by Hyougetsu
Borsche, who’d been in charge of overseeing construction, came up to me with a frown.
“Right now the wall isn’t tall enough to deter infantry. However, it’s at least tall enough now to halt a cavalry charge or block arrows.”
“So we’re going to have to organize a unit to carry snow over from elsewhere?”
As I said that, Captain Lenkov of the mage corps walked over to us.
“Lord Veight, the former Sveniki troops have something they want to report to you.”
Guess I should go over and hear what they have to say directly. But just as I got to my feet one of the Sveniki troops’ sergeants walked forward.
“Lord Veight, I believe we’ll get heavy snowfall tonight. You should tell everyone to bundle up and keep warm. Also, tell everyone to be ready to pile up more snow tomorrow.”
The old veteran pointed a gnarled finger at a faraway mountain.
“The locals call that mountain Snow Wolf Mountain. Clouds rarely appear over the mountain in winter, but when they do it’s a sign we’re going to get a lot of snow.”
Apparently this region got huge amounts of snowfall once every few decades or so. The old soldier who gave the report had experienced one such winter ages ago. Sveniki Castle wasn’t terribly far from here, so there were a few members of its garrison who’d come from this region. I was relatively sure I could trust this old soldier’s intuition. It wasn’t like we’d lose anything if his prediction was wrong, but some men might freeze to death if he was right and I didn’t warn everyone to take proper precautions before going to sleep.
“Understood, I’ll let the men know. It looks like we’ll be blessed with more snow.” I looked down at the old warrior and added, “We’ve been saved by your squad once again. Like before, I’ll be sure to let the other nobles know that it was you who deserves credit.”
The soldier beamed. Considering how helpful they’d been I figured I should send them a bottle of wine over as a reward later. That night, there was heavy snowfall just as the old man had predicted. It came down so thick that you could barely see your hand in front of your face if you went outside. The wind picked up after a while too, turning the snowstorm into a blizzard.
“Ah, Veight. You shouldn’t be wearing such light clothing. You’ll catch a cold.”
Lacy walked over and wrapped a muffler around my neck. Over the course of this trip, she’d started acting more and more like an old grandma. After she finished wrapping the muffler around me she looked up at the sky. You’d never see snowfall this heavy back in Meraldia.
“This is even more snow than what we get in Krauhen.”
“Apparently even Rolmund only gets this much snow every few decades.”
“It’s like even the heavens are on our side!”
“It does feel a little too convenient to be a coincidence.”
We were extremely lucky to get a night of heavy snowfall—the likes of which the region only saw once in a blue moon—right as we were running out of snow. I looked over at the mountain the old man had pointed out earlier today. It lay far to the south.
“The south, huh...”
Past that mountain lay Meraldia. A certain great sage’s face flashed through my mind. After crossing the final threshold, she’d gained so much power she’d been able to manipulate the atmosphere itself. Nah, there’s no way it’s her. Master was likely extremely busy uniting the demon army right now. She had no way of knowing about our current predicament and even if she had, she couldn’t teleport this far. Oh, but Ryunheit has Mitty the astrologer. It’s possible she read the stars to figure out what we needed. But even then, it seemed too far-fetched. Lacy seemed to be thinking the same thing I was as she folded her arms and said with a pensive look, “Could...Movi be responsible for this?”
“Who knows...”
If we made it out of this war alive, I’d ask Master about it. I imagined Master flying above the mountains of Rolmund, looking down at us with a smile as she froze whatever air she passed through. If she really was here she’d probably say something like, “Fufu, when will my disciples learn to manage without me?”
It was funny how easily I could imagine Master’s reaction.
“I doubt it’s her, but we should thank her just in case it is.”
I turned southward and bowed my head. Lacy followed suit. After a few seconds, we looked up and exchanged glances.
“It’s pretty cold...” I muttered.
“Oh, that reminds me. Some people from the mage corps gave me this sweet bean soup they made. It was really good and it warms you to the tips of your fingers.”
“That does sound good. Maybe I’ll drop by their tents and see if they have any for me.”
Tomorrow would be a busy day. We’ll do our best, Master.
Thanks to the heavy snowfall, we were able to build up “The Flame Empress’ Snow Fortress” into the massive castle I’d envisioned. Eleora’s army was now protected by thick snow walls which...weren’t nearly as sturdy as stone walls, but with how thick we’d packed them they’d at least suffice. They were also tall enough that they weren’t going down to anything less than siege weapons.
“The best part is, even if the walls get hit by catapults, we’ll just be able to pack the snow back in the next day.”
Kite gazed at the towering silver wall in awe.
“We can even use the stones that get lodged into the ice as part of the wall too.”
“Yeah...I guess so.”
I had no idea if it’d be that simple a matter, but this wall did at least look easier to repair than a stone wall. Since we’d been able to finish construction ahead of schedule, we had even more leeway than before. Eleora realized this as well and said, “I’m thinking of joining Ashley’s army when he heads north. I’ll take three thousand of my own troops.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Eleora? Prince Ashley’s army’s morale is in tatters.”
