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Vol 05 Chapter 169: The Third Southern Campaign V

「Listen up. There’s no way we can attack the enemy in these circumstances. So, we will block the gates completely… Use all the rocks, soil, and furniture you can find to seal them off.」

Following Alexios’ instructions, the defensive preparations in Lezado began.

The Pofenian army had landed on the beach near Lezado.

They would reach the city by noon.

Lezado’s forces consisted of only a hundred mercenaries and around three hundred native guards.

A total of four hundred soldiers.

In addition, there were five thousand volunteers.

This was neither the number nor the quality to win against the thirty thousand strong Pofenian army. But, there was no need to win.

They just had to hold out.

In a siege, even amateurs could make a difference. Just throwing stones could kill people.

Moreover, in a siege, logistics such as weapon replenishment and support play a critical role. Even women and children could contribute to support tasks if they couldn’t fight directly.

「Anyway, we need things to throw. Stones, ornaments, anything. Gather whatever you can. If needed, dismantle some houses. Also, make simple slings using clothes.」

If they had more time, Alexios would have liked to train the citizens a little. Even a little training in handling weapons and how to move would make a big difference.

But, there was no time for that.

「What a pathetic army… No, it’s not even an army.」

「But Alexios, you seem to be enjoying yourself,」

Melia smiled at Alexios.

Alexios scratched his cheek, looking troubled.

In fact, he was enjoying himself. Faced with this overwhelmingly unfavorable war, he was excited.

「Well… I don’t hate situations like this.」

Alexios shrugged.

◇

Noon that day

「My, what a sight. An army of thirty thousand is truly something to behold. After not seeing one for a while, it feels like an enormous force.」

「Not long ago, you were regularly commanding forces of around ten thousand, even if it wasn’t thirty thousand.」

Alexios and Melia watched as the Pofenian army, flying flags with a crescent moon drawn on them, marched forward. The sight exerted pressure on the hearts of the volunteers defending Lezado.

Looking closely, one could see that their unity lay in their disunity. The types of weapons, armor, shield shapes, and even races varied…

Each unit was different. It was like a military exposition of all the regions bathed by the Thetys Sea.

「I can see archers from Croto Island and slingers from the Bolfa Archipelago. There are also numerous renowned mercenary groups and tribes… This is going to be troublesome.」

「On top of that, we’re just a group of amateurs.」

It would take about three days for King Almus to arrive at Lezado. In other words, if they could hold out for three days, there was hope.

But how long could this group of amateurs endure? That was uncertain.

「Let’s try to buy as much time as possible… Do you understand? Whether this siege can hold depends on you.」

Alexios patted the shoulder of the Lezado councilor who was beside him. The councilor looked tense.

「Um… Alexios-dono, you are part of the Barca family, right? Wouldn’t it be better if you went?」

「Sorry, but Uncle Kepka and I are on so bad terms that we click our tongues whenever we meet. Apparently, he can’t stand the idea of a young man with cursed eyes outperforming him.」

Alexios shrugged.

◇

「Hmm, so you’re the representative of Lezado? I won’t beat around the bush. Open the gates immediately. If you do, I will spare your lives.」

In other words, there was no guarantee for their property. For Kepka, Pofenia, and the mercenaries, looting was the quickest way to cover the costs of war.

「Could you possibly wait just a little longer?」

「Why would I do that? Let me make it clear, I don’t think your forces can hold out for even an hour,」

Kepka glared at the councilor.

The councilor, sweating profusely, answered.

「Well… The citizens are divided on whether to surrender to King Rosais’ Country or to Pofenia. I personally believe that falling under Pofenia’s control is better than being ruled by such barbarians… However, there are some foolish groups who disagree.」

In the lands bathed by the Thetys Sea—or more like in every war in this world—it was common for the invading side to loot, and losing one’s possessions was expected.

Even if there was no looting or killing, it was common for the conquered to have their land confiscated and be reduced to near-slavery as tenant farmers.

This was ‘common sense.’

Therefore, Kepka did not know that King Rosais’ Country rarely engaged in looting and was an invader so lenient that the defeated were sometimes even granted self-governance.

If Kepka had known this, he would have found the councilor’s words strange. No one would have any doubt about whom to surrender to between King Rosais’ Country, which did not engage in looting and guaranteed the defeated their property, and Pofenia, which intended to loot and would leave them with nothing except their lives.

However, Kepka was unaware of this.

(…What should I do? Forcing an attack is an option, but if they fight to the last man it would be troublesome. Moreover, I’ve heard that King Rosais’ Country’s army numbers over forty thousand. I’d prefer to leave Lezado’s walls intact if possible.)

「Alright, I’ll give you two hours. Settle the matter by then.」

The advantage of having thirty thousand troops against the nearly nonexistent forces of Lezado, combined with Kepka’s ignorance of the regions north of the southern tip of the Adernian Peninsula, led to his complacency, wasting two precious hours.

◇

「As always, that man is too careless. His strategies are bold, yet his logistics and tactics are orthodox and reliable. I’d rate him as a bold yet well-grounded general… if only he weren’t so careless in the small details.」

Alexios said, praising Kepka with a hint of amusement.

Alexios was a member of the Barca family. Therefore, he knew a lot about Kepka Barca.

Conversely, this also meant that Kepka Barca knew him as well. However, Kepka Barca did not know that Alexios was the commander of Lezado.

At the very least, in terms of information, Alexios had a slight edge over Kepka.

「Well, we managed to buy two hours at least. That’s good, right?」

「So, what should we do next?」

「After two hours, request another two hours, even if it’s a long shot. Kepka may have a tendency to be complacent, but he’s not stupid. He will definitely realize we’re stalling for time.」

However, trying costs nothing. Alexios suggested doing everything they could.

