I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 369 Don't meddle in other people's business
The Retelians reacted quickly; around 10 a.m., a team of about 100 people entered the Bagnian camp.

Around 2 PM, the team left and returned to the Reteria military camp. Half an hour later, a team of 100 people rushed to the Bagnia military camp and finalized the deal for the saltpeter technology in exchange for land.

The fact that the Retalians sent out messenger teams back and forth several times from night to day was so conspicuous and made no attempt to conceal it that the Minieses naturally noticed it.

But what if they find out?

The Leterians were completely indifferent to the feelings of the Minicians, and when the latter sent messengers to inquire about the situation, the Leterians simply refused to let them in.

The Minesians were not giving up and tried to send people to Bagnia, but Chris also ordered his men to ignore the Minesian envoys and not even let them into the military camp.

Are you interested in talking about the chicken that's about to end up on your dinner table?

What, you say there is?
You have a really twisted sense of humor, bro.

Chris had no intention of communicating with the Minisians because he didn't care about their feelings or what they were going to do.

What does it mean that a weak nation has no diplomacy?

This statement does not mean that when a country is weak, diplomatic work will be difficult or that it will be humiliated by other countries.

Its true meaning is even more ruthless... Its true meaning is that when your country is weak to a certain extent, your existence itself is excluded from the category of "diplomacy".

You are no longer a player, or even a piece on the board; you are merely the board itself, or worse, prey about to be devoured.

The Kingdom of Minesia is in this situation; it lost the most crucial battle against the Kingdom of Bagnia, and then betrayed its allies who were supposed to cooperate in the subsequent war.

This resulted in the Kingdom of Minicia offending both its enemies and temporary allies, causing both to despise it and neither side having any intention of communicating with it.

This made King Charles, who was hiding smugly in Golden Harvest City, realize that things were not going well, but as things had developed to this point, there was not much he could do... no, he was powerless to change the course of events.

The day after the deal was completed, the Retalians began their operation. More than half of their army mounted their horses, bypassed Goldstalks, and marched eastward toward Omdur.

The Minisians were shocked!
The Leterians moved with such speed that it completely exceeded their expectations.

The massive cavalry, raising clouds of dust that blotted out the sky, swept along the relatively flat eastern region of Minicia at high speed, like a raging flood.

Their first strike was precise and ruthless, cutting into the lifeline of Minicia...the logistics supply line.

Several elite light cavalry detachments broke away from the main force like ghosts and rushed towards the main supply routes connecting Jinshui City with the eastern front with lightning speed.

The poorly defended logistical nodes and the merchant transport convoys accompanying the army suffered devastating blows. The few soldiers protecting the supplies were trampled to pieces by the surging cavalry before they could even put up a decent resistance. The grain carts were set on fire, and the mountains of hay turned into thick smoke in the flames.

Within a single day, the connection between Golden Harvest City and the rear, especially with the eastern port city of Omdur, was abruptly severed.

With communication cut off and supplies cut off, panic spread like a plague along the torn supply lines to both ends.

Did the Minieses not try to intercept them during this process?
They certainly tried, sending their only three thousand dragoons to reinforce the enemy, with Bagnians in front and Retalian cavalry on their sides.

Then, on the way, they were entangled by the charging Leterian knight squires. After fighting for more than two hours and their horses were almost exhausted, the knight horde rolled in.

Of the three thousand Nicaean cavalrymen, only half survived and escaped back to Golden Harvest City.

However, this was merely the prelude. The Retalians' true objective was Port Omdur, the most important outlet to the sea on Miniscia's southern coastline and now a crucial supply base!

Although the scouts patrolling around Golden Harvest City warned Omdul immediately upon discovering the movements of the Reteria cavalry, the garrison also urgently strengthened its defenses, closed some city gates, and increased patrols.

However, they severely underestimated the resolve, speed, and strength of the Retalians, and overestimated their own responsiveness and defensive capabilities after being hit repeatedly.

The main force of the Reteria cavalry swept in like a black storm after a forced march that had barely stopped, giving the Omdur defenders no chance to catch their breath or reinforce their fortifications.

When they arrived at the city walls, it was the darkest hour before dawn, a time when everyone was exhausted and their vigilance was relatively low.

There was no lengthy persuasion to surrender, nor any probing attacks.

The Leterians maximized the speed and impact of their cavalry, dividing their forces into several groups.

A contingent of elite heavy cavalry, supported by a small number of siege weapons, launched a fierce attack on the relatively weak side gate and a section of the city wall that had been breached due to bombardment by the Minisian navy, creating immense chaos and pressure.

Another group of light cavalry swept through the outer outposts and defensive points like a whirlwind, cutting off communication between the city and the outside world.

