--Well, it will be just like the time we inflicted a painful wound on Takeda Katsuyori.
Didn''t Oda Nobunaga also have an experience of winning a great victory with this?
--Though, we won when we forced the enemy to attack us. It was Takeda''s fault for underestimating our defense, thinking that he could make a breakthrough by force. They were haunted by the ghost of Shingen. Shingen''s last years may seem glorious, but it is the very history that Takeda is slowly beginning to lose control of the situation.
I don''t know who Takeda is, but I''m sure his guns did their job, so I''m in. I know you agree with me.
By now, it was almost certain that they would wait for Machar''s army with guns.
The mood among the vassals was becoming one of victory.
"Okay, was it Ortumba? Let''s see how good your guns are! Because the Red Bear Squadron will see to it!"
Olks, too, had become a full-fledged gun enthusiast.
"Yes, I''ve been working on improving this for a long time, and I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I just ...... have a few concerns. ......"
Now, Ortumba''s color has gone bad.
"Hey, Ortumba, what''s going on?"
I haven''t heard of any concerns either.
"I''m afraid the clouds are getting thicker. No, I think it''s already starting to rain. It rains a lot in the north in the spring, and it''s hard to light a fire in the rain."
Yes, that''s right, I could hear the sound of rain drizzling outside. The clouds were thick and there was no telling when it would stop.
"Raviara, you know a lot about the weather, don''t you?
Elves are quite resourceful when it comes to natural phenomena.
"Yes, ......, no, worst case scenario, it could last more than two days. ....... That''s how heavy the sky is. When it''s that heavy, it''s hard to see the light. ......
In other words, we have to stick it out until we can use our guns.
"Oh, that''s what you mean! I get it! I''m going to step forward and stop Machar and the rest of them!"
Olks barked.
"We''ll attack and attack and attack, and when the sun is shining, we''ll just pull out! Then they''ll come over here in droves. Then you can just put a bullet in them."
Olks said in desperation, but it was the most practical way. It was doubtful, given the weather, that we would be able to go out there until the rain stopped, but we would have to attack first to buy some time.
"All right, who wants to step forward? It''s a risky proposition, but you can cross the river and deliver the coup de grace to the other side. Of course, I will reward you handsomely.
Noen and Meisel followed Olks in advising this.
"I''m not afraid. We''ve been in many such battles in the past. In fact, I remember that this is the way things are.
"I agree with Mr. Noen. As a member of the regent''s family, I will serve this ma?tre d''h?tel with my life.
Yeah, it''s a perfect offensive force. If they''re kicked out, we''ll have no choice but to retreat anyway.
"All right, let''s get the spearheads moving. Make sure the men who handle the guns know how to use them perfectly! If he keeps missing, he will die.
●
Thus began the battle between me and Sightred, the Machar frontiersman.
The number of the enemy is said to be about 6,000. Although their numbers are not as large as ours, they have quite a large army for a man who calls himself a frontier count. The lords of the surrounding areas are also in effect subordinate to the Machar frontier counts.
Their number is about 10,000. We have to keep a certain number of men in the castle of Maust, and we have to keep them in the capital as well. In addition, the Nistonians have lent us some of their soldiers to watch over the area.
"When it comes to expeditions, it is not yet possible to overwhelm them with a supermassive army, is it?"
At the fort, Raviara quietly waits her turn. He was now touching his gun.
"The enemy is not going to meet us head-on on the plain. It''s not a matter of having a large army."
"But we could have mobilized 20,000 people with no problem, couldn''t we? With Mr. Arsrod''s current strength, he could have gone farther."
"Of course, we can mobilize. But the timeframe for mobilization will be much shorter.
I tore off a piece of bread and put it in my mouth. It''s not very good bread, so my mouth gets thirsty quickly.
"If we go into a long war, we will be very short of food. If I have to go to the local market, it will only cause resentment and make more enemies for me.
"Oh, I see. ......"
Laviala''s hands stopped fiddling with his gun.
"We''re soldiers of the kingdom. We can''t just go around looting. This isn''t like a skirmish between lords. It''s a whole different burden.
There is nothing clean or dirty about war.
That is a fact, but whether it is acceptable to speak of it is a different matter.
If the armies of the kingdom start to attack the villages, the northerners will become a united body and stand against the kingdom. That must be avoided.
"After all, Master Arsrod has a lot on his mind, doesn''t he?
Raviara''s smile has always encouraged me, as it always has.
Lately, I think my daughter is becoming a little bit like Raviara. I want her to be called a princess by the time she comes of age. After all these years of killing people, I really love my children.
"To tell you the truth, it would be easier for me to just kill the enemies in front of me, but it''s not like that.
"That''s all right. Mr. Arsrod likes to think up tricks.
That''s a lot of words.
"And there''s another reason I decided on 10,000 men. If they can''t maneuver, they won''t be able to turn the tables in the event of a rebellion. It''s good that they betray us, but I don''t want everything to go wrong at that moment.
Laviala''s face clouded at these words.
"Is Serafina''s family really going to attack ......? Do we have to fight ......?"
"Raviara, all we have to think about is defeating the enemy in front of us."