What Does a Super Weak Minor Lord in the Sengoku Era Aim For? - Chapter 33

Ryuouzan Castle – Tochi Tokatsu

“Yamanaka’s force of one thousand is attacking Tochi Castle, Yagyu’s five hundred are going for Moriya Castle, and Yuuki’s five hundred are apparently coming here to keep this castle in check.”

Thanks to the network of spies we’ve spread, the enemy’s plan is completely exposed.

“They’re only leaving a holding force here at Ryuouzan Castle?”

“Yes. They’re avoiding this fortress, which is known for its impenetrable defenses, and intend to secure the plains and roads first.”

“That’s not good…”

“Indeed. If they succeed in doing that, our supply lines will be cut off. Over a thousand men cannot survive in just this mountain castle.”

“And soon, rice planting will begin. We can’t afford to stay holed up forever.”

“Either way, for us to survive, we have no choice but to fight and drive off the enemy.”

The senior retainers—Tahara, Oota, and Shinjou—have abandoned the plan to hold out in the castle.
And rightly so—there is no defending one’s territory without a fight.

“What about reinforcements?”

“We’ve received a reply from Sawa saying they’ll send reinforcements. No word yet from the others.”

“What about Ochi? Aren’t they from the same province as us?”

“It seems Ochi is hesitant, likely due to the directive from Kasuga Shrine.”

“The decree from Kasuga Shrine saying the local clans should obey Yamanaka is also shaking the loyalty of our subordinate kokujin clans.”

“So I’ve heard. So the number of troops gathering is less than expected.”

“Yes, we were expecting five hundred, but only about three hundred have gathered so far…”

“Those who haven’t come by now can no longer be counted on. We should strive with the numbers we currently have.”

“Indeed. Even with our current forces, we are more than capable of fighting.”

“How many men do we have right now?”

“We have five hundred here at Ryuouzan Castle, three hundred at Tochi Castle, two hundred at Moriya Castle, and three hundred who have gathered recently.”

“That, plus the three hundred reinforcements from Sawa.”

“Hmm, so thirteen hundred of our own, plus three hundred reinforcements…”

“We should first crush Yamanaka, the largest force. If we destroy Yamanaka, who holds Nanto, the balance of power will shift greatly.”

“I agree with Lord Shinjou.”

“I have the same opinion.”

Indeed, to weaken the enemy, we must first strike down the Yamanaka force, the largest of them all.

However, with every battle, our forces will diminish.
Facing their main army after we’ve lost numbers will be impossible. 

That means the first battle will be the decisive one.

We must throw in all we have to defeat Yamanaka’s force in that opening clash.

“Then, let’s move two hundred men from here under cover of night and conceal them in Tochi Castle. Also, take one hundred men and, along with the three hundred gathered troops, hide them as an ambush force in Mount Tenjin. What do you think?”

“…I see. A pincer attack on the Yamanaka force using hidden troops and ambushers.”

“Yamanaka will likely divide his troops into a main and rear force to attack both the front and rear gates of Tochi Castle. That would put their main unit to the south, where they can oversee both flanks. That’s where we strike. Impressive, my lord—this is quite the bold strategy.”

“Either way, the lightly defended Moriya Castle will fall. In that case, how about we leave just enough men there to stall the Yagyuu forces, and move the rest west of Tochi Castle to keep the Yamanaka rear force in check at the rear gate?”

“Let’s also have Sawa’s reinforcements head toward Tochi Castle.”

“Good, let’s go with that. Shinjou, you’ll lead the ambushers into Mount Tenjin. Oota, you’ll relocate to Tochi Castle and take command.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Leave it to me!”

With that, the plan was decided.
They would lay a trap around Tochi Castle to repel the Yamanaka forces. 

If the Yamanaka forces are destroyed, they would surround and crush the Yuuki and Yagyuu forces next. 

Then, they would turn their troops toward Nanto.

Heh heh heh… I can hardly wait for that moment to come.

March 5, Eiroku 3 — Kitamura Shinsuke

“Loose!!”

Under Tanaka’s command, the archery unit shot their arrows into the sky all at once.
Three hundred arrows arch downward from above and rain into Tochi Castle, causing screams to erupt from the defenders. 

Countless fire arrows pierce the gate, which is already engulfed in flames.

The Yamanaka forces are attacking Tochi Castle from the west.
The five hundred Yagyuu troops are assaulting Moriya Castle, while the five hundred Yuuki troops are acting as a mobile force to keep Ryuouzan Castle in check.

Moriya Castle, being a small stronghold, is on the verge of falling.
The Yuuki troops remain stationed across from the mountains without making a move.

The Yamanaka and Yuuki forces are about one ri apart (roughly 4 km), with the Yagyuu forces positioned between them.

I am the overall commander of the Yamanaka forces in this attack on Tochi Castle.
This is my first time commanding a force of a thousand men, but I’ve chosen the safe tactic of splitting them into two divisions—front and rear—for a simultaneous assault.

The rear gate on the west side of Tochi Castle was entrusted to Umetani-dono and the Kizu force of two hundred under Yamadagawa-dono.
The main gate was being attacked by Yamada Ichinojo, who was commanding three hundred troops including those from Souraku and Ichisaka. 

The main force of five hundred was stationed in a position from which both fronts and the surrounding area could be observed, launching attacks with the archery unit.

Although it was called a plain, the area had forests, groves, hills, and rivers, so not everything was in plain view.
Still, from here one could barely make out the Yagyuu force attacking Moriya Castle and the Yuuki force facing Ryuouzan Castle.

