Chapter 270 - Episode 263: The Battle of the Central Region
Royal Calendar Year 219, as January drew to a close. The royal capital, Lichthagen, was in a dire situation.
"...As expected, we probably won't hold out this time."
"Rather, it should be said that it's a miracle we've held out this long."
The largest city gate in the capital, facing south. As Alexander muttered while looking down at the Betumia Republic Army from the watchtower, his adjutant replied with a slightly ironic smile.
They had recruited volunteers from the slums and sent them to their deaths in suicidal charges just to reduce the number of mouths to feed, and they had intentionally created gaps in the wall's defenses to lure the enemy's attack while trying to hold them back, wearing out many of the precious elite Royal Court Mages in the process. They had mobilized everyone from the elderly to minors, managing to achieve a defense by the narrowest of margins.
But that, too, had reached its limit. If a large-scale offensive were launched next, the capital would surely fall into enemy hands this time. That was how cornered Alexander and his men were.
A few days ago, Oscar, who had evacuated to the north, had sent word via 'Far-Talk' saying, "I will arrive with reinforcements in a few days," but when moving an army of tens of thousands, the window of those "few days" is wide.
Whether they would arrive today or take another three or four days was unknown. Alexander and the others could only hope for good luck.
And as is the way of the world, expectations like these usually fail. Alexander and his men were now facing an enemy army that had completed preparations for a grand offensive.
Perhaps losing patience because the capital would not fall easily, the enemy had increased the force tasked with capturing the capital to about 65,000. The sight of an army so vast that the national power of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg could never assemble it was almost overwhelming.
In contrast, the capital's defense force, while numbering nearly 20,000, consisted mostly of conscripted amateur civilians. Regular soldiers numbered fewer than 3,000. Everyone was exhausted, and morale was lower than ever before.
Precisely because they sensed this, the enemy likely intended to attack the city gate head-on without any tricks. A fragile unit with such low training and morale could not possibly endure it.
"...There's no point in lamenting. We've done what we could. Now, we just do it until the end."
Prepared for his own death, just as Alexander was about to face the desperate defensive line—two messengers rushed up the tower simultaneously and knelt before him.
"Report! From the Dialogue Mage, it is said that the relief force led by His Majesty the King will arrive shortly!"
"Report! From the northern highway, an army flying the royal flag is approaching! It is believed to be His Majesty's relief! The number is approximately 30,000!"
"Oh! They made it in time!"
"We did it! We're saved!"
At the long-awaited good news arriving from two routes, at the hope that finally appeared, the officers and soldiers present raised their voices in cheer.
"...God."
Amidst that, Alexander whispered quietly.
.....
"A message from Alexander Rhodeberg, Commander of the Second Corps! 'I am grateful for the relief. Please circle around to the west side of the capital and set up camp. We will coordinate with you and strike out from the south to distract the enemy.'"
Oscar Rhodeberg III nodded at the report delivered via 'Far-Talk' by the Dialogue Mage attending the King.
"I see. Then, as those words say, let us deploy to the west. Inform Count Nordlingen and Marquis Bechtolsheim as well!"
The Rhodeberg Kingdom Central Army facing the enemy's capital-capture force numbered approximately 30,000. Of those, 10,000 on the left wing were led by Count Nordlingen of the northeastern nobility, 10,000 on the right wing were led by the leader of the northwestern faction, Marquis Siegfried Bechtolsheim, and the central 10,000 were led by Oscar himself, with Count Burkhard serving as his chief of staff.
"Also, there is one more word from Prince Alexander."
"What is it?"
"That is... 'I've grown tired of waiting, Big Brother.'"
Seeing the Dialogue Mage speak with an expression that looked a bit difficult, Oscar let out a small chuckle.
"Hahaha, I imagine so... then tell him. Since the younger brother took all the brunt, this time the older brother will break a sweat."
For his part, Oscar intended for this to be as fast as possible, having finished the army's organization and rushed here at full speed.
In fact, in just about two months, he had completed coordination with the various noble territories, brought 30,000 troops to the capital, and roughly completed the construction of supply lines. It was a super-high-speed war preparation that would go down in the kingdom's history.
"...I see them."
"It seems the enemy is primarily responding to us."
While moving the army, Oscar, gazing south, spoke with Count Burkhard.
The Betumia Republic Army, which had apparently been trying to attack the capital's city gate, had ceased its offensive upon the appearance of a new force and begun moving toward the west side of the capital. As expected, they could not leave an army of 30,000 alone.
The Betumia Republic Army facing Oscar's Central Army possessed an overwhelming force, perhaps double that of their own. If they clashed head-on, there was no chance of victory.
That was precisely why, in order to share the basic strategy of this battle with the soldiers and officers, Oscar raised his voice before the 30,000 troops who had finished deploying.
"Listen! Warriors of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg!"
At the words spoken by the King himself, the attention of 30,000 people turned toward him.
"As you can see, the enemy is powerful! It would be difficult to annihilate them from the front! However, we can achieve victory without even striking the enemy down!"
The outline of the operation had been explained only to officers of the rank of centurion and above. Soldiers from peasant backgrounds would not be able to understand it accurately in the first place. Among the officers holding noble ranks, some might feel dissatisfied with a strategy that could be called heartless.
