I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 357 A Mind's Eyes Are Like Holes in Cheese

After the Retalians arrived, they set up camp on the banks of a river five kilometers southwest of Golden Harvest City, and settled 20,000 horses on the riverbank.

While Charles was going crazy over the arrival of these Retalians and thought the Bagnians were doomed, Chris was actually happy that the Retalians had brought so many horses.

Horses are particularly delicate animals. They have a large appetite and need to eat grass equivalent to 1.5% to 2.5% of their body weight a day, which is about ten kilograms. Warhorses, in particular, need to supplement their diet with high-protein foods such as eggs and soybeans.

Besides hay, horses also have a high demand for water, depending on the temperature, activity level, and size of the horse. They need to drink 20-50 liters of water per day.

A horse needs to eat more than 10 kilograms of hay and at least 20 liters of water a day. This is nothing for a horse-raising family, but what about 20,000 horses?
Furthermore, among these 20,000 horses, there are at least several thousand military warhorses, and the amount of water, hay, and concentrated feed they need every day is enormous.

Furthermore, horses are timid animals, much like rabbits. When their density is too high, they will exhibit stress behaviors, fighting and trampling each other, which makes it even more troublesome for their owners.

Chris also knew that these 20,000 horses were not all owned by the Retelians. According to reports from player scouts, Retelian logistics teams were on their way further south, bringing with them more than 10,000 reserve horses.

Then, more Reteria infantry and cavalry are on their way from various parts of the Civelevka province, and they are expected to reach Golden Harvest City within the next week.

Chris estimates that, without external interference, the number of Leterians gathered here will be over 60,000, and the number of horses will rise to 40,000 to 50,000.

Sixty thousand men are manageable; with the arrival of spring, military rations will be delivered from the rear of Retalia. In addition, they have a port city where they can fish, so the pressure isn't too great. However, feeding the horses is a problem.

To feed these horses, the Reterians practically ravaged the provinces of Chivelevka and Dur, two rich coastal provinces of Bagnya, leaving them almost entirely deserted.

What will happen now that all these big-bellied animals are gathered near Golden Harvest City?
Chris couldn't guess, but he was certain of one thing... the Retalians had to finish this quickly; they couldn't wait any longer.

Chris, having reached this conclusion, was no longer in a hurry. The reason he couldn't stay in Tavitsky a couple of days ago was because Bagnia couldn't wait any longer; the longer it went on, the more they would suffer.

Now, Chris has dealt a heavy blow to the Minisian royal army, forcing Charles into hiding in Golden Harvest City, and has gained the upper hand.

This is a very delicate situation. Chris can't say for sure how things will develop. He just feels comfortable now and can continue to wait and see. But then someone will come and run into him.

Intrigue is an embellishment of war, but in the end, the victor must be decided by sword.

Seba also agrees on this matter.

……

On the fourth day after attacking the Minesians, the Retalians, having rested for a night and regained some strength, began to move again.

They first sent a thousand-strong cavalry unit to try to bypass the Rocky Heights, and then to attack the first and last supply convoy that was resupplying Chris.

However, this attempt ended in failure, because Chris also sent more than a thousand members of the Overlord Tigers to intercept them.

In this world, besides Chris, the Retalians are now the people who know the player community best. This thousand-strong cavalry only saw the banner of the Overlord Tigers in the distance before they ran away without looking back.

Even though only a third of these mountain tigers were on horseback and the remaining two-thirds were infantry, the Retalians theoretically had the advantage, yet they were unwilling to mount up and launch a lance charge.

The reason is simple: after a whole winter of fighting, the Reterians have figured out the differences between the Bagnian barbarians with their various flags, and among them, the ones carrying the tiger flag are the craziest and the most troublesome.

The fourth day of clashes ended without a clear resolution, with the Retelians choosing to back down.

The Overland Tigers, led by Xiao Dao, were unwilling to remain in a stalemate. They wanted a fierce and exhilarating battle, so they gave chase and deliberately scattered their formation during the pursuit.

It is a major taboo for infantry to pursue cavalry. If the infantry has not yet formed a battle formation and has dispersed during the pursuit, it is even more fatal.

If the centurion of Leteria's cavalry had any tactical awareness, he would have seen this as a good opportunity to easily overwhelm the enemy.

Yes, the centurion spotted it, and then he and his men ran even faster.

Once the thousand-man squad returned to the patrol area controlled by the Retelia military camp, Little Knife promptly led his men to a stop and dejectedly headed back.

The seduction plan failed.

