Chapter 380 - Episode 372: The Battle of Fioluviki Gorge — Decisive Battle ①
The second day of the battle. One night had passed since Noein had implemented a certain plan under the guise of a night attack, and now he stood beside Gabriel, overlooking the enemy camp from the rooftop of the checkpoint.
"The formation is different from yesterday. Does this mean the enemy is finally getting serious?"
"It seems so. I can sense a determination to take this fort today."
Yesterday, the enemy had thrown units believed to be from vassal states and friendly nations at the front, while their own main force remained deployed to the left and right rear. Today was different.
The main force was deployed in the center without reservation, and units believed to be the remnants of the vassal states and friendly nations were included among them. To their left, right, and rear, mages and archers were spread thin and wide, likely intended to provide support for the main force's offensive.
Out of the approximately four thousand several hundred who remained after yesterday's dead and wounded, nearly four thousand enemies—excluding the wagon train that departed in the morning to transport the wounded, the direct guard of the main camp, and the doctors and cooks—were now all facing them.
It was clear that the enemy intended to crush them in one fell swoop with their full strength.
In contrast, their own remaining forces numbered just over a thousand. However, since this included rear support personnel, the number of those actually capable of fighting was barely a thousand.
Looking at this overwhelming difference in military power and the enemy's aggressive posture—Noein wore a fearless smile.
"Not only were they eager for a short decisive battle to begin with, but it seems they've become irritated by yesterday's fake night attack. That forward-leaning posture is convenient for us."
"...Yes. If we can endure the enemy's offensive for a while after the battle begins, victory will be in sight. It is better than them attacking half-heartedly and hesitantly."
Perhaps because the fate of his own country was literally on the line, or perhaps due to his personal nature, Gabriel did not have an expression as confident as Noein's, but he signaled his agreement.
"Then, Your Majesty, I ask that you determine the timing to move the detached force. As long as you give the order to Yuri and Konrad, it will be fine... I will do my best to harass the enemy from the catapult positions below. I must fill the gap left by the subordinates who moved to the detached force, even if only slightly."
Saying this, Noein descended and took his place at the catapult positions. There, aside from the catapult soldiers of the Reuvelant Kingdom army, there were only Noein, his guards Matilda and Pence, and the Guard soldiers.
On the ramparts of the wall were the four puppet mages, including Alain, and their guards, as well as a total of four Archduchy army soldiers equipped with magic items for attack magic. In the ballista positions to the rear were the soldiers of the ballista unit led by Dant. That was the entire strength of the Archduchy of Arqvist army currently deployed in this fort.
Beyond the fort's walls, a voice echoed from the enemy camp. The war cries of four thousand men became a giant mass of impact, shaking the air.
Those voices gradually drew closer, while simultaneously, the voice of Dant and the sound of ballista strings snapping could be heard from behind Noein and his group.
Flying over the heads of Noein and the others, explosive flame arrows soared toward the enemy. That served as the signal for the start of today's battle.
.....
"As expected, against this offensive, it seems that even someone like Noein Arqvist possesses no proper means of resistance."
Cadne smirked as he watched the state of the battle.
In a complete reversal from yesterday, the battle was progressing in their favor. Both the number of their soldiers standing directly in front and their fighting spirit were different.
The soldiers bravely climbed the ladders, while archers and mages covered the offensive. There was resistance from the enemy side in the form of magic, catapults, and bows, but the momentum was not as great as yesterday.
The enemy soldiers fighting with swords and spears on the ramparts were being pushed back by the offensive, dying one after another or being replaced by those in the rear after being wounded. Either the replacements weren't keeping up, or the enemy lacked spare personnel, as the defense was thinner compared to yesterday.
The number of golems also seemed low. The only things flying from inside the fort were logs, likely thrown by Noein's golems; there were no large stone throws by other golems. Only four golems were visible on the ramparts. Evidence that yesterday's fire arrows had been effective.
If they pushed on like this, they would win. They could defeat Noein Arqvist. Cadne was certain.
"...However, at this rate, it would be a waste for our losses to spread needlessly. I wish we could just break through the fort's gate quickly."
"Those weaklings of the vassal states! Even though I had a battering ram prepared for them, they are utterly pathetic!"
General Gaziev echoed Kaia's mutterings.
No matter how superior their momentum was, soldiers climbing ladders inevitably became defenseless and took the enemy's resistance head-on. If they waited to force their way into the fort by climbing over the walls, the number of casualties would accumulate too much.
