While Perturabo stood brimming with confidence, his opponent, King Wadisvav, was plagued by a myriad of frustrating complications. This was hardly surprising, given the string of vexing setbacks he had endured since the start of the war.
Just as Perturabo had anticipated, the Lehlian camp was far from united. As a hereditary monarch, Wadisvav did not possess the same overwhelming prestige that Perturabo had forged from nothing.
Indeed, as a royal lineage spanning a thousand years, the common folk under Wadisvav's rule recognized the divine right of his family to rule as the sovereigns of all Lehlia. But that was the extent of it. Belief among the commoners was entirely different from the support of the nobility.
Like Wadisvav's own house, the Lehlian nobles were descendants of ancient Lehlian tribal chieftains. It was the tribal confederation formed by these chiefs that served as the predecessor to the modern Lehlian state. These chieftains had collectively elected Wadisvav's ancestor as King, giving birth to the Kingdom of Lehlia.
The nobility was the bedrock of the kingdom. King Wadisvav I, the founder, understood his power base; thus, in the fundamental laws of the realm, he reserved significant powers for the nobles, allowing them to refuse any royal policy they deemed unreasonable.
Unlike Perturabo's absolute authority, Wadisvav had to carefully maintain a balance among the nobles. Whenever he attempted to strengthen royal power, the locally influential aristocrats found ways to obstruct him.
In fact, Wadisvav, his father, his grandfather, and their ancestors before them had all been locked in a battle of wits with the nobility from the moment they ascended the throne. Fortunately, the royal family remained prolific enough over a thousand years to keep a firm grip on the crown.
Had the family line failed, the disgruntled nobles would likely have proposed an elective monarchy, rendering it impossible for any king to maintain long-term policies.
This constant friction between the crown and the nobility had a detrimental impact on military development. Regarding battlefield command, the King could only attempt to win compromises before a conflict, hoping the nobles would follow his lead rather than fighting their own separate wars.
According to ancient Lehlian tradition, the King was merely the first among equals. He had no authority to compel the nobles to obey. While nobles followed royal orders out of a tradition of respect for a superior, it was considered normal if they chose not to.
Wadisvav's creation of the "Black Army" was not just to counter Perturabo; it was a move to expand the forces directly under royal control to exert pressure on the nobility. Naturally, the Lehlian nobles controlling the Royal Council reacted to this transparent maneuver.
Wadisvav's plan for tax increases and military expansion failed to even pass the Council's review. Lacking additional revenue, maintaining the Black Army nearly emptied Wadisvav's private vaults. This was why he was so eager for a quick resolution; he could no longer afford the wait.
Now, as the Lehlian host marched toward Lake Chudskoye on the border, Wadisvav's headache only grew worse.
"Your Majesty, those Kossar tribes loyal to Perturabo have been harassing us constantly. But whenever we counterattack, their cavalry scatters. Should we pursue them?"
Wadisvav sat atop his warhorse, escorted by dozens of Black Army knights in the freezing snow. Behind him stretched a long column of Black Army regulars and a motley assortment of levies from across Lehlia and Kislev. The soldiers, clad in various uniforms and armor, were a conspicuous sight against the white landscape.
A Black Army knight urged his horse forward to report to the King. Hearing the news, the already irritable King's expression darkened further.
"No. This is surely a provocation devised by Perturabo. He wants to scatter our focus and exhaust us. Order the supply train units to simply ensure the provisions aren't destroyed. Their mission is to escort the supplies and keep the rations safe."
After a moment's thought, Wadisvav issued his command. He was not without military experience and saw through Perturabo's minor ruse.
"As you command, Your Majesty. I will convey your orders to them."
The knight nodded and quickly rode off to deliver the command to the escort troops.
"Hmph. My dear King, you are being far too cowardly! These light-armored Kossar horsemen harass us at will, and you simply let them walk away without consequence?"
A high-ranking noble riding beside Wadisvav heard this cautious response and gave a cold snort, mocking the King with an arrogant air.
Following this accusation, other nobles present displayed looks of dissatisfaction, feeling their monarch was being weak.
"My respected brother, can you not see that these horsemen are trying to provoke us? They want us to split our forces in pursuit so they can pick off our units one by one while they remain fresh. They want to whittle us down before the battle even begins."
"I cannot allow us to lose troops before the official engagement. Every soldier we have is a precious resource, and I will not see them wasted."
Wadisvav shook his head slightly and patiently explained his reasoning to the surrounding nobles.
"Hmph. They are just a few lowly serfs. Do they truly qualify as precious resources? You are quite the miser, my respected King."
The noble dismissed Wadisvav's explanation and countered with disdain. As he argued with the King, the other nobles showed their silent agreement.
Faced with this rebuttal, Wadisvav could only offer a helpless look and quietly shut his mouth. Now, his greatest worry was whether he could actually win this war with these men at his side.