From Mercenary to King

Chapter 112: The Mercenary Bureau’s First Request (26)

Viscount Ragnarsson readily accepted Shatien's proposal.

Wouldn't it be foolish to refuse such a good idea? In fact, Viscount Ragnarsson went a step further.

“We will divide the units into three. Morning, afternoon, and dawn. We shall attack continuously without giving the opponent time to rest. Ehehehe.”

Viscount Ragnarsson even went as far as making sure they only created loud noises at night without actually engaging in direct combat. It was a method to minimize their own damage while pushing the enemy's fatigue to the extreme.

Shatien, watching this from the side, marveled at him. He didn't know about other areas, but the man definitely had a sharp mind for warfare.

The exact type of person one would hate to meet as an enemy.

Shatien thought to himself that it was a true blessing they were on the same side.

* * *

Late dawn.

At this peaceful hour when everyone should be asleep, the people inside Holsten Castle unfortunately could not find rest.

-Clang! Clang!

-Clang clang clang!

-Waaaaaaaah!

The enemy camp beyond the castle made a massive racket and rushed toward the walls. Thanks to this, the top of the Holsten walls was busy again today.

“You damn bastards!!!”

“Let us sleep! Just let us sleep!!! You sons of bitches!”

Since this had been going on for five days already, they were at their wits' end. Everyone glared at the approaching enemy with bloodshot eyes.

Those wicked bastards often just caused a stir and then left.

At first, they hadn't known this and stayed up all night in high tension, but they expected this time to be different.

They planned to respond half-heartedly if it was just a prank and then sneak off to sleep.

But unfortunately, today was different.

-Creeak. Screech. Screech.

-Creeeeeeeeak.

A heavy mechanical sound, different from the usual noise, was heard from the darkness.

“Huh...?”

“Uh, umm?”

And soon, they realized what that mechanical sound meant.

“Oh, shiiiiit-! It's a siege tower.”

“It's a siege tower, you punks! Quick, quick! Tell those below. A siege tower has arrived!”

The approaching siege tower.

Actually, they wondered what would be so special about a siege tower, but the beings riding inside were the problem.

There was always a reason when those bastards used a siege tower.

Specifically....

-Creeeeak. Thud!

-Ssssss.

“Hehehe. You cute little bastards. Have you been well?”

It was time to deploy the elven knights, combat machines that ordinary soldiers didn't even dare to face.

“Fuuuck! It's knights! It's those elven knight bastards!”

“Group up quickly! We must stop them from coming in. Block them with your very bodies!! We have to hold out until our knights arrive!”

The commander, discovering the subjugation force's elven knights, screamed and wailed in desperation, but it was no use.

“Hah! Take my sword!”

-Slash!

“Aaaaagh!”

“My arm!”

“H-Help me....”

The elven knights were like enraged predators. Every time they danced upon the castle walls, the rebel soldiers fell helplessly.

Furthermore, the rebel soldiers were in a state where they hadn't been able to sleep properly!

It became increasingly difficult for regular soldiers to block the knights. Every time they appeared, the damage to the defending forces that day became enormous.

To the point that the rebel leadership found it overwhelming.

But what was even more annoying was that those elven knights would quickly flee just as the defenders' own knights appeared.

“You dog-like bastards!!”

“Don't run away and fight! You cowards. Do you even call yourselves knights!”

Watching them fight so despicably made their blood boil, but there was nothing they could do.

For several days, the rebels of Holsten Castle had been one-sidedly beaten.

They couldn't sleep, and their soldiers were dying as they fell into an endless, hellish war of attrition. Thanks to this, Baron Rollo's heart was crumbling faster than the resolve he had first sworn.

“This is madness. How many troops have we lost?”

“It seems roughly 50% are injured, Baron Rollo.”

“Then our available forces have dropped to the 500s? Ah... what a garbage war this is.”

Baron Rollo lamented at the rapidly dwindling numbers.

He never imagined the great Viscount Ragnarsson would conduct a siege in this manner.

No matter how he looked at it, the current situation was desperate. To the point that holding out like this seemed meaningless.

However, he had no intention of surrendering so easily.

‘News arrived last night. A man named Balud has gathered rebel forces from the outside.’

Yes.

A messenger sent by Balud had finally managed to break through the siege and reach Baron Rollo.

If they held out just a little longer, allies would come to support them from the rear. Of course, he hadn't told the subordinate nobles this information yet.

‘The bastard is too arrogant. Asking us to come under him?’

It was a condition that didn't even make sense.

Asking nobles like themselves to serve under a peasant rebel force with no foundation. It was certain that if this news spread, the subordinate nobles would fracture even further.

There might be those who would rather bow to a bastard noble than to a peasant rebel leader.

‘Not yet. I must tell them a bit later. For now, I must soothe them as much as possible while trying to negotiate with Balud.’

Baron Rollo thought this as he spoke to his subordinate nobles.

“We only need to hold out a little longer. Once the biting cold of winter hits, they won't have a choice.”

