Chapter 237: Deception, Encirclement, Annihilation (1)

"Oh…"

Claude couldn't say a word, letting out a hollow laugh instead. As expected, reasoning didn't work. It wasn't surprising.

Now, what was the next step?

Ghislain provided the answer.

"Come on, we already know it's pointless to talk further, don't we? Let's get on with it."

Claude, giving up, pointed to several spots on the map and said,

"Yes, yes. I figured as much. As expected by the Lord, the nearby tribes have gathered along our route. They're sending warriors everywhere to monitor our movements. But they're so sloppy that they keep getting caught by us every time they move. Ugh, such simpletons."

Every day, Claude sent scouts to check the surroundings and organize the gathered information before reporting it to Ghislain.

Since the barbarians relocated regularly, even Ghislain didn't know their exact positions. This necessitated the constant deployment of scouts to pinpoint the tribes' current locations.

This was, in fact, the job of the spymaster Lowell, but Ghislain had brought Claude along for the first time in a while.

Perhaps because they had often traveled together in a past life, it felt more natural for Ghislain to bring Claude instead of Lowell.

In truth, Claude was an excellent commander and tactical strategist. Even though he was currently relegated to managing household affairs, his talents were evident.

"Alright, we'll make the next target those guys. Can you predict how they'll move?"

Although he already had an idea, Ghislain asked on purpose. It was time to draw out Claude's latent talents. In battles where he wouldn't be present, he intended for Claude to devise and lead strategies.

Scratching his chin a few times, Claude replied,

"Well… in this kind of situation, it's pretty obvious. The others will just recklessly charge in, but the chieftain of the Echoing Wind tribe apparently knows how to use his head."

"It's always the half-baked strategists who are the most pathetic."

"That's true… but still, their numbers are too overwhelming. They outnumber us more than two to one. What will you do? Just hold them off?"

"I have a favorite tactic."

"Pursuit, ambush, annihilation?"

"Exactly. But this time, we'll do it a bit differently."

"How so?"

"Deception, encirclement, annihilation."

"Pfft."

Claude laughed, his shoulders shaking.

"We're way outnumbered. How are we supposed to encircle them?"

Ghislain chuckled along with him and replied,

"Encirclement doesn't mean blocking every direction. Just cutting off key routes is enough. Let's plan the operation. Those guys are strong but simple; almost anything works on them."

***

Kustu had called for the fortress to be captured, but not all the tribal chieftains immediately agreed.

They knew they were weak in siege warfare. Having clashed with fortresses before, they understood how difficult they were to conquer.

There was also resistance to following someone else's orders. After all, each of them, as tribal chieftains, considered themselves the highest authority.

"Why bother attacking the fortress? When their main force leaves, we can just kill them all with these numbers!"

"Exactly! They only have a few hundred soldiers, right? Let's chase them down and crush them like warriors!"

"We don't even have proper siege weapons!"

In the noisy debate, Kustu frowned. These ignorant fools didn't understand strategy or tactics.

Unlike them, Kustu was different. He was not only strong but also intelligent, which set him apart. That's why the Echoing Wind tribe had risen to compete for dominance in the north under his leadership.

If it weren't for the damned Perdium forces, the Echoing Wind tribe would already have crushed the other tribes.

"Think about it. Their main force may only be a few hundred, but each one is either as skilled as or stronger than great warriors. Didn't they kill 2,000 warriors without suffering a single casualty? Do you have no idea how much damage we'd take in a head-on clash?"

"But we have over 5,000 warriors! Are you saying we can't defeat a mere few hundred? You're not acting like a warrior! Step aside!"

"Even if we win, we'll lose more than half our warriors. Maybe even more than that. That's what kingdom knights are like."

Kustu wasn't wrong about typical knights, but he didn't know one thing. The knights of Fenris lacked endurance despite their overwhelming burst power.

If they were to face an army of 5,000, they wouldn't even last long enough to kill half of them. They'd burn out halfway.

However, the other chieftains were also unaware of this fact, so they couldn't argue against Kustu and fell silent. Losing their warriors meant they wouldn't survive in the north. As tribal leaders, there were lines they couldn't cross.

"Damn it! Then what do we do?"

"…I've already told you."

"Capture the fortress? And what, we won't take losses?"

"There will be losses, yes. But it's better than facing the knights head-on. The fortress is small, and their main force is gone, leaving behind only weak soldiers. Imagine over 5,000 warriors attacking it. How could they possibly defend it?"

"Oh…"

The other chieftains nodded. It made sense. They had never attacked a fortress with such a large force.

Surrounding the small fortress and having warriors rapidly scale it—could the undermanned fortress defend from all sides?

One hand cannot block ten. Eventually, there would be breaches.

An attack they couldn't possibly repel. The more they thought about it, the more tempting the idea became.

"Alright, what about their main force? What do we do with them?"

"What do you mean? If we occupy the fortress, what can they do? There are rumors that the fortress is stocked with food. Without a base, they'll have no choice but to retreat to the kingdom. Their supplies will be cut off."

"Oh… You're pretty smart."

"Exactly, we need to use our heads. Once we capture the fortress, those few knights won't stand a chance."

"That's right! Homeless warriors can only wander aimlessly!"

"Moreover, breaking through the fortress will make raiding the kingdom's interior much easier. Do you still want to reject my plan?"

The chieftains hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement.

"Fine, we'll follow your plan! Let's gather all the warriors and take the fortress!"

"Yes, that's the best choice. If we're going to fight, we should aim for the greatest benefit."

Kustu wore a self-assured expression. No matter how he thought about it, he was the smartest one here.

'Hehe, go ahead and die fighting on the front lines. Once we take the fortress, my warriors will devour your tribes as well.'

