Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 942

Episode 942: Ijei (以夷制夷) – Regional appraisal. (2)

The Imperial-Swiss guerrilla forces, which started from small units (approximately 125 people) to large units (approximately 625 people), undermined the Spanish army.

Since they were a guerrilla force that had to move through places that were not roads, the only support weapons they had were light armored vehicles and small grenade guns.

“I don’t know if this alone will only make those guys more venomous.”

The Imperial Army was worried that the firepower of its supporting weapons was poor. However, the Spanish military’s reaction was different from expectations.

“Such firepower! “Are you saying that all those in the empire are businessmen?”

The wagons and artillery they had were all large and required many horses, donkeys and mules to transport them.

However, the Imperial-Swiss guerrillas who raided them gave a strong blow and quickly disappeared.

It was a mobility power that could not be easily achieved by heavy weapons that required horses, donkeys, and mules like theirs. We went a step further and found no trace of horses, donkeys or mules.

“So that means they were all carried and moved by human hands….”

This was the most reasonable inference considering only the circumstantial evidence. And the conclusion drawn based on that reasoning was that the imperial troops who attacked them were all warriors with tremendous strength.

And this soon caused strange rumors to circulate among the Spanish military.

-They say that all the imperial bastards hidden in those mountains are giants who are over 5 cubits (about 2.25 meters) tall!

And the rumor gave birth to another rumor.

-The giants are so strong and vicious that they can tear people in two like tearing paper!

-They say he can eat a horse or a cow in one sitting because he has so much strength!

-They say that even people eat when there is nothing to eat!

-Even if they get shot, they come back unharmed and eat the person who shot them!

-They say that if you encounter one, the best thing to do is to run away!

Before we knew it, the Imperial-Swiss guerrillas began to transform into terrifying beings similar to the ‘Black Death’ or ‘the devil.’

* * *

The Imperial-Swiss guerrilla forces were producing impressive results to the extent that such scandalous rumors were circulating within the Spanish army.

In fact, the results of striking the Spanish army were significant, but the unintended consequences of the chain reaction were also significant.

The main players who caused this chain reaction were Chakho’s army and a small number of Swiss soldiers.

The response department deployed most of the troops to the guerrilla force.

It was judged that Chakho Army, which was good at ambushes and sniping scouts, would be more useful to the guerrilla army.

And this judgment was exactly right.

The soldiers assigned to the guerrilla unit accurately identified the route and size of the Spanish army passing through the mountain pass and reported it to the main unit. The guerrilla commanders who received the report let the Spanish army pass or attacked them, considering the size and capabilities of the guerrilla force they commanded.

This choice made the Spanish army even more confused.

“Are there any imperialists on this road?”

“They say those who went before us passed safely…”

Every time they turned a bend in the narrow passage, the Spanish army, from the commander to the soldiers, had no choice but to worry seriously.

And this kind of deliberation greatly slowed down the movement speed of the troops, which caused the movement of the entire Spanish army to be sluggish.

And if it was actually hit, the Spanish army would suffer even more serious damage.

The command system of most of the units that were raided had collapsed.

When the surprise attack began, the defenders and the Swiss soldiers, who had good shooting skills, shot the Spanish commander.

The Spanish army, which had suffered significant damage and lost its commander in a surprise attack, had to choose one of three options.

-The road continues, so just follow it forward.

-Wait until the follow-up unit arrives. When the follow-up unit arrives, it is under the command of the follow-up unit commander.

-Desertion.

Most Spanish troops chose the second option. They put their dead or injured comrades and broken equipment aside and looked around nervously, waiting for the follow-up unit.

The problem was that if they did this, they too would become another obstacle.

As the soldiers relaxed as they met the follow-up unit, a large number of exhausted soldiers came out, putting the entire unit at a standstill.

However, choosing the first option was not a good decision.

The mountain road through which the Spanish army moved was not a proper road. If you go on a mountain path without proper signposts, it is easy to take the wrong path and become shipwrecked.

Of course, to prevent this from happening, each large unit had a guide attached to it. However, when battle broke out, these guides immediately ran away.

It was never advisable to follow the troops ahead without a guide.

The final desertion occurred in two main cases.

The first was an unintentional desertion while getting lost and wandering as above, and the second was an intentional desertion.

These occurred mainly in units that had suffered severe damage.

As most of the commanders were shot, the command system disappeared, and many of the colleagues around him were either killed, injured, or lost consciousness.

“It won’t work! “I need to get out of here!”

The soldiers who decided to desert took whatever food they could get their hands on and disappeared into the forest.

“Let’s go a little deeper and hide for two to three days. “After that, you can go back the way you came.”

Their thoughts were based on reasonable grounds.

The first was that subsequent allies would prioritize going to Alexandria rather than finding themselves.

