Kosworth Yellineta
"...Has their movement changed?"
After losing the Earth Dragon stationed as the main defensive force, we temporarily withdrew the entire army back to the base. However, I received a concerning report from one of the commanders fighting at the front. When I repeated part of the report aloud, the deputy commander of the Shelbia Union's knight order spoke gravely.
"Yes! Based on the initial plan, we should have been able to deal a significant blow to the enemy, if not completely destroy them, forcing them to retreat. After investigating, we found that even if we combined the full strength of the Scuderia Kingdom's border knights and the Ferretio Marquis' knights, we had planned to stop their movements with the Earth Dragon and then launch a pincer attack from both sides. It was almost going according to plan... however..."
"Deputy Commander. I understand the report well. The mysterious knight who killed the Earth Dragon, right? I am not blaming the failure of the pincer attack. What I want now is a report on the movements of the Scuderia Kingdom," I said in a low voice.
At my command, the men sitting around the table straightened their spines. The knight commander of the Yellineta royal family sat next to me, but the other five were commanders from the Shelbia Union. One of them, Count Towncar, was the head of the Shelbia Union's knight order but seemed to have completely surrendered the initiative to us.
This situation reflected the Shelbia Union's growing fear of the black bombs and artillery, and dark clouds were beginning to gather over this battle. Despite initially planning to sweep aside the Scuderia Kingdom with overwhelming force and fully subjugate the Shelbia Union, things were not going as planned.
The deputy commander of the Shelbia Union's knights nodded stiffly in response to my question.
"Yes, I apologize... up until now, while we’ve been in a siege, we’ve mostly been repairing the fortress, with little more than some reconnaissance and perimeter patrols. But now, instead of repairs, they are installing some kind of large equipment on the walls. And they’re doing it one after another."
The vague report left me irritated, but I called over the knight commander sitting beside me.
"…What new weaponry does the Scuderia Kingdom have? What should we be especially wary of?"
The knight commander nodded deeply and spoke.
"A new type of crossbow with long range and high attack power, and towering knights who can keep moving despite any attacks they take. Also, their rapid fortification construction techniques, I believe."
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but snort.
"It sounds like something out of a myth. Our black bombs and artillery almost seem pale in comparison."
I sarcastically laughed and voiced my thoughts. Just then, I noticed my younger brother, Istana, standing behind me, stiffening at the report.
"If you see it with your own eyes, you’ll understand, but it’s no laughing matter. Similar reports have come in from other battlefields. The long-range, accurate crossbows are a clear threat. And then there are the nearly indestructible knights who can cleave through a knight brigade with just two of them... There’s no countermeasure for that."
Istana added in a quiet voice, but I glared at him fiercely. This wasn’t the time to discuss such grave matters in front of the commanders of our uneasy ally. Realizing this, Istana closed his mouth and stepped back.
After confirming that, I refocused on analyzing the situation.
"…I believe the boy who calls himself a baron appeared before the fortification techniques. Upon investigation, there’s only one boy who fits the description of a child baron, and that’s Van Nei Fertio, the son of the Fertio family. That means, it’s highly likely that this 'Van' is also present at Centena."
"So, when you say their movements changed, does that mean this boy Van has started taking command? That’s impossible, right?"
There were murmurs of doubt at the idea of a child taking command. I raised a hand to silence them before clarifying.
"The reason he’s the commander is because he’s the son of the Fertio family and a baron. It’s not that the child is actually commanding; rather, I believe he has an unprecedented genius inventor or perhaps a fearsome blacksmith as his subordinate, and a strategist who has devised those frightening fortification techniques. In fact, it’s likely that the strategist holds the real power. If that’s the case, the Centena fortress, which was on the brink of falling, could turn into a terrifying stronghold."
Upon hearing my reasoning, the knights began to nod in understanding.
"Ah, so what you’re saying is, Van might be hiding behind the scenes, but he’s surrounded by extraordinary subordinates?"
"Exactly. First, we’ll need to figure out how to deal with these subordinates."
"Convincing them to defect might be difficult. We don’t even know what kind of people they are, and offering positions or wealth could backfire."
Now that the enemy’s composition was becoming clearer, more reasonable opinions started to emerge. Satisfied with this progress, I began to steer the discussion.
"First, we need to decide whether to give them time. Personally, I think giving time to someone who develops terrifying weapons is sheer folly. What do you think?"
I asked, and the faces of the men around the table tightened.
"Indeed… Centena was on the brink of collapse already."
"Now’s the time to attack and crush them all at once."
Someone voiced an assertive opinion, and others quickly joined in with suggestions to attack. The defeated mood that had been present earlier had now shifted, and the knights around the table were more determined than ever to fight for victory.
"The decision’s been made. Now, let’s reassess the enemy’s strength and finalize the strategy. If they have long-range crossbows, it’s dangerous for us to move in tight formation. We’ll need to spread out and attack Centena from all sides. The real issue is with those two knights. For them, we’ll restrict their movements with earth walls and burn them with fire magic. No animal can survive being burned."
"Ah...!"
"That’s right! With that plan, there’s no way they can escape!"
As the strategy was decided, morale began to rise. While the men discussed how to position the knights, I glanced behind me and decided to implement one more plan.
"Istana."
I called, and Istana quickly walked over.
"What is it?"
With a wry smile, I conveyed my next idea.
"We could gather some skilled men from the mercenaries or our knight corps. Prepare some assassins."
"…Assassins?"
Istana tilted his head in confusion. I lightly punched him in the chest with my left fist and spoke.
"If they succeed, it’s a bonus."
I said, and Istana quietly bowed his head.
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