Chapter 346 346-The Campaign
Howard tapped his fingers on the table, retorting, "Don't use your situation to describe mine. You might have had no choice but to compromise, but things here haven't gotten that bad. It's merely that Neplon is new and not yet suited for rapid promotion. However, if I truly wished, I could still make the appointment."
Charles chuckled, interpreting Howard's words as a stubborn attempt to save face.
However, this period of relative calm was soon to end.
The Ing Empire descended into chaos.
With the death of Henry IV, Mary, whom Howard had once met near Munich, ascended the throne as the Queen of Ing Empire.
Her rule was marked by bloodshed and cruelty, leaving the empire in turmoil.
Mary, infamous for her numerous executions, earned the moniker "Bloody Mary."
Under normal circumstances, this would have had no bearing on Oungria Kingdom.
However, this time, it was Charles who desired to wage war against Ing Empire.
He saw the empire's internal strife and disarray as an opportune moment to reclaim the lost territories of Fran Kingdom.
Howard agreed to Charles's proposal.
A month later, Fran Kingdom declared war on Ing Empire.
Howard, having signed an alliance treaty, joined forces with Fran Kingdom.
In this campaign, Kaido was appointed as the commander, with Neplon leading the left army and Cotler commanding the right.
Howard, instead of leading the troops personally to Fran Kingdom, paid a visit to an inventor.
For Howard, the greatest challenge in waging war against Ing Empire lay in controlling the Ing Strait.
While Ing Empire's land forces were formidable, their naval strength was undeniably superior.
Howard felt confident in overcoming Ing Empire's army, but before engaging their land forces stationed along the peninsula's coast, he first needed to transport his troops across the sea to Ing Empire's mainland.
Ing Empire, predictably, would not willingly relinquish control of the strait, passively watching the enemy land on their shores.
Thus, victory in a naval battle over the Ing Strait was a prerequisite.
Without a successful landing, Charles and Howard had no chance of occupying Ing Empire's territory.
The task seemed straightforward – ensure control of the strait.
However, Howard was acutely aware of the immense difficulty in landing on Ing Empire's shores.
Ing Empire, being wealthy, often equipped itself with large, expensive warships that were costly to maintain but rarely used.
Practically, apart from Westia Kingdom's invincible armada, which could potentially match Ing Empire's fleet in numbers, other nations stood little chance of defeating Ing Empire's navy.
Building large warships took two to three years, and assembling a fleet composed entirely of such vessels required nearly a generation.
Constructing ships hastily due to immediate needs was impractical due to time constraints.
Howard was uncertain about the naval capabilities on Charles's side.
However, focusing on immigration and trade, Howard's fleet comprised two types of ships: guard ships, which were light vessels designed to protect trade, and transport ships, which possessed minimal combat capabilities and were solely for troop transport.
In Howard's view, the most challenging aspect of waging war against the Ing Empire was the control of the Ing Strait.
The Empire's land forces were formidable, yet their naval strength was far superior.
Howard was confident in his ability to defeat Ing Empire's army on land, but before facing their land forces stationed along the peninsula's coastline, he had to transport his soldiers across the sea to the Ing Empire's mainland.
The Empire would never willingly cede control of the strait and passively watch the enemy land on their shores.
Thus, winning a naval battle over the Ing Strait was essential.
Without a successful landing, Howard and Charles had no chance of occupying Ing Empire's territory.
The task appeared straightforward – simply secure control of the strait.
However, Howard was acutely aware of the immense difficulty in landing on Ing Empire's shores.
The Empire was wealthy and often equipped itself with many large, expensive warships that were costly to maintain but rarely used.
In reality, apart from the invincible armada of Westia Kingdom, which could potentially match Ing Empire's fleet in numbers, other nations stood little chance of defeating Ing Empire's navy.
Constructing large warships took two to three years, and assembling a fleet composed entirely of such vessels required nearly a generation.
Constructing ships hastily due to immediate needs was impractical due to time constraints.
Howard was uncertain about the naval capabilities on Charles's side.
