Chapter 299
(Kyle Calendar Year 514: Age 21)
Bargaining Chip
Translator : PolterGlast
When the New Year's banquet and the meeting held the
following day ended, I was leading the Demon Territory Knights on an
expedition toward the Southern Gate Fortress. Accompanying me are Yoltia,
Knight Commander Weiss, Viscount Kreitz, Viscount Bold, Elan,
Mary, Sasha, Bart, and 1,000 mounts from the Demon
Territory Knights.
The march leaving Aegis and passing through the Demon
Territory was an action doubling as an exercise, but there were two other
objectives. Passing through the Demon Territory, going beyond the Southern
Gate Fortress, having advanced to the border which is the gap in the great
mountain range, we stopped the march there once and took a short break.
"Commander, how is it? If we take this route, we reach
the border exceptionally faster. I think this will become our trump card in the
future."
"Indeed. To think we could arrive this quickly by
proceeding in a straight line... However, this can also be called a
double-edged sword. There seem to be several other issues as well, but..."
"Yeah, I intend to leave that part
to Elan. Commander, if you noticed anything, please convey it to Elan."
"Understood. And that plan is precisely what leads to
the grand performance ahead, is it not?"
"Well, it's for a limited time, but if we can attract
domestic and foreign attention here... How about it, Elan?"
"Let's see. We also need to look at the cliff on the
other side, but it seems we can procure stones locally if we devise a way.
However, it's almost 2 km to the other side; that length is a difficulty, but... we can manage a provisional one for the time being."
"That's amazing! By the way, what level is
'provisional'?"
"With minimum military strength, the majority will be a
single earthen wall. I believe we can only
enclose the area around the gate with stones. Also, the thickness will be about
the same as a barrier gate, and the height will be insufficient. It will be
necessary to continue construction, but even so, I believe we can achieve the
two objectives of concealment and blockade."
"Just being able to do that is enough, but I think we
can go a bit flashier. We plan to allocate a reasonable amount of manpower,
after all."
"Is that so? Then... the distance will be slightly
longer, but let's prioritize building the 'lid' on the other side, and then
build out the inside afterwards. That might be more convenient in various ways."
"I leave that part to you, Elan. Sasha,
Mary, the difficulty here is
the water source. Because of that, both camps couldn't build a fortress or
barrier gate exactly on the true border. Even Margrave Hastburg had no
choice but to reluctantly build the fortress at its current position slightly
inward. Somehow, please explore to see if we can secure just that."
Yes, the current Southern Gate Fortress is located about 2 km on the Kyle Kingdom side from the
borderline. Why? There were two reasons for that.
The first is because there is absolutely no water source
here. Unavoidably, they had to construct the Southern Gate Fortress in
the rear where a well could be discovered.
The second is because it would needlessly provoke the Empire
side. With them glaring at each other across the border, there was no way they
could construct things peacefully.
There was no way the Empire would just watch silently,
sucking their thumbs, and if attacked during construction by any chance, it
would be the end of it. Therefore, even the Margrave couldn't even test-drill a
well, which is the preliminary stage of that.
Regarding the first point, we can respond by collecting
rainwater or transporting it from other places, but that limits the number of
people we can support. At worst, with an army of tens of thousands stationed,
that would be tough.
However, regarding the second point, it is no longer a
problem now.
"This time, under a just cause, we have also obtained
prior consent from the Empire side, after all."
"From the day the border here ceases to be a border,
it'll become a free pass, won't it. People... and monsters too..."
At Elan's words, Sasha also responded.
"Indeed. The border guard units stationed in both camps
too; once the return of the First Prince and the cession of territory are done,
the Empire side will abolish the checkpoint and withdraw their soldiers. Even
for us, to constantly suppress this land completely from here on, we would
constantly have to pin down soldiers in units of thousands for guard duty.
That's exactly why the just cause of constructing a barrier gate is needed."
Yes, to avoid the concern Sasha mentioned, the excuse
the Commander stated holds up. This was the just cause Elan spoke of.
"So, about that. In constructing the barrier gate this
time, there is one question I want to resolve. For that, Viscount Kreitz,
Viscount Bold, I had you two come this far because I wanted to hear your
opinions a little."
The two, who were suddenly passed the baton by me, had
somewhat puzzled expressions.
"During the fortress battle at the Southern Gate,
is it true that the Imperial (Empire) Army's
ballistae were landing effective hits right from their first volleys? "
"Yes, although the number can by no means be said to be
large... However, even with a volley from nearly a hundred ballistae without
the guidance of Wind Mages, honestly speaking, I didn't think effective
hits would come out from the first shot."
"Right. This was the same in Aegis. If you shoot
many, of course some will hit. But it's not that simple of a thing."
