Subjugating the Female General (11)
Late into the night, a man sat in his private residence working through a stack of reports.
That man was Duke Valentinus Edinel of the Krantz Empire.
His study remained brightly lit even at this hour, the lamp burning steadily as he reviewed the documents piled upon his desk, one after another. As the foremost magnate of the Krantz Empire, Duke Edinel's days were so packed that even a full twenty-four hours never felt like enough.
Someone knocked on the door of the study where he continued working well into the night.
"Your Grace. It is Viscount Laurent."
"Laurent? Come in."
Viscount Laurent commanded Duke Edinel's personal guard. He was, in every meaningful sense, the duke's right-hand man.
The door opened, and Viscount Laurent stepped inside with a dark expression.
"Your Grace... a visitor has arrived at the mansion."
"A visitor? At this hour?"
Reading the look on Laurent's face, Duke Edinel chose his next words with care.
"He says he has come regarding Young Master Eliard."
"Eliard? He's off at war with the Kairan Kingdom. Why would his name come up all of a sudden?"
"I believe it would be best if you met him yourself, Your Grace."
"Very well. Bring him in."
"Yes, Your Grace."
After Laurent withdrew, a man in dark clothing entered a short while later. The only reason such a suspicious figure had been allowed into the room at all was because the duke trusted Laurent's skill. In Duke Edinel's estimation, Laurent was the finest swordsman in the Krantz Empire save for Duke Balanos himself — a full rank above even Count Hudin. That was precisely why he kept the man at his side.
"Who are you?"
"I have come on an errand from Duchess Adrian Wendelin."
An absurd claim, coming from a stranger in the dead of night. The name of Duchess Adrian Wendelin of the Kairan Kingdom — currently an enemy nation — had just been spoken aloud. At those words, Laurent's sword was already half-drawn from its sheath.
Duke Edinel stretched out a hand and restrained him.
"Go on."
"Yes, Your Grace. Duchess Adrian currently has Eliard Edinel in her custody. She is protecting his person."
Laurent's blade came fully free and pressed against the man's throat. It was so fast that even Duke Edinel could not intervene in time.
"Proof?"
The duke's demeanor, however, remained perfectly calm.
The man's hand slipped inside his coat. Seeing the movement, Laurent drove his blade harder against the man's neck. Blood welled along the edge and ran down his throat. The man withdrew his hand and held out a ring to Duke Edinel.
A low sound escaped the duke.
It was, without question, the ring belonging to his second son, Eliard.
"What is it you want?"
"I understand that Your Grace is responsible for supplying the war against the Kairan Kingdom. She does not ask that you halt the supplies entirely — only that you delay them, discreetly, so that no one takes notice. Once that is done, Young Master Eliard will be returned home safely."
"And if I refuse, Eliard dies."
"Most likely, yes."
Laurent's sword trembled once more, and blood began to pour freely from the man's neck.
"Even if I fail to return to Duchess Adrian, she will take my silence as a refusal — and he will die."
At those words, Laurent had no choice but to withdraw his blade.
"Go."
"I hope for a favorable outcome."
The man bowed politely to Duke Edinel and left the study without a moment's delay.
"What will you do, Your Grace?"
Once the man had gone, Laurent asked.
"Hrm... What choice do I have? I'll comply. That cunning bitch. She left me a way to survive — so I have no choice but to take it..."
Duchess Adrian had not demanded that he cut off the supplies entirely. She had attached a single, carefully worded condition: delay them, cleverly enough that no one would notice. Had she demanded a complete cutoff, Duke Edinel would have had no choice but to abandon Eliard. But by leaving him a path to walk, she had made it so he had no choice but to obey.
It infuriated him — but the situation was already beyond his control. His temples began to throb as he turned over the problem of how to delay the supplies without Duke Balanos catching wind of it.
Ill tidings reached Duke Balanos as well, who was in the midst of preparing for the siege.
Not only had one supply convoy already been attacked — he now learned that the main camp had been left undermanned, and had suffered heavy losses as a result.
"What did you say?! That imbecile Eliard!! Where is he now?!"
Duke Balanos's roar exploded through the tent.
"The rear commander has been missing since the night raid, Your Grace."
"What! How is this even possible..."
The news of Eliard's disappearance left a heavy unease in Duke Balanos's chest, but the siege immediately before him took precedence.
