Restart:Untalented Man-Chapter 529: Battle at the Frontline
King Nelson sat quietly in the wooden carriage. Outside, the clatter of hooves and the clink of chainmail accompanied the procession.
The sun had not yet risen high, and already the road ahead seemed long and suffocating.
Receiving an ambiguous answer from Bain, Nelson can only hope that Riz value their past friendship and will be lenient toward them. Else, he and his family will truly be damned.
Nelson made up his mind to negotiate with Riz. If there was even the faintest hope, he had to try. At the very least, he wishes for his children to be spared.
Thus, with a heavy heart, both the army and the former royal family depart for Bideford.
....
Meanwhile, in Bideford, Riz receive a letter from an unexpected person.
Riz's eyes flicked toward the seal. He knew it immediately.
"Kempten," he murmured.
The sender was Lord Hadrian Kempten, the overlord of medicine in Blande. The Kempten family controlled an expansive and lucrative network in the medical and alchemical industries.
While it was a pleasant surprise, Riz more or less can guess its content.
Riz gently broke the wax seal and read the contents slowly. As he reached the final line, he chuckled.
"As expected."
Lord Kempten wished to swear allegiance to the Crown of Ryntum.
Riz think for a while and believes he has no problem with that.
The Kempten family business in the medical industry is wide. They possessed private research facilities, healer guilds, and an international trading network that moved potions, antidotes, and rare herbs faster than most armies could mobilise.
His presence will bring immense benefits to his kingdom.
Moreover, an informant like Kempten was invaluable. He never intended to let Blande go in the first place. The troops at the frontline weren't just for show.
Without further ado, he began writing his response.
Riz kept his tone respectful, but measured, neither grovelling in gratitude nor overly familiar.
Not only did he write to Lord Kempten, but he also wrote to Hugo Hagen, one of the seven prestigious families of Blande, who did not lose out in terms of title to Kempten.
Unlike Kempten, Hugo had previously met Riz in person. They're very familiar with each other.
Since Kempten wants to side with him, Riz might as well try to sway the Hagen family to his side.
But he also knew Hugo wouldn't be so easily convinced.
As such, another letter was written for the army station in the north, instructing them to begin the military operation.
He wants to create external pressure to increase his success rate.
As the last letter was sealed and handed off, Riz could only wait for the situation to develop.
....
The letter arrived in Vernau, where the Ryntum army was stationed. This was the frontier region between Ryntum and Blande.
Upon receiving the letter, it was quickly handed over to the commander of this army, Sarika Klover.
If there's someone in Ryntum who is familiar with the environment in the north, it can only be Sarika and her father.
For this reason, she was chosen to lead the army.
Unfortunately, the former duke chose to retire and no longer meddle with politics and the military.
Perhaps the betrayal he experienced was too overwhelming for him.
When the officer approached and handed her the letter, she didn't hesitate. One look at the seal told her everything she needed to know.
'So, it's time.'
She turned to face her officers, already gathering after noticing her expression change.
"Orders from the capital?" one of her lieutenants asked.
Sarika nodded, "Yes, the operation begins tomorrow. Get ready."
The morning mist rolled low across the frontline, blanketing the terrain in a grey shroud. But beneath that cover, Ryntum's war machine stirred.
Unlike previous days, where patrols marched in routine numbers, this morning saw battalions mobilising—lines of soldiers arming themselves.
From the Blande-side garrison, stationed in fortified watchposts, sentries peered across the misty no-man's-land.
At first, they furrowed their brows. Then, their faces began to change.
"Is that... artillery positioning?"
"Why are there so many moving to the front line?"
"No... no, this isn't posturing. This is real."
"Quick! Go back and report the situation! Tell them... Tell them Ryntum is mobilising!"
Runners bolted across the narrow roads leading inland. Officers shouted, bells rang in the fog, and the entire Blande outpost shifted into disarray.
On the opposite side, Sarika, mounted on a dark mare, looked toward the Blande border, narrowing her eyes through a spyglass.
She could see the enemy now, scrambling, shouting, preparing defences.
Too little. Too slow.
"It looks like they've noticed. Whatever. Our plan proceeds without change."
She raised her hand high and brought it down sharply. "Attack!"
The sky erupted.
Thousands of bullets burst from the trenches and tree lines. Mortar shells whistled through the air, followed by the booms of impact.
Defence fortifications on the Blande side exploded into plumes of dirt and flame.
What had begun as a quiet morning devolved into utter chaos in seconds.
The Blande frontline was caught unprepared and collapsed into panic. Their command chain was fractured. Communications were lost. Their soldiers weren't positioned to repel an offensive of this scale.
From her command post, Sarika tracks the situation on the battlefield using her binocular while listening to the report.
So far, so good. She was pleased with their performance. But she didn't wish to prolong it.
She immediately ordered the troops to press in the northward direction.
From her current location, Vernau, she had two choices. Move westward toward Vellmar or northward, trying to capture Lindau and Leuphan.
"We go north," she declared. "The mountain range on the east can provide cover for us. They won't be able to encircle us easily."
An officer interjected cautiously. "But, General, the environment in the north is harsher and our supply line will stretch thin..."
"I know. That's why we won't give them time to react. We must move fast and strike hard. Capture these two cities within two days!"
