Chapter : 25

-Dung dung dung!

The drums beat, and a roar erupted soon after.

“Waaaaah!”

“All forces, charge!”

At the commander's shout, the soldiers charged forward, their courage swelling.

The moat before the castle had already been filled in long ago.

There was nothing to stand between the city and the soldiers.

Except for one thing.

The high walls of the fortress.

-Wheeeer!

-Papak!

-Screeeeech! Thud!

Ladders and grappling hooks caught onto the castle walls, and my soldiers climbed up them.

Swarming up like a colony of ants, they terrified the city defenders on the walls.

“Gaaaaaah.”

“Kill them!”

“Stop them from getting up!”

“Arrows! Shoot the arrows!!”

“Is the hot water ready yet? Bring it quickly-!”

Thanks to this, the top of the wall became a scene of utter chaos.

The city guards were struggling desperately to fend off my soldiers who were pouring up.

It was truly a life-or-death moment.

However, the city did not fall easily. They were somehow managing to defend against the attacks, fighting tooth and nail.

‘Damn, it's sturdy.’

As expected, medieval sieges were too disadvantageous for the attackers.

As construction techniques had developed, the defensive power of castles was superb, making it quite difficult to conquer those high walls with a frontal assault.

“The city's defense is more solid than we thought, my lord. It seems those bastards were well-prepared.”

Just then, Chamberlain Hamil, who had been observing the situation, approached and spoke to me cautiously.

“So, what about sending the vassals who disobeyed your order and attacked last time up onto the wall?”

“The vassals?”

“Yes. Not only are they much stronger than regular soldiers, but their armor is also sturdy, so it will surely be effective.”

Well, it wasn't a bad suggestion.

The only question was whether the vassals would volunteer for such a dangerous position.

“Will they obey?”

To that, Chamberlain Hamil gave an unexpected answer.

“Would they dare refuse? If you order it, my lord, they must do it.

After all, you hold the justification, do you not? If you tell them to reclaim their lost honor with their command authority as bait, they will have to step forward, whether they like it or not.

This is a chance to weaken the vassals' power.”

“Huh....”

Wow, to think he could scheme in this way. As expected, there was a part of Chamberlain Hamil that was quite unlike a knight.

It wasn't a bad suggestion.

No. In fact, it was an excellent plan. Reduce the vassals' power and win the siege.

However, as my thoughts dragged on, Chamberlain Hamil seemed to interpret it differently.

“Could it be... you feel burdened because it is not an honorable act? If so, I apologize....”

“Tsk. No. Apologize for what!”

No. Absolutely not.

What honor. That was something only ignorant knights would talk about.

I decided to take it a step further.

“It's a really good method. But let's do one more thing.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“That is....”

I trailed off and looked at the soldiers advancing toward the distant castle.

Since the number of ladders and hooks was limited, there were soldiers behind them waiting idly for their turn.

There was a need to use them efficiently.

“Divide the soldiers into three groups. Morning, noon, and dawn. Have them attack sequentially at these times.”

Isn't it a common tactic in novels like the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

To attack continuously without giving the opponent time to rest.

I thought I'd try to leverage our numerical advantage to lead the siege.

* * *

-Clang-clang-!

-Clang-clang-clang!

Late at dawn.

It was a time when everyone should be asleep, but it was noisy outside the castle.

Today, the soldiers of the Bellua Margraviate were once again banging gongs and clinging to the castle walls.

“It's them!!!”

“Prepare for battle!!!”

“Damn it. Let us get some sleep!”

Thanks to this, the soldiers of the City of Markel had to fight to defend themselves without getting any sleep.

But there was something even more terrifying.

It was...

“Knights!”

“The knights are coming up.”

“Be careful!!! Push them back! Don't let them get up!”

Unlike ordinary soldiers, knights were clad in sturdy armor and honed in combat skills.

“Gaaaaah!”

“My arm!”

To the soldiers of the City of Markel, they were no different from the messengers of hell.

Every time a knight from the Bellua Margraviate came up over the wall, dozens of soldiers died.

What was even more infuriating was that when things got dangerous, they would escape using the siege tower they came on.

Thanks to this, the City of Markel was gradually being pushed to its limit.

They couldn't get any sleep.

And the soldiers were dying.

“How many soldiers died today? Captain of the Guard.”

“Thirty, and fifty including the wounded, council member.”

“Ah...! Then that means there are only about 500 city defenders left....”

At the Captain of the Guard's report, the council members sighed.

It was a desperate situation no matter how you looked at it.

“This is crazy. I didn't expect the Margrave to come at us like this.”

“And why are the knights climbing the walls? I don't understand it at all.”

“They're coming at us as if their lives depend on it, and the damage is too great.”

As much as knights loved to fight, they didn't like to die for nothing.

