The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 22

Inside the Acreian command tent.

Lucius the First and his knights were discussing their plan to cross the Koemong River and attack the kingdom Bebero.

“We already completed selecting the appropriate fishing boats from the fishing village nearby. About 80 percent of these boats have been adjusted and remodeled for our military purposes. The rest of the work will be done very soon.”

“We also recruited the fishers who knew the river very well. We are training them according to our basic military skills.”

“And how is Bebero reacting?”

“So far, very quiet, your highness. We believe that they are feeling safe since spring is coming. They most likely think that we won’t attack till the upcoming winter. Our spies planted inside the Bebero kingdom are still unable to return since the borders have been closed, but they were able to send us several reports. All sounds good so far.”

Lucius the First’s army would be attempting to cross it once spring had arrived when its waters had melted. The key to this mission was to keep it a secret. No one could know about this. A surprise was the biggest advantage an army could have in a war.

A surprise attack rarely failed.

Lucius the First studied the maps carefully. The Koemong River was wide and deep. It was the biggest river in the northern region of the continent, and around it was various fishing villages. The river was regularly used to travel as well as to transport supplies to different areas.

But during the winters, the rivers would freeze completely where no boats could cross it. The only use of this river during winter was for some odd winter fishing.

The biggest problem of this military plan was their lack of experience in a naval battle. Lucius the First’s army has never fought in water before.

Acreia was located in the most northern region of the continent. During springs and winters, all the water surrounding the kingdom was frozen. There was no reason for the Acreian soldiers to ever fight in the water.

To fight on boats.

To fight against the enemy boats.

To shoot arrows on boats and at the enemy boats.

All of these tactics were new to the Acreian soldiers.

On top of that, what if their soldiers became seasick?

So Lucius the First took some time and care to make sure that his men became used to the waters. He also ordered the fishermen to teach his men how to stay safe inside a boat.

“The one positive thing is that the Bebero soldiers are also not used to battling in the water. Because Aehas and Kukda were busy warring against each other, Bebero never worried about its river border. Bebero soldiers aren’t prepared at all, so please don’t be too concerned, your highness.”

“But the Bebero has plenty of citizens that are used to riding and working on boats. Our men, on the other hand, have no idea how to even maneuver one. Some don’t even know what an oar looks like,” Lucius the First replied.

“We already have begun our training, so all will be well, your highness.”

“I believe in all of you. All I am saying, however, is that it won’t be as easy as it was with Aehas and Kukda.”

Suddenly, the emperor remembered the person who made it so easy to conquer the two said nations.

The female knight who made it all possible.

She was a foreigner and a knightess, but Lucius the first believed in her abilities. He had no doubt that she would adapt to whatever situation came at her.

It was those around her that had difficulties getting used to HER.

The soldiers received an order from Sir Baufallo to grab the shovels. They were to work on improving and maintaining their army base. The men from other departments could, in theory, reject Sir Baufallo’s order, but none of them did. After all, Sir Baufallo was the one who fed all the men on the base, which meant it was a bad idea to disobey him.

But some men did complain. To them, Sir Baufallo yelled, “If you don’t want this job, then you can participate in the special training instead!”

The special training involved getting into the battle gears and jumping into the river in the middle of the winter. No one volunteered for this. Without further protests, all the men grabbed their shovels and went to work. Sir Baufallo grinned.

Some men were ordered to work on building new boats. The fishing boats they acquired were not enough. Lucius the First ordered all the available boat builders and carpenters to be gathered so they could build more proper military ships. It was impossible to build large ships at this point, so they worked on creating smaller vessels instead.

Koemong was a slow-streamed river. As long as the purpose of the vessels was to carry the soldiers across, smaller ships were going to be enough.

Only

Although Lucius the First’s men assured him otherwise, there was a good chance that Bebero was planning their defense already. Acreia conquered the two kingdoms directly above it, so they had to have at least an idea on where they would be next. Bebero had to be preparing for war.

One main difference was that while Bebero was preparing for a winter battle, Acreia was lying in wait for the spring.

Another huge difference was their soldiers. Any emperor dreamed of maintaining a strong army. More soldiers meant more power, but maintaining soldiers costs a lot of money. Providing food alone was not enough. The soldiers needed to be clothed, fed, and housed properly. On top of that, they also needed to be paid so they could afford to have families of their own.

During active wars, it made sense to have as many soldiers as possible. But what about when it’s over, or during a truce? What should the soldiers do?

This was why the emperors on this continent did not have a military force on contract. The soldiers they gathered were not soldiers by occupation. They were just regular men drafted by force and by law. The nobles became knights while the farmers became foot soldiers.

This meant that these military forces were weak and untrained at best. There were times when the battles were fought only by the high ranking knights from each side.

Lucius the First did things very differently. He was, in fact, the very first emperor who created his entire army made of professional soldiers. His men trusted him and followed him, believing in his plan to conquer the world.

And as soon as the Koemong River melted, Lucius the First’s men made their first-ever attempt to cross it. Just in case things didn’t work out, only a part of the soldiers went on this first try.