Yes, if it were skilled archers maybe, but with the first
strike from large ballistae, even with a probabilistic distribution from 100
units, it wouldn't easily hit the intended target. Yet the Imperial Army,
although the probability was low, had been hitting from the first shot. It was
the same in the Aegis battle. I had been wracking my brains over this
trick.
"As the Archduke says."
"Was there anything you noticed? In the Southern
Gate Plain, there are no obstructing trees, and I think you could observe
the movements of the enemy army in detail. Please tell me whatever comes to
mind, anything."
"Um..."
Viscount Bold, who had been silent until now, opened
his mouth lacking confidence.
"It might be completely unrelated, but suspicious
people were confirmed before the battle. First, quite a while before the battle
started, a group of merchants stood in front of the defensive wall and were
looking into triangular models at various places... When the guards
investigated, they said they were checking the time until sunset for traveling,
and there were no suspicious points, but..."
"... Triangle? Don't tell me... No. No, if there is a
second one onward, please tell me first."
"Yes, second, before the ballista attack started,
soldiers holding a stick tied with some long string were moving in the front
row. We were also instructed to do a volley at 200 m, so we didn't lay a hand
on them, but..."
Triangle... and string on a stick... What this means
concludes to one guess.
"Mathematics, huh... They got us..."
I muttered unintentionally.
Thinking back, the Imperial Army's ballistae captured in the
Aegis defense battle also had fixed elevation angles. No, more
accurately, the aim was set in advance.
The Imperial Army was thoroughly proceeding with
preparations for capture... is that not what it means?
They...
『Knew
the height of the defensive walls that should have been kept secret beforehand!』
Even in this world, there are any number of ways to measure
height. I don't know if they have knowledge of trigonometric functions, but
even without it, using a method with a reduced drawing, or using a tool of a
right-angled isosceles triangle with both sides at 45 degrees in advance...
they can measure it!
『They
knew a technique to measure distance!』
Triangulation, or did they use a measuring stick to measure
a fixed distance in advance? If they measured the distance accurately to some
extent, and deployed ballistae matching that...
Height and distance; if these are known in advance, they can
adjust the range and prepare ballistae with fixed aims before the battle. What
if they created a similar situation in advance, and conducted training and
adjustments there?
On the battlefield, if installed horizontally at the correct
distance and operated aligning the target with sights, etc., wouldn't quite
accurate shooting be possible? If it's a volley from 100 units,
probabilistically effective hits are likely to come out too.
"Does it mean I was... underestimating the wisdom of
this world, the wisdom to win battles, the wisdom to survive?"
Muttering so, I couldn't help but mock myself.
"Takuhir-sama?"
At Yoltia's words, I returned to my senses. If so, we
have no choice but to move with that assumption too.
"Elan, from now on, when constructing defensive
walls in places that will become front lines, I want you to vary the height so
it cannot be known. For example, center height 30 m, getting lower towards both
ends and 20 m at the end, or randomly changing the height at various places,
can you do that?"
"... Yes, no problem."
"We will test that first at the barrier gate here. The
real deal is the defensive wall of Kusanagi. And first, I want you to
proceed with construction from the wall on the Empire side. First an earthen
wall, in a form slightly protruding to the Empire side. I will talk to the Empire
side in advance. Inside the defensive wall, at the narrowest point that was
originally the border, secure the rocky mountain jutting inwards here as stone
material. Can you do it?"
"Yes, no problem."
"For this construction, we will allocate one-third of
the Earth Mages we petition and summon in the Royal Capital. And we will
gather laborers on a grand scale from the former Margrave territory and former
Viscount Kyrias territory too. It's the off-season for farming now, so
they'll gather. It's fine for you and Mary
to go all out. "
"Then? In earnest?"
"We will do the Empire's side properly as a lid. If Sasha
can discover a water source, we'll pass another defensive wall on the Kingdom
side too, and enter fortress construction in the second stage. However, I think
this will be after summer."
"Understood. We will attract the attention of the
Empire and the Kingdom."
"That side, which is our true objective, we'll proceed
centering on Astor, Lyla, and Masrur. I want to allocate
the remaining two-thirds of the summoned Earth Mages there. Commander,
during the construction period, I want the Demon Territory Knights to
mainly serve as guards, so I ask you to handle the allocation."
"Understood. This is Takuhir-sama's strategy, the first step in fox
hunting, is it not?"
"Yeah, getting cards that will be advantageous in
negotiations, and considering emergencies, that is indispensable. Raphael,
lead your subordinate soldiers and take countermeasures against spies. Though,
once the lid is made, the other side can be blockaded, so mainly on this side,
I suppose."
"Roger."
Thus, the first phase of the plan against the Empire, two large-scale constructions, commenced early in the new year. While keeping one secret...
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