Chapter 199

Chapter 199

***

The Imperial Succession War which had been long in its own way also slowly seemed to see its end. While taking 4, 5 years just simmering when Marie intervened the matter began to proceed rapidly.

Ultimately to decide the victory, there had to be a risk burden to some extent mutually.

When Rickart took the risk first and stepped back a little himself, the balance until then tilted. Perhaps the existence named Rickart itself was an axis balancing the whole thing.

Right now there were only the Second Prince, Fifth Prince, and Marie at the gambling table, and Rickart stood behind watching the situation.

The cards the three held were each different. The Fifth Prince Bellator dominated the Imperial Capital, the Second Prince Nivellius received much support from the nobles, and Marie was popular among the public.

Like this with the cards each held being different, such a point perhaps was the most fundamental reason why they mutually felt threatened by each other.

What the era would want and ultimately choose was a matter unable to be known. As always, because history doesn't weigh good and evil. Not that justice wins but the one who wins was justice shortly, stipulating the spirit of the times.

For a person finding their own path and walking there was only a choice according to free will, the result was solely for God to decide. Isn't it because of uncertainty that free will finally shines?

By the way it was a truly hot summer. Although they say it's better than winter, summer was also a hard season to fight battles. For everyone.

Days feeling hot beyond hot along with the persistent sabotage operations of the Master's Federation biting like swarms of mosquitoes, made the Fifth Prince's army exhausted even before fighting the battle.

And the biggest weakness of the Fifth Prince's army was precisely that Bellator truly sucked at fighting battles. More than the Second Prince.

That was due to his greed rather than his incompetence or wrong judgements. While not directly participating in the battle site he maintained a very bizarre command structure where he himself grasped the command authority. Unfitting the name Bellator meaning 'Warrior'.

Why he did this was because Bellator absolutely didn't trust other people, and didn't want to let go of power from his hands even a little bit.

Even so the troops thrown into the Stormhearts siege battle were a whopping 6 thousand.

Even throwing in all troops, they had to leave minimum supply units and troops to protect the Imperial Capital so it was 6 thousand people. This was a number barely scraped together and shaken out truly totally.

Conversely the personnel protecting the Stormhearts Castle were 30 or so at most. Even adding all the residents it didn't even reach 100 people.

Calculating only numbers it was a fight unable to be established in the first place. However maintaining balance strangely, it was a difficult fight for both.

"It will take three months?"

Count Gustred who took charge of the field command of the Fifth Prince's army frowned his brow and asked.

The target of the question looked exactly like a technician or laborer, and taking off what he wore on his head he gathered them in front of his chest and had his waist bowed.

"Even that is catching the period as quickly as possible, but procuring materials from the start is not easy. Especially the axis of a catapult is important and that is only produced in the workshops of the Benicio Merchant Guild. To procure it from somewhere else there is no other way than crossing the sea to the Lunadan region and procuring it from the heathens. Although we have already sent people we cannot know when they will return."

The person who looked like a technician was none other than a person specializing in siege weapon manufacturing. Most siege weapons were not dragged from afar, but assembled and made on site.

But that wasn't something that could be made just hammering because they wanted to make it.

"Hey, messenger, this battle cannot be maintained for three months. I told you to deliver that part well to the Prince, wasn't it delivered?"

Taking his gaze off the technician Gustred looked at the person continuously wiping sweat with his hand due to the heat and said.

"No. We definitely delivered it."

"Then why......"

The siege weapon technician was a person sent by the Fifth Prince Bellator. Utilizing him the directive came down to manufacture siege weapons, and make the Stormhearts Castle fall.

But this didn't fit the field situation. Sustaining the number of 6 thousand people was a matter costing enormous money and food even just maintaining it, so they should utilize that number what kind of siege weapons were they?

Count Gustred stood still as if speechless for a moment. Regardless of the era in any organization the person in the middle was always the hardest.

"What shall we do, Count? If we don't fight the battle for too long the soldiers' discipline also loosens. At the same time the supply routes are consistently threatened so the reality is everyone is anxious. Serving the Prince's will is good but now seems the time for you to make a decision."

This was the problem. The directives coming down from above were frustrating to death too, but below they kept urging him to did this or that. But since they were the same nobles he couldn't shout and scold as he pleased.

Gustred still spoke calmly in his own way.

