The Extra Wants To Live

"Hahaha! This is a great victory!"

The command of the 1st Army, which had defeated all rebels it encountered as it advanced to Sambison, the heart of the Palton Territory, was in a celebratory mood due to its continued victories.

Although there were regular troops mixed in with the opposing side, their numbers were not large, and as expected of a commoner rebel army, they did not have a proper command structure.

Although they used their own tactics, they were trivial, so in the end, the army challenged them to a fight.

The central army was made up of imperial soldiers, magicians, capable knights, and excellent command staff.

It made no sense that they couldn't win this.

If the opponent was provoking a fight with crude tactics, it was easy to crush them with force. The wizard would strike first to break the ranks and spread fear, then the knights would be sent forward to push them.

The enemy had no knights, so all they could do was panic and run away.

"The 2nd Army is also said to be on a winning streak. The northeastern part has been cleared out, so they have sent word that they will move up the Bilkia River to join us."

"They'll join just in time for the assault on Sambison. Even though they're a lowly army, the walls of Sambison, the heart of Palton, are not low, so they'll be of great help."

The command was all optimistic about the situation.

They were on a winning streak and progressing smoothly. There was nothing suspicious even after careful scouting.

"It seems His Highness is doing well," Milione thought. He believed this situation was the result of Carl's good performance.

Perhaps they were digging deep into the Palton Territory and stirring up the interior in order to eradicate heresy. Unable to know the inside story, Milione simply said that Carl was distracting the rebels.

The only thing that worried him was that contact with Carl had been completely cut off.

He understood that Carl couldn't send a messenger when he had penetrated the enemy lines with a small force of cavalry.

However, Milione was supposed to relay the specific details of the operation, route, and situation through an intelligence agent, but there was no news on that either.

"With Master Jaren, he will be able to defend himself even in danger. I don't have to worry about His Highness's safety, but it's frustrating not knowing what's going on."

Milione wasn't worried about Carl's safety.

However, the time given to the mission of eradicating heresy was not very long.

As soon as the 1st and 2nd armies joined forces, they would attack Sambison.

It would take three to four days, including travel time.

Even if the resistance was strong and it was blocked, they could force the door open by deploying a large number of asymmetrical power knights, so it would take at most five days.

If Carl failed to complete his mission of eradicating heresy by then, things would get difficult.

Now that Sambison, the center of the rebellion, had fallen, there would be no reason for Carl to form a separate force and stir up trouble in the Palton Territory.

However, they could not waste time unnecessarily.

The central army had to suppress the rebellion as quickly as possible with overwhelming force to restore the imperial prestige.

With such unspeakable and complex circumstances intertwined, Milione, the commander in charge of suppressing the rebellion, felt inwardly anxious.

"You are an outstanding person, so you will do well."

But things wouldn't be solved by being anxious, so Milione decided to trust Carl and focus on his mission.

Carl, who received the top-secret mission directly, would be more aware of the situation than Milione.

"It will be a good experience for young officers who have no command experience."

"Aren't there a lot of inexperienced officers among the older officers? The younger ones should give way to them."

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Milione smiled to keep the atmosphere cheerful. Still, his complicated mind did not stop thinking for even a moment.

***

The Laurel Troops were eventually forced to abandon their unnecessary baggage and horses in one day.

They were moving along a small river, but the water supply became difficult as the route and river changed.

"The map is wrong," Carl spoke indifferently, but he felt bitter inside.

If he had known this would happen, he would have slowed down a bit. But he had to unload earlier than planned because he had planned his route based only on the wrong map.

It was a shame that they wouldn't have been in such trouble if they had gotten help from the intelligence agency.

This too was moved as slowly as possible.

The Laurel Troops were attacked by the enemy that morning as they were camping and preparing to depart, and fought another battle, delaying their departure as much as possible.

And in the middle, they encountered a group of light cavalry who were thought to be enemy scouts, and they pretended to swing back and forth.

They had been moving slowly, doing their best.

However, it had already reached its limit, and now they had no choice but to make a quick advance by utilizing the cavalry's greatest strength, mobility.

"Wouldn't it be okay if you pretended to be a little more swayed? It seems like the other person wants to have fun," Catherine keenly saw through the other person's intention to toy with Carl by watching him closely.

If they were simply trying to lure Carl, there would be no need to resort to unnecessary things like a surprise attack in the early morning or a cavalry taunt.

But the enemy was watching Carl's reaction, as if throwing a pesky enemy at a caged animal.

He was a very cheeky guy.

It was clear that the Imperial Family, the most noble beings in the Empire, the Grand Duke who holds military power in the eastern part of the Empire, and Carl the Laurel Planter were all giggling in a state of superiority.

"No, now is the time to strike," Carl knew it too.

But he thought calmly and decided that now was the time to attack.