Chapter 191 - Sitting Face-to-Face with the Marshal (13)
"He's incredibly shrewd. Yet at the same time, so bold."
"To push everything this far, only for the sake of victory…"
The 5th Division Command Post, after receiving updates about the course of the battle, was both exasperated by this miserable situation and grudgingly admiring of Bertrand's daring decisions.
The troops Bertrand commanded were the entirety of the Belliang Army present on this land.
Yet he chose to pull out a precious part of those forces—along with Estelle, the Star of Summer herself—and station them separately in the rear of the battlefield, not even knowing if they'd be needed.
He'd risked a bold move, anticipating the Imperial Army would crush the Konchanya Army and calculating several steps ahead.
If the Imperial Army had recklessly tried to force a breakthrough, he could have lost those valuable troops in an instant.
Conversely, if the Imperial Army had failed to defeat the Konchanya Army, Bertrand's decision might have been seen as an insult to the Konchanya Army, dealing a heavy blow to his political standing.
But in the end, the battle unfolded exactly as Bertrand predicted.
As a result, the Empire was unable to achieve its strategic goal of seizing the forest along the front with Konchanya and pushing back the enemy's defensive line.
"At least we managed to recover, for now…"
Though the Imperial Army failed to secure control of the forest because of Bertrand, they decided to be satisfied with having regained half of the forest that they had originally held.
Once again, it was, in essence, Bertrand alone twisting and contorting himself to hold off the Empire.
Now even the Konchanya side would have to acknowledge Bertrand's ability and give him support.
To launch a reckless attack now would only result in a repeat of the Battle of Bertagne Forest.
And the 2nd Corps, already stretched thin just keeping Belliang in check, could not afford to throw resources around as they did back then.
It was best, then, to be satisfied with the present, focus on defense, and revise the strategy to avoid losing the hard-won part of the forest they now held.
"This is just unbearable."
Once more, thanks to Bertrand, the Imperial Army had to swallow yet another bitter cup of defeat—just as many times before.
It was truly an impossible situation to endure.
"No matter how disorganized they were, the army of a sovereign nation being defeated this badly..."
"On the bright side, Your Excellency's foresight could truly shine because of it."
"That's true, but consider what it feels like for me—I'm supposed to reclaim Belliang with a band of untrained rabble like this."
"That sounds like something for Your Excellency to worry about. As for me, I'll devote myself to making sure you don't stumble."
"How strange… Just a few days ago, Sir Jade seemed as gallant as a knight from an old tale."
"Wasn't it Your Excellency who insisted that my entire role is to support you?"
"Yes, it's all a result of my lacking virtue."
"Your Excellency is absolutely right."
"..."
Thanks to Bertrand foreseeing Konchanya's crushing defeat and leaving troops at the forest front line, they managed to prevent the loss of the forest.
Now, the Konchanya Army commanders, desperate and pleading, were allowed to return to the forest front.
Anyone with a brain could see that the only reason the Imperial Army stopped its attack was because of Bertrand.
Upon returning to the forest, Bertrand's first act was to meticulously reposition his troops and raise the Belliang Royal Flag, making sure the Empire knew he was present.
It sent a clear message, firmly discouraging any further fighting.
The Imperial Army, who hadn't intended to fight in the first place, gave up the idea of an attack for good and started constructing outposts to establish a secure front line.
"We'll start building fortifications too."
"Yes, sir!"
Bertrand, not to be outdone, also ordered fortifications to be built. Amid the trees, both armies—able to catch glimpses of each other—sweated profusely as they began working hard on their outposts.
If they had any intention of breaking through the enemy's front line, there would have been no need for such fortifications.
After all, any entrenchments would become meaningless if they simply charged through.
So, this act of digging in was essentially a silent suggestion for peace—a tacit admission to the other side that they intended to stand on the defensive, not attack.
"Damn it! This is bullshit! Fuck all of this!"
"My back! Oh, my aching back!"
"Shut your mouth and just keep digging. At least it's better than doing this in summer or winter."
Only the soldiers, suddenly forced into building fortifications in the middle of the forest, were worked almost to death.
