Chapter 183: Siege Warfare
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183: Siege Warfare
“Haha! Didn’t I tell you to trust me!”
Acid Wicon had kept his promise.
Despite the foul weather that had caused the river to swell and the current to become incredibly strong, he had sailed up the Rhine in just one week, arriving right before the Giant's Shoulder Mountains, the river's source.
It was a feat made possible by the experience his family had accumulated over generations of handling water transport and their dedication to improving their ships.
Of course, there was another, more significant reason.
“I will not forget your contribution.”
I clapped Acid Wicon on the shoulder in praise as he sat collapsed on the ground, exhausted and looking like a beggar.
To keep his promise amidst such unexpected and harsh conditions, he hadn't hesitated to row the oars himself. The sailors had rowed with all their might because their employer had led by example.
“I won’t forget it either.”
He openly demanded his reward. Having proven his worth, it wasn’t off-putting.
I clapped him on the shoulder once more before turning away. While I was commending him, the disembarkation had been completed.
The thousand soldiers lined up in the clearing were the result of the Dresden vassals investing their entire fortunes.
Standing before them, I raised my sword and shouted.
“We march!”
We arrived on a hill overlooking Roxwood just as the siege was about to begin.
First, the trebuchets fired, and the king’s army advanced. What was strange was that the trebuchets weren't targeting the castle gate, the most vulnerable point of the defense.
I immediately focused on the trebuchets. My superior eyes caught that the objects being hurled by the catapults were not stones, but corpses that had been dead for quite some time.
‘Corpses… A plague?’
I instantly saw through the king’s plan. My modern memories were shallow, but their scope was far broader than anyone in this era could imagine. In my memory, there were quite a few instances of using corpses during a siege to deliberately start a plague.
Bronx II, thoroughly terrified of Eleanor’s abilities, must have resorted to using a plague—a tactic that could harm his own side—to ensure a decisive outcome.
‘Piole will charge.’
This was an age with no countermeasures for plagues. If they just sat there, they would inevitably rot from within and collapse.
Piole was not the type to meekly accept such an outcome. On the contrary, she was the type of woman who would fight tooth and nail until the very end, even knowing it was hopeless.
Therefore, she would surely try to create an opportunity with a cavalry charge, her greatest strength.
The problem was that the king’s army had concentrated its full force, as if determined to see this through to the end. Even for Piole, it would be difficult to overcome a numerical disadvantage of more than two to one and create an opening.
‘If I weren’t here, that is.’
Thanks to the king focusing his entire army on the siege, his rear was relatively unguarded. It was clear they hadn't anticipated an enemy appearing from behind.
“The moment the king’s army approaches the castle walls, we strike their rear. Everyone, prepare to charge.”
Could there be better conditions for a surprise attack? It seemed the Dresden vassals, who had recently sided with me, thought differently.
“It’s impossible! How can we attack an army of five thousand with only a thousand men? What’s more, we only have a hundred cavalry, the core of any charge!”
“It’s also a problem that these are hastily assembled troops who haven’t had time to coordinate! The king’s army is an elite force that has been preparing for war for a long time. Even if we launch a surprise attack, they’ll quickly regain their composure and counterattack!”
Every word they said was right. And that was precisely why we had to charge. My goal was the mutual destruction of the king and these men. I began to persuade them.
“There are three reasons why we are bound to win.”
“Three reasons?”
The vassals looked incredulous. I paid them no mind and held up one finger.
“First, we will be charging with the setting sun on the ridge at our backs. In other words, the enemy will be caught off guard and have their vision obscured.”
The vassals turned to look at the sky and immediately shielded their eyes with their hands. The sun, hanging over the mountain ridge, made it difficult to keep their eyes open.
“Second, the moment Piole spots us, she will respond. The king’s army will be attacked from both the front and the rear, naturally finding themselves encircled.”
The advantage of an encirclement is that enemy soldiers, surrounded by their own comrades, can do nothing. This meant we could compensate for our numerical inferiority for a time.
The vassals began to murmur, looking at one another. They knew that if things went as I said, we could seize a chance to turn the tables in one fell swoop.
I held up three fingers and concluded.
“Finally, the biggest reason we are bound to win is that your commander is me, Allen. Trust in me. The man who has never been defeated, from swallowing the southern part of the West Continent to dominating the North Continent. The result will be the same this time.”
If anyone else had said such a thing, it would have been dismissed as mere bravado. But coming from me, who had led one unfavorable war after another to victory, it was a different story.
I had earned the right to be arrogant.
“Hmm…!”
The Dresden vassals knew this well. After exchanging glances, they began to nod one by one.
“We will trust you, my lord Baron!”
“Then prepare yourselves!”
“Yes, sir!”
The hundred or so cavalrymen took the lead, with the rest of the troops following behind. The formation was a wedge, optimized for breaking through enemy lines.
