Sean Hayes beckoned to the Major beside him. "Lucca, how far are we from Leuven?"
The latter froze for a moment, looked around, and hesitated. "Six miles, perhaps... or maybe eight?"
Sean Hayes was such a layman that he had not even sent out reconnaissance cavalry. At this point, he truly had no idea exactly where they had reached.
Sean Hayes nodded and leaned close to the ear of Lucca Sean Hayes—his nephew. In a low voice, he asked, "What do you think we need to do to take Leuven?"
"Take it?" Lucca shrank back, glancing at the soldiers beside him. "With just us?"
He had previously been only a Lieutenant. Then, the moment his uncle was promoted to Brigadier General, he had been raised to Major. Yet even their combined command ability was not worth that of a single Major.
Following his gaze, Sean Hayes saw several soldiers in tattered military uniforms, some without even blankets or hats, trudging listlessly forward.
The soldiers under his command all came from the Austrian Army that Joseph had defeated. After surrendering, they had received only limited logistical supplies. Some had changed into Walloon Police uniforms, while the rest still wore their original military uniforms.
Lucca mumbled softly, "If you truly mean to fight Lieutenant Colonel De Zwiher, we may have to surrender again..."
De Zwiher was the austrian officer responsible for defending Leuven.
Sean Hayes shot his nephew a vicious glare and was about to rebuke him when something suddenly occurred to him. His gaze swept over the soldiers in their ragged uniforms again, and he mused, "You said surrender? Hmm, perhaps that is a way..."
Lucca hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, no! Absolutely not! Uncle, we should just go back!"
He knew very well that surrendering to Austria would be