Chapter 206: Tuk-Tuk, Sometimes Tak-Tak (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 206: Tuk-Tuk, Sometimes Tak-Tak (3)
The foundation of tactics is knowing exactly what weapons you have at your disposal.
In that regard, both Encrid and Krais were faithful to the basics.
Given Audin’s massive frame, he was bound to stand out on any battlefield. If someone like him started causing a ruckus, there was no way the enemy could ignore him. He was a glaring target—the very monster who had smashed their siege weapons. They would be itching to hunt him down.
He had the perfect build to draw attention, and it was the perfect time of day.
“Audin.”
“Yes, Brother. Leave it to me.”
Encrid left the lengthy explanation to Krais. The gist of the operation was simple: if Audin stepped out in broad daylight, everyone would be too busy looking at him to notice anything else. The plan was to make noise and threaten from the east, then strike from the west.
“Hahaha! This sounds like fun, Big-Eyes Brother.”
Audin burst into a hearty laugh after hearing the full explanation. If things went south, he could end up surrounded and beaten to death, but if he were afraid of such things, he wouldn't have been in the Mad Company to begin with.
On the third day of the battle, Encrid intended to demonstrate the 'tuk' of the operation once again. Of course, the sword he thrust was far more likely to be a 'tak' than a 'tuk.'
When he had first explained the strategy to Krais, Krais had tilted his head and asked, “What kind of bullshit is that?”
Since his tone was incredibly rude, Encrid smacked the back of Krais's head.
Thwack!
Perhaps because he’d put a bit too much force into it, Krais's head wobbled violently. Snapping his head back into place like a roly-poly toy, Krais quickly spoke up.
“I get the gist of it. The 'tuk' and the 'tak.'”
“Right. Tuk and tak.”
Listening to their conversation from the side, Dunchabel secretly questioned their sanity. What kind of nonsense is that?
But she wasn't in a position to speak up, so she kept her mouth shut. After all, she was an uninvited guest. She could only stand there blankly, walking on eggshells. Even when something actually happened, they took that little panther instead of her.
It was enough to make her feel utterly miserable, but...
“Grrr.”
The panther didn't even look at her. She seemed too busy grooming her front claws. Being ignored was actually more comfortable. Above all...
Is this a flower garden?
Every single one of them was out of their mind, but their looks were just as insane. From Encrid to Rem, Ragna, Audin, and Krais, they were like a collection of flowers gathered to suit every possible taste. Dunchabel didn't particularly care about looks, but wasn't food that looked good also bound to taste good?
They certainly were easy on the eyes. She had no desire to leave this flower garden; she wanted to stay. To survive here, she had to work harder and prove her worth.
“I'll go with you,” Dunchabel stepped forward with determination. She meant she would accompany Audin.
“You want to? Sure, go ahead,” Encrid replied nonchalantly. Since she only needed to hover around Audin, there was no problem with her tagging along.
Immediately after, the operation began. Slipping out of the territory was child's play.
“What do you take the Gilpin Guild for? We have at least three secret dog holes.”
Because the enemy had deliberately surrounded the castle walls, it wasn't easy to exit through the opposite gate. Scouts frequently patrolled that side as well—mounted scouts, at that. Riding on horseback, those hard-to-catch bastards were easily spotted.
In that case, they just had to slip out in secret. When they pulled a few stones from the path running alongside the south gate, a hole that served as a half-tunnel appeared.
The only problem was...
“It's too narrow, Brother.”
...Audin's build was simply too massive. This crazy religious soldier usually had to squeeze through side gates sideways.
“Uh, I didn't expect this,” replied Gilpin, who had stepped forward as their guide.
“Widen it,” Encrid gave a simple, clear solution. If it was narrow, they just had to make it bigger.
“Then it won't really be a dog hole anymore... and conversely, it might become an easy passage for the enemy to infiltrate,” the bald Gilpin muttered. Every word he said was correct.
“We just have to make sure they never even get near the walls,” Encrid replied. It wasn't because he had some grand strategy, but to Krais, who was listening from behind, the words made him nod in agreement.
Indeed. If they did this right, the enemy wouldn't even be able to cling to the walls. That was the flow of this battle.
Although the Border Guard was a fortress territory, they hadn't dug a moat, so the defensive power of the walls themselves wasn't high. They had plenty of watchtowers to rain down arrows, but...
That alone won't be enough.
How would they stop them if they charged with shields, determined to break through? Arrows alone wouldn't cut it. Pouring oil, boiling water, or throwing stones also had clear limits. What if ladders started going up everywhere? If there was a disparity in numbers, they would be overwhelmed. The advantage of having walls would crumble in an instant.
