WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: HidingTurtle
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Wandering Knight and the Moving Castle ◈
Chapter 51: Medieval Bulldozer (3)
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Eugene returned through the path the mercenaries had opened for him. Voices praising him rang out from all directions, but he remained unmoved.
“You worked hard. That was truly incredible. No wonder the Gord knights were crushed one after another with valor like that.”
Roxanne was about to wipe his face with a handkerchief when she hesitated. There was not a single drop of sweat on Eugene’s forehead or cheeks. His body was only slightly warm.
It was hardly surprising. He had defeated the knights one-sidedly without even exchanging dozens of blows.
“In the end, we gained nothing. All I did was kill a few knights, and we still have a siege to fight.”
“So that’s why you looked so unimpressed? Any other knight would be strutting around as though the whole world belonged to them.”
Smiling softly, Roxanne tapped Eugene’s chest with her index finger.
“Even if the situation hasn’t changed, it’s not as though we gained nothing.”
“Pardon?”
“Your reputation has grown even greater.”
Eugene felt that the resentment he would earn had grown alongside his reputation, but he decided to look on the bright side.
“So what should I do now?”
“From here on, it’s work for others. Grubby work that reeks of sweat. You’ve done enough, so stand by.”
A little later, Roxanne’s orders set the full-scale siege in motion.
“Those crazy bastards! When did they prepare something like that?”
The mercenaries on the walls cursed at the imposing battering ram that appeared before them.
The vehicle itself was enormous, covered in iron plating without a single gap. Only the lower legs of those inside were visible.
Its sheer presence was overwhelming. A long, thick log protruded from the center, and when Eugene first saw it, it reminded him of a tank.
“Won’t that be too heavy? Whether they’re pulling it or striking with it, they’ll have to use human strength in the end.”
“No problem. It’s built so the wheels can be turned with less force using gears and chains.”
‘Like a bicycle transmission?’
Eugene was impressed by technology he had never expected to see here. Dwarves were not called masters of engineering for nothing.
“The internal structure has been improved so everyone can operate the ram. That lets them strike the gate with something much heavier.”
“With that level of technology, I can understand its size.”
In the past, Eugene had imagined a battering ram as something dragged forward to slam into a gate, then pulled back before slamming into it again.
That was a primitive method. The common design separated movement from striking. After parking before the gate, they would hammer it repeatedly, like ringing a great bell.
Normally, half the people pulled the vehicle while the other half worked the ram, but this new battering ram allowed everyone to pull and strike together.
“We’re moving! No arrow or bolt will ever hurt you, so don’t hold back!”
At the words of Torim, the dwarf vehicle commander, the men forcefully pushed the handles used to move the ram.
They were miners hired for high wages. Their raw strength and stamina surpassed those of mercenaries.
Roxanne’s forces stopped at the edge of the walls’ bow range. Only the archers escorting the battering ram advanced beyond them.
‘Please break through! Please!’
The attacking mercenaries prayed desperately as they watched the gate.
Even with the advantage, they did not want to maintain the siege until winter. Depending on what happened next, they might have to climb ladders and risk a perilous frontal assault.
The defenders, on the other hand, had to stop them at all costs.
“Fire! Don’t let that thing get any closer!”
Bolts and arrows poured down from the walls at the garrison commander’s order, but they were useless. Every one of them bounced off the iron plating.
“What are those bastards shooting at? Show them what we can do!”
At the attacking mercenary captain’s command, bolts and arrows flew up toward the walls.
“Ghk!”
“Aaagh!”
Only after several shooters on the walls fell did the defenders return fire. The attackers had twice their numbers, but as the exchange continued, they began to be pushed back little by little.
The walls provided cover, and shooting downward gave the defenders additional power. A castle itself amplified the defense and offense of its shooters.
Some crossbowmen leaned back against the walls with their feet braced, repeatedly loading and firing. It was a luxury the besiegers could not imitate.
Rumble!
