NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 207
The three-day period flew by in the blink of an eye while everyone remained busily occupied.
This also applied to cautious and vigilant marching.
“Things don’t always go according to plan,” Lord Bohenhausen muttered while twisting his beard in the empty space amid the manor, cleared out for a meeting. I agreed with him.
For these past few days, we had been commanded to stay by his side, presumably also to keep watch. We had ended up looking like mere attendants.
Jokes aside about how a diligent spirit until one’s last breath and a servant’s mindset should never be forgotten, we were residing in a manor we had stopped by on the way. This was more for relief efforts than resupply.
There was a significant distance between Flachburg and Northtown—five days on horseback—and naturally, within such an expansive area, there were other manors.
What caused issues was when those who had fled from manors in the Northtown area expressed a desire to go see their own manors under our protection.
We had initially planned to let the residents of nearby manors confirm the state of their homes and retrieve provisions, but they insisted on joining us as their routes overlapped, asking us for safeguarding.
While it might seem leisurely, when you’re presented with the opportunity to ride along a secure road, most people would choose to take advantage of it. This psychology is something the ruling class cannot overlook at present.
If this were merely an ordinary rear area, we could simply leave them behind with a proper reprimand: “Do it later.” However, given our insufficient supplies, numerous injured, and the main fighting forces having departed from the densely packed castle, the common folk who have sought refuge are left with a great sense of insecurity.
It is far from appropriate to leave behind such uncertainty as we depart from a fortress in this precarious situation. Rebel uprisings can ignite from any spark.
If you contribute to a war effort only to return to your fortress in flames, leaving no remaining trace, your achievements could vanish in an instant. In such an unstable context, even Lord Bohenhausen seemed unable to overly suppress public sentiment.
Well, that’s one thing—but by going along with them, we may also incur the jealousy of other manors, questioning why “they” got special treatment. From the perspective of a leader, isn’t it better to be seen as unreliable compared to fostering resentment between different manor communities?
Carrying burdens and dragging carts—raising grain from the granaries and carrying it back to the fortress—Lord Bohenhausen gave a small sigh at the sight, and I, following his example, let out a quiet shake of my head.
“Ah, thank goodness, nothing was taken,” said someone with relief, “Now we’ll have something proper to eat.”
“Grandpa! The coins are safe!” another voice called out.
“Fucking hell, the livestock’s gone… Don’t know what to do…” muttered another.
“Burned were Steff’s boy’s house and the barn, and…”
It wasn’t that the lord was unimpressed by villagers raiding houses and barns. He was lamenting that Lady Agrippina’s prediction, heard through me, had turned out correct. Typically, raiders do not leave the manor’s assets untouched.
Generally, the military here operates by reinforcing conscript armies with elite standing forces, while also relying on local levies for logistics.
In the Threefold Empire, soldiers place great importance on logistics. They do indeed form specialized supply units but also equip infantry like adventurers with backpacks for essential supplies.
Still, however well-prepared, shortages always arise in the field. Even the esteemed Emperor Napoleon, often criticized for neglecting logistics, was, in fact, fanatically meticulous when analyzing the organization of the Grand Army.
However, despite this careful planning, his supply lines were ruined by the merciless winter of Russia and muddy roads. The result is often simplistically summed up as failure in logistics.
It’s akin to criticizing someone for lacking sufficient strength when you’re asking them to lift 500 kg without training. Even a genius’s carefully crafted Grand Army, employing superior technology compared to now, couldn’t achieve perfection.
Thus, in an era governed by rudimentary medieval combat doctrines, it’s practically impossible to reach such perfection. Therefore, we must collect supplies wherever we go. Whether by purchasing or taking, we gather our resources to fuel our war.
Not doing so would be abnormal to anyone’s standards.
“A supply-less army? Envious, yet frightening indeed,” Lord Bohenhausen remarked.
“Indeed. It is unnatural, no doubt,” I concurred.
These obscure facts I gathered to enhance my storytelling as a Game Master in large TRPG battles. I wouldn’t have expected they’d prove so useful in this actual life scenario. If I hadn’t known, I’d likely be standing there dumbfounded, only able to wonder “Huh, why?”
“Here we have a known resupply point, while the enemy could march anywhere. It’s like a nightmare.”
“Fortunately, the enemy’s active forces are mostly depleted,” I added.
