The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 161: Ceasefire Agreement
Dominic leads his force of ten thousand under the banner of Viscount Jansen, which is also the emblem of the Phoenix family. Since Henwell is part of the Phoenix family, this isn't exactly a disguise—just a choice not to display his own crest. If Dominic had been flying Henwell's flag, Divarak might not have been so reckless.
That night, under a carefully orchestrated plan, Divarak bravely rescues a dozen or so important nobles, leading over a thousand people out of the prisoner camp. One of the viscounts, thinking the enemy’s main force had left, even considers launching a counterattack to rescue all the captives. Hearing this, Divarak nearly wants to run him through with a sword!
Initially, Divarak brought over ten thousand noble private troops into the southern region of Vorry. However, seeing potential gains, more nobles joined with their private armies, swelling the northern noble coalition to over twenty thousand before today.
Now, with only about three thousand escaping and their group of over a thousand, the rest are captured. Of course, two to three thousand were also killed in battle.
In short, the northern noble coalition has been effectively wiped out. Technically, Henwell has already crushed three noble armies. The nobles in the northwest region of Ogiro have been thoroughly defeated by Henwell.
In the following fortnight, Jansen leads a force of ten thousand, nearly annihilating an entire reorganized northern regiment of Ogiro.
During this time, the kingdom's army does attempt to send reinforcements, but Divarak, the double-crosser, had already leaked their marching routes to Dominic. Dominic then delivers a textbook lesson on encirclement and reinforcement interception to the Ogiro Kingdom.
With Jansen and Henwell's combined force of over twenty thousand entering the fray, Ogiro's offensive troops quickly suffer significant losses.
Other observing duchy nobles also join the battle, tying down a large portion of Ogiro's military strength. The two duchy corps, now free to act, launch a successful counterattack.
The situation in the southern region of the duchy gradually stabilizes, allowing the duchy's high command to breathe a sigh of relief.
Now it's Ogiro's turn to feel the pressure. Should they intensify their northern offensive or focus on the west, tackling the tough Peace Haven corps? Without reinforcing the north, it's hard to further their advantage.
Currently, Peace Haven's forces are positioned on Ogiro Kingdom's left flank. If they deploy large numbers of troops, Henwell could easily sever their supply lines, making retreat far from simple. This could lead to a devastating defeat that shakes their foundations.
But if they gather heavy forces to attack the formidable Peace Haven corps, the cost for Ogiro Kingdom would be immense. Conservatively, opening two fronts would require mobilizing at least fifteen corps.
Keep in mind, Ogiro already has eight corps assisting Billie. Adding fifteen more would plunge Ogiro into the chaotic mess of this marriage alliance war, contradicting the kingdom's original plan to profit from the chaos.
While the high command of Ogiro Kingdom deliberates, another month passes. Soon, Divarak and his cousin Pavaro offer Ogiro Kingdom a decent way out.
After retreating back into their territory, Divarak leverages his reputation from previous victories to gather several thousand private troops. Teaming up with the returning Fifteenth Corps Commander Pavaro, they engage Peace Haven's forces in the west. Though the battle is chaotic, they manage to repel Peace Haven's troops.
It's worth noting that since the beginning of the conflict, Peace Haven's corps has been on the offensive, capturing territory. No kingdom army has been able to repel Peace Haven's advances until now. While they haven't reclaimed much land, they've at least managed to hold Peace Haven's corps at bay.
Just as Ogiro Kingdom starts to feel pleased, the northern front takes a turn for the worse. Two newly arrived corps somehow fall into an ambush. Other troops rushing to support them fall into a trap that Jansen had meticulously set up.
With Jansen's forces at the core, two duchy corps coordinate the attack while noble private armies temporarily hold the line. This results in two entire corps being trapped in unfavorable terrain by Jansen's force of over twenty thousand.
This forces Ogiro Kingdom to make a decision: should they double down on the fight or take what they can and negotiate?
Jansen soon presents a ceasefire agreement. Ogiro Kingdom is to withdraw from Vorry Duchy, while Peace Haven returns some territory.
The details of the agreement are quickly hammered out, and the Duke's envoy signs the accord on behalf of the duchy and Ogiro. Henwell returns most of the captured land but retains a large area under the guise of a military buffer zone.
As long as appearances are maintained, Ogiro decides to swallow this bitter pill for now. After all, Henwell had seized nearly thirty thousand square kilometers, a substantial amount even if not all of it was under actual control. Now, Henwell only asks to keep less than six thousand square kilometers as a buffer zone, forcing Ogiro to grudgingly accept. Continuing the fight would be highly disadvantageous for them.
Their focus needs to remain on the conflict within Billie Kingdom; they can't afford to be Billie Kingdom's sharp blade, expending their own military might in a futile struggle with Vorry, only to end up relieving Billie Kingdom. The six thousand square kilometers far exceed Henwell's expectations.
This outcome is largely thanks to Divarak, the inside informant, who disclosed Ogiro's bottom line. Ogiro's psychological threshold was to have at least half the land returned, and as a negotiator, Divarak did an excellent job.
Additionally, Henwell occupies a portion of the southern duchy, covering over two thousand square kilometers. Peace Haven has expanded several times over, now controlling over ten thousand square kilometers with a population exceeding one million.
Henwell also holds a large number of captives. Except for a few earls exchanged for the sake of the agreement's facade, the rest remain detained in Peace Haven.
Henwell's demands for prisoner return are surprisingly modest, avoiding monetary payments to save Ogiro's face. Instead, he propose a different form of compensation: three hundred serfs for a viscount, one hundred for a baron, and thirty for a knight. For soldiers and officers, the price ranges from two to ten serfs each.
Henwell intends to extract over a hundred thousand serfs from Ogiro to develop his new territories, a condition Ogiro is likely to accept. They believe that transforming serfs into a usable population is a lengthy process, unaware that Henwell has precisely the capability to do so.
Of course, Henwell remains cautious to prevent Ogiro Kingdom from pulling any tricks. He has already begun constructing massive temporary camps and hundreds of shower facilities. The first step for the incoming serfs is a health check.
Once cleared, their clothes are burned, and they are sent to bathe before changing into clean clothes and entering the temporary camps. They will stay there for a month, participating in various labor tasks. Only after surviving the month does Henwell count them as part of the population.
Aware that some might try to play tricks, Henwell is prepared to wield a heavy hand. If Ogiro attempts any deceitful tactics, Henwell is ready to execute noble captives. Never underestimate the cruelty humans can show to their own kind, especially those in political power. Therefore, extreme caution is more than justified!
Note: Henwell is afraid that the exchanged serfs intentionally carry infectious diseases.
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Chapter 161: Ceasefire Agreement
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