Even if it didn't succeed, it's fine. Little Knife likes fighting, but that doesn't mean he's a fool. He continued to lead his men towards the area controlled by the Reteria military camp. Then the Overland Tiger Legion would have to face more than just a thousand-man cavalry unit.

No matter how fierce or fearless the players are, they can't just throw their lives away... If the Leterian cavalry, numbering over five thousand, charges at them, they're just asking for death.

Because the Retalians deliberately avoided battle, the fourth day was very quiet. Chris had no interest in sending troops out to provoke them; he was focused on reinforcing the camp's defenses.

Meanwhile, the local Minesians, who should have been the dominant force and anxious, hid in the city of Golden Harvest, silently licking their wounds and waiting for reinforcements.

As for the Retalians' attitude... to be honest, Chris was a little confused about what they were trying to do.

The fifth day was still quiet.

On the sixth day, Retelia was the first to make new moves, with the reserve troops that Seba had left behind and the troops led by various nobles arriving one after another.

Meanwhile, in Minicia, the noble alliance, a fresh force cobbled together by the lords of Omdur Port and the surrounding area, finally arrived near Golden Harvest City on the evening of the sixth day.

This ragtag Miniseyan army had a variety of flags and armor of varying gleaming quality. The soldiers' faces bore the weariness of a long march and a mixture of curiosity and vigilance regarding the situation at the front.

The arrival of this army nearly doubled the number of soldiers guarding Jinsui City, making the city walls instantly appear much more crowded.

Because of the changes on both sides, the atmosphere in Jinsui City suddenly changed. It was no longer a lifeless licking of wounds, but was replaced by a clamor mixed with the injection of new power and a deeper unease.

Leading this allied army was one of King Charles Stuart's most trusted veteran generals, Admiral Norton Perrier.

This middle-aged nobleman, who had once done shady work for Charles, went straight to the palace as soon as he entered the city, without even having time to wash off the dust of his journey.

Norton's heart sank when he saw the mixture of fear, dependence, and a lingering fervor for the arrival of the Retalians on Charles's face.

The worst thing still happened.

"His Majesty!"

Norton's deep yet penetrating voice echoed in the somewhat empty council chamber.

"To ally with the Retelians is tantamount to inviting wolves into the house or seeking a tiger's skin. Those southerners are even more greedy and ambitious than the mountain barbarians of Bagnia!"
Look at that Emerald River to the southwest, and look at the tens of thousands of horses they brought. They treated Chivelevka and the Dur province as their own pasture, leaving the land barren and nine out of ten houses empty.

They are feeding their war machine with the very marrow of our Minician land and people!

Charles was so shocked by Norton's harsh words that his face turned pale, his lips moved as he wanted to refute him but lacked the confidence to do so.

He recalled his ecstatic declaration when the Leterians first arrived, which now seemed so naive and laughable under Norton's calm and ruthless analysis.

At this point, Charles realized his mistake, but he couldn't admit it.

"They need a quick victory now, so they've temporarily allied with us to deal with Chris."

Norton pressed closer, his eyes sharp.

“Once Chris is defeated, or they feel we have lost our usefulness, Your Majesty, do you think Seba Retalia and his ferocious army will obediently withdraw from our land and return to the south?”
Their coveting of our fertile land and seaports has been ongoing for more than a generation; we are now opening our doors to robbers with our own hands!

Charles remained silent.

Seeing his king's reaction, Norton immediately stopped trying to persuade him, knowing that the king would listen.

After a while, Charles finally spoke.

"Can we defeat the Leterians alone?"

Charles's question echoed in the empty council chamber, carrying an almost desperate probing tone.

He wasn't really asking "can I defeat them alone?", but rather "is there any way out?" and "how can I avoid being swallowed up?"

General Norton Peril straightened his back, his eyes gleaming as if he were back in his days of conquering battlefields on the southern frontier. He didn't immediately answer "yes" or "no," but instead stepped forward and tapped his finger heavily on the map spread out on the table... the location of the vast Retalian camp in the southwest.

"Your Majesty, 'single-handedly defeated' the current main force of Leteria?"

With our current strength, we have absolutely no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation!

Norton's voice was firm and unequivocal.

"The tens of thousands of iron cavalry personally led by Prince Seba are a joint force of several nobles in Retelia. They include battle-hardened elites as well as rabble, but most importantly, their cavalry numbers are too great."

With the troops that followed, their numbers and fighting strength far exceeded those of our allied forces inside and outside the city, not to mention our royal army, which had just suffered heavy losses!

Charles held his breath and frowned.

"but……"

Norton abruptly changed the subject, tapping his finger sharply on the icon representing Bagnia on the map.

