BXBX NOVEL Chapter 115 - Siege Battle I
”*Loud musical noise* Having just lost against the Rozel Army, what is our plan!! The counter-measure planning meeting now begins!!” (Carlo) [1]
Tentatively, the most prominent person in the meeting, Carlo DeMorgal, declared so.
The other members had grim expressions.
They were just routed not too long ago, so this was only natural.
Carlo is the odd one out for having such high tension.
”Well... there is only one real option we have here. We have to hold out a siege.” (Bartolo)
Bartolo cuts in with the reality of the situation.
Carlo asks Bartolo.
”But the numbers won’t change right? Is a counterattack not possible, Bartolo?” (Carlo)
”Yeah, not possibl. Morale has visibly fallen.” (Tonino)
Tonino answers Carlo’s question in Bartolo’s stead.
Now that morale has fallen so much, there is a very high probability that they would lose if they chose to fight a battle. Thus, Bartolo and Tonino have chosen to hold out a siege.
If it is a siege battle, there is no chance of losing due to low morale.
”The problem there is with provisions. Runé-dono, how many rations do we hold in storage in the royal capital?” (Carlo)
”At present, we have about two months’ worth in provisions stored. Right now, we are appropriating them from the surrounding villages and merchants. It is fortunate that we do not need to use the gold coins in the royal capital. As long as Rozel arrives in 5 months, preparations are easily doable.” (Runé)
Runé Blouse replied.
While Runé was unreliable in a fight, he is fairly competent in things like resource management.
Currently, he is in charge of managing the Coalition Army’s arms and provisions.
”Please buy up the alcohol as well.” (Bartolo)
”... We can’t be using our important war funds for your own interests.” (Runé)
”That’s wrong!! Well, it’s true that I want a drink... but it’s necessary to raise morale.” (Bartolo)
On the battlefield, the one thing a soldiers wants is a good meal. [and probably also sex]
In a siege battle, food must be rationed out so.... in place of good food, luxury goods such as alcohol must be occasionally distributed.
If this isn’t done then it would be impossible to hold a castle.
”If possible, I would also like it if we could get some dried meat too...” (Bartolo) [I do like jerky]
”*Sigh*... we’ll collect some if we have room to spare.” (Runé)
Runé takes out some parchment and writes some notes.
”Can I ask you a question?” (Carlo)
”What would it be?” (Runé)
”It’s better to cut down on food consumption right? Then would there be a problem with evicted the castle residents? They wouldn’t want to be caught up in a battle either.” (Carlo)
Carlo asks Tonino and Bartolo. [You serious Carlo?]
A special characteristic to siege battles is that it involves civilian non-combatants as well as combatants.
”Those guys have lives and homes. They have no place to go if we kick them out.” (Tonino)
Tonino answers.
People living in the castle town earn their livelihoods from the trading and handicraft industries.
If they were to be evicted, the people would lose their livelihoods.
During the siege battle, they can sell goods to the soldiers so keeping them around is actually preferable.
”Besides, it’s not always a bad thing to have to take care of civilians. We can ask the citizens for logistical support afterall.” (Bartolo?)
For example, letting the citizens nurse the injured.
Something like that is advantageous as the soldiers’ hands are already full with other matters.
”In addition, a siege battle is one where even a novice can easily participate in. After all, just throwing rocks from above can kill a person.” (Tonino)
If it’s just throwing stones, then even women and children participate.
”Rather than citizens being a liabiility, their cooperation is what can make or break a siege. Carlo-sama, I am counting on you from here on.” (Bartolo?) [2]
”You can leave it to me!!” (Carlo)
Carlo gave out his enthusiasm.
Generally, many commoners do not think about the king too much.
Since they seldom leave their own villages, to them, the most important people were the ruling patricians. [Essentially the vassals who own the land directly.]
They can’t imagine an existence greater than the patricians.
Whatever the case, this is a kingdom.
The king’s personal demesne, the royal capital, is, for better or for worse, greatly affected by said king.
Because there was no particular mismanagement on the previous King DeMorgal, he was thought of in a positive light.
His eldest, Carlo, is also has a good impression with the commoners.
In contrast, Aldo DeMorgal does not hold a good impression.
