How to Live as a Swordmaster of the Enemy Nation

Tarierre Kingdom (3)

The members selected for luring the enemies were those who lacked confidence in horseback riding. Shouldn't those who are going to act as decoys be even better riders, since they might get shot down if they make a mistake?

Of course, that's a reasonable and valid point. However, there is something even trickier than riding and luring. That is wielding a sword while mounted.

Riding at full speed and having to pay attention to other things made the difficulty much higher.

With mediocre sword skills, it would probably be impossible.

Therefore, Seria, garneth, Kylas, Amelia, leonics, and Walter, who were skilled in riding and possessed formidable strength, were assigned the task of annihilating the enemy.

'Of course, it's not an easy task.'

Walter knew that as soon as he stepped outside, arrows and bombs would rain down. The enemy would be desperate to kill anyone who appeared in front of the fortress walls.

However, they were attempting this because it could be managed. If they retreated from this front, it was only natural the dawn's hideout would be taken.

Moreover, beyond the rear of these fortress walls sprawled a vast plain, and even being pillaged once would result in immeasurable damage.

"I will win no matter what..."

Walter, like Gregory, thought that once they took out the shieldbearers, they could temporarily halt the enemy's advance. It was a fact that, in a siege, the defenders held the advantage.

Thus, if the shieldbearers were eliminated, the enemy would have fewer means of approaching—this was the logic behind his conclusion.

And so he clenched his teeth.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, sir!"

The loud shouts of the soldiers and knight order members made it feel as if the very earth was shaking. Walter drew his sword and raised it to the sky, shouting in a deep, resonant voice as if to respond to the soldiers' morale.

"Charge!"

At his command, the soldiers flung open the great gate in the fortress wall. Then, mounted, they valiantly charged forward.

***

Gregory first set out to meet the person in charge here, in order to check on available supplies and what items were needed.

After asking around the surrounding buildings, he was able to meet a man named Neisit.

"Are you Neisit?"

"Yes, I am. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Gregory of the dawn knight order."

Neisit looked at Gregory with a dissatisfied expression.

"What brings you here?"

"I'd like to check the supplies."

Gregory's audacity baffled Neisit. It was clear from the unfamiliar face that he must be a regular knight order member, so why was he asking to check the supplies?

Then something flashed through Neisit's mind. It was the name Gregory.

"Could it be... Are you the Gregory I've only heard about in rumors?"

Gregory, pressed for time, didn't care. Without flinching, he asked Neisit again.

"Yes, that's right. So, where's the supply storage?"

"Oh, please follow me."

Neisit personally guided Gregory. Along the way, he couldn't stop praising him.

"Gregory who saved Arme—just hearing the name is exciting, but to see you in person... It's an honor."

"Thank you for recognizing me."

He continued to voice other compliments, but none really reached Gregory's ears. Soon after, Gregory arrived at the supply storehouse and immediately checked the materials that could be used to block the enemy's entry.

Even at a glance, huge items greeted Gregory.

"Can all of these items be brought up onto the fortress wall?"

"With the soldiers' strength, we can get them up quickly."

"In that case, please prepare these so they can be fired or dropped."

"Of course. To win a war, we have to do whatever it takes."

Even though there were rock-falls and logs, Gregory still felt uneasy. They simply didn't have enough oil to use fire arrows effectively.

"Is there any way to secure more oil?"

"What are you planning to use the oil for?"

After a brief thought, neisit asked about Gregory's intentions. Originally, oil was used for fire arrows, and by his judgment, the amount of oil seemed sufficient.

If more was needed, he could procure it, but wanted to know the purpose.

"Looking at the situation realistically, this fortress wall is inevitably going to fall."

"But isn't there a special unit this time? With the strength of the knight order, surely we can overcome it?"

"It is true they are skilled. But they are human too. Eventually, in combat, they'll grow exhausted. At that moment, the enemy will push forward."

Neisit did not deny Gregory's words. His statements were intuitive and rarely wrong, so there was no reason to object.

"Yes... I suppose that's true. But wouldn't that mean we just continue the siege? Rumor has it, not just the dawn knight order, but other knight orders will join soon..."

Gregory shook his head at that. He resolved to cast aside narrow thinking; if they did not create a variable here, this front would collapse soon enough.

"No. I think we need to abandon this place."

Neisit started to doubt his own judgment at Gregory's words. He had believed maintaining this territory was key to seizing the advantage in the war.

"What do you mean? Surely you know what will happen if we give up this land?"

"I know well. That's why I'm asking you to help me secure more oil."

With complete conviction, Gregory insisted. He then explained what his plan was.

"You don't seem to realize my intent yet. There is a lot of time left before other knight orders arrive. Even if we fight to the last, this place will fall, unconditionally."

Gregory went on to outline his plan.

First, he would form a special unit from the dawn knight order members to exterminate the enemy. Even if his second operation went into effect, after struggling to buy time for more knight orders to arrive, he would bind the enemy there.

Second, as soon as the dawn knight order withdrew, since he knew the enemy would surge forward, he planned to pour down rock-falls, logs, and boiling oil.

At that moment, fire arrows would be used to block the enemy's entry. The barricades already laid and the fire would combine, making the blaze even more intense.

He explained that the enemy would be hindered for a long time, as the fire would not subside easily.

Having listened the whole time, neisit thought Gregory's plan seemed decent, but it wasn't perfect, so he couldn't shake his unease.

"What will you do next? We can't just yield this land on the mere determination to block the enemy."

Gregory shot Neisit a piercing look.

"Have you ever heard the saying: 'Give up the flesh, take the bone'?"

Neisit nodded and listened attentively. As the person commanding the front, he thought Gregory's strategy well worth learning.

"If we do that, the enemy will first be forced to consume food. All those troops consuming rations for days is a great boon for us. And if we abandon this land, of course there will be criticism. That's why I'm combining another method."

Neisit was growing curious what Gregory was preparing to say, seeing his confident manner. Gregory, ready for that expectation, spoke without hesitation.

"While the enemy is stalled, I plan to build another fortress behind this front. By then, other knight orders will have joined, and the morale of the enemy will be very low. Our own soldiers will take minimal losses and inflict massive damage."

Neisit uttered a gasp of admiration at Gregory's words.

"You are just as remarkable as the newspapers said... And so young, too, yet you have such seasoned judgment..."

"So, will you help me procure oil? I'll request the workforce for building the new fortress from the Radiant Order." The most update n0vels are published on novel⸺fire.net

Gregory radiated confidence, as if he had already seized victory. Seeing him look like a master strategist, neisit truly felt he wanted to follow him.

"Of course. I'll have it ready as soon as possible."

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