But even so, Oscar was certain it would not hinder the battle.
Marquis Bechtolsheim, entrusted with the right wing, was a faction leader. He could handle the command of 10,000 soldiers without issue. Count Nordlingen on the left wing, personal feelings aside, was not a man to oppose what the King had decided based on private emotion. Since his excellence as a general was beyond doubt, there was no problem there either.
"Baffle the enemy! Inflict suffering upon the enemy! And... do not die! Live for even one second longer, and infect as many enemies as possible with suffering! That will lead to protecting your families, your homes, your lands, and your tomorrow!"
Since ascending the throne, Oscar had struggled to maintain his dignity as a King. Now, if he gave a speech in earnest, he could use that intensity to forcibly raise the spirits of the soldiers and make the petty nobles forget their slight dissatisfactions.
"For the tomorrow of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg! For the future of all who live in the kingdom! Fight alongside me!"
To Oscar's call, the soldiers responded with an explosive shout that shook the earth.
.....
"Oh ho ho, they bark well, those barbarians."
General Steve Barrel of the Betumia Republic Army, wearing a frivolous smile, was entrusted with the command of the capital's siege force. He was lower in rank than the commander-in-chief, General Charles Hamilton, but this man also held the rank of general.
Furthermore, Steve had strong political ambitions and was deeply connected with the members of the wealth-building faction in parliament. He was still in his mid-forties, and his practical evaluation was not necessarily high, but it was considered certain that the position of the next supreme commander of the Betumia Republic Army was his.
"Hey, is our deployment not finished yet!"
"Yes! It will be completed shortly!"
"Hurry up! Don't fall behind those barbarians!"
Since the number of troops differed by about double between the enemy and his own, the time taken to organize the ranks also differed. Even knowing this, Steve shouted at his subordinates to vent his heightened emotions.
After a short while, Steve finally gave orders to the soldiers who had finished forming their lines.
"Even mobilizing their forces to the limit, the enemy is only that much! They don't even reach half of our number! Crush them... Advance!"
At Steve's command, the Betumia Republic Army began its march. 55,000 troops advanced, excluding the 5,000 guarding the main camp where Steve and the others were, and the 5,000 guarding the rear camp.
In contrast, the Rhodeberg Kingdom Army remained in place to meet them—or so it seemed, as they suddenly began to retreat. They retreated all at once, turning their backs.
"Hah? What a bunch of cowards. What a disappointment... Charge all at once! Cut into the enemy's backs!"
At that order, the soldiers began to run. It looked as if they would swallow the fleeing enemy with the violence of numbers, but before that, a messenger leaped into the main camp.
"T-the enemy has struck out from the capital's city gate! There are approximately 2,500 cavalry!"
"What!? Don't screw with me!"
Steve shouted, his eyes wide. When he looked back toward the city gate, in the southeast direction from where the main camp was, a group of cavalry was indeed emerging from the gate one after another and approaching.
It wasn't just military horses. There seemed to be pack horses and farm horses as well. Even so, a mass of 2,500 cavalry could be a threat. The main camp, which had only 5,000 men centered around infantry, could be annihilated.
"Pull back the troops! Pull back 10,000 to reinforce the defense of the main camp!"
Steve's order was conveyed, and the momentum of the main force, which had nearly twenty percent of its troops pulled out in the middle of the charge, slowed.
The enemy did not let that opening slip.
"A large number of arrows have been fired from the enemy's front ranks! Those... appear to be from ballistae!"
When Steve looked forward, arrows fired simultaneously from even further behind the retreating enemy rose into the sky. Judging by the thickness and range of the arrows, they were indeed from ballistae.
It seemed to be a tactic where the vanguard feigned retreat to draw the Betumia Republic Army into the range of the ballistae before attacking.
"There probably aren't even 100 of them, don't panic! With just that—"
While Steve was shouting, the arrows fired from the ballistae scattered in mid-air. It seemed they had fired bundles of extremely thin arrows. After scattering, the number of arrows must have increased by more than fifty times.
An iron rain composed of thousands of arrows poured down upon the heads of the Betumia Republic Army's vanguard, who were continuing their sluggish charge.
"E-even so, the damage is negligible! How much of a wound can such thin arrows cause! Continue the charge—"
"The enemy in front has stopped retreating and is advancing again!"
The Rhodeberg Kingdom Army launched a counter-offensive against the 45,000 troops who had fallen into confusion due to the withdrawal of forces and the surprise arrows.
"The enemy's cavalry unit is returning to the capital!"
Looking southeast again, the 2,500 cavalry had stopped their charge and were pivoting, returning to the capital's city gate. If they had met them with 15,000, including the troops returned to the main camp, they could have annihilated them, but the enemy likely retreated because they knew that.
This meant there was no point in having pulled back 10,000 troops to the extent of killing the momentum of the charge.
"Aaaaaah! You damn barbarians!"
Thirty thousand on the plains, and several thousand at the capital. With a total force only about half of their own, the two armies of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg toyed with them, showing a coordination like brothers who knew each other's thoughts perfectly.
Before that coordination, not a single thing went as planned, and Steve screamed profanities.