In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 320

Chapter 320: The Kukkoro Male Knight and the Siege

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The front line fell into a stalemate. The remnants of the Vanka-Adan Kingdom(the Ant coalition forces), had no means of breaking through the trench lines and could do little more than launch nuisance attacks. On the other hand, our side also found it difficult to begin an offensive, as our cannons had broken down and our supply of arrows and ammunition had run dry.

Before we knew it, four days had passed since the standoff began. To be honest, it had dragged on longer than expected. For us to go on the offensive, we needed reinforcements from Liseben. However, it seemed they were struggling to requisition riverboats for transporting supplies, and no matter how long we waited, the reinforcements never arrived. It was starting to wear on me.

“Sonia, do you think our food supplies will hold out a bit longer?”

While sipping hot water, I asked. Normally I would have taken a break with some herbal tea, but unfortunately we had already run out of tea leaves. Well, running out of tea wasn’t a big problem, but food was another matter. The saying “you can’t fight on an empty stomach” was as true as ever.

At the moment, we were holding a meeting at the operations table set up in the command bunker. The participants were myself, Sonia, Lady Dalaiya, and Fezaria. Bishop Fiorenza had gone around to visit and comfort the soldiers.

Because the siege had dragged on unexpectedly, dissatisfaction was beginning to build among the troops. To alleviate this, the bishop had been run ragged. On top of that, she was also taking care of the men and children, so it was an enormous burden. Watching Bishop Fiorenza continue to work with dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep made me feel terribly sorry.

“Thanks to the supply ship that arrived yesterday, we’ve gained a bit of breathing room. Well, it’s a fragile kind of margin, but… at our current rate of consumption, we can hole up for another three days.”

At Sonia’s words, I let out a sigh of relief. Reinforcements hadn’t come yet, but supplies had. Since we were positioned with the river at our back, as long as we had boats, transferring goods was possible.

Of course, this method wasn’t without its problems. Unpowered riverboats couldn’t sail upstream on their own, so they couldn’t return to Liseben. If we tried to tow them back, they would be subjected to concentrated attacks from the elves or the Ants. In the end, any boat used for supply had to be kept in a safe place until the encirclement was lifted.

On top of that, the only riverboats our Liseben army had at the moment were the Michael Collins and a few small work vessels. For the rest, we had no choice but to requisition civilian ships. However, even the largest civilian vessels operating in Liseben were barely more than oversized rowboats. The amount of supplies they could carry at once was negligible. Relying on such unreliable means to supply a force of regimental size honestly made me quite uneasy.

“So if we maintain the current consumption rate… that means the quality of the meals themselves won’t improve, correct?”

Standing beside the table we were gathered around, Lady Dalaiya stroked her chin as she spoke. The reason she wasn’t sitting down was, apparently, because her backside still hurt from being smacked by Sonia. For something as simple as a spanking to leave pain lingering this long… That was Sonia for you.

“If we restore food distribution to normal levels, our reserves would run dry in a day or so. After all, we’re a large group of over a thousand people. With our current supply efficiency, it’s impossible to keep everyone well-fed on a continuous basis.”

At Sonia’s words, both Lady Dalaiya and I groaned at the same time. Personally, I found it extremely unpleasant to leave the troops with empty stomachs. I really didn’t like it. Even setting emotions aside, chronic hunger had a serious negative impact on morale and discipline. Still, you can’t give what you don’t have.

“At the very least, couldn’t we increase the rations just for the Liseben soldiers? We’re used to hunger, but those short-lived folk are not. Seeing them lamenting how hungry they are is rather pitiful…”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. Elves are a patient race, a bit of hunger is nothing to us. If anything, we could cut our own rations a little and give that portion to the short-lived soldiers…”

Fezaria agreed with Lady Dalaiya’s suggestion. …Those elves, normally so stubborn, always insisted on prioritizing other races at times like this. Perhaps it was their attitude toward death that made them that way. They clearly seemed to think it shameful to die after the short-lived races.

“No, no. An empty stomach is hard whether you’re long-lived or short-lived. Besides, our main force is the elven soldiers. If we recklessly cut their food and weaken our combat strength, we’ll lose everything.”

I shook my head vigorously. With our ammunition severely depleted, we had no choice but to rely more on close combat… and when it came to swordsmanship, the elven soldiers were clearly superior to the Liseben troops. But if they were starving, they wouldn’t have the strength to swing their swords. Ideally, we should be prioritizing food distribution to the elves instead. Though we didn’t have the luxury to do so.

