The Extra Wants To Live

"We won't be able to destroy the walls or gates anyway, so focus on building them quickly and striking them safely."

They decided to make a catapult that wasn't too big, and the stone it would throw wasn't too big either. The goal was to make it as quickly as possible and make Jihan's soldiers cower.

"But just in case, wouldn't it be better to make at least one big one? It might be able to break down the gate?"

"That makes sense."

Being a noble does not mean that one judges everything coolly and rationally. Sometimes, you might just want to give it a hot whack...

So, they built four catapults with low destructive power but long range, and one catapult with enough firepower to destroy the gates, if not the walls.

Jihan occasionally threw stones to check the distance, but none of them reached the ground. As they watched the catapults being built minute by minute, they began to feel impatient. Eventually, on the eighth day of the siege, strange reactions began to appear on the walls.

"Philane, look carefully at the top of the wall," Goban said, stepping forward dangerously with his son, who was experiencing war and siege warfare for the first time. He pointed to the top of Jihan Castle's wall.

"What do you see?"

"Umm..."

"This is your first attack, but you've spent countless hours guarding the place on the walls of Dabron. Think back to those memories."

Philaine had always been guarding the castle, so looking up at it from outside the walls felt unfamiliar. But as he tried to recall what his father said, he definitely sensed something.

"You can feel the soldiers' fear and tension. And you can see a lot of movement."

Philaine read the slow, undulating movements of the soldiers on top of the quadruple-layered walls.

They were so far away that he couldn't see their faces or their specific movements. But Philaine, who had climbed the walls of Dabron in his father's arms before he could even walk, could feel it clearly.

"So what should we do now, Philaine, my son? How would you attack the enemy who has surrounded the castle?"

Goban encouraged his son, placing his large hand firmly on his shoulder. Philaine slowly and quietly stared at the roaring walls and opened his mouth.

"We have now retreated greatly to avoid Jihan's stone-throwing attacks and are taking up positions in a wide-open field. Our formation is long and narrow from north to south, and we've only built positions on the west side facing Jihan, so we are vulnerable to simultaneous attacks from the east and west."

Philaine spoke with confidence.

"We need to strengthen our defenses along the path leading up to the western rocky mountain. If I were them, I would send troops there to surprise and confuse our rear. Also, in case of an emergency, I would place cavalry in the rear to buy time during an unexpected surprise attack."

"Excellent."

Goban smiled brightly and patted his son's shoulder, but he was looking a little further than Philaine.

"But I want to have a little more fun. Rather than blocking the western part of Jihan and cutting them off, wouldn't it cause more damage to retreat and draw the enemy out?"

"... If we make a single mistake, we could suffer great damage. Also, our goal is to blockade Jihan, not capture it."

"That's true. But didn't you say we should shed blood before they get too cocky?"

Goban then grabbed his son's shoulder tightly and spoke in a calm voice.

"Philaine, don't be sad about the death of a soldier. That's something you can do when there's no war."

Philaine was a little taken aback by his father's words, which were so different from the way he had seen his father cherish soldiers until now.

"You are the son of Marquis Govan of Davron, and one day you will succeed me as Marquis of Davron, ruling over this vast land and continuing wars and battles that may last for eternity."

Govan looked into his son's eyes and spoke firmly.

"Philaine, death and loss are different things. Death belongs to the soldier, and loss belongs to the commander. You are a noble being, never a mere soldier, but a commander. Do not fear the death of a soldier. As a commander, weigh the loss and gain of the army and act accordingly."

"...Yes, Father."

When Philaine answered heavily, Govan smiled again. Although he had learned much before he was 20, Philaine, who had grown up without war, only learned this after he was over 30. But it was enough to learn before it was too late.

"Send a messenger. Prepare for battle in secret. They can sense our movements just as we can sense theirs."

Thus, the first battle of the war between Hardion and Tumaria, which had broken out again after 30 years, was announced: the Battle of Jihan Castle.

****

"By now, the Tumari rebels' support should have arrived at Jihan Castle. Shouldn't we be retreating soon?"

Carl's forces, which had passed Jihan and advanced north, acted as if they were going to seize the territory in western Tumaria through mobile warfare.

But that was a deceptive strategy—the real purpose was to wait for the right time to return and attack the rebels heading to Jihan Castle. The problem was getting the timing right.

"No, it is not yet time. We will continue advancing and show that we are truly attacking Gabiha in the northern part of Jihan."

Carl shook his head firmly and insisted on advancing deeper into enemy territory.

"But if we continue like this, it will be too late, and the troops surrounding Jihan will be attacked from both sides."

Even the nobles couldn't hide their bewilderment. It had already been five days since the siege of Jihan began.

If a messenger had run as fast as possible from Jihan to the east to deliver the news, there would have been enough time to organize troops and send support.

"I think we can take a little more time."

On the other hand, some supported Carl's argument.

"The enemy is a rebel force at war with Tumaria's central army. In the meantime, they've attacked us in the west, so it will be a great burden to deploy troops. If they lack confidence, they will not move."

"A hasty commander would have sent troops immediately after hearing news of the siege of Jihan. If we advance any further north, we won't be able to protect our forces in time even if we withdraw."

"Jihan is an impenetrable fortress. They'll want to wait for confirmation that we've advanced north and attacked Gabiha before making any moves."

Everyone argued about the timing of the retreat, and it was becoming noisy. This one timing battle could end in defeat as soon as the war started, or it could secure a clear victory.

"Stop. We will continue to conserve our stamina and slowly advance north. When we reach Gabiha, we'll confirm that the enemy scouts have delivered the news, and the messenger has departed. Then we will follow the messenger and return."

Carl made a firm decision before the atmosphere could heat up any further. Even those who opposed him were left speechless by his tremendous charisma, confidence, and determination.

Carl had actually been checking constantly to ensure the support hadn't started, relying on Camilla and the activities of the bloody ring finger.

It was an information war made possible because Camilla could hide in the shadows and move faster than a horse using the 'Night Lady's Dress.'

The 'Night Lady's Hem' was a great item no matter who used it, but in Camilla's hands, it became almost divine.

Originally designed to hide the wearer's appearance in shadows, Camilla, who had acquired Master-level abilities, could not only hide herself but also one other person.

Most importantly, her mana consumption was drastically reduced, so much so that once she entered the shadows, she could remain there for five days.

In fact, if Camilla decided to act, the war in western Tumaria, without 'Leader Siana,' would collapse.

Camilla could just assassinate key figures, causing everything to crumble.

The power given to the leader of an organization that had fought in the shadows of the Hadad Church for so long, embracing the darkness of Tumaria, was truly formidable.

However, Camilla's existence had to remain concealed, and above all, a full-scale battle had to be fought to evenly distribute the burden of war. War was also a means of politics.

Carl, whose charisma suppressed worries and anxieties, continued slowly advancing north.

This movement was unsettling for the opponent, completely different from what they had expected—Carl rushing forward to engage in a whirlwind-like maneuvering war.

In the end, regarding Carl's actions north of Jihan, they thought, "The young Archduke is not used to mobile warfare and made a wrong judgment."

But they couldn't make a decisive move, delaying their response.

By the seventh day of the siege, Gabiha was defenseless, and nothing could be done until Carl's troops were discovered right before their doorstep.