episode_0037

*

We departed from Kelstein Castle and rode north on horseback.

The distance to the fortress was not very far.

Although it seemed like it had just been completed and the fortress itself looked very strong, I couldn’t help but face a fundamental question.

‘Why on earth did they build a fortress in a place like this?’

No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t seem to have much strategic value.

Because the immediate surroundings were empty plains.

Of course, it could serve as a forward base. Because Kelstein Castle and Cherien Castle, located at the southernmost tip of Serpina County, were quite far away.

In that case, rather than spending so much time and resources building a fortress, I thought it would be better to build a simple camp or watchtower.

If a fortress was taken away, it would become the enemy’s.

And it was even more so when I thought about it being taken away.

Not from Brans’s army’s point of view, but from Serpina’s point of view, it seemed like it would be very useful if this fortress was obtained.

Considering that it took quite a bit of gold, labor, and time to build a fortress, there was a possibility that the Brans army would end up giving dogs to dogs.

‘I guess he has his own thoughts.’

If you think about it, when playing this game, the CPUs just built forts and watchtowers in the available empty spaces without much strategic planning.

There was no need to think deeply.

After entering the fortress, we were able to easily meet Kalinz Brans, the younger brother of Lin Brans, the general and monarch in charge of the fortress.

A handsome man with blue hair and a refreshing look.

There was also a middle-aged man with brown hair standing next to me, but he didn’t recognize me.

“I, Irene, have just arrived with 10,000 soldiers under orders from my lord.”

Kalinz spoke quite warmly to Iren, who slightly bowed her head in greeting.

“Oh, General Irene. You have arrived. It came sooner than expected. And again… … .”

Kalinz looked at us standing behind Iren.

“This is Jack from Brans County.”

“This is Silin from Brans County.”

“This is Swen from Brans County.”

Jack, Silin, and Carlinz, who received my greeting, looked at my face for a long time.

“Hmm… … Hey, haven’t you met me before somewhere?”

Yes.

Kalintz was the first enemy general I met when I came to this world.

If the mercenaries hadn’t helped, Zeeland Castle would have already been taken over by this man.

but.

“It looks ordinary, so I think the general was confused.”

“Really? Hmm… … I can’t agree with the saying that it’s ordinary, but I’m not sure about this either.”

How did you get through it so well?

There is no need to tell this man that he was a member of the Lunarien Army.

I could hear it from Rin later, but there was no need to tell me anyway.

“Okay. 10,000… … Who are the castle’s guards?”

“Without the National Guard, you could only bring soldiers additionally dispatched by the lord.”

“Really? Rasion child… … What are you hesitating about? Who knew when an opportunity like this would come!”

Kalinz lightly pounded his fist on the desk as if he was annoyed.

The sound of banging filled this space little by little.

“By the way… … 10,000? Lin: So, the lord dispatched 10,000 soldiers to Kelstein Castle?”

“Yes.”

“It’s good that you sent it with good timing, but… … If you had sent more, we could have definitely won, but it’s a shame.”

Calinz Brans was spending his time building this fortress instead of attending regular meetings.

What is communicated at regular meetings is only the matters decided at the meeting, not the meeting process.

So – it was different from Racion, who I spoke to with Farfalle in the 1:1 discussion.

Kalinz does not know the situation itself.

So, I can’t help but think of it as ‘good timing’.

At that time, Irene cautiously asked Kalinz.

“Carlinz. If you say you were able to win… … ?”

“Ah. From now on, we are going to gather this army and immediately attack Ian’s just-raised Cherien Castle.”

“… … !”

what?

The current fortress strength is 28,000, plus the 10,000 we brought, the number is 38,000.

According to the latest information, the enemy forces number 40,000. There was a possibility that it would increase further.

It would be difficult to win even if all of them were dragged along, but at least 3,000 people had to be left behind in the fortress for emergencies.

Even if the game on which this world is based is not very realistic in terms of strategy/tactics and has the feel of an S-class weapon cutting down a large number of soldiers, in order to wage a siege, you still need to bring about 70,000 people to win. You should see it… … ?

‘ah.’

at that time.

For some reason, I felt like I knew what Kalinz was aiming for.

Is this guy aiming for ‘the state of chaos when the rebels just raised their army’?

“Hey, Kalintz. The lord’s home… … ?”

In response to a question from a middle-aged man standing next to him, Kalinz spoke as if he was asking something like that.

“I, along with my brother, am a person who has been given the authority to independently carry out operational actions within the Brans Army without consulting the lord.”

“However, when operating such a large force-”

“Besides, now is the time for a surprise attack. If you report them one by one and wait for a response, you will miss the opportunity. Can you take responsibility for that?”

To Kalinz, who cut him off, the man said with an expression of regret, unable to say anything.

“… … no. Excuse me.”

Kalinz tapped the man on the shoulder and said.

“Thank you for your concern. But trust me. Because we all have thoughts.”

at that time.

Irene said, carefully raising her hand.

“General Kalinz. No matter how much I think about it, it seems impossible to go to war.”

“Huh? Why?”

