MTLNOVEL Chapter 166.1
Chapter 166.1. On Their Side
After that incident, the relationship with the soldiers… while not deeply fractured, has reached a precarious point where such a rupture could happen at any time.
Currently, negotiations led by Jurgen, with Knight Commander Thor and supported diligently by Sarah, are ongoing—but the effects have been less than promising.
The fact that they are effectively trapped in their fortress and unable to launch a counterattack against the Northern Alliance likely adds to the tension. Waiting around won’t improve the situation; in fact, reinforcements from the Church are likely to arrive soon, turning the tide against them. The inevitability of that scenario is fueling their unease.
Additionally, the fact that the Count managed to infiltrate the fortress—‘somehow’—raises the inevitable suspicion of spies among them. This, too, is a source of growing paranoia. Coupled with the discontent of the soldiers, further aggravated by the Count’s provocations, distrust continues to build. Frankly, the situation is such that the soldiers leaning toward surrender wouldn’t be surprising.
It was midday on the fifth day after entering the fortress.
Walking the halls in deep thought, Katia contemplated her current role as Jurgen’s aide, helping devise strategies and defense plans for the fortress. However, Jurgen had just given her specific instructions, which she muttered aloud.
“…‘Assist Herm’. Huh.”
Personally, it wasn’t unwelcome—she had no particular complaints.
However, shouldn’t their top priority be mending relations with the soldiers?
Defense-wise, things had been going smoothly, largely due to Hermes’ exceptional efforts. The Northern Alliance’s attacks, though frequent, were sporadic and far from devastating.
(…No, wait.)
At that moment, Katia realized something.
The Northern Alliance—the Church, and by extension, Archbishop Johann’s strategy—seemed peculiar. So far, their assaults on this final Harvist territory fortress had been limited to sporadic skirmishes by small groups of Northern Alliance soldiers.
(What is their goal?)
While battles involving mages differ in some respects from conventional warfare, the principle that “piecemeal deployment of forces is a bad move” remains universal.
Yet the Church was doing just that—sending soldiers into the fortress and depleting their strength unnecessarily. Of course, their losses were minimal due to their calculated engagements, but even so, they had taken a considerable number of their soldiers captive.
If their aim was simply to pin them down in the fortress, fewer attacks would suffice. Why, then, were they squandering their forces so recklessly? Or rather… this entire operation by the Church seemed oddly roundabout.
(…And the unusually serious tone Father had when seeking guidance on this matter still bothers me…)
Pondering the peculiarities surrounding Jurgen, the Church’s behavior, and her father’s concerns, Katia opened the door to Hermes’ room, where he was supposed to be resting.
“…He’s gone!?”
The sight of the empty room caused her anxiety to spike.
Where could he have gone?
Hermes wasn’t one to act rashly. If he left the room, there must have been a pressing reason. For instance—most likely…
––An irregularity on the defensive line he was overseeing.
“Ah!”
Nearly certain of her deduction, Katia bolted.
She quickly located him.
The ongoing assault made it easy to follow the distinct, unusual sounds of battle.
Upon reaching Hermes’ location, Katia was struck speechless.
“Hermes…?”
“Katia?”
In the forest near the fortress, Hermes stood among the fallen soldiers of the Northern Alliance. His shoulders slumped, his breathing irregular, and shadows marked his eyes.
This wasn’t simply from the battle at hand—it was clear exhaustion.
“Why… Why are you so worn out…?”
He shouldn’t have been pushed this hard.
The defense schedule had been arranged to allow shifts, giving everyone, including him, sufficient rest. Why, then, was he fighting now? What happened—
Before she could voice her questions, Hermes spoke.
“No, there’s no issue with the defense schedule. But—”
“…”
“––The Church’s methods are… shrewd.”
“Shrewd… how?”
Tilting her head, Katia encouraged him to elaborate.
“During each assault, without fail, they concentrate just enough force in one specific area—enough that only I can handle it.”
“What?”
“Even during my off-duty hours, similar incidents have occurred ‘occasionally’. I’ve stepped in to resolve them when needed. I’m sorry if I caused concern…”
“––‘Occasionally’ is an understatement.”
There was much Katia wanted to ask, but her immediate reaction was to his obvious attempt to downplay the issue.
“You’re clearly exhausted—something that’s rare for you. This kind of thing isn’t happening ‘occasionally,’ is it?”
“––”
“Be honest about how often this has been happening. Otherwise… I won’t forgive you.”
Under Katia’s quiet yet firm insistence, fueled by concern, Hermes paused for several seconds before conceding.
“…‘Every time’.”
“What?”
His answer far exceeded her expectations.
“Every assault, including those at night, has involved a force capable of breaching our defenses. As a result, I’ve had to respond to all of them.”
“…No way.”
That meant—he hadn’t even been able to rest properly.
“…No.”
And then it hit her.
The reason behind the Church’s relentless, ‘round-the-clock’ assaults, despite the apparent waste of resources. The purpose of this strategy, even at the cost of excessive troop losses.
(…They’re trying to exhaust Hermes. To take down our key defender…)
If that was their goal, everything made sense.
At the same time, a new question welled up within her—directed at Hermes.
“…Why didn’t you tell us?”
If the situation had become so dire, he could have sought help. They could have adjusted their defense rotation to share the burden more evenly—
As if reading her thoughts, Hermes replied.
“Because it would only increase the soldiers’ anxiety.”
“Ah—”
“Right now, the soldiers are teetering on the brink—uncertain whether to stand with us or defect to the Northern Alliance. Their only reassurance is that ‘the defense is holding.’”
In other words, even that small measure of stability was precarious. If the soldiers sensed that the defense was failing, their morale could crumble entirely.
“But still! You could have at least told us—”
“Even if I did, the defense rotation would change. No, even if it didn’t, the ripple effects would still be felt. The soldiers are extremely sensitive to our actions right now. Any sign of instability should be avoided. I apologize for keeping this to myself… but this seemed the most reliable approach.”
“…”
…She couldn’t argue with him.
Logically, Hermes’ reasoning was sound. It was most efficient for their strongest asset to shoulder the heaviest burden.
And yet—the most troubling aspect was that he could actually manage it.
For anyone else, such strain would eventually lead to collapse. That was precisely what the enemy intended, and indeed, Hermes was showing signs of wear.
But if it was Hermes, with his exceptional capabilities, he might just endure it all to the bitter end. Despite his fatigue, he continued to defend the fortress flawlessly, as evidenced by the Northern Alliance’s defeated infiltrators strewn around him.