Wh Tang Mo saw Count Fisheo again, he noticed that the man looked haggard, his neatly kept chin now covered in messy stubble.
He sat in the tt, examining a map spread out before him as Tang Mo tered. Without hesitation, Tang Mo walked over and stood next to the Earl, looking down at the fairly accurate map of Northern Ridge.
"It's much better than mine," Tang Mo couldn't help but say viously, speaking out of the blue.
Pointing at a teacup on another table, Fisheo said to Tang Mo, "There's hot water over there. Be careful not to stain the map."
In those days, an accurate map was extremely valuable. Thus, things like ink and food were, in fact, unlikely to be placed beside the map.
"I'll give you one later." Fisheo lifted his head and extded his hands sincerely. Tang Mo was somewhat unaccustomed to this but still spread his hands and embraced Fisheo briefly.
"I'm grateful that your troops arrived as promised," Fisheo expressed his thanks. "The reinforcemts promised by the King did not arrive on time."
"I think they probably won't be able to make it," said Tang Mo with a cold laugh. "Who would have thought that as we calculated against Northern Ridge, we ded up collapsing ourselves first."
"The situation is ev worse than expected," Fisheo said helplessly as he pointed to the map for Tang to see. "From the momt Suthers's troops routed the Kingdom's cavalry, the emy's advantage became very clear. They reassigned their troops and have already reached here!" He pointed to a spot on the map.
Tang Mo saw that Northern Ridge, previously only facing emies from one direction, now had to withstand pressure from two fronts.
One from the northeast, the other from the southeast.
Tang Mo surveyed the locations Fisheo pointed to on the map and grew serious, "They are very close to us now."
"Yes, the pressure on our flanks has exceeded our preliminary estimates, leaving me ev more passive in the face of the emy," said Fisheo with a wry smile. "However, there is some good news. The emy's progression is too smooth, hce parts of their forces initially designated to target us have be redeployed to the south."
As he spoke, he gestured on the map, "Based on the currt situation, facing me directly are the emy's previously stationed troops, 5,000 m, augmted by 0 cannons. A full three legions, and a substantial number of artillerym..."
Giv that these field cannons were muzzle-loading, Tang Mo knew their power was limited. However, he was aware that this was just his transmigrator's perspective. Not a single officer now would consider a hundred muzzle-loading cannons of approximately 60mm calibre to be useless decor.
"You know, my troops only comprise three battalions, a ,500 m. Ev with my guard, it doesn't add up to ,700, so I can't provide you any more support." Th he briefly outlined the strgth of his own forces.
Tang Mo was well aware of this, ev knowing that the Kingdom's reinforcemt troops from Brunas, expected to be a ,000 m, were now redirected towards King City.
From the looks of it, Northern Ridge was indeed isolated without help. Regardless, they could only rely on themselves now.
"Actually, I can't fulfill what I promised either." Fisheo regretfully delivered another piece of bad news to Tang Mo.
"Lord Earl, as you know, the new recruit camp only has 500 m, and six cannons. You promised that after we wt to the front line, you'd provide another 0 cannons..." Tang Mo was aware that what Fisheo was referring to might have something to do with reinforcing his artillery.
Sure ough, Fisheo explained helplessly, "I know! I know! But now the situation has changed, I can't possibly give you 0 of Shireck's light field cannons anymore! Because... the Kingdom's support supplies that should have arrived have be lost!"
"The news just came. The Kingdom's cannons allocated to us were ambushed by the suddly appearing Suthers cavalry... Now, the m and the cannons are likely someone else's trophies," an officer standing across from the map table explained with frustration.
"Maybe it was deliberate," Tang Mo said sarcastically. Noticing the somber expressions of everyone prest, he reluctantly asked, "So what do we do now?"
Fisheo shook his head, "There ar't any good options. If we retreat, we would have to give up this pass. Once in the wider Northern Ridge territory, the numerical advantage of the emy forces would be ev easier to exploit."
"What about retreating to Wolf City?" Tang Mo offered another suggestion.
Another officer angrily dismissed this proposal, "If Wolf City is sured, that's akin to handing Northern Ridge over to Suthers! That is absolutely unacceptable."
"So you're saying, we can only hold our position here and wait for the emy to wipe us all out," Tang Mo asked with a cold laugh.
The emy now had over 5,000 m, and their artillery was double that of Tang's. Ev though their breech-loading rifles gave them a firepower advantage over the emy, the emy's advantages were too obvious.
Moreover, this was just the currt situation. As every second ticked by, with each passing day, things would only become more unfavorable to them.
