Chapter 74
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Calculated Measures
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!*
"Next, ready!"
*CREAK!*
*SCREECH!*
"Fire!"
*SWOOOOSH!*
*THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!*
The movements were flawless.
Two and a half months had passed since they abandoned the gold mine base and returned to the unit.
In another week, ownership of the gold mine base would be completely transferred to the Iren Kingdom.
At most, they had two or three days before they had to face them in a decisive battle once more.
Demian watched the archer unit before him.
A special unit formed by selecting fifty men who showed at least some potential in archery.
The intense training they had endured with the 3rd Squad Leader for three months finally seemed to be bearing fruit.
*Ssk.*
Demian looked at the arrows embedded in the targets.
Seeing every arrow strike true, without a single miss, a picture began to form in his mind.
Demian nodded.
"That's enough. 3rd Squad Leader, step forward."
"Sir."
The 3rd Squad Leader quickly approached Demian, who then spoke.
"When we retake the base, as our allies start climbing the hill, the archer unit will provide cover fire from below. Soldiers with good mobility will advance alongside them for close support. You will make that call yourself based on the situation."
"Understood."
As the 3rd Squad Leader nodded, Demian looked over to where the other squad leaders were.
Each was diligently carrying out their assigned training.
Their shield skills, in particular, were now superior to those of most regular army soldiers.
It was only natural.
Though the period was short, they had trained every day for nearly four months.
Besides, hadn't the Iren Kingdom already fallen victim to their square formation charge tactic once before?
'They've probably devised a solid strategy to counter it.'
That was why he had prepared *that* as their trump card.
Demian headed toward the other squad leaders and their unit members.
Demian spoke to the 1st Squad Leader.
"Are you getting used to it?"
"Perfectly. We can now understand each other with just a look."
"Good."
Their movements weren't one hundred percent satisfactory.
But even at this level, it was more than enough to be effective in a real battle.
Demian turned around.
"That's all for today's training. Get plenty of rest for the next two days. Two days from now... we will go to retake that gold mine base."
"Sir!"
Everyone was brimming with confidence.
And for good reason.
What they had accomplished on their own was no small feat.
For nearly four months, they hadn't wasted a single day.
They underwent over fifteen hours of high-intensity training daily, and considerable attention was paid to their nutrition as well.
'...Though it cost me a fortune.'
Covering the cost of meat for over 150 men for nearly four months was a much larger expense than he had anticipated.
And that wasn't all.
He constantly had to slip money to Seoreil, who would show up and loiter around the unit just when he was about to be forgotten, in order to get the necessary supplies.
In the past four months, the money Demian had spent here was enough to buy a small house in a provincial city.
Of course, thanks to the investment from the Hamel Merchant Guild, it wasn't a significant burden.
*Crackle, crackle.*
Night fell, and the torches lit around the unit cast their light.
Demian stepped outside and gazed in the direction of the gold mine base.
*Ssk.*
"...What are you doing up?"
Demian asked, looking at the 3rd Squad Leader who had suddenly appeared beside him.
The 3rd Squad Leader seemed to have a lot on his mind. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke to Demian.
"Do you happen to remember what the 1st Squad Leader said the other day?"
"What the 1st Squad Leader said? What was that?"
"About joining your unit... if we wanted to."
"Ah, you heard that?"
The 3rd Squad Leader gave a faint smile in response to Demian's question.
Coming from a man who was usually expressionless, Demian found the smile quite pleasant.
The 3rd Squad Leader said,
"Everyone in the unit already knows. The 1st Squad Leader was boasting that he'd already spoken to you about it."
"Hmm... I'll have to set aside a day to re-educate him."
It was just an offhand remark, but.
*Flinch!*
The 3rd Squad Leader started and said in alarm,
"Ah, no, sir. There's no need to go that far..."
"I'm joking."
"...Sir?"
"It was a joke. Well, I suppose he might say something like that. Though nothing's been decided yet, of course."
"Ah... is that so?"
"Why? Do you want to remain a soldier too?"
Demian asked. The 3rd Squad Leader lifted the bow he had brought with him and replied.
"Yes. I didn't realize it before, but I feel a sense of calm when I'm shooting a bow. It makes me wonder if this is my true calling."
"Hehehe, you certainly have a talent for it. I've never seen anyone learn the bow as quickly as you."
To be precise, it wasn't that the 3rd Squad Leader's skill had improved; he was simply a natural from the start.
After drawing the bowstring just a few times, he was already hitting the target with ease.
But what was even more remarkable about him was his exceptional ability to teach others.
In truth, Demian had only assigned him the role because there was no one else.
'To think he created an archer unit on par with the regular army in just three months.'
Of course, it was only possible because the fifty men selected had a certain degree of dexterity themselves.
But beyond that, it was the man's knack for teaching that allowed Demian to fit the necessary piece into his puzzle.
Demian said.
"Let's talk about that after this is all over. You need to have your sentence reduced before you can live as a soldier, anyway."
