Chapter 110 - Episode 109: Night Raid
The day after Noein proposed migration to the beastmen, there was still no sign of the Lancel Kingdom army attacking.
However, the expressions of Frederick, Noein, and the officers were grim.
"...The enemy has increased too much."
"They have clearly exceeded 1,000. No matter how advantageous it is for the defending side to fight, the difference in numbers is too great."
As the executives gathered in the command room, Frederick and his adjutant spoke with gravity.
"The fact that the enemy is concentrating this much combat power on a single location like Barrel Fort means... other frontline forts may have already fallen."
"The other forts don't have this many Crossbows or Ballistas. If the enemy numbers are higher than expected, there are likely places that cannot hold out."
Nodding to the two, Yuri and Pence also spoke.
"True... the enemy seems to be preparing for the Ballistas as well, so it will likely become even more severe next time. Noein-dono, shall we use the golems as a trump card?"
If golems were deployed in melee combat, they could inflict great damage and shock upon the enemy. However, once the enemy learned of the threat of Noein's golems, they would likely devise some kind of countermeasure.
As Frederick said, the golems were a trump card. Once this card was played, there would be no more surprise tactics to stun the enemy.
"You're right. It would be counterproductive to lose because we held back, so let's use them... however, with over 1,000 enemies, it will be difficult to suppress everything with just my two golems. As expected, we lack the necessary number of attacks."
"I suppose so... in that case, I remain uneasy as things are. I want one more plan. Something that will create further agitation among the enemy... does anyone have a good idea?"
Asked by Frederick, everyone fell into thought.
"...If we could take out the enemy commander, we could cause great chaos."
"Easier said than done; the problem is how to take him out. The commander is always in the rear of the enemy lines."
Yuri answered with a sigh to Pence, who had let the words slip.
"...Um, I've thought of something."
Then, Noein looked toward everyone while hesitantly raising his hand.
.....
That night. After the sun had already set and the surroundings had grown dark, there was a group preparing to depart from Barrel Fort.
"Jinozze, Boreas, and everyone else... is this really okay? Even though I'm the one who proposed it, this role is incredibly dangerous. It wouldn't be strange if you died."
They were to leave the fort and act now to execute the plan Noein had devised. Everyone had volunteered for a mission that carried the risk of death.
The beastmen, who possessed night vision, were divided into a foot unit led by Boreas and a mounted unit led by Jinozze. Jinozze's son, Kenooze, was also in the mounted unit.
"With all due respect, Excellency, both Boreas and I have a duty to save our comrades from the same village. I believe I have the determination to accomplish that. The others also volunteered for this duty for the sake of their friends, siblings, and the parents and children who are taking refuge. We are prepared."
"Even if I should die, I will have no regrets if I know my family and comrades survived and can live happily in the Baron-sama's territory."
To Noein's inquiry, both Jinozze and Boreas answered in powerful voices.
"...I understand, thank you. I swear that I will accept all the conscripts and their families into my territory, so please be at ease. Please come back safely."
"As a commander, I also thank you for your determination. I wish you luck in battle."
""Ha!""
Jinozze, Boreas, and the volunteers gave a salute to Frederick and Noein, then departed from the rear of the fort, toward the east gate.
Watching them off, Frederick turned toward Noein.
"Now, let us begin our movements as well. We don't have much time."
"Yes."
.....
Those led by Boreas were a dozen or so beastmen with night vision, such as lion-folk, tiger-folk, and cat-folk. A few of them held Crossbows in their hands.
For a normal human, it was a dark night where one would struggle to see even a few meters ahead without the light of a torch. Countless torches were lit in the enemy camp, securing a bright area amidst the pitch-black plains.
Toward that place, Boreas and his group approached slowly, keeping their postures low and hiding in the grass.
Boreas, leading the way, spotted two soldiers keeping watch from the edge of the enemy camp.
Both enemies were cat-type beastmen and should have had night vision, but whether they were exhausted from days of fighting or treated poorly by the Lancel Kingdom army, they didn't seem very motivated. There was no sign of them noticing Boreas and the others.