"The siege is about to begin — what are we supposed to do if the supplies aren't flowing?!"
"Fortunately, the rear commander dispatched tomorrow's shipment before he vanished. However, most of the stores at the main camp were burned. Anything beyond that will be difficult."
"Fine! We have no choice. We'll have to take the fortress in one swift strike. Cut the rations in half. We need at least three days' worth of food."
Cadis Fortress was no easy target — but Duke Balanos had no other option. Even with reduced rations, he needed to secure enough time to carry out the assault.
"Yes, Your Grace. It will be done."
"And send two divisions to escort the supply convoy currently on the move. Bring them in safely."
Duke Balanos could not shake his unease. There was no guarantee that Duchess Adrian — who had already raided the main camp and inflicted such damage — would not strike the supply convoy as well.
"Yes, Your Grace. I will issue the orders at once."
On Duke Balanos's command, the commanders of the Ninth and Tenth Divisions led their troops out into the night to escort the supply convoy.
And sure enough, after kidnapping Eliard, Adrian immediately set out in pursuit of the additional supply convoy that had been dispatched. The enemy force was reported to number four thousand, but she judged that she had a sufficient chance of victory and moved out.
Adrian had not slept a wink through the night. No — she had been running for three full days without proper rest. She had covered an enormous distance on the return march without adequate sleep, then smashed the first supply convoy, slipped into the Krantz Empire, launched a night raid on the main camp, and now she was racing once more in pursuit of yet another supply column.
And yet the morale of Duchess Adrian's cavalry burned as high as ever. It was proof that every operation had succeeded — but it was possible only because these were true soldiers, men who had followed her for years, drawn by her character and her ability, and who respected her for both.
"Muriel. Are you all right?"
"Heh. I'm fine. As if something like this would wear us down."
"Good... Thank you. Once this operation is over, we'll finally get some proper rest. Everyone, just a little more!!"
"Yes, ma'am!!!"
The cavalry roared their reply even as they spurred their horses onward.
Moments later, Adrian's cavalry crashed into the supply convoy.
"Gaaaaah!!"
As always, Adrian rode at the very tip of the spear, shattering enemy ranks as she punched a hole straight through them. But breaking completely through a force four times their number was no easy feat.
That was when Muriel followed, leading the Phoenix Knights in a second charge. A hundred knights strong, they drove through the enemy line with even greater force than Adrian's initial breakthrough.
"Set the supplies on fire!!"
Just as Duchess Adrian's forces were about to put the wagons to the torch, Duke Balanos's troops came charging in from the opposite direction.
"Retreat! Fall back!!!"
Adrian assessed the situation in an instant and wheeled her unit around to flee. Even as they ran, they did not forget to hurl torches onto the wagons.
"Halt the pursuit!! Put out the fires on the wagons!! Protecting the supplies takes priority over capturing the enemy!!"
They followed Duke Balanos's explicit orders and put the supplies first. If they lost this shipment as well, the main camp would have no choice but to pull back and prepare all over again.
In the meantime, Adrian's cavalry was already fleeing into the distance.
"Your Grace. Are you certain we don't need to burn those wagons?"
"It's fine. This much should be enough for Cadis Fortress to hold. We should rest a little now, too. Everyone!! You've all worked so hard!!"
Adrian's cavalry had already slipped out of the canyon and into their own safe zone.
Fortunately, not many of the supplies had burned, and they were quickly recovered and transported toward the main camp. Without Duke Balanos's foresight, the supply convoy alone would never have been able to protect the shipment. The supplies did not reach the main camp until that night.
At the main camp, the siege preparations were completed over the course of a single day. There was some discontent over the reduced food rations, but since the food had not vanished entirely, that level of complaint was tolerable.
Cadis Fortress had been silent through the night. With Count Hudin holding the vanguard, even a small-force night raid would have been difficult to pull off — and if the gates were opened by mistake, it would have been a disaster. The fortress was quiet, but it was the silence of a held breath, thick with tension.
Duke Balanos's army was equally desperate, needing to take Cadis Fortress as quickly as possible. They were well equipped with battering rams and other siege engines. Hundreds of ladders had been built, along with siege towers nearly as tall as the walls themselves, making them excellent platforms for long-range suppression.
At last, the siege began in earnest.