Dragon Knight Chronicles ~ From a mere mercenary, rise to success through tactics! A small harem with the princess and the lord's daughter!? I'll also develop my territory! ~ - Chapter 116

Chapter 116   Capture of Arles Fort

Two days before Halder descended the mountain—

Her Highness and I were leading a decoy supply unit.

We marched slowly along the road to Arles Mountain’s summit, clearly visible to the enemy forces.

“Lord Reister, do you think the enemy will come down?”

“Your Highness, rest assured. The enemy will come down, without fail!”

I deliberately overturned the wagons, scattering valuable supplies ostentatiously.

Everyone hurried to pick up the scattered supplies.

By the way, our supply unit consists of 300 men.

Of these, Her Highness leads 200 disguised as a combat unit.

The remaining 100 are genuine transport troops.

That evening—

“We’ll pitch our camp here!”

I ordered my subordinates to set up camp.

They went to fetch water and prepared for meals.

“Lord Reister, are you sane to pitch camp near the enemy?”

“Yes. Our cavalry allies are hiding in the thickets over there. We should lure the enemy out here.”

However, risking Her Highness would be foolish. Thus, I decided to place Her Highness’s resting tent farthest from the enemy.

That night—

After dinner, the soldiers pretended to rest while remaining vigilant.

“Lord, the enemy hasn’t come down.”

“Of course. No skilled general can command hungry rabble. They’ll come down by tomorrow morning.”

“Is that so…”

The worried Cade’s adjutant, remarked.

…But the enemy will definitely come down.

If I were an enemy soldier, there would be no reason not to attack such a unit.

The next morning—

While my subordinates were preparing breakfast, birds suddenly flew up from the direction of Arles Mountain.

“The enemy is coming!”

“Yes, sir.”

I ordered my men to remain on guard. They all pretended to be completely off-guard, faking naps or playing dice games on the ground.

“Attack! Drive them off and seize the supplies!” “Yeah!”

About 15 minutes later, just as expected, the enemy descended from the mountain. There were about 25 cavalry and 450 infantry.

“Everyone, retreat!”

For the time being, we began to retreat, dragging along lighter baggage. As we fled, we deliberately dropped silver coins and jewels little by little.

“Carry that wagon!” “Yes, sir!”

The enemy soldiers tried to take the wagon, but the wheels had been cleverly rigged, making it difficult to move.

“Hey, leave that money bag behind!”

The enemy chased after us as we fled.

“Hey, don’t pursue them too far!”

Though the enemy commander gave the order, the enemy soldiers had already run a long distance in pursuit of us.

“Attack! Don’t let a single one escape!” “Yeah!”

Once the enemy was deep enough, Cade’s troops, who had been lying in wait, attacked the enemy all at once from all sides.

With a cloud of dust, our dragonets and cavalry charged directly at the enemy. Behind them, seasoned foot soldiers followed.

“…D-damn it! Retreat, retreat!”

At this point, the enemy commander finally ordered a retreat. But it was too late.

The enemy’s defense forces from Arles Mountain tried to escape, but their path back to the fortress was blocked by our dragonets and cavalry. They were surrounded by Cade’s allied forces without much of a fight.

“If you value your lives, drop your weapons!”

“…Alright, we surrender.”

Thus, the enemy forces surrendered their weapons, and the fortress on Arles Mountain fell into the hands of Cade’s forces.

◇◇◇◇◇

Cade Army Headquarters—

“Lady Rillburn, your achievements this time are remarkable!”

“Thank you! I am honored!”

Her Highness was recognized by Don for her role in capturing the fortress and was awarded an honorary sword as a reward. The other commanders also seemed to hold Her Highness in high regard.

“Now then, Aias, I entrust you with the attack on Noel Castle!”

“Yes, sir!”

Aias, Cade’s famous general, mobilized local farmers to help transport a massive catapult to the summit of Arles Mountain. In response, the knights of Veroverma launched an attack on Noel castle.

“Move the spear unit to the front! Form a defensive circle!” “…What? Yes, sir!”

The counterattack forces from Noel Castle were devastated by a cavalry charge from Cade’s knights. In disarray, they fled back to the castle in defeat.

◇◇◇◇◇

Five days later—

Around 20 large catapults were deployed at the summit of Arles Mountain.

“Begin the bombardment!” “Fire!”

At the command of Aias, the officer in charge of the siege, the catapults roared to life, launching stone projectiles one after another.

The countless stone projectiles tore through the air with a dull, ominous sound, striking the towering walls of Noel Castle one by one.

The stones were imbued with magic, which accelerated the destruction of the castle walls.

“Evacuate! Run!” “Where’s the repair team?!”

The defense forces of Noel Castle were thrown into complete chaos. The sturdy stone defense towers crumbled, and the fortifications like watchtowers were destroyed one by one.

“Fight!” “Don’t run away!”

Surprisingly, the commanders of Noel Castle were brave, managing to keep the soldiers’ confusion to a minimum. They hid their troops among the rubble, waiting for the Cade Confederation’s next attack.

“This is a problem.”

Don, the leader of Cade, was troubled. He had assumed that destroying the walls with the catapults would force the enemy to surrender immediately.

“Lady Rillburn, do you have any good ideas?”

“I do!”

Her Highness replied proudly, standing tall.