"...Sentries. There are two. Take them out simultaneously, don't miss."
Boreas gave instructions in a hushed voice. In response, two cat-folk men stepped forward and readied their Crossbows.
"Three... two... one... fire!"
The Crossbow strings twanged, and in the next instant, the Lancel Kingdom army sentries fell silently. One had an arrow in the head, the other in the neck; both died without time to make a sound.
"Good, let's move closer. Scatter... once you've fulfilled your role, return to the fort based on your own judgment."
The beastmen nodded silently to Boreas's whispered instructions, then split into groups of a few and slipped into the Lancel Kingdom army's camp.
A few minutes later. Inside the camp, a sound like pottery breaking echoed.
A Lancel Kingdom army soldier who noticed the sound walked toward where it had come from.
There, he encountered a blazing tent and several suspicious beastmen standing before it.
"!? Th-the enemy is—"
Before the soldier could scream, a suspicious beastman—Boreas—closed in, covered the soldier's mouth with one hand, and plunged a sword into his neck with the other. Strength left the soldier's entire body, and he collapsed.
"Good, next."
Boreas muttered and moved on with several subordinates.
Then, upon finding the place where food was being stockpiled—he threw a ceramic magic tool there.
The Explosive Flame Arrow magic tool was something Noein had devised based on a weapon where the mouth of a pot filled with oil was plugged with cloth, lit, and thrown at the enemy.
While it was made with the premise of being launched by a Ballista, it could also be used by throwing it by hand, just like the weapon that inspired it. Boreas and the others were putting that into practice this time.
They threw a total of three magic tools to start fires in tents where enemies were sleeping and among important supplies such as food. Additionally, they knocked over torches set up in the camp to start small fires. Other teams were likely carrying out similar sabotage in other locations.
While this was happening, the enemy noticed the abnormal situation and began to make a commotion, shouting "Fire!" and "Put out the fire!"
"It's almost time... let's do the finishing touch."
After speaking to his subordinates, Boreas took a breath... and screamed from the bottom of his stomach.
"Enemy attack! The enemy has infiltrated the camp!"
"Enemy! Gyaaaaah!"
"There are enemies everywhere!"
Following Boreas's lead, the subordinates also screamed. Those words plunged the Lancel Kingdom army soldiers into terror.
There were enemies everywhere. They had entered the camp. Thinking this, and combined with the confusion of waking up, the soldiers entered a state of panic, grabbed their swords, ran wildly through the camp, and slashed at other people they encountered.
The soldiers who were attacked also swung their swords to fight back. After cutting down their opponent and looking closely, they found it was an ally... such confusion occurred throughout the camp.
Furthermore, soldiers whose tents were burned and who became balls of fire ran around while letting out death screams, and the fire spread as they collapsed into other tents. In another place, soldiers tried desperately to stop the food from burning and turning to ash.
Officers rushed about, trying to calm the panicked soldiers and search for the enemies who had infiltrated the camp.
However, by that time, Boreas and the others were no longer inside the camp. They had long since left the scene and returned to Barrel Fort. Consequently, the Lancel Kingdom army continued to tremble in fear of an enemy that was nowhere to be found.
Meanwhile, at the center of the camp, a man who was the commander was shouting orders. Several guard soldiers were gathered around him.
"Calm down! Everyone, calm down! What is happening! Report!"
The man, who had lost reliable aides in the previous battle, strained his voice to somehow lead the army that had swelled with reinforcements. Thanks to his efforts, reports began to gather from the officers here and there.
"Fires have been set in various places! Even to the food!"
"The food is stored in dispersed locations, so it's fine! Work on extinguishing the fires without panicking! Gather those who can use water magic!"
"It's an enemy attack! There are enemies everywhere!"
"That's impossible! Is there anyone who has seen the enemy? ...Not a single person? Then it's a trap to cause friendly fire! Make them stop!"
It was about an hour later before the confusion of the Lancel Kingdom army subsided.