The Battle for Grunewald, Part Two

[The fighting began the day after the Swadian army arrived. Early that morning, King Harlaus sent an envoy. Upon receiving Matheas's reply-"I could grow old and die defending this wall"-he immediately launched the first assault.]

[You saw wave after wave of ragged serfs leave the camp, carrying timber and sacks of earth toward the walls. They were trying to build a road up the steep hillside for the army to use. Though you inwardly cursed King Harlaus for throwing lives away, you still had to obey your superiors and order your ranged troops to fire on the serfs.]

[Meanwhile, the Swadian ranged troops fired at the walls from behind wooden cover, protecting the serfs as they built the assault roads.]

[As soon as you noticed this, you ordered your men to change targets and fire on the enemy ranged troops. Even so, the Swadian serfs kept dying in waves under your comrades' attacks. Your suppressive fire also caused the enemy archers to give the wall you defended particular "attention," easing the pressure on your allies and making it easier for them to shoot the serfs. The rate at which the serfs died did not fall. For a moment, you had no idea whether you had done something good or something bad.]

[This probing engagement ended toward evening. The Swadian army sent men to gather the bodies scattered across the hillside, while you and your soldiers watched in silence.]

[Your feelings were complicated. In little more than half a day, over a thousand lives had ended in these mountains, all for a few wooden roads, several to several dozen meters long, that almost reached the foot of the walls. The enemy's particular "attention" had also left around a dozen men in your unit wounded. That figure owed much to your tireless instruction over the past two days and the better equipment you had given them. Otherwise, these recruits would have suffered far worse casualties.]

[That night, as you dozed against a battlement, the sounds of battle jolted you awake. You angrily reproached your soldiers for not waking you when the fighting started, then stood up to look. Good grief-flames lit the sky outside, illuminating two groups locked in combat.]

[You questioned the sergeant defending the wall alongside you and learned that Matheas had sent his very best soldiers out of Grunewald Castle under cover of darkness, carrying sledgehammers and fire oil to destroy the roads the Swadians had built during the day. Everything had gone smoothly at first, but somehow the enemy had discovered them. Flames had then erupted, and battle cries had spread across the mountains, waking you from your doze.]

[The fighting outside went on for a long time. Only after a dozen or so men trudged back into the castle did the battle cries gradually fade. The sergeant told you that fifty Rhodoks sergeants had gone out, and only these dozen or so had returned. You did not sleep again that night.]

[At first light the next morning, the enemy attacked again. This time, every man was regular infantry. At a glance, you estimated at least five hundred Swadian sergeants and heavy infantry in a mixed force. They formed five square formations with Infantry Kite Shields raised and advanced toward you along two wooden roads that remained reasonably intact.]

[Your unit and your allies did everything they could to halt the advance, but with little effect. Shields on every side blocked bolts coming from all directions, sharply reducing the ranged troops' killing power. Only a few sharpshooters, yourself included, could strike the enemy through gaps between the shields. The enemy ranged troops also did everything possible to suppress the crossbowmen on the walls, allowing the formations to advance much faster.]

[As luck would have it, one of the reasonably intact wooden roads led straight to the wall you defended. Two formations marched steadily along it in succession, stepping onto the gentle slope four or five meters wide and approaching your sector one step at a time. Your sharp eyes spotted two scaling ladders extending from the formation, trying to reach the wall. You ordered your men to throw jars of fire oil at the first approaching formation. A dozen or so jars landed directly on the shields covering its front half, shattering and splashing oil everywhere. Your men then hurled a burning bundle of straw onto those same shields. Flames scattered from the straw and ignited the oil. Fire surged upward, and half the enemy rolled down the hillside, screaming and wailing. The rest raised their shields against the bolts and, after losing another dozen or so men, retreated into the second formation before advancing on the wall again.]

[You badly wanted your men to throw more oil jars, but there were none left. That was all you had been allocated. Last night's raid had taken most of the castle's fire oil, and the stuff was extremely dangerous; improper storage could blow up your own home. Even Grunewald Castle did not keep a large stockpile. Of course, another possible reason was the cost.]

[Fortunately, Grunewald Castle had large stores of logs and stones, whose weight no shield could withstand. After losing another dozen or so men, the enemy still failed to place their ladders against the wall. They withdrew, bringing the morning's fighting to an end.]

[You surveyed the number of enemies retreating and concluded that the assault had cost them at least a hundred elite soldiers. At noon, you and your men ate only a little food.]