"Yes, that's right."
"How long is your sentence?"
"...Eleven years."
"Even with a reduction, you'll still have to serve a year."
"Yes."
"For now... let's focus on the task at hand."
"Understood."
After that, the two of them simply stood in silence, gazing toward the dark gold mine.
Even if they recaptured it, they would still have to defend it for three months.
"It won't be easy."
Having lost it once, the enemy would surely grit their teeth and fight to hold on the second time.
Moreover, they were in a position where they had to retake and defend the gold mine base with only their current members, without any reinforcements.
'First... the priority is to recapture the base with minimal casualties.'
Demian ran countless simulations in his head, painting a picture of the battlefield.
And so, two days passed.
* * *
*BWAAAAAAAAAAH!*
The blare of a horn echoed loudly.
At the sound, the expressions of the Maxtree unit members stiffened, hardening like stone.
But just then.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. You've all worked harder than anyone else over the past few months."
I can guarantee it.
"Right now, there isn't a single soldier on this continent who has trained harder than you. Believe in yourselves."
"Sir!"
Their morale soaring, they pulled on their supplied helmets.
They wore helmets and shields, leather cuirasses and greaves, and carried easy-to-handle short swords.
They now looked quite a bit like a regular army.
Seeing them, Demian turned.
"Advance."
*THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!*
They deliberately stomped their feet, creating an intimidating presence.
As the Maxtree unit members, charging in their square formation, entered the enemy's range.
"Shield formation!"
*CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!*
They pressed close together, raising their shields to become one giant shield wall.
And then.
"...So they're finally here."
The enemy had certainly changed.
Godwin knew it too.
He knew they were a unit composed of worthless criminals.
But three months ago, when he had recaptured this place, they had been different.
They were no longer the reckless chargers with no tactics he remembered, but a unit that employed advanced formations.
Perhaps...
"They might even be better than the Baroque Kingdom's regular army."
Their tactics and formations were that excellent.
However, they weren't foolish enough to fall for the same tactic twice.
"Go on, bring it."
Godwin watched them approach.
"...Captain! There are a ton of obstacles up ahead!"
Obstacles made of sharpened wooden stakes, as thick as a man's forearm, driven into the ground at an angle.
Seeing the stakes planted sparsely every two or three paces, the 1st Squad Leader at the front shouted.
There weren't many obstacles, but just their presence made it impossible for the dense shield formation to pass through.
Watching the Maxtree unit members halt before the obstacles, Godwin's eyes sharpened.
'What's your plan?'
If they tried to push through, their tight formation would break.
They would either have to remove the obstacles or go around them.
And at that moment.
*Ssk.*
Godwin glanced at the archer unit hiding in the dugout.
The moment his order was given, their arrows would blot out the sky.
And planting the obstacles had been effective.
The enemy tried to move sideways to avoid them, but.
"Hehehehehe. There's no way for that entire mass to get around the obstacles while maintaining its formation."
He had installed the obstacles over a very wide area, forcing them to halt their advance.
In the end, they either had to break formation to get past the obstacles or stop to remove them.
Next, Godwin looked at the catapult installed at the very top of the hill.
There was only one, but if the enemy stopped to remove the obstacles...
'I'll take careful aim and smash them to pieces.'
He should be able to fire the catapult at least once or twice.
But that alone would be enough.
Even a near miss would instantly kill at least a dozen of them.
This was a small-scale battle with few combatants to begin with.
In such a fight, a catapult was bound to be an object of terror for the enemy.
"...Captain, up there..."
"A catapult, huh? They really prepared."
And on top of that, the large rocks and logs placed further up the hill.
They must have realized that arrows were useless against the shield formation.
The enemy had also made considerable preparations over the past three months.
'Losing to an irregular unit must have really wounded their pride.'
He didn't know who the enemy commander was, but the man deserved some praise.
'Then again, that must be how he's managed to hold out in this contested zone for so long.'
He hadn't expected a catapult, but...
'Still, I figured they would prepare this much.'
As they approached the obstacles, Demian looked at his men.
"Move on my signal! And after you get into formation, the most important thing is to get to the front of the hill as fast as possible!"
"Sir!"
"From now on, it's a battle of speed, so everyone stay sharp and follow me!"
"Understood!"
Following the unit's reply, just as they reached the obstacles.
"Disperse!"
"Hyaaaaaaaah!"
At Demian's command, the Maxtree unit members began to scatter rapidly.
At the same time, Godwin's eyes flashed.
'They've split up!'
"Archer unit, to your positions!"
*SHUFFLE! SHUFFLE! SHUFFLE! SHUFFLE!*
The soldiers who had been hiding in the dugout all took their stances, bows in hand.
They were ready to loose their arrows the moment the order was given.
"...!"
The enemy had clearly scattered.
It was now impossible for them to defend against all the arrows while moving with only the shields they carried.
No, he had *thought* it would be impossible.
But...
"What is that?"
Godwin's eyes widened in shock.