Surviving a Harsh Fantasy with Cheat Items (WN)

「Absurd! At this critical juncture, Baron Zawa Haruto refuses to switch sides!」

With a scowl on his face, Marquis Pipin brandished his long, flowing beard that sprouted from his prominent chin. He was incensed.

To avoid stumbling in the initial skirmishes, Pipin had even promised Zawa Haruto the position of a count after the war.

Yet, despite such favorable terms, Zawa Haruto now rejected surrendering the castle.

Pipin couldn’t believe it. He had thought Zawa Haruto to be a shrewd man, but had he misjudged him?

「Having once agreed to be our turncoat, how can he now betray us?」

「No, aren’t we supposed to be the traitors?」

Retorted the man standing beside Marquis Pipin. It was Zephyranzas Silva, the mercenary captain hired specifically for this battle.

Zephyranzas hailed from the Roland Kingdom, a strapping twenty-eight-year-old with long, unruly black hair and a sallet helmet adorned with a hemispherical visor.

Beneath his black cloak, he wore sturdy chainmail, and his estoc hung at his side. Though more akin to a nobleman in demeanor than a mere mercenary, Zephyranzas lacked the deference expected of a highborn aristocrat. This irked Pipin.

If not for his position as captain of the formidable two-thousand-strong mercenary company, Pipin would have dismissed him outright.

With a disdainful glare, Pipin chose to ignore him. Haughty nobles rarely bothered with the quips of commoners.

「Hmph! The enemy’s forces number no more than fifteen hundred. And yet, they block our path with this insignificant fortress. It’s utter foolishness.」

Marquis Pipin was no fool himself.

In addition to the five hundred knights of the local noble army, they had the support of the First and Second Corps who had sided with the local nobles. Add to that three thousand conscripts and Zephyranzas’ two thousand mercenaries.

A grand total of eight thousand soldiers.

Even though they were defending within the castle walls, facing more than five times their strength left Pipin wondering what they could possibly achieve.

Amidst these words, Marquis Pipin could not deny that he, too, had miscalculated.

Confident in his own cunning as a strategist, Marquis Pipin had never anticipated the failure of his ‘turncoat strategy’ with Baron Zawa Haruto.

Hence, he had prioritized the speed of their advance over accompanying siege engines.

Now, transporting those engines to the front lines would take considerable time.

Perhaps Zawa Haruto’s apparent defection was a ruse, and the castle’s stubborn defense was part of his plan.

Considering the unexpected strength of their adversary, Pipin felt uneasy.

If they dallied, reinforcements would surely reach the besieged royal forces.

Having raised the banner of rebellion against the queen, every moment counted.

Pipin, astute and capable, led an army of eight thousand, yet he sensed impending shadows on their path.

However, he dared not show weakness before the commanders of the First and Second Legions or the foreign mercenary captain.

「What shall we do, Your Excellency Marquis?」

「For now, encircle the castle. I shall personally make another plea for surrender.」

In truth, he longed to storm the castle outright. But the fortress, with its five bastion towers arranged like a star, was formidable.

While their vast army could breach its walls, Pipin hesitated.

The castle’s moat ran deep, its walls high. A swift assault might yield unforeseen casualties and require an unknown duration for victory.

Soldiers, time—both were precious as they pressed toward the Est Marquisate’s lands and the royal capital.

Marquis Pipin spurred his horse forward, addressing the troops surrounding the castle.

「I am Marquis Pipin Nant Burgund, the legitimate commander of the Kingdom of Silesie’s forces. I implore you to reconsider surrender. Continuing as we are will only lead to futile sacrifices!」

Upon hearing Marquis Pipin’s cry, a familiar figure with dull silver hair appeared atop one of the outer turrets. It was none other than Baron Zawa Haruto, the lord of Dot Castle.

「Marquis Pipin, it’s regrettable. Despite appearances, I remain loyal to the queen. I won’t side with a turncoat like you.」

Pipin felt irritated by the man who had once agreed to betray them. Baron Zawa Haruto’s history was rife with treachery.

For such a man to speak of loyalty seemed nothing more than mockery.

「Loyal to the queen, you say! Then, do you acknowledge a mere half-elf as the rightful ruler? Bonjour of the esteemed House Bran is far more fitting to ascend the throne as Silesie’s legitimate king.」

「Hmph! To claim that a distant relative, and a mere twelve-year-old at that, is fit to be king—bold words indeed.」

Baron Zawa Haruto merely smirked down sarcastically at Pipin.

「Understood, Baron Zawa Haruto. I will give you the entire Est Marquisate. You shouldn’t have anything to complain now！」

「Hou? An entire marquisate? That’s bold of you…..」

Baron Zawa Haruto rubs his chin in contemplation.

Yes, this man was still motivated by rewards. Just one more step and he’ll agree. Just then, a girl with golden hair clad in black armor spoke up.