[The Swadians attacked again that afternoon. This time, there were no square formations or elite soldiers, only masses of militia with crude weapons and armor. Led by a few Swadian light infantrymen, they carried scaling ladders toward the walls. Behind them came more waves of serfs, once again hauling timber to repair the damaged wooden roads.]

[The afternoon's fighting was brutal and straightforward. The crossbowmen on the walls poured their fury onto the enemies covering the hillsides. Yet this time, the attackers seemed especially cunning. Rather than rushing forward, they kept finding places to hide, advancing a few steps whenever an opportunity arose before taking cover again.]

[By the time the fighting ended, only a few of their groups had managed to reach the foot of the walls. Their casualties were not particularly heavy either: they had left only two or three hundred bodies behind, most of them belonging to the serfs repairing the roads.]

[Most of your crossbowmen could no longer straighten their backs, and many had begun bleeding from their fingers. The spearmen were tense and pale. Though the enemy had yet to reach your battlements, you could already see traces of despair in your soldiers' eyes.]

[Only over dinner that evening did you learn that the fighting along the other road had been far fiercer. Some enemy soldiers had even reached the walls and inflicted devastating losses on the spearmen in a very short time.]

[The elite defenders had held back the Swadians who reached the walls, and Matheas had then brought a small squad of Rhodoks sharpshooters to pick them off, finally resolving the crisis. Otherwise, the outer defenses might already have fallen. After dinner, a messenger summoned you to a meeting.]

[At the meeting, Matheas told you that the kingdom had begun discussing the details of peace negotiations with the Sarranids half a month earlier. Veluca's First Legion and the soldiers dispatched from Grunewald Castle were already on their way back.]

[Though these troops could not face King Harlaus in a decisive battle on the plains, they could detour through Amere Castle and come to Grunewald Castle's aid through the mountains near Selenheim. According to the latest intelligence, you only needed to hold out for two more days. Just two days.]

[Yet it did not even take two days. By the afternoon following the meeting, King Harlaus's army had withdrawn, leaving only a force of nearly a thousand men below Grunewald Castle. The rest had all departed over the course of the morning, leaving an empty camp behind. You did not know what had happened, and Matheas gave you no answer.]

[That evening, you finally learned what had happened. A messenger risked his life to bring the latest intelligence through another route in the mountains: Earl Tachias, who defended Agalon Castle, had defected. He had taken all his troops and Agalon Castle over to King Harlaus.]

[Rumor had it that King Harlaus held the lives of his only son and several of his nephews in his hands. This had forced Earl Tachias to betray the Kingdom of Rhodoks to save his family's next generation. After all, if they all died, who would inherit his castle and title? Matheas's face was deathly pale. For the first time, you saw panic on his face.]

[But bad news always came one blow after another. The following morning, word spread that the reinforcements would no longer be coming to Grunewald Castle. Upon learning of Agalon Castle's fall, Veluca's First Legion and Grunewald Castle's troops had diverted straight to Emel, heading through the forest toward Veluca. They had ordered Matheas to hold Grunewald Castle at all costs. The castle was now completely isolated.]

[Matheas tried to gather every soldier for a decisive battle against the enemy camp below the walls. You understood his thinking. If you could scatter the enemy, the situation would improve considerably. At the very least, with no one blocking the gates, you would have more options, and it would relieve much of the pressure on Veluca.]

[Many men, however, were unwilling to join such a reckless venture, especially since some had personally seen large numbers of Swadian heavy cavalry frequently entering and leaving the enemy camp. But orders were orders. Most dragged their feet as they assembled at the gate and headed down the mountain, until a livid Matheas ordered them back. He had spotted an infantry square emerging from the enemy camp, followed by over a hundred Swadian heavy cavalrymen.]

[After observing them, you judged that the enemy had left around two or three hundred elite troops, along with over a thousand militia and serfs. You could guess their intentions. Keeping the castle blockaded and preventing its defenders from raiding their supply lines would fulfill their basic assignment. If they also stopped any supplies from entering the castle, it would fall without an assault. That would be an added bonus.]

[The troops the enemy had left behind told you that King Harlaus had already learned exactly what was happening inside the castle. You suspected Matheas knew that too.]

[Sure enough, he came to see you that evening. Looking haggard, he explained the current situation in detail. He told you that the castle was still far from the end of its rope, but it was sliding inexorably toward that point.]