"......Let's formulate a plan at least. Because making siege weapons doesn't mean we can make the castle fall shortly either. Let's tear down the ground morning and evening and push the battering ram to the castle gate. Since we will divide into five units and do it in turns, then at least we can make the enemies not be able to rest properly."

As a field commander it seemed Bellator didn't seat just anybody. Although not a special plan, it was a method utilizing the superiority of troops at least as much as possible.

Gustred immediately organized a new formation. Examining the terrain it wouldn't work in other places being rocky regions, and there was exactly one place where the ground could be torn down.

Pouring in troops holding pickaxes and shovels there they recklessly started digging the hill itself. Rather than a battle it was reminiscent of a construction site.

And selecting specially brave people they rushed the battering ram to the castle gate. A battering ram was actually just several people holding a log whose end was shaved pointy and bashing it.

Auxiliary troops stuck beside them and blocked stones or arrows with shields, but in the first place the personnel on Marie's side defending the castle only had exactly two crossbows.

Still from the perspective of receiving arrows below they might get hit themselves so even just that was burdensome though.

Stormhearts Castle was an old and small-scale castle. So the castle gate wasn't that thick and sturdy either, so if they could somehow break through that well they could end the battle earlier than thought.

With tension and anticipation Gustred and the leadership watched the battering ram unit climbing the hill. From above the wooden palisade they threw stones and shot arrows in their own way but the siege unit advanced resolutely.

Then around the time they reached the castle gate, the path narrowed to the point where the people beside them couldn't assist. Still the personnel holding the battering ram rushed shouting mightily.

"Waaaah!"

"Fuuuuck!"

But right then the ground collapsed with a collapse and the people holding the battering ram fell helplessly below the hill.

The personnel holding shields from the side while climbing the hill were watching from behind, and could only be devastated. It was the same for Gustred too.

"Indeed right, fuck."

Being a hot summer sweat flowed steadily even staying still. Seeing the siege unit fall futilely he gave the next directive.

"Lay planks and make a path. Then we throw in the battering ram again."

A siege battle wasn't originally done with spears and swords but a fight to somehow make a path and break through. Because once broken through they would usually surrender inside, unless it was a massacre there was almost no work using spears and swords.

The fight between the ones breaking through and the ones protecting roughly flowed in such an aspect. The castle gate side solidly rebuilt the torn down ground again, and from above they shot arrows or threw stones interfering, and the hill side pared the hill away day and night like doing large-scale construction.

As about five days passed like that the ground in front of the castle gate was made tolerably sturdy enough for people to pass by. Although the planks laid on the ground were crooked they were sturdy.

Throwing in the battering ram again, suddenly the castle gate flung open and a knight riding a horse holding a spear came out. What the fuck?

It was Abellich wearing a helmet and fully armed. Abellich rushed towards the siege unit climbing the hill with unrivaled bravery. Having been greatly surprised they threw the logs and ran away in all directions. There wasn't even anything bumping.

Completely descending the hill, Abellich rampaged bumping and stabbing the enemy soldiers near there as he pleased. Because they didn't know a knight would come out of the castle the soldiers threw away various siege tools and ran away.

After scattering the enemies in a rampage, Abellich climbed the hill again. Returning into the castle he completely tore down all the paths he had built on the collapsed ground.

Gustred watching that didn't panic exactly as if he anticipated this much and gave a directive.

"Deploy archers on both sides first. If he pops out again turn him into a hedgehog. And make the path again. The person who endures wins! Do not be discouraged!"

It was a correct word. However reality didn't flow exactly like words.

Like water slowly heating up, the Master's Federation people who frequently committed sabotage operations in the rear ultimately ended up executing surprise attacks during the night.

The supply units arrived more and more irregularly as time went by, and sometimes supplies were all robbed and food couldn't even come on time.

Gustred encouraged the soldiers repeating the same words every time that happened.

"Endure! If you endure you will win!"

Although the soldiers felt this wasn't it, they trusted that word for now. Actually what tormented the soldiers the most was not the personnel on Marie's side defending the castle, nor the Master's Federation like mosquito swarms. It was the heat. These days it was hot even at night so they couldn't even sleep properly.

Furthermore the thing called gambeson commonly worn by soldiers was stuffed with cotton or wool, so wearing it in midsummer themselves was tantamount to torture.

Sweat poured like rain, and the gambeson soaked with water became even more damp and heavy.

Still they tenaciously carried stones and dirt and tried to make a path in front of the castle gate. It wasn't easy but they worked stubbornly like ants somehow.

