The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 10: The Cut-Off

Fabio and several other officers are in the tea room, furiously berating the commanders from the Kingdom of Billie.
"What a bunch of idiots! How could they be trapped for ten days before notifying us for help?"
"The enemy has already fortified their positions and occupied strategic locations. How are we supposed to rescue them now?"
"Damn it! These pigs are blaming us for the mistake, saying the handover to our transport team was their noble's responsibility. The receipt for the supplies even has the coalition's seal."
"Fools! Did they sell the seal at a brothel? Billie people are such morons."
At this point, Fabio turns to Henwell, who is pouring tea. "Sorry, Henwell, you know we're talking about those foolish commanders, not insulting you."
Henwell responds with a polite yet slightly awkward smile, choosing not to engage further.
Henwell had heard from Kavize the previous day that a coalition force, moving swiftly, had suddenly wedged itself between Kuka City and Wilderness City, establishing a foothold in a small town.
The regular army's advance isn't swift; soldiers can't march long distances in armor without suffering painful abrasions.
Therefore, during marches, large wagons accompany them, carrying not only supplies but also metal armor. Soldiers only don their armor when nearing battle zones.
As a result, the coalition hadn't paid much attention to the lightly armored allied forces that didn't bring armor.
They assumed these were peasant soldiers sent by the allies to delay their movements.
After all, in this feudal era, armored and unarmored troops are on completely different levels in terms of combat effectiveness.
At the coalition's frontline command, the analysis suggests that these lightly armored troops are merely harassing the supply lines, lacking the courage to actually attack them.
As anticipated, these forces don't assault the armored supply convoys but instead gather in a small town called Fire Eyes.
Originally named Trade Eyes, the town served as a hub for transiting goods between the north and south.
During winter, caravans would stop here to shelter from heavy snow. However, a tragic fire caused by a heating accident burned the town to the ground.
Afterward, major caravans and the Kingdom of Ika rebuilt a small town to prevent such disasters from happening again.
Due to its role as a freight station, many caravans stop here, making the town quite sizable with adequate defenses. Many merchants construct warehouses beneath their purchased properties to temporarily store goods.
In theory, this small town should have been occupied, given its position on the supply line. However, due to the war, the caravans have halted, and this trade-dependent town quickly became deserted.
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There was no profit to be had here. More importantly, the coalition forces are somewhat stretched thin and lack the manpower to maintain a transit station here.
Without slaves or prisoners to work, managing the town with conscripted noble soldiers would be disastrous.
Thus, when the allied forces arrive, they easily take over the entire town with little effort. Fire Eyes rapidly becomes a crucial node in the battle due to the hundred thousand coalition troops attacking Kuka City.
The allied forces manage to obtain the coalition's seal and use captured noble prisoners to receive several shipments of supplies sent from Wilderness City.
After twenty days without supplies, the coalition frontline senses trouble and quickly dispatches a detachment to investigate.
This force, numbering in the thousands, is ambushed by the allied troops stationed in Fire Eyes. With the advantage of high ground and superior numbers, the allies decisively defeat the coalition forces.
Only then does the coalition realize the gravity of the situation.
They send out riders to request reinforcements while organizing more troops to eliminate the threat posed by the small town. However, after several failed assaults, the defenders of Kuka City begin to show signs of preparing to pursue the coalition forces.
This forces the coalition to consolidate their troops, fearing a pincer attack during their retreat.
Fabio and the others are livid, condemning the Billie Kingdom's commanders for their foolishness in leaving only a few hundred men to guard such a critical location.
Now, the Billie Kingdom blames the Vorry Duchy for not clearing the supply lines, allowing a heavily armored enemy force to brazenly appear behind them.
The officers from the Vorry Duchy are indignant, insisting that daily reconnaissance patrols make it impossible for a regular army of nearly ten thousand to evade detection and reach that area.
They unanimously believe that the Billie Kingdom's troops are simply inept, struggling even against the Ika Kingdom's conscripted serf army, which leads them to exaggerate the enemy's strength.
Now, the coalition command orders the Third Legion stationed in Wilderness City, known as the Silent Battle Axe, to advance toward Fire Eyes.
At the same time, the coalition plans to deploy another legion to launch a pincer attack and eliminate this small town blocking their route.
Take a detour to retreat? That's out of the question. It's not just about the distance; it's about the quality of the roads.
Moreover, the presence of Fire Eyes poses a threat within a radius of nearly a hundred miles. How large of a detour would that require?
Whether the goal is to continue the assault on Kuka City or to retreat back to Wilderness City, this thorn must be removed first.
After the officers leave, Kavize stops Henwell. "Talk to me. I know you've noticed something. I've treated you well, haven't I? You wouldn't want to cause me any trouble, right?"
Seeing Henwell's silence, Kavize rolls his eyes. "You ungrateful kid, don't you remember I saved your life? You must know why Fire Eyes is so tough to deal with. If I die, it won't do you any good, at least not right now."
After a moment's hesitation, Henwell replies, "I'm just guessing. I can't be sure."
"Spit it out. It's not like you're telling the coalition commanders. I can judge what's true or not."
Henwell lowers his head. "Fire Eyes is a freight station town with many secret warehouses used by caravans to store goods. I doubt the coalition has found these warehouses."
Kavize is stunned for a moment, then clutches his head. "Damn it! Hell, it's a trap!"
He realizes what's going on. The Billie Kingdom wasn't lying; there is indeed a fully equipped regular army there.
As for why the Vorry Duchy's scouts didn't detect them, it's because those farmer soldiers they saw were actually regular troops.
They advanced lightly armed, and once at Fire Eyes, they re-equipped themselves with weapons and gear hidden in the warehouses.
Kavize asks, "Do you know how much those warehouses can hold?"
Henwell responds, "I've heard my father say that a large caravan's warehouse can store enough equipment to arm thousands of troops. As for how many warehouses there are, I don't know, but there are a lot."
Kavize rubs his forehead. "We're doomed. This war is about to end."