The problem was that the battering ram continued advancing through it all.
“Stop!”
The miners repeated Torim’s command. Torim adjusted the gears according to the condition and slope of the ground ahead.
“Adjustments complete! Three. Two. One. Forward, march!”
“Forward!”
Since they had to move together from a standstill to shift gears, they needed perfectly coordinated movements.
“Damn it! At this rate, it’ll reach the gate! What are you all doing?”
To the garrison commander, the approaching battering ram looked like a beast of steel. A monster that would smash down the gate with its huge head, then tear its commander apart with terrifying teeth.
“There are no gaps! I’m telling you, there’s nowhere to shoot!”
“If they were going to build a castle, why didn’t they build it by a river instead of in a place like this?”
While the mercenary captains grumbled, the monster finally reached the gate.
“You’ve made it here safely! At last, it’s showtime!”
At Torim’s excited cry, the miners released the movement handles and grabbed the handles connected to the ram. Everyone pulled at once, then shoved forward with all their strength.
“Wheeeeee!”
Bang!
The miners were accustomed to coordinated work, where moving as one was essential. Matching their breaths, they drove the ram forward as one body.
“Wheeeeee!”
Bang!
The enormous hammer, reinforced with iron at the front, pounded the gate without pause. With each thunderous impact, the gate shook as though it might break apart.
“The gate is much sturdier than expected!”
“Keep striking! Don’t stop! Hit it a little more, and it’ll definitely come down!”
Despite the more powerful blows, the reinforced gate with an iron core barely held.
That was another reason battering rams had fallen out of use. Reaching the gate was difficult enough, and even then, it still had to be broken by human strength.
“Pour it!”
At the garrison commander’s order, boiling oil was poured from above the gate.
“Fall back at once!”
At Torim’s command, the miners at the front hurried back. It was a position that paid three times as much because it was so dangerous.
Sizzle!
“Gaaaaah!”
Even sturdy armor plating could not keep liquid out. Several miners suffered burns on their arms and legs. Little oil splashed inside, and they retreated quickly enough to avoid serious injuries.
“Fire!”
The next problem was the flaming arrows. A timely gust of wind spread the fire, forcing the miners to withdraw even farther from the heat and smoke.
“Urgh!”
“Argh!”
The support soldiers who ran over with water to put out the flames fell to the bolts and arrows pouring down from the walls.
“Damn it!”
Torim sighed. The gate had barely been holding even when everyone struck together. Breaking through was impossible like this.
The defenders cheered as the burning battering ram slowly withdrew. It was a small victory that gave them hope in such harsh circumstances.
“Cordon Castle will not fall! Look! The bastards are retreating!”
Encouraged by the garrison commander, the shooters on the walls fired bolts and arrows even more fiercely.
The archers fighting with the battering ram in front of them also began to be driven back by that momentum.
* * *
“So breaking through the gate really won’t work? We have no choice but to settle in for a long, boring siege.”
Roxanne had not held great expectations. She only thought it would be good if it worked, and if not, it could not be helped.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll do it.”
“Even for you, in this situation...”
Eugene ran out without waiting for Roxanne’s reply. His instincts as a warrior had shown him a glimpse of the future.
‘It might not work, but I have to try.’
Eugene had gradually come to trust the voice of his instincts. Watching from behind, the gate looked as though it would break with just a little more force.
“Follow the knight!”
Eugene’s personal mercenaries chased after him with large shields in hand. They ran without orders, driven by respect and trust for their employer.
Splash!
Sizzle!
Once the retreating battering ram stopped, water was sprayed over it from all sides to put out the fire.
“Sir knight! I’m sorry, but I don’t think breaking through the gate will be possible!”
Torim spoke with a gloomy expression when Eugene arrived.
“I’ll decide after trying.”
“There’s absolutely no way in the current situation...”
The dwarf’s attempt to stop him was cut short. Eugene and his men pressed against the battering ram and began pushing, sending its wheels rolling at tremendous speed.