「What if it doesn’t work?」

「Then you should say, ‘Alright, we’ll open the gates, just wait a bit!’ and prepare for battle,」

Just by saying it would take time to open the gates, they could buy a little more time.

「What if the battle starts?」

「There’s nothing we can do but fight.」

Alexios replied, looking at the councilor as if he were asking something obvious. The councilor replied with a pale face.

「But we are vastly outnumbered and outmatched in terms of quality.」

「Then we just have to cover that with spirit. We can’t magically increase our numbers or improve our quality. Calm down. Panicking or showing weakness won’t make the enemy go easy on us,」

「Melia is right. Besides, if you leaders start to panic, it will further undermine the already shaky morale. There’s nothing you can do. Just stay quiet.」

Alexios added with a sigh, echoed by Melia.

The councilors’ fear was understandable. They were merchants and had always relied on mercenaries for warfare. They had never faced a war so desperate that it threatened not only their wealth but their lives with such a hopeless disparity in forces.

Of course, Alexios and Melia were in the same situation as them. But they were former soldiers, and their nerves were steadier.

「Don’t worry. A well-motivated garrison is surprisingly difficult to break, even with a hopeless difference in numbers.」

Two hours later, Lezado requested another extension. Kepka, infuriated, demanded they open the gates immediately.

Ten minutes later, The Pofenian army led by Kepka began their attack on Lezado. The Rosais army was still three days away from arriving.

The desperate siege began.

◇

Day One

「…Hmm, it has a more solid defense than I expected.」

Kepka remarked three hours into the battle.

Even without mercenaries, if the residents were motivated, they could serve as soldiers. The critical issue was the commander who would lead them.

Kepka had underestimated Lezado, thinking the councilors, focused solely on commerce, couldn’t possibly provide competent leadership.

「It seems I need to rethink my approach.」

Kepka muttered, the complacency vanishing from his eyes.

He gulped down his wine and issued new orders.

「Deploy all archers and slingers. Assault units, set up ladders on the walls and attack with full force.」

He would no longer be complacent. He would use all his forces to crush the enemy.

◇

「Stay calm, it’s alright. As long as you hold your shield properly, the arrows can’t get through.」

Alexios shouted, giving instructions to the volunteers.

The remaining mercenaries in Lezado acted as Alexios’ lieutenants, filling the role of non-commissioned officers.

Alexios’ talent and the presence of the few seasoned mercenaries improved the hastily formed army to some extent.

The volunteers desperately raised their shields, passing stones and pieces of timber along a human chain and hurling them at the enemy. The gravity-assisted projectiles struck the heads of the soldiers attempting to scale the walls, inflicting significant damage.

「Oh, their movements have changed,」

Alexios remarked, his expression shifting.

The enemy had deployed their reserved forces. The number of arrows raining down doubled.

「This is going to be tough… We’ll need to increase our own volley.」

Alexios deployed his own reserve forces to counter the enemy attack.

Though the term ‘reserve forces’ might sound grand, they were actually volunteers, and even worse, they were mainly elderly people and children.

Still, even they could manage to throw stones.

「Don’t panic if they start climbing up the ladders. Pull the ladders away from the walls and let them fall. Stay calm, and you can handle it.」

Following his orders, the enemy soldiers were thwarted at the walls. What was remarkable was Alexios’ command ability.

The enemy repeatedly shifted their area of attack to exploit any weakness in Lezado’s defenses. Yet, Alexios responded as if he had a bird’s-eye view, countering their every move.

With minimal forces, he continued to repel the enemy’s full-force assault.

「Lezado won’t be easy to take. After all, I am the one defending…」

Alexios calmly drew his sword and swatted away the incoming projectiles. Stones hurled at him came in rapid succession.

「These must be the slingers from the Bolfa Archipelago. Their aim is as precise as ever.」

The slingers of the Bolfa Archipelago were renowned throughout the Thetys Sea. Their slings could reach distances beyond that of bows, with each stone hitting its mark, shattering bronze armor and shields with immense power.

Recognizing Alexios as the commander, the Bolfa slingers targeted him specifically.

「That was close… really.」

Alexios muttered as he shifted his position, moving out of the Bolfa slingers’ line of sight to a hidden spot. He didn’t retreat, if he fell back the front line would collapse instantly.

「Let me say it again: this city won’t fall. Not as long as I’m defending it.」

Alexios declared with a defiant smile.

As night fell, the Pofenian army ceased their attack. They had ended the day without a single soldier breaching the walls of Lezado.

Two days remained until the Rosais army’s arrival.

AN: General Rating Chart

Note: The higher the position, the stronger the general. (This is a rating based on their overall abilities only.)

These ratings are based on the current story so the rating may change in the future.

S (Legendary, Monster level) Currently None
(In the next 2000 years, only three generals or rulers from Romalia will reach this level. Including foreign generals, there might be five or six at most. Being in this category ensures they will be studied as examples in war textbooks for the next 2000 years.)

A (Generals who will have their names recorded in history)

•  Emperor Xerxes (Peak)
•  Great King Etzel (The husband of Marilyn from 500 years ago)
•  Bartolo
•  Kuryuu
•  Alex’s Father
•  Alexios
•  Kepka
•  Emperor Xerxes (Current)

B (Normal great generals, there one or two in any era)

• Tonino
• King Ferme

C (Moderately competent generals)

• Roswald
• Raymond
• Ron
• Gram

D (Able to command; experienced and studied but lacking talent. Unlikely to improve)

• Almus
• Abraham
• Former King Rosais
• Various patricians and Kings

E (Incompetent)

• Aldo