I Became the Commander in a Trash Game Who Copies Skills

Chapter 28. Wolfskrig (2)

Thanks to the efforts of the light cavalry, who had worked their warhorses to the bone, the enemy’s true identity was confirmed.

Their identity was an undead army, led by the banner of Count Calvenia, with several other banners as well.

“Well, I’ll be. To think there are factions among the corpse-fucking bastards. I’ve seen some strange sights in my life, but this takes the cake. Ain’t that right?”

Old man Brol said while munching on stew.

The fact that the factional strife within the Vampire Archduchy had become known even to the mercenaries huddled together eating behind the ramparts was thanks to the command’s major announcement last night.

As a result of their confirmation, they announced that all the banners raised in the enemy camp belonged to anti-Duke noble vampires.

In other words, they were some of the vampire families that had sided with Count Calvenia.

The fact that the vampire camp was experiencing internal strife, and that the approaching army was not the feared Duke’s army that everyone dreaded.

These two facts alone significantly restored the morale of the expeditionary force, which had been chipped away by the successive disappearances of the scouting parties.

Of course, Count Calvenia was by no means an opponent to be taken lightly.

Anyway, this is delicious.

Tonight's dinner menu is Karen’s special stew.

Perhaps because she was a ranger for a long time, her cooking skills are excellent.

“By the way, Captain.”

“Hmm?”

“How did the higher-ups know about those bastards’ faction fight? Did they send a spy to play dead among the corpses? Shit, how did they handle having to piss and shit?”

“Brol!”

“Ugh! Ah, what is it now. Ahem.”

A crisp clang.

Old man Brol, who was hit on the helmet with a ladle, ducked his neck.

Laughter spread among the squad members.

My gaze was fixed on the ladle.

Seeing the ladle that had just struck a helmet of unknown cleanliness go back into the pot, the thought of having another bowl of stew naturally disappeared.

I scraped the remaining chunks in my bowl with a spoon and said.

“The Inquisitors.”

“Eh? Ah. You mean the Inquisitors dug up the information?”

“Yes.”

“From whom…?”

“Necromancers. Low-ranking vampires. Sometimes there must have been mid-ranking vampires too.”

To put it simply, it’s counter-intelligence.

While it's impossible for humans to send spies into the land of the dead, the reverse happens quite frequently.

A necromancer disguised as a wandering mage.

Or a vampire disguised as a handsome man or beautiful woman from the countryside.

Most of the internal information about the Vampire Archduchy is the result of interrogating these two types.

It's also the reason why I want to avoid becoming a target of the Inquisitors at all costs.

It's absolutely no exaggeration to say that the most lenient outcome when you're marked by them is a silver bullet to the head.

“That was a good meal, Karen.”

I cleared my bowl and stood up.

The scouting party said that Count Calvenia's army was three days away.

That was as of yesterday, meaning there was still a full day's leeway left.

There was something I had to do in the meantime.

‘He is looking forward to your performance.’

The last words Archduke Gabir left me with.

That statement somehow felt unsettling.

There was a possibility that came to mind, but….

To prepare properly, I needed a little more information.

“Brol, I’ll leave it to you for a moment.”

“Don’t you worry. I’ll guard it well!”

Fortunately, I had a few sources of information.

I planned to visit three people.

The first person I would visit was our Alina stalker.

Paladin Tem….

Yes, Tamber.

* * *

“Paladin Tember reporting. The total size of the enemy forces is between twenty and thirty thousand. Estimated time of arrival at Wolfskrig is dusk tomorrow.”

“Hmm.”

“Their route of advance is to approach while surrounding the west, south, and east, excluding the north where the Imperial army has pioneered a supply route.”

“And?”

“I heard that the command sent a swift messenger to the mainland last night. The Church also sent an additional messenger in the morning. To report the current situation and request reinforcements….”

“Anything else?”

“W-what more could you possibly want!”

Hmm.

Is this insubordination?

“Are you protesting right now?”

“N-no! Sir Inquisitor!”

