Chapter 114 - Chapter 113: Conversation
The noble of the Lancel Kingdom army, captured by Noein's golems, was stripped of his armor while still unconscious after the battle, sat in a chair, and bound tightly with rope.
Water was splashed over the noble's head, and his consciousness finally returned.
As the noble raised his soaking wet face, he found himself surrounded by Frederick, Noein, and Yuri.
"...Tch."
Understanding his situation, the noble clicked his tongue.
"Officer of the Lancel Kingdom army. Judging by your armor, I perceive you to be a noble of some renown," Frederick said, looking at the armor placed in the corner of the room.
The Lancel Kingdom was supposed to have built its social structure based on the status and nobility systems of the Lordberg Kingdom during its founding, and thinking based on that, this noble was likely of the Baron or Viscount class.
Despite being a high-ranking noble, the reason he had been so far forward on the front lines was perhaps because he craved the merit of being the first to enter the fort.
"Did you kidnap me intending to use me as a hostage? How utterly cowardly... Even if you hold the life of one man, the advance of the Lancel Kingdom army will not stop. If you're going to kill me, then kill me!"
To the noble who spoke as if spitting words, the next to speak was Noein.
"We don't particularly think we can stop the enemy by taking you alone as a hostage... We invited you here because there were a few things we wanted to ask."
Noein spoke in a light tone, as if starting a casual chat, with a smile that appeared friendly at first glance. Combined with an appearance that looked youthful for his age, the noble looked at him with blatant contempt.
"Shut your mouth, you damn brat! I have nothing to say to the likes of you! You low-lifes who attack pettily from atop the walls with unrecognizable weapons, and in the end, even use excrement as a weapon!"
At the noble's words, Noein thought to himself that one cannot afford to be picky about weapons when it comes to surviving, but on the surface, he continued to speak with a gentle smile.
"On our end, we would like to settle this through a peaceful conversation, and we wouldn't be averse to releasing you once the talk is over... Is that not acceptable?"
"Enough!"
Even though Noein acted humble and asked politely, the noble did not stop being stubborn.
"Then it can't be helped. We don't have much leeway on our side..."
While smiling gently, Noein took something out from his clothes to show the noble.
In the noble's eyes, it looked like a small arrow.
"These are the arrows we've been showering upon the Lancel Kingdom army from atop the walls. You understand, right?"
As he said this, Noein held the arrow in a reverse grip, poised over the man's leg.
"W-what, wait!"
Ignoring the man's plea, Noein swung his hand down. The arrow pierced the man's thigh.
"Guaaaah!!"
Immediately after, the man let out a muddy groan.
"...Wow, that looks painful," Noein said with a wry smile, as if it were someone else's problem. Frederick and Yuri, standing to his left and right, maintained expressionless faces while feeling a slight sympathy for the man.
"Hff! Hff!"
The man gritted his teeth and exhaled, enduring the pain. Since the arrow had missed major blood vessels, his life should not be in danger, but it seemed that pain was still pain.
Noein inserted a needle near the man's wound. The tip of the needle was coated with "Angel's Honey," diluted to an appropriate concentration to serve as a strong painkiller.
As the "Angel's Honey" took effect, the man's trembling gradually subsided.
"Well, in this manner, if you won't speak with us, you'll encounter quite painful experiences, you know? The leg where I injected the painkiller will be fine, but there's the other leg. And you have two hands as well."
The noble looked at Noein, who spoke matter-of-factly while maintaining his smile, with eyes full of terror. Greasy sweat floated on his face.
"What we want to know isn't anything major. We just want to know why you are so desperate to attack the fortress zone, and how you intend to invade the Lordberg Kingdom this time. Speaking of just that much shouldn't be a problem, right? If you capture this fort and defeat us, it will be as if you never said anything at all."
"..."
"If we can hear what we want to hear, we'll release you immediately. As an apology for the rough treatment, we'll use a magic potion on your wound. Besides, once you return to your own camp, there should be healing mages, right? It will likely heal beautifully without leaving a scar."
When Noein made the proposal, the noble, still sweating, showed an expression as if he were contemplating.
"...Will you not speak with us? Then it can't be helped; next is the other leg—"
"W-wait! I understand! I'll talk! I'll talk if it's just that much, so stop!"
When Noein took out another arrow, the noble screamed.
.....
That night. Having spat out information, the noble of the Lancel Kingdom army was treated as promised, released from his restraints, returned his armor, and was thrown out from the fort's gate, returning to the enemy camp with a somewhat unnatural gait.
"Noein-dono, was it truly alright to return that noble to the enemy?"
"Yes. If there's no use for him as a hostage, it would just be a hassle to keep him detained here... Besides, if word of what was done to him spreads among the enemy, that alone will serve as a deterrent. I certainly want it to be widely known what happens when one is captured by us."
When Noein replied with a refreshing smile, Frederick also let out a strained laugh.