However, focusing on immigration and trade, Howard's fleet comprised two types of ships: guard ships, which were light vessels designed to protect trade, and transport ships, which possessed minimal combat capabilities and were solely for troop transport.
Howard, not present on the battlefield, couldn't help but worry about Kaido's command abilities.
Absent from the front lines, his anxiety was slightly more pronounced.
After meeting with a renowned inventor, he returned to the palace.
Upon arriving back in Oungria Kingdom, he met with Kaido, who excitedly shared his bravery and demonstrated military prowess in the battles between Fran Kingdom and Ing Empire.
Howard spoke favorably of Kaido, acknowledging his achievements.
Soon after, Flandre approached Howard again, praising Kaido, leaving Howard with little option but to agree and add a few words of affirmation.
Then, Bosiden unexpectedly approached Howard with a proposition.
"Your Majesty," he suggested, "with Fran Kingdom's victory and Ing Empire's weakened state, why don't we seize all their bases in the New World?"
Howard found the idea compelling and declared war on Ing Empire's thirteen colonial settlements in the New World.
Victorious, they would acquire all of Ing Empire's bases in the New World.
...
Howard, personally leading a large army, effortlessly won the first major battle, defeating an enemy force twice their size.
During the lull as soldiers cleared the battlefield, Bosiden, brimming with excitement, exclaimed to Howard, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, you've already acquired seventy percent of Master Resarite's skill."
Howard, knowing this to be an overstatement, modestly replied, "Hardly so. Resarite's military prowess was honed through countless battles. This was merely a stroke of luck on my part; I still have a long way to go."
Nearby, Vettel popped open a bottle of Champagne, beaming with joy, "Your Majesty, do not undervalue yourself. Your strategic brilliance in this battle has earned the admiration of all ranks for your military genius."
Howard responded with an obliging smile.
He then noticed Ness, clad in an all-black armor, resembling a knight emerged from darkness.
Approaching Ness, Howard remarked, "Your armor is quite interesting – entirely black."
His intent was simply to familiarize himself with Ness, with whom he was not well-acquainted.
However, Ness, showing resistance, frowned slightly upon removing her helmet and silently turned away, leaving Howard awkwardly standing.
Alonso approached, advising Howard not to take offense at Ness's behavior.
Howard nodded in appreciation, "I understand, thank you, Alonso."
The resounding success of this battle enhanced Howard's control and confidence in his military command.
Initially, despite their silence, it was clear that the conscripted troops of Cotler and Ness did not coordinate flawlessly with Howard.
However, after Howard demonstrated his military capabilities, the response of Cotler and Ness's conscripted troops to his commands became markedly more prompt and efficient.
The Ing Empire launched a surprise attack on the Fran Kingdom, employing a new type of explosive.
Through the efforts of their spies, they managed to detonate the explosives directly behind the doors of castles and fortresses, breaching several of them instantly.
While some fortresses withstood longer, repeated attacks of this nature severely compromised both the morale of the defending troops and the physical integrity of the fortress gates.
Charles, feeling the pressure, hurried to reinforce his defenses, prioritizing the protection of his own territories.
Howard advised Charles to exercise caution.
Charles verbally agreed, but his bold nature, coupled with the encouragement of his advisors, drove him to teach the Ing Empire a lesson in warfare, leading the valiant knights of Fran Kingdom into battle.
Charles and William eventually clashed in a fierce war.
The knights of Fran Kingdom were indeed formidable, but the musketeers of Ing Empire displayed an unexpectedly high level of military proficiency.
The role of the musketeer was not inherently elite.
For those aspiring to join the military, the most coveted branch was undoubtedly the cavalry.
They aspired to be as close to knights as possible, if not knights themselves.
Consequently, the best talents were often drawn to the cavalry, leaving the musketeers, who were indistinguishable from light infantry except for their firearms, less attractive to top recruits.
In fact, some lords viewed musketeers simply as peasants or light infantry with muskets, nothing more.
However, following a series of reforms in Ing Empire, the status of the musketeer was firmly established.
This newfound respect and improved training reflected in their performance on the battlefield, challenging the traditional dominance of the cavalry.
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