They would also be vulnerable to siege weapons like mangonels or trebuchets. If the enemy brought strategic weapons like siege towers, they had no way to stop them. This was why a moat was so important. It wasn't for nothing that people shoveled dirt and poured water in front of castle gates. Even if it smelled a bit rotten due to poor maintenance, a single moat made defending a castle vastly easier.
They could also set up traps.
And maybe use a collapsing outer wall strategy.
This was instinct. Just as Encrid half-lost his mind whenever he saw a sword, Krais had a habit of assuming the worst-case scenario and imagining how to block it with the best possible means. Before he knew it, Krais, who had been thinking about everything from the castle's construction to its overall defensive facilities, shook his head.
In any case, they were going to prevent the enemy from reaching the walls this time. That was enough.
“Are you going to bring back bread this time too?”
The question was directed at Encrid, who was heading out through the widened dog hole. Encrid was crouching low as he made his way out, thanks to Audin. He turned back while maintaining that posture. Krais, who was usually always anxious, was looking at him with a refreshed expression.
“We'll see.”
That was his farewell. After slipping out, he cast his gaze into the distance and saw smoke cutting through the sky. Whatever the enemy was thinking, they were still lighting fires in their ovens. Was this confidence, perhaps?
“The Lord said there are times when His side is quiet and lonely,” Audin recited a prayer. It was a prayer with a very clear meaning. He meant he would send a few souls to the Lord. In other words, he was going to beat a few bastards with his fists and make them knock on heaven's door.
“Don't overdo it. It'll be troublesome if you stand out too much,” Encrid reminded him of their objective.
“Do not worry, Brother. I was once recognized as a man of perfect moderation.”
Is that really true? Those didn't seem like words that should come from the mouth of a guy who always demanded excessive training.
“Your eyes look disrespectful, Brother.”
For someone of his size, he was surprisingly quick-witted. Encrid nodded and said, “Let's go.”
Sachsen followed behind Encrid, while Audin moved with Dunchabel. Rem and Ragna were left out today; a small number of people would be more than enough.
“You're going without me? Without me? Just leaving me out? Leaving me behind?” Rem had thrown a fit, but it was true that Sachsen was the best when it came to moving stealthily.
Esther followed along without even taking a break.
“Kyaaar.”
As they hid in the bushes beneath the castle walls, the panther let out a soft cry. She hadn't been seen for a few days, but now she seemed more energetic than ever.
“Sachsen.”
“Match your breathing with mine. Kill your sound and kill your presence. We will walk to the target point.”
'Sly Alley Cat'—that was the nickname Rem and the others frequently called Sachsen. They didn't call him that for nothing. Even Rem had said that if he didn't pay close attention, he couldn't read Sachsen's presence.
Sachsen demonstrated that skill firsthand. He silenced his footsteps and moved using the bushes and uneven terrain, occasionally crouching behind rocks. Once, a group of Martai scouts passed by less than twenty paces away while they were crouching behind a rock, but they weren't caught and managed to reach the point overlooking the rear supply base once again.
Perfectly grasping the terrain, keeping the scouts' intentions in mind, and walking with silent steps...
He puts assassins to shame, Encrid thought as he took a position up in a tree.
To his left and right, Esther and Sachsen were looking toward the supply base. Now, it was time to wait for the commotion.
*
Greg, the 1st Battalion Commander under Olf, was a man well-deserving of the title 'fierce general.' He was a vanguard commander who led his troops with his own martial prowess.
“The bear cub who smashed the siege weapons has appeared!”
The messenger's shout reached Greg's ears. The giant who had destroyed the mangonels had left an impression. That monstrous strength didn't seem human.
But was strength everything? Did that decide the course of the battlefield? Nonsense! The outcome of a battle was not decided so easily.
But how did he get out? Did the gates open? No. They had the territory surrounded and kept their scouts moving constantly. If that had happened, they would have known immediately.
Did he slip out in secret?
Just because they surrounded the territory didn't mean there were no holes. Being brave didn't mean he was stupid. Greg caught on to the opponent's intention. He had slipped out in secret and gotten caught.
They're targeting the supply unit again!
Constantly attacking the supply lines would be their only way to survive. Hadn't the 2nd Battalion Commander, Zimmer, said so?
“If we just surround them and hold out, this is a winning battle. What that warmonger can do is too predictable. We won't fall for it twice.”
Zimmer had ground his teeth in frustration. The giant who had slipped out and gotten caught must be a force they had no choice but to send due to their limited resources. It would be hard to keep a capable man like that in reserve when they needed a small strike force.
Greg moved with absolute certainty. Of course, it was the wrong answer.
Audin was only busy drawing attention by moving in the open.
“Brothers, are you on your way to meet the Lord?” He swung his fists at the approaching enemy soldiers while constantly spouting nonsense.
Each swing of his fist looked incredibly slow and clumsy. To the enemy soldiers, it seemed like they just needed to avoid getting hit. That was how sluggish he seemed. If anything, the beastman wielding a scimitar beside him looked far more threatening. Thrashing about with white hair fluttering, she was clearly no ordinary opponent.
