I Became King by Following My Little Sister's Advice. Now the Princess I Forced to Marry Is Giving Me Death Stares, What Should I Do? - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The Neighbor is Fully Motivated

Prince Lott Zelos led an army of ten thousand soldiers, half of them infantry and the other half cavalry. 

This was the maximum number of troops he could mobilize after being stripped of his title as crown prince.

In contrast, the Arlengs army that stood against them numbered about a hundred, all of them cavalry.

“…!”

“This is ridiculous… don’t mess with me!”

Hearing the report from the scout, the male lieutenant raised his voice in anger.

Lott felt the same way; if the lieutenant hadn’t shouted, Lott would have. 

The scout’s report was that unbelievable.

“They must be hiding somewhere! Find the ambush quickly!”

“N-no… we thought the same and searched the area, but… there are definitely only a hundred cavalry.”

The scout, shrinking back, spoke hesitantly.

They too couldn’t believe what they had seen.

In a war between nations, what could a mere hundred soldiers accomplish?

A year ago on the Roicardan Plains, Van had struck the enemy with a small force. 

However, that was only possible because there was a main force elsewhere.

“Missing an ambush in an open plain is impossible, especially if it were only one or two. Also, Van Arlengs seemed to be present in the enemy’s ranks.”

The army is like a giant creature. 

If this were a mountainous or forested area, there might be places to hide soldiers.

However, on this open plain, there was no way to miss over a thousand people gathered together.

“Ugh…!”

The lieutenant understood this and fell silent. 

Lott frowned, pondering why Van had shown up with so few men.

(Van Arlengs… does he really think he can win with just a hundred men?)

In this world, where magic exists, warriors who can take on a thousand enemies alone do exist. 

Lott had painfully learned a year ago that Van Arlengs was one of them.

(But we also have powerful soldiers and mages. If he thinks he can turn the tide of war with individual strength, that’s pure arrogance!)

Lott’s anger toward Van grew as he wondered if they were being underestimated.

Anyway, if Van had come out with just a hundred cavalry, it meant the capital’s defenses were still strong. 

Even if there were traitors inside, capturing the capital would be impossible.

Any opportunists would likely pretend ignorance, forgetting any secret deals they made with Lott.

“If Van has come out with a small force, it works in our favor. Let’s crush them with sheer numbers as they wish.”

Suppressing his rising anger, Lott commanded his subordinates. 

He wouldn’t lose his composure again. Never again would he be caught off guard.

(In this battle, I will not be careless… I won’t be distracted by a carrot dangling in front of me and end up losing the main camp like before…)

“However, only the cavalry will engage the enemy. Spread out and encircle them! The infantry will build fortifications and focus on defense! Make sure we don’t get our main camp taken like in the last battle…!”

“”Yes, sir!””

With Lott’s orders, the Zelos army began to move. 

In the battle a year ago, Lott had fought on the front lines himself, wielding a spear. 

It was a decision to boost the soldiers’ morale, and he believed it wasn’t a mistake. However, he wouldn’t repeat the same strategy.

This time, Lott would stay back and focus on defense, leaving the task of crushing the enemy to his subordinates.

(I will win… I will defeat you and reclaim everything…)

The Arlengs army had only a hundred cavalry. 

The Zelos army had three thousand attackers and seven thousand defenders. 

On the Roicardan Plains, a battle with an obvious outcome was about to begin.