Afterwards, three more shots of stones came flying, and one shot among those hit an inn located on the outermost circ.u.mference of the town directly .

As this Delbrück might become a battlefield, there wasn’t a single guest staying at that inn; although it was fortunate that it didn’t claim any victim, only the inn’s owner and the leaders protecting the town couldn’t feel so cheerful . After all, they couldn’t capture one of the scouts Yururogu had sent out .

「As I’ve heard the story of the enemy cutting and transporting stones of the rampart from Richternach-kyou, I searched for data regarding trebuchet」

Opening a large-sized book that she had borrowed from the city library on the table, Karin spoke .

「Among the six shots of test firing, the second shot hit the tower near the castle gate directly, and the sixth shot reached as far as inside the rampart . If the enemy scouts have brought back and reported this result, it should be possible for them to make final minute adjustments to destroy the castle gate or to attack inside the rampart directly」

A large schematic diagram of a trebuchet was drawn on the paper, which had begun to change colour .

Simply put, it was something like an enormous pair of scales . However, one side of the pole was extremely short and a very heavy weight hung down from it, and a bag-shaped net for loading stone bullet was tied to the tip of the other side .

When throwing, the arm on this long side would be secured in a pushed-down state with a rope and the stone bullet would be set on that tip . If the rope was cut afterwards, the arm would be swung by the acceleration of the falling weight on the opposite side, and the stone bullet would fly at a terrific speed .

According to the explanation written down on the book, for a trebuchet of the size in this ill.u.s.tration, it could hurl a stone the weight of two people to a distance of one-fifth league .

「…However, the enemy’s trebuchets are clearly stronger than the one in this picture」

Glancing outside the window, Lucius spoke .

It was silent now, but in all likelihood if dawn broke, the enemy would have finished the minute adjustments and might start the real stone throwing . Until then, they must devise a countermeasure .

「d.a.m.n Euchemard…! Using the very march of 20,000 infantrymen as a decoy—」

Waving his riding crop, Sigibert had been pacing around the whole time since just now inside the room .

Haiderota had guessed that Euchemard’s army was approximately 20,000 from quite an early stage . In contrast, the Haiderota’s army that could be mobilised immediately was only about half that number . Hence, they chose the plan to shut Delbrück’s gate and defend until the arrival of reinforcement .

However, while Haiderota’s army was shutting themselves inside the town and hastening the preparations for holding the castle, Euchemard was probably transshipping the dismantled trebuchets to small ships in Luberuteiyu and having them transported this close via the river and the lakes and marshes region separately from the main force . If Sigibert hadn’t chosen the plan to hold the castle, but to conclude things with a field battle and set up camp outside the town, they’d surely notice Yururogu’s army trying to install the trebuchets .

「Your Excellency, even if you say such a thing now, it’s no use」

Clotilde spoke to Sigibert, who was grounding his teeth out of anger .

「—From the start, Euchemard is known as a brave general who is better at field battles than at castle siege battles, to say nothing of the difference in war potential between them and us being twofold」

「Maa that’s right . Even I’d choose the battle to hold the castle than a field battle . It’s not something you’ve to worry about, Sigibert-kun」

「Don’t compare me with you, Isaac-kun… even though this is your first campaign」

Waving his riding crop once with a “hyu”, Sigibert took a deep breath .

「—Anyway, since we’ve ascertained that the enemy has powerful weapons called the “trebuchets”, our objective is also naturally narrowed down」

「First is… the destruction of those trebuchets?」

Karin nodded at Valeria’s words .

「Unless we destroy those trebuchets promptly, we’ll just be overran one-sidedly . The rampart here might also be destroyed eventually . Considering that the watchtower was blown off with one hit, no matter how strong this town’s rampart is, it’ll collapse if it receives three shots in the same place . As for the doors of the north gate, two shots at the most… it won’t last more than that」

「Holding the castle and all are impossible if the rampart is destroyed, right…」

「If the 20,000 infantrymen Euchemard commands rush in, we’ll hardly have any chance of winning . And to also protect the populace from the war, we can only surrender afterwards—」

「We’ll destroy those trebuchets at all costs before that! If we do so, we can bring this to a battle to hold the castle as per our strategy at the beginning!」