It was a charge so fierce that an engine roar would have suited it. No, it was a launch.
‘They’ve used all their oil, and they won’t have time to refill it.’
Eugene confirmed that the threat of boiling oil had been exhausted. Boiling oil was a powerful weapon, but once used, it could not be replenished quickly during battle.
“What is that now?!”
The garrison commander screamed at the battering ram, which had seemed to retreat before charging back like it had gone mad.
Craaaash!!!
An impact far greater than before struck the gate. The garrison commander and the officers felt the vibration through the soles of their feet and broke out in goosebumps.
“Block the gate!”
The garrison commander gathered the elite infantry held in reserve before the gate. They carried logs over their heads and braced them behind it.
Bang!!!
But with a terrifying crash, the logs and the soldiers trying to support them were thrown aside.
Craaaash!!!
Crack!
Crunch!
With every blow, the thick wooden gate split open, and its iron core bent like taffy.
“Block it! I said block it!”
“How are we supposed to block something like that?”
The mercenary captain stared at the shrieking garrison commander in disbelief.
Most battles involving castles became boring sieges. When siege weapons were used, they were usually ladders, with siege towers and catapults appearing only rarely. That was the common understanding of the age.
Craaaash!!!
Craaack!
That common understanding shattered together with the gate.
“Henry!”
“Maluda!”
The two infantry soldiers at the very front were struck by the ram that burst through and sent to a better place.
“It’s all over...”
The defenders on the walls unconsciously lowered their weapons. Exhausted and outnumbered, they lost their will to fight when the gate broke.
“Don’t retreat! Anyone who retreats will be executed on the spot!”
The garrison commander drew a sword, came down from the wall, and pointed it at the elite soldiers lined up behind the gate.
Having broken the promise of a sacred duel, the garrison commander would face the most terrible death if the castle fell.
“Damn it! If I’d known this would happen, I never would’ve volunteered for this!”
The mercenaries who had come expecting castle defense duty to be easy lamented their fate.
Bang!
At last, everything keeping the gate sealed was destroyed, and the doors flew wide open.
“Defend it! You must def...”
“Aaaagh!”
Rumble!
The armored battering ram that had smashed through the gate continued charging forward.
“R-run!”
The beast of steel crashed straight into the tightly packed square formation of infantry. Soldiers flying in every direction looked like popcorn bursting from a pan.
The defenders were not the only ones shocked by this bizarre situation.
“Huh?”
“Captain, can we really keep going in like this?”
Eugene’s mercenaries were startled when they saw the interior of the castle through the observation slit. Breaking the gate had been one thing, but going deeper inside looked dangerous.
“How should I know, you idiots! Are we supposed to pull out now? The knight’s going in, so shut up and follow him!”
“Ah, screw it!”
The mercenaries hurried along with their shields raised to protect Eugene.
They guarded against enemy soldiers who might come in from behind the battering ram. Thanks to them, Eugene could focus on driving without worry.
In reality, though, it was not dangerous at all.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Something kept striking the armor plates like falling hail.
“Ruuuun!”
Through the observation window, Eugene could see only the backs of fleeing soldiers and troops launched into the air. No one dared charge in and attack.
On top of that, countless hoofbeats and the cries of heavily armored soldiers came from directly behind them.
“Charge! Charge!”
“The Victor Knight has broken through the gate, no, the castle itself!”
Knights and heavily armored soldiers flooded through the wide-open path. The moment the battering ram began battering the gate like thunder, Roxanne had sent out the entire army.
No more bolts or arrows came from the walls. The archers had hesitated over whether to shoot outside or inside, then all fled.
“Find that commander! They insulted a knight’s honor and the gods’ oath! We’ll tear them apart alive and grind their bones to drink!”
The knights pouring into the castle roared with killing intent in their eyes. Even the officers abandoned the garrison commander and ran in every direction.
Footnotes:
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