Chapter 41: The Flower of Lawrence (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 41: The Flower of Lawrence (2)
Step, step.
Beneath the castle walls.
A man could be seen striding forward.
Despite the countless eyes glaring down at him from the ramparts, there was no hesitation in his stride. The flag in his hand fluttered in the wind, revealing its emblem—a lone white stag. At the sight of the symbol representing the Barco family, the Lawrence soldiers swallowed hard, their faces taut with tension.
Thud.
He stopped.
The man scanned the top of the walls with a relaxed expression. Once he spotted Viscount Lawrence, his gaze locked onto him.
"As the representative of Viscount Barco, I shall present you with three choices," the man called out. "First, open the gates and surrender. Viscount Barco is a benevolent man who does not turn away those who beg for forgiveness. Surrender is the only way to save your lives. However, I doubt you will choose this option. If you had intended to, there would be no reason for us to face each other like this."
The man's attitude was incredibly arrogant.
Though he was merely a messenger delivering a decree, he spoke as if he were Viscount Barco himself.
"The second is to wage total war against us. Come out to the plains and settle this fair and square before the Arbiter of the Central Government. Any method of combat is acceptable—whether it be melee combat or a Great Warrior Battle. We are willing to accommodate whatever terms you demand."
Melee combat.
Or a Great Warrior Battle.
These were the methods noble families typically used to resolve their disputes.
In this world, engaging in a siege during a noble dispute was considered a disgrace. Hiding behind castle walls was seen as a sign of cowardice—a confession that one lacked the confidence to face the opposing family in open combat. Thus, most conflicts were resolved through the first two methods. This was precisely why the Arbiter existed. To prevent the loser from contesting the outcome once a victor was decided, an Arbiter of noble status would oversee the battle.
Viscount Lawrence.
He took a step forward.
"We do not accept your justification for this war. The document claiming an ancestral debt is a forgery. We have no reason to wage war with you, nor do we have any intention of opening our gates and sacrificing the people of Lawrence to your whims. Go back at once and tell Viscount Barco that under no circumstances will Lawrence—"
"The third!"
The messenger cut him off.
In truth, the choice had already been made.
From the moment Lawrence locked their gates on the day Barco had forewarned, both families knew it would come down to the third option. Even so, there was only one reason Barco had sent a messenger: to pressure Lawrence. Like a fierce demon, the messenger roared at the trembling Lawrence soldiers:
"The third is to abandon your pride as a noble family and wage a desperate resistance from within your walls! From this moment on, the Barco family accepts your resolve. We will make you pay in blood for every drop spilled during this siege."
With that, it was over.
The messenger turned back.
Even as they watched the flag flutter in the wind, the Lawrence soldiers could not bring themselves to loose a single arrow.
And so, the war began.
* * *
The first battle.
It ended much sooner than expected.
The Barco family, who had seemed ready to deliver swift and severe punishment, ordered a retreat just thirty minutes after the clash began.
Clang!
"Arrogant bastards!"
Viscount Barco slammed his helmet onto the ground.
Just moments ago, the battle had unfolded in a way entirely contrary to his expectations.
The Barco family's forces outnumbered Lawrence's by more than three to one. Intending to breach the walls in a single wave, they had advanced their troops with siege ladders. Lawrence's walls were not high. While Dmitry's Iron Fortress was known to be impregnable even against a tenfold force, Lawrence's walls were, by comparison, highly vulnerable.
To put it bluntly, he had expected to settle the matter within an hour.
But to his surprise, Lawrence's counterattack was far fiercer than anticipated.
"My Lord, it seems Lawrence has prepared thoroughly. They dug the moat deep to block our advance and even prepared boiling oil. Judging by how they unhesitatingly unleashed a barrage of arrows from the very start, they also seem to have secured an ample supply of war materials."
It was his adjutant speaking.
An instant wave of irritation washed over the Viscount.
One week.
That grace period had not been granted for the enemy to prepare.
He had intended to corner Lawrence and force their surrender, but contrary to his expectations, they had chosen to fight to the death.
According to our calculations, Lawrence should have surrendered to preserve at least some of their land. We completely blocked any possibility of them forming an alliance and held a clear numerical advantage. Yet, they locked their gates, prepared for the destruction of their house. Where did we go wrong? They shouldn't have had the courage to risk their lives when we offered them a way out.
Barco's plan.
From the beginning, they had not wanted an actual war.
The Golden Bank and the Arbiter were merely safeguards for contingencies; their true intention was to choke the enemy into submission.
And now, the plan had gone completely awry.
Though it had only been thirty minutes, Lawrence's defense was highly organized. Judging by how they had set fire to their own fields, they seemed prepared for a prolonged siege. Just thinking about it gave him a headache. As Flora had predicted, the Barco family had borrowed a massive sum of money from the Golden Bank. Settling this conflict as quickly as possible was the only way to minimize losses and ensure Barco's survival.
"My Lord, what are your orders?"
The adjutant carefully gauged his reaction.
They had lost dozens of soldiers in the brief skirmish.
They had only intended to test Lawrence's strength, but the fierce counterattack had killed their men before they could even properly deploy.
Viscount Lawrence is not a strong-willed man. He is the kind of coward who shrinks back in times of crisis, just as he tried to sell off his precious daughter to the Dmitry family under our pressure. Yet, his choice to fight to the death means there has been a change within. He would never have made such a choice if he believed there was no chance of winning. They clearly understand the advantage of dragging this out into a long-term conflict.
His mind raced.
This war.
It was entirely Viscount Barco's design.
He had manipulated his son, Antony Barco, and used a forged document to pick a fight with Lawrence, ultimately leading to this war.
