Rebuilding a Kingdom - Chapter 4

Rebuilding a Kingdom with Modern Knowledge Cheat ~ The Reincarnated 3rd Prince Wants to Develop his Kingdom! ~ Rebuilding a Weak Kingdom Sandwiched Between Two Powerful Countries!
Author: 潮ノ海月

The Kingdom of Critonia, sandwiched between the two major powers of the Bardhain Empire to the east and the Elfast Magic Kingdom to the west, is a neutral state that serves as a buffer between the two nations. Although agriculture thrives and grain is abundant, Critonia lacks the technological prowess to develop its economy, forcing it to endure harassment from both major powers.

A year ago, His Majesty the King, the Father of the protagonist, fell ill with an unknown disease, and Crown Prince Roland, the protagonist's elder brother, took on the responsibility of governing the country as regent. Inexperienced and weary of unfamiliar political duties, Crown Prince Roland often vents his frustrations to the protagonist, Ian, in his room.

In addition to Crown Prince Roland, there are Princess Emilia, the first Royal princess, and Prince Adel, the second Royal prince. Currently, within the kingdom, tensions have escalated into a struggle for succession between the supporters of Crown Prince Roland and those of Prince Adel, dividing the nobility into factions.

This story is about Ian, the third prince, utilizing his knowledge from his previous life in Japan, collaborating with his siblings and involving those around him to rise to power and transform the small, weak country caught between the two major powers into a great nation.

Read Chapter 1 on Novelonomicon

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Chapter 4

Fighting at the Border
Inside the tent, the military conference between Brother Adel and Margrave Belmont continued.
It seemed like the strategy was solely relying on momentum.

I raised my voice modestly,

"If the forces are evenly matched, there's a possibility of increasing casualties. If it's a winnable battle, it's better to employ tactics that minimize casualties."

"If the enemy is coming at us head-on, it's cool to fight them head-on too."

"This is war, it's not about cool showdowns. Brother Adel, you should consider more strategy and tactics."

"That's true, but I'm not very good at using my head."

Yeah... I know Brother Adel, you are a bit of a brute.

Margrave Belmont glared at me.

"In that case, what kind of strategy do you think would be effective?"

"Maybe a strategic retreat after engaging with enemy troops."

"I'm a prince. Can I really retreat before the outcome is decided?"

"It's not really a retreat. It's about shifting the battlefield away from the enemy's intentions and fighting on our terms.”

"I don't really get it. Can you explain in detail?"

The strategy I came up with was to engage with the enemy, then feign a retreat to lure the enemy into chasing us.
This way, the vanguard of the enemy army would be chasing our troops, straying away from their main camp.
Then, we could strike the reduced enemy forces with our own troops.

After hearing my explanation, Margrave Belmont nodded approvingly with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Indeed, Prince Ian's strategy would significantly reduce the burden on our troops."

"I see, so it's not really a retreat. Let's go with Ian's strategy."

Margrave Belmont and Brother Adel adopted my strategy and resumed the military conference.
As a result of the conference, they decided that the battle would take place the next day and sent messengers to the Bardhain Imperial Army.

The next morning, as the sun began to rise, both armies lined up in formation, facing each other on the grassland.
Sister Emilia and I watched the battlefield from a tent at the rear.

Mounted on his horse, Brother Adel raised his sword overhead.

"Victory is ours! Advance, all troops!"

At Brother Adel's command, drums signaling the start of battle echoed, and our forces advanced towards the enemy in formation.
Drums from the Bardhain Imperial Army could be heard, and the enemy forces also began their advance.

In the center of the grassland, the archers from both sides rained arrows down, while infantry from both armies clashed with spears.
The battle quickly turned into chaos.

At the right moment, Brother Adel, who was fighting on the front lines, raised his sword high.

"Retreat! Fall back!"

In response to his command, our soldiers began to retreat while engaging with the enemy.
The extent of the retreat was determined by Margrave Belmont, who was commanding from the rear.

"Lure in more enemy soldiers! Retreat while engaging in combat!"

Seeing the retreating allied soldiers, the enemy saw an opportunity and gave chase.
After a while, the enemy formation changed from a horizontal line to a long, narrow vertical one.

Seizing the opportunity, Brother Adel turned his horse and shouted loudly.

"All troops, reverse! The enemy's vanguard and main camp are separated; let's crush them at once!"

The grassland echoed with the rallying cries of our troops as they reversed and started annihilating the enemy's vanguard.
The enemy soldiers, realizing our plan, tried to retreat, but it was too late.

Our soldiers defeated the enemy soldiers one by one, closing in on the enemy's main camp.

Watching the scene unfold, Sister Emilia smiled with relief.

"This settles the victory. Your strategy was truly remarkable, Ian."

"No, even if the strategy is good, it's meaningless if it can't be executed. This is all Brother Adel's achievements."

"You're right. Let's leave it at that."

Brother Adel may struggle with thinking, but he has outstanding action ability and faithfully executes what he has learned.
It's all thanks to Brother Adel that he was able to master the strategy.

I wasn't embarrassed when praised by Sister Emilia or anything, you know.

A trumpet sounded, signaling the cessation of combat in the early afternoon.
It seems the enemy's main camp has been destroyed.

Brother Adel and the Margrave returned from the battlefield.
Behind them, two unfamiliar men were bound with ropes and being escorted by soldiers.

They were most likely the commanders of the enemy forces.

"Ian, did you see my performance?"

"Yes, Brother Adel. You were incredibly cool."

"Is that so? You can praise me more, you know."

With the battle won, we camped in our own tents for the night and planned to return triumphantly to the Fief Capital tomorrow.
The next day, we finished packing up before noon and set off for the Fief Capital with the Margrave's army.

It took us longer to return to the Fief Capital than it did to arrive, as we accompanied the soldiers on their march instead of riding in carriages.
We arrived back in the city four days later.

The heralds had already spread the news of our victory in battle, so when we arrived in the Fief Capital, the common folk lined the streets to welcome us, calling out the names of Brother Adel and Margrave Belmont, celebrating the victory.
Brother Adel, riding on horseback and waving with a smile, looked very cool.

Upon arriving at the Margrave's mansion, we decided to stay for a while to rest and recover from our journey and the battle.

We've been busy since leaving the Royal Capital, so I think it's okay to take a little break now.

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