"The general is dead! Retreat!"

"...Retreat?"

The Kingdom’s army, already in disarray with the forward units urgently retreating and the following units still advancing, quickly lost control and fragmented when even Gaston, who could have coordinated the chaos, disappeared.

"Kill them!"

"Kraaagh..."

"Aaaargh!"

With the news that reinforcements had arrived, Friedrich's 2nd Corps unleashed a fierce assault on the completely shattered Kingdom army.

"Surrender! Lay down your weapons, and you won’t be harmed!"

"Put down your weapons!"

*Clang!*

"I... I’ve surrendered!"

"I surrender!"

"P-Please, spare me!"

The reinforcement led by Viktor struck the enemy’s flank, urging the hesitant to give in. With many of the conscripted soldiers already looking to flee or surrender, the mood quickly swayed in favor of abandoning resistance.

"Form up! We retreat in a tight formation!"

The Kingdom's officers tried desperately to rally their troops, but with their commander Gaston dead, the soldiers were too confused and panicked to follow orders.

"8th Company! Gather here!"

*Whistle!* *Whistle!*

The officers screamed themselves hoarse, blowing whistles and waving flags, but it was useless in the face of soldiers gripped by fear.

"I just want to live, just live!"

"Stop! Halt... aaagh!"

One officer, trying to block the disordered retreat, was swept aside, making it impossible for the Kingdom’s army, despite their numbers, to mount any proper resistance.

"...What? Enemy reinforcements?"

"Yes! General Gaston has fallen, and our main force is in full retreat!"

"Tch. If the main force is broken, there’s nothing we can do. We retreat as well!"

Gerard Leo, leading the Kingdom’s cavalry against the 2nd Corps’ cavalry, made the decision to withdraw upon hearing of the main force’s collapse.

"Charge!"

"Glory to the Empire!"

With their numbers reduced, the 2nd Corps' cavalry joined the fray, merging with Viktor’s 1st Army cavalry to assault the Kingdom’s flank and rear.

"We’re even being attacked from behind..."

"...Haah..."

"Resistance... would be meaningless. Prepare the white flag."

The Kingdom’s forces, having lost their will to fight, laid down their arms and surrendered, while only a few rear soldiers managed to escape the battlefield in an orderly fashion.

The Imperial Army, pushing their endurance to the limit, pursued the fleeing Kingdom forces.

---

That evening, Gerhardt arrived at the battlefield where the 2nd Corps had fought Gaston's forces, only to find that the battle was already over, and the 2nd Corps was clearing the field.

"...Another battle broke out, and you won again?"

"Yes."

A lieutenant from the 8th Corps approached the bewildered Gerhardt to explain the events.

"Commander Friedrich! I told you to be ready to withdraw, and to retreat immediately if the 1st Army couldn’t join you!"

After listening to the account, Gerhardt summoned the officers, questioning Friedrich over his risky lure strategy. Although the 2nd Corps was supposed to draw the enemy, Friedrich’s tactics had gone far beyond the original plan.

"And then, seeing the reinforcements, you decided to counterattack! If there had been the slightest mistake, the 2nd Corps might have been annihilated!"

Gerhardt disapproved of Friedrich's decision to launch a counterattack.

Even though his main force had marched at top speed, they only arrived at the battlefield by evening, exhausted and barely able to fight. In Gerhardt’s view, Friedrich's decision to counterattack had been reckless.

"...I assumed the main force had joined us."

"What?"

Friedrich, with a hint of frustration, responded to Gerhardt.

"I received word that a cavalry detachment would be sent as reinforcements, with infantry to follow later."

"Hmm."

"When the reinforcements arrived, they included around 2,000 cavalry and thousands of infantry, so I thought the main infantry had also arrived. Seeing the enemy’s visible confusion, I ordered the attack."

"Infantry?"

"I can explain."

Viktor, who had been listening to Friedrich’s explanation, spoke up.

"I arrived with 5,000 cavalry, but at that point, the Kingdom’s army was pressing the Empire’s forces closely, only a few hundred meters behind."

"Hm."

"Having fought the previous day and pushed our limits to arrive here, it was difficult to engage in immediate combat. Our pace was slow, and to reduce the strain on the horses, we didn’t even use armor. I thought the enemy might notice that we were a small, hastily assembled reinforcement unit."

"..."

Gerhardt listened intently to Viktor.

"To delay them, I sent the 2,000 fittest cavalry forward to pressure the enemy while the rest dismounted and raised the command flag, hoping they’d mistake us for the main infantry reinforcements."

"...So this was an impromptu deception?"

"Yes. It was only intended to slow their advance, and I sent a messenger to inform Commander Friedrich. However, nearly at the same moment the infantry appeared, Friedrich’s forces began their attack."

"Is that true?"

"Yes. Seeing the enemy’s front line turn, I seized the opportunity and ordered the assault."

Friedrich acknowledged his decision, maintaining his stance, feeling confident in the soundness of his judgment.

"The Kingdom's confusion intensified with our attack, and in the midst of the chaos, their commander, Gaston Chartier, attempted to rally his troops from the front. I dispatched a cavalry unit to eliminate him, and that’s when the full-scale battle commenced."

"Indeed. Killing their commander, Gaston Chartier, was decisive."

"..."

