Quit being a knight and become a mercenary

69 – The back of your head looks really sticky?(1)

“Captain Dalton, if we keep going like this, honestly, all the kids will die! Even though Martin is doing well, he is at his limit, damn it.”

“That’s true, but if we push a little harder, we can win.”

“Aren’t you saying the same thing from day one until now? In the meantime, 7% of our mercenary group fell behind or became idiots.”

We say annihilation in battle is 30%, and in major wars in history, battles in which more than 10% of troops are lost are common.

You may be wondering if losing 7% of your troops in battle is such a big loss…

Battles that will go down in history are recorded because they happen very occasionally and in reality, if more than 5% of people are killed or injured in a real war, it means that a very large number of people died.

‘Hans, I understand that guy is angry.’

Apart from that, I do not agree with the argument made by that gentleman.

Dalton was so angry that he shouted so loudly that it hurt my ears.

“Who the f*ck doesn’t know that? But if we retreat from here, everything will be in vain! “The sacrifices of those who die or become idiots are all in vain.”

“Still, avoiding bigger losses is…”

“Our reputation will also decline. “The reputation that Martin got from being a perverted expert and all sorts of things, he replaced our kids and captured Viscount Vichy, so the value of the name he got has gone down!”

We call that a ‘sunk cost’ in technical terms.

If I give up here and now, the investment made so far will become an unrecoverable cost. If you translate the Chinese character, it becomes a ‘buried cost.’

Anyway, I went into the tent where those two were fighting.

When I entered, there were important executives above the platoon commander gathered inside, including Dalton, Unit Commander Heinz, and Centurion Commander Hans.

When Hans saw my face, he immediately gritted his teeth as if he had a lot of tears in his eyes.

“Why does a guy who wasn’t even called suddenly show up? Doesn’t he know whether to wear it or not? “

The rank structure of our mercenary unit is captain, unit leader, centurion leader, senior platoon leader, and platoon leader, so Hans can put me down by rank…

‘But it’s not like I can be ignored by that bastard.’

I also straightened my shoulders, looked clearly into Hans’ eyes, and said.

“I am not a little meat shield recruit, but a decent senior platoon leader. “I think I am fully qualified to be in this position.”

Hans blushed and looked intently into my eyes.

“I praised this kid for doing something good, so now he completely ignores me?”

I fell asleep saying something that didn’t make sense.

Well, honestly, everyone, including me, admits that Hans has been a mercenary for 20 years, including this Whitebeard mercenary unit.

Being a mercenary means doing things that are not strange at any time, but being able to survive for 20 years and come this far means that you are very capable.

But I have achieved so much in just two years that I have achieved not only merit but also a reputation that would allow me to become a knight if I apply to any family right now.

‘Can’t you see that I have much higher value and ability?’

Still, if there is a conflict with the seniors, it is something that will damage my reputation.

I took a deep breath and lowered my voice.

“Of course it’s not about ignoring it. However, I just want to say that I am not a little brat right now. “I am the senior platoon leader.”

When I said this, he just gritted his teeth and didn’t continue talking.

Dalton sighed and spoke.

“f*ck you, Hans, you bastard. If you have reached the rank of centurion, do it in moderation. “What are you doing to someone much younger than you?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Well, our situation is bad right now, so let’s say I did it because I was in a bad mood this time. Martin is also a senior platoon leader and a pillar of the reputation of our mercenary unit. So don’t mess with it.”

I felt relieved at the words of the captain, who completely trampled on Hans’s reputation and took my side.

At the same time, when I thought that my position had risen to this point, my heart naturally puffed out.

“So, are you here because you have something you want to say?”

“Yes, there is a strategy I would like to propose.”

Dalton raised his eyebrows, raised and lowered his shoulders.

“Oh, really? What a proposal for a strategy in this situation. “I’m really looking forward to what kind of strategy our Senior Platoon Commander Martin will propose?”

It is not the first time suggesting an operation to Captain Dalton, but he is very nervous the moment he proposes an operation.

Besides, I suggested it last time when I was alone with Captain Dalton, but now that everyone is watching, I’m a little more nervous…

‘Still, my strategy will definitely work.’