“The first target is the siege weapons! Charge!”
Siege weapons, difficult to build and incredibly expensive, were high-value targets. For the sake of future battles, they had to be destroyed.
Fortunately, the king’s army was focused on the siege, leaving their rear poorly defended. Of course, once they became aware of our presence, they would respond quickly.
‘It’s a race against time.’
That’s why I led the cavalry in a charge. I had to avoid getting too far ahead of the infantry, but right now, destroying the siege weapons was the priority.
“Burn them all!”
It was the right call.
The undefended siege weapon crews couldn't stop the charge of a mere hundred cavalrymen. Thanks to that, all the siege weapons were burning before the king’s army could even react.
“My lord Baron! The enemy is approaching!”
It was right after that the king’s army deployed its reserve forces to block our path. Five hundred cavalrymen, useless for the siege itself, came charging at us like madmen.
They were confident they could crush us with sheer force, trusting in their five-to-one advantage in cavalry. The fact that we were far from our infantry and couldn't receive support after focusing on destroying the siege weapons must have contributed to their decision.
But wasn’t the face of the knight leading the cavalry rather familiar?
“B-Baron Allen!?”
He recognized me too. He was one of the knights I had taught a harsh lesson to during the mock battle in the capital.
In his haste, he must not have seen my banner. Or perhaps it was because the banner had changed slightly.
“No, how…!”
He looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
I, on the other hand, smirked. I had just confirmed that the morale of the entire enemy cavalry had faltered due to their panicked commander.
“Charge! Follow me!”
Thanks to that, in a battle of five hundred against one hundred, our side of a hundred had fiercer momentum.
“Baron!!! I won’t let you run rampant any longer! I will stop you, even if it costs me my life!!!”
As if he had never faltered, the enemy commander spurred his horse and charged at full speed. His cavalry, emboldened by his action, followed suit.
“Your spirit is commendable, but…”
The world wasn't so kind that willpower alone could solve everything.
“N-No—”
It was over in a single clash. The enemy commander, who had charged with such vigor, was sent tumbling backward.
My war hammer, not satisfied with just shattering his sword, had gone on to crush his skull.
“Gasp—!”
“You’re insane!!!”
The surrounding cavalrymen looked on in disbelief. It was understandable, given that their commander, a reasonably skilled knight of the king, had died without even being able to put up a fight.
“This is no time to be surprised.”
Was it right for those who should be taking command in place of their dead leader to just stand there in shock? I kindly showed them the price of their hesitation.
“Aargh!”
Two of his subordinates followed their superior in death. That was only the beginning. Every time I swung my war hammer, an enemy’s skull burst, and a body flew through the air.
The outcome of a cavalry battle is decided by which side's vanguard can break through the other. In that respect, my cavalry unit couldn't lose even if we tried.
As our cavalry poured through the opening I created, the enemy cavalry was swept away.
“This is impossible—!”
A knight screamed as he watched his cavalry, which had a five-fold advantage, crumble without being able to put up a fight.
“Run—!”
Those who were quick to grasp reality turned their horses and fled without a second glance. They scattered in all directions, as if intending to desert the battlefield entirely.
“My lord Baron! A great victory!”
The Dresden vassals wore the same expressions of disbelief.
“Don’t be satisfied with just this! We haven’t caught the real big fish yet! Prepare to charge immediately! We will strike the rear of the enemy’s main force!”
“Yes, sir!”
As soon as the lagging infantry caught up, I once again took the lead and aimed for the rear of the enemy’s main army.
“Block them! Hurry and block them!”
I spotted Bronx II just as we were about to strike the enemy’s rear. He was quite close. I immediately turned my horse in his direction.
“Follow me!”
I swung my war hammer relentlessly. When I brought it down from above, an enemy soldier’s skull exploded. The same thing happened when I threw it at another soldier charging from the opposite side.
Another enemy soldier, seeing my hands were empty, must have thought it was an opportunity and thrust his sword. My warhorse responded for me.
“Hee-hee-hing!”
It reared up, threatening the soldier with its front hooves. When the startled soldier fell, it stomped on his chest.
“Gack—”
The fallen soldier couldn't withstand the weight of nearly a ton. In that time, I pulled out the halberd strapped to my saddle and swung it.
The halberd, carving a wide arc, smashed the heads of three soldiers before it stopped.
“A monster! He’s a monster! We’re all going to die!”
“The Knight of the Apocalypse has returned! The Lord is bringing down divine punishment! No! Mommy—!”
At some point, an empty space formed around me. It was the result of the terrified enemy soldiers continuously backing away. The same was true for King Bronx II.
“The king is fleeing!”
As I drew closer, he finally began to run. The flight of the supreme commander created a temporary vacuum in the chain of command.