「So, what should we do specifically? Since the enemy will also naturally think of the trebuchets as their trump card, they must be guarding them tightly, right? The number of soldiers guarding them is 20,000, you know, 20,000? I don’t want to lose in my first campaign」

「If that’s the case, use your Chivalric Order effectively as much as possible . Though it can’t compare with my Gale Chivalric Order, your Chivalric Order too, possesses both the movement capability of a cavalry and the destructive power by means of magic, right?」

「Eh? What? In the end, it’s only that sort of gambling-like hit-and-run plan? What an unreliable commander」

「…No matter how you provoke me, I won’t say 『You try being one then!』 or something . Indeed, I surely won’t say it!」

「Your Excellency… and Your Highness too, please leave it at that」

Rebuked by Clotilde, Sigibert turned away in a huff . Although he was certainly unreliable, the 10,000 troops gathered in this town wouldn’t move unless it was his order . They could only bet on Sigibert’s command here .

「Of the 10,000 troops, I’ll deploy 2,000 as combat engineers inside the rampart . I’ll leave the command of this combat engineer unit to Puyol-geika . I’ll appoint Arushanbor as your adjutant」

「U, understood!」

As expected, this time was the first campaign of Malena, who had stood up suddenly and saluted with a “bi” . She was originally the type to lose her composure immediately, but as it was additionally her first campaign, her tension became quite odd .

「If the enemy’s stone throwing attacks. .h.i.t the rampart, Her Eminence’s combat engineer unit will aim at carrying out repairs promptly . And then, the remaining 8,000 will be organised into cavalry and infantry and be commanded by Sigibert-kakka and me, with the destruction of those trebuchets as the primary objective」

「The bigger the trebuchet is, the more time it takes until the next firing」

Karin calmly supplemented the concrete plan that Clotilde was explaining .

「The trebuchets, which the enemy had prepared this time, have an estimated range of approximately one-third league… there’s no doubt that they’re very big . As the firing interval is most likely from 8 minutes to about 10 minutes, if we repair the rampart during that time, as long as accurate firing doesn’t continue much, we can hold out for a few hours」

「In other words, we should approach and destroy the trebuchets in the meantime… they’re made of wood, right?」

「Most likely so . …However, there are times when large trebuchets are reinforced with iron parts, and they’ve probably taken precautions against such a thing too . For example, setting the trebuchets on fire with fire arrows and the like isn’t very realistic」

「If that’s the case… then as expected, we can only hit them with all our strength from point-blank range?」

Isaac’s meaningful gaze caught Dimitar’s party . Perhaps in Isaac’s mind, Dimitar and Lucius would do the work of such a thing without even being told .

Isaac put his hand onto his slender chin and pondered something for a short while, but before long, he looked back at Sigibert and,

「I’ve a little suggestion, Sigibert-kun」

「What is it, Isaac-kun?」

「Call me “Your Highness”」

「…You wanted to specially say that, at this time now?」

「Iya, that’s not the case」

Isaac and Sigibert deliberately moved to the corner of the room and discussed something there . As far as one could pick up the fragmentary words that could be heard leaking out here and there, it seemed that Isaac was forcing a difficult problem onto Sigibert again .

Valeria pulled Dimitar’s sleeve lightly two, three times and whispered quietly .

「…What should we do?」

「I don’t know」

「Don’t say such irresponsible words…」

「In the first place, I don’t have the authority to move at my own discretion . I just act in accordance with His Highness’s or your order . —Don’t you have any thought?」

「Eh!? E, even if you tell me such a thing suddenly…」

「Then, wait until the two people’s conversation finish . His Highness should most likely have some plan」

「Is, is that so?」

「I also think that way, Valerijou」

Lucius smiled cheerfully . Even though this was by no means a situation where one could think optimistically, to be relieved like this because of a single smile from Lucius, Dimitar felt that he himself was a self-interested person . Since it was like this with Dimitar, it might be all the more so for Valeria, who was in love with Lucius .

「Hai, I understand! If Lucius-sama says so!」

While clasping Lucius’s hands and shaking with a “bun bun”, Valeria raised a shrill voice . She didn’t even notice Karin and Petra watching her with cold looks .

「……」

Dimitar stifled a yawn and looked outside the window while stroking his neck .

The moment when dawn broke was approaching soon, but perhaps because of the thick fog, the signs of dawn couldn’t be seen at all .

End of Chapter 5