Four days after Noein and his party arrived at Barrel Fortress, news reached the fortress zone: the main forces had engaged the enemy’s core troops.
With this news, each fortress began full-scale battle preparations, Barrel Fortress being no exception.
Guards were stationed on the walls, watching in all directions, while soldiers kept their weapons close and readied themselves mentally for combat. The recruits, who had initially appeared fatigued, had recovered their strength over the past few days with proper meals.
Noein, clad in a mage’s battle attire consisting of a blade-resistant robe and a protective helmet, stood ready. At his side was Mathilda, equipped with armor including a breastplate, gauntlets, and battle boots, wielding a shield.
“Lord Noein, you don’t seem too nervous, do you?”
“Not particularly… I actually feel surprisingly calm. Perhaps because I’ve fought against a large band of thieves before.”
“Ah yes, I recall hearing about that in a letter from my father… If you’ve had experience in major battles, it makes sense that you can remain composed. It’s reassuring to have someone like you fighting alongside us.”
Frederick continued, “As we’ve discussed, the enemy will likely begin with a conventional attack rather than employing any clever strategies. They’ll test the waters with an initial clash to gauge our strength.”
This conversation took place in a moderately spacious room within the central command building of the fortress. It served as the operations room, where Frederick’s adjutant, Yuri, Pence, and other officers were present to discuss their strategy.
“However, in a sense, this first battle is the most critical. If we can skillfully utilize our ballistae and crossbows to take them by surprise, we might discourage subsequent attacks. If luck is on our side, the enemy may even decide that assaulting us isn’t worth the risk, leaving us in a standoff until the conflict ends.”
The enemy forces were spread thin to confront each fortress, so the number of foes facing Barrel Fortress was limited. Should the enemy judge an assault to be hopeless, it was possible to achieve a bloodless stalemate.
“Thus, I look forward to the contributions of the Arlkvist Territorial Army.”
“Leave it to us.”
“The recruits have undergone as much crossbow training as possible. As long as they don’t lose their nerve in front of the enemy, they’ll perform admirably.”
Frederick nodded at the assurances from Yuri and Pence.
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack! The Kingdom of Ransel’s forces are approaching from the west!”
A soldier stationed in the watchtower next to the command building shouted the alarm, followed by the resounding clang of the fortress bells signaling an attack.
Tension filled the command room.
“They’re here. Let us demonstrate our valor,” Frederick declared, prompting Noein and the others to head to their respective positions.
The man leading one of the Ransel Kingdom’s assault forces in this war was a baron. His objective was Barrel Fortress, one of the smallest outposts on the Roadberg Kingdom’s front line.
“Attacking a single fortress with these forces… His Majesty certainly makes unreasonable demands. Doesn’t he know that siege warfare traditionally requires three times the defenders’ numbers?”
The baron’s complaint drew a response from a close aide.
“Indeed, my lord. However, Roadberg likely hasn’t invested heavily in these fortifications. The enemy soldiers are probably of low caliber. Victory is certain.”
The baron sighed, but as he surveyed his 500 troops and the fortress ahead, his spirits lifted.
“Very well. Forward!”
At his command, the force resumed its advance. From the walls, the defenders could be seen lining up, prepared for battle.
“My lord, the enemy seems to consist mostly of beastmen. Likely conscripted troops with little training in archery or swordsmanship.”
“Ah, so it seems. If they’ve stationed such forces here, the enemy must be weak. This battle will be ours.”
Confident in his chances for glory, the baron smirked as his army advanced closer to the fortress. Once within range, he issued another command.
“Archers, ready!”
A hundred archers positioned on either side of the formation prepared their bows.
On the fortress wall, Noein observed the approaching enemy.
“They’re advancing rather confidently, aren’t they?”
“They’re probably unaware of our crossbows. They must think we’re defenseless in terms of ranged weaponry,” Pence replied.
Noein and Pence were stationed on the wall to the right of the western gate, overseeing a group of about 50 soldiers. While Pence issued most of the practical commands, Noein took on an observational role.
On the opposite side of the gate, Frederick and his adjutant commanded another 50 recruits. The strategy involved smaller beastmen firing from the walls, while larger beastmen reloaded crossbows with their superior strength.
Behind the gate, under Yuri’s command, the Arlkvist forces prepared to fire their ballistae.
As the enemy halted and readied their bows, Frederick shouted, “Arrows incoming! Raise shields!”
The officers echoed his command, and the soldiers lifted their wooden shields to brace for the assault.
Mathilda embraced Noein protectively, wrapping him in her arms and shielding them both with her own body.
The next moment, the sound of arrows slicing through the air resonated from the enemy’s side, followed by a rain of arrows pelting the fortress.
“Uwaaah!”
“Gyaaah!”
“Calm down! Don’t falter! At this range, their arrows can’t pierce our shields! It’s just a scare tactic!”
Pence shouted at the panicked beastmen. A similar scene seemed to be unfolding on the other side of the gate.
As Pence had said, most of the arrows missed their targets, and those that hit either bounced off shields or got stuck in them without causing significant harm.
“Any casualties?!”
“One person below the wall took an arrow to the leg that their shield couldn’t cover!”
“Alright, send them to the infirmary! Everyone else, prepare for combat! Ready the crossbows!”
After confirming the minimal damage, Pence quickly issued the next set of orders.
Despite some fumbling, the beastmen readied their crossbows and aimed at the enemy. Having finished their volley of warning arrows, the enemy armed themselves and began charging forward.
“Lord Noein, inform the squad leader. They’ll be here in about ten seconds.”
“Understood… Yuri, they’ll be here in ten seconds.”
『Roger that.』
At Pence’s instruction, Noein relayed the message, and Yuri’s response echoed directly in his mind.
To avoid being hindered by the chaos of the battlefield, Noein was using “Far-Speak” to maintain communication with Yuri, who led the ballista unit.
Yuri’s voice soon bellowed from below, “Open the gate!” The thick wooden gates began to creak open.
“Five seconds left.”
『Got it. We’ll fire at our discretion.』
Based on pre-calculations of the ballista angles and the explosive arrows’ flight distance, the exact position to fire was determined beforehand. With Noein and Pence’s observations from above, Yuri made the call.
“Fire!”
At the perfect moment, Yuri ordered two ballistae to release their explosive arrows.
The two enormous bolts, fitted with magical devices on their tips, hurtled into the center of the advancing enemy army. Upon impact, they erupted in a fiery explosion.
Several soldiers caught in the blast were instantly engulfed in flames, and the fire spread to others nearby, plunging the enemy ranks into chaos. The scene was clearly visible from atop the fortress walls.
“Whoa, that looks hot.”
“…Against living humans, this level of brutality really stands out,” Pence muttered with a grimace as Noein casually remarked.
Among the beastmen witnessing the enemy’s screams and panic, murmurs spread. Someone even muttered, “Glad we’re not on that side…” These beastmen, who had settled near the border, had feared being conscripted by the Lancell Kingdom if they had been captured.
“Great job, Yuri. Though we didn’t manage to roast the entire hundred-man unit.”
『Unless conditions like the wind are perfect, that’s not gonna happen. But as a first result, this is excellent.』
Roughly thirty enemy soldiers seemed to have been incinerated, but the psychological blow dealt to the rest of the enemy force was likely far more significant than the numbers suggested.
