WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Asakusa
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Veteran of the Northern Front ◈
Chapter 36: The Siege of Camilla Fortress (2)
──────
The next day
As if to show they were different from the day before, the barbarians charged at the fortress with resolute expressions.
I wondered where they had found the nerve, but they really were different.
They were still trying to scale the wall with nothing but ladders, but crude shields that had not been there before were now in their hands.
They seem to have looted Imperial Army equipment.
“For a chieftain, Kardum’s put some thought into it.”
“I don’t think it’ll be as easy as yesterday.”
I nodded at Martin’s words.
It might not seem like much, but having shields on a battlefield made a great difference.
Especially for infantry like the barbarians, who used short axes and swords.
“Hold them back! Knock down the ladders so they can’t climb the wall!”
“Move, move! Remember, the slower you are, the more likely the comrade beside you is to die!”
The enemy charged with their heads protected by shields, reducing the effectiveness of our arrows and oil compared to yesterday.
‘We still have the advantage thanks to the wall, but...’
It didn’t seem like we would be able to dominate them as one-sidedly as we had yesterday.
“Don’t be afraid! Only a limited number of them can climb the wall at once. Stay calm, work together, and we can drive them back!”
As I encouraged the soldiers and tried to ease their burden even a little, I drew Black Axe and joined the battle.
“I’ll kill you, Imperial!”
Perhaps seeking to vent the resentment built up from the day before, a barbarian who had desperately climbed the wall swung an axe with bloodshot eyes.
Overwhelmed by the enemy’s momentum, a soldier failed to block the attack and fell backward.
“Urgh!”
“Die!”
At that critical moment, I stepped in front of the soldier and knocked aside the barbarian’s axe.
“W-What?”
“You die instead, idiot.”
With a single blow, the bastard’s head flew through the air.
Red blood coated the axe blade.
The soldier whose life I had saved stared at me with trembling eyes.
“My lord...”
“If you don’t want to die, get a grip! Have you forgotten that one small mistake on the battlefield can cost both you and your comrades your lives?!”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“If you understand, move. Now!”
“Yes, sir!”
As I busily moved around and reinforced the dangerous points, our battle line gradually stabilized.
“My lord.”
Then Dihelm, who had been watching the battle from one corner of the wall, called to me.
It meant it was time to act according to plan.
“Jackson!”
“Yes, sir!”
“What about Max and Marcus?”
“They crossed safely and have finished preparing.”
“Martin, the oil?”
“As instructed, we spread it as widely as possible while avoiding the gate.”
All right. Preparations were complete.
“Martin, do you remember the operation I mentioned yesterday?”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’ll begin soon. Gather in front of the gate with the soldiers.”
“Yes, sir!”
It was time for the finale.
“Walter, fire!”
“Yes, sir! Archer corps, all archers, fire flaming arrows!!”
At Walter’s command, the archers launched fire arrows and carried out a fire attack just as they had yesterday.
Fierce flames blazed.
Even if the barbarians could hold up their shields and avoid being drenched in oil themselves, they could not prevent oil from being spread across the ladders and ground.
“Damn it!”
“You cowardly Imperials!!”
Perhaps they had learned from the previous day.
The barbarians quickly abandoned their ladders and retreated from the wall.
‘They seem to intend to avoid the flames, then charge again once they die down.’
Unfortunately for them, the flames were not only burning before the wall.
The fire arrows launched by the archers flew over the barbarians and struck the brush behind them, where scorching heat surged up.
“W-What is this...?!”
Flames rose around the enemy like a prison, surrounding them as the oil pouches the scout unit had hidden before dawn burst apart.
Unlike yesterday, flames surged up from every direction. The enemy lost their heads and staggered about, desperately trying to escape.
Red walls blocked their sight, while black smoke clouded their minds. They could not tell which way to run.
I sneered at the sight of them running around like dogs in a burning house.
‘What good is extraordinary individual strength?’
They could not even use it properly in a battle that mattered.
There was a reason the military placed such importance on training.
‘Still, this is quite a sight.’
The flames spewed smoke and heat without pause, and the barbarians screamed within them. That alone was enough to break their spirit, but one more move was needed to wipe them out.
‘Shall I add the finishing touch?’
While the enemy were distracted by the flames and thrown into confusion, a group of soldiers suddenly appeared and attacked from behind.
“Slaughter the barbarians who dare disrupt the Empire’s lands!!”
The stars of this battle.
The strike forces that would provide its brilliant finish.
＊＊＊＊＊
The operation Dihelm had devised the previous day was as follows.
We would lure the enemy into lowering their guard with the same strategy as yesterday, launch a wide-ranging fire attack to completely disorient them, then have the First and Second Strike Forces, acting as a separate detachment, attack their rear.
It might sound simple, but it required considerable preparation.
Setting up the oil pouches in secret was one thing, but the strike forces also had to leave through the left wall, which had no gate, without drawing the enemy’s attention.
It would have been something other soldiers could not even dare attempt.
‘So there was a reason Dihelm often went to watch the soldiers train.’
Whenever Dihelm had free time, he toured the fortress and assessed the soldiers’ capabilities. Remembering how the strike forces climbed up and down the wall on ropes every day, Dihelm had proposed this plan.
He had been certain that they could cross the wall without opening the gate and avoid the enemy’s notice.
And his calculation had been exactly right.
“W-What...”
