Episode 107: Overwhelming Force Disparity

Two days after Almants fled to the fortress city of Pastrier, the Eastern Army finally revealed itself.

As he had foretold, their numbers were around ten thousand. The army swiftly encircled the city walls.

“To the soldiers of Pastrier Fortress City! You are already surrounded! Surrender peacefully!”

“Behind us stands the Royal Army led by His Majesty Luverios! It’s in your best interest to surrender quickly!”

“Once the city falls, it’ll be too late! Surrender now while you still can!”

The soldiers of the Eastern Army, encircling the city walls, raised their voices one after another, urging surrender.

Some used magic crystals to amplify their voices, the sound reverberating through every corner of the fortress city.

“Tch, so the enemy army’s finally here…”

“C-Can we hold them off!?”

The soldiers of Pastrier Fortress City couldn’t hide their fear at the enemy’s arrival.

Yet, in stark contrast to their unease, a man in the castle was smiling—Bolfirio.

“Surrender, they say!? Hah, what a joke!”

Hearing the calls for surrender echoing even into the room, Bolfirio let out a mocking laugh.

He knew full well. Conquering this fortress city with a mere ten thousand troops was impossible. And… the Royal Army led by Luverios didn’t even exist.

“Messenger! Relay this to the commanders of each unit!”

Bolfirio issued orders to the soldier waiting outside the room.

“The enemy’s words are lies. There is no Royal Army led by Luverios. Do not be swayed by their words—hold your positions!”

“Yes, sir! Understood!”

The messenger soldier hurried off with the orders.

(That’s right… there’s no need to worry. All I need to do is wait.)

 

◇

 

Five days had passed since the Eastern Army began its siege of Pastrier Fortress City. During that time, neither side made any significant moves.

There were a couple of instances where arrows were exchanged, but they never escalated into a major battle.

Now, the Eastern Army surrounded the city from a distance beyond arrow range, occasionally calling for surrender.

“They’re not making a move, are they?”

In the lord’s private chamber, a man with a frog-like face muttered under his breath, standing by Bolfirio’s side—Almants.

“Even though we expected this, to not even show signs of a siege…”

“Hmph, obviously.”

Bolfirio snorted with a laugh.

“A siege requires proper preparation. They likely don’t even have the equipment ready, do they?”

“Indeed, Your Highness. The Eastern Army possesses hardly any siege weapons.”

A siege requires not only manpower but also siege equipment.

For example, large ladders to scale high walls or siege towers to approach and deploy troops.

Or battering rams to break through city gates.

There’s also the method of launching massive stones with magic-inscribed catapults to destroy the walls.

Additionally, tactics exist where captured monsters or golems created by mages are sent charging to demolish the walls.

In any case—the Eastern Army wasn’t prepared for a siege and lacked any siege equipment.

With insufficient numbers and no siege weapons, capturing the city was nothing but a pipe dream.

“The only option they have is to surround the city and try to starve us out. But our stockpiles are plentiful. The Eastern Army has no chance.”

“Exactly as you say! To wage a hopeless siege—what foolishness!”

Almants nodded with an excessively ingratiating smile, agreeing with Bolfirio’s words.

His quick change of allegiance was remarkable, as if he’d forgotten he was part of the Eastern Army just days ago.

“No doubt Siegfried thought that by threatening us with ‘His Majesty Luverios’s Royal Army,’ His Highness Bolfirio would surrender.”

“…But thanks to you defecting and informing me that no such Royal Army exists, their plan has crumbled. That’s the gist of it, isn’t it, Almants?”

The two exchanged glances—and smirked.

“Muahaha… hahahaha!”

“Heh… gufufufu!”

The laughter of the two villains eerily filled the room.

◇

On the tenth day of the siege—a slight change occurred.

It wasn’t the start of a siege battle, however.

The content of the Eastern Army’s calls… had shifted.

“To the soldiers of Pastrier Fortress City! We—wish to negotiate peace!”

“To Commander Bolfirio of the Western Legion! We request you engage in peace talks!”

It was no longer a demand for surrender. A proposal for peace negotiations had been made.

“Mmph… fuhahahaha!”

Bolfirio let out a booming laugh in his private chamber.

Stroking his cleft chin, he spoke with a smug expression.

“So they’ve finally resorted to peace talks…! They can’t hide their desperation, can they?”

“They likely want to settle this through negotiations somehow.”

Almants chimed in.

Over these ten days, he had secured his position as Bolfirio’s close aide.

Almants was, by nature, a man skilled at ingratiating himself with those above him. One could say it was his only talent.

Additionally, he possessed a certain level of knowledge about the internal affairs of the Kirchhen Kingdom. For Bolfirio, he was a useful asset to keep close.

“Their intentions are transparent. If they negotiate peace now, it’ll be framed as a victory for the Eastern Army.”

If peace were made after the Western Legion was routed and Pastrier Fortress City was surrounded, the world would see this war as ‘the Eastern Army’s victory.’

“But we have no intention of accepting such a narrative…!”

A glint of unshakable confidence shone in Bolfirio’s eyes.

“Respond to peace talks? Not a chance. We’ll hold out until reinforcements arrive—and then, we strike back! We’ll crush them and wash away the shame of our earlier defeat!”

◇

Fifteen days had passed since the siege began—a full half-month.

With such a prolonged stalemate, a relaxed atmosphere began to creep in among both armies, despite their initial tension.

‘Nothing’s going to happen today either’—as more began to think this, the situation finally shifted.

“Your Highness Bolfirio!”

It was morning. Bolfirio had just finished breakfast in his private chamber.

An excited soldier’s voice burst in from outside the room.