The nobles under Prince Ashley’s command weren’t exactly incompetent, but they were prone to shirking work. It made sense, considering they’d only backed Prince Ashley because they thought it was the easiest means of social advancement. Eleora gave me a troubled smile.
“That’s exactly why I have to go. Someone from the imperial family has to keep those fools in his army in line.”
Eleora had a point. Prince Ashley himself was stuck in the capital, so she was the only member of the royal family capable of taking command. Prince Ashley had an older sister and Eleora had a younger sister, but neither of them were soldiers so they didn’t know how to command armies. They were just regular old princesses. However, I was still worried about sending Eleora off to fight Prince Ivan.
“In that case, I’ll take command. Since I’m a werewolf I’ll be able to flee back here by myself even if things go south.”
Eleora shook her head.
“Woroy’s the best commander the Doneiks have. Someone has to keep him trapped here or he’ll steamroll his way into the capital. On the other hand, if we can keep him holed up in his castle, we can wear him down in a war of attrition.”
Eleora plopped a few chips that indicated allied forces down onto the map spread out between us.
“Ever since we joined Ashley’s side in the war, his nobles have slowly started sending him more troops.”
“So those opportunists think we have the upper hand, huh?”
Originally, the key nobles supporting Prince Ashley had withheld their support because they believed he was finished, but now they were willing to cooperate.
“You managed to stop Woroy’s assault and draw the battle out. So Ashley’s supporters think now’s the time to show their loyalty and avoid being punished if he does win and become emperor.”
Prince Ashley was a gentle man, but he wasn’t foolish enough to appoint people who’d abandoned him to important posts. That was why the nobles who supported him had decided now was a good time to prove their loyalty to his cause.
“In order to keep their support t
rickling in, we need to show we have an overwhelming advantage. If an imperial princess spearheads this invasion into enemy lands, everyone will think we’re days away from a total victory.”
“I get what you’re saying, but...”
Important people shouldn’t be fighting on the front lines. God, this tomboy princess is a real handful. Before I could argue any further, Eleora interrupted me.
“You have to take on the hardest mission of all, defeating Woroy. But you’re also more suited to that mission than I am. After all, you already proved you’re a better commander than myself when you beat me.”
I’m pretty sure I only won because you barely had an army at all... If we’d been on even footing, I was sure I would have lost. But Eleora kept going.
“The reinforcements Ashley’s army is getting are all private troops belonging to various nobles. Their loyalty isn’t to Ashley, so they’re not willing to fight with their lives on the line. Plenty of them don’t want to be on this expedition, period.”
“What a pain...”
These guys seriously were just here to fill a number quota, they didn’t want to fight at all. Unfortunately, we needed those numbers. Eleora pointed to the spot on the map designating the capital.
“But even unmotivated troops like those can be used to strengthen the capital’s defenses. If we increase the number of garrisoned troops, Woroy’ll think twice about attacking.”
If Prince Woroy was unable to strike at the capital, his only choices would be to continue defending Creech Castle, or to retreat deeper into North Rolmund territory. Since he was leading the Doneiks’ best troops, it’d be best for us if those troops just stayed holed up in the castle. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I nodded.
“If it’s just stopping Prince Woroy’s army from marching on anyone else, I think I can manage it. I guess you’re right. You have to be the one to take your men and lead the fight against Prince Ivan.”
“Thank you.”
Eleora smiled. If we really were doing this, though, it was better if she had more protection.
“However, you should take ten thousand troops, not three thousand.”
“Ten thousand!?”
Eleora’s eyes widened in shock. She was always acting so stoic that I never got tired of surprising her. I picked up one of the chips next to the map and grinned.
“Right now you have seventeen thousand troops here. If all we’re doing is holing up inside our fortifications, I only need seven thousand men to hold Prince Woroy. Especially since most of your soldiers are mage corps. I don’t need a huge amount of cavalry or spearmen to be a threat.”
Theoretically, mage corps were stronger than any other soldier type when it came to defending a castle. Each one was worth more than ten spearmen. Since the attacking side needed to get right up to the castle walls, the overwhelming power of the mage corps’ Blast Canes could be used to full effect.
“I know you’re only planning on taking the troops belonging to the Originia family with you, but you should take the Kastoniev soldiers too.”
With how old Lord Kastoniev was, he’d sat this winter campaign out, but his son—in other words, Eleora’s cousin—was leading his troops. He was someone she could trust.
“Prince Ashley’s army consists of twenty thousand men. But since Prince Ivan’s managed to raise just as many, I’m worried Prince Ashley’s army alone won’t be enough to secure victory.”
“You have a point there, but...”
“Furthermore, if you have a total force of thirty thousand, you’ll be able to capture castles and forts too. We want to finish this war before spring comes, so now isn’t the time to be stingy with soldiers.”
This castle wouldn’t survive the spring, after all.
“Besides, you need enough men to safely escort you back here in case Prince Ashley’s army gets routed. If you have ten thousand, Prince Ivan won’t be able to crush you that easily.”
Eleora’s safety was just as important as Prince Ashley’s. I couldn’t have either of them dying. But while he was safe in the capital, Eleora wasn’t.
“But...”
Eleora was starting to waver, so I went in for the final push.
