Changing the Tide

Putting it lightly, the siege wasn’t going to plan.

“With me!” Marilyn’s roar tore through the air, its sound powerful enough to overpower the clashing of combat and strike fear into the enemies who stood before her. Had Marilyn’s soldiers not been vastly outnumbered, the enemy might have broken then and there. Alas, they recovered quickly from their moment of shock and pushed once more, driving their blades against the forces of Dietrich fief.

Medrauta watched from the rear as Marilyn’s men buckled from the enemy’s latest push. Though they still managed to hold fast, it was apparent that it was only a matter of time before they broke and Bastiche’s forces would drive a wedge into their formation. It wasn’t even a difference in skill or strategy that forced them on the defensive, but rather the sheer disparity in numbers.

Emboldened by their undefeated record during their march toward Revelo Castle, the forces of Dietrich fief hadn’t expected such intense resistance to confront them at their final destination. They had been on the cusp of victory, yet now the enemy’s superior numbers were threatening to tear that away from their grasp.

“We’re going to lose if we don’t do something.” Riku murmured. It was an obvious observation that everyone in the rear could see, yet none wished to comment on. Of course, everyone was hoping that the powerful knights on the front lines would be able to change the tide of battle just as they had in their previous assaults during the campaign, but the forces that Bastiche had kept in reserve were simply too much. For every ten men that Marilyn and her fellow knights slew, ten more stepped in to fill their place, and the soldiers weren’t having the best time of it either.

Beset by enemies from all sides, the common troops were expending all their energy and effort merely to maintain the formation and shield wall that they had somehow managed to set up, pushing against the enemy and trying to prevent them from breaking through. As violent and brutish as the battlefield was, the whole operation was a delicate affair, and a single mistake from any unit would spell defeat, especially when they were up against such a large army.

Medrauta bit her lip as she continued observing the situation, slowly analyzing the enemy’s position against their own. Had this been a mere exercise at the academy, the silver-haired knight most certainly would have turned to Eirlys or even Brigitte for advice. While Medrauta wasn’t exactly terrible at tactics unlike a handful of other knights she could name, she knew that the red-haired knight was far better at the careful coordination and maneuvering of troops than she was.

But what the hell would we even do here...? Medrauta frowned. She could see no weak points in the enemy’s structure, and though Marilyn’s soldiers were still managing to hold the line, every push sent them reeling. Not only that, but Bastiche’s troops were beginning to leverage their vastly superior numbers, seeking to encircle the forces of Dietrich fief. The only saving grace was that the castle had been built on plainsland, making the battlefield mostly consist of flat ground. Had the castle been constructed on raised terrain as per tradition, Medrauta was sure that the baron would be preparing to surrender by now.

In fact, the longer Medrauta thought about it, the more certain she was of what both Eirlys and Brigitte would’ve suggested in such a situation: tactical retreat. Unfortunately for them, that wouldn’t be an option. While the silver-haired knight was sure they would be able to break away from the engagement and return to Dietrich fief thanks to their smaller numbers, it would only be a matter of time before Bastiche’s forces marched on the fief. Under siege by such a large force, the city of Dietrich and its surrounding cities would fall like dominoes.

“It looks like the baron’s plan didn’t pan out at all.” Krista remarked as she casually loosed six arrows before Medrauta could even blink. “To be honest, I’m as surprised as everyone else is. Who knew Revelo fief had so many soldiers in reserve?”

Medrauta nodded in agreement. After the grueling battles that the baron’s forces endured during their campaign through Revelo fief, no one had expected the territory’s capital to still possess so many troops. In fact, everyone had assumed that the capital would have much less soldiers based on how many men they had been forced to fight during their advance through the fief. Considering this, the baron had originally planned to defeat whatever small or medium-sized force Bastiche sent to intercept them and then encircle the castle, taking advantage of the lockdown that the acting duke had instituted in order to starve out the defenders, forcing a surrender.

However, instead of sending a small band of soldiers, Bastiche’s troops had marched out to meet the forces of Dietrich fief before they could even come close to the castle, arriving in numbers that quite frankly dwarfed every man and woman that the baron could muster for this armed revolt. In other words, Baron Dietrich and his allies had been completely outplayed even after intercepting Henri’s attempt at treachery.

“The capital sure is something,” Medrauta said. “I saw you and Lady Sakura shoot down three knights earlier, but it didn’t even stop their push for a second. Just how many goddamn knights does Bastiche have under his command!?”

“Around fifty,” Krista answered as she snapped off two more arrows, watching with grim satisfaction as both of her targets went down. “At least according to Marilyn.”

Medrauta let out a low whistle. That was going to be a problem even if they miraculously managed to break through to the castle and get the artillery in range. Of course, Medrauta knew that was impossible unless something changed the tide of battle and created an advantage for them. As Medrauta ruminated on what she could possibly do to contribute to the battle instead of standing in the rear uselessly guarding the archer unit, Viviane stopped shooting and rode toward her knight with a troubled expression on her face.

“Medrauta!” Viviane called, shouting so that her voice would reach Medrauta through the din of battle. “It’s not working!”

“What? What’s not working?” Medrauta turned to Viviane as the noblewoman stopped her horse next to the knight’s. While she still wasn’t the best of riders, Viviane’s skill in the saddle had grown by leaps and bounds over the past couple days, something that Medrauta had the pleasure of confirming during their nightly escapades.