Paladin Tember, prostrated flat, shouted as if screaming.

As someone born in the land of courtesy in the East, it was a very satisfying sight.

Right, how much better would it have been if we had maintained mutual respect from the first time we met.

“Quiet. Do you want to spread rumors everywhere?”

“H-hup!”

“If by any chance my identity is revealed, or my mission is hindered… I will pay a formal visit to the Burken branch.”

“Heeik! Please, please, just not that…!”

“So you’d better bring some proper information.”

Tember nodded his head frantically.

He squeezed out something more, but no particularly useful information came out.

“W-well, I don’t know for sure, but I heard the church priests and the metal school mages are preparing something.”

Except for one interesting fact.

He himself seemed to think it was nothing special and tried not to mention it, but that was quite important information.

Not only was it a hint that could reveal part of the tactics planned by the Imperial army….

It could also be used to infer who the subject was that the Archduke indirectly spoke of with respect.

“That’s enough. Go and fulfill your duty.”

Anyway, at this point, he must have really run out of things he knew.

There was no need to listen to unnecessary talk, so I let him get up.

“Thank you. Thank you….”

For reference, Tember was said to have been assigned to the eastern wall.

He was leading a unit of about forty ascetics….

It seemed to be quite a burdensome responsibility for a not-so-experienced paladin.

Especially for someone who had recently lost his squire.

“And Tember.”

“Yes!”

“Returning alive is the way to repay your squire.”

“…….”

“Compose yourself well.”

“…Thank you.”

The second person I sought out was the Poodle mercenary captain.

He scratched his untidy sideburns and said.

“O Luark. It's a relief. I heard that most of the scouting parties that were within a three-day distance have returned.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s thanks to the light cavalry who went back along the scouting routes and told them to return. Thanks to them, we were able to prevent a great sacrifice.”

That was good news.

There were nearly seven hundred mercenaries out on reconnaissance missions.

About three hundred had returned so far, and the rest were said to be arriving continuously.

Due to Count Calvenia’s advance, about two to three hundred were confirmed missing, but it was a relief that the rest had survived.

“And after checking, it was just as you said, brother. A lot of mercenaries have been deployed specifically to the southwest wall.”

Old man Poodle lowered his voice.

“Even though the southwest is where the most went missing, and it’s the most dangerous.”

The expression of the always-innocent mercenary captain hardened coldly.

“For now, they say it's for the efficiency of the command structure. Similarly, the east has a lot of church-affiliated troops, and the south and west are mainly composed of the Archduke’s and the Viscount's private soldiers.”

It wasn't a groundless claim.

In the game, too, there was a synergy effect when you grouped and used units of a similar type.

However, it probably wasn't a coincidence that the mercenary bands, including mine and old man Poodle's, were deployed as the main force on the southwest wall.

The southwest direction was where the most scouting parties had gone missing, and it was speculated that a fierce battle would take place there.

“Don’t worry too much.”

“Huh?”

“As you always say, brother, won't Luark take care of it somehow?”

“Well, that’s true…. Have you ever attended church?”

Let's just skip the minor details.

After old man Poodle, it was Olif.

“Captain, pardon my saying so, but do you think the command deliberately weakened the southwest defense?”

As expected, he was a talent excellent in military matters.

I had simply asked about the orders given to other knights, but he was able to read my inner thoughts right away.

Of course, his guess had a slight misunderstanding.

I didn't think they had deliberately weakened the defense or intended to lose.

“That’s not it. However….”

The command definitely knew something more.

The fact that the southwestern wall was the most dangerous was only a guess for us, but they might be certain of it.

Perhaps they were trying to build a decisive victory on the sacrifice of the southwestern forces.

Regardless of the method, the possibility was high enough.

When I shared my thoughts, Olif also nodded with difficulty.

“But I believe that even His Grace the Archduke would not do such a thing recklessly. His Majesty the Emperor would not stand for it.”

Well.

I held Olif’s loyalty to the Emperor in high regard, but how much did he really know about the Emperor?

