticking out of the trench, watched them like a spectacle.

[The valiant army of the Germania Empire, under the command of the noble Duke Gunhild, is prepared to fight valiantly against you in an honorable and fair battle! Who is your commander!]

After a moment, a shout amplified by mana erupted from this side as well.

[This defense line is commanded by the Southern Army Commander of the Revolutionary Army, Damien De Millbeau!]

[Count Damien De Millbeau! Uphold the honor of a nobleman and accept the request for a fair bat—]

[No.]

A brief silence fell.

Across the river, the soldiers watched with amusement as Duke Gunhild looked dumbfounded on his horse.

[What kind of discourteous remark is that, Count Milbeau! Show yourself! Where is the honor in fighting so despicably on an honorable battlefield? Where have you placed the honor of a Francia knight!!]

[I serve the commoners' government you speak of, so I have no need for such honor. If you want to fight fairly and honorably, cross the river. We'll sit comfortably and wait.]

As soon as Damien finished speaking, laughter erupted from the Revolutionary Army in the trench line.

“Puhahahaha!”

“Hey, I kind of like our commander.”

“I thought he was just a pompous Count, but he’s a real piece of work.”

In the end, time passed without a proper battle taking place.

*

The next day.

Under Duke Gunhild's orders, Count Baden crossed the bridge on horseback with only a small retinue, carrying a white flag.

'That Count, who knows neither courtesy nor honor, a disgrace to the nobility sucking up to commoners!'

Even as he rode, Count Baden ground his teeth.

To Count Baden, a nobleman who considered war a somewhat honorable duel between nations, this vile act of despicably avoiding battle and forcing an unfavorable offensive was intolerable.

Riding swiftly, Count Baden crossed the bridge and saw someone hastily riding out.

“Under the orders of the noble Duke Gunhild of the Germania Empire, I am Count Baden, here as an envoy for negotiations. Who are you?”

“Pant, pant. Oof, you came suddenly, so I rushed out. Phew, I am Count Damien De Millbeau.”

Count Baden, in his 30s, twitched his lips and glared at Damien's face. Damien looked to be barely in his early to mid-20s.

“Hah, so I finally see that precious face you wouldn't show even when asked so many times.”

Damien easily ignored Count Baden's sarcasm.

“So, what is it?”

“……I wish to negotiate.”

“Negotiate? What negotiation? Is there anything for us to exchange?”

Count Baden’s face twitched, feeling like a vein might pop in his forehead.

“First, guide me inside. Isn’t it also rude to converse while on horseback?”

“We only dug trenches, so we don’t have a command tent or anything. So speak here.”

'This damned brat……' Count Baden had two main tasks.

One task was to skillfully persuade Damien De Millbeau to withdraw or engage in battle. Honestly, neither Duke Gunhild nor he expected much success.

The more important task was to find some excuse to enter that damned trench line and gauge its layout and troop strength.

“Surely, there must at least be a place for the commander to rest! Not even offering a guest a seat, does Francia truly lack all common sense and courtesy!”

“We don’t.”

“Wh-What?”

But Damien De Millbeau was far more cunning and shameless than they imagined.

“Trying to get a free pass? You want to inspect Damien De Millbeau’s masterpiece, the ‘Mirbeau Line’? If you really want to see it, bring your army across the river and see for yourself. Though the viewing fee might be quite expensive.”

Count Baden trembled, his face contorted almost to the point of veins bursting.

Of course, Damien lacked soldiers. He had left sections of the trenches, which only looked superficially dug, empty. He sparsely placed his few soldiers and desperately tried to hide this fact.

But Count Baden had no way of knowing.

“Y-You, and you call yourself a knight of Francia? As a nobleman, how could you…….”

“I am both a knight of Francia and a nobleman, but those old-fashioned traditions didn’t save me. So stop trying to be clever and leave~ Oh, you’re the honorable and noble Duke, right~ Come on in fair and square~ Come on~ Why? Are you scared?”

Count Baden’s patience reached its limit.

He took off the glove he was wearing and threw it in Damien’s face.

Thwack.

In front of both retinues, the glove hit Damien’s face and slowly fell.

“Know shame! Benedict von Baden, Count of Baden, a vassal of the Germania Empire, challenges you, Damien De Millbeau, to a duel!”

It was done in a fit of rage, but he had no regrets.

He was a loser general, beaten by Marquis Lafayette’s southern noble faction throughout the civil war. He would have suffered a crushing defeat against Archduke Leopold if not for Lafayette. He was a coward hiding because he's afraid of battle!

If this guy shrinks back like a coward here, he could at least break the enemy's morale.

“Are you scared? A coward like you accepting a duel— Urk?”

Count Baden mimicked Damien's tone to provoke him and hastily drew his sword to block Damien's sudden swing.

However, Damien swung his sword fiercely before Count Baden could even regain his stance.

“First! Strike! Certain! Victory!”

“Ugh, Agh! W-Wait, wait! Keuk!”

He withstood a few blows, but Count Baden eventually lost his balance under the continuous attacks and fell from his horse.

It all happened too fast for anyone in either retinue to react. Even after regaining their senses, Count Baden’s escorts hesitated, unsure what to do and unable to dare intervene.

“N-No way……”

It was clearly a duel Count Baden had initiated, and he had lost.

“I… I lost.”

The unhorsed Count Baden, dazed, finally saw the sword pointed at his neck, turned pale, and raised both hands.

“Sob……”

Damien, the actual winner, suddenly started sniffling, bewildering everyone around.

“Did you see that? Did you see? I’m not weak! That Lafayette guy was the weird one! Look, you bastards! I am strong!”

“Oh, Oooohh-”

“L-Long live Count Milbeau!”

As the clueless Revolutionary soldiers and retinue belatedly cheered, Count Baden despaired.

'To think I've become a prisoner of this idiot……'