by Dojyomaru
And so, the gates were opened.
“Here we go! We’ll show them the Royal Guard aren’t just here to look pretty!” Ludwin called.
“““Yes, sir!”””
With the intensity of a dam breaking, the Royal Guard surged forth.
The attacking mercenaries panicked in the face of this sudden counterattack, breaking ranks. They could no longer impede the Royal Guard’s charge. Some were impaled on Ludwin and his men’s lances, others were trampled under the hooves of their horses.
Many of them were mercenaries that the corrupt nobles had spent their personal wealth scraping together. The mercenaries were strong individually, but they did not work well in groups. With no unified command structure, they each made decisions on their own.
Because they were only working for the money, they lacked loyalty or patriotism. When their lives were at risk, they were quick to flee. As a result, they were especially ill-suited to face a force like Ludwin’s, which was disciplined and could move with one common will. The mercenaries couldn’t stop the group as individuals, yet they also couldn’t work together with their allies. With the mercenaries being mowed down one after another, they broke and ran.
Then, when Ludwin and his men reached the abandoned cannons, they set them on fire.
His Majesty will probably moan about the budget later... but, there’s little choice, Ludwin thought.
He felt it was a bit of a waste, but they couldn’t just leave them there, and they couldn’t afford the time it would take to drag weapons with such low mobility back. Destroying them was the only option.
As the Royal Guard slowly made their triumphant return, there was a loud roar as the cannons exploded behind them, sending up a great black cloud of smoke.
Jumping straight to the conclusion, the Army returned to Randel at sunset having been unable to accomplish anything this day. If we look only at the results of the battle, it could be called a victory for the defenders.
However, the ones who had originally been the attackers were the Forbidden Army. No matter how many defensive battles they won, they would eventually be worn down.
That much was clear to everyone.
◇ ◇ ◇
That night, in the meeting room of Georg Carmine’s castle, more than a dozen nobles were pressing Georg for answers.
“Duke Carmine! What was that supposed to be?! How can the Army be so unmotivated?!” a corrupt noble demanded.
“Indeed,” another said angrily. “This is not like you, the one once feared as a fierce god of the battlefield.”
“We were the only ones out there taking the fight seriously!” another noble exclaimed.
All of these men had fled as soon as Souma had accused them of corruption. They had gathered, like moths to the flame, under the banner of Georg, who had made his opposition to the king clear.
Having embezzled more than they could ever repay, and now even rebelling against the king, they had nowhere left to go. If they lost the war with Souma, it would be the end of them. That was why they had spent their personal fortunes on Zemish mercenaries and challenged the Forbidden Army.
However, they were not satisfied with the way Georg had fought.
The Army had been too passive in today’s battle. They understood that the soldiers’ morale would be low from fighting the king’s forces, but Georg had shown no intention of even trying to encourage the troops. This attitude was unlike the Georg Carmine known for his relentless offenses, and it angered the nobles.
“The Army is full of spineless cowards!” one of the nobles spat. “The battle with the king has already begun, you realize!”
“Show us the power that made the name of Georg Carmine famous throughout the kingdom!”
“Surely you don’t mean to tell us you’re scared now!” another one shouted.
“Oh...?” Georg glared at the nobles. That alone was enough to knock the fight out of them, making them fall silent and take a step back away from him. “Who are you suggesting I am afraid of?”
There was silence.
With those words alone, Georg took control of the room.
As he looked to each of the nobles, who were speechless in the face of the fierce general’s intensity, Georg spoke in a calm, composed tone.
“Do any of you understand the situation? The enemy has only ten, maybe twenty thousand troops. It was a surprise that they built that fortress overnight, but if we slowly close in on them, they are the ones that will be pushed into a corner. Where is the need to recklessly attack?”
“I-If that is the case... if they are only ten thousand, shouldn’t we push the attack and defeat them in one fell swoop?” One of the nobles worked up his courage to speak, but Georg only snorted derisively.
“You tried that and were driven off, were you not?” he asked. “What’s more, you even pulled three cannons out of the armory, and then, in your blundering, managed to have them destroyed.”
“Urgh... I can’t apologize enough for that.” The noble who had spoken shrank under Georg’s glare.
In fact, deploying the cannons had been a decision the corrupt nobles had made themselves, frustrated that they couldn’t take the fortress. They had used their titles to intimidate the person in charge of the armory, forcing him to lend them the weapons. As a result, they had needlessly lost three cannons. Now, the Army looked at the nobles’ forces with contempt.
Georg continued, “There was one other thing I found concerning. I couldn’t sense Souma in that fortress.”
“Hasn’t he left the war to his vassals, while he stays trembling back in the royal capital?” one of the corrupt nobles asked.
“Do you think that that king could do that?” Georg asked. “Even if we can’t see him, he’s definitely out there doing something. That is why we need to lure him out.”
“In other words, you want to use the soldiers in that fortress as bait?” a noble asked.
Georg nodded at the noble’s suggestion. “Right now, there is no way to know where Souma is or what he is plotting, but if he leaves the troops he’s dispatched to die, both the soldiers and the people will abandon him. Eventually, he has no choice but to appear on this battlefield. When he does, we simply need to crush him along with the soldiers of the fortress.” He grinned.
