Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Snare Operation (8)
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The army of the County of Nant, led by Count Schwein, and the army of the County of Helsman, led by Helsman, faced off against each other for a prolonged period.
During the standoff, there were occasional clashes between small units to lure out the enemy, and we even mobilized Baron Sercland's forces to engage them in battle...
Nevertheless, Helsman remained utterly unflappable, showcasing his veteran savvy by refusing to budge right up to the end.
Damn it. If this prolonged standoff dragged on, we'd run out of 'supplies' and be forced to retreat...
And if that happened, my isolated son and his army over there would suffer devastating losses bordering on annihilation, and all that disgrace would fall squarely on Count Schwein's shoulders.
If things turned out that way, I'd end up as the dimwitted top retainer of the House of Nant Count who failed to support his lord, and worse, the human scum who sent his own son to die charging into the fray...
If only there were some clever solution...
As I scouted the battlefield alongside the knights of the County of Nant, lost in such idle thoughts, a messenger came galloping up on horseback.
The messenger dismounted swiftly, knelt on one knee before me, and reported.
"My lord, a report! Count Schwein has led Baron Crescent and his soldiers to plunder an enemy village. His Excellency instructed me to tell you not to raise any objections, as this plunder will surely draw Helsman out to defend them."
I was dumbfounded.
Even though this was enemy territory where plundering was fair game, this was a war of conquest aimed at subjugating the lands.
In other words, no matter how much of a war it was, losing the hearts of the serfs would lead to rebellions and endless headaches after the conquest...
And yet he was heading off to plunder without a thought for that.
"Understood. Good work."
"Thank you, Guardian Lord."
"Then relay that Viscount Kroitel will return to defend the main camp as ordered."
"Yes, sir."
I managed to play it cool in front of the messenger, but I was deeply worried about His Excellency's reckless unilateral actions.
There must have been some reasoning behind this latest stunt, but to charge out personally without even informing his guardian appointed directly by the late Count of Nant...
Still, all I could do now was pass this news to my son on the front lines, giving him time to devise countermeasures, and pray that His Excellency returned safely.
Lord, protect Count of Nant, Count Schwein, and our army.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ About two weeks like that—no, a full month since we'd been here—His Excellency had steadily continued plundering villages near the Linz Plains.
During the raids, he permitted 'plunder, murder, rape, and abduction' under the pretext of boosting troop morale, and the result...
The soldiers' and knights' morale soared to its peak.
Having ravaged so many villages and gathered up cows and pigs in droves, they were even distributing roasted pork or beef to the rank-and-file every three days.
In all my countless battles on enemy soil, I'd never seen plundering on this scale.
Nor had I ever waged war with such abundance from enemy resources.
Even if it meant fattening our purses at the expense of the enemy's domains...
"My lord, my lord!"
I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to the knight calling me from behind.
"Ah, Sir Charlotte. What is it?"
"Count Schwein announces he'll march out tomorrow. He requests your presence at the war council beforehand."
"I'll head there right away."
Entering the command tent, His Excellency was speaking with an unusual fervor, unlike his typical demeanor.
"I'll leave infantry command to Baron Crescent. Viscount Kroitel and I will lead your knights straight into Helsman's knights. Any objections?"
At His Excellency's bold—no, reckless—tactics, Baron Hayden, who rarely spoke up, raised his hand cautiously to object.
"But, my lord..."
"Yes, speak, Baron Hayden."
"This is your first time leading a charge, my lord. To take the vanguard of a wedge formation that even veteran knights hesitate to lead...?"
His words filled my mind with chaos.
No matter how much he resented me for always giving him 'honest advice,' shouldn't he have at least consulted his guardian—me—even once before deciding on something like this?
This was going too far...
So I confronted Count Schwein directly.
"Count Schwein, why didn't you say a word to me before devising this strategy? I am your guardian! Shouldn't you have informed me as well?"
Count Schwein shook his head incredulously at my words and replied.
"Indeed, you are my guardian. But... your son, Siel."
"Yes, my lord."
"Siel is several years younger than me, and even though he was injured a few years ago and can't handle lance charges, he donned armor and led the knight charge from the very front on his first outing. What do you think of that?"
My son Siel, objectively speaking, had been on another level from typical noble heirs ever since he turned down entry to the academy that others begged to attend...
He always thought at least two steps ahead, sometimes acting with the foresight of decades into the future.
And that boy, from a young age, had trained tirelessly to become a knight like me, building a sturdy body...
But His Excellency, since inheriting the countship, had scarcely held a lance, let alone mounted a horse in armor.
If such a lord coldly took the lead in a knight charge... what would happen?
