Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 567 Siege (XIX)

[Fort of Kings]

Major Fritz rushed down the old castle and headed straight for the Wild Goose Bridge, only delaying for a while at the old water gate.

Because the military police responsible for guarding the Old Watergate were so nervous that they began to ask the Quartermaster General for passes - this was not a good sign.

Although the main battlefield was not in the Castle of the Kings, even the most obtuse soldiers and civilians in the city could vaguely feel that the siege had reached an important juncture.

The Dayan Bridge was brightly lit as engineers were urgently dismantling the only passage between the new city and the old city.

Fritz found Brigadier General Cornelius, fully armed, at the bridgehead.

This was the first time Fritz saw Jason Cornelis put on his armor, holding a simple sword and gazing at the distant Margit Island.

"Your Excellency, Commander," Fritz raised his hand hastily in salute.

Seeing Fritz coming over, Cornelius retracted his gaze and nodded slightly, "Major."

"Seven, eight, nine hundred troops are ready and can land on the island now," Fritz reported quickly, "Captain Leiden is waiting for your order."

Cornelius did not give an immediate reply, but sighed, "What a pity."

"What do you mean?" Fritz asked cautiously.

"There's been quite a bit of commotion on the island. It seems the rebels have been 'moving stones onto the city wall' quite a bit," Cornelius said, both relieved and regretful. "Let me test you, Major. If you still have a thousand soldiers available at this time, where would you use them?"

"I am a dull student," Fritz said, not wanting to waste time, so he gave up answering and said, "Please give me some advice."

"If we still have 1,000 soldiers available, we should attack the rebels' trenches outside the city. If we still have 2,000 soldiers available, we should raid the rebel camp." Cornelius shook his head. "Unfortunately, we don't have them."

Cornelius changed the subject and said thoughtfully, "But even if we have, we may not be able to break through the rebels' defenses. The rebel commander who presided over the siege is very steady. He would rather waste manpower and time to surround the new city first. He doesn't want to leave us any chances. He is sure that we are short of troops and is determined to drag us into a war of attrition... This style is very unfamiliar..."

Fritz said nothing.

Cornelius put aside his doubts, held the sword that had been hanging on Ned Smith's waist, and ordered calmly, "Tell Captain Leyden to set off, and tell him to be careful of the rebels in the Bishop's Castle who are desperate to attack the Domoncus Monastery."

Fritz put his boot heels together to indicate that he had taken note. "Are there any other orders for the two lieutenant colonels?"

"What else?" Cornelius understood what the trainees meant, but he just smiled. "Should we tell them that we are demolishing the bridge and ask them to hold on until dawn no matter what?"

Fritz hesitated to speak.

"No need to say such nonsense. I trust the ability and integrity of Lieutenant Colonel Lodewijk and Lieutenant Colonel Montecuccoli."

Fritz raised his hand to salute, but did not leave. "What about the Palatine people who took over the defense of the new city? Are they also trustworthy?"

"No matter what, we can't waste our precious manpower on sitting still," Cornelius said generously, "So, we can only hope that Grover Magnus is right."

Fritz frowned and said in a deep voice, "That guy is trying to escape. If we hadn't detained him, he would have run to Guitu City long ago. I don't trust him, nor do I trust his people."

Cornelius patted the young man's shoulder gently and said, "At this moment, those who want to escape are our people."

……

At the same time, outside the new city of the Kings' Castle, in a stronghold, the reserve officers stationed at the stronghold were lying on the wall, staring eagerly in the direction of Margit Island.

Hou Del and the other two were among them. They did not squeeze together with the others, but found a seat on the side. Although the view was not good, there were fewer people and they could talk in private.

In fact, no matter how good the view is, it is meaningless.

Due to the obstruction of the river embankment, it was impossible for the reserve officers to see Margit Island at all.

But everyone couldn't help but stick their heads out of the wall, looking for every flash of light on the horizon and listening to the sounds coming from the distance.

