Survival Strategy for Weak Territories! ~ My Territory Will Be Destroyed No Matter How Many Times It Is Repeated. How Can This Be Saved? ~ - Chapter 41

“Isn’t that l*licon way too strong !?”

Klein has been dead many times.

Or rather, he died once and has been dying again in a torrent of deaths since then.

In his 26th to 31st lives, as expected, he had to fight alone because the reinforcements from the Southern Count could not reach him in time.

But the Eastern Count forces were much stronger than Klein had expected.

“I mean, what about the number of troops over 30,000…”

Even Klein’s territory could only muster 10,000 men if he scraped them together.

However, there were rebellions in the newly acquired northern territories, and 3,000 troops were sent to maintain security.

So, as originally planned, he went out to intercept them with 7,000 men ―the enemy is about three times his own army―and they attacked him with 20,000 men, just as they had done in his first life.

Klein thought that he could somehow turn the tables with his genius tactics, but with three times as many soldiers as the enemy, he got kicked out in a head-on collision, and there would be no way to win the battle.

The cavalry raided the main camp, and Klein kept dying.

So he tried to get reinforcements from Southern Count in time.

“The moment the Southern Count army enters the war, there will be 10,000 more enemy soldiers… Oh God, where did you get that 10,000 from?”

In his 31st and later lives, he was promised a garrison from the start, and 3,000 men made it in time. So far, so good.

After defending with 10,000 soldiers and carrying out the strategy of ‘waiting for reinforcements from the main force of the Southern Count army while we endure’ ―the number of invading soldiers suddenly increased.

What would happen if an army of 10,000 and 30,000 clashed head-on? Of course, the few will lose, and the many will win.

The last few times, the results have been quite obvious because they were outnumbered.

“First, they moved too quickly and too precisely after they knew Southern Count was in the game. There is definitely someone in between ―or perhaps it is the Hermes Trading Company.”

But it was true. The only person Hermes would support in this situation is Eastern Count.

“The Marquise of Laguna probably can’t stop laughing. The middle power and the great power are clashing head-on in the east and destroying each other on their own.”

The Asgard family now has a huge income from the silver mines and a strong relationship with the Southern Count. If they succeed in defending themselves, they will be able to rebuild sooner or later, even if they are in a bit of a mess.

In fact, there may even be a special demand for reconstruction, but what if the Eastern Count wins?

If they destroy the good-governed Viscounts for no good reason, and if the resentment of the people in the occupied territories is at its peak, there will be a battle of mourning from the Southern Count after the war.

“Even though it is inevitable in a clash… many of Count Jotun’s soldiers have died…”

If they go to war, they will fight with the fear that the people of Asgard will revolt and attack Vanargand’s army.

If they stay in the territory and fight a defensive war, they will be worried about their footing, and if they shoot out, they will be worried about their backs.

But if they retreat, the Eastern Count army will not achieve what they came for.

“The profits from the silver mines are given to the royal family, so they can’t loot the silver mines.”

However, the vast wealth earned by the Viscount has almost all been converted into food and equipment.

Even if they scavenged the houses, they would not find any valuable treasures, and the war expenses were sure to be in the red.

In the first place, it is highly doubtful that the occupation of the taken territory in such a way would be accepted. Now that the engagement has been formalized, it would be better to be absorbed into the Southern Count’s territory.

The more Klein thought about it. He concluded that the Eastern Count was on the losing side.

“Yes, Eastern Count, it’s only a loss for them. Because even though their property is increasing, there is almost nothing lootable in it.”

To sum it up, they come here only to destroy their enemies without expecting any profit from the war.

It would be a disgrace, and Eastern Count’s reputation would be ruined.

How will he explain such a rare event to his subordinates? And before that, how will they handle the aftermath of the war?

Klein had no idea.

“Even if Eastern Count could avoid war with Southern Count, there are still many problems.”

They would have to spend a lot of money and time to pay the Jotuns and to manipulate the royal court. He muses it would be a coveted opportunity for the Marquises of Laguna.