I had no disagreement with the Emperor’s abilities.

Nor with the fact that in an era of war, a strong leadership like the Emperor's must become the focal point for the Empire to overcome the crisis of ruin.

“…….”

However, having played as the Empire for hundreds of playthroughs, I had clearly seen it.

The other side of the Emperor who carried out various reforms to cut out the rotten parts and led the nation's fate in battles to victory.

They say heroes think differently from ordinary people.

The Emperor I saw thinks differently even from those heroes.

“Anyway, according to my investigation, there were no particular oddities. However, one thing.”

“Hmm?”

“Some knights on the southern and western walls were given this order.”

“What kind of order?”

“Even if the nearby walls are in danger, do not hastily abandon your position and open a gap for the enemy.”

And the Emperor's ‘difference’ could kill me now.

Because right now, my mercenary band and I were nothing more than small chess pieces on a grand board.

“Olif, good work.”

The fragmented pieces of information had all been gathered.

I knew what the command was thinking.

And who the being was that Archduke Gabir had indirectly mentioned.

I also understood the meaning of the ‘expectation’ he had thrown my way.

It was time to give them my answer.

* * *

A day passed.

It was not long before Count Calvenia’s army would arrive.

The entire Wolfskrig fortress was waiting, having adopted a defensive posture like a hedgehog.

Our mercenary band was also guarding the top of the southwestern wall, bathed in the evening glow.

“It’s certainly different, isn't it, Miss Karen?”

“What is?”

“Well… the height of the walls is different, isn't it? If Burken Fortress was half this size, it wouldn't have collapsed so easily from one spell.”

“Ah.”

“Of course, then we wouldn't have met our captain. Phew, that was a close call! That damn wall, good thing it collapsed! Uahaha!”

……Damn it.

Well, there was nothing wrong with what old man Brol said.

Wolfskrig was a heavily fortified city.

To the point where it was embarrassing to compare it to Burken Fortress, which the corrupt Baron had been exploiting.

Greeting the approaching enemy were a three-meter-deep moat, a thick wall ten meters high, ballistae, direct-fire cannons, and organ guns placed on top of that wall, thousands of expeditionary soldiers including knights and paladins, and mortars and mages in the rear.

The only flaw was that over the course of 300 years, various parts of the wall had become somewhat old and damaged….

But the sappers and mages had worked hard over the past few weeks to repair it neatly.

In summary, the probability of losing this battle was less than 10 percent, even at a generous estimate.

As the Princess of Blood said, this side had a hidden card as well.

However, I had personal worries.

Three of them.

“It’s hot.”

First. The southern sun is hot.

Even though spring was not yet over, the evening temperature was already similar to midsummer in the central Empire.

The hot air and humid weather unpleasantly seeped into our clothes.

The top of the narrow wall, crowded with sweat-soaked men, was practically a makeshift steam room.

The reason this was a problem was that heat rapidly saps a person's stamina.

Anyone who has walked for hours under the scorching sun would know.

It’s not just about moving your body; simply breathing itself becomes difficult.

It's a problem that only living, breathing humans have, one that the undead do not.

“I’m h-hot too, but why am I t-t-trembling?”

The second was anxiety.

To a degree that was a bit excessive, even considering we were about to go into battle.

The apprentice mercenary standing right behind me was a prime example.

That guy’s jaw had been chattering for a while now.

“T-t-this is strange. I’m n-not cold.”

There was a basis for it.

The place we were deployed was the southwestern wall.

And 60 percent of the missing scouting parties had headed south and west.

Among them was the Black Helm Mercenary Band, which was said to have a total of 300 members.

“C-come to think of it, I heard the Fenrir Mercenary Band went this way too.”

“…….”

Therefore, the rather plausible argument that there might be a stronger enemy in the southwest direction than in other places was seeping into the mercenaries' psyche as anxiety.

“Ugh, ughh, this is ominous.”

That being said, remarks that crossed the line were not tolerated.

“Shut your mouth.”

“Ugh! I’m sorry.”

