WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: HidingTurtle
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Wandering Knight and the Moving Castle ◈
Chapter 52: Medieval Bulldozer (4)
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The defending force was smashed apart as though a massive boulder had rolled through it. The sight robbed the soldiers still scattered throughout the castle of any will to resist.
“Get on your knees, you bastards!”
“Jesen! That one’s still alive.”
Those who were unharmed were disarmed and made to kneel in a line, while the badly wounded were given mercy strokes.
Meanwhile, the knight who had made the greatest contribution was having his injuries examined.
“I’m fine. This is nothing compared to when I destroyed the ships.”
Varda carefully examined Eugene’s upper body, then nodded.
“You really are fine. Your body is absurd, both in strength and durability.”
“Throwing spears only overworks my right arm, but I used the muscles throughout my body when pulling the battering ram. This is actually far less tiring.”
“A battering ram is meant to break down gates, not ram into infantry formations.”
“I only intended to break the gate and pull back, but once I saw the inside, I changed my mind.”
After the gate broke, the infantry visible through the viewing slit at the front had looked far too tempting.
“My master said a warrior must know how to listen to the advice of his instincts.”
“That means you should pay attention to a gut feeling, not do something reckless.”
“Thanks to it, we kept allied casualties to a minimum, didn’t we? Even after the gate broke, elite infantry were blocking the entrance. If we had fought them normally, quite a few people would have been killed or injured.”
In the end, Eugene’s judgment had been right, so Varda said no more.
Finding the best path on a battlefield was a knight’s virtue. As a mage, it was not her place to interfere. She feared that too much advice would limit the judgment of a knight still coming into his own.
Once Eugene’s examination was finished, Roxanne approached him.
“When you ran off alone, I wondered what you intended to do. You always exceed my expectations, Sir Eugene.”
At Roxanne’s amused words, the escort knights looked at Eugene with eyes full of respect.
He had knocked down the Imperial Guard Knights in one or two exchanges. Then he had charged through the gate and the entire defending force in one go.
Knights considered bravely charging at their enemies their highest virtue. Seeing such a mad charge for the first time in their lives only made their blood race.
“It was thanks to the dwarves who prepared such an excellent battering ram. Without them, I would’ve been turned into minced meat in front of the gate.”
“I know. I’ll see that the dwarf smiths are rewarded.”
“And don’t forget the men who pushed the battering ram with me. Because of them, I could use my strength without worrying about taking a sword in the back.”
“There are quite a few people to reward. Don’t worry. Isn’t that what the gold mine is for?”
The scribe beside Roxanne wrote down every person Eugene had mentioned.
“This should be well beyond Father’s standards. Congratulations in advance on becoming a lord.”
“Thank you.”
Even Eugene himself was sure that he had done more than enough.
‘At last, a steady income.’
A profession as uncertain as knighthood needed a foundation, no matter how small. Something that could offset the mercenary wages he spent simply by drawing breath was more than welcome.
* * *
The situation outside was changing rapidly as well.
Two messengers from House Morad rode hard toward Roxanne’s army, which was laying siege to Cordon Castle. Since the army was on the attack, they could not use homing pigeons.
“Damn it! Won’t we get whipped for bringing news like this? Lady Roxanne is famous for her terrible temper.”
“You’re worrying too much. She isn’t the kind of person who takes her anger out on the wrong people.”
The messengers bore news of a defeat. The main force led by Timothy had been driven out of Goldford.
-We must earn merits that will unquestionably surpass Roxanne’s. We will take Goldford Castle.
Goldford was one of House Duran’s key fiefs and one of Roman’s greatest granaries. It had earned its name because golden wheat supposedly flowed like a river during the harvest season.
-Wouldn’t it be better to choose an easier target?
Many retainers advised him to seek another target. Taking Goldford would deal an enormous blow to the enemy, but they would also defend it desperately.
Timothy was not completely foolish.
-Isn’t it harvest season now? Every direction is overflowing with food and supplies to plunder. Besides, simply holding our position here will block the flow of goods. They won’t be able to sit inside the city without growing anxious either.
-That is true, but...
It was a position where taking the castle would bring huge gains, while simply holding out would still be profitable. The retainers found it difficult to object.
Sure enough, once the flow of goods was cut off and a catapult was half completed, a sortie force emerged from the castle.
The problem came when Timothy eagerly took the bait.
-Charge in the name of His Imperial Majesty!
Reinforcements sent by the Emperor appeared on the right and began a fierce assault. They were an elite force composed mostly of cavalry.
-Kill the Morad bastards! Turn them into fertilizer for the wheat fields!
On the left, House Duran’s Vassal Coalition attacked.
They were surrounded in an instant. While Timothy stammered in confusion, the capable retainers quickly assessed the situation.
-Target House Duran’s Vassal Coalition! Knights, charge!
House Duran’s Vassal Coalition was centered around infantry. They had rushed into position in an attempt to complete the encirclement, leaving the soldiers exhausted and their formation loose.
Recognizing this, Morad’s retainers concentrated their breakthrough at a single point in the encircling force on the left and escaped.
“How bad were the losses? I didn’t hear that part.”
“They lost all the supplies they brought, and many mercenaries fell. But most of the knights and household soldiers were unharmed.”
Quite a few mercenaries had died after being thrown out as sacrifices during the escape, but that was what mercenaries were for.
* * *
Construction was in full swing inside Cordon Castle.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bare-chested dwarves swung their hammers everywhere, their thick muscles rippling.
“Hurry! We need to secure the hinges by today!”
There was no point in taking a castle if they could not defend it. The gate Eugene had destroyed was beyond repair, so a new one had to be made.
“We have enough materials and craftsmen. It will be finished soon.”
