Dungeon Defense (WN)

“He walked into the jaws of death?”

“He cannot see the forest for the trees. Wide and open plains without any obstacles is the perfect place to utilize cavalry.”

In terms of infantry alone, the Sardinian army outnumbered us by twice the amount.

However, when it came to cavalry, our army had nearly twice as many cavalrymen as the kingdom’s army. The Duke of Milano chose an open area as the battlefield to compensate for his weakness, but in reality, it only exacerbated his weakness.

“The Duke of Milano must be aware that his cavalry is weak. Therefore, the main focus of his strategy will be to withstand our cavalry as much as possible. And he will station elite infantry in the rear in case our cavalry were to charge at them…….”

On the other hand, our goal will be to endure the enemy’s infantry as much as possible.

Will the Kingdom’s army collapse under the assault of the Empire’s cavalry first? Or will the Empire be overwhelmed by the Kingdom’s infantry first? The fate of this battle hinged on this outcome.

“In that case.”

Queen Henrietta smiled slightly.

“So the outcome of this battle rests upon my cavalry.”

“That is correct. Queen.”

“I know that it is odd for me to ask this, but are you sure you want to leave the fate of this battle to me? In the end, I am nothing more than a foreign party. You would be powerless if I were to betray you.”

The Queen’s words caused the surrounding commanders to panic. Some even raised their voices to stop her. Laura, however, did not bat an eye. A voice filled with the utmost confidence flowed from Laura’s lips.

“You will not betray us.”

“Oh? Why do you say that?”

“Because Count Palatine Dantalian did not inform me that you would betray us.”

“……Hah?”

Henrietta’s anticipation to hear Laura’s answer quickly turned into confusion. Nevertheless, Laura continued with what she had to say.

“I might not be well-versed in politics, but the Count Palatine is different. He would have undoubtedly detected any inkling of betrayal on your part. Given that he has not mentioned anything like that to me, I have complete trust in you.”

“What……?”

“As long as it is clear that there is no room for betrayal, the cavalry of Brittany is merely a highly reliable force for me. Entrusting the fate of the battle to the most formidable force is only natural.”

Laura looked around. It was like she was asking if anyone had any more questions. Everyone in the room had become speechless because of the Supreme Commander’s statement. Laura explained a few more things before adjourning the meeting and leaving with brisk steps.

“……Dantalian.”

Henrietta called out to me quietly.

As a side note, Henrietta did not like calling me Count Palatine. It was because she lost to a Demon Lord and not some Count Palatine of an Empire.

“What is it?”

“You are…… How should I put it? You are quite the deeply sinful man.”

I tilted my head.

“Is that a compliment, Your Highness?”

“I am telling you to go to hell.”

Laura. This is bad. That statement just now has increased the Queen’s chance of betraying us by 1%.

* * *

The next morning, the sound of horns resonated throughout the kingdom’s encampment all morning.

Normally, the more confident you were about your victory, the sooner you would start the battle. It wasn’t about rushing to finish the fight in order to go home quickly; it was simply to make it easier to pursue the enemy after the victory.

If the battle drags on into the late evening, the pursuit would also continue into the night. Nighttime wasn’t the best time for pursuit, and the enemy would also have the advantage of escaping under the cover of darkness. The Duke of Milano sounded his horns before us. He was declaring his confidence in victory.

At eight in the morning, with the cool autumn air settling in, both armies lined up their troops.

I was riding my horse at the most dangerous place in this war, right at the forefront of the Imperial army’s first line. Since our goal was to stop the enemy infantry, this section where those infantry will be encountered first will undoubtedly become the main battleground.

“This burden is too heavy for me, Laura.”

I smiled wryly as I peered through my telescope to the other side of the plain. Humans, humans, and more humans. No matter where I looked, it was teeming with humans everywhere.

It was my first time facing this many enemy troops since the Crescent Alliance War. Even then, my heart was uneasy just like it is now. I’d always feel anxious before a battle. War is different from politics. It has too many variables. Well, Laura might say the exact opposite…….

– Sardinia! Rise up against the foreign tyranny!

It was probably because of the scale of the battle, but there was an exchange of pre-battle speeches.

A dignified old gentleman who seemed like he had aged gracefully was being projected. Conducting a pre-battle speech with both projection and translation magic was a luxury that required a certain level of mage support.

The Duke of Milano had a deep, resonant voice with a solid foundation. He gave the impression of a skilled politician. In other words, even if he told a lie, he had the kind of presence that would make people nod and think, ‘Oh, he must have had a good reason for lying.’

The Duke knew how to flourish his words to craft a splendid speech. He had the right cadence, an appropriate resonance, and was able to artfully stir up patriotism and love for one’s homeland.

“Ohhh.”

It’s been a while since I last heard a decent speech. It was so splendid that I gave a round of applause once it was over. The soldiers around me looked at me with eyes that appeared as if they were saying, ‘Your Excellency……? Seriously……? Are you genuinely applauding right now?’ It was clear that none of them wanted to call their commander an idiot. Referentially, there are no allies or enemies when it comes to art.

– Soldiers.

Our speaker from our side wasn’t me, but Queen Henrietta.