But saying it outright would make him feel insulted, like 'How dare you compare that brat Siel to me and belittle me!!'
"My lord, Siel is just a baron. No matter how he steps up, he's merely your vassal. Even if he fell there, I was there to handle it. But you, my lord... you have no successor yet, and your blood is far nobler than my son's, isn't it?"
Count Schwein grew even angrier at my words.
"Yet Duke Centroil of the Elrain Empire personally leads knight charges from the vanguard. Thus, as a count of Elrain, I too shall stand at the forefront to crush them myself!!"
"B-but..."
His Excellency, his patience worn thin by my persistent opposition, stomped the ground hard, slammed his fist on the table, and declared.
"Then, does my guardian lord truly think I can't take the vanguard of a mere baron's knight charge? Don't make me laugh!! Enough of this nonsense!! This council ends here. Tomorrow, as agreed with Helsman, we engage in a grand battle on the northern Linz Plains across the river!! There I shall exalt my honor, so follow me, my lords."
With that, Count Schwein waved his hand, dismissing all the barons in the tent.
I stayed quietly, intending to offer counsel as his guardian, but he glared at me and snapped in a rage-filled voice.
"If you want to boast about your son, do it at home. Guardian."
.... So how would this battle turn out?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ But surprisingly, the battle went smoothly.
Baron Crescent, in charge of the infantry, steadily pressed the fight with his foot soldiers.
From where the knights awaited their charge, we couldn't hear their words, but they held a steady standoff with the enemy.
Still, seeing them gradually envelop the enemy's left flank using numerical superiority...
We should win handily.
As I watched the infantry battle from on high, a soldier approached and said.
"Guardian Lord, the charge is about to begin. Please take your position."
"Understood."
I took my place in the first rank of the knight formation—on the far right.
To my left was Sir Blackheim, the chief knight of the county, and in the center... Count Schwein was absent.
Where had he gone? As I called for a soldier to find out, a massive cheer erupted from the right end of the first rank.
"Long live Count Schwein!!!"
"Victory in this war!!!"
Turning toward the cheers, I saw the knights holding their swords out in front of their horses, and Count Schwein striking them with his own blade.
An age-old ritual for lords at the vanguard to boost knight morale...
Not a bad move.
Soon he approached me too, lightly tapped my sword like the others, then returned to his spot.
Then His Excellency raised and lowered the lance bearing his banner, signaling readiness to declare war.
With that, we slowly advanced toward Baloa Village on the right side of the Linz Plains, where the enemy waited.
A pace just slightly faster than walking—yet with the horses perfectly in step, it felt...
Like the earth itself was trembling with grandeur.
After advancing some distance, the enemy knights finally came into view.
Judging by the banners on their lances, that was Baron Shangson, called Helsman's right-hand man...
This won't be easy.
As planned, I shifted to the rear left of the triangle to form the wedge formation.
We picked up speed, and just as we were moments from clashing...
Count Schwein was turning his horse to retreat to the rear.
Damn it all—right at this critical moment, committing the blunder rookies make on their first lance charge...
No helping it now.
We'd reform into a crescent charge centered on Sir Blackheim and me, clearing a path for His Excellency to escape.
So I surged ahead of the others, waving my banner-topped lance to signal them to follow me.
His Excellency managed to pull back safely, but...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hey, Baldt. This is insane."
Baldt looked at me with a puzzled expression and replied.
"What's that mean, sir? The soldiers are watching."
"Ah, sorry. But the battle was a total mess. Count Schwein bailed out mid-charge."
Baldt stared at me, utterly baffled.
"Once you've raised your lance, shouldn't you just charge straight in? Worst case, as long as you've got good plate and padded armor, you won't die unless you're trampled."
"That's why the knights took massive losses. Fifty dead, forty critically wounded... At least the infantry leveraged their numbers to win decisively before the knights returned, forcing a surrender."
"But..."
I cut off Baldt as he trailed off evasively.
"Yes, on his first real battle, Count Schwein acted recklessly. And because he couldn't back it up, he lost all 'honor as a knight.' He got our knights killed pointlessly too—even though we beat Helsman's army."
Personally, I figured even if he fell into the snare and lost his castle, it'd end with us failing to take the County of Helsman, chalked up as 'defeat of Schwein's army'...
Who'd have thought that despite the trap, he'd win against Helsman's forces thanks to his capable father.
Unexpected. But so what? He'd committed the ultimate taboo for a knight: deserting mid-charge.
He'd live out his days as a dishonored knight and noble, reviled by all—and now, finally, I had the justification to cut him loose.
Ah, but to swallow the County of Nant... I'd need to bide my time a bit longer?