The apprentice mercenary crouched down, clutching his kicked shin.

Old man Brol, who had clicked his tongue with a ‘tsk’, forcefully pulled the apprentice up and warned him in a whisper.

Our mercenary band wasn't the only one like this.

From other places, too, sounds like ‘Agh!’ or dull thuds could be heard from time to time.

This kind of management is essential for mercenaries who are susceptible to superstition.

It's the reason why people like old man Brol, who act as drill sergeants, are absolutely necessary.

Well, it would be difficult for superstition not to exist in a world where corpses walk around.

“Everyone relax. This is a fortress that can withstand a hundred thousand half-rotten skeletons.”

Quietly calming the soldiers' anxiety, I once again stretched my neck and gazed at the horizon.

The estimated time of arrival was between this evening and midnight.

The sun was slowly setting, but the enemy army was not yet in sight.

To clear my head, I once again mulled over the words the Archduke had left me with.

My third worry.

‘He is looking forward to your performance.’

He is.

There were not many people for whom the great Archduke Gabir Maraz would speak with such respect.

The Emperor.

The mere nine Elector-Princes.

The twelve Archbishops of the Imperial Church.

The handful of Marquises or Dukes who were not Elector-Princes.

“…….”

Among them, my intuition pointed to only one.

It was a combination of various pieces of evidence I had collected so far.

The fact that the main force of the southwestern defense was mercenaries.

The ascetic units whose numbers had strangely increased over the past few weeks.

The fact that there was not a single private soldier of the Viscount or the Archduke on the southwestern wall.

Or even the movement of the ‘Imperial Family's Secret Knight Order’ that the Princess of Blood had mentioned.

BWOOOO-!

Just then, a war trumpet blared from deep inside the walls.

It was a signal that the enemy had been spotted.

A detection spell that covered dozens of kilometers beyond the line of sight had detected the enemy's movements while they were still out of view.

That's enough thinking.

Whether it was a coincidence, or an intended deployment disguised as a coincidence.

Regardless of who orchestrated this, and what they expected.

That wasn't what was important right now.

“I’ll be brief.”

I turned around.

I slowly looked at the faces of my squad members, one by one.

Total of 110 men.

Including the two squad leaders and Olif, that made 113.

“Your mission, gentlemen, is to win this battle.”

Quite a long time has passed since we were at Burken Fortress.

I called them for a high price.

I supplied them with expensive equipment and materials, and trained them relentlessly until the sortie.

“And my mission is to send you, gentlemen, back to the arms of your families, alive.”

So I hope they don't die.

I hope they are not forgotten from my memory.

Because visiting makeshift graves and paying respects is something I only need to do once.

Because I poured time, money, and effort into this for that very reason.

“If you have no family, then to the arms of a friend. If even that is not an option, we will become your family.”

Therefore, it doesn't matter.

Whoever it is that is trying to test me.

Because I will not only win this battle, but I will also survive.

And the survival I speak of is not me surviving alone.

“For the Empire.”

[[Lord’s Unyielding Mind] is active.]

I turned around and drew my sword.

“F-for the Empire!”

The apprentice mercenary whose jaw had been chattering shouted at the top of his lungs.

“For the Empire!”

“For the Empire!!”

“For His Majesty the Emperor!”

Listening to the shouts that rumbled in my ears, I raised my staff.

[[Shield] is active.]

[Shield] in my left hand.

A steel sword in my right.

I grip the familiar weapons and loosen my shoulders.

I could see dark things swarming in the distance.

“Hehe, no matter how many times I hear it, you really have a way with words. I might fall for you at this rate, Captain.”

Old man Brol muttered and lowered the face guard of his helmet.

I didn't answer and stared at the horizon.

The procession of the dead, dyeing black the junction where the sky and the earth met.

Siege towers jutting out over the squirming undead forces flew their banners, and in the purple-tinged sky, dotted winged creatures spread out.

Kugugugu….

Soon, a red energy began to form in the sky.

It was the harbinger of the vampire bastards' siege spell, [Infernal Meteor].