「Oh, Baron, you mustn’t believe a word that man says. Offering unclaimed lands like the Est Marquisate without a fight—no child would fall for that.」

「Hahaha! When Acting General Sarah speaks, it carries weight. Indeed, they should take the Est Marquisate first before making such offer.」

「And what is a little girl doing there? I am negotiating with the castle’s lord!」

「Ara, consider this my introduction. I happen to be the overall commander of this army.」

The golden-haired girl stood tall, her chest held high. Beside her, a young boy held the blue flag of the Silesie Kingdom, gazing down upon them. Baron Zawa Haruto remained silent.

「Ha, don’t jest! Shall a mere girl spout nonsense?」

「Allow me to introduce myself as the chef d’escadre, Acting General Sarah Rod, representing Sawatari Takeru. Perhaps we’ve crossed paths in the royal capital of Silesie, Marquis Pipin.」

「Ridiculous! Are you saying a child serves as your acting general?」

Despite his words, Pipin couldn’t dismiss the possibility.

Finally recalling the golden-haired girl’s face, he realized she was the same child who had led a band of commoner-born soldiers in the Battle of Silesie.

That alone was distasteful, but to think she now stood as their overall commander alongside him!

「You’re the fool here. I am Acting General Sarah, the representative of Silesie’s hero. The elite among the volunteer corps—the Royal Guards. Feeble nobles like you stand no chance against us.」

A peasant’s child mocking noble-born Pipin.

Though seasoned, Pipin couldn’t suppress his frustration.

If one traced his lineage, he was the head of House Burgund, a prestigious noble family that had served since the kingdom’s founding.

Since that Silesie hero had seized power, the country had taken a peculiar turn.

Marquis Pipin, a descendant of noble lineage, rose in rebellion driven by a desire to restore order amid the chaos plaguing the current royal line.

Not that he lacked personal ambition. Yet, a sense of duty to rectify the royal lineage’s disarray also fueled him.

「After crowning a half-elf as queen, now a peasant’s child as acting general! How far will you all mock the 240-year-old traditions and dignity of Silesie?」

Marquis Pipin refrained from voicing the rest.

Then, with a sharp report, a bullet struck his long beard.

「Damn, missed?」

Smoke billowed from the matchlock gun held by Captain Sara.

Pipin gazed up, disbelief etched on his face.

「Unfair! Interrupting while I’m still speaking—aaargh!」

Furthermore, sparks flew from the new musket.

Marquis Pipin, who had been targeted by Sarah’s snipers, desperately fled.

「The conversation is over. You’re annoying, so you might as well die now.」

「Aaah!」

From behind, bullets whizzed through the air with a light sound. Surprisingly nimble, they grazed the Marquis’s buttocks as he zigzagged in panic, creating intense sparks from the friction between the bullets and his armor.

「Well, whatever. He’s just a small fry.」

Sarah’s voice reached the marquis’ ears as he crawled back to his allies, his body wracked with exhaustion.

(To call the head of House Burgund, Marquis Pipin Nant Burgund, a small fry!)

「Are you all right, Marquis Pipin?」

「haa haa… Don’t touch me!」

The fallen Marquis, rejecting the hand of the mercenary captain Zephyranzas who tried to help him up, stood up with a face so red that steam seemed to rise from his head due to his burning anger.

「And what will you do, Your Excellency Marquis?」

「No need to ask. The besieging enemy is few in number. We’ll attack all at once, exterminating everyone inside the castle!」

With an attitude that conveyed his frustration, Pipin returned to his headquarters and sat at his desk.

「Watch closely. Let these low birth trash see what happens when they anger me, Pipin.」

At this point, there was no time to spare the soldiers. It was a battle of eight thousand against one thousand five hundred—a fight they couldn’t lose, no matter how it unfolded.

※※※

「Why, despite surrounding them with five times our troops, did we fail?」

「As expected of the sturdy Dot Castle. They have four cannons installed in the side towers, along with those firearms. If we attack in a group, we’ll be blown away by the cannons. And if we scatter and try to climb the walls, we’ll be sniped by iron bullets. It’s a hopeless situation.」

Marquis Pipin found the mercenary captain’s calm analysis irritating, as if it were someone else’s problem.

There was no time to waste on such matters. The enemy would surely send reinforcements to the front lines.

If that’s the case, their numerical advantage won’t last forever.

They can’t afford to stumble here; there’s no room for error.

「If they have muskets, surely we’ve deployed them too.」

「They seem to be using them for the conscripted peasant militia, but the situation and numbers are different on both sides.」

The reason Silésie Kingdom triumphed over the Germania Empire was the potency of their new weaponry. Witnessing this firsthand, Marquis Pipin discreetly procured muskets from the forges in the Ye Mountains and ensured they were properly deployed.

Marquis Pipin was indeed taking action. However, he hadn’t fully grasped their nature.

