Chapter : 70

When I was busy setting up the encampment after completing the siege, the Dwarf Mercenary Captain in charge of the sappers came to see me.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency!”

“Yes, it’s good to meet you too. But what brings you here?”

I tilted my head as I looked at the dwarf sapper captain who was paying his respects politely.

It was a very unexpected request.

‘Does he want something from me?’

Something like a request for a larger share of the spoils. Dwarves were known to be greedy, so it seemed quite possible.

However…

That was a complete misunderstanding on my part.

“Your, Your Excellency. I heard that the trebuchets our friends made didn’t perform well during the attack on the city of Markel.”

“Hmm?”

What was this all of a sudden?

“Well, that’s true, but… why are you bringing that up? It was the work of other dwarves…”

I asked back, bewildered. The dwarf sapper captain then exclaimed in a flurry.

“Ah, no, Your Excellency! That is a great disgrace to our clan-! Especially, the Chairman of the Canton Council personally requested. To never cause trouble for Your Excellency and to be of help.”

“Hmm, your presence alone is already a great help?”

It was true.

The dwarf sapper company of about 100 men was taking care of all the trivial tasks.

Thanks to them, the besieged encampment was as comfortable as one could imagine for a field camp.

But the dwarf sapper captain jumped at my words.

“Your Excellency! I will build you a true trebuchet that will destroy those walls-! Please trust me with this.”

“We are the vanguard and have no need to attack the city.”

“B-but…!”

“But what. The siege will begin when the main force arrives. Our mission is to lay siege.”

“S-still…. Your Excellency. A chance…”

When I spoke firmly, the dwarf sapper captain’s face became crestfallen.

Seeing a dark dwarf with a thick, shaggy beard looking like that made it difficult to ignore him.

“Ugh…”

In the end, I sighed after seeing his face.

“Alright. Go ahead and build one.”

“Ooooh-!”

“But there’s no need to overdo it. We’ll only be using it for intimidation anyway. Understand?”

“Of course. I understand. ‘For intimidation’! I understand perfectly.”

It felt like he was emphasizing a different part of the word…

I thought, surely it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Alright then, go ahead.”

“Thank you! Your Excellency. I will present you with the finest of creations. Uhuhuhut.”

Having received my permission, the dwarf sapper captain left with a broad smile.

I was worried that the dwarf sapper captain who had rushed out might cause some big trouble.

‘Hmm, we’ve had a big battle. I need to let the soldiers rest well.’

But thankfully, despite his eagerness to start building immediately, he surprisingly began running around in all directions with his sapper company, saying he was preparing something.

Thanks to that, my interest in him quickly waned.

I had too much to do.

I had to pay the Jubo merchants for their goods and send people to the surrounding villages to reaffirm my control.

I figured, what could be so special about building a trebuchet. So I thought they would do a good job on their own.

However…

“What are those dwarf bastards making?”

“Some kind of siege weapon, they say?”

“A siege weapon? That thing? I thought they were building a wall.”

Before long, the dwarf sapper company was creating something enormous.

Incredibly huge components.

They were gathering house-sized components in one place and assembling them step by step.

Perhaps, when all those were assembled, it would be as massive as a wall, just as the soldiers said.

“What is… that?”

I asked in surprise at the massive object after returning from inspecting the surroundings.

The dwarf sapper captain then pounded his chest proudly.

“Uhuhuhut! That is the masterpiece of our dwarf sapper company! A super-large trebuchet.

We are thinking of naming it after Your Excellency, what do you think? ‘The Wrath of the Bellua Margrave’-! Isn’t it beautiful?”

“……”

The naming sense of the [Pangea Universalise] era was truly something…

“There is no need… to use my name…”

“What?! Why is that, Your Excellency. Your honorable name…”

“Ahem-!”

Embarrassment and shame welled up inside me. The dwarf sapper captain then called out another name as if he had been waiting.

‘God’s Wrath.’

That too had an overly religious feel and didn't quite sit well with me, but what could I do?

“Alright, let's go with that instead.”

Among the many options, this was the better one. I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache for some reason.

“By the way, when will it be finished? It seems the parts are all complete?”

“Oh, as expected of Your Excellency. Now we just need to assemble it. About five days should be enough.”

“Good.”

Since it was already being built, I was planning to fire it at least once.

Although we were the vanguard laying siege and waiting for the main force, the other nobles might complain if we didn't attack at all.

Besides, this trebuchet of enormous size.

‘I just can’t bear not to fire it.’

There was something about it that stimulated a man’s romance. That’s why I spoke to the dwarf sapper captain with a voice slightly tinged with anticipation.

“Let me know when it’s complete.”

“I understand, Your Excellency!”

And the city of Mangtong, which was watching this from the walls…

“Th-this is terrible!!”

An emergency was declared.

* * *

Morale was already low.

