Chapter 58


Operation meeting proceeding without major issues.

As he watched the scene, Count Turun felt a complicated mix of emotions.

Santana was presenting his operational plan to the people, but the truth was that it was his son, Santana, standing before him who had conceived it.

Santana insisted that it would be good to use the tactics he had studied during his time as a Paladin.

  

Given all that had happened so far, Count Turun, who had deep trust in his son, accepted this without much resistance.

Of course, knowing that not only his own life but also the lives of his family, territory, and comrades were at stake, he had previously listened to his son’s detailed explanation for the sake of due diligence.

And as of this moment, the content that Santana was explaining to the Lords was somewhat different.

In fact, to be precise, the things coming out of Santana’s mouth were merely a fraction of the plan.

There were aspects of the operation that only Santana and Turun could know about, the core parts that Santana did not mention at all.

And this was true not only for Santana, who crafted the plan, but also for Count Turun.

Though he felt quite uneasy about it, considering the nature of the operation, it couldn’t be helped.

Above all, since Count Turun had almost perfectly been convinced by his son, he was now silently observing, keeping his silence as his son spoke.

At the same time, apart from his unease, Count Turun also felt a sense of joy as he watched the scene before him.

Seeing his son return as a fundamentally different person, he felt once again that the worries that had weighed heavily on his heart in the past had perfectly vanished…

“This is a war where everything is at stake. It’s only natural to utilize everything for victory. Even if it means deceiving them now, they will have no choice but to understand it when the war is over.”

*

In the realms of stock and cryptocurrency, there’s a hard rule that must be considered.

That is… you must quickly shake off failures that are out of your control.

Trying to stubbornly turn the situation around is futile; what’s destined to fall will fall, and ultimately, the only person who will get hurt in the process is yourself.

It may hurt and be frustrating, but if you hesitate while regretting your losses, you’re bound to suffer an even greater loss.

What’s needed in such times is the courage to give up…

People often call this…

Cutting losses.

It involves letting go of what should be discarded without any lingering attachment, allowing you to focus solely on what you need to concern yourself with.

And… this concept of cutting losses can be applied not only to simple stocks but to numerous situations in the world, including matters of war.

Holding on to things you can’t control is foolish.

The most important thing is to identify what you can do and maximize its efficiency.

You must not hesitate to discard what needs to be abandoned, and ensure you don’t miss out on what must be taken.

And simultaneously… utilizing everything available to you in that process is a bonus.

The operation I’ve envisioned for this war carries elements of that ‘coolness.’

*

The Imperial Army swiftly advancing north from Vienna.

At its center, under the command of the emperor, was a figure.

A High Mage who had reached the ninth tier.

Tilly Chercleas was leading the soldiers on his white horse.

“Hurry up! We must reach the borders of Bohemia by tonight at the latest!”

With his signature booming voice, Tilly commanded.

However, at this moment…

Despite appearing as passionate as usual, inside him, there was a solemnity akin to that of a monk kneeling before God in prayer.

Tilly, who had spent his entire life on the battlefield.

And yet, as a devout believer in the Church acknowledged by all, this war held deep significance for him.

“The heretic forces have rebelled… They’ve ultimately betrayed the Lord’s noble mercy and colluded with demons. As a servant following the will of God, I cannot let this go unpunished.”

Although he had set out due to the emperor’s command, Tilly had a far stronger sense of mission.

To him, a staunch believer known as the Armored Monk, the stirring of heretical forces was akin to the stirring of evil forces.

These were entities with a vile evil that must be rooted out from the world.

Having rejected the merciful hand of God, these monsters had ultimately begun to walk the path of darkness.

And now…

General Tilly was here as the commander leading the army of God, a holy banner bearer, to cleanse the world of such evil forces.

“This is equivalent to the Lord choosing me and entrusting His work to me. I will surely eradicate the heresy and dedicate the victory to the Lord!”

Though the size of the army he commanded was a mere 25,000, compared to what it once was,

Tilly held no slightest complaint about this.

He was out to fulfill the will of God; what did it matter how many soldiers he had?

And above all, this notion of ‘meager’ was relative, only referencing the era when the Empire was at its peak.

For quelling the rebellion in Bohemia, this was more than enough strength.

The Imperial Army of 25,000 bore the prestige and dignity of dominating the continent.

Especially, among them, the 2,000 mages led by Commander Tilly were a powerful force capable of sweeping away tens of thousands of enemy troops if the situation was favorable.

While the strength of the Bohemian mages was well known, the sheer numerical superiority of the Imperial Army’s forces was a factor that couldn’t be overlooked.

Thus, there was no reason for strategic dissatisfaction,

And at the same time, filled with deep gratitude towards the emperor for granting him this chance to fight for a noble cause, Tilly began to gaze at the gradually appearing borders of Bohemia.

“This is the domain of the heretics…”

Once he crossed this line, it would be effectively entering enemy territory.

He had to move with more tension than ever, being cautious of surprise attacks from the enemy and carefully observe the logistics and other important matters.

Considering this fact, Tilly cautiously inquired of his aide next to him.

“What are the enemy’s movements? The scouts must have reported something by now.”

“Yes, General. According to reports, they have stationed their forces at Bíla hora, near Bohemia. It appears they are preparing for a direct confrontation there.”

“Really? Ha! Those fools seem unaware that our army is superior to theirs, don’t they?”

  

“They may not realize. At first glance, the size of the armies doesn’t seem to have too vast a difference.”

Typically, the one at a disadvantage in military power would seek to fortify a defensive position within a castle or, if not, occupy a more favorable high ground.

In that respect, while Bíla hora has some incline, it’s rather ambiguous in terms of geographical advantage.

To be preparing a battle line there suggested that they believed they could directly crush them.

And from Tilly’s perspective, who had superior military power, this was something he welcomed.

“Foolish beings, their arrogance knows no bounds among the forces of evil. Just wait, you evil heretics. I will deliver the Lord’s hammer upon you with my own hands!”