Chapter 249: Till the Very End (3)

Although the Lester Kingdom did try to block them, soon, the Republican soldiers began to climb up the walls. No matter how high the morale might be, most of the soldiers on top of the walls were civilian militias who didn’t have much experience in combat.

“Die!”

A Republican soldier violently ran forward as he tried to kill a young boy. However…

“You die!”

Someone grabbed him by the neck and threw him off the wall.

“Aaaaaaaaaahh!!”

The Republican soldier’s scream as he fell off the wall was heard loudly.

The knight who had saved the young soldier shouted at the other knights who were fighting with him.

“Just throw them all off the walls!!”

“Yes, sir!”

He was the leader of the Northern Knights, Rick Storie. He had become an intermediate Expert powerhouse and was currently leading the knights around the walls to deal with the enemies. At that moment, Tommy, who like Rick, was dealing with the Republican Army on the walls, came up to him and spoke.

“Rick, you cleared the west side?”

“Almost done. What about the east?”

“Then hurry up and head south. I’ll go north.”

“Damn it! We just cleared the south side an hour ago…”

“If you’re gonna complain, do it to the Republican dogs!”

Tommy led his followers and continued to cut down the Republicans who had gotten to the walls. From the perspective of the defenders, the best thing to do during a siege was to prevent enemy soldiers from climbing the walls. But under current circumstances, it was impossible to completely stop the Republicans.

Although the outer walls of the Lester Kingdom’s capital were built sturdy, the walls themselves weren’t very high. They had tried to repair it, but after investigation, it was deemed impossible because the ground was too soft for it. Instead, the walls were reconstructed so that it was thicker and the top of the walls were made so it was twice as wide as ordinary walls to allow for more soldiers up top.

That was why Duke Palan was commanding with the assumption that enemies would climb up the walls. The soldiers were ordered to continue to attack, but once the enemy came up to the walls, they were told to fall back and hide behind the shield soldiers that had been standing by. Then, the Northern Knights and the Central Knights would make their way over and wipe out the Republican troops on the walls. Under Duke Palan’s command, Rick and Tommy had taken on that role and were fighting busily.

“Duke Palan, wouldn’t it be better if I also went?”

Marquis Catel wondered whether it would be better if he lent them a hand.

But Duke Palan merely shook his head.

“Not yet. Keep waiting.”

“Sir, we can’t ignore the knights’ fatigue. There have been too many enemies on the walls.”

“If we need to, we’ll send in more knights, but you and I have to stay here.”

“...For what reason, sir?”

“Because in chess, once you lose your king, it’s game over.”

“......”

Marquis Catel stopped talking. He realized the existence of Queen Leila behind them.

“Sir, do you think those bastards are aiming here?”

“Is there any reason for them not to?”

“Hm…”

Duke Palan took stock of the situation on the wall as he continued to speak.

“It’s true that the knights are taking on a difficult role, but there’s no report that they’re struggling from a lack of strength. Either way, we’re gaining the upper hand. What do you think is the reason for that?”

“The Republicans must be conserving their strength, sir.”

“That’s right. Siegfried and Jake, not to mention the skull helmeted Ghosts, haven’t come up yet.”

“Then do you think Siegfried will come here immediately if we leave our post, sir?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

Marquis Catel frowned when Duke Palan gave such a vague answer so confidently.

“What kind of an…”

“Catel, can you read Siegfried’s intentions?”

“Sir? No, sir. I can’t…”

“Neither can I. In our country, the only ones who are able to face each other with strategic tactics are Count Sabian and His Highness, the Grand Duke. Unfortunately, I can’t.”

“......”

Duke Palan calmly admitting his inadequacy was more realistic than obsequious. 

“I’m just doing what I can. I can’t read his strategy in the first place, I’ll stick to the standard method and protect the important chess king.”

“Then, do you think we can win, sir?”

“Well…”

“......”

“I’m just doing my best.”

After listening to Duke Palan’s steady words and seeing his determined eyes, Marquis Catel felt like he had peeked into the Lester Kingdom’s strength.

‘If only the Strabus Kingdom had done our best with this kind of humble attitude then…’

Although it would only hurt his heart to regret the past, he couldn’t help but think about it.

***

“Haaaa…”

“You still alive, Rick?”

“I don’t know. Maybe…?”

Rick and Tommy dealt with the Republican Army on the walls for half a day. Their shift was over and Rick and Tommy had handed over the battle to the other knights while they retreated to the back and took a short break. They first gulped down water before quickly stuffing chunks of bread and ham into their mouths.

“A half-hour break, and after that, we’re back on.”

At Tommy’s words, the knights all laid down.

They could still hear their allies fighting fiercely on the walls, but that didn’t matter right now. All they wanted to do was rest, right now, however brief it may be. They had to restore even the slightest bit of physical strength they’ve used up.

In the midst of collapsed knights, Rick went over to Tommy and spoke in a small voice.

“Did you see any Ghosts during the battle?”

“No, I don’t think they came up yet.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“......”

The two remained silent with anxious faces. They had fought several wars against Siegfried by Milton’s side, so Rick and Tommy knew very well that Siegfried was formidable. While it seemed like Siegfried was currently using up his troops meaninglessly, it was clear that this was a strategic move meant for something else. 

“Ahh… damn it. No matter how hard I think, I don’t know. What is he after?”

When Rick moaned as he scratched his head, Tommy laughed at him.

“If he was so simple that a rockhead[1] like you could see what he was thinking, then he’d have lost his head to Our Lord much earlier.”

“Fine. I’m a rockhead... wait. Why am I a rockhead?!”

“Didn’t your own mother officially acknowledge that you’re a rockhead?”

