Chapter 15 (2/2)
When the figure of the bewildered feudal lord appeared from the building’s terrace, the peasants bitterly screamed.
“““We’ve paid our taxes like we were told. We complied with repeated demands. And yet, why will you kill us? Do you intend on stealing even our lives?”””, they were saying.
The feudal lord didn’t understand what they were saying. Sure, he was imposing a harsh tax. He was also requisitioning goods as per orders from the Kingdom and funding the war.
But, there was no order saying to kill. They would not part with their precious labor force for no reason. The peasants were wrung dry, but they had just barely enough to live. If not, then they would no longer have any tax revenue. That was why they would not be killed.
“I don’t get what you’re saying. But, what you guys have done will not be pardoned. Hurry and break up and return to your work. Any more will be regarded as treachery against the Kingdom, and everyone will be apprehended,” he responded.
The peasants did not consent. A genocide was happening at a neighboring farm village right now. Survivors were extremely few. Also, everyone had seen the figures of the Kingdom’s soldiers. How could they believe the words of someone that was habitually oppressing them?
Even if he was the feudal lord, it was difficult for him to force the peasants to retire. Soldiers had been lost at the earlier battle, and the town’s guards were few in number. In just numbers, the peasants that had visited for a directly appeal exceeded the guards. The instant when he was thinking how to deceive and pacify them,
From his building flew out a single arrow. That arrow struck the breast of a woman holding a baby in the middle of the crowd. The feudal lord had not given an order to attack. But, an arrow was fired.
Silence enveloped the surroundings, now packed with bloodlust. Then, it instantly exploded.
“Kill him, kill him!” The order came, and the peasants rushed into the feudal lord’s building.
Bodies of soldiers were torn by farm tools, and they died. Luxurious furniture and works of arts were all broken. The feudal lord and his family were dragged out and burned alive. The building was set ablaze, and the town of Tenang had been completely occupied by peasants. The weak people who had wrested victory from their depriver through their own hands roared in celebration. When someone shouted “Hooray!”, everyone followed afterwards and yelled repeatedly.
—-In the end, the flag flown high, was the flag of the Royal Capital Liberation Army.
David fell into a state of panic, hearing that they had lost Tenang behind Belta Castle. At most, it was just a feudal lord being killed by peasants and making a town of the Kingdom fall.
But panicking that their path of retreat had been cut off, “It’s preposterous for the likes of peasants to kill the feudal lord. Wipe everyone out,” he had arbitrarily issued the order, and sent 2,000 infantry immediately to Tenang.
The peasants put up a good fight, but in the end, they were laymen who had not received training. In not even a few hours, the gate was broken down, and the town was invaded. Everyone who had participated in the rebellion was cut down; it was wholesale slaughter with no heed to young or old, man or woman. There were also townspeople who got mixed in and bit the dust. Everyone suspicious was killed.
News of the “Tenang Rebellion” and the “Tenang Atrocity” spread throughout the Belta area, and many feudal lords trembled in fear of receiving the resentment of the peasants. Many feudal lords who were on the fence, anxious that they would be killed too, declared support for the Liberation Army. Soldiers guarding fortresses also lost their fighting spirit, and they discarded their swords and threw open the gates. Most of them were peasants that had been conscripted from a farming village in this very Belta.
In not even half a month, the Liberation Army had captured the towns and fortresses of Belta, and all that was remaining was Belta Castle. The Kingdom has lost power in the Central Border Zone to that extent. The Fourth Army was further weakened from successive desertion and surrender, and now only a force of 10,000 had to defend the castle.
David had sent a request for reinforcements ASAP to the Royal Capital, but the only response was “Defend Belta to the last.” As the Empire in the Northwest was increasing their movements, there were no spare forces left to be sent in aid.
Field Marshal Sharov had appealed that the First Army ought to be sent forth, but Prime Minister Farzam had rejected it, saying it was unnecessary. What ought to take precedence was defence of the Royal Capital, and he would not approve anything that would weaken it.
At the end of his wits, Sharov decided to dispatch 5,000 of his troops as a rear guard. They made an expedition to Roshanak Stronghold, which amounted to an outpost wall for the Royal Capital area. After Belta fell, it was not unlikely for the Liberation Army for carry on their momentum and close in on the Royal Capital in one go. As well as to gain time, they needed to hold back the Liberation Army there temporarily.
