第１３８８堀：さあもう一つの解決へ (Part2)
"It’s fundamentally the same as our previous engagement with the Kinauf Kingdom. The issue, however, is that they’ve deployed on both sides of the river."
As the data was transmitted, I pulled it up to examine the layout. Indeed, they appeared to be guarding both banks of the river. The numbers, however, were not particularly daunting—a little over a thousand on each side, totaling just north of two thousand. It was a smaller force than the Kinauf Kingdom’s. Logically, this should have made them easier to crush, yet...
"What’s the problem with that?" Mikos asked immediately.
A voice crackled over the radio—Difes. For the record, our forces were split into offensive and defensive units; since Mikos was assigned to the defensive line, we were communicating via comms.
"The problem is that a clean sweep is difficult," Difes explained. "The Kinauf army had positioned themselves to seize the eastern town of Suakania. In fact, they were likely planning to use the town as a shield and hole up inside. Because of that, retreat wasn't really on their minds, so we could attack without restraint. Well, we did take precautions to prevent them from fleeing, of course."
"Difes is right," another voice chimed in. "If we fight as we are, we can handle the lot on the east bank facing us, but the ones on the west bank will scatter and flee. It’s going to be tough to pin them all down."
"Um, why is that a problem?" I asked. "We're still defeating the enemy, aren't we?"
Honestly, I had thought that if they ran away, it would just save us the trouble of dealing with prisoners. But apparently, war doesn't work that way.
"Sigh. Enora, do you have any idea what happens to soldiers who scatter?"
"The ones who run away? They just go home to their country, don't they?"
"Not all of them. I mean, that would be the best-case scenario, but in reality, most of them lack the supplies to make the journey, so they end up turning into bandits."
"What!? Why on earth would they do that?"
I was stunned. The logic was so far removed from my understanding. Why would losing a war turn you into a highwayman?
"I see. It seems Enora isn't very familiar with the realities of war."
"Well, the Haire Church is more involved in mediation, after all," I replied.
Stasia was the one who answered me. Unlike Kagura, she didn't sound exasperated; she simply began to explain in a calm, detached tone.
"If you think about it, it’s quite obvious. There are winners and losers. What do you think the winning side wants to do with the soldiers of the defeated nation?"
"Well, obviously, they want to wipe them out. That’s why the losers run for their lives, right?"
"Exactly. Once the outcome is decided, that entire region becomes the territory of the victors. Do you think the defeated soldiers can rely on that land for support?"
"Oh... I see. They can't."
"Precisely. To survive and make it home, they have to travel long distances without any supply lines. The victors will naturally put a bounty on any fleeing enemy soldiers. And to the local villages, these deserters are just weakened, desperate men carrying weapons and armor."
"So, the moment they lose, they become the prey?"
"Exactly. To avoid being killed and to stay alive, the remnants gather together, turn into bandits or highwaymen, and start raiding merchants, travelers, and villages."
I understood now. That was a disaster. Even if we defeated the thousand on the east bank, if the thousand on the west bank scattered, we would be unleashing a pack of former soldiers turned bandits into the Suurus territory. We might be able to handle them, but I didn't think the people living in Suurus could deal with organized groups of armed ex-soldiers.
"Well, we're about to discuss a strategy to keep that to a minimum..."
And so, we turned our full attention to Agil’s briefing.
We wouldn't need to provide much follow-up this time, so we could move on to the next site. Usually, disaster relief is far more exhausting than this.