“The Bagnians can help us.”

"Oh, how will they help us?"

"Help us on the battlefield."

……

In the distance to the east of Jinshui City, there is a rolling hilly area.

Seba Reteria pulled on the reins, bringing his magnificent white warhorse to a halt.

Behind him were dozens of elite cavalry guards, all clad in light scale armor, and their horses were well-trained warhorses that did not neigh indiscriminately during the campaign.

This deadly force was now hiding at the edge of a sparse oak grove, looking down at the winding dirt road below.

A long line was moving slowly along the road.

That was a logistics convoy of the Miniserian noble alliance, or rather, a part of it.

Through his exquisite monocular telescope, Seba could clearly see the creaking wagons pulled by old horses, piled high with sacks, probably containing grain or hay.

The soldiers escorting the convoy wore all sorts of leather armor or half-body armor, their formation loose. Many leaned on their spears as they walked, yawning as they went, clearly having done something naughty the night before. A few others huddled together, whistling at the glamorous woman in the carriage.

Several messy flags were stuck on the lead carriage, drooping listlessly. Just by looking at the flags, Seba knew that these people were merchants... military merchants who provided supplies and social services to the army.

"Ah……"

Seba lowered his binoculars, a smirk playing on his lips, and spoke in a low voice to his adjutant beside him.

“Look, Peren, this is the backbone of our ‘powerful ally,’ as fragile as a dried-up reed… They can’t even assemble a professional logistics convoy.”

The lieutenant, Peren, an old knight with a scar on his cheek, followed Seba's gaze and a smile crept onto his lips.

"Your Highness is right. Their vigilance is practically nonexistent, their formation is completely disorganized, and their alertness... is almost zero... Your Highness, should we eat them?"

"No... no."

Seba's gaze swept over the sluggish guards and cumbersome vehicles, then fell upon the faint outline of Golden Harvest City on the distant horizon.

The anxiety he felt due to logistical difficulties was now replaced by an almost cruel desire to conquer.

"A large 'sheepdog' force."

He gave a soft snort, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"We have the quantity, but unfortunately, we lack even the ability to guard our own sheepfold. If we were willing..."

He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes like that of a hawk, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of his sword.

"Today, right now, I only need to bring a thousand... the men I bring right now. If we charge down from the side, we can tear these merchants with the army to shreds in less than a quarter of an hour. And in less than three days, the sheepdogs in Jinsui City will starve."

The 'king' in Golden Harvest City, and his newly arrived, seemingly quite capable Admiral Norton, couldn't do anything they wanted.

Peren nodded silently, completely trusting the prince's judgment.

With the striking power and organization of the elite Retelian cavalry, defeating this unsuspecting transport convoy and its guards would be a piece of cake.

This hardly qualifies as a battle; it was more like a one-sided massacre and plunder.

Imagining the scene of the Minieses in panic, with their supplies being burned and looted, Peren's breathing quickened slightly.

Seba's gaze lingered on the Minisian convoy and its guards for a long time, greedily assessing this easy prey.

He could almost smell the black smoke from burning provisions and hear the dying screams of the Miniese soldiers and the excited neighing of their warhorses.

The temptation was so strong, especially when one's own side was being slowly devoured by the hungry maw.

However, in the end, the blazing flame in his eyes slowly died down, returning to a deep, cold calculation.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, as if trying to forcefully suppress that bloodthirsty urge.

"but……"

Seba's voice returned to its usual calmness, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible regret.

"Not now, at least not until those mountain barbarians on the Rocky Highlands are wiped out."

His gaze turned southwest, as if it could pierce through the hills and reach Chris's impregnable camp.

"We should go."

"Your Highness, are the Bagnians troublesome?"

"Slightly."

"I don't think they're a big problem."

Peren couldn't help but voice his opinion.

“I’ve seen the area they’ve occupied. There are no rivers, which means they can only get water by digging wells. But the well water is definitely not enough for their 30,000-plus people to drink. So, as long as we besiege them for a while, these mountain barbarians will surely die of thirst.”

"I think so too."

Seba nodded in agreement, then shook his head in distress.

"But for the past two days I have been sending people to monitor the mountain barbarians, waiting for their water transport convoy to leave the camp, but I have not found them. I feel that they do not seem to lack water."

"Could this be a disguise? To deceive us?"

"Heh, whether they're lying or not, I know very well that we're even less likely to wait than the mountain barbarians... we have too many horses."

Tomorrow, we'll launch our attack; the sheepdogs in Golden Harvest City should come out and bark a couple of times..."

(End of this chapter)