Second, just by looking at the clothes he was wearing, he could not tell whether he was a deserter or a resident of a nearby village.

At this time, there were only three troops wearing ‘military uniforms’ on the Italian front.

Imperial Army Swiss Army Florentine Army.

The French military is also attempting to establish its own military uniform, but this has not yet been done.

It was a time like this, so it was impossible to distinguish between civilians and soldiers by taking off or changing only a few characteristics – helmets, breastplates, jackets, etc.

Therefore, they calculated that they could hide in the forest for a few days and then come out.

However, most of those who attempted desertion did not end well.

First, the timing was bad.

It was a time of passing winter and heading towards spring, but the nights in the Alps and Apennines were bitter.

It was a fatal time for deserters who could not even light a fire to avoid pursuit.

The second was that the deserters also did not know the way.

It was a forest where it became difficult to find your way ‘even if you go a little deeper’. Unless you were a hunter or woodcutter who was familiar with the forest, the forest was a place of life and death. Without being able to find a way out of the forest, they became shipwrecked and disappeared.

The third was to be caught by guerrilla forces.

Considering the circumstances of the guerrilla forces, which had to move continuously, it was impossible to take prisoners with them. However, it wouldn’t have been possible to just let it go. He could have tried to get rid of his crime by going straight to the Spanish army and telling them, but this time, he could have been caught by the Spanish army and confessed.

In the end, the guerrilla forces had no choice but to quietly dispose of the captured prisoners.

* * *

After a fierce struggle, the Spanish army passed through the mountain pass and regrouped just before Alexandria.

“The damage is greater than expected…”

The Spanish military command frowned after finishing regrouping and inspecting the state of the army.

The units that the Imperial-Swiss guerrilla army attacked intensively were the artillery and supply units.

Due to the guerrillas’ surprise attack, the Spanish army’s artillery lost half of the cannons and 80% of its ammunition.

The supply unit also suffered heavy damage, losing almost all of its food and about a third of its ammunition.

“If we fight properly, we can barely fight once.”

“Oh my…”

“If things continue like this, even if you return to the army, your impeachment will be confirmed.”

Most of the command staff were Spanish nobles. Because of this, I couldn’t think about politics separately.

The Spanish army’s participation in this war was not just to maintain vested interests in Italy.

No, at first that was almost all the reasons, but later an even bigger reason arose.

It was a map given to Portugal by the scent.

The map of the terra incognita on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean was truly an invaluable item.

Because of this one map, Portugal clung to the empire.

After hearing about this map, Spain requested Portugal to share the map in various ways.

King Joao II of Portugal responded to Spain’s request.

-If you want it, come and get it. Do you know the way?

If you remove the loud diplomatic rhetoric, the content of the reply was as above.

Spain, who received the provocative reply, immediately tried to attack Portugal, but was unable to move.

This was after the imperial fleet departing from Sinji arrived in Portugal, handed over a large amount of weapons, and deployed a corps of instructors to train the Portuguese army.

Thanks to this, the Portuguese army’s power was rapidly strengthened, and Spain had no choice but to stop.

However, when it came to mobilizing the navy, the Portuguese navy was evaluated as being equal to or slightly superior to the Spanish army.

Therefore, the only solution for Spain was to achieve victory on the Italian front.

-If Portugal’s successor, the empire, is defeated in Italy, Portugal will prosper on its own.

With this intention, Spain dispatched troops to Italy.

But the capital, Toledo, was still noisy.

-The losses in war are too great! Rather, we should hand it over and negotiate!

-right! Don’t you already know that the empire is powerful?

-War is the only answer! How long will you be dragged around by the pagan empire!

-right! Who are we! Aren’t they the descendants of those who drove out the pagans and regained their homeland through the Reconquista? Negotiating with heretics! This is nonsense!

-Is it really true that the empire is powerful? It could be a bluff! If the Empire was truly powerful, it wouldn’t have stayed so quiet! Think of Mongolia!

– That’s right!

Even with the military deployed, there were still fierce clashes between moderates and hardliners.

Therefore, the Spanish military command that arrived at Alexandra was more desperate for victory than anyone else.

For one’s own position and the family’s position.

* * *

“It would be dangerous to turn in this situation…”

“But we can’t retreat.”

While the Spanish commanders were at a loss, unable to do anything about it, the cavalry that had gone out for reconnaissance returned with an urgent report.

-Fortress Alexandria and nearby areas are empty.

-Many traces of residents evacuating in a hurry were confirmed.

“The fortress is empty?”

“yes.”

“What about the fortress defenders?”

“It looks like he deserted.”

“As expected of the Italians….”

The faces of the commanders who had been sneering like that soon brightened.

“What a great opportunity!”

“That’s right!”