Merchant Noble is out (2/4 chapters for today)
Punitive Force: Tyr and Others (5) – Reinforcements for Rebel Force (2)
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The leader of the rebel army, Randal, was leading 6,000 reinforcements to rescue the besieged castle. Though they had anticipated the castle would be attacked, they couldn’t gather the entire army just in case of emergencies. The rebel scouts returned with their report.
“As expected, that castle was targeted. It was a straightforward approach.” (??)
“The enemy force is approximately 30,000, while the castle is defended by about 8,000.” (??)
“It’s a pretty sturdy castle, so they’ve only allocated the minimum number of troops. Although the battlefront is currently in a stalemate, the fatigue among the castle’s farmers must be accumulating. We must get to the rescue as quickly as possible!” (Randal)
That being said, the rebel army, mostly composed of foot soldiers, couldn’t move very quickly.
Moreover, if they were to keep running continuously, the poorly trained rebel forces would be exhausted by the time they arrived, rendering them incapable of fighting. Thus, Randal decided to send a vanguard unit. By dispatching those with superior mobility ahead of the main force, they could reach the battlefield as soon as possible, allowing the vanguard unit to engage while Randal led the main force to arrive afterward.
“Laika!” (Randal)
Randal immediately called for his sister, Laika. Laika, who had successively defeated noble houses and recently routed the London Baron’s family, was apparently known as the ‘Lightning of the Battlefield’ among the suppression army. It was a great title and one to be envied.
As Laika arrived, Randal quickly briefed her on the vanguard mission.
“Pick whoever you like from these 6,000. Strike the punitive force as quickly as possible.” (Randal)
“Got it~.” (Laika)
Laika responded leisurely, and after thinking for a while, she said…
“Then call all the soldiers who are on horseback.” (Laika)
In a rebel force primarily composed of farmers, there weren’t many cavalries. It was mostly former adventurers, around 500 in total.
“Is that enough?” (Randal)
Randal said in surprise, thinking that even if they were called an advance guard, they would be fighting directly against the rebel forces, and so would need to be quite a large number of men. Certainly, cavalry had vastly superior mobility, but he wondered if it wasn’t too few. However, Laika, whether aware of her brother’s concern or not, replied without hesitation.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. We won’t be able to get there quickly otherwise. Nii-chan, please bring the remaining infantry as fast as you can.”
—
Meanwhile, the punitive forces were…
In the punitive forces, morale had already dropped due to the stagnant battlefront, and they had resorted to taking turns launching routine attacks each day. Today as well, in the luxurious tent where the commanders sent by the noble families had gathered, a meeting was being held over a leisurely breakfast that didn’t seem like they were on a battlefield.
“Today’s responsibility falls to… House of Viscount Michigan’s Runo-sama, right? Well then, Runo-sama, if you would please.” (??)
“Yes, but have you heard the rumor?” (Runo)
“Rumor?” (??)
“Our soldiers have been talking about it a lot. They say that rebel reinforcements are on their way here. No one knows who started it, but all the soldiers are frightened.” (Runo)
Another commander, finding Runo’s concern amusing, laughed.
“Hahaha. It must be a tale spun by a cowardly soldier. After all, we’re dealing with a rebel force of mere farmers. Even if reinforcements arrive, it would be like throwing stones at a wall. It is hardly a threat.” (??)
“Well, I hope that’s the case… but just in case, deploy another unit to prepare for the reinforcements.” (Runo)
For the time being, Runo, dispatched by the House of Viscount Michigan, held the highest authority. Though the other commanders, who underestimated the farmers, found it troublesome, they reluctantly agreed to take measures against the rumored reinforcements under Runo’s command. Of course, the noble families started bickering over which unit should handle the reinforcement measures. The unlucky commander who got stuck with the task complained as he set out.
“Good grief, Runo-sama is such a worrier. There’s no need to deploy troops at all. Besides, who wants to go out in this awful weather? Hey!” (??)
Unfortunately, the weather was rainy. The ground was muddy, and visibility was poor. The commander, who had drawn the short straw, grumbled incessantly as he trudged along, eventually growing more irritated as his body became drenched.
“I’m heading back to camp. Just keep an eye out here.” (??)
“Yes, sir.” (??)
And with that, the commander hurried back to his tent alone.
As a result, the already unmotivated troops lost any semblance of discipline with their commander gone. Some soldiers began drinking alcohol from who knows where. Others, complaining that their armor was too heavy after soaking up water, stripped naked. A few even abandoned their positions to seek shelter from the rain.
While the disorganized unit was meandering, one soldier suddenly noticed a faint sound.
“Hey, do you hear something?” (??)
“It’s just the rain.” (??)
“No, something’s coming this way. And it sounds like a lot of it.” (??)
“Huh?” (??)
At first, the sound was barely audible, but soon it grew loud enough for everyone to hear, accompanied by a faint rumbling of the ground.
“No way…” (??)
The soldiers at the front of the line nervously peered down the narrow road. Amidst the poor visibility caused by the rain, they could make out a shadow.
A single cavalryman. The shadow quickly multiplied into three, then five, then seven, then nine.
At the same time, they could hear the war cries of soldiers and the neighing of horses.
“E-enemy attack!!!” (??)
One of the soldiers desperately tried to alert his comrades, but his voice came out hoarse with fear.
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