Chapter 400
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
Southern Front ⑯ – The Arrival
of Reinforcements
Translator : PolterGlast
The paddy fields surrounding Big Bridge Fort
encompassed a vast area, spreading over 1 km
from the fort, so the military forces laying the encirclement always set up
camp at a location nearly 2 km away from
the fort. On this day, a change visited that encircling camp once again.
「I have a report! A massive number of
men and horses are heading this way from the north side!」
In response to the scout who rushed into headquarters with a
changed complexion, the reaction of the top brass on the receiving end was
calm. Rather, they all smiled fearlessly, looking as if they had been waiting
for that report.
「Glorious, has he finally decided to take action?」
「That's right, Takuhir-dono
and I have thoroughly discussed the preparations to welcome him, so I'm glad it
didn't go to waste.」
「Hahaha, just as everyone says, this
means all the guests have finally assembled. We can finally enter into our 『hospitality』.」
Because the Third
Prince, who was the supreme commander of defense, Sieghart, and I
were acting like this, the scout who reported it was instead agitated in a
different sense.
「Umm... how should we deal with it?」
「It's fine to let them do as they
please for a while. After all, they will probably avoid properly capturing the
fort and exhausting themselves.」
「Huh... Understood.」
The scout didn't seem fully convinced, but the answering Sieghart
and I possessed firm confidence. Right now, the Sura Principality army had dropped below 40,000,
and the Empire Army led by the First
Prince was also 30,000; if they lost this, neither of them
had a future. If one side's numbers were greatly reduced, there was the example
of the Turncoat Kingdom, and they
would fall into a situation where they didn't know when they'd be betrayed.
Therefore, they would avoid forceful, pushing attacks and gradually
pressure us by laying an encirclement. Because a thing like that was easily
predictable.
「I have a report! The military force
that appeared in the north is advancing rapidly and throwing sandbags into the
northern paddy fields!」
Receiving that report, Sieghart and I looked at each
other and laughed. Because it was a development that was far too much exactly
as expected.
「Yeah, it's fine to leave that alone
too. Until the landfill reaches a distance of 500 meters
from the fort, we just have to quietly observe while maintaining a battle-ready
posture.」
「To start on it the moment they
arrived, does that mean they formulated an operation and prepared in advance?」
「Just as Takuhir-dono pointed
out, that fool (Glorious) also has a great raccoon dog (Harry)
attached to him who cannot be caught off guard. He would have made that level
of preparation.」
「Hahaha, I also had a hard time with
a raccoon dog, you see. Though... it was the Kingdom's raccoon dog. Then, shall
we also have a look at the skill of the Empire's raccoon dog?」
The reason we were having such a carefree conversation was
actually because we had been eagerly awaiting this situation, and we had
thoroughly piled up discussions for that purpose. Only... I couldn't help but
feel that Sieghart still had other things hidden, though... Now that we
had escaped our predicament, I felt like there was something that made me feel
that way.
※
Receiving the report, we climbed the watchtower feeling
almost as if we were on a pleasure trip from an outsider's perspective. And the
sight we saw was... Nearly 20,000 soldiers
advanced carrying sandbags all at once, throwing them into the paddy fields to
secure a place where they could move safely, and began to expand it with
tremendous momentum.
「When nearly 20,000
soldiers move, the landfill progresses at quite a speed. Using the northern
hidden passage as a starting point, those bastards are expanding a solid
foothold to the left and right, but...」
「Your Highness, right now they are
out of our range and we have no means to do anything. Other than Takuhir-dono's
that... Since the enemy is taking the trouble to approach within our
firing range, let us take advantage of their kindness.」
「But it sure was a waste. Even though there are this many fields, with much
effort...」
This was my true feeling. If there were paddy fields this
vast, the rice harvest volume wouldn't be half-hearted either. In our homeland
(Izumo), the maintenance of
waterways wasn't yet perfect, and the water volume was insufficient in the
first place. As a result, large-scale paddy field development like this hadn't
been achieved yet.
「Well... this much can't be helped,
but we'll leave it as a post-war enterprise to be done by the prisoners of war
we will newly add eventually.」
「Sieghart, by the prisoners of war to be newly added, you are
naturally referring to those in front of our eyes, right?」
「Yes, it will turn out that way
eventually. Thanks to Takuhir-dono, the war situation has reversed. So,
undoubtedly, right.」
At that time, Sieghart showed a smile with a dreadful
intensity. Hahaha, as I thought, this is his true nature. Everyone gets fooled,
though...