“Where did they come from... Urk!”
With the enemy already in confusion, the separate detachment attacked their rear and sent them into complete panic.
“What is this?!”
“What the hell is happening?!”
Those directly hit by the surprise attack died without being able to put up any proper resistance. Those farther away could not see clearly through the flames and smoke, so they had no idea what was happening.
They merely shook their heads in shock whenever they heard the screams of their comrades.
The enemy had already lost their morale and scattered in utter disarray.
And the strike forces, who prided themselves on being the fortress’s elite, pressed them relentlessly.
The outcome was obvious.
“Don’t get excited. Keep formation and press the enemy!”
“Don’t give those damn barbarians a chance to strike back!”
The enemy fell like dominoes beneath the strike forces’ fierce assault.
The barbarian warriors who understood the situation quickly tried to pull themselves together and resist, but...
Thrust!
“Grrk...”
“Y-You Imperial bastard!”
“I don’t know what you’re babbling about, but shut up.”
Marcus cut them all down like weeds.
His martial prowess was terrifying.
Even though he was on our side, watching him made a chill run down my spine.
‘There really is no other monster like him.’
Back when we were penal soldiers, I thought I could at least hold my own.
‘Now I wouldn’t stand a chance at all.’
I had not exactly neglected my training, but compared to Marcus, it was barely anything.
‘While I’ve been swamped with work since coming to the fortress, he’s done nothing but train himself to death...’
Still, wasn’t that a little too much?
I shook my head as I watched the faint aura swirling around Marcus’s spear.
‘An intermediate knight at nineteen...’
I could not decide whether to call that talent.
Or a disaster.
If Marcus fought Hakal again now, Marcus could probably crush Hakal alone.
‘If the nobles learn of Marcus’s potential and skill, they’ll come running with their eyes ablaze.’
Of course, I was not particularly worried.
The Marcus I knew was the kind of man who could easily brush off the temptations of greedy nobles.
Once I confirmed that the separate detachment led by Marcus was tearing through the enemy lines like a storm, I headed to the gate to finish the battle.
Martin and the soldiers had already formed ranks there as instructed.
“The tide has completely turned thanks to the separate detachment’s efforts.”
After taking a breath, I shouted at the top of my lungs.
“Now it’s time to wipe out every last enemy. Open the gate!!”
“Open the gate! Open it!!”
The gate opened, and I rushed outside with the soldiers.
The flames were gradually dying down, and the enemy had lost all fighting spirit, reduced to walking scarecrows. It was time to wipe them out completely.
“I’ll lead the charge. Everyone, attack!!”
“Waaaah!!”
Because we had spread the oil while avoiding the gate, it was easy to get outside.
“This damn... Urk!”
At the front, I smashed a barbarian’s head with Black Axe and surveyed the surroundings.
‘This isn’t even a fight.’
Crushing the enemy, who were in complete disarray, was easy.
It would not have been wrong to call it a massacre rather than a battle.
I decided to press this momentum and cut off the enemy’s breath for good.
Crunch!
As I split enemy heads like firewood and rampaged through their ranks, their defeat grew increasingly certain.
Unable to stand by any longer, Kardum charged at me.
Kardum intended to take down the leader and turn the tide.
“You cowardly Imperial! If not for you...!!”
Kardum’s axe collided with Black Axe.
A faint energy traveled along the axe blade.
Kardum was undoubtedly a warrior-grade fighter who had awakened mana.
‘About the level of a lower-ranked knight?’
This was manageable.
Kardum’s axe and Black Axe clashed as we began a contest of strength, neither yielding an inch.
“You’re not bad.”
Crk!
Our axe blades ground against each other, throwing off sparks.
“But you shouldn’t try to show off your strength before me.”
“Grrgh...!”
As I bore down with all my monstrous strength, Kardum’s arms trembled violently.
Overpowered, Kardum’s stance steadily lowered until one knee finally struck the ground.
“A-An Imperial cannot possess such monstrous strength! Are you truly an Imperial?!”
Why was this bastard suddenly asking about my parents’ homeland?
I wanted to say something in return, but unfortunately, I could not.
Crack!
Kardum’s axe handle broke under the force I applied.
Black Axe shattered the weapon and continued on to split Kardum’s head.
Kardum’s body fell like a puppet with cut strings.
I gave Kardum one indifferent glance before surveying the battlefield.
“Kardum...”
“It’s over. We can’t win!”
With the leader who commanded them dead, most of the barbarians threw down their weapons and surrendered.
“Surrendering to Imperials?! Can you still call yourselves warriors of the Huran Tribe?!”
“You shameless cowards, I’ll never surrender... Urk!”
A few still struggled and resisted to the end, but they were quickly dealt with.
“Lord Ubel, we have dealt with them all.”
Marcus, covered in blood, approached and reported.
“We have killed the majority of the barbarians and bound those who threw down their weapons and surrendered. A few escaped in the chaos, but there were not many, so I don’t believe you need to concern yourself with them.”
“Good work.”
Less than thirty minutes after opening the gate, the battle had ended.
Barbarians,
Day 1: 1,000 dead.
Day 2: 1,172 dead, 307 prisoners, 28 escapees.
Allied forces,
Day 1: 1 lightly wounded.
Day 2: 37 seriously wounded, 102 lightly wounded.
0 dead.
All this had happened only two days after the enemy attacked.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
