Chapter 14: Fortress Defense - Part 1
Due to Alektem's scolding, I became unable to leave this fortress after the previous night raid.
Since there was no other choice, I decided to train inside the fortress and pass the time by scouting the enemy's territory with a wooden bird.
Looking down from above, there was no movement from the soldiers of the Mendashium Kingdom.
The Imperial staffs that I set on fire should have been significantly reduced.
Nevertheless, they neither prepared for a retreat nor rushed into the fortress without their staffs, maintaining an eerie silence.
According to my expectations, if it was the Empire's orders, they would have charged in without delay, and if not, they would retreat.
As the Mendashium Kingdom remained motionless, after three days had passed, the situation finally started to change.
"Oh, they've started to advance."
Leaving the structures in their positions, they began advancing through the mountain path in the ravine.
I called for Alektem and the key experienced soldiers to the conference room, where we discussed matters while projecting the scenery from the crystals onto the wall.
"Now, the enemy forces are approaching this fortress. How do we usually repel them?"
As it was my first battle and I wasn't familiar with the procedures, I asked Alektem, who provided the answer.
"We have set up traps in several locations beforehand. We activate them manually to weaken their forces."
"The mountain path in the ravine is the only way, and the soldiers of the Mendashium Kingdom cannot climb up the slopes, so it's an effective method."
"Shall we proceed with it then?"
"I'll leave it to you."
Once I gave permission, one of the experienced soldiers stood up and left the conference room.
His unit was probably heading to utilize the traps that had been prepared.
"Now that the trap matter is settled, shall we observe the enemy's formation more closely?"
"You're cautious, Milimos."
"Even if we lost the Imperial staffs, they might have prepared a way to breach this fortress. Besides, they might have halted their advance for three days to repair the staffs."
"Is it likely that they possess such strategic thinking?"
"Even if one plan fails, it's important to have two or three alternative strategies prepared, or something like that. I believe that's what Alektem said. It's dangerous to assume they don't have any."
"Oh, I've been taken down once."
With a burst of laughter, not only Alextem but also the soldiers joined in.
As I tilted my head, wondering if it was a scene to laugh at, I focused on the scene reflected in the crystal.
The soldiers of the country of Mendacium were marching in a line along a winding road with ups and downs in the valley.
The road was narrow, barely allowing two people to pass each other. As a result, the column had become quite long.
I used magic to manipulate a wooden bird, tracing its path from the front to the rear of the column. I flew it at a lower altitude than usual because I wanted to see the state of their armament in detail.
And thus, I was able to see the equipment of the Mendacium soldiers—
"Are they really trying to invade the fortress? Even if they can't bring in large equipment because of the narrow passages, they don't even have battering rams to break down the doors, or ladders to climb the outer walls."
I couldn't help but wonder, as I had read in books after becoming a marshal, about various tactics to capture a fortress using those methods.
However, it seemed that my perception was mistaken here.
"The tactics that Lord Miremos was reading about are from a time when magical techniques weren't fully developed. In modern fortress warfare, magic is used to bombard and destroy the outer walls and enemies," explained Alextem.
I nodded in understanding.
"Ah, magic. But as for me, I don't know any powerful magic that can demolish the outer walls of a fortress, except for using imperial-made staffs."
"Although the power of each individual spell may be weak, if multiple magicians perform a large number of spells over several days, they can eventually break down even thick walls."
"It sounds like raindrops wearing away stones. It's somewhat leisurely, or rather, how should I put it..."
"As Lord Miremos said, it's a strategy that takes time, but it is highly safe. Since our country has a small population, we have few personnel capable of using offensive magic, so it's a tactic we cannot employ."
"That's fine. It's a defensive battle, so as long as magic can reach, we can shoot them with bows and arrows, right?"
"They have heads that realize that much as well. They protect the magicians with shields that can block arrows."
Now that it was mentioned, this tactic seemed surprisingly feasible.
"In that case, how will we defend ourselves? The outer walls will eventually collapse, won't they?"
"Even the magicians cannot use magic continuously throughout the day. While they rest from fatigue, we will use materials and magic to repair the outer walls."
"There is magic to repair the outer walls?"
"We inject a special clay that hardens as hard as rock into the cracks and use magic to dry it quickly. This way, we don't have to worry about the outer walls collapsing."
"Rather than restoration, isn't it more like a temporary fix? If they keep using that method every time Mendashium Kingdom attacks, wouldn't the defensive strength of the outer walls be completely gone?"
