Werner called for a full-speed retreat the moment the arrows were loosed, not even pausing to watch the fortress burst into flames more yellow than red. They dashed through the plains astride their horses. Neurath and Schünzel called out to Werner, half-yelling over the thunder of their desperate gallop for their lives.
“What was that just now, Lord Werner?”
“Was it magic?”
“It was a simple dust explosion, not magic,” Werner responded while clinging to his horse. When flammable materials hanging in the air are lit on fire, they burst into flames in an explosion. It could even happen to flour and sugar, and in Werner’s past life, they were occasionally the cause of some deadly accidents.
“With the force of those flames,” Neurath mused, “our enemies should suffer quite the—”
“Oh, that won’t do much,” Werner cut in.
“Huh?” Neurath and Schünzel gawked. Dust explosions were dangerous when they happened in enclosed spaces like tunnels or the insides of buildings, but without a roof over the fortress, it looked more impressive than it really was. The energy of the explosion dissipated into the air, meaning there wouldn’t be much damage.
As the fortress was beside a river, the humidity was high, which further dampened the impact. Even if their enemies were humans, it would have only left them with light burns. The substance they used—coal dust—was more resistant to the humidity than flour, but even Werner was secretly surprised that the flames had been so dramatic.
“Th-then why did you…?”
“When something like that happens but you don’t understand what caused it, you have to pause for a bit. Plus…” Werner laughed as he galloped on his horse. “I’m sure our enemies will just dismiss it and think, ‘human traps may be flashy, but they lack impact.’ They won’t be afraid of us, so I’m sure they’ll pursue me.”
If the goal had simply been to maximize harm, a simple attack by fire or a pitfall would have been more effective. Werner had purposefully chosen a flashy dust explosion to make sure the Demons continued to underestimate them.
Werner remarked that this probably convinced the enemies that the walls of Anheim were more of a threat than their traps and that they’d want to hunt him down before he could escape to the city. Then, he waved the flag of House Zehrfeld in the air and declared, “The second fortress is the first of many turning points! We ride there with all haste!”
“Yessir!”
At Werner’s word, the group spurred their horses on, deliberately urging them to pound hoofprints into the ground as they galloped to the second fort. The sudden burst of heat and light had dazed Gezarius, but he forced the doors open with sheer anger, tearing the walls down with them as he burst from the fort. But by the time he stepped into the open, Werner’s forces were nowhere to be seen.
✦ ✦ ✦
The top of the second fortress, situated on a hill, was jam-packed with people. Many brought with them supplies, while others were assigned to this post from the start. Preparing for a long march or pitched battle took many hands and lots of work.
In Werner’s previous world, the famous Knights Templar once brought four thousand men on campaign, but the Werner had merely two hundred knights among his forces. Of course, they had a few infantry, but the rest of those numbers were laborers.
There was a lot of work to be done that those in military service were seldom accustomed to, and giving one person multiple jobs often ended in a lot of unsatisfactory work. Thus, the only orders given to farmers, who’d only ever worked their plows and fields, had to be simple instructions like building as strong a fence as possible.
But dividing the work up like this required many hands, increasing the number of required men. This could pose issues for foodstuffs and other supplies. Balancing this out was a necessary part of the calculations involved in leading an army.
This would have been beyond tiresome for anyone handling all of it, but Werner had avoided losing sleep by tasking Rafed with logistics and having Eickstedt manage the laborers. Considering that Eickstedt’s presence allowed Kesten to completely focus on protecting Anheim, Werner had clearly gotten lucky when it came to personnel.
“I see you’ve worked hard, Lord Eickstedt.”
“It’s of no matter, as long as you are well, Your Lordship.”
“Well, the real threat comes now.”
The Demon army made light of humans, and thus, the Anheim forces’ trap had proved effective at the first fortress. They had planned the trap from the start. However, at the second fortress, they would have to enter battle, and it was sure to prove a fierce one.
“The planks and the other materials have been prepared according to your orders. All that is left is for you to check it.”
“Understood. Take the laborers and return to Anheim. Bring some adventurers as guards and some support forces from among the mercenaries.”
“Yessir.”
He seemed somewhat disappointed, most likely because he wouldn’t be able to participate in the battle against the Demon army for himself. His feelings were understandable. However, they would suffer their heaviest losses at this fort. As Eickstedt was hardly accustomed to battle, Werner wanted to keep him far from the battlefield.
“We’ll take the Demon Commander’s head at Anheim, not here. I’d like you to return before us and make the necessary preparations.”
“Understood. But will they truly pursue you?”
“Probably.”
Despite his response, Werner was almost certain. At the same time, it was true that their pursuit introduced some unknown variables. While Werner anticipated this to ultimately benefit him, he needed to keep a level head and account for the chance it would swing things in the Demons’ favor. It was quick judgment and adaptability that had seen him through this far.
“At the very least, they won’t return to Triot without trying something. If they choose to attack Anheim now, we have a backup plan, but you leave that to me.”
“Understood. I’ll return to Anheim once I check the third fortress.”
“I’m counting on you.”
After sending Eickstedt off, Werner made sure he had the materials he needed in order. Then he summoned Holzdeppe and Goecke, alongside Neurath, Schünzel, all the mercenaries, and the rest of his army.
“Listen up! The battle here will be key to our victory!” He stood on a podium as he called out to his men. Almost everyone in his line of sight was older than he was. Werner told himself that worrying about it wasn’t typical of him before continuing his speech. “This battle will be fierce, but we need only last until nightfall. If we do, the battle will turn in our favor.” He couldn’t yet explain his concrete reasoning. Instead, he explained the general course of the battle and left explaining the details to each squad’s commander. “The Hero and the holy woman have taken on the entire Demon army with smaller numbers than we have here! What we face today is but a part of that army, but our battle will surely prove some help to them!”
At times like this, a commander needed to put on a show of confidence. A hint of ambivalence or a twitch of worry on a commander’s face could lead to their army’s collapse before the battle had even begun. The same was true of saying too much.