Chapter 403
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
Southern Front ⑲ - The Beginning of
Suffering
Translator : PolterGlast
There were three watchtowers on the north wall of Big
Bridge Fort. Sieghart, who commanded the entire army, was positioned
with his staff officers in the highest watchtower in the center, and we were in
the relatively lower watchtower adjacent to its left. The reason was simply
that being too high up made it difficult for instructions to reach the Magic
Cannons, that was all. However, because it was only that high, we were now
exposed to the flames blazing atop the city walls, and I could feel the rising
heat with my entire body.
「Switch the bell to three strikes
immediately after confirming Christoph's flag! No need for reports.」
Right, the top priority is counterattacking. We cannot
afford to take that one-sided attack over and over again. It was when I said
that.
「Are you safe, Takuhir-sama!」
Mark, who has
now become my adjutant, came running up from the lower level through the
blazing flames. Since becoming classmates at the academy, my association with Mark
has now lasted for over seven years.
「I am safe. Are the people who were
at the Magic Cannons safe?」
He, who had been assigned to the Magic Cannons as the
artillery commander, seemed to have suffered light burns in several places on
his body, his armor stained with soot as if he had been showered with sparks
all over.
「Yes, because you gave the
instruction before the attack began, everyone had completed their evacuation.
Everyone, starting with Yoltia-sama, is safe!」
I see... thank goodness. Had my instructions been even a
step late, I would have lost my irreplaceable comrades.
「Please, Takuhir-sama,
evacuate to a safe place for now as well!」
「If even I run away, there will be no
one left to command the counterattack. I will stay here...」
It was when I was about to say that. There was another
person who came rushing up to the watchtower in a panic.
「Excuse me! Are you Archduke-heika? I have been tasked with an urgent
message from my lord. If I may humbly report!」
The messenger who presented himself saying so also had the
cloak on his back half burnt and charred. By 'my lord'... does he mean Sieghart?
Since the bell had already stopped its rapid beating and transitioned into
striking three times, I answered without moving my gaze.
「I do not mind. It is a time of
emergency. Ignore the formalities and keep the main points brief.」
「Yes, whether they saw the flames
rising here or not, the enemy army (Principality of Sura Army) arrayed
to the south, east, and west have also simultaneously shifted to an offensive.
My lord will be going to handle that, so he wishes to leave the north side to
you... Also...」
「Also what?」
「He said... 'Please protect Denka (His Highness) as well'.」
『Haa? What does that mean?』
While we were having such an exchange, the third strike of
the bell was hit.
※
Meanwhile, the army led by the First Prince was
steadily advancing its steps. Even though they were already within the
effective range of the fort's catapults and ballistas, there had been
absolutely no counterattack from the fort's side.
「For the second volley, sweep the top
of the city walls with Fire Magic and attack the city gate with Lightning
Magic.」
Judging that the enemy army no longer had the power to
counterattack, Harry had his direct subordinates and the following
soldiers advance ahead, while he himself remained at the 300-m mark with the
magic soldiers, intending to support the siege battle.
「Second volley, ready... fire...」
Suddenly, iron spears that had flown an impossible distance
from an unexpected direction attacked them.
「Gah!」 「Guh!」 「Naaah!」
Despite flying from afar, the arrows—which possessed enough
momentum and power that there would be no issue calling them spears—began to
intensely pierce through the magic soldiers. Deployed defenselessly facing the
front of the fort, they were pierced one after another by arrows coming diagonally
from the side.
「N-No way, they have such a means of
attack? With this... that Demon King is... here... no, way...」
Harry, who had
been commanding the mage unit, was pierced through the chest by a 『Long Spear』 attack and fell from his horse. Even so, he clawed at the
earth and fixed his gaze on the north city gate.
「Den...ka... There
is still, a chance of victory... Take command, of the entire army... Directly
below is... safe...」
Having said that much, his strength gave out. With his eyes
still glaring wide open... Around him lay the corpses of the magic soldiers he
had been similarly commanding. Furthermore, a similar tragedy struck the
soldiers who had advanced further ahead of them.