Clenching my fists, I opened my mouth in a confident voice.

“A false retreat and a surprise attack on that castle again. Then we will be able to capture Fortress Seriz.”

Hans snorted at those words, and everyone, including Dalton, tilted their heads.

“It doesn’t seem like it makes a whole lot of sense, but would the baron guarding that castle be fooled by a trick like this? “I think it would be better to push forward like this rather than use such an uncertain strategy.”

In general, falsely retreating and attacking again is an obvious tactic that may not work.

Then we will be giving the Baron some time to rest.

He could take advantage of the brief gap of a day or two that occurs as soon as we leave the castle to further strengthen the castle’s defenses.

‘If we attack Seriz Fortress again, which has strengthened its defenses, the sacrifice of our troops will be much greater.’

I feel nauseous just thinking about something like that.

“If the troops in that castle are generally conscripted soldiers, regular soldiers, or mercenaries, Baron Sheikh will ‘strengthen the defense first’ and rest and reorganize. Because you never know when we might attack again.”

“If you look at the things that Baron Sheik does, you can see it right away. “I’m going to solidify my defense first and then rest.”

When I heard that, I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

“Captain Dalton, but aren’t 60% of the soldiers under Baron Sheik serfs conscripted from nearby areas? And until now, countless people have been killed by our Whitebeard mercenaries, including me. “They must be in a crazy state of mind right now.”

At those words, Dalton and even Hans nodded.

“Mercenaries and regular soldiers can somehow maintain their morale even if many of their allies die, but what about serfs? These guys are trembling and begging for their lives just by pretending to pull out their swords, but in reality, just holding on until now is a brave thing. However, it is good for those guys that the enemy has retreated, but what happens if they order construction work to quickly repair and strengthen the walls just in case? Morale, which had previously hit rock bottom, will plummet to the lowest level.”

Baron Sheikh’s request to ‘reinforce the defense of the fortress’ to the soldiers who fought a fierce battle can be compared to something like this.

After having the soldiers undergo cold weather training for 7 nights and 8 days in full military uniform, as soon as they return to the unit, heavy snowfall may cause the camp to collapse, so they immediately grab shovels and order large-scale construction of the camp.

If I give such an order to the guys who fought in a war that is more terrible than cold weather training, where my colleagues, family, and neighbors who are like brothers die.

‘He’ll grab a hoe or a flail and attack the baron, saying he’ll cut off his head.’

“So the Baron will find a compromise.”

“What kind of compromise do you mean?”

“It’s very common to pretend to retreat like this and rush in on the first day. We will somehow persuade the serfs to establish a proper ‘border’. But on the second day.”

Dalton interrupted me, his eyes lit up and the corner of his mouth twitched.

“I will call the war merchant and let you drink and eat as much meat as you want. Otherwise, the serf soldiers will try to hold the sword upside down.”

You will have no choice but to do that.

Because even if you manage to endure the first day, on the second day, the serf soldiers stuck in the castle will protest, saying they can’t do it in this condition.

I can assure you that this is my hand, or rather both my wrists.

And I continued to say more to drive a wedge here.

“Honestly, if we continue to push forward with the siege like this, more than 10% of our troops will be killed/wounded, not 7%, and we will lose combat power accordingly. If that happens, even if it doesn’t result in annihilation, we will have to fight a ‘greater war’ in the future. “Wouldn’t that be a big problem?”

Commander Heinz responded to my words with a grunt.

“No matter how much you endure at around 7%, honestly, if it exceeds 10%, your combat power itself will drop and it will become difficult to be active.”

Other executives shook their heads and added one word at a time.

“To be honest, it is good to increase our share by conquering this fortress, but it is the opposite to lose more of our children. So let’s follow Martin’s opinion.”

“Martin, the things he does may seem like a crazy dog, but he always says the right things.”

“Captain, let’s give it a try. “To be honest, there are limits to how hard we can just attack this place.”

As opinions began to gather, Dalton looked into my eyes and asked seriously.

“Are you confident?”

I responded to those words by nodding my head.

“Okay, then let’s pack our bags and retreat tomorrow morning. “Only you guys know about the retreat plan, and tell the guys below that you’re retreating because you can’t hold out.”