Episode 65 I have no choice but to change the board myself. (1)
Count Digald suddenly declared war on Ferdium.
As soon as the proclamation arrived through the messenger, the vassals of Ferdium gathered together.
Zwalter read the proclamation over and over again with a serious look in his eyes.
The declaration of war contained flowery rhetoric about how justified the war was and what justification Digald had.
To summarize, the content was as follows:
[I will seek revenge for the murder of my son, Gilmore Digald, by Giselle Ferdium.]
The people who went could not help but feel astonished.
What kind of ridiculous excuse is this?
“These guys are crazy! The Archduke killed Gilmore!”
“They have decided to go to war! They must have heard about the Rune Stone!”
“You’re plotting a war under false pretexts! You need to be disciplined!”
The vassals were trembling with anger and were busy repeatedly denouncing Count Digald.
No matter how much of a troublemaker the Archduke was, no one believed that he had killed Prince Digald.
Because I know that the two people who have already left have joined you and are making up false excuses.
At first, they didn’t understand why on earth they did that, but soon they remembered the runestone and everyone agreed.
That it was a war that happened simply because of greed.
In the chaotic conference room, Homer looked at Giselle with complicated eyes.
‘I did good things for the land, but the result was war.’
Homer also thought that other lords would one day come to his aid.
But I never thought that things would get done so quickly, ignoring political relations.
Even Count Digald, who was not even in my sights.
‘Tsk, it looks like we’re wasting troops unnecessarily. We’re already in a situation where we only have one soldier left.’
Homer swallowed his irritation.
The other vassals were not particularly afraid, but were rather angry at the absurd declaration of war.
Because Digald is a poor and insignificant territory, just like Ferdium.
If you were to rank the poorest estates in the North, Ferdium and Digald would be ranked first and second.
However, Ferdium is a count and receives support from several fiefdoms.
The situation in the territory was similar to Digald, but Ferdium had an overwhelmingly larger number of troops and soldiers with more combat experience.
Randolph, the commander of the Ferdium Knights, shouted loudly.
“Damn it, why think so deeply about fighting? Let’s just go out there and fight!”
There is nothing good about going to war, but once war has been declared, it cannot be avoided.
The justification for avenging one’s blood relatives was stronger than anything else.
Zwalter leaned back in his chair and sighed.
‘War? What on earth is this? And who would have thought there would be a traitor?’
What was more painful than the situation that led to the war was that a vassal who had been with him for a long time betrayed Ferdium because of his own greed.
‘Tsk, it’s going to get harder from now on.’
In a land where every day was difficult, war was nothing short of a disaster.
Even if we win the war, the cost of fighting is enormous, and it is difficult to make up for the loss of combat power as casualties occur.
This is especially true in a territory like Ferdium where everything is lacking.
‘I guess I have no choice but to collect the rune stone.’
Since it was something my son found, I tried not to touch it.
However, the only way to make up for the loss was with Giselle’s Runestone.
Zwalter declared majestically.
“Change to a display stance and prepare to deploy. We will annihilate the enemy at the territory border.”
All the vassals bowed their heads at the gloomy gaze of Zwalter, who had been hardened through arduous battles in the north.
I had left some troops behind to monitor the north, but the troops currently remaining in the territory were more than enough to deal with Digald.
Zwalter looked at Giselle and continued speaking.
“I heard that you hired quite a few mercenaries. They should be quite helpful. You should also join the battle as an Archduke.”
The lord’s orders were absolute in the exhibition. Giselle bowed her head and accepted the count’s will, but she did not forget to say something important.
“I think it would be better to first check how many enemy troops there are.”
“I think so. I need to find out what kind of confidence he had when he declared war.”
Since they are close to each other, they know each other’s territory situation very well.
Zwalter was curious as to why they declared war, knowing full well how much power there was.
Ferdium’s vassals were confident, but when they heard the news the soldier brought them three days later, they were speechless.
“About 6,000 armed troops! The supply unit that departed as the second contingent has about 1,000 troops! In addition, we have confirmed many wagons transporting siege weapons!”
“… … .”
It was not a force that could be prepared in one territory. It was even more so in a poor territory like Digald.
Randolph asked back with an expression of disbelief.
“Are you sure you saw it correctly? You’re not just exaggerating after looking around roughly? Are you sure?”
The soldier said nothing.
But even without hearing the answer, everyone here knew that the report was true.
Because all the scouts said the same thing.