“Reinforcements! Reinforcements have arrived! Beyond the western hill… our allied forces have appeared!”

“Ohh…!”

Bolfirio shot to his feet, his face alight with excitement.

“Whose army is it!? General Regro!? Or perhaps my younger brother, the Third Prince Delphinas!? Could it be my younger sister, the Third Princess’s army!?”

“W-Well, that’s…”

“Fine, I’ll see for myself!”

Unable to contain his excitement, Bolfirio rushed out of his chamber toward the western wall.

He raced up the stairs and stood atop the wall. At that moment—his eyes caught sight of a massive army approaching from beyond the hill.

The banners fluttering throughout the army bore the emblem of a raging bull backed by flames.

“This emblem—it’s my brother!”

It was unmistakably the banner of the First Prince, Garfilia Borbon de Serodonia.

“It seems the First Prince has taken action!”

The voice came from Almants, standing beside him. He, too, must have rushed from his chamber upon hearing of the reinforcements.

“Still… for His Highness Garfilia to march out is somewhat unexpected.”

“—Indeed, it’s surprising. But not entirely unforeseen.”

The ideal scenario Garfilia likely envisioned was something like this:

First, Bolfirio would either abandon the fortress city and flee or be captured by the enemy. Then, Garfilia would make a grand entrance, defeating the enemy army.

In other words, a scenario where ‘Bolfirio’s reputation plummets’ while ‘Garfilia’s fame rises.’ That would practically secure victory in the struggle for the throne.

However, seeing the prolonged stalemate, he must have judged that plan unrealistic.

“He intends to rout the enemy here and present himself gloriously as ‘the hero who saved his brother from crisis and defeated the invaders.’”

For Bolfirio, his brother’s aid wasn’t something he could wholeheartedly welcome.

“But… fine. I’ll join the fray and achieve results no less than my brother’s. The enemy’s de facto commander… Siegfried—I’ll take him down with my Western Legion!”

If he could defeat Siegfried, the mastermind of the invasion, Bolfirio’s achievement would be far from insignificant.

In the contest for the throne, he wouldn’t fall too far behind Garfilia.

From atop the city wall, Bolfirio watched as Garfilia’s army steadily approached the fortress city.

Now, their full numbers were clearly visible.

“My brother’s army… about thirty thousand, I’d say. Unlike the fictional ‘Luverios’s Royal Army,’ this is a genuine thirty thousand.”

“That means, combined with Your Highness Bolfirio’s ten thousand, a total of forty thousand. Four times the measly ten thousand of the Eastern Army! An overwhelming force disparity! Gufufu… with this difference, even Siegfried stands no chance!”

“The problem is if Siegfried abandons his allies and flees. We must ensure my army takes him down before that happens.”

“Indeed! We can’t let that brat escape!”

Curiously, Bolfirio and Almants were in complete agreement.

—That in this battle, the top priority was to take down Siegfried.

It seemed Garfilia’s army would charge straight into battle with the Eastern Army.

But suddenly, their advance halted. The next moment, a booming voice rang out.

“I am Garfilia Borbon de Serodonia, First Prince of the Serodonia Kingdom!”

He was likely using a high-powered custom amplification device.

The voice shook the air, resonating across the entire area.

From atop the city wall, Bolfirio took a spyglass from a nearby soldier to confirm the speaker.

Reflected in the lens was, without a doubt, his brother Garfilia.

“The reason I, the First Prince, have personally led an army to this battlefield is to strike down the foolish enemy threatening our Serodonia Kingdom! I will never forgive those who endanger our nation’s peace!”

(Hmph… as always, he loves his grandiose speeches.)

In his heart, Bolfirio mocked his brother.

Garfilia’s penchant for playing the hero was utterly incompatible with Bolfirio’s personality.

(But… in this battle, it’s we who will take down Siegfried. I won’t let you be the only hero, brother!)

Just as he swore this to himself, Garfilia raised his voice again.

“And the enemy to be struck down—is you!”

His finger pointed straight at… Pastrier Fortress City.

“Bolfirio, holed up in the fortress city! I’ve come to bring you down!”

“Huh?”

A dumbfounded sound escaped Bolfirio’s lips. For a moment, he couldn’t comprehend what his brother was saying.

“Bolfirio! Your collusion with the enemy Eastern Army to line your own pockets has been fully exposed—thanks to the report of Count Siegfried von Kreving of the Kirchhen Kingdom! This is nothing less than betrayal against the nation! Treason! Even if you are my brother, such a person cannot be forgiven!”

“Ah… ahh… ah, ah, ah…”

With a clatter, the spyglass slipped from Bolfirio’s hand.

He staggered backward, as if he’d lost all support.

At that moment—as if to deliver the final blow—a voice amplified through a device shook the air.

It was a voice entirely different from Garfilia’s.

“My name is Siegfried von Kreving. Though it may be presumptuous… thanks to His Highness Garfilia’s graciousness, I have been granted the opportunity to speak here.”

The voice was calm and intellectual, yet it carried a chilling edge that sent shivers down the spine.

“Soldiers of the Eastern Army. You must have heard His Highness Garfilia’s declaration. This time, we have joined hands with His Highness Garfilia. Our singular purpose is to bring down the villain who has betrayed both Kirchhen and Serodonia, enriching himself in the process—Second Prince Bolfirio and Deputy Commander Almants.”

“Geh!?”

A groan-like scream escaped Almants.

And then… Siegfried added in a whisper-like tone:

“Now… Your Highness Bolfirio, Deputy Commander Almants. We number forty thousand in total. And you… about ten thousand, I presume? Can you win? Against this overwhelming force disparity?”