Albrecht had spent so long at the War Department that while his combat ability had not improved in the slightest, his skill with words had grown by leaps and bounds.
With a single sentence, Albrecht rendered Prinsky speechless. The latter had no way to refute him; from a military standpoint especially, the argument was utterly airtight.
Prinsky could not persuade the other man, but he finally let out a long breath. At least the worst outcome had not occurred. He no longer had to fear the annihilation of the advance troops.
At that moment, Prinsky asked a question.
"Do you know where His Majesty the Tsar's main force is?"
Albrecht shook his head. Russia's communications were simply too poor.
"They've probably only just left Moscow."
Prinsky's hanging heart immediately sank dead. By the time the Russian main force arrived, the Ottomans would have long since prepared their defenses. These past months of bitter endurance would likely all go down the drain.
Of course, it was also impossible for Prinsky to pursue the Ottomans alone. His troops had suffered severe losses, and their supplies were nearly exhausted. Charging after them would be no different from marching to their deaths.
Prinsky had no choice but to accept Albrecht's suggestion. The latter did not like defense at all; he liked offense.
Had the Austrian Imperial Army not chosen to stop its pursuit earlier, Albrecht might very well have already secured an epic victory.
But according to Franz, the Ottoman Empire's army could not be called an opponent at all. Moreover, the Austrian Empire's strategic goal was to achieve victory while weakening the Ottoman Empire as little as possible.
Albrecht sighed. Political maneuvering really was troublesome.
Still, he was not some war fanatic. The militarized education he had received since childhood meant that he