Roshanak was a stronghold in name only. Its walls were low, and it was on low-lying ground. The reshuffled General Yalder was appointed to be the commander. “Do not act rashly and avoid excessive ardor,” he was strictly ordered. No voices of opposition were raised from the generals. They thought of him as simply a disposable rock.
On the other side of the map, David at a loss had resolved himself. He would not approve evacuating until the end. Goods continued to be brought into Belta Castle, and they fortified their preparations for a siege. It would be a siege battle with no hope of reinforcements. Before the battle, morale kept on falling.
As for Schera, she had used up all the money provisioned for the siege and bought food in bulk.
Reports that the Liberation Army guys were making an expedition and gradually approaching Belta Castle had come in. Naturally, they could not buy from neighboring towns, as they were no longer under Kingdom rule. As there was no other way, they called the merchants from Alucia River, and had purchased from the smuggling merchants of the Union. They were exploited all the while.
Those guys sold cheap to the their partner, the Liberation Army, and blew up the price for their adversaries, the Kingdom’s Army. So that their future customers would think well of them, of course they would do that. They would make up the deficit from their trade partner the Kingdom.
Prices had jumped up to five times their normal value. If you don’t like it, don’t buy, they had said.
Schera’s office room was completely buried by bags of wheat and dried food. At this landscape crowded to the point where one couldn’t even find a place to stand, even Katarina was surprised as one would expect.
“With this much, even if the castle’s provisions are used up, we can seclude ourselves for a month. We’re out of money thanks to this though. How refreshing.”
Said Schera while giving the wheat bags a satisfactory smack, as if just saying, “Check it out.”
Katarina pushed up her glasses and looked around. It was certainly a good stash, she thought.
—-But.
“Major Schera. Even if the Major is able to seclude herself, we do not have so much.”
If it was Schera, even if the castle were to fall for example, she would lock herself in the office alone and would definitely show the will to fight. As long as there was food, she seemed to be able to fight forever. Katarina had a hope: she wanted to be present in such a situation if possible.
How would Schera welcome her last moments? What kind of face would her dead body have? It was imprudent, but she couldn’t say she wasn’t interested. Though she too would probably die right after, she would be careful to not die until then, considered Katarina. Would she rise to fame? Would she fall to ruin? Which one it would be was still not clear. All she could do was support this superior officer with all her being. Katarina renewed her determination.
“You don’t have to worry. I’ll give you your share too. Food tastes better when eaten together right. But, if my cavalry eat, even this amount would soon be gone it seems.”
As she was not starving, Schera was still in a good humor.
“My gratitude for the Major’s generosity. However, we—-”
“Well, let’s think about that after the food’s gone, since I feel hungry when I think. Oh yeah, what happened to Second Lieutenant Vander?”
“Sir-, he has completely shut himself in his room. He will not even show his face. His physical condition is poor I heard.”
“Oh. That’s fine then. I will be going to Staff Officer Sidamo’s place after this. You do what you find appropriate. Go rest your body so you don’t collapse at a crucial time.”
“Understood!”
Schera headed to Sidamo’s office room and knocked. Sidamo had been expelled from the position of Chief Staff Officer and was relocated to a staff officer’s office. He was given material management duty as per David’s order.
“This is Major Schera. You called sir?”
“Enter.”
“Excuse me!”
After raising her voice, she opened the door, and there was Sidamo with his grim face. Compared to when she first met him, his face was worn out. He probably had his worries. Schera didn’t ask because she didn’t care, though. She didn’t bring bread today as a present. She had eaten it earlier.
“It’s been awhile, Major Schera. As always, I’ve heard about your style of fighting. You’ve probably also preserved the honor of General Yalder who recommended you. ……It seems there was no point in giving you adjutants.”
“No, their work was extremely helpful.”
“Well that’s good. I understand now that you’re an existence that won’t be killed so easily. Your infamy has also befittingly spread. Death God of the Kingdom, Major Schera Zade. A deplorable female commander that had massacred great numbers of officers, soldiers, and civilians they say. Doesn’t it seem like you’re being made an enemy by the Rebel Army?”