“The weakening itself and the time it would take. Ah, it would be great. It’s worth thousands of gold.”

Suppose they gain territory. It is difficult to rule a region that has been destroyed by the accusation, and from the point of view of the Eastern Count, this is an enclave.

It would take 10 days, even on a fast horse, to get here from the mainland, and there are other territories in between.

It would take 5 or 10 years to rebuild such a difficult area.

On top of that, there is a tremendous amount of work to be done, such as spending money for reconstruction, allocating labor for refugees, maintaining security, and so on.

Even if Southern Count successfully takes over the territory, the territory will be in shambles for the time being.

It would be a great way to reduce the Eastern Count’s or Southern Count’s assets and energy while creating havoc in the transportation hubs and eliminating the houses of the first prince’s faction, the enemy forces.

“This is something that Hermes, who is in league with Laguna, would not have thought twice about.”

It is good to conclude so, but Klein has taken all possible measures.

He sent more troops to the areas where large-scale rebellions would occur and efficiently deployed security forces to reduce the number of wasted troops.

To take the initiative and build a strong position in the planned battlefield.

However, the Eastern Count keeps anticipating the army’s strategy and positioning his troops in the most advantageous places.

Asgard tried to use their small number of soldiers as effectively as possible to gain the maximum advantage.

But even so, they could not reach the goal at all.

In a field battle, the one with more numbers has an overwhelming advantage, and since there is no walled city in Asgard territory, there is no other option but to fight in the field.

Even if they could, they would be limited to building makeshift fortifications and raising their defenses. So no matter how they tried, they ended up being crushed from the front.

“….Really, what is Count Vanargand thinking? He’s going to kill us all.”

They tried reconciliation tactics such as calling for a cease-fire in letters and dispatching officials from the royal court.

However, the messengers were summarily cut down.

They are attacking with all their might, without regard to those sent from the royal palace.

Klein is finally getting serious about what he is going to do after the war, but he still looks bitter as his biggest concern at the moment came into view in his previous life.

“Well, the biggest problem is that the Southern Count army is surprisingly weak.”

The Jotuns’ lands are rich in crops and have good relations with Southern Marquis. The surrounding houses are well-fed, and there is no conflict at all.

In other words, the entire southern region is not much different from the situation surrounding Asgard.

That may be why many of the soldiers in the Southern Count army could be described as “a farmer’s uncle with a little better equipment.”

Of course, the army is prestigious, so it has a good human resource base, and its generals are competent in their own way.

However, the temperament of the soldiers is not really suited for fighting.

“The Eastern Count army, on the other hand, is constantly at war with the foreign tribes.”

They fight skirmishes every month and wars every year.

Even the weakest soldiers are experienced warriors, and their attitudes and demeanor are completely different from the others.

After making such an analysis of the armies of both families, Klein let out a sigh.

“Well… it’s the same as ours. Even if the commanders are competent, the quality of the soldiers is different. And the numbers are different.”

So there was no way to win.

At least not in a straight-up, head-to-head war.

“What are we going to do about this?”

He stops talking to himself, knowing it’s time for a wake-up call, and the next thing he knows, Marie, the maid, knocks on his door.

Marie, the maid, comes into the bedroom right after knocking.

“Good morning! “

She thought Klein was still sleeping, so she didn’t wait for an answer.

But Klein, who had done this many times, did not panic.

“Ahh, good morning Marie.”

“Oh, you’re up early today, aren’t you?”

“It’s nice to have a day like that once in a while, isn’t it?”

Since Klein tends to oversleep, Marie looked at him as if she had seen something unusual.

However, Marie remembered a farce that had been repeated dozens of times already. Sometimes she dashed away from him when she saw Klein talking to himself and running wild,

Klein survives the maid’s attack without a hitch. He thinks as he heads for breakfast.

“…I can’t help if this is all not going to work out.”

At any rate, it’s another fresh start.

He walks down the corridor, wondering what he will try this time.