They would usually stand back in a siege where the risk of death was high, but this time was different.

They were tenaciously charging forward, inflicting damage by any means necessary.

“Can we hold on any longer? Captain of the Guard? Until winter comes, I mean.”

“May I be frank?”

“Yes.”

“It's difficult. In my opinion, it won't be long before we collapse, council member.”

Once again, the council members' expressions darkened at the pessimistic outlook.

The original plan was to hold out until winter by any means necessary.

Usually, when winter came, armies would withdraw due to food problems and the need to prepare for the next farming season.

This war, in fact, was aimed at that.

And if the Margrave withdrew, they had intended to use this achievement as a basis for negotiating with other lords....

Everything had gone wrong.

“Shouldn't we just surrender?”

“That's right. It seems pointless to hold on any longer.”

Anxiously, the council members exchanged words. The general sentiment was to surrender.

But then, one council member blurted out.

“We insulted his envoy and delivered the head of a traitor. Will the Margrave accept our surrender?”

He was talking about the crazy things they had done in the past.

For a moment, silence fell in the council chamber.

Only then did the council members realize.

They had crossed a river of no return.

“Damn it! Now that I think about it, you're right.”

“What are we supposed to do?”

“Aaaaaah.... Oh God.”

And just as everyone was despairing.

The man who had been silent until now, the Chairman of the city council, suddenly spoke up.

“In that case, how about using this method?”

He said, with a very sinister expression on his face.

* * *

Early morning in the barracks.

I had woken up early, armed myself, and finished my preparations.

The battle was scheduled to begin again soon.

“How are the soldiers?”

“They've been well-fed and well-rested, so they're strong.”

“Hmm. Then can we cross that wall today?”

“Don't you worry. I will plant your flag there today, my lord.”

At my question, Chamberlain Hamil confidently thumped his chest.

And with good reason, after nearly four days of attacks, the end was finally in sight.

They were occupying the top of the wall more often than before, and the enemy's resistance was gradually weakening.

As Chamberlain Hamil boasted, if we launched a powerful grand offensive today, it was highly likely we could capture it.

And just as I was thinking that, a knight burst into the barracks.

“My lord! The Markel City council says they will surrender.”

“??”

Wondering if I had misheard, I looked at Chamberlain Hamil, and he had the same expression.

“Is that true?”

“Yes. The delegation is waiting outside now. What should we do? My lord.”

“What is this.”

“Congratulations, my lord! It seems your stratagem has hit the mark perfectly.”

It was a bit anticlimactic, but it wasn't bad.

The sooner the battle ended, the better.

It just felt a little strange that it was ending this easily.

“Alright. Where are they?”

“They are waiting outside. What will you do? Will you meet them?”

“I should. They say they're surrendering. Hahaha.”

I laughed cheerfully and went outside.

There, I saw a delegation holding a white flag, standing with haggard expressions.

When they saw me, they prostrated themselves and muttered.

“We greet His Excellency, the Margrave.”

“Alright. The surrender document?”

“It is here, Your Excellency.”

One of the envoys came forward and carefully handed me a scroll.

Unfurling it, I saw that along with some conventional rhetoric, it was written that they would surrender.

After reading it briefly, I passed it to Chamberlain Hamil with an indifferent expression.

The finer details were a matter for the working-level officials to handle.

“Alright. Then did you bring the seal as well?”

The seal. It was an object that symbolized the ruler of that city.

It was usually a ring or a staff called a scepter, and handing over that item meant surrendering dominion or becoming a subordinate.

I was telling them to hand it over since they had surrendered.

“Ah.... Yes. We have brought it, Your Excellency the Margrave.”

Then the envoy at the very front began to rummage for something inside his clothes.

It seemed he had brought it tucked inside.

But at that moment.

‘Hmm?’

I felt that something was strange.

The hand of the envoy I had glimpsed was too rough. It was too firm to be the hand of a civil official; it looked like the hand of a knight.

And that wasn't all.

‘His expression...?’

At first, I thought he looked gloomy, but looking again, that wasn't it.

It was resolute.

Like the face of someone about to commit a great deed.

‘Don't tell me?’

Coming as a surrender delegation and trying something like that? But then, something flashed through my mind.

Those bastards had already insulted the envoy I had sent.

And in that moment.

-Tiriring.

[Meticulous Planner Trait Correction!]

[A conspiracy approaching you has been detected.]

[Be careful. The opponent is using the envoy as a pretext to capture you.]

‘You crazy sons of bitches!’

I hastily stood up and tried to move back.

But at that moment.

My eyes met with the leader of the delegation.

“He noticed! Seize the Margrave!!”

The man shouted.

-Clang-clang!

The mercenaries disguised as a delegation drew their weapons. A fierce attack against me had begun.