Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 550 Siege (Part )

"Damn it!" Facing the polygonal fortress outside the west city of the Castle of the Kings, Geisa Adonis expressed the same feeling as his subordinates, "We are still too late!"

Brigadier General Skull Mecklen next to him said nothing.

Captain Woods, who accompanied the two generals to the front line for inspection, was obviously not very good at reading people's expressions and was still concentrating on explaining the terrain:

"…The new city area on the west bank originally had only city walls but no moat. But you see, the city walls are now basically surrounded by trenches and rammed earth walls.

"If I guess correctly, there should be a breastwork behind this rammed earth wall, right at the foot of the city wall - because that's what we were taught in school."

Woods looked a little bitter. "There may even be a trench, because I calculated that given the volume of this rammed earth wall, it would be far from enough to just take soil from the trench in front."

"Why do we still have to guess?" Geisa frowned and said unhappily, "Send a few people to take a look at night, and then we will know everything, right?"

Woods was scolded so much that he shrank his neck and dared not speak.

Seeing this, Luo Song sighed in his heart and took the initiative to defend his junior: "This kind of reconnaissance may result in casualties. Without you and General Skull present, we dare not make a decision."

Hearing Luo Song's words, Geisa became even more displeased, and his tone became stern, "Why are you afraid to make the final decision?! You are already a school officer! Don't you know what it means to be independent?"

Now, Luo Song didn't dare to say anything.

"Forget it, Adonis," Skull Mecklen, who had been silent the whole time, couldn't bear to see his old subordinates being scolded in public, so he spoke up to smooth things over. "They have just become majors and captains. Before, they just had to obey orders. Now they have to make decisions, so it's normal for them to be scared."

Skoll opened his mouth, and Gesar took advantage of the situation. He crossed his arms, glared at Woods Frank, and said nothing more.

In fact, Geisa also knew that this matter was not a big deal and there was no need to scold Woods and Loson.

But he really had a rage in his heart that he had nowhere to vent, and if they did, it would be the major and the captain's bad luck.

"You two, remember this in the future," Skull cleared his throat, raised the invisible board, and gently hit Losong and Woods on the buttocks, "Don't always think about doing the 'right' thing. You are soldiers, and the most important thing is to do things that 'can win victory'. Don't always wait for others to give you orders..."

As he was speaking, Skull suddenly realized that it would be more appropriate to tell his warning to himself, so he coughed lightly and changed the subject: "Captain Woods, please continue your report."

"Report?" Woods woke up with a start. "Oh! Report! Where were we talking about... By the way, the fortress, the fortress."

Woods swallowed and pointed to both ends of the city wall: "In addition to the main fort in front of the city gate, Minister Cornelius also built a secondary fort at the water gate and on the river bank. And extended bastions from the city wall as a supplement.

"These past few days, I have selected several points outside the new city and conducted field inspections. I have confirmed that no matter which attack route is taken, it is within the range of the artillery in the city. Minister Cornelius has not only cleared the firing range, but has even changed the original terrain in some directions."

"The defense of the main fort is particularly terrifying," Woods pointed to the area in front of the fort. "Have you seen the color of the soil around the main fort? It's all new soil. The area around the main fort looks flat, but it's actually all gentle slopes. Once you walk up, you're right in front of the firing line of the hidden wall, the triangular fort, and the main fort."

Woods bit his lip and gritted his teeth to come to the conclusion: "I am very sure that this is the killing zone designed by Minister Cornelius. Therefore, under no circumstances do I recommend storming that fortress."

The atmosphere today was already a bit unnatural, and the officers present were all very cautious, fearing that they would offend General Geisa.

Captain Woods' words made the atmosphere even more tense. The other officers accompanying the inspection were all silent and did not dare to make any noise.

"[Platoon swear words]," it was Gesa Adonis himself who broke the silence first. He gritted his teeth and said hatefully, "These bastards in the Federation Province, after all these years, still only know this one bastard sword technique! From the front of the mountain to Palatoon, they always use this one move, and they don't even feel ashamed! [Platoon swear words]!"

The officers present looked at each other, not knowing how to respond.

However, after Geisa cursed for a while, he suddenly started laughing again.

He turned to look at his subordinates and said sincerely: "But we have to admit that their swordplay is really good... Cornelius, that bastard, did a great job and gave us a difficult problem."

Seeing the carefree smile on someone's face, the officers present all breathed a sigh of relief - to be honest, this was the Geisa Adonis they were familiar with.

The irritable general who had made everyone tremble with fear before really made everyone exhausted.

Geisa touched his bald scalp and asked, "Has the letter of persuasion been delivered?"

"It's been sent in," Luo Song replied quickly.

"What's the reaction?" Geisa looked at Luosong.

Loson looked embarrassed, "Minister Cornelius has not replied yet."

"I'm not asking about Cornelius - that guy is a stone in the toilet of the oath-breakers, smelly and hard, and he thinks he is superior to others," Gesa asked with a smile, "I'm asking about the reactions of other people in your city. Isn't there anyone who secretly lowered down the city wall to show his loyalty?"