That was why they had deployed the battering ram.
Proposed by Cadne after seeing the appearance of the enemy fort and the first day's battle, and ordered to be built by Kaia, this battering ram was a simple thing—a large tree cut down from the forest visible to the left of the main camp, with handles attached to the log.
Even so, if dozens of soldiers hugged this log and slammed it, the impact would deal considerable damage to the fort's gate. If they repeated the charge several times, a gate that was merely wooden surface covered with metal plates, no matter how sturdily built, could be easily smashed.
The honor of wielding that battering ram and carving out a breakthrough had been given to the soldiers of the vassal states, who had failed to show notable results in yesterday's battle.
However, the enemy also believed that the victory would be decided once the gate was breached. They had concentrated golems and elites around and directly above the gate, showing a posture of stopping the battering ram's charge at all costs.
Arrows, stones, and even boiling water. The fierce resistance poured from atop the gate caused casualties to mount among the soldiers holding the battering ram, and the vassal state units had become frightened.
"This will get us nowhere. Cadne, I will go forward as well. I myself will inspire the soldiers and make them carve out a breakthrough."
"Your Majesty, I shall accompany you!"
Both Kaia and Gaziev were generals of a temperament that naturally sought to stand at the head of the troops and charge the enemy. As the two spoke, exuding a ferocious aura, Cadne nodded with an exasperated smile.
"Understood. But please, be careful. If Kaia dies, everything is for naught, and if General Gaziev is gone, it will be difficult to keep the army together."
"It is fine. The spirits bless my battle. Arrows and stones cannot possibly hit me."
"Mere arrows and pebbles—there is no way I cannot block them. I shall protect both Your Majesty's person and my own!"
Answering with an intensity like carnivores before their prey, Kaia and Gaziev rushed to the very front, leading the royal guards.
"They certainly are energetic... As for me, I'll pass on approaching a position where enemy arrows can reach me on a battlefield ever again."
Cadne smiled toward Yvette, who stood beside him.
The nominal reason for her being by his side was as a personal attendant. However, his true intention was that he wanted to show her firsthand how the forces of the Virgoa Kingdom crushed the enemy fort. Despite Cadne's vanity in keeping a woman with him on the battlefield, no one complained.
Cadne was in a position where he could freely offer suggestions or admonitions to Kaia. There was no way he would be reprimanded for a bit of whimsical behavior.
"Kaia is inspiring the troops personally. That fort gate will be broken by the battering ram, and that will be the end of it. Our victory is unwavering."
Cadne spoke to himself and leaned back comfortably in his chair, deciding to just watch—then, he suddenly felt a sense of anxiety.
The past, where he had been careless without doubting his own victory only to be hit by an unexpected surprise attack, which triggered the loss of everything, flashed through his mind as a sudden sense of déjà vu.
Taking care not to let the anxiety show on his face, he looked around.
With Kaia and Gaziev departing, and the royal guard units accompanying them, the number of soldiers guarding the main camp had decreased. Still, there were about a hundred. There were also four mages of considerable skill. It was sufficient.
Every one of them was watching the battlefield in front. Since the victory of the Virgoa Kingdom was beyond doubt and it had been confirmed before the start of the battle that there were no ambushes in the vicinity, this was not a problem.
He looked at the forest to the left, beyond the hill where the main camp was located. The inside of the forest had been searched before Cadne and the others deployed here. There was no way an enemy could be there.
Next, he looked at the forest to the right rear. That forest had also been searched up to the treetops several days ago. Again, there was no way an enemy was there.
Am I worrying too much? Thinking so, Cadne tried to settle back into his chair—but then, feeling an instinctive sense of wrongness, he looked at the forest to the right rear once more.
Immediately after he looked, he felt as if several lights flickered within the forest.
"Hey, just now—"
The moment Cadne called out to a nearby Guard soldier,
Explosive flames, ice spears, and pillars of earth struck the main camp.
Announcement.
This work, "Even if I have a bad personality, I can still develop the frontier!"
Will be retitled as "The Happiness Tale of the Twisted Lord: Even if I have a bad personality, I can still develop the frontier!" and the first volume of the book version will be published by Overlap Novels on April 25, 2022...!
While the general story remains the same, it has been finished with a large volume of revisions and additions.
Details have been posted in the activity report, so please check it if you like!