Chapter 37: Expedition to Arse (Part II)

"I will now emphasize the combat mission for the Second Squad today. In this engagement, the Second Squad will serve as a support unit for the Ranger Corps. If we are tasked with an assault, we are responsible for constructing and erecting wooden ladders to support the First and Third Squads in scaling the walls. Remember, the wooden palisade of Arsburg is approximately ten feet high, and there is no moat outside the walls. Our squad must construct two fifteen-foot ladders. Each combat team will be responsible for one ladder; the team leader will set it up while the members provide cover with their shields until the First and Third Squads have crossed the wall, at which point we will follow."

"If we encounter the enemy in the open field, our squad will act as the left flank of the Ranger Corps, with the Third Squad in the center and the First Squad on the right. Simultaneously, we serve as the extreme left wing of the entire pacification army. We must ensure that once the battle begins, the army’s left flank is not outflanked or encircled by the enemy..." In the Ranger Corps camp outside Andermat Castle, Kazak was relaying the pre-battle arrangements based on Yate's deployment. Five black-robed soldiers, armed with short spears and round shields, sat on the ground in the clearing, listening quietly to their commander's instructions.

On the other side of the camp, Bass, wearing leather armor and carrying a flail at his waist, had finished his own pre-battle briefing. He paced among his soldiers, checking their weapons, gear, water skins, and ration bags one by one. "Finish your breakfast, then stay in place and wait for the order to move out. Check your weapons again. Polish your short spears and sharpen your swords, hammers, and axes..."

...

Inside the military tent, Yate was being helped by Roan into the iron-studded leather armor captured from the Wincheston estate.

Once fully equipped, Yate issued orders to the two guards in the tent.

"Roan, it is a two-day march from Andermat to Arsburg. Although the Baron has arranged for scouts, we cannot afford to be careless. You and Jason are to remain vigilant near the marching column, especially when passing through woods, hills, and tall grass. Scout carefully to prevent ambushes. The people occupying Arsburg are not simple mountain bandits; I fear they may ambush the advancing army."

"Jason, pass the order to pack up the tents, then go see if Odo has finished breakfast."

Jason exited the tent and headed toward the temporary cookhouse by the edge of the camp...

Compared to the tense and orderly atmosphere of Yate's camp, Andermat Castle was in complete disarray. While Baron Antayas's garrison guards and the knights' squires possessed basic military discipline, the conscripted peasant levies had no regard for orders. They were accustomed to farming and had no training; furthermore, having been forced into this campaign as cannon fodder to serve as arrow sponges and shield-bearers, their morale was abysmal. When the time finally came to march, everyone was in a panic. Two peasants even refused to leave the castle despite the beatings from the knights and officers, while others feigned dizziness or stomach aches, running around in chaos and stalling for time. It was only after Baron Antayas flew into a rage and had the ringleaders dragged out and severely thrashed that the rest of the peasants finally quieted down.

The "expeditionary force," originally scheduled to depart at dawn, did not drag its long tail out of the castle until the sun was high enough to scorch their scalps...

Yate and his ready-to-march Ranger Corps had been waiting outside for half the morning, long enough that he felt the urge to charge in and lop off the heads of a few troublemaking peasants.

Odo, standing by Yate's side, watched the disheveled mob trailing behind, carrying long scythes, wooden pitchforks, clubs, and hammers with a sluggish gait. He spat on the ground and muttered resentfully, "My lord, fighting alongside these people is pure misery. These bastards aren't even as good as the laborers back in Lucesern." With that, he returned to his squad, ordered his soldiers to stand, and followed Yate, who was mounted on a black warhorse, into the marching formation.

...

The peasants did not let Yate down in their incompetence. Only three miles into the march, the column of a hundred men had stretched out over half a mile, with many of those at the tail end looking around for a chance to desert.

Baron Antayas was forced to dispatch a squad of armed castle guards to the rear to drive the cowardly peasants forward.

Just as the column finally achieved a semblance of formation, the morning was already gone, and the peasants began clamoring for a rest to eat...

...

By the time the column reached the edge of a forest, the sun was nearly touching the horizon, and they were only fifteen miles from Andermat Castle. With darkness falling, Baron Antayas had no choice but to order the camp to be set up in the woods ahead and fires to be lit for cooking. Upon receiving the order, the peasants scattered like birds, gathering in groups of three or five to collect firewood and prepare the stale grain rations they had received from the Baron.

The knights paid no attention to their subordinates, but fortunately, Baron Antayas, being a man of military experience, dispatched several sentries and a scout unit to patrol the perimeter.

Sir Druid rode to Yate's camp and said to Yate, who was overseeing the pitching of tents and the assignment of rotations, "Lord Yate, the Baron requests that you send a cavalryman to join our patrols around the camp, and then asks for your presence in his tent for a council."

Yate arranged for Jason to ride out with Druid's men, then took Roan and headed toward a large tent in the center of the woods.