The main force, like a sharp knife, took advantage of the chaos and the distraction of the defenders to strike directly into the core area of ​​the port.

Although the defenders of Omdour were prepared, their lines of defense collapsed as quickly as glass struck by a giant hammer in the face of such a swift and relentless saturation attack.

The Retalian cavalry charged into the city, their targets clearly set on the port, docks, warehouses, and garrison camps.

The large amount of supplies stockpiled in the port of Omdur, originally intended to support the front lines or trade—including food, timber, cloth, and even some military equipment—were set ablaze by torches thrown everywhere. The towering flames instantly illuminated the sea and sky, and thick smoke billowed, obscuring the rising sun.

The soldiers and sailors guarding the port were caught off guard and engaged in battle, but in the narrow streets and chaotic dock area, the infantry struggled to form an effective formation to withstand the high-speed charge of the cavalry.

What should have been a close battle quickly devolved into a bloody street fight and massacre.

The Retalians ruthlessly carried out their sabotage missions, destroying defenses, burning everything that could burn, and slaughtering any force that attempted to organize resistance.

Port Omdur, a port city already somewhat damaged by the bombing of the Minesian fleet, was transformed into a living hell in a very short time during the raid by the Retelian cavalry, with flames, screams, and the ear-piercing sound of clashing steel everywhere.

The city is about to be razed to the ground.

When the warships, bearing the blue flag with gold tassels symbolizing the Minisian royal family, finally assembled hastily from the nearby waters or anchorages, sailing towards Omdour with fury and a thirst for revenge, it was already too late.

The Retalian cavalry had long since completed their mission. The port facilities were severely damaged, the main warehouses were reduced to ashes, and the defending forces were annihilated or routed.

The moment the masts of the royal fleet appeared on the horizon, the Retalians did not linger in battle. They disengaged swiftly like the receding tide, leaving no time to clean up the battlefield. They fled by land with some of their looted valuables and warhorses, leaving behind only a scene of devastation and towering flames.

The Minisian fleet could only watch helplessly as the enemy's dust settled in the distance, futilely pouring shells onto the remaining, still-burning targets on the shore. The booming cannon fire sounded more like a dirge of powerlessness and shame for this devastating surprise attack.

They couldn't even pursue them effectively... The enemy was cavalry, who had long since disappeared into the depths of the land.

When the news reached Golden Harvest City, the royal palace fell into a deathly silence.

King Charles turned pale, and the golden cup in his hand fell to the ground with a crash, spilling fine wine onto the expensive carpet like flowing blood.

His prized navy didn't even get a chance to engage the enemy in direct combat before they wreaked havoc on his land, destroying his vital ports and supplies before leaving.

This is not the most terrible thing.

The fatal flaw was that the more than 20,000 Retalian cavalry, after their surprise attack on Omdur, did not stop or return to their camp. Instead, they marched north, leveraging their cavalry advantage to launch a rapid advance. Last year, when the Retalians invaded Minicia, their tactics were very conservative, for two reasons: firstly, winter was approaching and supplies were insufficient; secondly, the Bagnians were on their flank.

If supplies are insufficient, venturing deep into Minicia could easily lead to the army freezing to death in the winter. Furthermore, their retreat route could be blocked by the Kingdom of Bagnia, turning them into mere soldiers crossing a river, only able to advance and unable to retreat.

Now the Retalians have no more worries. Although their food supplies are not very plentiful, it is springtime, and they can sustain themselves through war and take food from the enemy.

Then came the Bagnians.

Because of the land-for-salt exchange deal, the two countries of Reteria and Bagnia have effectively become allies with little conflict of interest.

Even though the two sides had fought fiercely just two days ago, and the Retelia Empire still had a group of noble prisoners of war in the latter's hands, the two sides had a basis of mutual trust due to the trade treaty.

Thus, the Retalia Empire had no more worries about its future.

The more than 20,000 iron cavalrymen, who had just burned down the port of Omdour and drunk their fill of victory and blood, did not pause for a moment.

Like a torrent of steel, unleashed and carrying death and destruction, they turned their horses around and roared northward in the still chilly early spring wind!
They have no fixed route, no clear ultimate goal; they only have one core tactic: speed, plunder, and destruction!

The restraint and suppressed aggression during last year's invasion are now being unleashed tenfold.

The spring earth provided them with the "supplies" they needed most...the rich villages, towns and estates of Minicia.

The granaries were opened, the livestock were driven away, and the grain that could not be transported away in time was burned.

Warhorses grazed on the tender new grass, while soldiers snatched everything from terrified civilians that could feed them or serve as military supplies.

