“Annoying…”
“Huh?”
After inspecting the newly fortified Centena, with its impressive defenses and equipment, Panamera furrowed her brow and muttered something strange.
“Cavity?”
I asked, genuinely curious. Immediately, I was slapped on the back so hard it made a cracking sound.
“I’ve never had a cavity!”
“Really? That’s hard to believe…”
I gave her a skeptical look, and she glared at me, prompting me to fall silent. Once I stopped talking, Panamera spread her arms in front of the newly arranged ballistae and turned to look at everyone.
“Given this, it’s true that we could defend against an assault from Yellenetta or the Shelvia Alliance. We can’t focus all our forces here, but it’s more than enough for defense. However, is that enough? The general we’ve placed in charge, Marquis Fertiio, was severely wounded, and many lives were lost. Looking at Centena now, the cowards of Yellenetta and Shelvia may not even dare to attack. Is that enough for you?”
Panamera provocatively raised the question, and some knights lowered their heads, expressions filled with frustration. Even Stradale showed a similar reaction. After seeing that some of the knights were visibly unsettled, Panamera smiled.
“I have a plan. Are you in? I promise, we’ll show the enemy what we’re capable of!”
As she said those words, I could sense a spark of determination light up in the knights' eyes.
In an instant, Panamera swiftly organized her own knights, along with Centena's and Fertio's knights, to form a new unit and share the strategy for the attack. The plan seemed reckless, but strangely, when Panamera spoke, it held an unusual kind of persuasive power.
“Boy. It’s time for revenge for my father. I want all the wagons and the mechanical bow unit.”
“He’s not dead yet!?”
I couldn’t help but shout loudly at her ridiculous request. Panamera shook her shoulders and laughed.
“Right, he’s not dead. Well, it’s thanks to me that he survived—burned the wound and stopped the bleeding. Forgive me.”
She said, and I sighed deeply while looking over my forces. Since I had been mainly focused on the fortification of Centena, we only had fifteen armored wagons, and the mechanical bow unit could only bring about fifty people.
“If I had a day, I could add about five more wagons…”
“No. The enemy will surely take action after seeing this strengthened Centena. Before they can make an unpredictable move, we need to confuse them first. The most troublesome thing would be if the knights of Yellenetta Kingdom return to the capital. If we defeat the entire Yellenetta knights here and deal a heavy blow to the Shelvia Alliance, we might secure victory in this war.”
Panamera didn’t seem to wait for my input, moving forward with a sense of urgency. While I understood what she was saying, if we launched an attack and were ambushed from the mountains, it would be disastrous. We needed to leave some defensive forces behind as well.
“Alright, then. I’ll send ten wagons and twenty members of the mechanical bow unit. However, the mechanical bow unit will be at the rear.”
“…That’s too few. It’s far too few.”
“No, no, we have a small number of knights to begin with…” I retorted, frowning.
“The wagons will be just ten? You could afford to be a bit more generous, don’t you think?”
“No. I’m opposed to this from the start. These ten wagons should be enough, right? If it gets too dangerous, we can retreat immediately.”
I made a similar expression and argued back as Panamera pouted in protest. She let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh… Boy, don’t be so miserly. A small-minded man is boring.”
“This is a free offer, you know. Honestly, I think I’m being pretty generous.”
I shrugged off her complaint casually. Panamera shook her head, clearly displeased, but she began her preparations without further argument.
[A Few Hours Later]
Under Panamera’s command, many knights had been summoned. As I stood in the front line alongside Stradale and Targa, Panamera looked at one particularly large wagon.
“...Why is the wagon the boy rides in so much larger?”
“Well, it has a lot more stuff packed in it. And it’s not like it can be used by anyone else, so I won’t give it away.”
“If you lent me one of your capable men, I could fight on the frontlines with you…”
“No.”
“Damn, you’re stubborn.”
After my firm refusal, Panamera stomped her foot angrily, her shoulders tense, and walked toward the castle gates. She mounted her beautiful white horse, and as she turned it to face the front, the knights in formation straightened their backs.
Panamera scanned the elite knights before opening her mouth.
“We’ve learned that Van, the Baron, is a little stingy, but it’s time for us to take action. We’ve been attacked endlessly, and all this frustration has built up. Let’s unleash it all on the enemy! I don’t fear Yellenetta's cannons! Even if it’s a wyvern, I’ll burn it to the ground! Now, let’s crush every enemy that stands in our way!”
As Panamera gave her orders with practiced ease, the knights over two thousand strong roared in response. Especially Stradale, who had witnessed the grievous injury to his lord, was filled with energy. Normally, he would ride expressionless, but today he raised his sword and shouted with fervor. Who’s stingy now?
“…Will this be okay?”
Arte asked nervously, and I shrugged, letting out a small sigh.
“I’m coming along, but we’ve made sure to prepare well. It won’t be like last time.”
I answered, though I couldn’t shake the anxiety building within me.
The newly constructed castle gates opened, letting the light from outside flood in. As expected, no one from the Shelvia Alliance was there—our scouts had reported that they had retreated and there were no signs of movement.
“Alright, let’s move as planned. Form up outside. Targa, I’m counting on you to support with the mechanical bow unit from the top floor.”
“Understood! Leave it to me!”
Targa, now completely obedient to Panamera, saluted and responded. Honestly, I would have liked to stay at Centena, but Panamera had already involved me in the operation, and I didn’t have the courage to refuse. It was frustrating.
Panamera paid no mind to my inner turmoil, leading the way with her horse. She looked so regal as she led the charge, her golden hair flowing behind her. Watching her confidently stride forward in the lead, the soldiers’ morale was undoubtedly boosted.
“Frontline! Quickly form ranks! Rear ranks, join in formation! The vanguard is to maintain distance and advance according to plan!”
Panamera barked orders quickly, and the knights scrambled to follow suit.
“...Fine. Lou, take the mechanical bow unit and armored wagons with you. When the cannon fire comes, hide behind the wagons immediately.”
“Understood!”
With a tense expression, Lou acknowledged the command and followed the knights into formation. Our smaller group, due to our lack of numbers, quickly formed up and began marching.
Once I confirmed that, I climbed into my personal armored wagon, ready for the operation to begin.
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