But so what? Unless one was a knight, overcoming a numerical disadvantage was an incredibly difficult task. Immediately, the 1st Assault Company under Greg moved. The armed infantry charged, equipped with spears and shields.
It was the vanguard unit that Martai took pride in—infantry clad in relatively light armor, carrying large shields that covered half their bodies, and armed with spears. It was a branch focused entirely on the charge.
“There are too many!” Dunchabel shouted.
Audin estimated their numbers. Roughly forty to fifty men. It would be fine to clash with them directly. They were only fifty infantrymen, after all. He just had to dodge the long spears and close in. Once he claimed the distance as his own, a single punch packed with power would do. With an honest strike that didn't even require Valaf-style martial arts, a portion of the infantry formation would crumble.
After that, he could leap into the midst of the enemy. Then, those long spears would actually become a hindrance to them. Naturally, the enemy would try to pin him down with their shields, but that was out of the question. He would just push them back with sheer strength and smash them one by one.
But Audin did not do that. He deflected the incoming spears with the back of his hands, dodged, and swung his heavy fists slowly. Occasionally, he would pick up stones from the ground and hurl them.
Whoosh! Crash!
The stones shattered against the shields, scattering sharp fragments in all directions.
“He's just a brainless brute with brute strength!” an enemy infantryman shouted.
That was exactly what Audin wanted. He was trying hard to look that way. Just about this much.
Drawing attention and inducing carelessness. Just before they left, Krais had emphasized it about sixteen times: “You must absolutely not beat them all to death. You have to trade a few blows moderately and then fall back.”
It's not like I'm the Barbarian Brother.
Audin followed Krais's instructions. The intention was obvious. The enemy was underestimating them, so they were going to exploit that to the fullest. Audin had also accumulated years of combat experience before coming here. Reading the intentions of Big-Eyes Brother was easy.
“Are you going to fight while hiding behind your shields, brothers?” Audin spoke with a deliberately angered expression.
“You arrogant lump of meat, relying on nothing but brute strength!” one of the company commanders under Greg shouted. He thought they could just tighten the noose around the opponent and fight like this.
A commotion broke out. The boulder-like stones Audin occasionally threw could be fatal. Above all, if anyone got caught by that monstrous strength, it wouldn't end well. The enemy didn't close the distance recklessly; they only thrust their spears.
Audin faithfully carried out his role. A commotion at the front, a conspicuous giant. Naturally, all eyes gathered on him.
That was enough.
*
Encrid raided the supply base once again. At the same time, he wanted to check on something that was bothering him.
“Sachsen. Go scout behind the supply unit and see where the enemy soldiers are gathering, their organization, and things like that.”
Instead of answering, Sachsen blinked. Me? Seriously? Do I really have to? Speaking so clearly with one's eyes was a talent in itself.
“Just do it,” Encrid pushed him. Just as he had realized at some point, these guys listened to his orders surprisingly well.
“Fine.”
Though his expression remained blank, Sachsen moved as told. Encrid stroked Esther's head as he spoke. “Want some bread?”
It was an operation where just the two of them struck the supply base. The enemy had prepared an ambush, but Encrid, with his sharp five senses, detected it and broke through with sheer force. Instead of bothering to kill everyone, he moved his feet nimbly, set fire to the tents again, and stole bread.
This was while Audin was causing a ruckus at the front. The enemy's defenses were tighter than before, but that was all. After all, Audin was making such a mess over there. The attention of the guarding forces was naturally drawn to the front. Thanks to that, the job was much easier.
Watching this, Sachsen began to stealthily circle behind the enemy soldiers. Since they were already on the move...
“Esther, let's go.”
Encrid knocked down a few ovens while he was at it.
“You bastard!” an enemy soldier spat in anger. To be precise, it was the one who looked like the commander.
Should I kill him?
He pondered for a moment but decided to leave him be. Fighting seriously would only put them on high alert. Encrid fled again. It was a hit-and-run. He had done this a few times when dealing with gnolls, and it was twice as easy now.
Audin had drawn their attention, his skills had improved since then, and Esther's condition was also excellent. The panther's performance was quite useful.
“Grrr!”
Along with a spine-chilling growl, she would break the shins of enemy soldiers or scratch them with her claws, all while moving with incredible agility.
She's gotten better too, the thought occurred to him naturally.
On the way back, Encrid naturally took in the movements of the soldiers he had faced so far. He memorized, recalled, and reviewed them. There was something to be learned from this as well. No, it was only natural to learn.
Sachsen would verify the parts that were bothering him. So...
I have some breathing room.
Encrid returned to his original state of mind once again. Gauging the direction to move forward alongside his sword and training—this was the path of discipline.