「Even in terms of numbers, we seem to outnumber them.」

「Musket projectiles are similar to mechanical bows. The conditions differ significantly between shooting down from a fortified castle and shooting up from below.」

The Silésie royal army faced not only the local noble forces but also the Castilia Kingdom’s troops and the new Germania Empire forces—all turned against them. While Marquis Pipin didn’t expect defeat, he wanted to avoid being stuck in a stalemate after rising in rebellion.

As Marquis Pipin, he had hoped to absorb as much of Silésie Kingdom’s territory as possible before falling into foreign hands. But this would merely end up as a footnote—a mere spearhead for Castilia.

「I don’t want excuses. Why do you think we paid the mercenary company so handsomely?」

「However, if we’re attacking a fortress, we should have prepared siege weapons. To face a sturdy castle with ladders alone is rather uncouth.」

He couldn’t remain silent. Neglecting preparations for an enemy’s siege was indeed Marquis Pipin’s responsibility.

「Nevertheless, we’ll press on!」

「Well, if that’s the order, we mercenaries will do our part.」

The intense siege of Dot Castle continued relentlessly.

Facing five times our forces was significant. Finally, we were close to filling the outer moat and capturing one of the side towers.

In the dead of night, flames erupted from the local noble army’s camp.

Startled by the sudden turmoil, Marquis Pipin leaped out of bed, thinking, ‘An enemy night raid!’.

A knight captain from his ranks approached and knelt before him.

「What’s happening?」

「My apologies, Your Excellency Marquis. Our conscripted troops are defecting one after another. The camp is ablaze, and the peasant militia has risen in revolt.」

Marquis Pipin couldn’t believe his ears. Unthinkable events kept unfolding in this war.

「What? Betrayal… by none other than our own local subjects!」

Indeed, even though they were mere conscripted peasant soldiers, they hailed from the lands the Burgund family had ruled for two hundred and forty years. The idea of them defecting to the enemy was inconceivable. No, it was unforgivable!

「Yet, amidst the harsh siege, rumors spread among the discontented conscripts.」

「Speak up! What rumors?」

「It seems that if the Silésie Kingdom’s forces prevail, they’ll grant a year of tax exemption.」

「What nonsense! Are you saying our local peasants betrayed us over such trivial rumors?」

Marquis Pipin muttered weakly. Could it be that the subjects who had served the Burgund family for generations would turn traitors for a mere year of tax relief?

「To quell the rebellion, we have no choice but to promise tax exemptions ourselves.」

「Don’t be foolish! Do you realize how much this war has cost? The Burgund family will go bankrupt!」

At that moment, the mercenary captain Zephyranzas entered Marquis Pipin’s tent.

「As Your Excellency Marquis suggests, it’s true. Even if we promise tax exemptions now to appease them, the rebellion among the local militia won’t subside.」

「Zephyranzas, stop wasting time and suppress this!」

Marquis Pipin couldn’t help but shout.

The mercenary captain’s words sounded mocking. After all, it was the local nobles led by Marquis Pipin who had incited the rebellion. To think that the conscripted militia would turn against them—it felt like they were being laughed at.

「Understood, if it’s the General’s command, we’ll do as instructed. However, I have a suggestion.」

「What? What kind of suggestion…」

Marquis Pipin felt irritated. He had hired Zephyranzas as a mercenary, not as a strategist.

「I propose a retreat.」

「Retreat? Don’t be ridiculous!」

「Marquis Pipin! Surely you’re not so foolish as to misunderstand the current situation. We are no longer besieging the enemy castle guards; it’s the other way around. We’re surrounded by three thousand conscripted troops and fifteen hundred castle guards.」

「I understand that. But…」

「In that case, we should issue an immediate order to retreat. While we mercenaries will do anything for gold, we don’t want to lose our lives for it. Right now, we can guarantee not only Your Excellency Marquis’s life but also the lives of your noble family members who are fighting alongside us. Our mercenary company can minimize the losses among your troops during the retreat.」

Zephyranzas’ observation was valid. Marquis Pipin, too, fancied himself a schemer. He comprehended the situation. Yet, emotionally, he didn’t want to give up on the siege.

If they were to withdraw without achieving anything…

What was the point of rising in rebellion, even with foreign aid?

「It’s no use. We can’t retreat.」

「…Very well. If reinforcements arrive here, we may no longer be able to guarantee Your Excellency Marquis’s life. Are you still determined?」

「Zephyranzas, somehow take the castle before that. The conscripts are our local subjects. As the ruling lord, I’ll try to reason with them and calm the situation.」

「…….」

Mercenary Captain Zephyranzas bowed silently. With a click, he lowered the visor of his Sallet helmet and headed back to the battlefield.

And not long after that, just as Zephyranzas had feared…

Enemy reinforcements arrived at Dot Castle.