Torim, the dwarves’ representative, reported to Roxanne, who had come to inspect the work.
Eugene and Varda stood beside Roxanne. In both martial ability and wisdom, they surpassed anyone else she had brought with her.
The siege weapon that had taken the castle had been dismantled, and all the extra timber and iron plates they had brought were being used.
“We’ll make it far sturdier than the original gate. Please trust us.”
Torim and the other dwarves wore relieved expressions. They bowed deeply not to Roxanne, but to Eugene.
-Sir, thanks to you, we were all able to fulfill our final wish. When we return to the Underground Kingdom, we will sing your praises.
Eugene recalled Torim’s gratitude after the siege. He wanted to visit that place someday, and it would surely be helpful.
“Now, if Lord Timothy can just win, everything will be perfect.”
“Do you mean that sincerely?”
Roxanne had been looking around with satisfaction, but Eugene’s words made her raise an eyebrow.
“We’re on the same side, aren’t we?”
“Waving the same banner doesn’t make someone an ally. Since ancient times, the most dangerous enemy on the battlefield has been...”
“A foolish ally.”
“Hmph. You know that, yet you still say such things?”
“Lord Timothy himself may be an enemy, but the knights and soldiers under his command are on our side.”
“...!”
At Eugene’s blunt words, Roxanne unconsciously glanced around. It felt as though their positions had somehow been reversed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
“Pull! Harder!”
“Heave!”
Eugene had kept his voice low, and everyone was working amid loud shouts, so no one heard him.
“You’re the first person I’ve met who speaks more bluntly about Timothy than I do.”
“I joined you, Lady Roxanne. We’re in the same boat. I won’t play sly guessing games. Don’t you like frank words, whether they’re advice or jokes?”
“...I won’t forget that attitude. Still, watch what you say. It would be troublesome if anyone other than me heard it.”
Despite her warning tone, Roxanne’s face was full of smiles. Perhaps because the mood seemed good, Varda stepped back two paces.
What Eugene needed most right now were gold coins and connections to a great noble house. Roxanne was someone who could reliably provide both.
Sadly, the pleasant mood did not last long.
“Timothy was captured, and the army is retreating to Goldhill?”
After reading the messenger’s report, Roxanne clutched her forehead as though it ached. The messenger, meanwhile, looked unable to believe that the castle had already fallen.
“I knew he was incompetent, but I never imagined he was this bad. He took those elite troops and ruined everything? And got himself captured?”
Perhaps to establish his authority as commander, Timothy had stood at the front with a sword in hand, urging the soldiers onward.
When the encirclement began and the forward troops fell into confusion, he was captured almost immediately.
The retainers had not even had time to save him. Delaying their retreat for his sake could have put the entire army in danger.
“At least the family’s main force has been preserved.”
“That’s why I’m staying calm.”
If they had lost many knights and household soldiers as well, Roxanne’s reaction would not have ended there.
The knights of House Morad had also inflicted heavy losses on Duran’s vassal forces while retreating. They had even captured several nobles, which was remarkable.
“The Emperor’s reinforcements left for somewhere else immediately, so this place should be safe.”
“They’re being called for help from every direction, so they can’t stay in one place. This castle matters only to our house and House Duran.”
Cordon was a barren, artificially built stronghold with a small population. The Emperor had troubles of his own and had no reason to send troops this far.
They had one win and one loss in battle, but in the war itself, it was close to a victory. They had lost what money could replace and gained what it could not.
Having thought that far, Roxanne’s frown eased. Aside from the family’s damaged pride, it was not a bad situation.
“Will we stay here for a while?”
“We need to firmly secure the castle we worked so hard to obtain.”
“What will happen to ownership of the castle?”
“Of course our house will take it.”
This was not an ordinary fief, but a recently built castle that was closer to an outpost. Even if they seized it while disregarding bloodlines and succession, convention would not consider it a problem.
* * *
The head of House Duran gave up on retaking Cordon Castle by force. Winter would soon arrive, and House Morad’s main force remained intact.
They even offered Timothy and indemnities in exchange for the castle’s return, but their envoys were refused entry.
“Now that your main force has been defeated, aren’t you afraid of His Imperial Majesty’s wrath?”
“More than ten places are crying out for help. How long do you think it’ll take before they’re done making the rounds? Imagine how formidable this castle will be by then.”
Roxanne stood atop the watchtower above the gate, arms crossed as she looked down arrogantly. Bluffing would not work on her.
“If you act this way, it is no different from becoming eternal enemies of House Duran. Please reconsider carefully.”
“The side that attacked without declaring war has no right to say that. Could you say the same thing to the wives and children who lost their husbands and fathers to your cowardly attack? On top of that, the garrison commander promised to decide ownership of the castle through a duel, then broke that promise.”
Duran’s envoys bit their lips. This would not do. They had to achieve something somehow.
“There must have been a misunderstanding in communications between both sides. The garrison commander I know would never do such a thing. Please allow us to meet him.”
“That won’t be difficult. I’ll let you meet him right away.”
“Thank you!”
The envoys were surprised, not expecting her to agree.
“Send out the garrison commander!”
Roxanne shouted toward the inside of the castle.
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
The garrison commander, tightly bound and gagged, struggled with tears and snot streaming down their face. They had been placed in the sling of a repaired catapult.
“Not everyone gets to experience flying through the sky. It’s an honor in its own way.”
The garrison commander trembled at the sight of a smiling dwarf approaching them.
“Fire!”
The dwarf cut the rope with a carpenter’s axe. As the counterweight swung down, the garrison commander was launched into the air.
“Mmmmmmph!!!”
Their tightly bound body flew over the castle wall toward the envoys.
Footnotes:
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