The front-line troops of the Kingdom of Sarte, the Royal Legion, had practically fled in total disarray, relinquishing the tire battlefield. The Suthers Kingdom, whether aiming to annex Northern Ridge or to continue their assault into the hinterlands of the Kingdom of Sarte, needed to first dislodge the thorn that was Northern Ridge.
Therefore, the emy forces would only increase. There might be 5,000 now, but in a few days, the ranks of the emy might swell to ts of thousands.
"So, I plan to take the initiative and gage the Suthers nd Legion, who are in our way, in direct combat!" Count Fisheo revealed his inttion.
Since the emy forces were bound to grow, the plan was to eliminate the emy's main force in advance and th consume each of their successive reinforcemt troops one by one.
"Have you thought this through?" Tang Mo glanced at Count Fisheo, th at Alice standing beside him, and looked back at Fisheo to ask.
"If I am defeated, I'll leave the matters of Northern Ridge to you!" Lord Earl looked at Tang Mo and said, "I'm not referring to anything else, specifically my family and people like Tagg. I hope you can take them and seek refuge in Brunas."
He stared at Tang Mo, speaking earnestly, "Promise me, protect them well, so they can live safely and without worries."
Tang Mo didn't agree to Count Fisheo, instead changing the subject, "Let's talk about that later. Let's discuss our mission... if possible, I'll do everything in my power to secure your flank."
"Theoretically, if you're stationed on my flank, you could at least help me divert ,000 of the emy's strgth." Fisheo confidtly pointed to the southern part of his own camp and said, "Also, it would help me block the emy forces pushing north from the flank."
"And in reality?" Tang Mo knew that aside from the theory, there was the actual task at hand.
"In reality, I hope the new recruits can advance to this position!" Fisheo's hand truly extded further south, until it pressed on a particular marked location.
Looking at the spot, the smile on Tang Mo's face gradually faded, "The Three-Way Intersection? Brilliant! Most of the Suthers troops diverted from the front line will pass through here to merge with their flanking units — that is, the Suthers troops standing against the Northern Ridge Legion."
"So, you must hold back these units and somehow tie up the ,500 Suthers troops that might currtly be advancing from the southeast toward us."
"What a great assignmt! The task you've giv me is three times what was originally expected, and you're not ev willing to give me a single cannon," Tang Mo felt Count Fisheo was toying with him, assigning such a perilous mission to his "new recruits."
"I only need you to hold position there for one day!" Fisheo stared at Tang Mo, saying with a grave tone.
Tang Mo didn't agree but countered, "One day? And th?"
"I will lead the main army to break through the three Suthers legions before us and th join forces with you!" Fisheo's hand returned to the map, pressing on the location of the emy on the frontline, assuring Tang Mo.
Tang Mo scoffed, "Ha! Lord Earl, you surely dare to speak!"
Expecting a newbie unit, which had only trained for just over a month, to hold the most dangerous node for an tire day and await the outcome of the main battlefield?
It was a joke, Tang Mo thought he was more likely to be sold out by Lord Earl, holding out at the Three-Way Intersection for one day only to hear Lord Earl had retreated back to Wolf City.
"Trust me! The people of Northern Ridge will never abandon their frids!" Fisheo promised sincerely.
Tang Mo stared at Fisheo and emphasized word by word, "I hope that wh the time comes, it will be the wolf banner, not the Suthers insignia, marching down the road from the south."
"If I fail, I will make sure you leave first," Fisheo gave his promise.
"Let's hope neither of us fail!" Tang Mo looked at the map and, under the expectant gazes of all prest, was silt for a long while before finally speaking up, "I've put all my bets on Wolf City! Count Fisheo! We need each other, right?"
"Exactly! If we can get through today's difficulty, th Northern Ridge will be your most steadfast support! I will give you the utmost backing and will never betray you," Fisheo once again promised Tang Mo.
At the momt, his words were akin to drawing a big pie in the sky. Because if he lost, all that he said now would be but castles in the air.
Yet, Tang Mo understood that if one wished to bet a bicycle against a motorcycle, th one must have the courage to accept the big pie being offered — at the very least, he was a chef himself, a part of those making the big pie.
If he could help Count Fisheo win this battle, he would th have the right to partake in the big pie of post-war befits, and ev have the biggest slice!
So, gritting his teeth, Tang Mo made a commitmt, "So be it! The wolf banner shall fly at the Three-Way Intersection until the day after tomorrow at noon! The new recruits camp of 500 soldiers will fight there to the last man!"