They were almost at the end.
This was the climax of his plan, and he had absolutely no intention of giving up Lawrence's fertile lands now.
"What else? Go prepare that immediately."
"...Understood."
That.
Viscount Barco let out a chilling smile.
There was one fact the Lawrence family had overlooked.
Viscount Barco had merely wanted to win with minimal expenditure; he had never once worried about the possibility of defeat.
The Golden Bank.
They had lent him far more money than anyone realized.
And that money was more than enough to introduce a decisive variable into this war.
* * *
Atop the castle walls.
The Lawrence soldiers moved busily.
Though smiles lingered on their faces from their victory in the first clash, they knew this was no time to relax.
"Move, move! Hurry up!"
"Those Barco bastards could attack again at any moment. Stay sharp and keep hauling those weapons!"
A single victory.
It had given them confidence.
They had merely been frightened beforehand; Barco was not an invincible foe.
Viscount Lawrence spoke.
"Flora, you were right. Simply preparing a standard defense was enough to hold off Barco's assault. How on earth did you think of this? You only learned the basic refinements of nobility at the Academy. I have never heard of you receiving any instruction in military strategy."
Flora's transformation.
It was completely unexpected.
From setting fire to the fields to the preparations for the siege defense, everything had been driven by Flora's active suggestions.
Flora looked at the soldiers.
She was dressed just like them.
While she usually wore elegant dresses befitting a noble lady, she now wore armor over her upper body in preparation for combat. Hoping to be of some help, she had even practiced archery over the past few days. Of course, a mere few days of practice would not make her skilled enough to reliably hit a target, but seeing Flora take such an active role greatly boosted the soldiers' morale.
The Flower of Lawrence.
Flora was the symbol of Lawrence.
Because she refused to give up until the very end, the Lawrence soldiers were able to prepare for the siege without losing hope.
Flora spoke.
"As you said, Father, the Academy did not teach me military strategy. They told me that as a noble lady, I would never have to step onto a battlefield, so there was no need to learn such things. But seeing the Barco family's actions made me realize that I must become strong. I didn't want to be a greenhouse flower, waiting for someone else to solve all my problems. I wanted to be able to identify the issues we face and develop the ability to resolve them myself. So, I studied on my own. This is the direction I wish to take with my life from now on."
"...Flora."
"Please do not worry too much. This is what I chose to do."
Flora's words.
They broke his heart.
If only their family had possessed more power, she would never have had to experience such things. Yet, in such a short span of time, Flora had suddenly grown up.
Still, he was proud of her.
Proud that she was his daughter.
His precious child had grown up beautifully without him even realizing it.
"Once this matter with Barco is resolved, I will never interfere in your life again. I am sorry for forcing the marriage with Dmitry on you. Back then, I thought it was the only way for you to survive as our family collapsed. But now, I trust that you will make the right choice in any situation."
With that, their conversation was put on hold.
To be precise, they had no choice but to put it on hold.
"Ah!"
"No way?!"
The soldiers gasped in panic.
Beyond the castle walls.
From the Barco camp, it was beginning to reveal itself.
Its identity.
Its overall shape resembled a catapult.
However, those who saw it immediately realized that it was completely different from a simple catapult.
"Are they insane?!"
"Barco prepared a Flare!"
The Flare.
It was the name of a siege weapon.
Designed in the shape of a catapult, the Flare was built to launch projectiles at castle walls—projectiles that were actually magical artifacts capable of causing massive explosions. A single shot cost dozens of gold, making it an astronomically expensive magical weapon. It was literally throwing money into the sky, but the Flare was renowned for its guaranteed destructive power.
This was an unexpected development.
No matter how much money Barco had borrowed, Lawrence hadn't expected them to have the connections and wealth required to rent a Flare.
"Everyone, to your positions!"
"Prepare for the attack!"
Amidst the frantic rush, Flora's face turned pale.
She had studied military strategy for the past few days, and because of that, she knew all too well what kind of devastating power the Flare possessed.
Once the Flare begins its assault, the walls will crumble in an instant. The intense flames will tear down the walls and incinerate all the soldiers stationed on top of them. There are only two ways to stop a Flare: counter it with an equivalent magical weapon, or open the gates and charge out to destroy it.
The former was impossible.
Lawrence lacked the resources. In truth, magical weapons like the Flare could not be acquired with money alone.
But choosing the second option?
That was suicide.
It was then.
The Flare spat fire, launching a massive fireball.
Boom!
Rumble!
"Argh!"
"Aaaargh!"
With just a single shot, the top of the wall turned into a living hell.
Fortunately, the wall did not collapse, but the soldiers shrieked as their skin burned and melted. And that was just from a near miss. If they took a direct hit from the fireball, the destructive power would be so immense that dozens of soldiers would be incinerated instantly before they could even scream.
Her mind went blank.
An enemy force that exceeded all limits.
This was not in the strategy books.
The books said that fleeing was the best option in such a scenario, but unfortunately, there was nowhere to retreat behind the walls.
I cannot give up like this.
She gritted her teeth.
Flora gripped her bow.
Determined to do something, anything.
Just as she was struggling to find a way, a maid rushed over and shouted to her.
"My Lady! My Lady! We have just received a message from Roman Dmitry!"
"Now? That Roman from Dmitry?"
Roman.
An entirely unexpected name had suddenly cropped up.
She did not know the reason for his contact.
But since that was not what mattered right now, Flora turned her head, intending to run back to the wall.
However...
"Roman Dmitry told me to convey this: 'Lawrence is in crisis. I have a way to help, so answer my call.'"
At those words, Flora had no choice but to stop in her tracks.