They just don’t want to believe it, so they’re just harassing the poor soldier.
I haven’t checked how many knights there are, but if he’s leading that many troops, there must be at least 50 knights.
“Oh, how did Count Digald send that many troops?”
“Even if we gathered all the conscripts in the Digald territory, there wouldn’t be that many. And they’re all armed!”
“Obviously, another territory is secretly helping us!”
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Ferdium’s force consisted of 2,000 armed men, some of whom were conscripts.
Even if we gathered more soldiers, 1,000 was the limit.
Besides, the knight force is less than thirty people.
But the enemy had brought twice as many troops, so if they fought like that, they would lose.
Zwalter shouted angrily as the men kept repeating that it was nonsense.
“Stop! Stop! The enemy is already coming, what’s the point of finding out why! Discuss how to respond!”
With such a difference in force, it was impossible to intercept them at the territory border.
Without a superhuman who can dominate the battlefield, it would be absolutely impossible to win a roundhouse battle.
If one was not careful, all of the troops in the territory could have been annihilated.
Randolph was the first to shout out excitedly.
“Brother, leave all your troops to me! I will wipe them all out. They are a bunch of inexperienced rabble anyway. Brother and I will be able to wipe them out!”
Randolph had a lot of experience in warfare thanks to his long time in the North.
There have been instances where a smaller number of soldiers defeated a larger number of barbarians.
His motto was that if we were going to fight anyway, we should fight head-on.
Then Homer was terrified and began to object.
“No! The gap in forces is too great. If we lose even once, it’s over! We must hold out in the castle and ask for support from the other lords!”
As the two men expressed conflicting opinions, the opinions of the other vassals also began to differ.
“If you’re going to hold out anyway, why not retreat to the northern fortress? This castle isn’t well-structured for defense.”
“Oh my, what’s the point of holding on if you give up the castle and the people?”
“We don’t have enough food to survive! If reinforcements come, we can fight back! If Raypold helps, it won’t be difficult!”
The vassals continued to fight without being able to reach a unified opinion.
Jiselle watched the scene with a cold expression.
‘As expected.’
I knew they would start a war under false pretenses, and I knew they would come with troops that could trample this place.
In his previous life, Ferdium had participated in the war with great enthusiasm, but was defeated by the Digald army and withdrew.
Because their forces were greater than expected.
Jiselle guessed where the reinforcements for those troops came from.
‘Bringing siege weapons means they’re definitely going to crush us.’
Most battles in the Territory were fought in open fields. If the outcome was decided there, it was common practice to end the war through an appropriate agreement.
The use of siege weapons was tantamount to declaring that they had no intention of reaching an agreement in that manner.
Randolph also knew that fact and could not control his anger.
“Damn it, we can’t last here for long anyway! In that case, we’d better go out and fight!”
It was not an environment that could be endured by Mercury.
Ferdium is already in a bad state of affairs.
There was not enough food or water-based weapons to hold out with the door closed.
“With the current food situation, a long-term war is absolutely impossible. Ultimately, we must reach a quick conclusion!”
Anyway, we will surround this place with a small number of large troops.
If you are starving and exhausted in that state and your morale is low, even a glimmer of possibility will disappear.
Randolph argued that it would be better to decide the outcome while one was still strong.
Zwalter, who had been thinking with his eyes closed, suddenly looked at Giselle and asked.
“What would you like me to do?”
I didn’t expect my son, who had no experience in war, to come up with a solution.
Still, since there was a record of successfully developing the Demon Forest, I thought it would be a good idea to at least listen to their opinion.
“I think it would be better to ask for support and hold out in the castle.”
“Hmm?”
Zwalter looked surprised.
Given Jiselle’s nature and leading the troops, I thought she would suggest going out and fighting.
I thought you’d want to make a mark, but aren’t you more cautious than I thought?
But Giselle claimed Mercury for a different reason than the vassals.
‘Support is not coming. Even if it does come, it will only be from Count Rogers.’
Even in his previous life, no estate except for Kane’s father, Count Loges, helped Ferdium.
Even Count Rogers eventually perished along with Ferdium.
In other words, asking for support won’t help you at all.
Nevertheless, Giselle suggested a request for support and Mercury to set up the board according to her own ideas.
‘That way, we can destroy the enemy with minimal damage.’
Zwalter, who had been thinking for a long time, finally gave an order to his men.
“First, ask for help from the surrounding territories. You must deliver the news as quickly as possible. Also, move all remaining troops and supplies from the northern fortress to the castle.”