The reason was simple. Since Laura had taken the position of Supreme Commander, we had to at least offer something to the Queen so that she could save face. It would only be right for Henrietta to also have something she can boast about once she returns to Brittany.

Henrietta’s voice is also quite refined. It might be a little coarse compared to Elizabeth, but I’m sure she’ll be able to deliver an impressive speech. I patiently awaited Queen Henrietta’s speech.

– Currently, there is no one more foul than the syphilitic patient over there, born to a prostitute in a dimly lit back alley; every single one of his bones has withered away, resembling wilted spinach leaves.

“Pffft!”

I spat out splendidly as soon as I heard her first words. I was so dumbstruck that I inadvertently turned around. Henrietta, who was being projected largely above, had a solemn and serious expression on her face. Did I mishear?

–  That old, dementia-ridden man has no idea where he is and is happily defecating everywhere.

I didn’t mishear her! She’s actually talking about defecating with that serious look on her face!

– We will most likely have to kindly inform him that this place is not a restroom built for the elderly, but a battlefield. Unfortunately, once we do, he will likely still tremble in fear and relieve themself on the spot out of sheer terror. Therefore, this old man is destined to turn this Maledictus Plain into their private restroom. Oh, goddesses! The stench of excrement is already wafting up to my nostrils!

The soldiers cackled.

The laughter from Brittany’s army was the loudest. It seems they were accustomed to this way of speaking from their queen. The laughter soon spread to the other soldiers. Most of them lived crude lives, so the Queen’s speech actually fit their personalities more. They let out an energetic cheer.

– The enemy has sent an old man who is undoubtedly incapable of even getting morning wood as their representative. In other words, this means that they are a gathering of retards with erectile dysfunction. Men, I have seen numerous males in my life, but I must confess that I have never met dogs like them with such shriveled balls.

The laughter of the soldiers grew even louder. Some soldiers were openly whistling, while others joined in with the queen to hurl all kinds of insults and profanities toward the enemy. In short, it was a spectacle.

– I am certain that they fled all the way here in order to avoid being beaten by their wives due to their poor skills in bed. Men! At the very least, we are not so weak that we would lose to retards who get beaten by their wives!

‘Yeah!’ the soldiers shouted as they raised their spears.

– They certainly surpass us in numbers! But what is even more certain is that each one of them is worth less than a single testicle of our soldiers!

Henrietta drew her sword from her hip and pointed it forward.

– In contrast, our men are true warriors, each of them carrying not one, but two splendid testicles! Go and show them what real men are like! All troops, charge!

The cheering reached its peak.

The horns that were given to each unit as tradition were blown chaotically. The drumbeats sounded with an irregular rhythm, and the soldiers without instruments used their feet to create a makeshift ensemble.

“……And she’s supposed to be the queen of a nation?”

I let out a half-amused chuckle. The atmosphere that the Duke of Milano had carefully created with elegance and romance had completely evaporated. Although it was in a whole different category compared to the speech Elizabeth gave on Bruno Plains, there was no denying the effectiveness of Henrietta’s speech.

A red-haired queen whose personality is as uncontrollable as embers, is it? I felt like I understood why she was so popular with the soldiers. But she wasn’t my type…….

With the initial confrontation won by our side, the two armies gradually closed in on each other.

First, our cavalry clashed with theirs on the left flank.

I recalled the explanation Laura gave yesterday.

‘It is likely that the enemy will place their elite cavalry on the left flank.’

‘The left flank is adjacent to a river, so the battlefield there will be limited and the soil will be soft.’

‘The Duke of Milano’s goal is not to win the cavalry battle. It is to avoid defeat. He most likely believes that it will be all right if either of his flanks can hold out long enough.’

This is why the kingdom’s army will place their elite soldiers on the terrain where cavalrymen will be disadvantaged. This was Laura’s prediction.

‘Therefore, we will also place our most elite cavalrymen on the left flank.’

‘There is no reason to hesitate. —Wipe them out with a single push.’

A bright light enveloped our cavalry on the left flank.

Saintess Longwy had blessed them.

That’s right. The cavalry in charge of our left flank were none other than the soldiers of Brittany, the 5,000 cavalrymen led personally by Queen Henrietta.

Judging by their equipment, the troops that came out to intercept Brittany appeared to consist of a small number of knights and mostly foreign mercenaries. For the kingdom’s army whose main force was their civilian militia, these were undoubtedly their most formidable troops.

Brittany’s army and the kingdom’s army clashed at the riverside. I glanced at the unfolding cavalry battle with my telescope. Spears mixed together as they impaled into the chests of soldiers. Soldiers who were sliced by curved blades fell powerlessly from their horses.

“Hmm.”

I lowered my telescope. There was no need to keep watching.

“They aren’t even a match.”

Brittany was winning one-sidedly.

The kingdom’s army was being ripped apart relentlessly after only a single clash.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I honestly don’t have that much to say. I think I’m mostly okay now, but that’s obviously just going to be temporary depending on whatever happens in the near future. Work has been a bit annoying because I suddenly got a large pile of it this week. I wonder if lunch tastes good. I wouldn’t know since I skip it constantly 🙂

Welp, in any case, I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.