How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

11.

Approaching the vicinity of the Viscount’s castle was easy, but entering the castle itself was not.

As a plain castle, approaching the Viscount’s castle would inevitably attract the attention of the Duskel army, and since the Duskel army was not foolish, they were likely to be operating patrols around the castle, making sneaking in unrealistic.

It was a night with only torches for illumination, but hoping that over a hundred people could move across the plain without being noticed was an overly optimistic expectation.

Although he had anticipated it, Rou sighed repeatedly at the difficult situation.

It would have been comforting to have someone to discuss with, but there were only sub-officers in charge of the guards here.

He was only temporarily serving as a squad leader, and he had not been officially appointed to the position.

While individual soldiers may have experienced wars, the abilities required of a common soldier and those to assess the situation as a commander were completely different.

After much deliberation, the conclusion was still to wait for the right moment.

“Although we have fewer troops, there will surely be a timing to exploit the enemy’s weaknesses.”

However, when that would be, no one could tell.

They could only wait through the cold and hunger, enduring the time with no hope in sight.

Soldiers took their positions and lay down, chewing on the rations brought from the village.

Since it would be troublesome if they were discovered by the enemy, lighting a fire was obviously impossible, and even drawing weapons was prohibited.

Even a fragment of moonlight reflected on metal could be easily identified in this darkness.

Any unnecessary movements or chatter were also forbidden.

All they could do was tidy up their positions with their hands to feel a bit warmer and endlessly think about home.

Rou was no different from the other soldiers.

Lying down, chewing on jerky, passing the time was all there was to it.

The breathing method continued, but it seemed that proper training was not possible when there was no movement as in the ‘combat’ breathing method.

Fortunately, the condition of the bedding I had brought was not bad, so I didn’t feel the cold, which was a great comfort.

I spent three days lying down, endlessly peeking at the battlefield.

Apart from shooting arrows a few times, there was no situation that could be called a battle, but the situation seemed to be increasingly disadvantageous to the defensive side.

“The enemy forces are increasing.”

The number of barracks was increasing visibly, and since yesterday, structures resembling catapults were being installed.

As far as he knew, Lou’s expression was not as good as the other soldiers because he had learned what that structure was.

The essence of magitechnology, a weapon more expensive than gold of the same weight.

“A mana cannon. If given more time, the city walls will never hold.”

At first glance, they all looked similar, but the other catapults were just distractions.

The real deal was the mana cannon embedded in the middle of the five structures.

It absorbed the mage’s mana literally, sucking it up to a level where its power was ten times that of a regular catapult.

If hit directly, it had enough power to breach the city gate in an instant.

Of course, as Lou himself had realized the fact, there was a high possibility that precautions were being taken by the Earl Freyal’s side.

Lou looked at Freyal’s castle with worried eyes.

At that moment, Johan felt like he had been transported back to the 21st century, rolling around endlessly.

The space that was originally used as Earl Freyal’s office was now filled with chaos.

“We don’t have time. Don’t you know what that is? It’s a mana cannon, a mana cannon. Such a small castle wall like this will crumble in an instant!”

“Can’t we withstand it with protective magic?”

“A couple of times at most. After all, isn’t the material of the city wall just ordinary rock? Even if it’s a mana cannon fired by low-level mages, it won’t last long.”

“Sigh… we just need to hold on until the Count arrives…”

“Just break the mana cannon once…”

Heavy silence filled the room as the harsh reality provided no clear answers.

“There is only one way.”

When the owner of the castle, Earl Freyal, spoke, the gaze of the others turned to him.

“Breaking the mana cannon through a surprise attack and coming back. Isn’t that the only way for us to hold on?”

“But is that possible? Even if it is, how great will the sacrifice be?”

“If we suffer heavy casualties, there is a high chance they will advance with their numbers.”

“But other than this, do we have any other options? We don’t have any weapons to counter the mana cannon, nor high-level mages.”

“I will go myself.”

With a firm resolve, the Earl Freyal’s words filled with determination caused another moment of silence.

“No, it’s not allowed. If the Count falls into their hands, we will immediately lose.”

“Anyway, if we just let time pass like this, we will lose. I’d rather try something than watch that happen.”

“Earl…”

“…I will go as well.”

“Isel, why are you doing this too?”

“My thoughts are the same as Earl Freyal’s. Staying trapped inside the castle like this will only lead to our demise. We need to break the mana cannon with a small number of people to have a chance.”

With two out of four strongly in agreement, the other two could not help but be caught in contemplation.

“…Let’s give it a try for now.”

“If we do this, there’s no turning back…”

Viscount Russell expressed his agreement with an unsettled look on his face, and Marquis Talon also yielded to the majority opinion.

In truth, none of them, not even Viscount Prielle himself, was certain of the plan.

But one thing was certain: it was the only possibility.

The plan was set, yet the meeting dragged on.

Making a decision that involved countless lives was never an easy task.

Especially when their own lives were at stake.

“Then, on the night just before the completion of the magic cannon, we’ll assemble our forces with fifty cavalry, including five knights and two mages.”

“Very well. Lord Russell and I will lead the remaining cavalry to divert their attention.”

As Viscount Prielle’s camp resolutely solidified their resolve,

the atmosphere in Marquis Talon’s camp was entirely different.

“If we set up the magic cannon like this, what can they possibly do? hahahaha.”

“The Marquis’s fortune truly runs deep. hehehe.”

“Shouldn’t we just wait, ready to ambush them? If they don’t come, the walls will crumble. hehehe.”

