第１７７２堀：最後まで戦うのみ (Part1)
Chapter 1772: Fighting Until the End
Side: Shera
"We are ready on this end."
"Good. Everyone, stand by and wait for the enemy's move."
"Understood."
Yuki-san issued his orders through the monitor. We were acting on the intelligence provided by the soldiers who had surrendered yesterday, preparing to intercept the lord’s army as they marched toward their own destruction.
The operation itself was simple. We were merely executing the plan Comet-san and Agil-san had devised. Naturally, we would intersperse the assault with artillery fire; the resulting smoke and debris would obscure the enemy’s vision, ensuring the plan went off without a hitch.
Ah, if they truly intended to attack in earnest, I suppose I should say they would be turned into a literal beehive—that much remained unchanged.
Still, I found it nearly impossible to comprehend why they would continue to resist when their forces were so exhausted that they were forced to gamble on a choice between total annihilation or surrender. If Stasia-san possessed even a shred of common sense—or the knowledge expected of a general—she should have been willing to sacrifice her own pride to beg for the lives of her subordinates, if only for the sake of the nation’s future. Furthermore, setting aside the matter of Weed, she should have been providing detailed information on the forces of the Ohe side, yet she behaved as if none of that mattered. It was a clear sign that she lacked any grasp of reason.
Well, having eavesdropped on them myself, I understood the situation: it wasn't so much that she was insane, but rather that she was desperate to save her own skin. I don't know exactly how much influence the Church wields, but it felt as though she believed she could not return without having achieved her objective.
However, she failed to realize that at this rate, she wouldn't be returning alive at all. That alone spoke to how terrifying the Church truly was.
"Alright, let's confirm once more. Our target is Baron Siana... and his army, who intend to surrender."
Yuki-san hesitated before finishing that sentence. It was a rare occurrence, but the reason was perfectly clear. In front of the monitor—specifically, one hundred meters before the gate where we would accept their surrender—stood soldiers clutching their weapons...
"...They are still standing, despite everything. They don't seem to have had a proper meal in days. They truly believe in the gentleman at their lead. That much is clear. Baron Siana must be a fine lord."
"He looks like the one who's eaten the least, doesn't he?"
"It seems he actually hasn't eaten. According to the soldier who surrendered, the Baron has been sharing his own rations."
"And yet, there is no death in their eyes."
Indeed. Baron Siana, who surely suffered the most, stood at the vanguard. Even with his face gaunt and hollow, he stood firm, his eyes burning with intensity.
"Fewer than a hundred. No one else is following them. Just as we heard—this is punishment for not handing over the food supplies. How ridiculous."
Yuki-san spat the words out. The reason Baron Siana and his men had been sent to their deaths was, quite literally, because they had refused to withhold food from the populace. Even so, it wasn't as if they had enough to eat themselves. By doing this, the army’s morale must have plummeted to the very earth. No, at this point, the army had likely already collapsed. The only reason they were still hostile was that they didn't know what we would do to them.
If we could successfully accept Baron Siana’s surrender here, it would act as a catalyst, and the enemy’s ranks would surely crumble. Yuki-san recognized this, which was why he agreed to the surrender. That said, for the sake of the safety of Baron Siana’s territory, we had to make it look to the enemy leadership as if they had been wiped out.
"Phew. Well then, let's get to work so those brave men can finally have a full meal. Begin the negotiations."
"Understood. Begin the operation."
As Stasia-san gave the order, a goblin appeared above the surrender gate and began to speak.
"To the armed group! Approach any further and you shall meet the same fate as the soldiers who feigned surrender and resisted the other day!"
With that, he dropped the cloth—the token we had been entrusted with—right in front of them. To an outside observer, it would look as though the soldiers had been executed, but Baron Siana and a few of his men seemed to understand the true meaning; after a look of surprise, they...
"If you do not wish to end up like them, throw down your weapons and surrender, or turn back!"
Upon hearing our words, they broke into smiles...
"I refuse! We have been granted the honor of the vanguard. We shall secure this path with pride!"
They roared. They raised their swords high, then brought them down.
"Charge!"
"Ooh!"
They rushed forward, letting out voices that one would never expect from a dying army. The goblins, as if they had anticipated this, immediately began their interception. After all, it was only a hundred meters. A distance that could be covered in mere seconds. For Yuki-san or any of us, it was a distance we could cross instantly, and normally, we wouldn't let them get this close.
But... even so, it was still a hundred meters. A distance that would become a hopeless chasm in the face of gunfire.
The sweeping fire from the fixed artillery emplacements, the bombardment, and the volleys from the goblins began at once. In the blink of an eye, the area was swallowed by smoke, obscuring the details of the scene. The main enemy army, watching from afar, did not move to intervene. No, "observe" would be the correct term, but to not even send reinforcements despite being the ones who ordered the charge was cold-hearted to the extreme.
So, they were nothing but pawns after all.
Those bastards. As royalty, as one standing in a position to protect the people of Weed, I could never forgive those who would treat the soldiers—the very shields that protect the people—as mere expendable pawns.
While I was thinking this, the goblins used magic to whip up a wind, clearing the smoke from the site of the engagement as planned. The ground was, quite literally, covered in corpses. The soldiers who had charged were all lying on the earth, their blood staining the soil.
"Ugh..."
"Are... you... alive?"
"M-my... Lord..."
A few soldiers—those who had been lucky? No, unlucky—groaned, yet still reached out or called out to their fallen comrades. And among them, one figure stood up, his knees trembling violently, using his sword as a cane.
"You've got to be kidding. That's some spirit."
"It is the pride of Baron Siana. As one who leads soldiers, he stands until the very end."
I agreed with Stasia-san. He no longer had the strength to wield his blade, using it only as a crutch, yet the light in his eyes had not faded.
"Hah, well, we can make this look convincing enough. Contact them. We will bury the enemy commander and his soldiers with dignity. Go out there and show them our strength while you finish this."
"Understood."
As Yuki-san gave his specific orders, a goblin emerged from a trench near the surrender gate and walked toward Baron Siana. He did so in full view of the watching enemy army.
"You have fought well. May I have your name?"
The goblin’s voice reached us. It was quiet, yet clear and distinct.