Chapter 150
Eastern
Border War ⑩ - Turning Point
Translator : PolterGlast
The scene shifts once
again, returning to the battle at the Eastern Border.
※※※ Sixth Day of the War
The battle on the
Eastern Border had fallen into a strange stalemate.
The Istoria Imperial
Kingdom army suffered heavy losses in the opening battle, losing many
longbowmen. Even so, Cardinal Castro had 18,000 troops, who were originally
supposed to be deployed when the front line expanded, to defeat the enemy in
narrow streets, waiting as reserves at the border fort. However, due to the
defeat, the front line was pushed back, and this border fort, which they had
previously taken from the Kyle Kingdom, now became the front line, and its
purpose changed to defending the fort.
Of the approximately
2,000 troops who retreated from the front, half were wounded and could not
participate in the battle for some time. The remaining half had lost their
longbows, their weapons, due to the catapult attacks and subsequent rout. They
did not have many spare weapons. Moreover, handling a longbow was a craft, so
to speak, and they were a precious, irreplaceable force. For this reason, they
had built tactics to avoid attrition and never lose, but this time they
suffered a crushing defeat. To ensure victory in this campaign, they had
mobilized the entire nation, so there were no more longbowmen left as reserve
forces within the Istoria Imperial Kingdom. Due to these circumstances, they
were holed up in the fort, but lacked options for their next move.
＜Istoria Imperial Kingdom Army Border Fort Reserve
Forces＞
·
Light Cavalry: 6,000
·
Longbowmen: 6,000
·
Infantry: 6,000
＜Forces that retreated from the fortifications and
joined＞
·
Longbowmen: 1,000 (without bows)
·
Wounded soldiers: 1,000
In contrast, the Kyle
Kingdom army had been unable to move for the past three days due to a certain
circumstance. The cause was the arrival of monsters. They had set up defensive
positions before the full-scale monster attack, and had sufficient forces accustomed
to fighting monsters, so there was no significant damage. However, they were
forced to divide their army into two to defend the captured fortifications and
defensive lines, and to defend against monster invasions into the Kingdom.
Three days had passed since the fruitless battle against the monsters, the
scent of blood on the battlefield had disappeared, and the monsters that had
been drawn in had finally calmed down.
"Now, here's the
problem. The enemy is holed up in the fort, closing the exit as tightly as a
clam. Even if we attack, we only have one direction to assault from. Moreover,
with no significant difference in strength, we have no choice but to say that
we are considerably disadvantaged in a siege battle."
Everyone was silent at
Margrave Hamish's words.
"Is it still
impossible to lure the enemy back to these fortifications?"
"The enemy army
is at its best when defending. They've already suffered a painful blow once.
They will definitely not come out."
Commander Schultz
replied to Commander Hoffman's words.
"Um, I heard that
their fort was originally built by the Kyle Kingdom army... Are there any
hidden water sources or waterways, or any such weaknesses?"
I asked hesitantly.
"I'd like to say
proudly that there are, but they're not significant weaknesses. That fort was
built by us, carving out the rocky mountains on both sides over a long period.
The foundation was originally part of the rocky mountain. Therefore, there's no
water source. However, since there's safe territory behind them, the necessary
water can be sufficiently supplied by transport. Another thing is the rocky
mountains on both sides. If you climb up there, the inside of the fort is
completely visible. But... there aren't many eccentric people who would climb
those steep rocky mountains. Moreover, the number of troops that can be
deployed on those rocky mountains is limited."
Margrave Hamish
replied with a regretful expression.
"Rocky mountains,
huh... If only we had time, could we do something?"
I muttered softly.
After the military
council, accompanied by the Commander and Astol, I proceeded through the forest
on the right flank to check the situation near the fort and the rocky
mountains. At the end of the forest, a large, carved rock wall, about 20 m
high, stood tall. Beyond that wall was a rocky mountain, but its appearance
could not be seen from the ground.
"Well, it would
be tough to carve out the rock here and create stairs to the top. If you give
us half a year, we might be able to manage it... or, I think we'd have to build
scaffolding with timber. Also, we don't know what's behind this rock.
Unfortunately, from here, we can't determine whether a passage can be connected
to the back of the fort."
"Hmm... we won't
know unless we climb it. However, once a foothold is established on the rocky
area, it will be within range of Wind Mages and archers. Moreover, since it's a
downward attack, it's overwhelmingly advantageous."
The Commander, who
followed Astol's words, was thinking the same thing as I was. The observation
deck installed on the narrow path of the Demon Realm gate in Teigun was also
made by excavating a rocky mountain. However, at that time, there were many
Earth Mages, but here there are only Astol and the two entrusted to me, a total
of only three.
No, wait... There are
three of them! It might be good to think of it that way.
After that, the
Commander, I, and Astol began to consider the plan we had come up with at that
time.
"Margrave Hamish,
I have something I'd like to try, may I offer a suggestion?"
That same day, I
proposed it to the Margrave and secured his approval and the personnel for the
work. This time, it was a combination of Earth Mages and Bart's spatial
storage. First, after capturing the enemy's fortifications, we decided to use
the reinstalled catapults for distraction. To carry out harassing attacks so
that our intentions would not be discovered. We turned a blind eye to the time
it would take, and proceeded with a strategy that would become the turning
point in the war. Thus, for a while, we silently dedicated ourselves to the
civil engineering work.