「By the way, Sieghart, is it
alright? Seeing their movements, it seems the Sura Principality side is also similarly proceeding with the
landfill on the south side, though?」
「Yes, Your Highness, there is
absolutely no problem. I would have been quite troubled if they had taken this
method previously, but right now we are lying in wait for them to come to the
wings of the stage. Both north and south will probably stop just short of our
catapults' effective range. And... the first to move will be the north.」
Sieghart's words
were correct. The First Prince
currently had a weakness toward his allied forces. Therefore, he had to take
the initiative and act as the vanguard. We gazed at them with composure, and
were simply waiting for the 『time』
to come.
※
The day after they began the landfill operation, the
movements of both armies stopped. Exactly as Sieghart's words said, the
landfill operations in both north and south had progressed to a distance of 500
meters from the castle walls. After that, exactly as anticipated
again, the First Prince's side
showed a new movement. After they advanced their entire army to a position 600 meters from the fort, which they considered a safe zone, a man
with a banner with the words 『Royal Command』 written
on it tied to his horse advanced forward alone, passing through the hidden
passage and up to the front of the castle walls.
「Soldiers holed up in the fort,
compatriots born in the Empire, listen closely!」
Boldly advancing to the front of the castle gate, he began
to raise his loud voice.
「I am one who has come to convey the
Royal Command of His Merciful Majesty the Emperor, receiving the orders of His
Highness Glorious, the next Emperor of the Grifonia Empire. I convey His
Majesty the Emperor's Royal Command to the officers and soldiers vainly holed
up in the fort!」
Saying so, he respectfully took out a parchment from his
breast pocket and read it aloud.
『The Empire has decided on peace with
the Sura Principality by my will.
Therefore, any further battle is useless. Open the castle gates immediately and
enter under Glorious's command. I order you again, stop your resistance
immediately and surrender the castle.』
The messenger who read it aloud held out the parchment with
the Grifonia Emperor's Royal Command written on it before his eyes, bowed, and
after respectfully putting it away in his breast pocket, turned back to the
castle wall again.
「His Majesty the Emperor's will has
been decided. Follow His Majesty's words, surrender immediately, and fulfill
your duties as Empire's soldiers. Pitying you who would
idly scatter your lives on the battlefield from here on out, these are words
His Majesty the Emperor has taken the trouble to hand down to you!」
The moment he heard those words, the Third Prince held his stomach and was laughing.
「Hahaha, if the plot is third-rate,
the actor is also third-rate. That bastard probably hasn't even had an audience
with His Majesty the Emperor. Above all, that Majesty pitying the
soldiers? I have never seen such a sight!」
However, the Third
Prince's laughter did not reach the messenger. He continued his spiel
further.
「Prince Grat, who caused a
useless rebellion, vanished like dew on the battlefield; to whom are you
bastards showing your loyalty now! Stop your idle resistance and acts contrary
to the Empire's will, and surrender immediately. His Highness Glorious
is also making efforts so that a lenient punishment may be handed down to you.
Do you not understand that going against His Majesty the Emperor's will and
troubling the heart of His Highness the next Emperor is itself a double
disloyalty to the Empire!」
However... the reaction of the soldiers stationed at the
fort was completely different. As the messenger's words echoed, loud laughter
erupted from various places in the fort.
「Wha-! What are you laughing at! What
insolence!」
The messenger, who had been acting arrogantly, became
enraged that his own dignity and the Empire's majesty were disparaged, and
turned bright red in the face, but the loud laughter never subsided. Here, when
Sieghart exchanged glances with him, the Third Prince stood atop the northern castle wall with an expression
suppressing his laughter. It was a place where recent construction had been
deliberately added just so he could be seen exceptionally well from below.
「Well then, the stage preparations
are complete. Here, I would like to borrow Takuhir-dono's power. Please,
take care of it.」
「I have certainly accepted Sieghart-dono's
request. Diffusion Magic Cannons,
all units prepare to fire! The range is over 1 km,
absolutely do not drop them in front of that. All units, hit them with your
maximum range!」
Receiving my words, following the shooting commander, the
four of Yoltia, Karleen, Lilia, and Katarina started running toward their respective positions.
「Well then, for the sake of fire
control, I will also move to the adjacent watchtower, so communicate via the
designated method as arranged.」
Saying so, I also descended the watchtower and moved to a slightly lower watchtower on the left side. Because from the previous position, I couldn't see the magic cannons deployed directly below, making it difficult to command. Now, from here on out begins the battle to intimidate the 30,000 Empire Army! For this one, it was prepared after both the stage and the 『direction』 had been thoroughly refined. It's completely different from the third-rate play from earlier!
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