"Well... at present, no 'insider' has contacted us," Luo Song thought for a moment and joked, "So if you ask me, there must be a trench behind that rammed earth wall."

Geisa laughed loudly, and the officers present also laughed.

Seeing that the atmosphere was gradually easing, Woods Frank seized the opportunity, plucked up his courage, and interrupted: "In fact... Minister Cornelius could have done a better job."

Geza's smile froze on his face, his eyebrows raised a little bit, and everyone's heart rose to their throat. Woods also suddenly became the focus of attention, which made him very uncomfortable.

"Explain," Gesar stared at his old subordinate, "Captain."

"Yes!" Woods saluted subconsciously and gestured with his hands and feet. "Judging from the direction and depth of the trenches, Minister Cornelius should have a plan to introduce water from the Ten Arrow River into the trenches. After all, trenches are generally used in front of the mountains, so it's not surprising that the minister wants to copy the experience of the Federation.

"However, it may be because they did not arrange the construction time properly, or more likely because we launched the offensive earlier than they expected."

Woods glanced at Senior Luo Song who had just spoken for him, "The harassment of our light cavalry also slowed down their progress... In short, the trenches on the west bank are not completed, at least they are still some distance away from the ideal state."

Geisa laughed dumbly. "Why, Captain? You mean we're not too late?"

"Compared to yesterday, it's late," Woods said with all his courage, "but compared to tomorrow, it's not too late!"

Geisa glared, "You kid, are you here to teach me a lesson? Just say it!"

Facing the gazes of everyone present, Woods made up his mind and answered loudly, "I suggest launching an attack immediately!"

Skool Meklen couldn't help but frown and asked in a deep voice: "Captain, do you know that there is only one battalion on the front line now... Oh, no, one battalion. The main force is still behind, and most importantly, the artillery is not in place yet. Are you going to let a battalion of light infantry launch a siege alone?"

Woods was a little overwhelmed and whispered back: "We are not ready, but the enemy is not ready either."

Skoll glanced at the trenches and earth walls outside the new city wall. "I don't think this is unprepared."

"Minister Cornelius is well prepared on the West Coast," Woods paused and said heavily, "but only on the West Coast."

Most of the officers present immediately understood Captain Woods's implication, especially the two generals.

Geisa stroked the broken scar on his left face and questioned: "But the wall of the old city is much stronger than the wall on the west bank. The stones used are not of the same grade. And there is a moat over there."

"That's right. The walls of the old city have been expanded over hundreds of years. They are taller, thicker, and stronger. There is also a moat. The walls of the new city cannot be compared with them at all," Woods first confirmed his old superior's statement, and then changed the subject, "Minister Cornelius also thinks so! So he mainly invested the resources at hand into strengthening the west bank."

Captain Woods spoke more fluently: "I think it is better to go to the other side and deal with the old walls and moats instead of tackling the trenches and artillery forts on the west bank."

"Cornelius didn't build any fortifications on the east bank?" Skull asked sharply.

"There should be a star-shaped fortress planned, but it's just a prototype now," Woods said with a frustrated expression, "It's still under construction."

"Still under construction?" Geisa looked at Losong Gyula in shock and anger.

"I am incompetent," Luo Song bowed helplessly and apologized, "The bridge thirty kilometers upstream was blown up by the people sent by Minister Cornelius..."

"Not only the fixed bridge, but also the materials for the floating bridge were either confiscated or destroyed by the Minister," Woods echoed, scratching his head. "We are trying to find a way to solve this problem."

Geisa looked down at the charred ground under his horse's hooves - the small mound where the new army officers were now was once a small forest. After being burned and cut down, it was now cleaner than his head.

In the harvested fields outside the city, the windbreaks that farmers originally planted on both sides of the roads and between the fields to demarcate land have also disappeared.

Looking around, I felt that the area around the Kings' Castle was extremely desolate, with only an isolated city, which was even more desolate than the Hed Prairie.

Geisa sighed and did not blame Loson and Woods.

"Captain, there is no bridge," Scull did not believe Woods and asked seriously, "How do you know the situation on the other side?"

"I sent people to swim across the river and scout the enemy situation. We confirmed that the artillery fort on the east bank was only a prototype and was still under construction."

"Oh?" Skoll became more suspicious. "Swimming reconnaissance is not dangerous? Can you make a decision?"

Woods was silent for a moment, then whispered, "I sent myself across the river."

Skoll was silent.

"Send someone else next time," Geisa said with a sullen face, glaring at Captain Woods viciously.

"Yes." Woods raised his hand and saluted with sweat on his forehead.

"Without a bridge," Gesar continued in a cold voice, "how do you plan to cross the river? And how do you plan to 'launch an attack immediately'?"

"The east bank is just the main attack direction I suggested, but launching an attack immediately does not mean directly attacking the walls of the old city."

"So where are you going to hit?"

Woods pointed to the island in the middle of the lake in the distance: "There - Margit Island!"

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