Of course, both Lady Dalaiya and Fezaria understood that. They exchanged troubled looks and let out small groans. After thinking for a while, Fezaria tapped at a puddle with the tip of her toe before speaking.

“In the first place, if we just hurry up and defeat the enemy, we won’t have to put up with empty stomachs, right? We’ve got more troops than them, so even if we push a bit recklessly, our victory won’t be shaken… right?”

“That might be true.”

I nodded at her. As Fezaria said, we clearly had the advantage in numbers. The difference in strength was about three to two. Even if we abandoned the trenches and fought in open battle, the chances of losing were low.

However, the problem was the Ants. Without cannons and with rifle ammunition running low, their dense formations were a considerable threat. As long as we fought on flat ground, even an equal number of elven soldiers likely wouldn’t be able to defeat them. In the previous battle, we had fought favorably only because we forcibly seized the initiative using grenades. That trick wouldn’t work again.

To be honest, I didn’t feel as much of an advantage as the difference in numbers suggested. If they pushed the Ant soldiers’ phalanx formation to the front and reinforced the flanks with elven troops, there was a possibility they could bring the fight to even or better terms. It was a tactic our army, composed mostly of elves with only a few riflemen, couldn’t replicate.

“That said, to be clear, time is on our side. Even if inefficiently, we can still receive supplies by riverboat. But they don’t have a base, so their supplies will only decrease. The ones who’ll starve first are the Vanka and the Ants.”

“Hmm, that makes sense. The city of Runga was turned into a sea of flames by Fezaria, after all. They won’t be able to get even a single potato…”

“Exactly. If anything, there’s a chance they’ll collapse on their own without us even needing to fight. Though it probably won’t be that convenient… I’m not avoiding a decisive battle just to wait for reinforcements. I’m also hoping for the enemy to weaken.”

“I see, as expected of the young lord. Truly a keen tactical eye.”

Why is Fezaria calling me ‘young lord’ too?

I grumbled inwardly. Lately, all the elves had started calling me that. Honestly, it made me feel awkward, and I wished they’d stop.

“Anyway, setting that aside, the problem is those Ants. They haven’t made any real moves… Lady Dalaiya, is that plan of yours actually working?”

The plan in question was the defection scheme we had entrusted to Lady Zera. She seemed to have safely returned to her own camp, so I had expected a swift betrayal… but there had been little movement. The Ants continued their harassment attacks as usual, and there were no signs of trouble between them and the Vanka faction.

“Hmm… those Ants may look like that, but they’re surprisingly cunning. They might have judged that if they defect now, they’d be undervalued. If they’re going to sell themselves, they’re probably aiming for a situation where they can fetch the highest price…”

“Hmm…”

I couldn’t help but groan. If they defected now, the Ants would be placed in a very difficult position. It would be practically the same as surrendering. In other words, they were likely working behind the scenes to create a situation where they could extract as many concessions from us as possible. It was quite a sly approach, but their species’ survival was at stake. They would use any means necessary. How troublesome.

“I see. So until the decisive moment, they’ll remain our enemies. In that case… kicking them into action early might be an option.”

“Kicking them, huh…”

With a solemn expression, Lady Dalaiya rubbed her own backside. …That crafty old loli had been nearly in tears earlier. Sonia’s spanking must have been quite something.

“Well, for now, maintaining the current situation should be fine. They don’t have the capability to break through our trench line. I’m not sure about the Vanka faction, but the Ants will crack soon enough. Once that happens, we can deal with them however we like.”

“Indeed, that’s right. We’ll make those Ants pay for their impudent scheming.”

At Sonia’s words, Fezaria, arms crossed, nodded in agreement. Her chest was flat. Both Sonia and Fezaria were beautiful in a cool sort of way, but standing side by side, they were completely different types. That trivial thought crossed my mind.

“Castellan! One Ant soldier carrying a white flag is approaching our position. What are your orders?”

A messenger who had rushed into the command bunker delivered the report. I grinned and stood up.

“Well, speak of the devil. …That’s an envoy. Do not attack under any circumstances. Receive them with due courtesy.”

It seemed the Ants had finally reached their limit. At last, the end of this battle was coming into view. Thinking that, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

(But wait, our opponent is the Liseben barbarians. Will things really go that smoothly…?)

A sense of unease began to creep in.

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