※
Meanwhile, the Istoria
Imperial Kingdom side, defending the fort, also began to suspect the Kyle
Kingdom army, who were doing nothing.
"What are those
Kyle Kingdom rascals thinking? Are they serious about attacking?"
Cardinal Castro
angrily vented his frustration to the Imperial Kingdom army general.
"Perhaps... they
are struggling to attack. They can only attack this fort from the western
front. And if they deploy on that front, they will become prey for our
longbowmen, who will shoot arrows from the ramparts and inside the fort."
"But they might
take unexpected measures. Weren't we outmaneuvered that way the other
day?"
"I also heard
from those who fled back. They said the enemy dug trenches and secretly hid
troops within range. But rest assured. The land around this fort is an
extension of the rocky areas spreading to the left and right. Even if they try
to dig holes like moles, they will be blocked by the bedrock and cannot do
anything."
Still, the anxiety in
the Cardinal's mind was not dispelled. The words of the old master would not
leave his head. The Istoria Imperial Kingdom army had always attacked, then
established impregnable defensive positions, crushing enemy counterattacks.
This fort was certainly an impregnable defensive position. However...
※
From the day after
Cardinal Castro was troubled by the enemy's movements, there was sporadic
movement from the Kyle Kingdom army. From behind the captured fortifications of
the Kyle Kingdom army, the attacks from those hateful catapults resumed.
However, the distance was far, and the attack itself was not significant. Many
of the stone projectiles fired were blocked by the fort's walls, merely
creating annoying loud noises. However, occasionally, stone projectiles that
happened to fly over the fort's wall hit and wounded Imperial Kingdom army
soldiers.
The Imperial Kingdom
army also hastily transported catapults from their homeland and fired
counter-projectiles from the fort, but these attacks seemed to be out of range
and did not reach the enemy's fortifications. They attempted to attack with
Wind Mages' support, similar to bows and arrows, but it seemed quite different,
and they only discovered that effective operation was impossible overnight.
It was a clear fact
that they were inside the fort, even if they could not directly see the enemy
army. The enemy could concentrate their attacks on the fort. Conversely,
however, the enemy army was hidden in the forest and behind the fortifications,
making it impossible to ascertain their location, so at present, they could
only attack by guessing. Furthermore, the Kyle Kingdom army occasionally
advanced close to the fort, hidden in the forest, and unleashed volleys of
crossbow fire. Attacks with arrows that drew large arcs rained down from above,
inflicting minor damage. Not only Cardinal Castro, but also the soldiers of the
Istoria Imperial Kingdom army, were frustrated and worn out.
※
Thus, while the
harassing attacks were being carried out, Takuhir and the Commander emerged on
top of the towering rock wall beyond the forest.
"Commander,
building stairs of about 20 m with sandbags was quick, wasn't it?"
"Yes, we
recruited several groups of people good at mountain climbing to survey, so we
should have results today."
After completing the
construction of stairs by stacking sandbags on the rock wall at the end of the
forest on the right side, we moved to the top of the cliff and waited for the
reconnaissance team's report.
Initially, my thinking
was rigid regarding the use of Earth Mages' abilities. Besides digging,
carving, and raising the ground, they could solidify soil. If there was no
foothold in the rocky area, they just needed to solidify the soil to create
one. Fortunately, there were plenty of sandbags. The captured fortifications
had been built with positions facing the Kyle Kingdom, and a large number of
sandbags had been piled up. Efficiently transported by Bart's spatial storage,
those sandbags were brought to the rocky mountain. Meanwhile, the Earth Mages
made slight excavations in the rocky area for footholds, and the soldiers laid
sandbags there as a base. After that, the Earth Mages solidified the soil, and
the soldiers laid planks on top.
While this work was
being carried out, catapults from the front of the enemy's fortified position,
and crossbowmen from the forests to the left and right, launched harassing
attacks. This was to divert their attention as much as possible from the rocky
mountain on the right side.
"My goodness...
the power of Space-Time Mages is truly terrifying."
Margrave Hamish, who
had come to the rocky mountain to inspect the construction, muttered that and
let out a sigh of admiration. He was once again surprised by Bart's cheating
abilities. Even places where large rocks, impossible for human strength to lift,
lay scattered across the surface, would be cleared and leveled in an instant by
Bart. The rocky mountain, spreading to the right of the fort, thus gradually
transformed into a siege camp.
"In three more
days, we will reach the rocky area behind the fort. From there, we will have a
clear view of the enemy's fort and the area behind it, and with the help of
Wind Mages, it will be well within effective range."
"Well, there are
some minor drawbacks. This rocky mountain is narrow, so including the path
along the way, the deployable force is probably less than 1,000 men. Still, if
we coordinate well with the front, we should be able to make a swift
advance."
Explained by both the
Commander and me, the Margrave nodded with a satisfied expression.
And on the fourth day
after starting the construction, just as the work was about to be completed, a
messenger arrived to deliver unexpected bad news to me.
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