Published: January 15, 2026
【Towncar】
“Indeed, Lord Cosworth is right.”
“There is no better once-in-a-lifetime opportunity than this.”
“If we win here, everything will go according to plan.”
Given the pressing situation, I found myself agreeing, swept up by such voices, to prepare to counterattack.
“Ah, we can’t run away now... Who would be foolish enough to charge into enemy lines with such an advantageous battlefield? There must be some terrifying weapon involved...”
From atop the castle wall, Istana, Cosworth’s younger brother, muttered as he gazed toward Centena and the mountain path. Was it the two defeats that made him so uneasy, or did he sense something eerie from the messenger’s report?
Either way, his temperament was quite different from Cosworth's.
“...Are we really okay?”
Anxiety spread around. Because of Istana’s unnecessary muttering, one of the subordinates voiced such concerns. I understood their feelings, but by now, the decision to fight had already been made. Expressing worry wouldn't change anything.
I deliberately smiled and shook my head.
“I don't know whether we’re truly okay. But we can’t run anymore. If we have no choice but to fight, it’s better to think about how to win.”
“...Yes, sir!”
Though their hesitation was not entirely gone, they seemed to face forward again. I meant to reassure my subordinates, but it was also a message to myself. The weapons and tactics of the Kingdom of Scuderia were beyond imagination and unpredictable. Frankly, I thought we should have allied with the Kingdom of Scuderia, not the Yelinetta Kingdom.
But it was too late. It was frustrating that things had gone exactly according to Cosworth’s plan, but once we followed his words and adopted a defensive stance, the decision to fight was sealed.
Even if we cut off Cosworth and Istana’s heads and then tried to negotiate peace with Scuderia, no ally would trust a nation that betrayed its partners like that.
“...Judging from that fire earlier, the guardian of Scuderia is still active.”
In a siege, an attacking force needs more than five times the defenders’ strength to capture a stronghold. That’s why the Yelinetta Kingdom greatly bolstered their army by forming an allied force with the Shelvia Confederation. Though we suffered a heavy defeat, most of our knights remained intact. Yet only about 2,500 appeared from Centena—at most around 3,000, even if they misjudged their numbers. How did they intend to conduct a siege with less than a tenth of the force?
“Is this just a feint? Or do they really think they can fight despite the overwhelming disparity?”
If Centena had just focused on defense, victory would be within reach. So why did they shift to offense? Soon, I would find out the answer.
As I looked ahead from the castle wall, I saw riders galloping out from deep within the mountain path. Though too far for our artillery to reach, I recognized them as knights of the Shelvia Confederation—scouts who had been hiding in the mountains.
“Approximately twenty cavalry approaching from Centena’s direction! They’re our scouts!”
I nodded slightly at the report, puzzled about what had happened. The scouts knew the area well, so they wouldn’t be found easily, and even if they were, escape was possible. So why were they charging toward us?
“Lord Towncar! There’s smoke! Smoke rising from the mountain!”
“Have they set fire...? Normally, that’s a last-ditch tactic employed by those trapped...!”
I shouted, though the enemy couldn’t hear me.
It was probably a high-powered fire magic attack. The smoke had only just started to rise, so we hadn’t noticed earlier. The scouts must have judged that the fire was spreading and escaped immediately.
If the flames spread through the woods, Centena itself could be at risk. What a brutal tactic. The mountain gradually turned red as smoke blackened the sky. From here, the mountain path appeared narrow and possibly blocked by the fire.
Yet beyond the flames, the Kingdom of Scuderia’s knight order appeared.