With more troops and incomparable weaponry,

as time passed, victory seemed within reach, leaving little cause for concern.

Merely sipping their drinks, their demeanor already resembled that of victors.

Lately, Marquis Talon’s biggest concern was what Viscount Prielle might pull off.

The nobles’ confidence naturally infected those beneath them, even the soldiers dared to be confident of victory.

Their complacency was fitting, yet the careful placement of traps around the magic cannon also revealed a readiness.

Viscount Prielle’s solution was a surprise attack, and Marquis Talon knew it was the only attempt Prielle’s side could make.

With roles completely reversed, the advantage was clear.

Yet Viscount Prielle decided to take a gamble.

After breaking ground and assembling the magic cannon, it would take four days to activate the magic array.

As they whiled away the time with arrows, the form of the magic cannon gradually became apparent.

With the moon shrinking, casting an even darker shadow than usual,

the gates of the viscount’s castle quietly opened, and soldiers descended the hill along the village’s narrow path.

The soldiers, relying on a narrow bridge to cross the river serving as a natural barrier, split into three columns.

“Good fortune be with you.”

Viscount Prielle exchanged brief greetings with the commanders leading Talon and Russell’s cavalry, then turned away.

“It will be a long night.”

With eyes tightly shut, Viscount Prielle, bathed in darkness, gazed at the barracks.

It was time for the viscount to make his move as the flames erupted there.

As Viscount Prielle’s soldiers lowered their stance and waited, the cavalry led by Marquis Talon and Viscount Russell charged towards Marquis Talon’s camp.

Following the signal from the commander at the front, skilled cavalrymen set fire to the arrows.

The arrows, soaked in oil and resin, blazed fiercely, raining down on Marquis Talon’s camp like a shower of fire.

Seemingly realizing the ambush too late, panicking soldiers emerged, but flames were already rising from several barracks.

While Marquis Talon’s soldiers frantically searched for water, the second and third volleys of fire arrows came one after another.

After calming the startled horses, the cavalry swiftly regrouped, then charged towards Marquis Talon and Viscount Russell to capture them.

A few in the lead stumbled on the magic laid on the ground, but it wasn’t enough to completely halt the pursuit.

They could have leisurely fled, but they deliberately maintained a precarious distance, shooting arrows continuously.

“They’re here!”

Though the power and accuracy of the arrows shot from the running horses were far inferior to that of regular archers, they proved fatal to the mounted troops of the Dussell army who hastily came out for a counterattack without proper armor.

As comrades fell one by one, becoming decoys for the Russell and Talun cavalry pursuing them, Lord Friel, who had been crouching among the bushes, finally began to move towards the magic cannon.

To delay the moment of being detected even slightly, he had heavily dyed his armor and horse with dark dye, and had taken measures to muffle the sound as much as possible by wrapping cloth around the hooves.

At that moment, reinforcements including Rohan were also carefully observing the battlefield.

Seeing flames erupting and the fire blazing from the barracks where the Dussell soldiers were stationed, Loh immediately understood Lord Friel’s intentions.

“It’s an ambush.”

Although it was an attempt to destroy the magic cannon, the defense around the cannon was quite solidly built.

“But Lord Friel must also be aware of that fact. Nonetheless, the fact that he attempted it suggests there is a glimmer of hope.”

He wished he could support them or even join forces later to establish a solid front.

However, with a unit that could not even properly handle a spear, there was not much they could do other than join the defending forces guarding the castle walls.

Keeping in mind the possibility of remaining patrol forces, he approached Friel Castle in a low posture.

When he reached the bridge connecting the village and the plain, he unfurled the hidden flag and lit a torch.

If they failed to identify themselves as coming from Izell Castle, there was a risk of being unexpectedly attacked by allies.

Fortunately, it seemed that the soldiers under Lord Friel recognized them, as they welcomed Loh and the conscripted soldiers.

“Ah, Sir Loh!”

“Sir Colon!”

Fortunately, they could avoid suspicious looks, having known each other from the same faction for a long time.

While Rohan’s unit safely joined Lord Friel’s camp without incident, Lord Friel and Lord Izell had approached the magic cannon.

“It looks tougher than expected. Do you think we can do it?”

There were quite a few archers among them judging by the occasional arrows being shot.

Although there were no knights in sight, it wouldn’t be strange for unexpected variables to emerge since they were in enemy territory.

“No, we won’t find the answer by directly charging in.”

“What do you mean?”

Surprised by Lord Friel’s words that sounded like giving up, Lord Izell widened his eyes.

If that was the case, why did they come this far!

Seeing Lord Izell about to erupt in anger, he fell silent as he watched Lord Friel retrieve something from his pocket.

“It’s the Raging Thunder Scroll. It’s not a top-grade one, so you have to get this close to use it. Still, I guarantee its effectiveness.”

“…Is it safe?”

The cost of a scroll containing such high-level magic was exorbitant.

The scroll currently held by Lord Friel would require half a year’s revenue of Izell territory to purchase.

“If we don’t use it now, we’ll lose in the territorial battle. Then our family can no longer remain as lords. Isn’t that right?”

Lord Izell had no rebuttal.

As the conflict arose from political issues, the losing side would suffer a devastating blow near ruin.

Since Lord Izell himself would have to bear a hefty compensation, he was in a position not to deter Lord Friel but rather to hasten the process. As they approached a distance where they could evade the intermittent arrows and even confirm the expressions of the spear soldiers illuminated by the torchlight.

Ziiiiing-

Lord Prielle tore the scroll without hesitation, and soon the mana around him began to surge wildly.