The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 23: A New Choice

Understanding the full context, Henwell feels a sense of hesitation.
He realizes that Count Obiken values his talent and potential, aiming to groom him as an aide for Fabio.
A young man raised from an early age, equipped with wisdom, talent, and bravery, is clearly the ideal choice for a loyal retainer.
For Henwell, this will be an opportunity.
Before the war, his plan was to possibly become a noble by the age of twenty-five, assuming everything went smoothly.
But now, things are different. If he follows Fabio to the Grand Duchy of Vorry and Fabio's status as heir is secured, Henwell's environment for growth would far surpass that of his original family. Achieving knighthood upon reaching adulthood would be a certainty.
He might even attain a knight's title before the age of twenty.
By supporting Fabio to ascend to the position of count, Henwell, as a "founding minister," would undoubtedly receive greater rewards, making a future barony within reach.
More importantly, he wouldn't be striving alone; he would have backing and protection from a powerful faction.
The first hurdle after becoming a noble is integrating into the noble community.
If rejected, it would take two generations of effort to overcome. But Henwell wouldn't face this problem; the entire duchy's noble network would be open to him.
As for betraying the Kingdom of Ika, truth be told, Henwell never felt a strong allegiance to this feudal kingdom.
He never intended to pledge loyalty to anyone but himself.
After an entire night of contemplation, Henwell finally makes his decision.
Since fate has offered him this opportunity, he decides to reach out and seize it.
However, due to his limited understanding of this world and his reliance on past life experiences, he overlooks a crucial detail. This oversight ultimately leads to a nightmarish experience in the future.
The next day, Henwell requests a meeting with Fabio. "Sir, there are some matters I'd like to discuss with you."
Understanding his intent, Fabio dismisses the others from the tent. "Go ahead. What ideas do you have?"
Henwell organizes his thoughts. "Sir, what do you think is the main difference between a professional army and a noble's private army? Why is there such a disparity in combat effectiveness?"
"Training. Equipment." Fabio replies.
Henwell shakes his head. "No, that's not it. The new serf army under your command isn't poorly equipped, and they've received plenty of training. Yet, those over three thousand men can't even hold off five hundred professional soldiers."
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Fabio frowns. "Go on."
"It's the compensation. Sir, you've given them equipment and trained them diligently, but you haven't provided adequate compensation. There's no pay, no family allowances, no death benefits, and the food quality is significantly lacking."
"There's an old saying: if you want the horse to run, you have to feed it. Without proper incentives, how can they be motivated to train diligently, let alone risk their lives in battle?"
Fabio rubs his temples. "I know that too, but we're short on military supplies and funds. There's nothing I can do about it."
Henwell lowers his voice. "Sir, how long do you think it will be before the decisive battle begins?"
"Uh... no more than two months, I'd say."
Henwell remains noncommittal, posing the next question, "Sir, do you believe the coalition forces will win the decisive battle?"
Fabio stays silent this time, though he wishes to claim victory for the coalition. As someone knowledgeable in military affairs and having served over a year in a regular army, he simply can't bring himself to say such words. He knows the coalition is edging closer to retreat.
Henwell continues, "Sir, the decisive battle won't last more than a month, perhaps not even half a month. Our supplies will only hold for three months, and during retreat, there are no major cities within hundreds of miles for resupply."
"Once this army of tens of thousands starts moving, the consumption of food and fodder will be rapid. When the coalition retreats, they must ensure sufficient supplies, so it won't exceed a month."
Fabio listens quietly, indicating Henwell should continue.
"As for the coalition's retreat, it's inevitable. The only difference is whether it's a strategic withdrawal or a defeat. In either scenario, a significant portion of the serf army will be used as sacrificial pawns to cover the retreat."
Fabio's expression changes drastically upon hearing this. He knows Henwell isn't exaggerating. The coalition is determined to preserve its elite forces, and to delay the allied pursuit, leaving behind troops to cover the retreat is a certainty.
"Henwell, are you suggesting we build a strong enough army so we're seen as valuable and not just thrown away?" Fabio asks.
Henwell shakes his head. "Of course not. We should volunteer to cover the retreat. As the commander of the private army, you're the one who can't run. I'm saying this to make sure you understand that we're currently useful to the coalition."
"So, when you make demands, they won't refuse.For instance, if you ask for military supplies or weapons, as long as the requests aren't excessive, the coalition will agree."
"In fact, the coalition isn't short on these resources right now, since many corps have suffered heavy losses, leaving behind plenty of equipment. Rather than being discarded as burdens during retreat, they'd prefer to hand them over to you, allowing your serf army to hold off the allied forces a bit longer."
Fabio suddenly realizes the plan, but then he grows anxious. "But doesn't that still make us sacrificial pawns? We might end up dying here."
Henwell moves to the map, pointing to the south of Wilderness City.
"We stop at Six Bay Mountain and set up defensive fortifications. We can use the serf army, which numbers over thirty thousand, with at least twenty thousand reaching this point."
"If we defend passively, we can hold off the pursuing allied forces for at least five days. Beyond that, it's uncertain, as their cavalry might flank us to the south of Six Bay Mountain. Then we'd be surrounded and trapped there."
Fabio studies the map for a moment. "It is indeed a defensive point, but how do we escape? The road south is limited to just a few routes. If the allied forces catch us, we won't have a chance to retreat."
"Sir, do the allied forces know we're sacrificial pawns?" Henwell asks.
"Of course. No matter how well-equipped we are, once we engage, it'll be obvious we're a serf army."
"Then, sir, what's the allied forces' goal in pursuing us? To wipe out our serf army?"
Fabio shakes his head. "Of course not, their aim is to crush the main coalition forces. But if we're in their path, they won't just let us go. And if they can't catch the main coalition forces ahead, turning back to eliminate us would make perfect sense."
Henwell gives a knowing smile. "Then why should we head south? If we're retreating, does it matter which direction we go?"
With that, Henwell raises his short sword and draws a line across the map. "For instance, why don't we retreat east? We'd still make it back to the kingdom."