“I think the three of us have shot well over a hundred arrows each into the enemy formation, but they just keep on coming... We’re going to lose if this keeps up.” Viviane said. Of course “the three of us” referred to herself, Sakura, and Krista. As impeccable archers second to none, Medrauta was certain that most of those arrows had found their mark, a realization that made the situation far more dire than she would’ve liked.

“Someone needs to do something,” Medrauta agreed. “And I think that ‘someone’ might need to be us.”

Viviane nodded emphatically, a gesture that didn’t surprise Medrauta in the least. After all, the knight knew Viviane had probably approached her to make the very same suggestion. Unfortunately, Medrauta didn’t exactly have a plan in mind despite being the one to propose that they create an opportunity for Marilyn and her men. Of course, they could ride to the front and join the fray, but Viviane was an archer and unarmored. Doing so would not only leave her vulnerable to return fire from enemy archers, but she probably wouldn’t have the best of times trying to shoot precise shots while being swarmed by soldiers from all sides.

The more Medrauta thought about it, the more logical it seemed for Sakura and Riku to take the risk instead of herself and Viviane. After all, based on Riku’s criticisms of the empire’s nobility during their first battle upon reaching Revelo fief, Medrauta assumed that Sakura would be able to bestow and maintain her Crest even while remaining with the archers in the rear.

“Hey, Viviane, I—” Medrauta stopped as she saw her lady staring off into the distance, her gaze focused on Sakura and Riku. Turning at the sound of her knight’s voice, Viviane flashed Medrauta a rueful smile, confirming that she’d been thinking the same thing. The foreign noblewoman was still focused on firing arrows into the mass of enemy soldiers whereas Riku had ridden off to the right flank, dispatching a small unit that had managed to slip through the shield wall.

A quick glance to the side told Medrauta that enemy troops were leaking through from the left as well, causing her to click her tongue in annoyance. Medrauta wasn’t sure how war was waged in Higashi, but she was fairly certain that they would have positioned themselves in such a manner where the archers wouldn’t need to be constantly protected from the threat of melee units reaching the backline. With how their forces were arranged at the moment, it would be highly disadvantageous for either Medrauta or Riku to leave the rear in favor of pushing forward.

However, it was that very fact which gave Medrauta a new idea. Though Viviane had grown vastly since Medrauta had first met her, it was undeniable that Sakura’s prowess as both an archer and a noble far surpassed Viviane’s. If Riku’s words were to be believed, it would likely place little to no additional stress on Sakura were she to maintain her Crest upon Riku while continuing to shoot into the fray.

That’s it! Medrauta grinned as she urged her horse toward Sakura, beckoning Viviane to join her. A plan was slowly formulating in the knight’s head, and though it was risky, it was certainly doable. In truth, there had been no need to station both herself and Riku in the rear even from the start. After all, that very notion had been based around the traditional tactics of the empire, and with Sakura and Riku here, there had been no need to conform to such a rigid strategy even from the beginning.

“Lady Sakura!” Medrauta called as she reined in her horse, its hooves digging deep into the grassy dirt as it stopped hurriedly. “Enemy forces are breaking through the left flank. Viviane and I will go deal with them, but before that, I need to ask if you can bestow your Crest upon Sir Riku.”

“Of course I can,” Sakura replied as she continued emptying her quiver. “But to what end? The enemy knights bear no Crests that we must compete with.”

“That’s true, but I was thinking Viviane and I could do more than just stop the enemy advance from the left. The two of us will mount a counterattack and pierce through their formation. I’ve heard from Sir Riku that this isn’t exactly your first campaign and that you’d be able to maintain your Crest even from a long distance. Is that true?”

“It is, but... Hm.” Sakura frowned, her bowstring finally still as she paused to contemplate Medrauta’s proposal. “I see. Am I correct in assuming that you wish for my knight to cover the archers alone?”

Medrauta nodded. “He’d be able to do so with your Crest enhancing his physical abilities. Unfortunately, Viviane isn’t capable of maintaining her Crest from a range as large as yours, so she’ll need to follow me into the fray. It’ll be risky, but I think I can break through their formation alone so long as I’m bearing my lady’s Crest.”

“And you, Lady Viviane? Are you comfortable with following your knight into the hellscape of the battlefield? Even on the flanks, the fighting is incomparable to what you have witnessed here with the archers.” Sakura turned to Viviane, the concern for her friend evident in her eyes.

Viviane nodded, her voice filled with resolve. “Wherever I go, Medrauta will follow. It’d be foolish of me to not do the same.”

“Very well. Then... May the winds bless you.”

The moment those words left Sakura’s lips, a pillar of green light erupted around her, piercing through the heavens and parting the clouds above. For a moment, all those who stood upon the battlefield froze to marvel at the majesty of Sakura’s Crest made manifest. Instead of her Crest’s symbol materializing in the air, it branded itself onto her body, numerous green lines woven in intricate patterns glowing on her once unmarked skin.

To the right, a powerful gale whipped itself into existence, whirling around Riku’s body as it sent his enemies flying high into the air before crashing down into the earth as if punishing them for attempting to reach heights they were unworthy of. With that single action, the tide of battle had shifted ever so slightly and the morale of Marilyn’s men surged while their enemies slowly retreated, confused and afraid of a Crest’s sudden appearance on the battlefield.

Of course, the shock would only last for a moment, but even so, Medrauta and Viviane fully intended to make the most of it. With a word of thanks to Sakura, the two of them spun their horses around in tandem, racing toward the left flank where they sought to forge a path toward victory with their own hands.