The Tale of the Nation That Banished the Saint - Chapter 17

Episode 17: The Rebel Army

It seems the enemy army numbers around 15,000.

Due to internal conflicts within the rebel army, their numbers have decreased from expectations, but it’s still significant.

There are also deserters.

While some may have cooperated in the rebellion against Zopondort’s tyranny, leaving their homes to join an expedition is another matter altogether.

It’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to march towards a royal capital they’ve never seen before.

They’re sensible individuals.

The approaching enemy army consists of peasants hastily gathered, with equipment ranging from poor to makeshift.

Their formations lack organization based on weapon types.

It’s surprising they can even launch an attack, which worries us as we prepare to confront them.

However, sheer numbers pose a threat on their own.

The enemy army is filled with confidence due to their achievement of defeating the major noble Zopondort.

Their morale is high.

However, many among them are conscripted against their will or simply swept along by circumstances.

Those reluctantly participating are eager to return home.

It’s a military force with a distorted composition.

Based on the marching speed of the enemy army, they will reach this fortress in two days.

For now, we’ll fortify the fortress and focus on defense to physically halt the enemy’s advance.

During the two days before the enemy arrives, we’ll dig deeper trenches and set up additional barriers.

We’ll also provide ad hoc archery training to soldiers unfamiliar with using bows.

With these preparations, I’ll leave the command of the fortress and the enemy’s interception to Knight Commander Orvos and head northeast to Zopondort (the younger brother)’s mansion.

I’ll bring twenty of my personal guard knights along.

Zopondort’s younger brother has formally succeeded to the family estate in place of his deceased brother.

There’s a proposal from Zopondort’s brother to take his daughter, Tilia, as a concubine.

I’ve decided to accept this proposal.

Tilia will join my cavalry unit as a member of the personal guard.

There’s no change in our policy of actively forming cooperative relationships.

Combat has begun at the fortress.

I’m receiving reports on the battle from Zopondort’s younger brother’s mansion where I’m staying.

The Robdo army, upon reaching the fortress, began a straightforward assault without much strategy.

The peasant soldiers, buoyed by their victory over a major noble, believe they can win this battle too.

However, their victory over Zopondort was due to guerrilla tactics.

They lack experience in large-scale battles like this one.

Under Robdo’s command, the peasant soldiers charge fearlessly, but they are shot down like rain by arrows, crushed between barriers and allies, and pressed to death in the trenches.

But their momentum doesn’t wane.

No matter how many allies fall, they keep coming.

Peasants are accustomed to collective action, so they will go where ordered.

Collective action easily spreads madness among them.

A wave of people infected with madness, forgetting their fear, rushes forward.

Defending soldiers must respond desperately.

It’s a difficult situation for both sides.

The fortress garrison, led by Knight Commander Orvos, repels the numerically superior and energetic Robdo army and holds out.

The ill-advised assault resulted in many casualties for the Robdo army, weakening their initial vigor and forcing a change in strategy.

They switched to a siege, cutting off supplies to the fortress.

Now, it’s time for my cavalry unit to take action.

Zopondort’s brother has also provided fifty cavalry troops.

The Robdo army is surrounding and besieging the fortress defense points, with a particular focus on the western direction leading to Alderan’s territory.

Our cavalry unit will strike the lightly defended eastern flank of the enemy from behind.

The cavalry charge causes chaos among the enemy ranks.

After causing confusion with the charge, our troops quickly disengage.

We repeat this with two groups of cavalry, tearing apart the encirclement.

Panicked, Robdo redirects reinforcements to the eastern side of the fortress, but infantry-based peasant armies move slowly.

By the time they arrive, my forces have already withdrawn to Zopondort’s brother’s territory.

From there, we’ll move on to rest and assess the enemy’s situation.

The morale of the rebel army drops significantly after repeated cavalry charges, and the peasants start fleeing.

They joined the fight thinking they could win against the kingdom.

But witnessing their comrades being brutally defeated by cavalry charges and spears, they can’t help but realize the truth.

—There’s no way they can win.

Those who remain are either those with nowhere else to go or those still driven by a sense of duty, both numbering around a thousand, less than a tenth of the initial force.

Robdo seems to have noticed that my cavalry unit is launching attacks from Zopondort’s brother’s territory.

He’s leading the remaining thousand towards us.

It’s now or never.

I order the fortress to sally forth and attack from behind, while my cavalry unit launches a surprise attack.

As Robdo’s army battles Knight Commander Orvos’s forces, my cavalry charges from behind—

The battle is over.

We managed to capture Robdo and other high-ranking rebel leaders alive from among the fleeing enemy forces.

I enter the now masterless Zopondort castle and occupy it.

It’s been a month since taking control of the castle.

We’ve been organizing the castle and its territory.

I reported to the king that the suppression of the rebellion and the defeat of the rebels have been completed.

In response, a letter of appointment for the eastern territory was sent.

I’ll be staying here for a while.

I’ll call upon the talents I’ve gathered to this “Eires Castle.”

While it was casually referred to by the name of the lord until now, its official name seems to be Eires, so I’ll start calling it that.

It’s troublesome, but I must rebuild this territory.

As the first step in the reconstruction of this land, I’ve decided to publicly execute ten high-ranking rebel leaders, including Robdo.

A platform for execution was set up in the main hall, and before a large crowd of spectators, we beheaded the traitors.