"...Since Jinozze died in battle, you've changed a bit. You were already prone to devising original strategies, but you seem even more liberated now."
The act of throwing excrement is something that would normally evoke a sense of revulsion, and the act of torturing an enemy general to spread the word would make an ordinary person hesitate. Even if they were to carry it out, they wouldn't do so while wearing a cool smile like Noein.
"Compared to life, pride and ethics have very little value."
If it increased the probability of returning alive, he would gladly use any method, whether dirty or cruel. That was how Noein thought.
"...Even so, to think the enemy's main objective was this fortress zone."
Frederick changed the subject, speaking about the matters elicited from the noble who had just departed.
According to the noble, the total number of the Lancel Kingdom army was approximately 18,000. Because they had scraped together mercenaries and conscripts, it was about 3,000 more than the Lordberg Kingdom's estimate.
Furthermore, the enemy's main force had built a strong field fortification and was focusing entirely on defense against the Lordberg Kingdom's main body. Their number was approximately 10,000.
Meanwhile, a separate detachment of 8,000 would conquer the fortress zone, circle around to the rear of the Lordberg Kingdom army's main body, and execute a pincer attack... that was the strategy of the Lancel Kingdom army.
The Lordberg Kingdom's initial outlook had been greatly mistaken, and the defense units of the fortress zone were the ones paying the price.
"Now that it's come to this, it's a contest of whether the Lancel Kingdom army's separate detachment seizes the fortress zone first, or whether the Lordberg Kingdom army's main body conquers the enemy's field fortification first."
"Yeah... In an unexpected way, our desperate struggle has come to determine the victory or defeat of this war," Frederick muttered with a bitter face, nodding at Noein's words.
.....
The battle from the following day took a completely different form. The Lancel Kingdom army stopped trying to close in and attack Barrel Fort.
The Lancel Kingdom army lined up at a distance from the fort, attempting to gradually wear down the defenders with simultaneous volleys from archers. Occasionally, fireballs from the enemy's fire mages would fly into the fort, scattering flames to cause damage.
In response, the defenders fought back with Crossbow fire, attempting to kill as many enemies as possible. At times, they opened the gates to fire arrows from the Ballista.
Noein also used golems to throw spears, stones, explosive arrow magic items, and occasionally even the corpses of enemy soldiers recovered inside the fort into the enemy camp, attempting to deal both physical and psychological damage.
"Since they're avoiding melee combat to this extent, it seems the enemy has completely decided to attack us with a war of attrition. They seem intimidated, knowing that if they close in, they'll be snatched by golems or hit by excrement attacks."
"It seems some soldiers in the enemy army have fallen ill because they were showered in excrement, so the attack from the other day had an unexpected effect."
In the command room of the headquarters building, Noein was having this conversation with Frederick.
"Yeah, indeed... I'll say it again, but I'm in awe of your ideas, Noein-dono."
"I just want to return alive with my subordinates. I'll do anything for that."
To Noein, who said this while laughing, Frederick responded with a wry smile.
Even while the two were talking, the sounds of Yuri, Pence, and Frederick's adjutant commanding soldiers and engaging in skirmishes with the enemy could be heard outside the building.
Nearly a week had already passed since they entered this phase of wearing each other down.
"That said, it's a slow decline now. It's become a complete test of endurance against the enemy's field fortification."
"True... we are overwhelmingly at a disadvantage."
"Likely. After all, we didn't think this would become a long-term siege."
The main force of the Lancel Kingdom army, which had constructed a field fortification with 10,000 troops on the premise of a war of attrition, versus the Lordberg Kingdom's defense units, who were holed up in their respective forts with only a few hundred small forces. It went without saying which side had more stamina.
In the first place, the Lordberg Kingdom side had not prepared for a long-term war. Even though they had reduced the daily rations for the soldiers, food was already hitting rock bottom, and Crossbow arrows were beginning to run short. Only a few explosive arrows remained.
Furthermore, the Lancel Kingdom army took up positions in front of the fort and showered them with arrows and magic regardless of day or night, which was unbearable. Not only was it impossible to go outside and recover Crossbow arrows, but before that, they couldn't even sleep peacefully.
Saving food and staying hungry, cutting sleep and lacking concentration—the physical and mental strength of the Barrel Fort defense unit was steadily being worn away.
"Even if we tighten our belts to the limit and hold on, we'll probably last another two days... Until then, we have no choice but to believe and wait for the main body to defeat the enemy's main force and come to our rescue. In the worst case, we'll slaughter the horses and eat them."
For a soldier, a military horse is a comrade-in-arms. Viewing them as food requires considerable courage.
"True. If even that doesn't work, let's just kidnap the enemy and eat them."
"Hahaha... you'd go that far?"
"Yes, I would. To return alive."
To Frederick, who tried to brush it off thinking it was a joke, Noein replied with a smile but in a serious tone.