The Retalians practiced this cruel law to the fullest extent: to sustain war through war and to feed on the enemy.

Wherever they went, it was like a locust plague, leaving behind wisps of black smoke, looted houses, and devastation.

The heartland of Minicia had never experienced such a large-scale, purely cavalry-led raiding war.

Local garrison?
I'm sorry, but the elite noble private armies either died in last year's civil war or were taken to the front lines of Jinsui City by the lords. Those left in their hometowns are mostly the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled who are unable to travel far, or militiamen who have no training whatsoever.

With regular field armies suffering repeated defeats and their main forces holed up in Jinshui City and the eastern fortress, these scattered, poorly trained and equipped militias were no match for the heavily armored and swift regular heavy cavalry. Their resistance was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The Leterian cavalry's modus operandi was cunning and efficient.

They typically formed assault groups of three thousand men, moving like deadly arrows across the vast plains and hills, avoiding walled cities.

Once they discover a poorly defended town or large village, they pounce on it like hungry wolves.

The Retalians did not seek long-term occupation, but only momentary destruction and plunder.

After breaching the simple stockade walls or wooden palisades, their main cavalry force charged into the core area, burning granaries, workshops, and lords' residences, and dispersing or massacring any armed forces that dared to resist.

The light cavalry patrolled the surrounding area for dozens of miles, sweeping away scattered resistance, cutting off possible reinforcement routes, and spreading panic like a plague to even more distant places.

In just over ten days, a series of bad news hit Jinsui City like an avalanche.

The town of Walton fell. This town in northwestern Miniscia, known for its grain reserves and brewing industry, fell after resisting for less than half a day.

The stockpiled winter provisions were all burned, the wine cellar was smashed open, and strong liquor spilled all over the ground, mixing with blood and then being set ablaze, creating a bizarre and tragic scene.

The "Hammer" workshop district in Suvana, a heavy industrial city also located by the sea, was razed to the ground!
This workshop district, which supplied the Minisian army with a large number of weapons and agricultural tools, was turned into a sea of ​​fire by the precise surprise attack of the Retalian cavalry.

The furnace overturned, molten iron flowed everywhere, and unfinished swords and armor were scattered all over the ground, trampled and deformed by horses' hooves.

The Blue River crossing fell, and the fortress controlling a vital river crossing was quickly breached, with the defending troops routed.

The Retalians destroyed the ferries and pontoon bridges, further paralyzing Minisia's ability to transport and mobilize troops on land in the northern region.

Many noble estates were looted, and nobles who did not have time to escape to big cities suffered heavy losses.

Their accumulated wealth, granaries, and fine horses in the stables all became nourishment for the invaders.

Some nobles who attempted to organize private armies to resist had their manors burned to the ground, and their family members were either captured or killed.

Inside Golden Harvest City, King Charles's fury had turned into numb despair.

Inside the military tent, the general and his staff argued incessantly, shifting blame to each other, but unable to come up with any effective solutions.

Send out a small detachment?
That's suicide.

Should we assemble a large army and march out of the city for a decisive battle?

Not to mention whether they can catch up with the elusive Leterian cavalry, once the main force leaves Golden Harvest City, the menacing Bagnians under Chris will pounce on them like sharks smelling blood!

The Minisian army was pinned down in Golden Harvest City, unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as the enemy scorched their heartland inch by inch with red-hot irons.

What chilled the Minieses the most was the attitude of the Bagnians.

The iron hooves of Reteria swept across the flanks and even the rear of the Bagnian camp, and the vanguard cavalry of both sides might even brush past each other on a hill.

However, Chris's Bagnian army was unusually "quiet".

They showed no hostility toward the nearby Retalians, made no attempt to intercept them, and did not even raise their guard or adopt a defensive posture.

Instead, they seemed to have intentionally or unintentionally reduced their patrol range, giving the Retalians a lot of space to operate.

When Miniese envoys attempted to cross the battle lines to denounce the atrocities of Leteria to the Bagnians and plead with them to at least restrain the invaders out of consideration for their shared status as "civilized nations," they were met only with cold silence and closed gates.

Which country is considered civilized?
We are barbarians!
Chris stood on the camp's watchtower, expressionless, gazing at the occasional plumes of smoke rising on the distant horizon.

That meant yet another town or village in Minnesota was groaning under the iron heel of the Retalians. Such a tragic sight made some people feel sorry for the victims, and they asked Chris if they should do something.

"doing what?"

Chris's lips curled into an almost cruel smile.

"Why should we do this? What does the massacre of the Minieses by the Leterians have to do with us?"

"Don't meddle in other people's business."

(End of this chapter)