Right after setting up camp, arrows had flown from Tochi Castle, but they were soon silenced in the face of our overwhelming number of archers.
Now, the defenders were likely using all their strength to resist the troops at the gate.

The high watchtowers were riddled with arrows, and the number of enemies watching us from there was sparse.

With our own supply of bows and arrows, we had an overwhelming advantage in this battle.
The supply unit was stationed, and the spear units were able to quickly switch to bows when needed.

“The gate will soon be breached,” said Kei’eibou, standing beside me.
His thoughtful and calm demeanor made him a reassuring presence.

“Yeah. Once the gate is burned down, the enemy might come out.”

“I’m concerned about the rear as well.”

“Right… which direction they’ll come from…”

Reports estimated the enemy’s troop distribution as three hundred at Tochi Castle, two hundred at Moriya Castle, and around five hundred at Ryuouzan Castle, though that last figure was uncertain.
All the commanders agreed that there had to be an ambush force hiding somewhere.

Tochi alone should have been able to muster another three to five hundred troops.

The scout team has not yet discovered any ambush forces.
The northern approach has been thoroughly searched, so if there is an ambush, it must be from the south. 

For now, there is no other course of action but to prepare for that.

“An army is coming from the south. Their numbers are about three hundred!”

“…I see. How soon will they be here?”

“The report came from about one ri south. They will arrive in about half a koku!”

It is likely that this is the reinforcement from the surrounding country people of Tochi.
I know that Tochi had been requesting reinforcements from various places. 

If Tochi falls, it’s clear that they feel it will be their turn next.

For us, we would like to crush that force before it can form up.

“The gate is burning down!”

With the gate burning down, the movements of both sides’ troops briefly paused.

“Po—pooooo, poooooo—”

Kabura arrows were shot from the castle.
They flew east, west, and even over our heads, landing to the south. 

The eastward arrows were likely a signal for Ryuouzan Castle, while the west and south were probably signals for the ambush.

“Take attack positions! Half of you, prepare for the rear!”

From the burned-down gate, the castle soldiers began to pour out. 

Two hundred, three hundred… that’s a lot…
The damage from arrows must have been over a hundred people. 

Yet, they still have three hundred soldiers…

“An enemy force, likely from the south, is approaching us.”

The enemy approaching, raising clouds of dust, are numerous.
It’s certain that there are at least two hundred.

Tengami Mountain, huh… so the ambush is really from over there after all…

The enemy soldiers, about five hundred fewer, consist of two hundred from Tochi Castle and three hundred ambush soldiers on Tengami Mountain…
So, they really targeted our Yamanaka unit after all.

But even so, the numbers are the same.
With our overwhelming number of archers and the soldiers I’ve trained, we won’t lose.

Huh… 

The soldiers that charged from the castle are breaking through Yamada’s unit and forcing them to retreat…

What is it? 

What’s going on…?

!!…It’s bamboo spears!

The castle soldiers are using bamboo spears.
And they’re even longer than ours.

The longer bamboo spears are pushing Yamada’s unit back in one-sided fashion.
Taking advantage of this gap, some of the castle soldiers are now heading toward us.

…The rear!

The ambush soldiers in the rear are moving faster than expected.
They probably aren’t wearing heavy armor, prioritizing speed instead. 

They’re already close enough to be recognizable.

They’re carrying… bamboo spears. 

The same long bamboo spears as the castle soldiers…

The soldiers who recognized this reacted with a stir.

But it’s still within archery range, it’s nothing to worry about.

“Fire!!!”

With a simultaneous volley, the soldiers leading the charge fall one after another.
Second and third volleys have the same effect, but we’ll be in close combat soon.

“Put down the bows and grab the bamboo spears!”

At the captain’s signal, the soldiers switch to bamboo spears.

“Keieibo, Seikou, take care of the enemies in the rear.”

“Understood!”

The two of them lead three hundred men to the rear.

But Tanaka is facing the castle soldiers coming from the front with a hundred of the vanguard.
The ambush soldiers have appeared from the rear as well, but their numbers are few.

There doesn’t seem to be any sortie from the castle soldiers, so the two hundred men currently in the formation should have no problem handling this.

Over there, the Yuuki unit seems to be under attack from the castle soldiers on Ryūō Mountain.

It seems Yagyū has taken Moriya Castle. The victory cries can be heard.

Pushed back by the castle soldiers, Yamada’s unit is retreating quite a bit.
They should be joining the main force soon.

…Long spears…

…The enemy reinforcements from the south will be here soon. 

This could be bad…

“Ei! Ya! Ei!”

“Ei! Ya! Ei!”

“Ei! Ya! Ei!”

Hmm…
The rear squad is pushing forward. 

They’re beating the ambush soldiers and advancing…

“Commander, it’s diagonal! Strike them down diagonally!”

Seikou’s loud voice is heard. 

Diagonal, huh?

…I see.

“Bamboo spear squad, forward! Knock the enemy’s bamboo spears down diagonally from above!”

“Ei! Ya! Ei!”

“Ei! Ya! Ei!”

“Ei! Ya! Ei!”

The hundred-man bamboo spear squad that moved forward split through the enemy.
The enemy’s attack is only thrusting forward. 

With their long bamboo spears, they are too heavy to strike from above.

And upon closer inspection, their movements are scattered and full of openings. 

They clearly haven’t trained properly.

Stepping on the knocked-down bamboo spears and advancing, the enemy has no choice but to let go of their bamboo spears.
The enemies, who only carry bamboo spears to lighten their load, are now unarmed and helplessly knocked down.

This is now a one-sided battle. 

Victory is in sight.