"Hahaha. No need to worry. The regular duty of the fortress troops during peacetime is the full restoration and further reinforcement of the outer walls. There are no longer any parts that were damaged in the previous battle!"
Contrary to the hearty laughter of Alekthem, a seasoned soldier serving at the fortress wore a wry smile.
"Except for the personnel conducting inspections of people passing through the fortress, there is nothing else to do but repair the outer walls."
His words reminded me of something.
"Alekthem, that road we used when we returned from the Empire. Do soldiers from Mendashium Kingdom enter from there?"
"They do not. Weak soldiers of Mendashium passing through the forest inhabited by monsters in large numbers would be like going to be food."
"What if a skilled few come?"
"Milimos-sama, Nonette Kingdom is a small mountainous country with limited interaction with foreign nations, so many of the people are acquaintances. If an unfamiliar face were to appear in such a society, the information would quickly reach the royal castle. Therefore, it is impossible for enemy soldiers to sneak into Nonette Kingdom."
"I see. So, a small country has its own advantages."
Anyway, all we have to do is focus on the Mendashium soldiers who come to the fortress.
"From an aerial perspective, it doesn't seem like anyone has imperial-made staffs, so it should be an easy battle."
"However, it's not that simple."
Alekthem cautioned me.
"They may be weak, but they are persistent. In past battles, we ended up fighting until the snow started falling."
"Until the snow falls..."
It's autumn now, and the mountain's winter comes early, usually lasting for about one to two months.
"We can't afford to keep fighting for that long."
"Even if you say so, this is something that the enemy decides."
I couldn't help but sigh at the troublesome opponent being an enemy country.
The soldiers of Mendashium Kingdom slowly made their way along the mountain path over three days.
During this time, the soldiers of Nonette Kingdom had set traps in motion, causing rocks to roll down from the mountains, collapsing disguised paths to make them slide off, and resorting to cunning tactics to reduce their numbers as much as possible.
Despite such interference, the soldiers of the Republic of Mendashium continued their advance towards the fortress, establishing a tightly packed encampment in a small square that was about a half-day's journey away. It was said to be a camping site created by the soldiers of Mendashium in the past, who had manually carved away the mountains, serving as a resting place for merchants and travelers.
And as the morning dawned, they began their march towards the fortress.
Watching this scene through the eyes of a wooden bird, I tilted my head slightly.
"Splitting the soldiers marching forward into two groups, with one group staying at the camp. Is that their strategy?"
In the military strategy books I've read, dividing the forces was considered a foolish tactic, so I couldn't help but feel puzzled.
However, Alekthem knew the reason behind it.
"The maximum number of soldiers that can simultaneously attack the fortress is about this much. If too many troops are sent in, they will get stuck on the mountain path and won't be able to move forward or backward."
"You sound like you're talking about something you've seen in the past."
"Hahaha. When I was a rookie, Mendashium tried to break down the fortress with sheer numbers. The road in front of the fortress was completely filled with enemy soldiers, and after the battle, it became a layer of piled-up corpses. My superior at the time joked, 'It's terrifying to think they would try to overcome the outer wall of the fortress by piling up their own soldiers' corpses.'"
I inadvertently imagined the scene and shivered.
"No, no. It's scary because it's madness."
"Is that so? At that time, since the outcome was decided in that one battle, it left a stronger impression of it being easy."
To think that a situation where corpses piled up on the road was considered easy, what kind of impression is that?
"In any case, we need to be on high alert as the enemy soldiers approach."
"Understood. By the way, do we have any Imperial-made staves?"
"I'm looking through the eyes of the bird, but I don't see anything that looks like them. However, I can't deny the possibility that they might be hidden."
"By keeping a trump card in reserve, we can catch the enemy off guard. Although it's often more effective to use the trump card as an opening move."
As Alekthem casually mentioned this, I gradually found him more reliable, perhaps due to the growing anxiety that war was about to begin.
"Make sure the soldiers are aware and remain vigilant, including the possibility of having Imperial-made staves or other means."
"I will ensure that everyone is well-informed."
After Alekthem left the room and I was alone, I looked through the crystal to see the scene being observed by the wooden bird.
Indeed, I couldn't see any Imperial-made staves.
While feeling an unpleasant premonition about it, anticipating that the battle would be prolonged, I decided to retrieve the wooden bird for now.