A black flag with a white bird coat of arms–At the previous Battle of Alucia Crossing, Schera’s name had instantly spread. At this current point in time, she had killed the most commanders of the Liberation Army. There was no longer anyone amongst the officers and men of the Liberation Army that did not know of her. She was recognized as the worst enemy that ought to be despised.
“Sir, I killed all those guys of the Rebel Army. Is there any problem?”
“No problem at all. Infamy is an indispensable part of a Hero. If we win, it’ll turn the complete opposite. You should behave as you see fit like you are now until the end.”
Cynically laughed Sidamo, who then returned to his serious expression.
“Sir. Understood.”
“Moving to the main question, unfortunately, this Belta Castle will probably fall. No sight of reinforcements, and even if the enemy surrounds us, we can’t stop them. From an objective standpoint, we have one month give or take. There’s more or less a source of error though. I fear that there will be an outbreak of a great number of betrayers. How long we can persist, only God knows.”
Sidamo disinterestedly announced the fall of the castle. If he were heard by the military police, he would have been restrained. But lying doesn’t change anything, so he stated only the truth.
What were important for a siege battle were: Goods, morale of the soldiers, and whether one could expect reinforcements. No matter how superior the defense power of a castle looked, it was worthless if its interior was rotten. In a state where even one was missing, the fall could be said to be a matter of time.
Schera was listening silently. No particular surprise could be seen. She had a face that said she really didn’t care at all. Sidamo felt his stomach hurting bit by bit.
“When push comes to shove, you take your soldiers and aim for Roshanak Stronghold. It’s meaningless and stupid to have cavalry die inside a castle. The time taken to train them, the money, and the maintenance costs–all of it will be futile. If you’re going to die, die outside the castle.”
“Sir- I will do my best to die outside the castle!”
Worried that she might not have understood, Sidamo restated it, in a way that even this girl would understand.
“……In simpler terms, don’t see the fate of this castle as your fate. Crawl, struggle unseemly until the very end. Consult with your adjutants in detail. That is why they were assigned to you.”
“Sir-, I, Major Schera understand!”
“Very well. Dismissed!”
“Excuse me!”
Sidamo watched Schera’s figure leave. As usual, he didn’t know if she was listening to people talking, but he felt the unique drive that brave warriors with long military service had. If he saw Schera’s almost fearsome fighting style, he would have thought that natural. As they had lost the battle, she could say goodbye to a promotion, but by all rights, she should have a medal. That David’s unit was somehow able to escape was due to there being an offensive from Sulawesi Grand Bridge.
Speaking of David, he had wasted away after losing the battle, and it seemed he could no longer stand. His glorious future was shut, and the infamy that he was the perpetrator of the atrocity was thoroughly being spread.
His filthy name would be left in posterity certainly. History was written by the winners.
Sidamo guessed that David planned to die here. If he was going to leave, he would have escaped a long time ago.
He would probably fight proudly until the end like a noble and then die in satisfaction.
Sidamo was thinking like it was someone else’s problem. His body was already on the decline. He was comfortable with that fact. But, he did not intend to die in a place like this. It would be a futile death in that case. He would once again crawl up somehow.
He planned on surviving from Belta at all costs.
(I cannot die yet. There are still things I have do.)
—-Vander, secluded in his office.
Ever since the morning, he had continued to gaze at a single letter.
He was troubled. This would influence the rest of his life. He had to think this through. He put strength in his hands gripping the brush, and slowly wrote a reply. After the sealing wax dried, after he looked around the area, he left his room.
“……With this, I can no longer go back huh. The one to smile upon me, in the end, will it be a Goddess, or a God of Death?”
Vander muttered to no one in particular, and he recalled the figure of his superior officer. He took a deep sigh, and with his eyes on a certain place inside the castle, he started walking.
*足下を見る事 Beautiful wordplay by the author. This is an idiom that literally means “to look below one’s foot,” but overall means “to take advantage of.” Similarly, Diener is literally saying that they must not overlook those below them, but he’s insinuating that they must take advantage of them.
**私と共に汚れ役を担ってもらいたい。泥を被り、魂まで血に塗れる汚辱を受けて欲しい I cannot make this sound good for the life of me.