Chapter 237: Deception, Encirclement, and Annihilation (1)
“Oh...”
Claude let out a dry chuckle, unable to say a word. Communication was, as expected, impossible. Honestly, he had anticipated this outcome.
Now, what should he do next?
The answer came from Ghislain.
“Well, we all know talking more won’t get us anywhere, right? Let’s just move on quickly.”
Claude gave up and pointed at a few spots on the map as he replied.
“Yeah, yeah. I figured as much. Just as you predicted, my lord, the surrounding tribes have gathered along the route we’re taking. They’ve sent warriors in all directions to monitor our movements. But their basics are so sloppy that they keep getting caught by us. Ugh, what a bunch of simpletons.”
Every day, Claude sent scouts to survey the surroundings, compile reports, and relay the information to Ghislain.
Since the savages moved periodically, Ghislain didn’t have precise knowledge of their locations. Hence, it was necessary to dispatch scouts regularly to identify the tribes’ current positions.
In truth, this was a job meant for Lowell, the intelligence officer. However, Ghislain had brought Claude along after a long time.
Perhaps it was because they had worked together like this in their previous lives, but Ghislain felt more at ease bringing Claude than Lowell.
Moreover, Claude was a highly capable commander and tactician. Although his current role as a homemaker seemed to obscure his talents, they were undeniably there.
“Alright, let’s make those guys our next target. Do you have an idea of how they’ll move?”
Ghislain asked, even though he already knew the answer. It was time to start drawing out Claude’s latent talents. Ghislain planned for Claude to take the lead in devising and executing strategies on the battlefield in his absence.
Claude scratched his chin a few times before answering.
“Well... in this kind of situation, it’s pretty obvious. Most of them will likely just charge in without much thought, but the leader of the Windhowl Tribe seems to have a pair of brains.”
“People who try to use their brains half-heartedly tend to be the most pathetic.”
“That’s true... but their numbers are overwhelming. They’re more than double ours. What are you going to do? Just defend?”
“I have a favorite tactic I like to use.”
“Pursuit, ambush, annihilation?”
“That’s right. But this time, we’ll have to do it a little differently.”
“How different?”
“Deception, encirclement, and annihilation.”
“Pfft.”
Claude chuckled, his shoulders shaking.
“We’re so outnumbered. How are we supposed to encircle them?”
Ghislain laughed along and replied.
“Encirclement doesn’t mean you have to block every direction. You just need to cut off the critical paths. Let’s start planning. Those guys may be strong, but they’re simple-minded. Everything works on them.”
—
Custou had declared his intention to seize the fortress, but not all the other tribal leaders immediately agreed.
They knew they were weak in siege warfare. They had attempted to attack a fortress a few times before and understood how difficult it was to capture one.
There was also resistance to following someone else’s opinion. After all, each of them was a tribal chief who believed they were the best.
“Why bother attacking the fortress? We can just use our numbers to kill them all when their main force is out!”
“That’s right! Aren’t there only a few hundred of them? Let’s chase them down like real warriors and crush them!”
“We don’t even have proper siege weapons, do we?”
In the midst of the raucous commotion, Custou frowned. These ignorant fools had no concept of strategy or tactics.
He wasn’t like them. He was strong, but what set him apart was his ability to strategically think. That’s why, under his leadership, the Windhowl Tribe had grown into a major power, contending for dominance in the north.
If it weren’t for those Ferdium bastards, the Windhowl Tribe would already have trampled over the other tribes by now.
“Use your brains for a moment. Their main force may only consist of a few hundred, but each one of them is either on par with or stronger than a war chief. They already slaughtered 2,000 warriors without suffering a single casualty. Can’t you even imagine how many losses we’d suffer if we faced them head-on?”
“Our numbers are over 5,000! No matter how strong they are, how could a few hundred possibly stand against us? You’re not acting like a warrior! Stop being so cowardly!”
“Even if we win, more than half of our warriors will be gone. Maybe even more than that. That’s the kind of power knights from the kingdom wield.”
Custou’s statement would have been accurate if it were about ordinary knights. However, he was unaware of one crucial detail: the Fenris Knights, while possessing incredible bursts of destructive power, lacked endurance.