When about 2 weeks had passed like that, good news was heard from the unit digging the hill on the side of the castle.

They had completely shaved the hill out right and made a path, which almost reached the wooden palisade of the castle. Indeed the defending side didn't have many personnel so there was a limit to interfering.

When Gustred directly went and saw, thinking this could end here the color of life returned. If they tear down the wooden palisade and throw troops in there how will they protect the castle?

Both well knew. That soon the wooden palisade would tilt from its roots and then fall over. The soldiers of the Fifth Prince's army didn't even wear armor as if saying kill us if you want to kill us, and took off their tops digging the ground enthusiastically holding pickaxes and shovels.

The time was around morning. Although there was resistance from above the wooden palisade in their own way, seemingly about to fall soon the defending personnel also climbed down from the wooden palisade.

And finally with a crack the wooden palisade fell over with a crumbling. But they ended up crushing the soldiers of the Second Prince's army. The personnel below were being crushed randomly, but accidents can happen in any construction right?

"Pull all construction personnel to the rear! Throw in the reserves right now! Now!"

As Gustred gave the directive cavalrymen riding horses went back and forth busily and delivered the command.

Thereupon the personnel climbing the hill scattered crumbling however they wanted, and the real combat unit waiting below the hill climbed the hill holding swords and spears. Towards the place where the wooden palisade collapsed.

But around the time they almost reached the castle, exactly one person, not even multiple people just exactly one person was waiting holding a single sword.

Ice's silver hair looked almost white under the sunlight. With light armament unlike usual, he slowly drew his sword and swung it toward the enemies approaching him.

When the sword flashes reflecting sunlight blended additionally with the light unique to a Sword Master, it truly seemed like holding light in his hand and swinging it.

The soldiers thrusted shields and spears and tried to push through, but with one sword swing one person, or two people just collapsed weakly.

There wasn't even any special technique. Lifting the sword above his head and striking down was all. Light flashed flashing. Every time that happened soldiers spilled blood and died off, so corpses piled up in an instant. The personnel coming from behind couldn't advance blocked by corpses.

Moreover if the person in front stepped back thinking this isn't it, they pushed each other and were just pushed arbitrarily backwards.

"What is this matter......"

Watching from afar Gustred was dumbfounded. Because they tore down the wooden palisade but greater despair was waiting behind it.

Meanwhile it was established reputation that Sword Masters weren't very useful on the battlefield. Not immortals, because it was revealed that they too were powerless against blind spears and swords and arrows closely on a chaotic battlefield.

However in a siege defense battle at least, especially in a narrow path they couldn't be a match.

"Count......"

For the first time as Count Gustred said nothing and remained still, despair seemed to spread even to the surrounding people.

If it doesn't work even doing this much then it just doesn't work right? Shouldn't we withdraw troops even now? The damage might grow if passing a certain point.

Such thoughts crossed Count Gustred's mind. And that also meant his will was slowly breaking in the fight of will and will.

"If we return like this the Prince will not leave us alone......"

One of his close aides said. Although he didn't read the Count's thoughts, he too felt a similar mood.

"......Yeah, it can't be helped. Let's do it until it works."

Gustred said as if giving up. However that wasn't giving up in a true meaning but rather closer to burning his will.

From this time on he too took off his top and held a shovel in his hand. With the mindset of completely paring down the entire hill altogether, they tried to make paths in other places too. That place was a rocky area so it was especially harder and more dangerous.

As the commander stepped up directly like that, the soldiers too began to put forth strength once again.

And actually the side defending the castle was hard identically. Since the heat doesn't discriminate between people. And passing this point they wished he would step back somewhat but Count Gustred wasn't such a soft person.

Since they pre-packed plenty of food they didn't starve, but drinking water was the problem. Already summer days with many personnel the wells were in the middle of drying up too.

Truly without any other technique, it was a fight of who gives up first between each other.

Another 2 weeks passed and another part of the castle was torn down, and as troops were thrown in there this time Bori stepped up and swung his sword randomly.

"Two Sword Masters you say!? There won't be three! We do it until it works!"

Gustred began to pare down another part of the hill. Now truly even the supply routes were completely blocked, starving and unable to sleep they were almost in a state of not being human.

6 weeks since the siege and defense started, this time with the mindset of truly ending it Gustred who made a new path took the lead. It was already a point where rational judgement was lost quite a lot.

"If we can't end it today! We just all fucking die! Even if I die rush until the end! I do not wish to live! Only victory! Follow meeeee!"