This is because Aldernians detest kinslayers.
In Aldo’s case, the time he held the royal capital was short, so the only thought the citizens held of him was that “he’s not good.”
”Well, the Gaulians are not hesitating in their looting at all, so I don’t think getting the people’s cooperation willl not be that difficult.” (Bartolo)
Bartolo shrugs.
Aldernian patricians and kings (when possible) do not really loot.
Aldernians share a common language, culture, and blood, and there will be problems afterwards, when the land comes under their control.
However, the Gaulians do not care about that.
To Gaulians, Aldernians are a foreign people with a different language and culture.
Therefore, there is no reason for them not to loot.
In addition, rather than perform agriculture, Gaulians are a people who hunt and live a pastoral life. [Basically tribal nomads]
To them, the goal in war is steal and loot from the enemy, that looting is the right of the winner.
Also, the person in charge greatly affects the nature of an army.
In this case, the Rozel Army’s top commanding officer is General Curiu. His assistant is Merlin.
The Aldernian army’s commanding officers are the patrician, so there is a divide between the politicians and soldiers.
However, the supreme commander, General Curiu, is different.
He is genuine soldier and in no way a politician.
That’s why he does not think about the governance of the territory that comes after.
Also, his assistant, Merlin, is a sorcerer to begin with. She has no experience in political or military affairs.
She was originally the flat-face clan’s patriarch’s, King Etzel’s, sex slave consort. [3]
”The opposition is to be massacred,” “My things are mine. Your things are also mine,” and “If you see a woman, take her. Violate her. Married women are to be plundered,” are the values from the flat-faced clan that Merlin uses as a basis for the common sense in this world, so there are no restrictions on raping and pillaging. [I think that’s a thing in history in general tbh]
Since it’s obvious that surrendering will lead to misfortune, there are very few who will raise their hands in surrender.
The side with the geographical advantage and people’s cooperation is the Coalition Army.
However naturally, Carlo, Tonino, and Runé hold complicated expressions.
Even now, their countrymen were being slaughtered, so it’s hard to not do anything about it.
”All that’s left is to find some way to subdue their sorcerer...” (Tonino?)
”I’ll leave selecting personnel for that to you. There are likely more latent sorcerers in the DeMorgal Kingdom.” (Bartolo)
In a seige battle, because the enemy has you surrounded, normally there is no way to contact the outside to get information.
However, if sorcerers are placed in surrounding villages in advance, then it is possible to exchange intel using messenger owls. [like Harry Potter :D]
Nevertheless, the enemy is wary of such tactics so this is by no means easy to accomplish.
”Excuse me for the interuption!! Permission to enter the room!!” (Beefy Patrician)
”Permission granted. Enter.” (Carlo)
Carlo answers and a beefy man opens the door and enters the room.
This was one of the prominent patricians from Carlo’s faction who had been given special temporary command over the soldiers.
”The residents of the surrounding villages want to be let into the walls...” (Beef Patty)
”Hmm, I see...” (Carlo)
Carlo makes eye contact with Tonino and Bartolo.
Tonino and Bartolo give a light nod.
”Let them in.” (Carlo)
”Understood!” (Beef Patty)
The patrician with a happy experssion rushes off.
With this, the surrounding villages won’t be killed.
”Runé, ensure we have a large amount of army provisions.” (Carlo)
”... Understood.” (Runé)
Runé sighs.
However, it wasn’t like they could have abandoned them. [But I mean that was an option]
”Now, it all depends on Ledus’ and the Rosyth Army’s reinforcements...” (Tonino)
Tonino muttered.
They already received the letter from King Rosyth that he is doing his best to quickly arrive.
However, it could take a month at worst to capitulate the Equus Tribe, the Belvedere Kingdom, and the Eville Kingdom.
Runé’s older brother, Letis Blouse, is having difficulties suppressing the lands under Aldo’s faction.
At one time, they switched sides to the Carlo faction, but now, they are once again turning to the Aldo faction... or better put the Rozel faction.
Even then because Aldo DeMorgal is borrowing power from the Gaulians, there is much antipathy about him so there are still patricians who remain a part of Carlo’s faction.