If they were to confront an army of 5,000, they wouldn’t last long enough to eliminate even half. At best, they might take down a quarter of that number before succumbing to exhaustion, even if they gave everything they had.
The other tribal chiefs were equally unaware of this, leaving them unable to refute Custou’s claim. They fell silent, knowing that losing their warriors would make survival in the north impossible. As tribal leaders, there were lines they dared not cross.
“Damn it! Then what do you suggest we do?”
“...I already told you.”
Though seasoned in combat against the barbarians, they had never faced such a massive horde all at once.
Watching the approaching tide of barbarians, Zwalter couldn’t hide his unease.
“Was this really the right choice? Could this truly work?”
He couldn’t pinpoint where things had gone awry. Despite widespread opposition, his son had insisted, bulldozing through objections as always. Zwalter had reluctantly relented, trusting in his son’s past successes.
But now, standing before this massive army, his confidence was beginning to waver.
It wasn’t just Zwalter. Randolph, the knights, and the soldiers all felt similarly.
“That’s an overwhelming number. We won’t last even a day.”
“We can’t hold them from this fortress. Even if we do, it’ll cost us near-total annihilation.”
“So that’s how terrifying they are when united.”
Despite the hatred they’d harbored over the years, fear began to take root. If such a massive force swarmed the fortress like ants, there was no stopping them.
The disparity in numbers was that extreme.
This was why the kingdom and the Ferdium family had given up on exterminating the barbarians. If provoked, they would unite and retaliate. It was far better to let them keep fighting among themselves and only fend off the occasional small incursions.
If the barbarians united and broke through the fortress, the entire northern region of the kingdom would face devastation.
Swallowing his dry throat, Zwalter shook his head to clear away idle thoughts. Right now, his only task was to repel the barbarians.
And do so with minimal losses.
“Light the beacons and begin the trebuchet attack!”
Black smoke rose from various points of the fortress—a signal to Ghislain, who was out on the expedition.
Creak.
Thunk! Thunk!
The two trebuchets stationed at the fortress began launching their payloads at the advancing barbarians.
Boom! Boom!
The rushing barbarians faltered for a moment, but the damage was minimal.
True to their reputation as skilled warriors, they had spread out upon noticing the trajectory of the incoming projectiles. While their formation became slightly disorganized, it was far from broken.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the distance closed, the trebuchets became less effective. Watching the enemy’s relentless approach, Zwalter clenched his teeth.
Their momentum is too strong. They’re advancing faster than I expected.
The barbarians charged forward, unafraid of being attacked, their frenzied madness driving them onward. They were confident that as long as they reached the fortress walls, victory would be theirs.
“Uoooooooh!”
“Raise your shields now!”
“We’ll climb up in one swift motion!”
Once they moved out of the trebuchets’ range, the barbarians raised their shields above their heads, ready to deflect the inevitable rain of arrows.
They also hoisted crude ladders made of wood. These ladders had been roughly measured to match the fortress walls’ height during their previous skirmishes.
What the barbarians failed to notice was that there were barely any archers stationed atop the walls. They were simply charging recklessly toward the fortress they saw before them.
Staring at the swarming barbarians, Zwalter suddenly shouted in a commanding voice.
“Open the gates!”
Creak!
The fortress gates, which had remained tightly shut throughout countless battles with the barbarians, began to open slowly.
The barbarians halted one by one, confusion spreading across their faces.
Opening the gates of an almost-empty fortress? Was this a gesture of welcome? Or surrender? Either way, it hardly mattered to them.
The unexpected sight silenced the war cries of the barbarian warriors. A strange stillness fell over the battlefield.
Breaking the brief silence, chieftains and war chiefs shouted from all directions.
“All the better! Forget the ladders—just rush in quickly!”
“They must be scared and ready to surrender!”
“We will not accept surrender! Kill them all! Leave no one alive!”
As the warriors regained their resolve and prepared to charge again, one of them muttered to himself.
“Why are they... coming out?”
Waaaaaaaah!
From within the fortress, Zwalter and the knights of the Ferdium family who had stayed behind charged out at full speed.