The surroundings were grasslands as far as the eye could see. Under a cloudless blue sky, green prairie stretched endlessly. However, being winter now, there was no grassy smell characteristic of the plains. Taking a deep breath only filled my lungs with cold air. Though the sun was shining, I could barely feel its warmth.
I frowned at the cold wind, then surveyed the cavalry unit moving ahead and behind me. Nothing seemed amiss, but this cavalry unit of 250 riders under my command was heading toward the northeastern border of Burk Kingdom.
The surroundings were snow fields as far as the eye could see. A brown road, distinct in color, continued endlessly through them. The cavalry was advancing along this path.
Our forces belonged to a unit of approximately 3,000 men led by Margrave Schwarz, commander of Burk Kingdom's northern forces. And now we were heading even further north in this freezing winter season.
You might wonder what's going on, but that's just how it is. In this era, wars aren't fought in winter. Or rather, they normally can't be. Yet here we are, doing the abnormal.
My adjutant, Paul Ryu, who was beside me, asked: "Surely the Land Kingdom knows that castle won't fall easily?" "I wonder what madness made them attack. Perhaps they thought if they attacked in autumn, they could manage something before winter. But that seems impossible no matter how you look at it." "I thought they would retreat when winter came. What a troublesome situation." I smiled slightly at Ryu's words.
"Well, they might have circumstances we don't know about, or perhaps they have some devious strategy." "It would be problematic if they had a strategy. Is that why we've been dispatched like this?" "Yes, that's basically it."
I nodded as I said this. But I couldn't imagine what kind of strategy would work in mid-winter. I considered that we might have been lured out by a ploy, but even if we lost, they couldn't occupy that castle as long as it stood—there was no future prospect. It still made no sense. It seemed like nothing more than stubborn persistence. Still, we had to deploy just in case something was afoot.
The castle at the border between our Burk Kingdom and Land Kingdom was called "Knights' Castle." Though small, it was famous for being incredibly sturdy. Built on a barren hill without a single tree, it had two concentric walls of vertical stone with many defensive towers, leaving no blind spots.
The castle utilized the entire hilltop, leaving no footing for siege weapons.
Attacking soldiers would barely climb up the slippery gravel slope, unable to stand straight, only to face towering castle walls immediately before them. How could anyone attack that? It was like going to one's death.
The Land Kingdom army had been attacking this castle for three months already. It was madness. I couldn't fathom their intentions at all.
The castle was garrisoned by 500 highly loyal royal troops who rotated duty. Furthermore, vast storerooms carved into the bedrock contained five years' worth of provisions. The massive water reservoir, which doubled as a moat, held an immense volume of water. With abundant food and water, a siege against this sturdy castle was a nightmare that would never end for an enemy.
So when the enemy attacked this castle in autumn, nobody believed it. Even after messengers confirmed it was true, people thought it wouldn't amount to much, though monitoring forces were positioned just in case.
Everyone assumed they would retreat once snow fell. But strangely, they didn't retreat despite the snow and dropping temperatures. That's why we, including the northern army, were dispatched as a relief force.
This era resembled early medieval Europe, with bows, spears, and swords as the main weapons. Our Burk Kingdom occupied a long north-south territory in eastern Arkhart Continent. To the east of the northern kingdom lay a low mountain range, and beyond that was a large peninsula where the now-hostile Land Kingdom was located.
I am Johann Han, lord of a domain with about 30,000 subjects in the northwestern part of the kingdom. I'm a viscount—a nobleman—aged 25. Being in the north, my domain doesn't produce much wheat, but we sustain ourselves through sheep wool, dairy products, and horse breeding. It's not wealthy, but I believe my subjects live adequately.
My father passed away from illness last year, and I've just inherited his position. His death followed a long illness, and while sad, it was expected. As his only son, there was no confusion about succession. Though I had prepared to inherit, the sheer volume of responsibilities as lord left me dumbfounded. Now with this deployment, domain affairs have been postponed. It will be difficult when I return.
If I return, that is.
The surname Han is unusual in this country because my ancestors were nomadic horsemen who mostly lived in the western Kitai Plains.
My great-grandfather naturalized to Burk Kingdom. Even after naturalization, we maintained connections with Kitai, secretly providing grain when they faced food shortages and trading sheep, wool, and dairy products.
We also turned a blind eye when Kitai people crossed the border for nomadic purposes. In fact, we sometimes crossed to their side when necessary, so it was a fair exchange.
Because of this, the Kitai people saw us as half-allies, preventing conflicts on the western border. This allowed us to allocate forces eastward. Though this time, it's not a full deployment—only about half our strength.
Being of Kitai descent, I have black hair and black eyes. This makes me somewhat conspicuous among the mostly blonde, blue-eyed people of the central and northern kingdom. However, the southern parts of this kingdom have mixed ethnicities with various hair and skin colors, so there isn't much racial discrimination.
Even when I go to the royal capital, I might be considered unusual but never discriminated against or disliked. That's how we've been able to live comfortably.
Actually, this country has a practical attitude that abilities matter more than ethnicity. My ancestors even became nobility due to their horsemanship skills, so that's how things are.
Ryu, beside me, said: "Since the young lord has a formidable knightly order, I'm sure they're counting on you." "Stop with the 'young lord,' just call me Han like always. My father would be relied upon, but I'm just a youngster—who knows how much they trust me." "Well then, Han, if you achieve merits here, your reputation will rise." "It's true my knightly order is strong. I'll try to accomplish something noteworthy." "That's the spirit. We'll fight with all our might too." "I'm counting on you, really." Really, really counting on you. You're all I have, truly.
Peter Ryu is five years my senior and like an older brother who trained in swordsmanship and studied with me since childhood. Like me, he has black hair and eyes, but he's tall with a robust build. Skilled in swordsmanship and horsemanship, he's also thoughtful and reliable. Moreover, he's good-natured and handsome in a rugged way.
It's shameful that I'm his superior merely because I was born a nobleman, but that can't be helped. I must strive to be a good superior. I must try my best.
Ryu is my adjutant, but I have two other officers who each command a hundred riders: Willy Yan and Klaus Stein.
Then there's Jiro Kim, who was selected as quartermaster for his bookkeeping abilities despite being a soldier. These are my staff. With them, I intend to manage this battle somehow. We'll manage—we have to.
That's because I had a secret plan for this campaign.