“Brother! The enemies will arrive in about two weeks!”
Randolph shouted loudly.
Digald is a territory located southwest of Ferdium.
Even taking into account the slow pace of the infantry, they could have made an assault in about two weeks.
Zwalter nodded and spoke soothingly.
“I haven’t decided what to do yet. However, if the surrounding territories provide support, I think I can reduce the damage a little. I’ll wait and see how the other territories react before I decide.”
Randolph took a step back for the moment, but he didn’t think he would be supported.
The surrounding territories will only provide support to the extent that Ferdium does not fall.
Because Ferdium is defending against the annoying foreign enemies at the border.
But it didn’t have to be Perdium.
They won’t care if Digald takes over this place.
Whether it’s Digald or Ferdium, anyone can take charge of this place.
As we sent out requests for support to each territory and waited for a response for several days, the mood in the territory became even more gloomy.
But when the long-awaited answer arrived, even the vassals who had not given up hope could not help but despair.
“Count Leipold says he cannot help due to internal circumstances.”
“Zimbardo has also expressed his intention to refuse.”
“The soldier who went to Count Rogers has lost contact.”
“In Willem’s territory, the people of the territory are revolting… … .”
The reasons were varied, but not a single one supported me.
Even Count Rogers, whom I trusted because he was my sister’s husband, lost contact.
Zwalter closed his eyes and looked regretful.
‘Is this how it ends? Who did I devote my life to here?’
I was mistaken.
Since no one wanted this place, I figured I only had to worry about the outsiders.
‘I never thought that the Rune Stone would ruin the territory.’
But that doesn’t mean I resent my son.
Jiselle did a really great job, it was just a bad situation.
‘It was all a dream. There is no future for us now. Is this how my family ends?’
Zwalter sighed and rubbed his forehead. His face suddenly looked ten years older.
The count raised his head again and looked around.
The vassals all had expressions on their faces as if the world was ending. Homer and Albert also had pale faces and were unable to say anything.
Only Randolph was grumbling and burning with fighting spirit.
Zwalter let out a laugh.
‘It’s fortunate that at least that guy has a lot of strength.’
Yeah, why don’t you and Randolph just give it your all and kill the enemy?
The count let out a self-deprecating laugh, then suddenly turned his head to look at his son.
‘you…….’
Jiselle was different from the others.
He wasn’t fussing, he wasn’t scared, he wasn’t getting excited. He was just standing there with a calm, expressionless face.
‘You really can’t read my mind.’
Zwalter looked at Giselle for a moment and his eyes filled with pity.
‘I hope you don’t think it’s your fault. You did well. Of course, you did well.’
As a father, not a lord, Zwalter hoped his son would not blame himself for this war.
Anyway, now that the Runestone has been discovered, sooner or later this place will become an arena for the lords’ battle.
Digald is just the beginning.
‘Is it Mercury or is it rotation…?’
Zwalter’s worries deepened.
It is said that three times as many troops are needed to successfully siege.
Fighting along the walls gives Su-seong a clear advantage.
However, if the supply to the Mercury side was not properly done, it would easily dry up and die.
If you are a knight who handles mana, you can easily jump over a castle wall.
‘If only I had support, I could have held out somehow… … I was too focused on organizing the northern fortress. Is this how it ends?’
If the enemy had also brought in siege engines, Perdium’s fragile walls would not have lasted long.
If there had been any other reason, I would have considered surrendering, but since Digald came out with revenge as an excuse, everyone would die even if I surrendered.
Even the ‘honorable surrender’ that the nobles often talked about was impossible.
‘I have to win somehow. I don’t mind dying, but others have to live.’
Zwalter looked around at everyone with intense eyes and said.
“Prepare for battle. We will go out and meet the enemy.”
As Randolph said, no matter how hard you try, you’ll eventually run out of strength and die.
In that case, it would have been better to go out and fight while I still had some strength.
The attendants all had dark expressions, but they nodded silently as if they agreed with Zwalter’s decision.
Jiselle turned around and left Daejeon.
The mercenaries who had been waiting gathered one by one and followed him.
Since the lord has decided, the vassals have no choice but to follow that policy.
But that wasn’t the right direction for Giselle.
‘We shouldn’t fight face to face. Even if we win, the damage we’ll suffer will not be small.’
Jiselle’s expression hardened coldly.
‘I have no choice but to change the board myself.’