Inside, an argument had already broken out. It was nothing more than a squabble between the peasants of different knights over stolen firewood or a flat, dry camping spot, while the competitive knights felt that the best spots should rightfully belong to them...

Baron Antayas sat at the head of the tent, his face growing increasingly grim. A day of stifling travel had already left him infuriated, and now his own knights were bickering over dry twigs and camping plots.

"Enough! All of you, keep your damn mouths shut!" Antayas roared.

The two knights, red-faced and panting, glared at each other before sullenly retreating to their respective places.

These two knights held neighboring manors and were constantly frictioning over border issues, but acting like dogs at a time like this was a grave lack of decorum.

Yate waited until the shouting stopped, then lifted the flap, entered the tent, and took his place at the end.

Seeing that all officers were present, Antayas cleared his throat and said, "Today's march revealed far too many problems. I highly doubt whether I can rely on those bastards under your command to reclaim Arsburg for me. However, let me warn you: if I fail to take back Arsburg, you won't fare any better. I will reclaim your fiefs before the crown reclaims mine."

The Baron's anger left everyone in the tent feeling tense and fearful.

Sir Chloe, a middle-aged knight standing on the right, sensed the sour atmosphere and quickly stepped forward. "My lord, it is not that everyone is unwilling to perform their duties; it is simply that the peasants are temporary levies and truly lack discipline. However, the knights are doing their best to maintain order among them."

Baron Antayas held some respect for Sir Chloe, as he was an old veteran who had followed him through past battles, and Chloe had indeed brought capable young peasants and two squires. The Baron took the opportunity to step down, calming himself. "You are all knights with glorious histories. You or your ancestors have fought on the battlefield for your sovereign. God has endowed you with courage and honor; you should faithfully fulfill your knightly vows."

Baron Antayas glanced at Yate standing at the end and said, "In other words, you should learn from Ranger Yate. He is only here by invitation to assist in the suppression, yet his troops have displayed excellent discipline these past two days. I believe their combat effectiveness is equally impressive."

No sooner had the Baron finished speaking than a ripple of scornful laughter echoed through the tent. It was clear that these knights held the commoner official and his Ranger Corps in low regard; they did not believe that discipline had much to do with a unit's combat capability.

Yate felt quite awkward, but he had no desire to argue with them in such a setting.

...

The council that night yielded little of substance beyond emphasizing restraint and maintaining morale. The night passed in silence.

The next day, the knights were indeed much stricter with their men. Under the threat of sticks from the knights and their squires, the peasants broke camp early and began their march toward Arsburg. For the rest of the journey, there was virtually no desertion or stalling, as the Baron had ordered Sir Druid to execute any peasant who showed signs of laziness on the spot.

Accelerating their pace, the large force arrived by sunset at a dense forest one mile from Arsburg. Beyond this forest lay a fertile expanse of land at the foot of Mount Bore. Arsburg was built on the northern hillside of a smaller slope, overlooking these plains. As an important gateway to the Bore Mountains, the village, despite its small size, was fortified with a wooden palisade and two arrow towers capable of supporting defensive archers.

Taking advantage of the remaining daylight, Yate took Odo and a few others to the edge of the forest to reconnoiter Arsburg. Just as Lawrence had described, it was indeed a wooden fortress that was difficult to assault. It sat on the gentle slope at the base of the mountain, preventing the use of large siege engines, and the defenders could rain down arrows and stones from above. More critically, news of the army's approach had already reached the bandits. There were now numerous deep pits and caltrops outside the walls, and the main gate and palisade had been clearly reinforced.

Odo looked at the fortress and shook his head, sighing, "My lord, I'm afraid Arsburg won't be easily taken. How many soldiers will we have to lose to capture this place?"

Yate did not answer, instead turning back toward the camp...

Inside Baron Antayas's tent, Yate reported the defensive situation he had observed and his estimates of the potential casualties required to take the fortress.

"Yate, I know all of this. I failed twice before the walls of Arsburg last year. I know it won't be easy, or I wouldn't have conscripted nearly every soldier in my domain to come here." Baron Antayas stood up, walked over to Yate, and asked with a hint of disdain, "Do you wish to leave? Don't forget you have already accepted my pay."

Yate, of course, had no intention of leaving. He explained, "My lord, although I am not a knight, I have my own honor and dignity. If I feared death, I would not have brought my soldiers here to join you. I simply feel that since a direct assault on Arsburg might cost us many lives, why not consider other methods?"

Baron Antayas asked with curiosity, "Other methods?"

"Yes, my lord. Since Arsburg is such a hard nut to crack, we shouldn't assault it."

"Don't assault it? Are you expecting those bandits to simply walk out and surrender? Even if we lay siege, we cannot afford the provisions to wait them out."

"My lord, I mean we do not need a direct assault on the wooden walls. We could do this..."

...