Until the thunder and lightning fell silent.

"Is there no movement?" Little Majiya was a little anxious and kept whispering in his ear, "Are you done?"

"How can it be so fast?" Claude sneered. "That fellow from the Federation is too weak to fight."

"Then what's going on? Why is there no movement?"

"Who knows?" Claude shrugged. "There are so many strange things on the battlefield. It's normal to take a break after getting tired of fighting."

"Anyway," interrupted Houdel unhappily, "there's a fight, and it has nothing to do with us."

"Then why did you bring us here? Give us weapons?" Little Majiya was very confused. "Why don't you let us sleep?"

"If Baby Face doesn't tell me, who would know?" Houdel snorted. "You didn't ask, did you?"

The magnetic voice that suddenly rang in their ears made the three of them break out in cold sweats.

At some point, Baby Face had walked behind them.

Hou Del and the other two immediately fell silent.

"You are disrespectful to our teacher," the baby-faced man said with a smile on his face. "I will deduct one point from you."

"Yes," Houdel said, "but can you tell us why you asked us to wait here tonight?"

"No," Baby Face refused bluntly, "This is a serious matter, you are not qualified to know."

The three students seemed to have a bucket of cold water poured over their heads and immediately became listless.

However, the baby-faced man, who had extinguished the fire of hope, still let out a little clue, "Shouldn't you know Richard Mason better than I do? The major never wastes anything. He must have his reasons for putting you here."

The baby-faced man glanced at the Castle of the Kings in the night and said faintly, "Maybe, with your help, I can become one of the first people to enter the Castle of the Kings."

"Ah?" Little Majiya didn't know whether he didn't understand or didn't hear clearly, and subconsciously widened his eyes, "Break into the Castle of the Kings?"

This attracted the attention of the students nearby.

"For making too much noise," the baby-faced man said with a grin, "you will be deducted a point."

Little Majia had no words to say, so he could only shut his mouth and salute.

"What you mean?" Claude tried his best to lower his voice, but still couldn't hide his excitement, "Maybe we can take over the Castle of the Kings tonight?"

"I didn't say that," Babyface chuckled.

"That is..." Claude thought for a moment and asked tentatively, "Going into the city?"

"Who knows?" Baby Face replied lightly, "If we are lucky, maybe it will work."

Claude heard the answer he wanted, and suddenly grabbed Houdel's shoulders and shook him hard, "Did you hear that, monkey?"

Houdel was not excited at all. He was like a pillar and did not move at all no matter how Claude shook him, because he remembered what the baby-faced man said when he first met him.

"Captain of the District," Houdel asked cautiously, "your home... is in the Castle of Kings?"

The baby-faced man raised his eyebrows and looked Houdel up and down. After a moment, he sighed softly, "Thanks to you, maybe I can go home soon..."

Accustomed to Baby Face's iconic evil smile, Houdel and the other two were a little at a loss as to what to do when the other party rarely showed his true feelings.

"That's great," Claude scratched his head, "You still have a home, unlike me and the monkey, we both have no home."

"That's right, that's right," little Madia echoed from the side.

Houdel immediately gave an elbow to each man on both sides.

The baby-faced man laughed dryly a few times, nodded at the three of them, and turned to leave.

But just after taking a step, he turned back and said to the three people - especially to Houdel - earnestly:

"Don't waste your energy fighting with certain people. If the battle is over, then just go to school. After going to school, your life will be completely different. As for those people, don't pay attention to them. They will be screened out sooner or later."

Claude and little Madia nodded in confusion.

Houdel's attention was elsewhere. "Screened out? You mean, not everyone can graduate?"

"Who told you that everyone can graduate?" The baby-faced man showed his signature smile again, "Why else would I deduct your points?"

……

At the same time, on the "King's Castle", Groni Misha saw a little light coming on opposite the trench.

The lights then began to flicker on and off in a regular pattern.

That was the agreed signal.

  [I still can’t set a flag, (T_T)]

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