It is estimated that subduing the lands that are a part of Aldo’s faction will take a month.
In short, they need to last for a month.
”Well, we can take a month. Past that is a really doubtful though.” (Bartolo)
Bartolo shrugs.
In truth, Bartolo is inexperienced in prolonged sieges.
The Battle of Fort Terrier was three days after all; the numbers of soldiers were not that different from each other.
However this time, there will be 10,000 soldiers, coming in a month for the siege battle.
There are also some unknown numbers. [4]
”However, we must win at all cost. If Rozel wins here, then they will have a major base to the southern half of the Aldernian Peninsula...” (Carlo)
This will only increase the speed at which Rozel is conquering the Aldernian Peninsula and means future where Aldernians will be enslaved by the Gaulians.
We must definitively hold out here.
”Still, it’s tempting to try for a peace offer and give some land. But then we’d need to have Rosyth to concede land as well... haaa... why me...” (Carlo)
Carlo mutters some complaints.
Carlo is the one who, out of any of the previous DeMorgal kings, has the most hardships.
”Now all that’s left is to send a letter to the Fardam and Gillbed Kingdoms. If my country were to fall, it’s clear Rozel will be going after then next. Even if they can’t provide reinforcements, they can at least apply some pressure on Rozel’s borders.” (Tonino)
Tonino concludes with that and so the meeting is adjourned.
In this war, the most important battle will be the siege battle.
Eville, Belvedere, and Equus have all been defeated.
However, a Coalition Army defeat at this siege battle will mean the end of the DeMorgal Kingdom and the vassalization of the Rosyth Kingdom.
Even if other battles are won, were this one to be lost would mean the war is lost.
On the contrary, even if other battles are lost, were this one to end in victory, it would be a second wind to the war.
Truly, this siege battle is the key to the war’s victory.
The DeMorgal and Rosyth Kingdom’s... no the Aldernian Peninsula’s fate is at hand here.
Author’s note:
None~
Translator’s note:
Sorry about the month-long hiatus. I was pretty busy with a lot of things (mostly my parent’s move to Japan) so I had almost no free time to spare. Unfortunately I translate as a hobby more than anything so the speed of my translations is directly correlated to my free time, so expect around the first half December for me to be busy again too due to finals (I’m an engineering student after all; also not looking forward to that). That being said, it’s not like I’m not busy anymore. I’ve just got the bigger stuff out of the way for now, so I’ll go back to trying to upload a translation probably every weekend. Speaking of the translation, I decided to not translate honorifics anymore because I feel like they are a pretty good way to establish the social hierarchies and the way characters view other characters. I try to keep everything pretty English oriented but sometimes it’s too much effort to try to come up with ways everyone refers to each other and some other things are just lost in translation. I think this is a nice compromise but like anything I do, if you have any criticisms to this change or just outright don’t like it, let me know and I’ll just go back to what I was doing earlier. I think some people might prefer to leave out all of the Japanese and for me to focus solely on using English and only English in the writing.
[1] The original Japanese used「じゃかじゃん！！」which is basically a generic loud instrument sound (but it’s supposed to be じゃんじゃか so I dunno) so that was the best I could do for that first bit. Willing to take any better ideas though. Also the wording of this sentence makes a lot more sense if you know how Japanese people kinda talk in meetings better than people talk in meetings in English. It’s a cultural difference shown through the language I think. Could be wrong though. ↑
[2] Honestly that last bit about him saying [よろしくお願いします] kinda came out of left field to me but whatever. Also I thought it was pretty obvious that it’d be a terrible idea not to have your citizens stay in the capital. Where would they even go right? ↑
[3] The text says that she was a sex slave and also wife to the guy? That’s kind of a weird way to put it but I think what they mean is that she was the consort-queen rather than a concubine (concubines are not married to a person) but was in reality and practicality a slave? As a side note, Etzel is an old (1200s) German name for Atilla the Hun mentioned in the Nibelungenlied so I’m thinking that’s where they’re getting this from. Though if that’s true then Atilla is alive by like what a whole millenium? Eh, this is fantasy so artistic liberties and whatnot lol. ↑
[4] I’m guessing they’re saying there could be more than 10,000 soldiers on the enemy’s side I think? ↑