industrial lord

Chapter 748 Dawn of Victory
On the fortress walls, the defenders, who had witnessed the entire process of this overwhelming victory, felt the despair, fear, and grief of losing their comrades that had been building up in their hearts for days. Like a giant powder keg, it was ignited by the red and gold double-headed eagle banners raised by the mercenaries and exploded in an instant.

Long-suppressed emotions erupted into a torrent of ecstasy, violently pounding against everyone's chest.

"We...we won?!"

Rat was the first to roar out, his voice completely distorted by extreme excitement, so sharp it was almost cracking.

He gripped the wall tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, his body trembling uncontrollably, tears mixed with sweat and grime streaming down his face.

"Reinforcements! It's Wei Senjun! They've arrived!"

Fan Ke, who was standing next to him, suddenly jumped up from the ground, waving his fists like a mad beast, tears and snot streaming down his face. He frantically pounded on the shoulders of everyone around him, repeating incoherently, "It's Wei Senjun, they're here!"

This cry was like lighting the final fuse.

In an instant, the entire city wall and the entire fortress erupted with a deafening roar that could tear the sky apart.

"Wei Senjun is here!"

"We're saved! We're saved!!"

The defenders were completely overjoyed.

They waved their weapons wildly and cheered deafeningly, as if trying to dispel all the shadows of the past with their voices.

They excitedly embraced those around them, whether they knew them or not, pounding each other's backs, laughing loudly, or crying uncontrollably.

The suffocating feeling of being surrounded, the torment of lack of supplies, and the profound grief of witnessing the sacrifice of comrades-in-arms—all the pent-up emotions found their only outlet at this moment, transforming into a primal and intense catharsis that soared through the clouds.

Behind each crenellation was a crowd of faces contorted with excitement and screaming, countless voices converging into a deafening roar that seemed to shake the earth, as if to utterly shatter the stone wall that had endured the ravages of war.

Surrounded by a group of noble generals, Rudolf ascended the highest watchtower. His originally pale and haggard face was now flushed with a sickly redness, and his eyes shone with ecstatic light. His body swayed slightly from the overwhelming emotional shock, almost collapsing, and he was only able to be supported by Count Rank beside him in a flash.

Count Pistor rubbed his hands together excitedly, his lips trembling, muttering incoherently, "It's here! It's finally here! Thank God of Light! God bless the Rhine!"

Rudolf regained his senses, steadied himself with the help of others, glanced at the soldiers on the city wall who were almost out of control with excitement, and then looked at the battlefield on the opposite bank of the river, which was gradually calming down and filled with unfamiliar flags.

The noble generals around him, who had survived the ordeal, finally showed relieved smiles on their faces.

The reinforcements have finally arrived.

The crowd, now calmer, narrowed their eyes slightly, trying to make out the flag fluttering in the distance, a hint of doubt rising in their hearts: that flag... doesn't seem to be just the emblem of the Duchy of Wesen?
The battle was quickly coming to an end.

With no hope of breaking out and surrounded on three sides, the Winged Hussars were plunged into utter despair.

Just then, a clear and enticing shout rang out on the battlefield: "Lay down your weapons! The Duchy of Wessen treats prisoners of war well! Surrender and you will be spared!"

The cry was like a lifeline.

Everyone knows that after becoming a prisoner of the Duchy of Wessen, you can go home after working on the railway for a few years, and you won't be mistreated during that time, so there's no need to risk your life.

The moment the first person, disheartened, threw down their weapon, it was like toppling the first domino.

The second, the third… soon, the sounds of metal hitting the ground merged into one. Of the remaining five thousand winged hussars, more than three thousand eventually chose to surrender.

Some veterans familiar with the procedures of the Duchy of Wessen even took off their heavy armor and neatly stacked it together with their weapons, then sat quietly on the ground, waiting for the other side's surrender personnel.

The military camp, which was bustling just hours before, has now been transformed into a massive prisoner-of-war camp.

“Count Eltal? Who is that?”

The surrendered winged hussars whispered among themselves, their faces filled with confusion.

They had assumed that the renowned Grand Duke of Wessen would be on the battlefield, or at least one of his most illustrious generals.

To their utter surprise, the one who came to accept their surrender and gave his name was a completely unfamiliar one—Count Eltal.

In the dense woods near the prisoner-of-war camp, a startling scene was unfolding.

The tall trees fell as if pushed down by an invisible giant hand, with a dull thud and flying wood chips, one by one.

The massive tree roots were easily uprooted, and the rugged ground quickly became flat under the powerful magical force.

Soon, a wide, sturdy road, wide enough for cars to pass through, was miraculously carved out of the forest and stretched straight toward the Redwaterwheel Village fortress.

Count Vissen personally led his own massive convoy, along with that of the entire Elbe Pact organization, to Storkport. Subsequently, the logistics transport plan was temporarily changed. The water transport originally planned to be relied upon was canceled because it required passing under the enemy's nose. Instead, supplies were transported via an existing road network, choosing a land transport route that was longer but relatively safe and reliable.

At this moment, Count Vissen's caravan needed a route to quickly reach the other side of the fortress.

To the half of the royal mage corps who had just been urgently recalled from the front lines of the Gallic Kingdom, crossing this forest and temporarily constructing a sturdy road to the other side of the fortress was nothing more than a trivial project; powerful and skilled magic was more than enough to accomplish it efficiently and precisely.

The first items transported to the riverbank were a batch of prefabricated floating bridge components.

With the assistance of the mages and the skilled operation of the engineers, the huge pontoons were precisely placed into the river, and the sturdy bridge deck was quickly laid and connected.

In less than an hour, a sturdy pontoon bridge spanning the river was erected.

As the pontoon bridge was steadily erected on the river, a huge flag was raised high at the other end of the bridge, fluttering in the river wind.

Against that red background, the majestic gold double-headed eagle emblem gleamed in the sunlight.

This flag, symbolizing immense power and reliable support, was like sunlight piercing through the gloom, instantly igniting the last and most fervent flame of hope in the eyes of all the defenders on the fortress walls!
Countess Maria von Elthal, dressed in a crisp, dark blue Duchy of Wessen air force uniform, rode a magnificent white warhorse and was the first to step onto the wide pontoon bridge. The horse's hooves struck the bridge planks, producing a clear and resolute sound.

Following closely behind was the Grand Duke of Wessen's guard regiment, their imposing presence overwhelming.

Behind them were elite reinforcements from the Kingdom of Sardinia and mountain mercenaries from the Helvetti Federation.

This allied force, representing victory and vitality, marched in a mighty procession across the pontoon bridge and entered the Red Waterwheel Village fortress.

Finally, the Mainz army carried supplies into the fortress, dismantled the pontoon bridge, and the prisoners of war were transported away under the command of Count Wiessen's convoy and guarded by hussars.

(End of this chapter)