Georg was a lion-headed beastman. When he grinned, it exposed his fangs.
When the nobles saw those, it sent a chill down their spines. They knew, if nothing else, they must never make this man their enemy.
Georg rose from his seat. “However, you must all be tired from today’s attack. This is not a battle that will be ending tomorrow or the day after. We of the Army will handle the attack alone, so all of you will take the day tomorrow to rest.”
“““Y-Yes, sir!”””
Having received those words of appreciation from Georg, the nobles bowed their heads and departed from the meeting room.
Once they did, a single man came in, as if trading places with them. “Pardon me, Duke Carmine.”
“...Beowulf,” Georg said.
The man’s name was Beowulf Gardner. He was a wolf-faced beastman who wore a black military uniform. In the Army, he and Glaive Magna, who had now parted ways with them, were the two closest to Georg Carmine. He was the second-in-command of the army now.
Using few words, Georg asked Beowulf, “The preparations are complete, I presume?”
“Yes, sir! Everything is flawless.”
“Good.”
As Beowulf saluted him, Georg nodded in satisfaction, grinning broadly.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, around that time, Halbert and Kaede were sitting side by side, eating together.
They were eating Souma’s invention, “instant gelin udon.”
The gelin udon was first boiled, then it was spiced heavily and dried out. When they wanted to eat it, they would pour boiling water on it and wait for one minute. (It absorbed water faster than instant ramen.) So long as they had a cup and boiling water,
it could be eaten anywhere. Because of that convenience, it was well regarded by the Forbidden Army soldiers who received it as part of their rations.
“Being able to eat this stuff even in the field...slurp... it’s nice, isn’t it?” Halbert commented.
“His Majesty was complaining... slurp... ‘I wanted to fry them, but they melted when I put them in oil! Even though I prefer the savory taste of fried noodles to non-fried ones!’ you know,” Kaede said.
“I don’t really get... slurp... why he’d be so particular about that,” Halbert said.
Once they finished their meal over that sort of conversation, Kaede leaned against Halbert’s shoulder. The scent of Kaede’s hair so close to him made Halbert blink rapidly in confusion.
“H-Hey, Kaede. What’re you doing?”
“Hee hee. Hal, I’m happy, you know.”
“Huh?! About what?!” he exclaimed.
“Having you at my side, like this,” Kaede said with a little laugh. “I’m glad you came to the Forbidden Army. If you were still in the Army, we might have been enemies, you know. We might not be here.”
“Yeah, but thanks to that, I’m surrounded by 40,000 soldiers from the Army,” he said.
Kaede smiled to see Halbert rub the bridge of his nose bashfully as he said that.
“It will all be decided today and tomorrow, you know,” she said. “If we can just last that long...”
“Then what?” he asked.
“If we just get past this, I hope the rest will work out.”
“Don’t end it with what you’re hoping for!” he exclaimed. “If you’re going to say that much, then tell me the rest, too!”
“So make sure you protect me, okay? Hal.”
With his childhood friend asking him so cutely, Halbert scratched his head vigorously. “Ugh, fine, I get it! I’ll protect you and everything else!”
“I’m counting on you, you know, Hal,” she said.
In a fortress in the middle of the battlefield, the two nestled close and smiled together.
—1st Day, 10th Month, 1,546th Year, Continental Calendar.
The night came to an end, and the Army resumed their attack.
However, unlike the day before, there were only sporadic attacks on all sides.
While arrows and magic came flying, there were no units trying to press the attack hard. Halbert was a little perplexed at the complete change to such a passive mode of fighting after the day before.
“The enemy’s suddenly let up on the attack,” he said.
“I don’t see any Zemish mercenaries, either,” Kaede said, surveying the enemy. “The change in deployment may mean that the enemy has changed to fighting a war of attrition.”
Halbert spun his shoulders in circles. “In that case, it’ll make things a bit easier, maybe.”
“One must always remain vigilant on the battlefield, Hal,” she said. “You’ll get tripped up otherwise, you know.”
“...I know.”
And so, the sporadic attacks by the Army continued. Then, when the sun was at its zenith, it happened.
The soldier in the lookout post shouted loudly, “Multiple units of wyverns sighted in the sky to the east! It’s the Air Force!”
When Halbert and Kaede looked up to the eastern sky, alarmed by the lookout’s voice, they saw several thousand wyverns flying towards them in formation.
Halbert unconsciously pulled Kaede tight against him.
Kaede put her own hand on the hand Halbert had put around her shoulder, saying, “It’s okay, Hal,” with a gentle smile. “We’ve won our bet, you know.”
The wyverns passed by the fortress where Halbert and Kaede were, flying towards Randel.
Elfrieden Historical Idiom Lessons: Number 2
“Randel’s One Night Fortress”
Type: Stratagem
Meaning: To use everything at your disposal to achieve an objective.
Origin: When King Souma was subduing Georg’s rebellion, he made use of the Forbidden Army’s capabilities as combat engineers to revive an abandoned fortress.