“But to wait until then, we need at least another month or two.”

“They cannot maintain such life-or-death attacks forever. How can they keep consuming their knight forces like this?”

“B-But....”

It was a logical point, but the subordinate nobles hesitated because their opponent was not acting rationally.

Baron Rollo eventually sighed and said.

“If push comes to shove, I will continue to deploy my own knights to the castle walls. Then the damage will be less than before. Right now, sticking together and holding out is the only answer. Do you understand?”

“H-Hm... understood.”

“But how do you plan to persuade the Council members of the city?”

They would follow because the rebel leadership had decided, but the power of the Council inside Holsten City could not be ignored.

They were bound together by various interests.

In fact, there were Council members who were not part of the rebellion but were moving along with Holsten City's decision out of sheer necessity.

Originally, if they held out until the biting cold of winter, there were food issues, and the enemy usually withdrew to prepare for the next farming season.

Everyone had agreed to follow this plan for this war.

But if the war took a strange turn, there was no telling what they might decide to do.

“Their food situation isn't plentiful yet. They won't last that long with the amount that came last time. So we just need to hold out. Haven't you seen? Their supply lines are still a mess. It's clear the remaining forces outside are helping us.”

“Hmm... that could certainly be possible.”

“That's right. It seems so.”

In truth, the remaining forces weren't helping, they had grown into a massive threat of their own, but Baron Rollo could not speak of that fact.

“So persuade them as much as possible. Tell them we are firm.”

“But there might be those who waver.”

“What choice is there? Keep them under surveillance!”

“Won't the backlash be severe?”

“It's better than everyone dying because someone does something strange. Manage them strictly so they don't get any wild ideas. If necessary....”

Baron Rollo's eyes glinted with a cold expression. Even without saying it, the meaning was clear.

Handle them quietly in secret.

“U-Understood.”

The nobles spoke while sweating profusely. They hoped it wouldn't actually come to that.

To anyone's eyes, the enemy's food was bound to run out soon.

Of course, life is often messy because the very things you think won't happen often do.

-Waaaaaaaah!

The next morning.

After the grueling battle, a thunderous cheer greeted the soldiers on top of the Holsten walls who were trying to rest by any means necessary.

“???”

A cheer that welcomed something, rather than a war cry for an attack.

“???”

“????????????????”

That was the shout upon witnessing yet another massive shipment of supplies.

* * *

Viscount Norten had a plan.

A difficult time.

When everyone was suffering.

A plan to appear most brilliantly and become a savior.

But it seemed that plan had gone a bit far off track.

“Oh! Uncle!! Thank you so much.”

“Ah, Ragnarsson! I heard you were in trouble and brought supplies here immediately.”

“Hahaha. You didn't have to, but thanks to you, we can live even more abundantly.”

“Even more abundantly?”

Viscount Norten tilted his head at the subtle words.

By now, they should have been starving with their morale hitting rock bottom. They should have looked at the supplies he brought with true joy, seeing him as a savior.

But....

But why....

‘Everyone looks like they're in good shape?’

Strangely, everyone looked healthy.

As if they had been eating plentifully.

Even various supplies seemed abundant.

‘How??’

Viscount Norten had pulled strings to sabotage the flow of supplies going to the frontline units. They should have been on a most painful march right now.

His stupid nephew, who only knew battle, should never have been able to solve the trap he had laid.

So why?!?!

“It's this friend. This friend brought a massive amount of supplies from the southern branch of the guild and supplied them. Hahaha.”

“A... Ah?”

“My name is Shatien. Viscount Norten. It's a pleasure to see you again.”

They’ve met before.

The mercenary who had looked so naive when they met at the castle previously.

He thought there was no need to be wary since the boy looked young, but to think such a talent was stuck by his nephew Ragnarsson's side! It was truly lamentable.

“G… Glad to see you.”

Thinking of the effort he had put into his preparations, he wanted to chew him up bone and all right then, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Viscount Norten accepted Shatien's greeting with the brightest expression he could muster.

Viscount Ragnarsson smiled broadly at that heartwarming(?) sight.

“Hahahaha! It's a great sight. My favorite uncle and my favorite person being together!”

“I-Is that so? Ha... ha....”

Viscount Ragnarsson was truly oblivious. He led the somewhat reluctant Viscount Norten toward his barracks.

It was under the pretext of arranging a massive banquet as a reward for his help.

“Hnnng. I see. I think I know who the culprit is.”

“Did you notice too, Branch Manager Marhen?”

“Of course. It's too obvious, isn't it? Nyahahat. Besides, if it's Viscount Norten, he's certainly capable of doing this. It's clear now who the person of interest is.”

Branch Manager Marhen said this while watching Viscount Norten's back as he entered, her cat-beast-kin pupils narrowing.

And Shatien fully agreed with those words.

“I think so too, Branch Manager Marhen.”

There was no point in saying otherwise.... He felt a deep sense of hostility from Viscount Norten's handshake during the greeting just now.

‘Seriously... he's someone who doesn't know how to hide himself.’