Listening to Viktor and Friedrich’s account, Gerhardt felt a headache coming on.

He had always known Friedrich’s penchant for bold strategies, but Viktor was proving to be no less daring.

Giving up the cavalry’s advantage to conduct a feint, and then striking at the enemy commander amidst the disarray—Viktor’s audacity exceeded even Gerhardt’s expectations. And the fact that it was all an impromptu decision made it even more astonishing.

"So, both the enemy and our own forces fell for Viktor’s feint. And then, when the Kingdom’s forces exposed a weakness, Viktor exploited it immediately?"

"...Yes."

Mulling over Viktor’s words, Gerhardt finally asked,

"What are the casualties?"

Sitting down, he inquired about the toll of the battle.

"In the 8th Corps, we lost 1,328 soldiers, with 3,312 wounded."

"Among the 1st Army reinforcements, 389 were killed, and 1,642 wounded."

As expected, the Empire had suffered heavy losses fighting an enemy more than twice their size, with casualty rates exceeding 40%.

"...What about the enemy?"

"Approximately 8,000 killed, and around 13,000 captured. Although many escaped, we halted the pursuit as our soldiers were exhausted."

"..."

What surprised Gerhardt was the scale of the Kingdom's losses, which far exceeded his expectations.

Out of the Imperial Army’s 15,000 troops, 6,671 were casualties, while the Kingdom’s 35,000-strong force suffered at least 18,000 confirmed losses. The results were overwhelming, comparable to the previous day’s battle.

"...With so many prisoners, further combat would be difficult. What about the enemy in the Triel region?"

Instead of praising the victory, Gerhardt inquired about the enemy’s movements toward Triel.

Having questioned Viktor and Friedrich’s actions, he chose not to publicly commend them. He believed that openly congratulating their independent decisions could encourage dangerous behavior among the officers.

"There’s no movement yet, but with news of this defeat, they’re likely to retreat."

"Once we secure the battlefield, we’ll withdraw to Rochelle to regroup. Continue monitoring the enemy’s movements."

"Understood."

After issuing his detailed instructions, Gerhardt turned to the officers.

"Everyone, thank you for your efforts. We’ll discuss rewards once we reach Rochelle. Viktor, Friedrich, please remain; the rest of you may leave."

"...Understood."

He dismissed the officers, leaving only Viktor and Friedrich in the room.

"You understand why I asked you two to stay."

"Yes."

"Of course."

Gerhardt first turned to Friedrich, who responded, bracing himself.

"Commander Friedrich, while I appreciate your boldness, today it was somewhat excessive."

"..."

"Though your lure strategy succeeded, if the enemy had caught on, it could have led to disaster. Additionally, deciding to attack was rash. The enemy numbered 35,000, and had they regrouped, we might have suffered a devastating loss."

"...I apologize."

With a stern face, Gerhardt reprimanded Friedrich, who bowed his head without protest.

Although Friedrich’s decision had led to victory, he accepted responsibility without attempting to defend his actions, which pleased Gerhardt as he turned his attention to Viktor.

"Commander Viktor."

"Yes."

"You understand, I hope, that if the enemy had been more prepared or detected our deception, the outcome could have been very different. Three thousand cavalry is not the same as three thousand infantry on the battlefield."

"...Yes, I understand."

"I don’t question your command skills, but these soldiers were exhausted. Did you have contingency plans if our deception was discovered, or if the enemy rallied and counterattacked?"

"..."

Viktor lowered his head, unable to respond.

"It was a risky engagement. With our limited resources against the Kingdom of Brotan, it’s more crucial to preserve our forces than to inflict high casualties on the enemy."

"I understand."

"Remember, they’re not just numbers; they’re loyal soldiers fighting for the Empire."

"...Understood."

Seeing Viktor’s fingers tremble at his last words,

 Gerhardt felt relieved. Despite his victories, Viktor clearly bore the weight of the sacrifices made by his soldiers—a rare quality in a young commander.

*Clap!*

"Well, let’s leave the criticism at that. I’d commend you openly, but given my position, that wouldn’t be wise."

With a clap to shift the atmosphere, he smiled.

"As the commander of the Empire’s forces against the Kingdom of Brotan, I’ve spoken. But now, I’ll speak as Gerhardt Weisschild, the old soldier."

"...?"

He smiled at the startled commanders.

"I’d have liked to say this in front of everyone, but that wasn’t possible. Friedrich, Viktor, you did well. It was a historic victory."

"Thank you."

"Ah..."

In a gentler tone, he praised them.

"Your boldness, decisiveness, command, and judgment are beyond anything an old man like me could assess. If I’d been in your place, I doubt I could have achieved this victory."

"..."

"Don’t dwell too much on my previous words. I’ve fought for over 40 years, and my retirement is near. The Empire’s future will be in your hands."

"General..."

Friedrich’s eyes reddened with emotion.

"You’ve proven yourselves already, so continue on the path you’ve set. I trust the Empire will thrive under your leadership."

With a pat on their shoulders, Gerhardt said,

"You’ve worked hard today. Leave the rest to me and go get some rest. We’ll discuss future plans once we reach Rochelle."

Gathering his documents, he left the room.

"..."

Viktor and Friedrich sat quietly, the weight of Gerhardt’s words lingering even after he was gone.