“Tsk… that was such a long time ago.”

As a child, Rick had once fallen off a tall tree. When he fell, he hit his head on a rock. But the funny thing was, the rock had cracked while young Rick’s head only had a bump. 

At that time, Rick’s mother had said:

[Thank you, God, for making my son a rockhead…][2]

Since then, Rick’s childhood nickname became official with his mother’s acknowledgment.

“Ha… hahahaha…”

“Damn it, stop laughing, you punk.”

Rick got angry when he saw Tommy laughing. Tommy spoke to him with a smile still on his face.

“We made it up to here. We were just regular people, but now, we’re knights fighting for the fate of our nation.”

“It’s all thanks to me. Punk, you should be thanking me.”

“You’re right. Thanks.”

“...What? Did you eat something wrong?”

Rick was rather taken aback when Tommy said thank you so easily but Tommy continued to speak solemnly. 

“I’m being serious. I’m here right now because my friend was a psycho who forced his way into the lord’s castle and laid down, demanding to become a knight.”

“Wait, no… Back then… how should I say it?”

Although Rick hadn’t changed much, back then, Rick had been very impulsive.

[I’m going to be a scholar.]

[I’m going to be a hunter.]

[I’m going to be a great merchant.]

[I’m going to be a pirate king…]

Every time he made up his mind, he dragged in his taciturn friend, Tommy.

And well, the results hadn’t been so good. He gave up being a scholar because studying wasn’t fun. He gave up being a hunter because he had almost been killed by a board. He gave up being a merchant because numbers were too hard. And before he could even try to become a pirate king, he had almost been beaten to death by his mother, so he had to give that up.

But becoming a knight was different. As soon as he had decided that he really wanted to be a knight, he boldly, gutsily, went into the castle and laid down, whining to become a knight. Caught up in the moment, Tommy had laid down next to his friend. 

At that time, Sansen, thinking it would be great for Milton, then the young lord, to have training partners, had taken them in. And so, the two of them, who had once just been commoners, were now fighting the crisis that their country was facing.

When Tommy thought about how he had gotten to this point, he thought it was both funny and satisfying. In fact, even if he died right now, he had no regrets. And since he had no regrets, how could he not express his honest feelings to the best friend he had in this life?

That was why Tommy had opened up and was speaking frankly to him.

“Rick, thanks. I really have to tell you… gah!”

Tommy stopped talking when Rick suddenly put him in a headlock. 

“Will you stop giving me goosebumps? This punk, you just gotta act cool sometimes, huh?” 

“You jerk, I’m being serious right… fine. I’ll drop it!”

The two quarreled naturally again.

***

“Waaaaahh!!”

“We won!”

Having endured the Republic’s attack another day, the Lester Kingdom’s army shouted their victory on the second day. Like the previous day, the Republic had retreated some distance away. 

“Have the soldiers rest as much as possible. And have the person in charge of each wall report the damage.”

As Duke Palan had commanded, the soldiers rested. But then…

“Huh? Isn’t that the Republican Army?”

“What? Those bastards, are they…”

“Damn! Go report it!”

Just as the Lester Kingdom’s army was about to take a breather, the Republican Army began to attack again. As the Republican Army approached with torches, the commanders hurried to stimulate the soldiers and prepare for battle.

“Enemy attack! The enemies are attacking!”

“Everyone will go to their assigned position and get ready!”

The night siege had begun.

***

It wasn’t the greatest to attack a castle during the night. To begin with, night battles were much more difficult than battles during the day, but besieging a castle during the night was particularly difficult. 

If you tried to besiege a castle during the night, you would only lose soldiers meaninglessly. Anyone who knew even the slightest thing about tactics would know this. None of them had guessed that Siegfried, someone hailed as a war genius, would do something this foolish.

“Light the torches on the walls. Widen the visibility on the walls and double the number of messengers! If there’s a gap, have a knight run over immediately!”

Duke Palan quickly gave out orders to respond to the enemy attacks.

“Night attack…”

“Sir, since it’s Siegfried, he must have something in mind?”

“Most likely…”

Duke Palan thought for a moment before speaking to Marquis Catel.

“Marquis Catel.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Just in case, I want you to take some knights and stand by the gats.”

“Are you saying you want me to protect the gates, sir?”

The outer walls of the Lester Kingdom’s capital had been thoroughly prepared, but due to his anxiety, Duke Palan didn’t think that was enough, and decided to send Marquis Catel.

“I don’t know what the enemy might do under the cover of a night ambush. That’s why I want you to protect the most important wall.”

“Understood, sir.”

After responding, Marquis Catel left to stand by the gates. The most important thing to watch out for during a siege was the opening of the gates. Even though they had thoroughly prepared their defensive measures, it was best to be doubly sure, especially with the kind of opponent they had. 

***

“Your Excellency, the enemies are responding better than expected to the night attack.”

The Republic’s chief of staff looked at Siegfried with regret as he reported. 

The night raid had been conducted after they had retreated and lured the Lester Kingdom’s soldiers into relaxing, but regrettably, nothing had been achieved. However Siegfried spoke calmly as if there was nothing to regret.

“Focus on the encirclement and continue the night raid.”

“Yes, sir”

“I’m going to go rest.”

Then, Siegfried went back to his barrack. Usually, he stayed and watched the battlefield with his own eyes as he gave commands, but this time, it was different. It didn’t matter whether they succeeded with the night attack or not. The attack itself was important. 

1. I wanted to say meathead, since rockhead also has the meaning of someone who does drugs or someone who loves rock music, but it was necessary

2. Meathead, bonehead, numbskull, etc. none of them would have worked for this backstory