Chapter 233 - Episode 226: Confusion ③
The Baronry of Rosbroke, located around the northwest of the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Lordberg, was originally a poor Baronetcy, and as such, its scale is very small with a population of about 800 people. There is not yet a place that could be called a capital; most of the residents live in a single large village called the "Main Village."
Around that Main Village, reasonably vast potato fields and oat fields now spread out.
Since Viowulf is a highly skilled earth mage, he can do the work of more than 100 farmers alone when it comes to cultivation. Because of this, the Baronry of Rosbroke has considerable leeway in agricultural labor, and they have been producing potatoes obtained during the occupation of Karenu village three years ago, as well as oats imported from afar, as side projects alongside the wheat.
Using that as a foundation, from this spring, he had the residents cultivate potatoes and oats to compensate for the poor wheat harvest. Now, ridges of potatoes from the second planting stand in rows, and the ears of oats awaiting the autumn harvest sway in the wind.
Of course, Viowulf also devotes himself to farm work, striving to increase the expected harvest amount. Using his surplus magical power, he even goes as far as cultivating edible wild plants. Even so, food conditions will likely become somewhat tight around winter, but it should be far better compared to other noble territories in the southwest.
Such is the Baronry of Rosbroke, but it is currently facing a different problem.
An attack by bandits.
The farmland spreading around the Main Village. Standing at its northern edge, Viowulf glared at the northern forest along with about 20 armed residents. It was the direction where a soldier who seemed to be a scout for the bandit group had been spotted a moment ago.
Viowulf was currently fully armed. He wore chainmail inherited from his deceased father, with only the size adjusted, wore a helmet, and held a leather shield reinforced with a metal frame. He carried no weapon, as it would interfere with the exercise of magic. He did not ride a horse, as operating one would steal his concentration.
The House of Rosbroke, having become high nobility, possesses a territorial army of fewer than 20 people, and using those regular soldiers as the core, they had organized a defense force by gathering the men of the village. Around Viowulf, four regular soldiers and a dozen or so militia members were tightening their defense.
Just then, an elderly chief retainer on horseback arrived, leading two cavalrymen. They had returned from scouting the perimeter.
"Your Excellency, I report. We have confirmed shadows thought to be enemy scouts in the forest on the southwest side of the Main Village. There are no enemy shadows in other directions."
"...I see. Then, between the enemy soldiers seen in this northern forest and the enemy soldiers to the southwest, one is likely a decoy detachment and the other is the main force."
Viowulf answered in a calm tone.
For several weeks, there had been rumors that refugees in this area were forming gangs and turning into bandits, and it was said that their scale exceeded 100 people.
That bandit group seemed to be centered around farmers from villages that had collapsed due to the poor harvest, and while they primarily used farm horses, it was said there were about 20 cavalry. Their breakthrough power could not be underestimated. If they entered the village and took the girls as hostages, a massive amount of food would likely be stolen.
In contrast, the military strength of the Baronry of Rosbroke was fewer than 300 people, even after scraping together the male farmers. Though they had the numbers, the elderly and minors among them were assigned to the defense within the village. With the remaining 200-plus people, it was difficult to cover the entire area around the Main Village. They had to confirm the enemy's position through scouting and deploy troops accurately.
"...Serjan, what do you think would be best?"
The chief retainer, asked by Viowulf, showed a gesture of thinking for a few seconds before speaking.
"While they are hiding in the forest, it is impossible to know whether the north or the southwest is the enemy's main force. Either we gamble on one side, or we split our forces in two to prepare for the case that either is the main force... those are the only two options."
"I see. But I cannot take a dangerous gamble. Let us split the units. Serjan, gather the soldiers watching the other directions as well, and intercept the southwest enemy at 180 degrees. I will intercept the northern enemy here with these 20 people."
"Will that number of soldiers be sufficient?"
"Who do you think I am? If it is just around 100 people and we intercept them head-on, there is no problem. I'll bury them."
When Viowulf answered with a smirk, the chief retainer also laughed as if letting out a breath.
"Understood. Then I shall take command of the remaining soldiers. Good luck in battle, Your Excellency."
"Yeah. You too."
Watching the retreating back of the chief retainer, Viowulf spoke to the men securing his surroundings.
"If the enemy's main force is hiding in the north, I believe I can bury the majority of them. However, depending on the numbers, some may break through. I'll leave it to you then, alright?"
"Leave it to us! We'll kill 'em all!"
"We won't let 'em lay a single finger on the Lord!"
"I will protect you with my life!"
To Viowulf's words, everyone from the farmers holding only crude spears and hastily made wooden shields to the still-young territorial army soldiers with slightly better equipment responded and nodded vigorously.
"Reliable. I expect a hard fight from you. I will also protect you all with everything I've got."
He straightened the formation once more and prepared for the enemy attack.
Less than five minutes later, there was movement.
A roar echoed from the southwest, and both Viowulf and the other soldiers instinctively looked in that direction.
"Is that... a flame bullet?"
Looking at the black smoke rising into the sky, Viowulf muttered with a slightly bitter expression. It seemed there was a reasonably capable mage among the bandits. Perhaps they had joined forces with some desperate mercenaries.
"Viowulf-sama..."
"It's fine. Even if the bandits have a mage, it's likely only that one person. They won't be able to fire flame bullets in rapid succession. Serjan, a former royal army knight, can handle it."
While answering the shaken militia soldiers in a voice he strove to keep calm, Viowulf thought internally that with that level of power, there might have been deaths among the residents.
The next moment, that thought was interrupted by the territorial army soldier standing at the front of the formation.
"E-enemy in front! A huge number... there are nearly 100! There are cavalry too!"
Hearing the soldier's report, which lacked some accuracy due to tension and fear, Viowulf momentarily forgot about the southwest unit and faced forward. The bandit group was just about to charge through the northern forest.
"...Hoh, so the north was the main force."
Viowulf let the words slip as he watched the bandit group charge in, with about 20 cavalry densely packed at the front of the center column, followed by infantry.
Most of the cavalry were things like farmers riding farm horses with saddles attached. Among them were bareback horses without even saddles. However, the lead rider was clearly on a military horse, and the man riding it looked like a professional. As expected, mercenaries seem to have joined the refugees.
The enemy, just like his side, had taken the strategy of splitting their units into two and placing a mage in the smaller unit to make up for the difference in strength.
"I'll crush the enemy center. I leave the enemy soldiers who leak out from the sides to you."
Saying so, Viowulf threw away his shield and pointed both hands toward the enemy.
"............!"
Timing it perfectly, he released magical power from his fingertips, raising the ground about 1.5 meters just in front of the enemy cavalry unit.
An earthen wall lower than a person's height. However, because it appeared suddenly before them, no matter how much they were horses, they could neither avoid nor cross it while in a dense formation.
The lead group, who crashed head-on into the wall and lost their footing, tumbled forward, and the followers collided into them, causing horses to pile up. Legs broke, necks snapped, and most of the horses became unable to move. Many of the bandits riding them likely died crushed by the horses or suffered serious injuries.
The man who had been leading was thrown from his horse but landed by taking a fall; however, behind him, a hellscape was created where horses and people were piled on top of each other, crushing one another.
Not missing the chance while the enemy was in chaos, Viowulf created a massive amount of earth directly above the center of the enemy formation.
The mass of earth, which looked as if it could bury an entire house, lost the support of magical power and fell, surrendered to gravity. With great mass, it buried the bandits alive, along with the lead man who had escaped the initial disaster.