Once both sides saw that the other was busy with their own fortifications and, without a word, settled into an unspoken peace, Ernest was confronted with a completely unexpected situation.
"...Why are you giving this to me?"
Ernest stared at the letter the soldier was holding out to him without taking it, and asked.
"Well, sir, it's addressed to you…"
When the soldier pointed to the recipient, which read, "For the Fox," Ernest shut his eyes tightly.
If this letter hadn't been sent by the Belliang Army, he wouldn't have had such a pounding headache.
"...Alright..."
Ernest could not decide whether he should scold the soldier for bringing this to him without going through any checks or praise him for not reporting it to the higher-ups and making a fuss on his own, so he replied weakly and took the letter.
He glanced around, went into his tent, lit the Balt Lantern, and unfolded the letter to read it.
"I won't waste words. To put an end to this foolishness, I'm requesting a meeting. I'll bring my bodyguard knights, Sir Jade and Sir Estelle. You may bring one trusted companion and up to two Baltrachers. Of course, it's fine if you wish to come alone. Let's meet at midnight, at the center of the front line."
The letter was written in the Noble One's distinctive, flamboyant cursive, and it was brief.
Ernest realized this was from Bertrand, and that it was an unofficial diplomatic document—sent for those on the field to quietly coordinate and arrange a tense peace treaty.
Given the mutual hatred and killing intent that Ernest and Bertrand felt for each other, this was, in fact, a very rational decision.
Both knew that continuing the fight here would only lead to pointless casualties.
They both wanted to put a stop to the battle, and both understood each other's intentions perfectly well.
Still, to ensure there was no misunderstanding, it was best to meet face-to-face and settle matters clearly.
"Why did he send this to me..."
The real issue was that, for such an important matter, Bertrand had sent the proposal for talks to Ernest—who was just an ordinary company commander.
Ernest had no real authority.
So, the 'trusted companion' Bertrand mentioned must have been referring to Ernest's superior officer.
Ernest pressed his fingers firmly against his furrowed brow, overwhelmed by a headache.
After letting out a deep sigh, he went straight to see Soren.
"...."
"...."
After reading Bertrand's letter, Soren wore exactly the same expression as Ernest. Even though Soren was the Battalion Commander, he didn't have the authority to make decisions on such a thorny issue.
To begin with, Soren was only here because Levin had forced him onto the battlefield. From the very start, Soren had consistently refused to fight.
"What do you think of Bertrand's request?"
Soren asked Ernest in a tired voice. During the battle in the forest in front of Lanosel, it was Bailey who had commanded the 1st Battalion, and Soren had never even seen Bertrand in person.
But if Bertrand was willing to send a letter directly to Ernest, it was safe to say the two men were quite familiar with each other.
In a situation like this, it was wise to listen to Ernest's opinion.
"It's certain that he doesn't want to fight."
After a moment's hesitation, Ernest lowered his voice to a whisper.
If anyone else overheard this conversation, it would be a problem.
For a field commander to take matters into his own hands and conclude a peace treaty with the enemy—it would be considered treason.
Soren let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his wrinkled forehead. After a long pause, he nodded.
"I'll report to the Regimental Commander separately. Wait for further instructions."
"Yes."
Soren could sense the hidden meaning behind Bertrand's letter.
The fact that he'd addressed it to 'the Fox' rather than naming Ernest directly, and sent it to Ernest, who had no real authority—this was genuinely a letter sent with the utmost caution and sincerity, meant to secretly propose a peace treaty to the 13th Regiment Commander, Colonel Levin Ort.
Since Ernest was the one who'd received the letter, he had no choice but to report it to the higher-ups—he didn't have the authority to act otherwise.
The same went for Soren; he, too, was obliged to report to his superiors, for the very same reason.
If the Imperial Army gave the order to attack, at minimum, someone with enough standing would need to agree to this peace treaty.
It was obvious that Bertrand knew this just as well as Ernest and Soren did.
In truth, this letter was meant for Levin, not Ernest.
And the reason for referring vaguely to 'the Fox' rather than specifically naming Ernest was to shield him from any potential responsibility, should things go wrong.
