The day after Noein proposed migration to the beastmen, there was still no sign of an attack from the Lancel Kingdom army.
However, the expressions of Frederick, Noein, and the officers were grim.
“…The enemy has grown too numerous.”
“It’s clear they’ve exceeded 1,000. Even though the defending side has the advantage in battle, the difference in numbers is too great.”
In the command room, where the senior officers had gathered, Frederick and his adjutant spoke with grave concern.
“The fact that the enemy has concentrated such a large force on Barrel Fortress alone… suggests that other fortresses on the front lines may have already fallen.”
“The other fortresses don’t have nearly as many crossbows or ballistae. If the enemy is larger than expected some of them might not hold out.”
Nodding in agreement, Yuri and Pens also chimed in.
“That’s right… The enemy seems to be preparing for our ballistae as well. The next battle will be even tougher. Lord Noein, should we deploy your secret weapon, the golems?”
If the golems were sent into close combat, they could inflict significant damage and shock the enemy. However, once the enemy became aware of the threat posed by Noein’s golems, they would undoubtedly devise countermeasures.
As Frederick said, the golems were a trump card. Once this card was played, there would be no more surprise tactics to catch the enemy off guard.
“That’s true. It would be counterproductive to hold back and lose, so let’s use them… However, with over 1,000 enemies, it will be difficult for my two golems to handle everything. We simply don’t have enough hands.”
“That’s likely the case… In that situation, we’d still be left with lingering concerns. We need another plan, something that will further destabilize the enemy… Does anyone have any good ideas?”
At Frederick’s question, everyone fell into deep thought.
“…If we could take out the enemy commander, it would cause massive chaos.”
“Easier said than done. The commander is always at the rear of the enemy formation.”
Pens muttered this, and Yuri sighed in response.
“…Um, I have an idea.”
Then, Noein timidly raised his hand and looked around at everyone.
……
That night, after the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a group prepared to depart from Barrel Fortress.
“Ginozze, Boreas, and the rest of you… are you sure about this? It feels strange for me, the one who proposed this, to say it, but this mission is incredibly dangerous. You could die.”
They were about to leave the fortress to carry out the plan Noein had devised. It was a mission with the risk of death, and everyone had volunteered willingly.
The beastmen, with their keen night vision, were divided into two groups: one on foot led by Boreas, and another mounted group led by Ginozze. Ginozze’s son, Kenoze, was also part of the mounted group.
“With all due respect, sir, both Boreas and I have a duty to save our comrades from the same village. We are resolved to do so. The others have also volunteered for this mission for the sake of their friends, brothers, and the parents and children who have evacuated. We are prepared.”
“Even if I die, as long as my family and comrades survive and can live happily in your territory, Lord Noein, I will have no regrets.”
In response to Noein’s question, both Ginozze and Boreas answered with strong voices.
“…Understood. Thank you. I promise to take in all the conscripts and their families into my territory, so rest assured. And please, come back safely.”
“As your commander, I also thank you for your resolve. I wish you good fortune.”
“Yes, sir!”
After saluting both Frederick and Noein, Ginozze, Boreas, and the volunteers set out from the eastern gate at the rear of the fortress.
Watching them leave, Frederick turned to Noein.
“Now, let’s begin our own preparations. We don’t have much time to spare.”
“Yes.”
……
Boreas led a group of over a dozen beastmen with excellent night vision, including lionmen, tiger-men, and catmen. Several of them carried crossbows.
For ordinary humans, seeing even a few meters ahead in the pitch-black night would be difficult without torchlight. The enemy camp, however, was illuminated by countless torches, creating a bright area in the otherwise dark plain.
Creeping low and hiding in the grass, Boreas and his men slowly approached.
At the front, Boreas spotted two soldiers keeping watch at the edge of the enemy camp.
Both were cat-like beastmen who should have had good night vision, but whether due to exhaustion from days of fighting or harsh treatment in the Lancel Kingdom army, they didn’t seem particularly alert. There was no sign they had noticed Boreas and his men.
“…Lookouts. Two of them. Take them out simultaneously. Don’t miss.”
Boreas whispered the order, and in response, two catmen stepped forward and readied their crossbows.
“Three… two… one… fire.”
The crossbow strings twanged, and in the next moment, the two Lancel Kingdom lookouts fell silently. One had an arrow through the head, the other through the neck. Neither had time to make a sound.
“Good, let’s move closer. Spread out… Once your tasks are done, return to the fortress at your own discretion.”
At Boreas’ whispered command, the beastmen nodded silently and split into smaller groups, infiltrating the Lancel Kingdom camp.
A few minutes later, the sound of something like pottery breaking echoed through the camp.
One of the Lancel Kingdom soldiers, hearing the noise, walked toward the source.
There, he encountered a burning tent and several suspicious beastmen standing in front of it.
“Wha—! Enemies!”
Before the soldier could shout, one of the beastmen—Boreas—closed in, covering the soldier’s mouth with one hand and driving a sword into his neck with the other. The soldier’s body went limp and collapsed.
“Alright, next.”
Boreas muttered this and moved on with a few of his subordinates.
When they found the area where food supplies were stored, they hurled ceramic magical devices at it.
These devices, inspired by fire-arrow weapons, were filled with oil and sealed with cloth, which was then set alight before being thrown at the enemy. Noein had devised them based on weapons designed for ballista launches, but they could also be thrown by hand, as Boreas and his men were now doing.
They threw a total of three devices at the tents where the enemy slept and at important supplies, starting fires. They also knocked over torches, causing smaller blazes. Elsewhere, other teams were carrying out similar acts of sabotage.
Before long, the enemy noticed the commotion and began shouting, “Fire! Put it out!”
“It’s about time to wrap this up… Let’s finish it.”
Boreas said this to his men, then took a deep breath and shouted from the depths of his stomach:
“Enemy attack! The enemy has infiltrated the camp!”
“Enemies! Aaaah!”
“They’re everywhere!”
Following Boreas’ lead, his men also shouted. Their words plunged the Lancel Kingdom soldiers into panic.
Enemies were everywhere. They had infiltrated the camp. Thinking this, the soldiers, already disoriented from just waking up, grabbed their swords and began running around in chaos, slashing at anyone they encountered.
Soldiers who were attacked fought back, cutting down their assailants—only to realize too late that they were their own comrades. Such confusion erupted all over the camp.
Meanwhile, soldiers whose tents had been set ablaze ran around screaming, setting other tents on fire as they collapsed into them. In another area, soldiers desperately tried to stop their food supplies from burning to ash.
Officers rushed to calm the panicked troops and search for the infiltrators.
However, by then, Boreas and his men were long gone, having already returned to Barrel Fortress. The Lancel Kingdom army continued to fear an enemy that was no longer there.
Meanwhile, at the center of the camp, the commander was shouting in rage. Several guards surrounded him.
“Calm down! Everyone, calm down! What’s happening? Report!”
The man, who had lost his trusted aide in the previous battle, desperately tried to maintain control over the swollen army, now reinforced with additional troops. Thanks to his efforts, reports began trickling in from the officers.
“Fires have been set all over the camp! Even the food supplies!”
“The food is stored in separate locations, so it’s fine! Focus on putting out the fires! Gather anyone who can use water magic!”
“Enemy attack! They’re everywhere!”
“That’s impossible! Has anyone actually seen the enemy? …No one? Then it’s a trap to cause infighting! Stop it!”
It took about an hour for the Lancel Kingdom army to regain some semblance of order.