I wouldn’t blame the villagers for being complacent about their possessions being safe.
We… well, considering I lead a small party compared to Lord Bohenhausen, it might not be fair to compare. Nonetheless, anyone in a leadership role must constantly consider the “worst-case scenario.” The more I learn about the enemy’s bizarre capabilities, the more the tension grows in my head.
Given our limited resupply options, marching inevitably requires us to visit manors or towns with supplies. Surviving on river water and game hunted in the wild is viable only for small groups of around five.
Inevitably, our movement routes become predictable, making mid-journey attacks easier.
However, we’ve escaped significant interference so far, likely because the enemy also lacks freely deployable active forces.
They’ve burned quite a bit.
In Mottenheim, we destroyed a large number of undead and wiped out a valuable unit of heavy cavalry. Similarly, in Flachburg, the stiffening of the undead — possibly around the time I destroyed the necromancer’s creations — caused significant losses.
Further, considering the knights engaged in information suppression I captured and Margit’s exceptional scouting activities, it’s not surprising that the enemy’s combat capabilities are dwindling.
It’s the result of strategy, preparation, and combat adjustments. Similar to how making the right choices or defeating enemies early makes the climax easier.
Flachburg being a strategically crucial stronghold, the enemy seems to have committed considerable forces there, possibly exhausting their other resources.
That’s why we can afford this leisurely conduct.
“Nevertheless, we cannot let our guard down. An attack under cover of night would be impossible to withstand if we relax.”
“You’re absolutely right, and…”
“Looks like the weather will change.”
Looking up at the sky together, while it wasn’t completely cloudless, the weather still seemed good. However, it appeared that our good fortune was about to change.
Not based on the human ability to sense soil odor from distant rains, but on dependable reports from Margit and the Winged Beings serving as scouts accompanying us, the prediction was reliable.
However, Lord Bohenhausen’s subordinates are indeed formidable. While high cavalry competence is expected, it’s impressive to have scouts who are Winged Beings. Winged Beings capable of not just flying but reconnaissance are rare.
Ah, yes, I was quite surprised when I first encountered them. Expecting a fierce bird-like species as a scout, I was met with a small female avian who barely reached my waist, with charming little beak and orange plumage.
“There’s no alternative; we must stay here today. We shouldn’t engage an enemy capable of fighting without lights in the flatland or get caught broadside in a line.”
“Understood. I shall proceed with a party to scout the surroundings as a precaution.”
“Aye, count on you.”
Though supplies and logistics, marches are crucial, so too is accepting the whims of weather gods beyond our control. With harsh weather, we are powerless but to wait for its wrath to pass.
Indeed, all remains unpredictable…
—
The master once said, aspiring magicians must be prepared to embrace death and absurdity.
This was what Mika, a newcomer from a rural area, first heard during her initial lesson at a young age. And it now resonates with her as she prepares for her promotion to researcher. However, the young Mika of the past could only tremble in awe and fear at the ominous words.
To a child burdened with family expectations upon her arrival in the imperial capital, discovering her talent and finding a mentor felt like a jarring setback.
Yet this was the truth.
Accidents from failed experiments, inspection mishaps, ambushes by base individuals or envious colleagues, duels for honor, unforeseen misfortunes from uncovering secrets—there are countless ways for someone who dips their toe into the world of the nobility to die.
Just living normally can be unpredictable. Constant vigilance is necessary in a world where even too much caution isn’t always effective. So it is, perhaps, the master’s kindness to instill this awareness early.
“Just when I thought this was unexpected…” Mika exhaled smoke from her shortened cigarette and manipulated new spells with her newly acquired staff. The saliva-soaked tobacco crumbled and diffused as a catalyst, expanding her magical formations.
She used her staff to prod the debris of collapsed bricks with infused magic, restoring the breached wall that had been destroyed by cannon fire. Fragments of damaged bricks returned to their original positions, while irreparable sections had paving lifted up to fill the gaps.
The severely damaged city wall thus regained its pristine appearance with a single spell.
A roar of cheers erupted, and scattered soldiers quickly returned to battle.
“Endless work…” Mika murmured, raising a hand faintly to acknowledge the accolades and immediately contemplated lighting another cigarette.