[Nearly two thousand people lived in the castle. The thousand-plus villagers had now become an enormous burden for Matheas. Although they had brought plenty of grain with them, enough to feed them for a little over half a month, it was nowhere near enough. Who knew how long the battle for Veluca would last? Now that King Harlaus had broken through onto the plains around Veluca and secured a stable route to his rear, driving him back would be extraordinarily difficult.]

[Curious, you asked Matheas why he had not ordered the villagers to bring more grain in the first place. He looked at you with a bitter smile and explained that, under normal circumstances, the fighting would not last much longer than half a month, or a month at most. If King Harlaus still had not made any strategic progress by then, his forces would withdraw.]

[The villagers of Serindir-yes, that was the name-only ever brought half a month's food. If it ran out, the castle garrison still had to feed them. In fact, if they brought more than they could eat, the garrison would not return the surplus, so most villagers never brought extra grain.]

[Now he needed you to lead these thousand-plus villagers out of Grunewald Castle, through the mountains behind it, and settle them in Selenheim, three days' travel away.]

[That village lay hidden in the mountains, where the enemy would struggle to discover it. Afterward, you would need to return with more supplies. Matheas said that if you completed this task, once the war ended, he would consider recommending that his father grant you authority over Serindir, allowing you to truly rise above the common ranks.]

[You knew you could refuse, but if you did, you would become nothing more than an ordinary Rhodoks sharpshooter at Matheas's command. All your authority came from him, so you could not refuse. You then discussed numerous details with Matheas and negotiated terms, settling on the following night to carry out the plan.]

[During the day you had secured for preparations, you took your soldiers to replace their equipment in the morning. Yes, that was part of your bargain. Every one of them received the equipment of trained Rhodoks troops, and you even obtained veteran soldiers' equipment for your personal guards.]

[But you could take only your original hundred men. The others had to be returned to the other four captains. You voiced your dissatisfaction, but Matheas immediately told you not to push your luck.]

[That afternoon, you found Serindir's village head and its respected locals. You had them divide the villagers into ten groups based on their relationships, assigning each group to one of your squads. Your personal guards would bring up the rear, while you would probably have to keep running back and forth again.]

[They did not want to leave Grunewald Castle. You told them that if they stayed, there was no telling what Commander Matheas might do to hold the castle, and whatever he did might leave them in an even worse position. They seemed to guess at some of the possible outcomes and carried out your instructions amid cries and wails.]

[At dusk, everyone set out carrying three days' rations. You followed a concealed path along the rear wall of the inner castle into a valley. That alone took from dusk until late at night.]

[Your original plan had been to lead everyone some distance into the mountains just as dusk fell, while there was still a little light, and leave the enemy's sight before full darkness. That way, you would avoid attracting attention, and your only remaining problem would be the journey itself. Nothing had gone according to plan. With no other choice, you had the assembled villagers rest where they were with their assigned squads.]

[On the map, Selenheim was not far from Grunewald Castle. Though the route was entirely mountainous, you could probably have reached it in a day with your personal guards, or two days at most with all your troops. With over a thousand villagers in tow, however, you felt that three days might not be enough.]

[At first light the next morning, you had your men wake the villagers and prepare to leave. You could not command villagers as you commanded soldiers. They did not fully understand their predicament, or even if they did, they could not act accordingly. The march was grueling, with poor food and poor sleep. Many villagers carried what little property they owned and brought their entire families along as they followed your troops through the valleys. The weather was scorching, and more and more people began falling behind.]

[You neither beat nor cursed them, but whenever someone slowed down, you walked beside them with a ferocious expression, watching as though a single wrong word would cost them their life.]

[Such a march inevitably provoked endless complaints from the villagers. They did not dare express them in front of you, but they often quarreled loudly with their neighbors over the smallest things. Depending on who was close to whom, more people would join these petty disputes until they became large-scale uproars. Although your squad leaders always managed to quell them quickly, they still inevitably drew the enemy's attention.]

[By the time you noticed the enemy, it was already the morning two days later. They followed several hundred meters behind you, a small force of roughly two hundred. You could not tell how well trained they were, but you guessed they were not particularly elite. Otherwise, they would have charged straight after you; with these villagers, you could hardly move quickly. You tried ambushing them too, but they refused to engage. After leaving a few bodies behind, they pulled farther away. You could not shake them.]

[Now the pressure was on you. If you kept leading the villagers toward Selenheim, the village would inevitably be discovered. In fact, you had already covered half the journey, and it might not take much longer to find signs of habitation.]