“The castle gate is opening! They’re allies!”
To make matters worse, Piole responded, and the enemy army’s confusion reached its peak.
I did not miss that golden opportunity. I fixed my gaze on Piole and raised my voice.
“Piole! Strike the right flank!”
Somehow hearing my voice amidst the chaos, Piole began to chew away at the right flank of the enemy’s main force. I gnawed at the opposite flank.
The moment Piole’s forces bit the tail of my troops, and my forces bit the tail of hers…
“No! We’re surrounded!”
The encirclement was complete.
The king had fled, and being surrounded rendered their numerical superiority meaningless. All that was left for the king’s army was to fight to the last man or surrender.
I helped them make the choice more easily. I swung my halberd wide, slitting the throats of several enemy soldiers to draw their attention, then shouted.
“Your king has fled! You have been abandoned! Surrender! Surrender, and your lives will be spared!”
The enemy soldiers nearest to me were the first to drop their weapons. They acted quickly, as if they had been waiting for the command.
As other soldiers, who had been watching cautiously, began to drop their weapons one by one, the battle came to a close. The number of surrendered soldiers seemed to be over three thousand by a rough count.
Meanwhile, Bronx II fled to the Baeneng Duchy, his supply base and stronghold. The troops following him numbered only a few hundred.
In a single engagement, an elite army of five thousand had been reduced to a mere tenth of its original strength.
“Hee-hee-hee! A witch! The witch is trying to kill me! Be careful! The ground might collapse! No! Lightning will strike from a clear sky!”
How could Allen, who was supposed to be in the North Continent, launch a surprise attack from the rear with such perfect timing?
Bronx II, unaware of the circumstances, could only conclude that all of this was Eleanor’s doing. Already terrified of her abilities, Bronx II now suffered from paranoid delusions.
“No, what in the world has happened?”
A short while later, Duke Baeneng wore a complicated expression as he faced the king.
The king’s downfall was a good thing for him, who coveted the throne, but the problem was that far from harming Allen, the king had suffered a crushing defeat.
Wasn’t it obvious that Allen, having so overwhelmingly defeated the king, would target him, his neighbor, next? With the king out of the way, he would have even fewer reservations.
His prediction was spot on.
Allen, having quickly reorganized his forces, led three thousand elite soldiers and set up camp before Duke Baeneng’s castle.
The only silver lining was that the ducal castle was a proper fortress, complete with a moat created by drawing in seawater.
As if wary of this, Allen didn't attack immediately. Instead, he approached with a small escort, looked up at Duke Baeneng on the castle wall, and shouted.
“Duke Baeneng. Hand over the king.”
It was an unacceptable proposal for the Duke. Allen wasn't the type to simply turn back after receiving Bronx II, and even if he did, he would surely demand a huge price.
Either way, his goal of becoming the next king would turn to dust.
‘On the other hand, if I can resolve this, I might be able to replace the mad king.’
Having made up his mind, Duke Baeneng raised his voice.
“How rude! His Majesty is the rightful king of this continent! How dare a mere baron order him around! If you wish to see him, enter the castle alone!”
“Are you saying you will protect the king?”
“You are the one who should come to your senses, Baron! You are being deceived by a witch! You cannot know how many strange things happened while His Majesty was on the march! All of it is proof that Princess Eleanor is a witch!”
The surviving royal soldiers nodded. The strange phenomena they had experienced were certainly unnatural—enough to make them believe it was the work of a witch.
“A witch… Why is it that the king gets to decide on his own that the princess is a witch?”
Allen chuckled and raised his banner. It was a new flag, with a cross emblazoned behind the original emblem of a golden eagle looking down upon the world.
This wasn't just a simple addition of a symbol. To use a cross on a family crest, one needed the Church’s permission. Only Bishop-Counts or families who had rendered great service to the Church were allowed to bear a cross on their coat of arms.
There was no way Duke Baeneng wouldn't know this. The information that Allen had a deep friendship with the Archbishop flashed through his mind.
‘No. He may not be the Archbishop, but Bishop Alfonso is on our side. The Archbishop’s power alone isn’t enough to revoke the princess’s status as a witch—!’
That’s what Duke Baeneng thought. And that is why, the moment Allen opened his mouth, he froze like ice.
“Bronx II has forsaken the natural bonds of family and tried to kill his own sister, Eleanor! He even blasphemously used the Lord’s name to falsely accuse her of being a witch! Furthermore, he spread a plague to justify his actions. How can he possibly bear the weight of such sins!”
Allen looked around at Duke Baeneng and the enemy soldiers, who were staring at him intently, wondering what he would say next. A corner of his mouth curled up into a smirk.
“I, Allen, as the First Sword of the Church and Commander of the Templar Knights, hereby declare in the name of the Pope. As of this moment, Bronx II is excommunicated.”