“It’ll look bad to future historians if the future empress’ army was a tiny speck. Take a large force and go wild. Don’t worry. I’ll defend this place with everything I have.”
Eleora folded her arms and considered my proposal for a few minutes. She then looked up at me and said, “You better not die, Black Werewolf King.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m Ryunheit’s infamous Black Werewolf King.”
I honestly wasn’t all that confident, but the right call here was letting Eleora take a ton of troops to strike a decisive blow. If she was able to bring the war to a close with her personal army, her influence would expand exponentially. Especially since Prince Ashley would be indebted to her. On top of that, she’d have the right to decide what would happen to the Doneiks family lands once they were defeated. There was no doubt that Prince Ashley’s opportunistic allies would flock to her instead. If we were lucky, we’d be able to gather allies from North, East, and West Rolmund all at once. Heh, the throne’s not far off now. Though I guess it’s not my throne. Seeing my smile, Eleora smiled as well.
“You really enjoy scheming, don’t you?”
“I am a villain after all.”
Really, it would be weirder if the vice-commander of the Demon Lord wasn’t a schemer. Plotting evil schemes was baked into my job description. Though I wasn’t nearly as good as I pretended to be at them.
“Oh, of the ten thousand men you’re taking, make sure you take the 209th Mage Corps. They’re like your personal bodyguards, so you’ll be safer with them around.”
They’d never betray Eleora. If the day ever came that they did, it meant she was so far gone that there was no saving her. Eleora seemed surprised by that suggestion as well though.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ll make do with the remaining 203rd-208th Mage Corps. The guys in charge of Prince Ashley’s army have promised to loan me the 104th and 105th Mage Corps too, so I should have enough men. In fact, one of my werewolves should be bringing them over right now.”
I was worried Prince Woroy’s army might attack them while they were on the move, so I’d sent one of my more perceptive werewolves to guide them safely here.
And thus, an army consisting of 20,000 of Prince Ashley’s men and 10,000 of Eleora’s men headed north to strike down Prince Ivan. It was kind of sad that a joint East-West Rolmund army was barely the size of one of North Rolmund’s two armies, but that spoke more to how impressive North Rolmund’s army was than incompetence on either East or West Rolmund’s part. If anything, it proved that North Rolmund was straining its resources because it had prepared itself to fight to the death. But while Prince Ivan still had 20,000 troops, Prince Woroy’s 30,000 elites were trapped in Creech Castle. And naturally, soldiers didn’t grow on trees. Neither member of the Doneiks family could afford to draft many more troops. And the few they could draft were reservists who weren’t very skilled. On the day of the joint Ashley-Eleora army’s departure, Eleora walked up to me under the watchful gaze of her troops.
“Lord Veight, I’m counting on you to watch my back.”
Playing the role of her loyal subordinate, I reverently bowed my head.
“Leave it to me, Princess Eleora. I swear on Meraldia’s honor that I will defend this route for you.”
Eleora nodded in satisfaction and turned to her arrayed troops.
“As you have just heard, a foreign general from the far south has traveled all this way to lend us his aid. But proud men and women of Rolmund, we cannot let others clean up our messes. Now is the time to show the world the might of Rolmund’s soldiers.”
As always, Eleora was quite good at giving speeches. Her words spoke to her soldiers’ pride, and they all straightened their backs. They met her resolute gaze and shouted, “Glory to
Rolmund!”
“We will bring victory to Her Highness!”
“YEEEEEEEEAH!”
I waved to the troops along with Eleora, but internally I was sweating buckets.
If Eleora didn’t manage to crush Prince Ivan before spring, Prince Woroy would crush my puny army the moment my castle melted. And even if Eleora did look like she was winning, I needed to hold this position or Prince Woroy would be able to ride to Prince Ivan’s aid. If he struck Eleora’s forces from behind, she’d be finished. Eleora and I both needed to perform perfectly for this campaign to succeed. And if we didn’t succeed, we’d both be finished. We were about to pass the point of no return.
After seeing off the Ashley-Eleora army, I hurriedly returned to my castle and started organizing my defenses.
“Veight, why’re you in such a rush? We just have to wait here and we’ll win, right?”
Lacy seemed confused, but I shook my head.
“It’s precisely because we have to wait that I’m in a rush. If Prince Woroy’s going to attack, now’s the best time for it.”
The Ashley-Eleora army had just begun its march northward, meaning it was still close enough for Prince Woroy to hit them from behind. Furthermore, while they were in marching formation, they wouldn’t be able to create spear walls or proper rows of archers. Nor would their cavalry have the room it needed to maneuver. In other words, the army wouldn’t be able to display even a fraction of its full strength if Prince Woroy struck now.
“Prince Woroy has to know what we’re up to at this point. He knows how to mobilize his army quickly, so if he’s planning to attack Eleora, he’ll move now.”
While Prince Woroy was surprisingly cautious, when he did decide to strike, he moved with lightning speed. He was like a hunter. As I was explaining the situation to Lacy, a captain of one of the mage corps ran up to me.
“The mage cavalry is ready to sortie! We can send out two hundred knights at any time!”