「What the! These arrows are... gwah!」
「From where! Why is an attack, gah!」
「F-From the west side? That's
impossible!」
The soldiers advancing to attack the north city wall began
to be trampled by nearly a thousand arrows loosed by Longbow soldiers,
who were supported by Wind Mages from far away. Even if they tried to
flee, stepping outside the hidden path meant their feet would be caught in the
mud of the paddy fields, leaving them unable to move. And the 300-m mark had
become the path for a terrifying rain of spears. In the end, while fleeing into
the fields and becoming immobilized, they were struck down one after another.
※
「Raise the sortie order flag for the Commander
as well! The suppressive fire has caused the enemy army to falter! Relay the
instructions to open the north city gate!」
Here, I decided to go on the offensive. Well, in the
confusion, the authority to command this front had been transferred to me
anyway. I had tried employing various petty tricks until now, but I gave up,
realizing that such a clash was unavoidable in the end. The leadership of the
rebel army probably also had their pride at stake to survive. I didn't think
they would surrender easily, either. I myself wanted to minimize casualties for
both ally and enemy as much as possible, specifically for the battle on the
north side, but... When the gong of the Imperial Army was sounded, the
north city gate was thrown wide open with a creaking sound. However, there I
witnessed a sight that made me doubt my own eyes. Upon seeing the figure of the
cavalryman who leapt out first the moment the gate was opened...
「No... so that's what he meant!」
※
Originally, the one who was supposed to fly out of the city
gate first was Commander Weiss, leading the Demon Territory Knights.
However, although he and a portion of the elites were mixed in the lead group,
the man riding at the very front was someone else.
「Listen up, our only target is the
rebel Glorious! We will put an end to this abominable rebellion here,
and then sweep away the invaders! Follow me!」
「Denka,
it is too dangerous for you to personally ride at the vanguard! Please, fall
back behind us!」
Weiss and his
elite subordinates also desperately clung to him, saying as much. As a result,
the Imperial Cavalry under the banner of the Third Prince and the
Demon Territory Knights ended up charging out with surging momentum.
Catching up to the First Prince's army—who were desperately fleeing
while bathing in a rain of Longbow arrows—they smashed them in the blink
of an eye.
「You may ignore those who fled into
the mud paddies on the left and right! There is only one head we are aiming
for!」
「「「「Yeah!」」」」
He himself and the cavalry he led had been made to taste a
great deal of bitterness up until now. As if that anger exploded all at once,
their charge was fierce, and their momentum knew no halt. When they advanced to
500 m from the fort, the land beyond that was already reclaimed land; as the
cavalry ranks joined up one after another and increased in thickness, the
faltering army of the First Prince was struck down one after another.
And a further change assaulted the First Prince's army. This was because
the allied forces that had not participated in their attacks until just a
moment ago suddenly turned their coats and began to attack.
「Y-You traitors!」
「Who is the one who betrayed the Empire!
We are soldiers of the Empire!」
「C-Cowards!」
「Who was it that launched an attack
in the middle of negotiations! Is it not obvious who the cowards are!」
「Traitors to the nation, I won't
forgive you!」
「Traitors to the nation are those who
sell the Empire out to other countries! We're throwing those words right
back at you!」
Brandishing bloodstained swords, such exchanges began to
unfold everywhere. Before anyone knew it, the number of turncoats, which was
initially five thousand, had swelled to a scale of ten thousand, including
those who moved after seeing the trend of the battle.
「D-Denka, there is
nothing more we can do! Please, fall back to Ende for the time being!」
「Kuh... Why did it come to this...
Our army was winning right up until a moment ago. Whyyy!」
No matter how much the First Prince screamed, the war situation would not change. Rather, the one tumbling down the stairs of ruin moment by moment was he himself. In the battle unfolding on the north side of Big Bridge Fort on this day, the First Prince's Army lost over seven thousand soldiers to death and injury and was routed. Furthermore, nearly ten thousand soldiers submitted to the Third Prince, and five thousand vanished to who-knows-where in the midst of their rout. Harry, who had supported him as a cornerstone until now, also fell on the battlefield, and as a result, the number of soldiers who followed him and escaped towards Ende had already dropped below eight thousand. However, he himself did not yet know that this was merely the beginning of his suffering.
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