Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Bloodstained Battle of Strebr Fortress (3)
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A month had passed since they began the assault on Strebr Fortress. Crown Prince Franz was lost in deep contemplation.
After the defeat on the second day, he had admitted that a full-scale siege wouldn't work. He tried deploying knights, catapults, and even digging tunnels, but Strebr's sturdy walls refused to yield.
Before sending in the light infantry, the knights charged ahead to swat away arrows and scale the walls, but they couldn't withstand the boulders hurled down and kept plummeting to their deaths. It ended in failure, costing them precious knights for nothing.
The next attempt used catapults to hurl massive rocks, successfully demolishing the arrow towers that had massacred so many imperial troops. But sustaining the supply of large boulders proved difficult, so they switched to firing volleys of gravel, reducing the catapults to a supporting role for the archers.
Over the past month, Franz had poured resources into his last resort: tunneling. Three days ago, he believed they had secretly dug all the way to the base of the wall. They launched a night raid, but it failed spectacularly.
Count Redelmo had detected the tunneling from the vibrations in a bowl of water. He deliberately let them break through, then ambushed the emerging imperial troops with waiting forces. He set the tunnel ablaze, suffocating everyone inside and sealing it off perfectly.
To make matters worse, yesterday the 11th Legion suffered a crushing defeat, and reports came in that 6,000 enemy cavalry—merging with local lords' forces—were marching to relieve Strebr.
In this dire situation, the legion commanders and staff officers racked their brains together, but no solutions emerged. In the end, Franz uttered the word "retreat."
"Sigh... No choice. At this point, we have to admit the expedition's a failure and withdraw..."
"No, Brother!!"
"Yuno? What? You arrived in just one day? I thought it'd take at least two. Are you here alone?"
Franz had received word yesterday that Yuno was joining and immediately granted permission.
He himself thought that if the enemy was launching serious reinforcements, it made sense to consolidate forces.
"Half of the 10th Legion has already joined up here at Strebr, and the other half is gathering the 11th Legion's survivors and will arrive tomorrow. Not knowing when the enemy might strike, we marched through the night as fast as possible."
"Good call. But why oppose the retreat? We've tried everything for the past month and couldn't breach those high walls. Tunnels, blocking water routes—nothing worked."
"Please give the 10th Legion a chance. Unlike the weary 1st Army after a month of siege, our legion hasn't fought major battles and is still fresh. Once the survivors arrive tomorrow, let me take the field the day after."
"Do you have some special trick up your sleeve? Blind charges won't topple that fortress."
"The defenders must be as exhausted as our 1st Army by now. If a fresh legion like ours attacks, it could create the variable we need, don't you think?"
Franz pondered Yuno's proposal at length. His thoughts gradually leaned toward agreeing. Yuno had a point, and as vice-commander of the expedition and a legion commander, he had the authority to act independently. One more try couldn't hurt.
"Very well! Use all our siege equipment freely! The 5th Legion's engineers will support you."
With his brother's approval, Yuno replied confidently. He immediately ordered his troops to learn siege equipment operation and had the legion commanders brief him on past battles.
The next day, when the 11th Legion's survivors arrived, Franz and Yuno rushed to greet them.
The 3,000 ragged survivors were mostly Windrage troops, led by knights from the Windrage house. Franz singled out one knight and bombarded him with questions.
"What the hell happened? How far did the enemy cavalry advance?"
"We're sorry, Your Highness. We were holding our own against their cavalry, but we couldn't stop a group that seemed to be knights. They punched through our flank. After crushing our forces, the enemy is now garrisoned there, rallying more troops."
"What about the 11th Legion commander?"
"Young Lord Kent fled when the enemy cavalry neared our main camp. The other officers followed suit. The army collapsed naturally. We tried to rally around the Windrage troops, but couldn't stop the rout. Lord Kent is presumed to have returned to the empire."
"Tch... Fled instead of dying in battle?! How dare commanders abandon their men and run?! The moment they return to the empire, I'll have them all seized and beheaded!!"
At the crown prince's rage, Yuno gave a bitter smile. He felt self-reproach for ignoring his grandfather's advice and appointing Kent, and knew his uncle would likely face execution.
The Windrage Duke would be furious, and imperial law mandated death for commanders fleeing before the enemy. Even as the empress's brother and a duke's son, Kent wouldn't escape the noose.
