Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Siege of Dallisi (8)
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The gates had been breached, and all the defensive installations neutralized.
But they hadn't lost yet.
That was what the Lord of Dallisi believed.
"Delay the enemy's advance as much as possible and fortify the defenses of the citadel! Hurry and pile up earth walls to block the entrances!"
Magic, dwarf engineering—none of it mattered.
It was all because they'd gotten clever with unnecessary tricks.
If they'd just stuck to solid, orthodox methods, they wouldn't have been pushed back so ridiculously...
"We haven't fallen yet! Just hold out until the main force returns—until my son comes back—and victory is ours!"
Ten days at most.
If they could endure that long, reinforcements would surely come.
The real question was whether they could hold out that long.
"Gather intact bowstrings from broken bows and repair the ones with snapped strings! Secure loose arrowheads with glue-soaked thread!"
The lord bellowed orders at the soldiers, who stood dazed with broken weapons in hand.
But the problems they faced weren't limited to those.
"My lord... I hate to say it, but with this many troops, we can't hold a siege for days on end."
At his knight aide's words, the lord grimly surveyed the soldiers.
"Is this truly our entire force...?"
"Yes, it is."
There were barely twenty soldiers left who could hold out in the citadel.
They'd sacrificed far too many repelling the enemy's overwhelming advance.
"My lord, perhaps we should just surrender..."
Shing—
The lord's sword hovered at the knight's throat.
"Gasp...!"
"Was it you? The traitor in league with Castel?"
"N-no, how could it be! You know our house has been loyal since the first brick was laid on Dallisi Hill...!"
"And yet you dare speak of surrender! You pathetic fool!"
Thwack!
"Guh...!"
The lord smashed his left fist straight into the knight's face.
Blood streamed from the knight's nose as he staggered but managed to stand straight.
His nose bridge had twisted sideways, likely broken.
"Feeling better now?"
"I-I'm sorry... I must have lost my head for a moment."
"Never speak such weakness again! Aren't there still soldiers left to us?"
"Pardon? What do you mean...?"
"To the grand cathedral."
Evacuating the citizens into the citadel hadn't just been to protect his domain's people as their lord.
They were a form of insurance, too.
Murmurs rippled—
As the lord, who should have been commanding the battle, appeared in the cathedral, unrest stirred among the evacuated citizens.
"Children of Dallisi, hear me!"
The murmurs gradually died down.
Even the children crying in the unfamiliar, frightening atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
"We face an unprecedented crisis! War-mad butchers from Castel are trampling our lands and climbing toward us!"
What? What was this nonsense?
It wasn't even noon yet, and they were on the verge of defeat?
Murmurs rose again—
The cathedral grew noisy with agitation among the citizens.
"But!"
The noise subsided once more at the lord's voice.
"My son Edwin is returning from the Montria Plains expedition, leading the main force with reinforcements! We still have hope!"
Yes. If Young Master Edwin returns, it'll be over in no time.
The bravest man in our domain will surely...
The lord's son had a good reputation among the citizens.
Their darkened faces gradually brightened.
"However! To hold until Edwin returns, I need your help!"
Anxiety rippled through the citizens again.
Help in this situation?
Wasn't it obvious what he was going to say?
Of course, he'd tell the citizens to fight.
Bordia was fundamentally a conscription state, so men served a year of military duty every four years once they came of age.
Even women learned basic archery.
Everyone knew the fundamentals of combat.
"Use doors, chairs, tables—anything as shields! No helmets? Grab a pot for your head. No armor? Strap on a barrel!"
But equipping them properly would be impossible.
Their situation was utterly dire.
"Short on swords and spears? Grab sickles and rakes! Aren't those what you're used to? If not even that, we still have stones and fists!"
If they lacked teeth, they'd use gums.
Turn anything into a weapon and fight to the end, clinging desperately.
That was Bordia's spirit.
"Our ancestors tamed the barren north with bare hands! Aren't we their descendants, inheriting that pioneer's spirit?"
"Rightly said! The lord speaks true, everyone!"
"We who bowed to no earth will not yield to those Castel scum!"
People began rising one by one.
They clenched their fists, leaning into the lord's speech.
"Fight! Children of Dallisi! You are all Bordian warriors and pioneers!"
Flames kindled in the citizens' eyes.
"We will never be defeated! Dallisi is the blessed land promised by Linu! Shall we let it fall to those who worship a false sun with balls?"
"Waaah! Let's fight!"
"Drive the Castel marauders from our land!"
The citizens were fully swayed by the lord's speech, roaring in unison.
"Prepare yourselves! The enemy is nearly upon us!"
Flutter—
The charismatic exit, fur cloak billowing, concluded the speech.