[Alternatively, you could bypass Selenheim and head for Emel, hoping to find an opportunity to lose the enemy during the longer journey. But you simply did not have enough food for that plan. Your only remaining option was to station all your soldiers in this valley, wide enough for twenty or thirty men abreast, blocking the enemy's route while the villagers continued to Selenheim on their own.]

[Most of the villagers followed your plan under the village head's leadership. Around three hundred, however, stayed behind with a village elder.]

[They believed that even if you blocked this spot, you could not stop every enemy. If the enemy found another route and caught them, their fate was easy to imagine. Only the army's protection offered real safety. Besides, you had treated them well over the past two days. Unlike other military leaders, you had not beaten or cursed them, stolen their possessions, or abused their families. You had even frequently given them free meat broth.]

[There was no helping it. On the very first day, you had realized Matheas had saddled you with an impossible task. No matter how hard you marched, you could not reach Selenheim within three days. You had been forced to slow down and send your soldiers out to hunt during rest stops.]

[Fortunately, most of your soldiers were mountain folk experienced at hunting small animals in the hills. Many villagers were experienced hunters too, and with borrowed equipment, they could obtain some meat as well. That was why these three hundred or so people believed you could keep them alive and chose to follow you.]

[The enemy realized what you planned and halted two or three hundred meters away. Soon, a third of them left the main force and headed in other directions. You knew they were searching for other routes, but you could not spare more troops to intercept them. You could only watch them go. Of course, they also knew that you were still outnumbered even after their departure.]

[The two sides settled into this strange standoff. You knew that the longer it lasted, the worse things would become for you. Your food was dwindling bit by bit, while they seemed better prepared.]

[You were not the kind of person to sit and wait for death. After dinner, you gathered all your men, explained the situation, and told them you planned to charge down the valley under cover of darkness and fight the enemy to the death. Your personal guards immediately declared their willingness to take the risk with you. Though they had followed you for less than two months, they admired your character and trusted your abilities.]

[The remaining squad leaders also voiced their agreement one after another. Perhaps your actions in the castle had moved them, or perhaps they believed following you would keep them alive. Whatever the reason, your decision received unanimous support.]

[The plan was sound, but what you had not expected was that the enemy commander had the same idea. He probably thought that, being outnumbered, you would not take the initiative to attack. He too chose to launch a surprise attack late that night.]

[As a result, the two sides unexpectedly encountered each other in the valley. It made the situation a little awkward. With your better eyesight, you spotted the enemy first, but there was no time to set an ambush. You could only order your crossbowmen to fire one volley before throwing your siege crossbow aside, drawing your Military Cleaver, and leading everyone forward with a roar.]

[The volley clearly threw the enemy ranks into some confusion. Someone who appeared to be their leader shouted loudly and steadied them, but by then, you and your men were already upon them. You charged straight at that leader.]

[The enemy were no lambs to the slaughter either. They drew their weapons and were forced to charge into your troops. At first contact, your men gained an enormous advantage. For one thing, you were charging downhill into enemies coming uphill. For another, with your shield in hand, you sprinted forward, bowled over two enemies, and reached their leader. Under his horrified gaze, you hacked him to the ground with a single blow. Seeing their leader fall, some enemies around you turned and fled, some raised their weapons and attacked you, and others froze, at a loss.]

[You had no time to concern yourself with any of that. You knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You raised your weapon and hacked at every unfamiliar figure in sight. The enemy quickly collapsed. Those who began fleeing swept along others who had yet to join the fighting, and together they ran frantically into the distance. You led your men in pursuit.]

[You did not know how many men you killed or how long you pursued them. All you knew was that, at first light, you hacked down the last enemy you could catch. You looked around and saw no one alive nearby. You were alone.]

[By the time you returned to camp covered in blood, greeted by everyone's shocked and fearful stares, it was broad daylight. The crisis had been resolved, and you had also captured the enemy's supplies, temporarily solving your food problem.]

[This simulation has ended. Progress saved.]

[Retain your officer status as a battalion commander in Veluca's Second Legion. Giving up this status will allow you to permanently summon nine Rhodoks veteran crossbowmen, who are willing to fight for you in any world; forty-three Rhodoks trained crossbowmen and fifty-two Rhodoks trained spearmen, who believe following you gives them a better chance of surviving the war; three hundred and twelve villagers willing to follow you, who believe doing so will give them a better life; and forty-three prisoners forced to follow you.]

[Rewards received: 1 honor, 200 renown, 6,000 denars.]

[Continue the simulation? Yes/No?]

Allen chose no and fell asleep peacefully in his tent.