If the letter had been addressed to 'Krieger,' given that Ernest had already been harshly reprimanded once before, he wouldn't have dared take the risk—he'd either have destroyed the letter or reported it immediately and publicly.
Soren immediately sent Bertrand's letter off to Levin, instructing the courier in no uncertain terms to deliver it directly into Levin's hands.
Ernest reported to Soren, and Soren reported to Levin.
One way or another, the matter was now out of their hands.
The responsibility had been passed along—all that remained now was to wait for Levin's decision.
Time dragged on, anxiety mounting.
Then, just after dinner, as the sun was about to set completely, the courier returned.
"The letter has been destroyed. Make your report as early as possible tomorrow morning."
That was all Levin wrote in the letter he sent.
To be honest, Soren had thought Levin might refuse the meeting.
After all, neither side wanted to fight anymore, so Levin might have decided there was no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily.
From the beginning, Levin was a cautious man and a soldier who faithfully followed orders from above.
He was not the type to permit something like this.
But the reason Levin had accepted this negotiation was likely because he himself was utterly fed up with the nonsense coming from the higher-ups.
Anyone could see that stopping the battle here was the obvious choice, but the possibility that they might receive another order to charge was intolerable.
They simply couldn't stand the thought.
They could not afford any more senseless losses in a pointless battle.
Soren immediately summoned Ernest.
"2nd Company Commander, the Regimental Commander has given his permission. You'll meet Bertrand for the negotiation at midnight tonight."
Soren spoke quietly and gravely in the dark tent, his eyes shining with genuine trust in Ernest.
"You should come along as well, Battalion Commander Sir. What authority does a mere company commander like me have to sit down with Count Lafayette?"
"..."
That was out of the question.
Did Soren really think he could slip out of this alone?
This time, Ernest swore to himself that, come hell or high water, he would not let Soren go without him.
That resolute determination shone so brightly that it was almost too noble to look at directly.
Ernest forgave Soren's wicked betrayal and resolved to revive the Beekeepers Alliance.
'He's dumped everything on me all this time, and now he wants to dump this on me too? Absolutely not. There's no way I'm letting him not come.'
Just as you once unilaterally dissolved our alliance, I will unilaterally restore it.
If I must die, I'll die with you.
The Beekeepers Alliance still stands strong.
And so, Soren, who had always pushed responsibilities onto Ernest and who was now his accomplice in this secret act of rebellion, couldn't bring himself to refuse Ernest's virtually threatening request.
It was the kind of night that made him want to cry.
***
"How could a man do such a thing! I swear upon my honor, I could never allow it!"
"Let's just say you're not a man, Your Excellency."
"Hey! How insolent!"
"Yes, yes. This way, please."
"Ah, no! Sir Estelle! Help me!"
"..."
Estelle ignored the fussing Bertrand and Jade, instead staring across the forest at the flickering torches of the Imperial Army's outpost.
After the battle had ended, she'd hidden herself away in a tent, overcome with frustration, and cried herself to sleep.
She'd only woken up after night had fallen and had come here after hearing from Bertrand about this secret meeting.
Estelle's eyes were swollen, making it obvious she'd been crying, as if she hadn't even bothered to hide it—but both Bertrand and Jade already knew.
Still, neither of them said a word.
It was simply the considerate thing to do, and teasing a woman with such a dangerous temper wasn't exactly good for one's health.
Above all, they themselves felt like crying because of their own failure to kill Ernest.
If only they'd managed to kill him, by now they would have driven the Imperial Army out of the forest and been celebrating their victory.
Estelle had acted rashly and things had fallen apart, but they couldn't really blame her.
Neither Bertrand nor Jade had ever imagined that Ernest would be able to hold Estelle back with just a single company.
Besides, if Estelle in her current mood decided to drop Bertrand, there was no way he would just get away with merely being inconvenienced.
"Ugh…! I'll never forget this humiliation…!"
"Yes, yes. Of course."
While Estelle glared beyond the forest, Jade finally managed to overpower Bertrand, hoisting him onto his back.
That's how weak Bertrand was—despite resisting with everything he had as an adult male, Jade subdued him and lifted him up in less than twenty seconds.
"Sir Estelle, please lead the way"