Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 468 The Siege Begins

The resistance moved out very early; they had already left the town by the time the first rays of sunlight touched the earth.

Even so, they would arrive in Sladedinburgh close to noon, and if they set off too late, they might be ambushed by the winter wolves.

Isaac wasn't worried about intelligence leaks. The resistance had complete control of Grizzly Town, and with them as a backer, the Ash Alliance members had uncovered many spies.

They're professionals at intelligence gathering.

After the resistance army left, they would take special care not to let anyone spread the news. This was not difficult. The townspeople were very supportive of the resistance army and would report any suspicious persons on their own. Sometimes, they didn't even need the Tongmenghui to help.

Gwen, mounted on her horse, looked back at the procession behind her.

The resistance fighters, clad in breastplates and carrying muskets, marched forward in formation. Although their weapons were not yet standardized and their clothes were somewhat tattered and rustic, each of them had a spirited look in their eyes.

They seized the equipment of the winter wolves in Grizzly Town, and now most people can get a weapon. Although some people still carry bows and arrows and wooden spears, it is a huge improvement compared to before.

It's unclear when it started, but these numb, weak, and timid refugees have completely changed, becoming more and more like a real army.

They are no longer lambs to the slaughter; they can now occasionally bare their fangs.

Gwen felt a warm feeling in her chest, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her face. Her initial fear, unease, and anxiety gradually faded away.

Once the people of the North are on the battlefield, they will no longer be afraid; once they shed blood, they will no longer hesitate.

A little boy suddenly came over. Gwen recognized him; it was Grisha. He had secretly run away from the camp and followed the resistance's support team without being discovered. It wasn't until they arrived in Grizzly Town that they found there was an extra person.

He'll be a good hunter, if he's lucky enough to grow up.
"What's wrong, Grisha?"

"Gwen, are we going to save the North?"

Gwen couldn't help but chuckle. They were just a group of refugees, wandering from place to place, being driven and hunted everywhere.

If they hadn't been forced into a corner, they wouldn't have taken up arms to resist; it was only by chance that they've come this far.

Saving the North? Impossible.

They might not even be able to save themselves.

"Why would you say that? Do you really like this land?" Gwen's gaze swept over the boy's white hair.

He had short hair, which looked like he was wearing a ball of snow.

The boy shook his head: "I haven't fallen in love with this land yet, but I love the people here. Old Wood in the tavern always gives me juice. He says I'll be a warrior someday, that the Resistance will save everyone, and that they are the hope of the North."

Gwen hesitated for a moment. She didn't seem to have done much; she had only chased away those wretched wolf cubs and done some small chores for the people in town.

It was really a small matter: cleaning the streets, maintaining order, punishing criminals, and distributing some of the extra food. It wasn't much, and the resistance forces were given priority.

But the townspeople reciprocated with too much kindness, and someone would always bring them food. Gwen personally explained that the resistance was not short of food, but she was given a bunch of bread and pastries in return.

Even though they were White Crows, with white hair and white eyes, while the townspeople were Northerners with golden hair and dark eyes, the townspeople showed absolutely no hostility towards them; their enthusiasm was genuine and impossible to fake.

But these resistance fighters will eventually leave. Once they find Castell, they will leave this place. Count Hughes promised them a home; they are merely passersby here.

Grisha jogged along, looked up and met the girl's gaze. His eyes were like a stream of melting snow in spring, clear and pure.

"Sister Gwen, will we save the North?"

Gwen felt inexplicably irritated. She stopped her horse, looked down at Grisha for a moment, and finally sighed, her tone softening.

“Little Grisha, we will eventually leave this place. The North needs to be saved by the people of the North themselves. This is not the home of the White Ravens.”

"Oh," Grisha responded, his head bowed as if lost in thought. After a long while, a somewhat dejected voice came through: "But everyone in town is my friend. I'm afraid they'll be bullied after I leave. I want to help my friends."

“Sister Nina, Aunt Pammy, Uncle Wood, Fla, Rick, Hela, they have all been very kind to me. White Raven taught us not to forget, and I don’t want my friends to disappear.”

He gripped the bow on his back with a solemn expression: "I will protect my friends, I will not leave here."

"you"

Gwen shuddered, feeling something stuck in her throat that she couldn't swallow or say.

“Gwen, it’s time to go, Sladedinburgh is just ahead,” Isaac called out from the front.

Gwen took a deep breath, said nothing more, gave Grisha a long look, and spurred her horse forward.

There's going to be a war.

Most of the resistance soldiers were infantry. Gwen maintained order as the army advanced, and when they approached Sladedinburgh, she ordered the soldiers to put on their armor, load their guns, and prepare for battle.

The battle plan had been agreed upon long ago, and everything had to be done quickly. Although the resistance forces had the advantage in both combat strength and numbers, things would become incredibly troublesome once the enemy realized what was happening and started fighting.

Sladedinburgh, as its name suggests, is a castle. The outer city is within walls, and inside the walls is an inner castle.

That was a proper war fortification. The castle had narrow passageways and many combat designs. In addition, the resistance army had no knowledge of the castle and little experience in siege warfare. If these fifty soldiers really retreated into the castle, the hundreds of resistance soldiers might not be able to take it down.

If they fail to capture the castle, the resistance will immediately become precarious. The castle is situated on high ground, allowing them to fire into the city. It also has countless secret passages, making it a strategic location for both offense and defense.

Moreover, once the fighting starts, the news can no longer be kept secret. When reinforcements arrive from other places, they will be trapped like turtles in a jar.

Therefore, the most important thing in this battle is speed. The resistance army is advancing rapidly, and as long as the situation can be quickly brought under control, there will be no problem.

However, Sladedinburgh was poorly defended, with no elite soldiers, let alone any capable defenders. If all went well, the battle would be over before they even had a chance to react.

On the contrary, if the other side realizes what's going on, it will be a big problem.

Gwen steadied herself and drew her longsword: "Warriors, follow me! Charge! All troops, attack!"

The resistance fighters began their charge.

(End of this chapter)