Grande Armée in Another World: The Eagle and the Queen

Part 2: Tallgrassland Campaign - Battle of the Riverside City | →

"Then do it that way."

"However, in this world, either the technology for drilling through bronze is underdeveloped or it doesn't exist in this city. We don't have it. To build machining equipment, you need significant funds and skilled technicians. There's a sequence to making tools. Just as drawing lines on a map doesn't automatically move troops. It's the same principle."

"Grrr... So, you mean you can't make them?"

Bonaparte gritted his teeth in frustration. They would need cannons at all costs.

In this world, everything necessary to make cannons, including experienced craftsmen and machining equipment, was lacking. It was becoming increasingly clear that this world lacked the necessary technology and infrastructure to support the type of mass production and consumption warfare Bonaparte envisioned.

"Well, leave it to me then. If there are no tools, we'll make them. I will do it. It will take time, though," Conté smiled as he spoke.

The only aspect that seemed promising was gunpowder. Among the materials needed for black powder, the one with acquisition issues was potassium nitrate. This could mainly be refined from saltpeter, which could be obtained from natural caves or mines, or artificially produced. In France, much of the saltpeter had been imported, but during the French Revolutionary Wars, when the import routes were blockaded by the British Navy, there arose a need to artificially produce large amounts, leading to the widespread adoption of the "saltpeter mound method," which involved digging up soil from barns or houses and mixing it with dung and urine to obtain nitrates. Although it took about a year, this method ensured a stable supply of gunpowder. Initially, Bonaparte had considered obtaining saltpeter through this method. However, according to the merchants who came to Swordsmith City, there were lands to the south where saltpeter was produced, and it could be imported from there.

"If you pay the price, we'll transport anything for you."

On another occasion, a thin-cheeked, lanky merchant with a friendly smile informed Bonaparte when he was summoned. Bonaparte had military funds brought from France, acquired from Switzerland and Malta. For the time being, this would suffice to sustain the army. However, money dwindled with spending, and finding ways to earn money became one of Bonaparte's worries. While Cloumille provided some financial assistance in exchange for cooperation, maintaining over 30.000 soldiers, procuring and producing rare equipment in this world proved to be a challenge. Every time one problem was resolved, another would arise.

. . .

Even the evening social gatherings posed a challenge to Bonaparte.

Every night at Cloumille's mansion, local dignitaries vied for influence with the queen and sought assurances for their rights, while lords from nearby small towns came to plead their cases, negotiate, or even engage in coercive negotiations. For Cloumille as well, it was essential to secure the support of these local dignitaries, to guarantee their rights, and to extract money or soldiers from them in return. Thus, these banquets were indispensable. Bonaparte attended these gatherings as Cloumille's friend and as the commander of a powerful army supporting the queen, standing beside her to uphold her authority.

"This is my friend, the guest from beyond the River of the Sun, Bonaparte."

Each time Cloumille introduced him to the dignitaries, Bonaparte awkwardly smiled and nodded.

"Bonaparte, please bear with it," Cloumille whispered to him between conversations.

Cloumille, tall and dignified, exuding the appropriate majesty of a queen, adorned in a red dress and her shining golden hair intricately braided, stood in stark contrast to Bonaparte. He wore ill-fitting military attire adorned with gold embroidery, demonstrating the artisanal skill of the French army. With his short stature and unruly black hair, Bonaparte was quite the contrast. Critics of the queen and Bonaparte quietly referred to them as "a master and her pet."

Bonaparte found these gatherings unfamiliar and uncomfortable. With a stomach not particularly robust, he couldn't help but think, with each dish and glass of wine forced upon him, "I'd rather be stabbed with a bayonet."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thus, while spending their days solidifying their foundation, Cloumille and Bonaparte held a meeting aimed at unifying this world.

The chosen venue for the meeting was a spacious room on the second floor of Cloumille's mansion. The queen and Bonaparte, along with their subordinates, gathered around a large square table, holding hands to facilitate discussion. Bonaparte suggested that they could have the conversation in the cursed dining hall, but Cloumille rejected the idea, citing the unsuitability of the dining hall for important meetings and the limited space.

"We have regained control of the Swordsmith City, and we are ready to advance further. Our goal is to recapture the royal capital and ultimately unify the kingdom. Therefore, as the next step, I believe it would be wise to attack the Riverside City, which is fifteen days' journey from here."

The "Riverside City" pointed out by Cloumille was much larger than the Swordsmith City, with a larger population and several small fortresses along the way, making it a city of a scale that was worthy of the status of a "capital."

"According to our informant, there are twenty thousand Axeland soldiers approaching the Riverside City. They are led by Duke Dordafton, known for his exceptional martial prowess among the generals of that nation. It is likely that they have been ordered to recapture the Swordsmith City and capture the queen after learning of Zodaf's defeat. They are said to be ten days' distance from the Riverside City," reported Abydod.

"Our troops consist of the five thousand divisions I brought, along with Desaix's five thousand divisions, totaling ten thousand. We need to bring in more divisions from the coast. How about Queen Cloumille's troops?"

"We have recruited one thousand infantry, five hundred archers, one hundred cavalry, and just over fifty knights," Cloumille proudly declared.

Although the numbers had increased compared to before, the main force would still be the French army.

Bonaparte contemplated. There were two options. One was to call for more divisions from the coastal encampment, increasing the troops to 20.000. Presumably, the enemy army would enter Riverside City during this time, and a battle would ensue on the way here. If the enemy didn't show up, they would besiege the city with those 20.000 troops. The advantage of this strategy was that they would be on equal footing with the enemy in terms of numbers. The disadvantage was that if the enemy didn't engage in open battle, they would have to conduct a siege. In a siege, assaulting the city would result in significant casualties, and if the siege dragged on, the enemy would likely call for reinforcements, and their own supplies might run out, leading them to a dire situation.

The other option was to march with the current army of just over 10.000 and defeat the enemy before they entered Riverside City. The advantage of this strategy lies in the ability to swiftly defeat the enemy in open battle. Originally, this region was Cloumille's territory, and they didn't favor the Axelander rule. If they defeated the army, the Riverside City would likely welcome them. The disadvantage was that they would have to defeat twice as many enemies with a depleted army after the forced march.

Defeating many with few. Anyone involved in warfare knew how attractive and dangerous such an act was. Successful attempts of this nature were few.

.........

"We should advance immediately and defeat the enemy before they enter the city."

Bonaparte was originally a person who adhered to the principle of fighting the enemy with superior forces, but he also knew that it was not always possible to do so. If necessary, they had to defeat many with few.