This marked the seventh wall repair of the day. After being unceremoniously dumped into a warzone five days ago, her job hasn’t gotten easier—only harder.
Her mentor’s words also implied, “Capable individuals are called forth without hesitation into situations like this.”
Mages function bureaucratically. Their immense powers prove versatile across numerous scenarios.
Urban creation mages, like Mika, are instrumental in new city constructions, infrastructure redevelopment, and revising outdated urban planning. In castle sieges, their tactical value surpasses mages wielding weak attack magic. Mika, inspired by Erich and her inherent diligence, has also mastered field-applicable magic.
Currently, due to orders from the professors, Mika has been dispatched into the fiery fray—a city surrounded by waterways with a muddy battlefield created by her water diversion spells.
The once modest city gates have been expanded into a triple-layered fortification—adding an ironclad barrier beyond the original entrance. Towers now fire arrows and projectiles at approaching foes, whose movements are impeded by ankle-deep mud.
The city’s own enchanters further reinforce these defenses by reflecting arrows and disrupting enemy spells, rendering this fortress nearly impenetrable save by cannon fire, which is inaccurate and sparse.
Satisfied with her work yet contemplating the fragility of the city when even one person is absent, Mika ponders why this situation escalated so drastically before reinforcements arrived.
The city planning isn’t the issue—it’s robust given its strategic position and adherence to imperial standards. The adversary has only been overwhelmingly powerful and numerous.
“An ill joke, perhaps they favor corpses like myself too…”
Retreating back to a secure position, Mika sighs, mingling fatigue with smoke, wondering how much longer this assault will continue.
Dispatched after the attack had been ongoing for five days, it’s now reaching its tenth. The siege itself has lasted a month, with no end in sight.
Fighting against undead involves endless stamina, unwavering resilience, and spirits impervious to pain and fear. Most notably, complete destruction is required as anything else leads to their reconstitution and return.
Unlike human combatants, where wounded fighters add logistical burdens, or if they return are often diminished in effectiveness, these animated dead continue, regardless of injury, retreating only to heal for further deployment.
The unyielding stamina allowing round-the-clock fighting spells doom for the defenders who rotate personnel for respite.
Regardless of species, humans require sustenance and rest to perform optimally. Even the illustrious long-lived species need nourishment and sleep to recover post-battle.
Mika’s presence did boost morale, but how long that will last is unknown.
This resilience comes from the reinforcements sent: five dragon ships delivering miracle-healing monks, elite soldiers, and medical supplies, proving that they haven’t been abandoned, giving hope that salvation will come if they endure.
Northtown differed vastly from Flachburg, where despair had begun to set in. From both personal and national perspectives, the residents here were more concerned with survival than the broader war.
Nevertheless, their fighting spirit remains high.
Still, Mika can’t fully grasp why the Empire didn’t interfere until this situation became dire.
The Empire’s intelligence prowess is well understood. Leveraging insider knowledge to make others feel “exposed” works both ways. The oversight of such a significant uprising in the western border regions seems inexplicable unless the responsible officer was unusually incompetent or complacent.
“Damn… getting a headache…”
Mika ceased her overthinking, recognizing her brain’s complaints. As a mere student—despite her specialized knowledge—speculating beyond her clearance isn’t productive, especially when it rarely leads to positive outcomes.
Given past experience, the assault will continue for several more hours until sunset, then pause momentarily to resume later in the evening, when fighting becomes impractical. Thus, recuperating stamina and magic would be prudent.
As she savored the bittersweet tobacco lingering on her tongue, a face floated into her mind.
Would her friend, favored by a Trial God, wear if they saw her in this battlefield chaos? She smiled, idly wondering if this intense battlefield might compel them to appear as well.
—
Professors and researchers have some discretion for independent actions but are obligated to heed administrative requests and mandatory orders, unless legitimate objections prevail.
Furthermore, such requests or orders may legally bypass instructors to be issued directly to students.
On June 25, 2021, the awaited fourth volume of the series was successfully published as planned.
Reiterating: the new addition includes tens of thousands of revised and new words, including the all-new “Henderson Scale 2.0.” Your support is greatly appreciated!
Additionally, Kindle on Amazon is offering discounts for Volume 1, and Bookwalker provides a 40% coin rebate sale.
For those yet to read Volume 1, it also includes extensive revisions, new episodes, and illustrations by Lansane.