"Waaaaaaaah!"

Gustred truly didn't wear armor either and holding a pickaxe in one hand ran indiscriminately to the castle. From three directions, the castle gate and the pared hills, 6 thousand troops attacked at once.

However this time, the third Sword Master was waiting. Martelia von Nivelinger. Similarly to Gustred she too was in a state of having half lost her reason.

Since it was a time when the method of managing mana wasn't properly established each had a different personality, but in Marie's case when she raised mana her hair scattered as if blowing in the wind.

As Gustred faced that appearance the thought crossed his mind this isn't a pregnant woman but a witch isn't it? And that was the last consciousness of his life.

As Marie waiting above glared and clenched her teeth striking down her sword, with a purple flash Gustred's upper body was chopped cleanly sliced diagonally like a lie.

And subsequently swinging the sword toward the enemies rushing eagerly, it almost seemed like a butcher doing repetitive work.

She solely repeated taking down her sword with it lifted. On both sides Roy and Becca risked their lives and assisted her.

In an instant corpses piled up, and enemies tripped over the corpses of allies and fell, moving corpses aside and climbing up again, slipping because of blood, it was literally a fierce fight.

What made them go to these lengths wasn't the terrifying Fifth Prince, nor Gustred who died heroically in battle. It was the suffocating heat.

The places Ice and Bori were blocking were not much different either. Placing auxiliary personnel on both sides they just swung their swords like julienning vegetables.

During that, Marie suddenly had her water break. Water poured between her legs, mixing with the enemies' blood. One was blood meaning birth, one meaning death.

Marie staggered and firmly grabbed Becca's shoulder. And gave her hand a tight squeeze.

"Q-Queen!"

"I will take charge!"

Roy noticed the situation and replaced Marie's position. Because Marie had already sliced up a lot it wasn't a situation that was hard like that at all.

Almost having lost reason he swung his axe and bumped with his body blocking the enemies rushing while moving or climbing over corpses.

Amidst that Becca couldn't even go far and laying Marie down nearby received the baby, shouting loudly.

"Water! Bring water! His Majesty the Emperor is coming out!"

I don't know why she said such a thing now, but actually if the baby was born it was correct he was Adelorn's next King, and Crown Prince. There had never been such a noble bloodline early on.

Even though it was hard for the village people staying inside the castle also maintaining the castle or coming forward to battle support identically, because the baby was trying to come out at exactly this time everyone swarmed crumbling and surrounded Marie. As if saying they would protect the baby no matter what happens, even if the castle falls.

Abellich was in a state having mounted his horse to charge risking death in case even one place was broken through. However as his daughter-in-law suffered labor pains, his eyes shook randomly.

Anxiety and anticipation, those mixed together like the harmony of light and shadows. Presently when the battle was most intense, and the hottest day of the year, a new life announced its birth.

"Eung-aeeeeeeh!"

It was a truly unfitting, and heterogeneous sound. With the battle.

The baby's crying sounded like declaring he was alive, that there was life here.

As that crying sound echoed across the battlefield, the enemies suddenly regained their reason, and as their morale broke and they ran away one by one the offensive began to collapse crumbling.

"Crown Prince. He is the little master."

Becca carefully supported the blood clot in her hands and said to Marie. Marie at the end of extreme pain and stress momentarily, felt extreme joy filling her mind and soul, and body forgetting everything in the world like flowers blooming fully.

Marie whispered with a smile like a person who attained enlightenment. It was a small sound but all the surrounding people heard.

"Vilter, my Vilter......"

She had promised Rickart to name the child Vilter if a son, and Hildis if a daughter.

So the promised name was Vilter, and people called him the child born on the hottest day.

His surname was Rikarn. Vilter von Rikarn. Adelorn's next King right from birth, and an existence whose position as Crown Prince was also confirmed if his mother became Emperor.

Like that Vilter was born harboring fire in the middle of a battlefield. Just as Rickart's older brother was the most intense flame as the Commander of the Flame Knights.

The battle of summer days that was especially harder to endure ended like that together with the birth of a new life.

Having heard the news Rickart, whispered very softly, carefully, yet clearly so only his son could hear even though far away. Please grow up brightly like a star......

And now it was Rickart's turn to step up. Since a person who lost in gambling had to be bitten by the stakes.

The stakes were none other than justification to stain his hands with royal blood.

Chapter 40 - A New Beginning at the End of Conflict. The End.