"Come on, everyone, let's stand! Let's go show those enemies what we're made of!"
"Kids can be watched by the older ones. Any able-bodied adult has to fight!"
"Look at these arms! I'm over sixty, but I can still fight! Back in my day...!"
The citizens were utterly fired up, ready to charge into battle at once.
This was far from ideal for Lian and his group.
Whether they could actually stand against General Tullio's forces was secondary.
Even if their side won, it would mean capturing Dallisi in the worst possible state.
"Hey, things are getting messy. What now?"
"Sir Lian, maybe take out the lord now...?"
"Just say the word, and I'll handle it quick."
His comrades whispered cautiously, sensing the danger.
Lian pondered deeply.
Then slowly shook his head.
"It'd backfire. The fired-up citizens won't stop even if the lord dies. They'd fight even harder."
A hero's sacrifice can turn ordinary folk into heroes.
Pulling the lord from his heroic pedestal was the priority.
"Firka. Think you could pull this off?"
"Huh? What?"
Lian whispered his plan into Firka's ear.
"Eh? You think that'll work?"
"It's fine. Leave the rest to me."
Firka rubbed her amber bracelet dubiously.
Suddenly, a stir erupted near the goddess statue.
"Look over there! Something's appearing before Lady Linu!"
"An oracle! The goddess has spoken! Call the lord!"
"Wait! Isn't that the lord?"
"The goddess is watching! She's blessing the lord!"
An apparition of Dallisi's lord appeared before the goddess statue.
The already hyped citizens grew even more excited.
But...
The atmosphere chilled abruptly.
Something ominous leaked from the apparition.
"What... Did we just get played by the lord's act?"
"No way. Is the goddess revealing the truth to us...?"
"Hold on! That can't be! Sure, the lord's a bit of a jerk usually, but he wouldn't abandon us..."
As the citizens murmured,
With those words, the apparition faded like heat haze.
Silence hung for a moment.
"I knew it! Nobles are all the same!"
Someone spoke up first.
"Deceiving us so shamelessly! Thinks he can toy with us at will!"
"Damn it! We almost ended up as meat shields!"
"The hell! Stones and fists, my ass! How do you fight with that? Give us real swords first!"
Public opinion flipped in an instant.
It was an apparition shown by the goddess herself—who could doubt it?
"Hey! Bar the doors! Block 'em with chairs!"
"Don't let anyone open them! We'll hole up here ourselves!"
"Yeah! Linu will protect us!"
Having switched sides, they began barricading with cathedral pews and hunkering down.
This created the historically unprecedented scenario of a double siege.
"Hmm. Maybe I've got a knack for impressions too?"
"...You're a real devil."
"Thanks."
Firka could only stick out her tongue at Lian, who'd engineered this with minimal theatrics.
In the end,
the Castel Kingdom's flag flew atop Dallisi Fortress.
"I, Lord Gregory Hampton of Dallisi, surrender before your king's name..."
"In the name of the great Valua II, I accept your surrender."
Bound and kneeling, the lord grimaced with humiliation.
Losing was secondary.
The betrayal by the citizens tore at his heart.
They'd cheered his speech so fervently.
Why had they turned the moment he left?
He should gather those traitors and lop off every head to reclaim the citadel...
"Hm...!?"
Then,
a pitifully beautiful woman descended the stairs from the cathedral, catching his eye.
His humiliated scowl smoothed.
He faced General Tullio with newfound dignity.
"Do with me as you will. Spare my people and family."
"For a barbarian lord, you know honor. Don't worry. His Highness is merciful."
The lord spat empty words, striking a handsome pose.
Surely,
she'd seen his gallant display just now...
So he prayed inwardly.
"Hm? You there—what's with that look? The hair color? The clothes and makeup?"
"...An act of God."
But
as the beauty approached General Tullio, an unexpected voice emerged.
Surprisingly manly, one might say.
No—more importantly, she'd supposedly gone mute from childhood illness...
"Ah... Aaaah...!!"
Only then did the lord realize.
That he'd been utterly duped.
"You bastard! Trampling a man's pure heart! I won't forgive youuu!"
"Married scum talking about purity."
"I won't forgive you! I curse you! Even in death, I'll curse that wretch!"
As Lord Gregory of Dallisi ranted wildly, soldiers rushed in to subdue him.
Dragged away screaming, his eyes seemed oddly moist.
Whether from humiliation and rage,
or something else, only he knew.
"Sir Lian, you're quite the sinner with women."
"...Don't tease."
Lian scowled, scrubbing the makeup off with his sleeve.
He still looked every bit the lovely beauty.
But for the hero's honor, everyone silently pretended not to notice.