"Sigh... Rest up first. We'll restore the Windrage army's honor with victory. Take a day to recover, then join the siege at noon tomorrow."
"Yes! We shall obey, Your Highness!"
Yuno merged his 10th Legion with the 11th's survivors, preparing for tomorrow's assault.
Fortunately, the Windrage troops—rigorously trained under the duke—integrated smoothly into the 10th Legion. Thus, the reformed 2nd Army of 12,000 checked their weapons and armor, steeling themselves for the siege ahead.
The next day at noon. As Yuno assembled the legion to issue orders, Franz approached.
"Yuno. Theseito reinforcements are marching on Strebr. Expected in three days. If we don't take it today, I'll order a full retreat no matter what."
"Understood, Brother. Before sunset, the imperial banner will fly over Strebr."
"Hahaha! Love the confidence! A general leading men can't cower. Maybe that's why I lacked it and failed to take Strebr."
Franz clapped Yuno's shoulder and returned to headquarters.
Then Yuno stood at the vanguard of the 10th Legion and shouted to his troops.
"Men! Our expeditionary 2nd Army faces unprecedented peril! Theseito reinforcements swarm from the west, and the cavalry that annihilated the 11th squeezes us from the south!"
Seeing the soldiers tense and swallow hard, Yuno continued.
"But fear not! All this ends when we take Strebr Fortress. Simple solution, right?"
"Yes! That's right!!"
"You ate a hearty lunch, I hope? Fight hard with your legion commander this afternoon, then dine inside Strebr tonight! Special rations await—so survive if you want 'em!!"
"Yes!! Understood!!"
"Advance!! Charge!!"
Puuuuw~
With the horns blaring the advance, the 10th Legion surged forward. Yuno led from the very front.
A veteran soldier marching beside him questioned Yuno.
"Wait... You're coming too, Commander? You should direct from the rear!!"
"Huh? Why waste a Swordmaster's strength? Someone else is handling command—don't worry."
The veteran glanced back at Yuno's casual words. In the command post where the legion commander should be stood a soldier bearing a centurion's seal.
'Damn it... Commanding a whole legion with some random centurion? Is the commander insane?'
The centurion in the command post thought the same.
'That crazy prince bastard... Making a country bumpkin like me command a legion? Should've played dumb when he asked questions... Damn that proposal... What glory did I think I'd get from this crap... Aaaargh.'
This centurion was the one who suggested merging with Strebr forces. After submitting his proposal, Yuno quizzed him on command tactics. He answered in detail, earning favor.
Expecting a small reward, he'd instead been saddled with the absurd role of acting legion commander—and immense pressure.
Erich Mayer, the centurion's name, hailed from a tiny barony at the Monster Mountains' edge. He'd started as a guard hunting monsters that raided the village.
To maximize efficiency with limited guards, he begged the baron for military texts, studied tactics, and rose to guard captain.
Content with his high rank for a rural lad, the baron—relocating to the capital—offered him command of his private troops.
A chance to see the capital from the sticks? He accepted. Ambitious, the baron sent his private army on this expedition, dragging Mayer along to Theseito.
'Oh my fate... I just wanted to save up in the capital and return home for a cozy life... How'd I end up like this? Acting legion commander? Screw you, Third Prince!!!'
But contrary to Mayer's thoughts, his command proved quite adept.
"Windrage troops, your men aren't fully recovered—handle left wall harassment only! Harassment means drawing left-wall forces to the main right-wall assault without fail!"
"Hmm... Possible with 3,000 ragged men?"
"Eight of ten knights are intact, so harassment is feasible. Signal me, and switch to ladders and all-out assault."
"Main assault on right wall. For the gate: 5th Legion engineers and 103rd Heavy Infantry advance the ram slowly."
Staff officers who fiercely opposed Yuno handing command to a mere centurion now silently relayed Mayer's orders.
As Mayer allocated troops, Yuno at the right-wall vanguard advanced the siege tower with heavy infantry, shields blocking the arrow storm.
"Hmm... Those archers are a problem..."
Yuno occasionally unleashed Sword Aura, picking off archers, but it was a drop in the bucket. Arrows kept raining down relentlessly.
He wanted to blast Sword Aura nonstop and sweep the walls clean, but that would exhaust him quickly. Not an option.
Even with shields, arrows slipped through gaps. Imperial soldiers fell one by one, and Yuno's anxiety grew.