Iren began to explain to Kalinz as politely as possible.

“Prior to a siege, the number of attacking troops must be greater than the number of troops defending. I think it would be very difficult to occupy a castle with fewer troops than the number of troops defending it.”

Kalintz nodded at Iren’s words.

He soon made an expression as if he didn’t know anything and spoke.

“As usual, Irene, I think everything you said is correct. It is almost impossible to attack a castle with more troops with fewer troops. But, the current situation is not normal.”

“What do you mean by no?”

” Because Ian had just started a rebellion, order within the castle must have been disrupted. The soldiers stationed at the castle and serving Serpina took a nap and woke up to find that the lord they were serving had changed. In situations like this, morale is bound to drop. No matter how many troops there are, if a soldier has lost the will to fight, there is no need to be afraid even if the number doubles or triples. In a chaotic situation, I believe that if we can quickly clear out the interceptors with low morale who came out to capture the siege weapons, we have a good chance of winning.”

‘also.’

In this game, if an existing castle is taken over through a rebellion and an army is raised, the morale of the soldiers drops drastically.

Even if you think about it with common sense, it would be strange if the lord you serve suddenly changed and you weren’t confused.

And the ‘morale’ value in this game really had a big impact on the battle.

A scene where 10,000 soldiers with high morale defeat 30,000 soldiers with very low morale, with an SS-rank general at the forefront.

I also saw this quite often during the 10,000 hours I played this game.

but.

‘Unfortunately, that’s not the case this time.’

First, I judged that Ian’s morale at Cherien Castle had fallen.

There were two points here that suggested this would not be the case.

First, when you think about it from a world perspective.

Ian Rashphalt, who started the rebellion, was originally one of the monarchs who had his own force called ‘Ian County’ that existed in the north in the in-game scenario.

From what I remember of his background, I remembered that he was a fanatical thief of his eldest brother, Argot von Eingart, whom Serpina von Eingart had killed.

Since this is a game where there are always variables, I don’t know why he is under Serpina-kun in this world line, but-

In any case, it meant that there was a proper foundation, unlike others.

For the soldiers who served alongside him, it was surprisingly likely that their morale would not have fallen that much.

And second. When you just think systematically.

In the game on which this world is based, this is the only case where morale does not drop despite the uprising.

It was when the characters designated as monarchs rebelled.

That’s just it, but seeing as my prediction of intelligence of 100 came true no matter what, I couldn’t ignore the fact that the ‘system’ could be applied here as well.

Also, the fact that Ian was originally a monarch is information that Carlinz cannot know.

Because he was just a person who would live in this world line.

Of course, whether I think this way or not-

Kalinz was excited and spoke as if he was almost sure of his prediction.

“If you think like that, the difference in troops of about 5,000 can be overcome. If there were only about 28,000 people, I wouldn’t have tried too hard, but if there were 38,000 people, it would be worth it. They leave behind a minimum of 3,000 men and attack immediately with a large force of 35,000 men. We’ll make a quick surprise attack before the Serpina army can even understand the situation.”

‘So that’s what happened.’

If they hadn’t sent troops at all, Kalinz wouldn’t have gone into a fight they were sure to lose.

Because Lin had sent troops ambiguously, it seemed to have made him think that it was worth a try.

Of course, in a game based on this world, it was not impossible for 35,000 soldiers to occupy a castle with 40,000 people.

Recruit the ‘Jerome Mercenary Group’, a mercenary group specializing in sieges, somehow gather three or more generals who have siege specialties, which are few on the continent, and then load up the SS-level generals with high leadership skills with siege weapons, and the occupation will be as easy as eating a cake. I could have done it.

But that wasn’t the case now.

“Moreover, fortunately, you, known as a siege warfare specialist, happened to be here.”

Kalintz spoke as if praising Irene.

It is true that she had a siege specialty, but she alone could not turn the tide of the war.

“But… … .”

“Don’t argue. I have no intention of changing my mind. This is your chance! An opportunity to invade Cherien Castle and make a mark!”

I sighed as I looked at Kalinz who was giving an impassioned speech.

‘It seems like you’re obsessed with getting credit.’

When I thought about it that way, I was able to naturally guess why a fortress was built in a place like this.

Did you literally want to show yourself doing something?

Calinz Brans. The second of the three Brans children, between Lin Brans, who became the successor to the Brans family, and Chell Brans, known as the first sword of Brans.

Although he was an S-class general with a calm personality who had the advantage of being easier to deal with compared to his more aggressive brother-

Looking at it objectively, he was inferior to his older brother as a general, and was inferior to his younger brother as a monarch in terms of leadership.

Although he was certainly outstanding, he was relatively the most ordinary of the three siblings.

Although he was strong in his own way and didn’t get caught easily by tricks, he was a reliable character like soup to the player, but seeing him so impatient made me realize that, according to the in-game explanation, he would never know anything about a human being other than a character that exists in this world. I felt like I realized once again that I couldn’t explain it.

Is it inevitable that even ‘calm’ people will end up like that when they are backed into a corner?

Moreover, he failed to lead 8,000 men to attack Zeeland Castle, which had only about 3,000 men.