Capturing the fortress and securing its food supplies would make the Echoing Wind tribe even stronger.

That's why he was so determined to seize the fortress, even inciting the other tribes to help.

If they captured the fortress, they could dominate the rival great tribes currently opposing the Echoing Wind.

To Kustu, this was a golden opportunity. A chance to overcome the current hardship and soar even higher.

Clenching his fist, he burned with ambition.

'I will unite the north, no matter what.'

***

"They've deployed. It looks like all the knights have left. The numbers match what we confirmed."

Kustu and the tribal chiefs had sent warriors in all directions to monitor the northern fortress over several days.

And finally, they confirmed that the hundreds of knights they had only heard rumors about had indeed departed.

Looking at the map, Kustu nodded.

"Good. They're heading in the direction they've been moving all along. They'll soon meet the Iron Thorn tribe. It's time for us to move as well."

After waiting for about half a day, the tribal coalition began marching toward the fortress. They timed their movement to ensure the fortress's main force would still be engaged in battle with another tribe before it could return.

During that window, they planned to swiftly capture the under-defended fortress.

"Move quickly! Show the enemy the terror of our might!"

Doom, doom, doom, doom!

The loud pounding of drums made from animal hides and bones echoed powerfully.

Marching in rhythm to the drums, over 5,000 barbarian warriors advanced toward the fortress. Such a massive coalition of tribes was a rare occurrence.

They carried no siege weapons, only ladders, yet their sheer numbers were too overwhelming for the small fortress to resist.

The warriors were driven by both anger and a sense of urgency.

"At last, the time has come to capture that fortress!"

"Glorious warriors! Avenge our fallen brothers!"

"Victory is ours!"

Following the cries of the great warriors, the shouts of warriors resounded from all directions.

These were people who relished battle. With such numbers, they feared nothing.

If they could take the fortress, they could even sweep through several impoverished northern estates of the kingdom. Those small estates had minimal defenses.

The term "barbarian" wasn't used without reason. They cared nothing for the aftermath.

"Uoooohhhh!"

The deafening war cries of the warriors shook the very air.

The sight of thousands of barbarians clad in skull-shaped helmets was enough to strike fear. When such a horde approached, even the soldiers defending the northern fortress began to feel anxious.

Even those seasoned in battling barbarians had never faced this many at once.

Looking at the approaching horde, Zwalter couldn't hide his unease.

'Was this really the right choice? Should we have done this?'

It was impossible to pinpoint where things had gone wrong. Even though everyone had objected, his son had pushed ahead, just as he always did. Zwalter, unable to resist, had reluctantly gone along, trusting in his son's streak of success.

But now, faced with this massive army, his confidence in their decisions was rapidly waning.

It wasn't just Zwalter. Randolph and the other knights and soldiers felt the same.

'That's an overwhelming number. We won't last even a day.'

'There's no way to hold this fortress. Even if we do, we'll suffer near-total annihilation.'

'So this is how terrifying they are when united.'

Despite their accumulated hatred, fear began to creep into their hearts. Against such overwhelming numbers, if the barbarians swarmed the fortress like ants, defense would be impossible.

The disparity in numbers was simply too great.

This was precisely why the kingdom and Perdium had given up on subjugating the barbarians. If provoked, they would unite and retaliate in full force. It was better to let them keep fighting amongst themselves and only deal with small groups that occasionally crossed the border.

If the barbarians breached the fortress and invaded, the entire northern region of the kingdom would suffer greatly.

Swallowing hard, Zwalter shook his head, brushing away such thoughts. Right now, he had to focus on stopping the barbarians.

And he had to do it with minimal casualties.

"Light the beacon and begin the trebuchet fire!"

Black smoke rose from various points in the fortress, signaling Ghislain, who had departed.

Creaaak.

Thunk! Thunk!

The two trebuchets stationed in the fortress began hurling projectiles at the approaching barbarians.

Boom! Boom!

The advancing barbarians, charging recklessly, were momentarily shaken. But the damage was minimal.

Being skilled warriors, they dodged the incoming projectiles by watching their trajectories. The formation wavered slightly but was far from broken.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

As the distance closed, the trebuchets became less effective. Clenching his teeth, Zwalter assessed the situation.

'Their momentum is too strong. They're approaching faster than expected.'

The barbarians, unafraid of being attacked, charged forward with manic fervor. They were confident that victory was theirs as long as they reached the fortress.

"Uoooohhhh!"

"Raise your shields!"

"Climb in one swift motion!"

Once out of range of the trebuchets, the barbarians raised their shields overhead to prepare for the impending arrow volleys.

They also brought forward makeshift wooden ladders. Having fought against the northern fortress for years, they had measured its height by eye and prepared these ladders accordingly.

What they hadn't realized was that there were barely any archers on the walls. They simply charged headlong toward the fortress in blind aggression.

Watching the barbarians swarm like beasts, Zwalter shouted loudly.

"Open the gates!"

Creaaak!

The gates, which had never been opened during previous barbarian attacks, slowly began to open.

The barbarians halted, confusion spreading across their faces.

An empty fortress, and they were opening the gates? Was this a welcome? A surrender? Whatever it was, it didn't matter… right?

The unexpected sight silenced the barbarian warriors. Their war cries ceased, and an eerie stillness descended upon the battlefield.

Breaking the brief silence, the great warriors and tribal chiefs shouted from all directions.

"Even better! Forget the ladders and just rush inside!"

"They're scared and trying to surrender!"

"Don't accept their surrender! Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"

The warriors, regaining their fighting spirit, prepared to charge. At that moment, one warrior muttered under his breath.

"Wait… why are they coming out?"

Waaaahhhh!

From inside the fortress, Zwalter and the knights of Perdium who had stayed behind charged out with a battle cry.

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