Seeing the massive trebuchet being built in real-time outside the walls, the people of the city of Mangtong began to panic.

‘This is really the end.’

It seemed that a trebuchet of that ridiculously large size could bring down even the sturdiest of walls.

Although support from various other cities was still coming in through the port, everyone was slowly starting to feel it.

The members of the city council, in particular, were feeling it even more.

‘This is serious.’

Unlike before, the number of cities helping them was decreasing.

No, rather, there was a trend of hostility towards the city of Mangtong. Some were even starting to plunder ships flying the flag of the city of Mangtong.

The land route was blocked, and now if the sea route was blocked too, it would really be the end.

If things continued like this, only a gruesome end would await them all.

Thanks to this, some council members began to meet in secret to discuss a way to survive.

“How about we switch sides now?”

“Switch sides? To the enemy?”

“Yes. The siege hasn’t started yet, has it? If we surrender now, they will show us leniency.”

It was customary to show mercy to those who surrendered early, before the battle became fierce.

But another council member who heard this shouted as if he was dumbfounded.

“Are you crazy? Have you forgotten who is leading the army outside? The Bellua Margrave! The Performer of Miracles-!”

“Hmm…”

“That man is a pro-Holy See figure to the core, isn't he? Would he really accept us, who have been treated as heretics and even excommunicated! We have no choice but to fight to the end.”

Then one council member said in a disgruntled tone.

“We are not heretics!”

“That’s right. Won’t that Margrave understand this?”

“What are you talking about! We have clearly neglected the activities of heretics within the city of Mangtong. The chairman is even their biggest supporter. To outsiders, there won’t be much difference between us and them.”

“Ugh…”

Everyone sighed at the grim reality. Just then, the council member who had offered his opinion continued.

“I heard that the Bellua Margrave spared the prisoners. Looking at that, maybe there’s a chance?”

“Ooh? Is that true?”

“Yes. I heard it from an outside merchant.”

“Hmm, then that means he is a person who is quite open to talk, unlike what the world says…”

Everyone was intrigued by those words.

If the Bellua Margrave was really like that, then there was a chance to survive if they negotiated before the siege began.

“Is there a way to contact him? It would be difficult to go secretly without being caught by the others…?”

“There is a waterway that leads to the sea, isn't there? Wouldn’t it be possible to go through there when the morning fog sets in? I will try it.”

“Oh?”

“Good! Let’s give it a try. What the heck.”

The moment Chairman Modric went into seclusion and lost control, the members of the Mangtong City Council began to fend for themselves in order to survive.

* * *

I couldn't just sit and wait for the trebuchet to be completed.

I dispatched men to the surrounding villages. It was to procure necessary supplies.

In the era of [Pangea Universalise], there was no separate concept of a supply unit, so most things had to be procured locally.

And this self-procurement usually meant plunder.

Of course, I forbade plunder and ordered them to buy supplies with money.

‘It’s land I’ll eventually rule, so there’s no reason for me to destroy it with my own hands.’

The surrounding villages were all attached to the city of Mangtong. Since I was supposed to receive the city of Mangtong, those villages were practically mine as well.

To devastate the villages that would become my domain just to save money now was nothing short of foolish.

Therefore, it was necessary to manage them in advance.

“Oh, noble Your Excellency.”

Then, the village chiefs began to voluntarily offer tribute. The rumors about me had spread quickly.

“I-it’s a humble offering, but… please accept this and look after our village…. We are not heretics.”

They cursed the heretical city of Mangtong, repented for having paid taxes to it, and pleaded to pay taxes to me from now on.

For me, this was a very good thing.

I immediately dispatched officials to the villages that had come under my rule and allowed them to use my flag.

This was to prevent the main force following behind from plundering them.

At the same time, I set one condition.

“Prove that you are not pagans.”

“Pardon?”

“Bishop Marco is here. If you prove that you are not pagans, I will gladly protect you.”

“Baaaaa! You foolish things! You must wash away your sins with this! Baa.”

When the greedy goat beastman appeared, fluttering an indulgence, the village chiefs finally caught on.

Ah, he wanted them to pay a protection fee.

“Why? Don’t you want to?”

“Oh ho ho! No, Your Excellency. Of course, of course-! We must. We are only grateful.”

In fact, the village chiefs had considered worse. Since their village was part of a city branded as heretical, it wouldn't have been out of place for them to be all killed and plundered.

But if the condition was just to buy an indulgence notarized by a noble(?) bishop, it was actually good.

It was practically the same as declaring that they were not heretics.

Of course, I, who could not know the village chiefs’ thoughts, could only tilt my head.

‘What is it? Why are they happy? I’m extorting money from them.’

Anyway, just as the control over the surrounding villages was proceeding very well.

“My lord. A secret proposal has arrived from the city council.”

“A proposal?”

“Yes, they want to surrender to you, my lord.”

Another piece of good news had arrived.

A traitor from the city.