I thought maybe I was making him anxious.

Still, you have to overcome that on your own.

In this situation, it was not a good idea to establish a confrontational stance with him by saying, ‘It’s dangerous, so you shouldn’t go on the field.’

If I incurred unnecessary hatred, my life could have been put in danger in an unexpected place.

Unless you were someone like Luna who trusted you unconditionally, the safest course was to not voice your opinion as much as possible.

“You have to move before Serpina-kun does. Because an opportunity like this will never come again. I’ll give you 10,000 soldiers, so get ready to go quickly. I will follow you soon.”

Looking at Kalinz’s attitude, it seemed like he was trying to make her the vanguard.

It’s not my job to give in a hundred times and end up defeating the soldiers, so I don’t care, but I can’t stand to see Irene as the vanguard in a battle that is tantamount to guaranteed defeat.

If anything happens, she’ll end up with everything.

Now was the time for me to step up.

“Hey, General Carlinz.”

“What is it?”

“If you don’t mind, I would like to briefly express my opinion.”

“Tell me.”

“I don’t think it is the right choice to send troops to General Irene to fight now.”

Carlinz, who heard me, twitched his eyebrows and asked.

In those words, a strange day stood out.

“ho? Hey, what was your name?”

“It is called Swen.”

“Okay. Swen. Are you saying this now? I, Kalinz Brans’ plan to attack Cherien Castle is not the right choice?”

Normally, I would have wondered why I got scratched by myself, but at this moment, I was extremely grateful.

‘Is attacking Cherien Castle the wrong choice?’

[Yes.]

‘That’s right.’

I can’t say that, so let’s make an extremely apologetic expression here.

“It’s not even possible. However, as it is a very difficult battle, I think it would be more efficient for General Kalinz, who has continued to fight in the north and is familiar with the situation in the north, to take the lead rather than General Airen, who has stayed in the rear for a long time and lacks experience.”

“Hmm… … Is that so?”

“Yes. Since I also live off the rust of the Brans army, I keep hearing news from Kalintz in the north. If you want to make a contribution, I think now would be a good opportunity.”

Carlinz must have really liked what I said, so he spoke without any of the harshness he had just felt.

“Then, since it is an important battle, I will take the lead.”

It works too.

His younger sister, Lynn Brans, was certainly talented but somewhat arrogant and indecisive. There was also a very dark sense of inferiority.

His older brother, Chell Brans, was a very powerful general, but due to his arrogant personality, he acted somewhat recklessly and sometimes got things wrong.

What these two people have in common is arrogance.

It was not difficult to guess that a person who shared the same blood would be somewhat arrogant no matter how calm he was.

It was very easy to deal with a person like that.

All you have to do is give it a little lift.

Besides, he was currently in a nervous state. Since he has a high level of pride in himself, he probably wants to quickly show that he is not pushed aside by his older brother and younger brother.

“Did you say Swen? Would you like to make a contribution with me?”

“No. As you can see, I have a weak constitution… … I don’t think it will be of much help in battle.”

“I see.”

Kalinz turned his head without asking me any more questions.

“Then I will prepare to go out immediately. In the meantime, I will leave this fortress to Parc.”

“Okay!”

The brown-haired man finally opened his mouth.

It was a general called Parque.

Even if I hear the name, I don’t understand it. He doesn’t seem to be that important of a person.

“I think those of you who followed Iren should also protect the fort. And Irene, I’m sorry, but I’d like you to take care of the rear this time. Please assist General Miguel, who will be heading out together.”

“”Old!””

Why don’t you drag me, Cylin, and Jack along?

After Kalinz left the fortress, I whispered into Irene’s ear as she prepared to go out after him.

“Irene. Secure a retreat route by somehow deploying at least 5,000 troops to the rear. It is okay to place more if possible.”

“Swen… … .”

After hearing what I said, Irene looked around for a moment and then asked me carefully.

“You… … Do you think we can’t win?”

“Yes.”

In fact, I was more confident than I thought. Because I made a prediction.

Irene must have been as skeptical as me, so she nodded slowly without asking why.

“Then, the story about being at the forefront-”

She tried to ask me if there was anything, but-

Soon, he slowly closed and opened his eyes and answered my words.

“… … I understand. I will try to persuade General Miguel to make a suggestion. If I tell General Kalinz directly, he won’t listen.”

“Please. Oh, and one more thing. This is an even more important request than what I said earlier.”

I spoke in a more serious tone than ever.

“No matter what happens, please make sure to come back alive, Irene.”

“… … !”

Whether the Brans army lost one battle after another or the other generals died, that was a burden that had to be borne by Lin, not me.

What I want to protect in this country is not the unattainable dream of Lord Lyn Brans-

It was Irene’s will to stand firm even when everything that made her up denied herself.

After hearing what I said, Irene froze for a moment and said nothing, and then-

Soon, he slowly nodded.

“I promise.”

“I believe it, Irene.”

She turned her head and walked away without saying anything.

He didn’t say anything – but I could clearly see it.

Although faint, she was smiling.