Synonyms: Thirty-Six Stratagems’ 14th stratagem, “Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul.”
Chapter 6: The Scheming Battle for Red Dragon City
—32nd Day, 9th Month, 1,546th Year, Continental Calendar — Red Dragon City.
Ever since Souma had issued his ultimatum, the lord of Red Dragon City, Castor Vargas, had been incredibly busy. Because he had chosen to support Georg Carmine using only his personal troops from Red Dragon City, there was the risk that Red Dragon City itself would become a battlefield.
Castor was aware that this had all come about as a result of his own pride. He couldn’t let the people of his domain suffer for his pride.
Because of that, he ended up having to do the work of evacuating the citizenry to other cities himself. Normally, Castor left these sort of tasks entirely to his steward Tolman, but this time he did the work by himself. He thought this might be the last time he had the chance, so he was trying to fulfill his duties as their lord.
Inside the governmental affairs office in Red Dragon Castle, his castle in Red Dragon City, Castor asked Tolman a question. “How is the evacuation of the citizens going?”
“It is already complete,” Tolman replied. “Now, the only people remaining in Red Dragon City are a unit from the Air Force and those connected to the House of Vargas.”
“I see... I’m glad to hear that,” Castor said, leaning back in his chair, a look of heartfelt relief on his face. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but it’s a load off my shoulders. Without that burden to carry, I can act as an individual warrior.”
“Truly, those were words a lord must never speak.”
“I was never cut out to be a lord anyway,” Castor said. “Though I inherited the Air Force and my subjects from my old man, I never had a gift for management. When I think about what it would have been like without you and Accela, the very thought of it frightens me.”
Castor looked up to the ceiling.
“When I think back now, I realize that King Albert was carrying so much more, and with that timid personality of his. ...And now, that new king, Souma, is carrying that burden. He’s pretty impressive, for a kid his age. I can see why the princess was willing to cut her hair to walk alongside him.”
Liscia had cut her hair as a show of determination towards Georg, but when Castor had seen it, his heart had been moved. Castor had always had a simple personality, so straightforward expressions of emotion like that really hit him hard.
Seeing Castor like this, Tolman asked him in astonishment, “You’ve changed your view of him now, after all this time?”
“Yeah. I have. ...You’re right, it took me far too long,” Castor said, recognizing his own fault.
It was too late to turn back now. He had no intention of trying, either. From here on out, he would face Souma bravely. Even if he was defeated, he would show the king the pride of a long-serving General of the Air Force.
“We have received requests from Air Force units around the country saying they wish to side with you, Master...” Tolman began.
The Air Force was home to a lot of ruffians who felt that might made right, so a brave and fierce commander like Castor got a lot of respect from his subordinates. However, Castor waved his hand at the idea.
“Tell ’em all to take a hike. I’m not letting them join me in my stubborn pride.”
“...I thought you would say that,” Tolman said, looking at his awkward master with resigned dismay. “Now then, master. What do you plan to do now?”
“I’m not gonna do anything,” Castor said. “I’ll just wait here for Souma.”
“You won’t go to join Duke Carmine?”
“I can’t leave Red Dragon City sitting empty. Besides, I wouldn’t mind fighting alongside Duke Carmine, but I’ll have to pass on riding alongside a bunch of corrupt nobles. I couldn’t stay true to my pride like that.”
For Castor, the outcome of this war was secondary. Win
or lose, live or die, he thought only of fighting in a way for which no one would be able to laugh at him.
“I will wait in this land for Souma to come,” he said. “If he comes with a great army, I will fall gloriously in battle. If he underestimates me and only sends a small force, I will chew them to pieces. That is all.”
“Ah, but will things go as you’ve planned...?” Tolman said, looking down to the documents in his hands. “According to reports from our scouts, a force of 10,000 from the Forbidden Army has headed towards the Carmine Duchy. It is unclear whether King Souma is accompanying that army, but I do not believe they have any forces to send at us.”
“You’re saying he’s gonna ignore me?” Castor asked.
“We only have one hundred knights, so I believe ignoring you would be an option.”
“Ha, not a chance,” Castor dismissed Tolman’s concerns with a laugh. “The 40,000 strong Army led by Duke Carmine, or 100 knights from the Air Force? Which sounds like the more difficult opponent to you? On top of that, if he defeats me, we have a rule in place that says the entire Air Force will side with Souma. For Souma, the best course of action is to strike me down, then to lead the Air Force into a final battle with Duke Carmine.”
“However, the fact of the matter is that King Souma has no spare troops at his disposal...”
“I dunno about that. The new king’s a shrewd one, and I hear his right-hand-man, the Prime Minister, is sharp, too. They may come up with some method we would never have thought of,” Castor said, smiling in anticipation. His expression was like that of a mischievous boy excited to see whether his prank was going to work or not.
When he saw Castor eagerly awaiting some scheme by his enemies, even though he might soon be in a serious crisis, Tolman held his temples. “Master, I simply cannot understand that sense of yours.”
“Ha ha ha, you don’t really need to understand it. Actually... Tolman, don’t get involved in this battle,” Castor said, suddenly taking on a serious expression.