Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 448 Desperate Bait

"My hometown is in Bass Town, less than half a day's journey from the royal capital. I'm not lying to you!" Benny, with a carefully maintained new magic gun slung over his back, followed his group of soldiers on patrol along the base of the inner wall of the city.

The leading team leader, who had a typical Northern appearance, tilted his head and smiled, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. So... you're from the capital too?"

Everyone laughed in unison, teasing Benny in a good-natured way, as he was a new recruit on his first military expedition.

"What's so funny? The specialty of Bass Town is sea bass. You haven't tasted the most delicious sea bass and wild hazel mushroom stew in summer." Benny pouted and explained seriously.

The sound of swallowing could be heard from the team. "Sea bass and mushroom stew? It makes me miss the taste of the glacial salmon from my hometown... Too bad we can only eat it in winter."

The comrade walking behind Benny poked him on the back and said, "Benny, do you have any relatives in your hometown?"

Benny's expression darkened, and he muttered softly, "Half the people in Bass Town were infected, and half were fleeing like me... My family collapsed on the road, and I was the only one who made it to the North."

The team leader coughed twice and changed the subject, "Alright, we're approaching the outer city residential area. As agreed, we can't patrol any further. Let's turn around and head back!"

Everyone stood still and were about to turn around and leave in formation when suddenly a surprised shout came from the street not far away.

"Oh my God! Is it... is it Benny? Benny!"

Benny turned around subconsciously and found that among a group of laborers pushing carts and carrying goods on the street ahead, there was a short but sturdy young man with slightly curly brown-red hair that was particularly eye-catching.

"Dave? Oh my God! It's Dave! I thought you died on the way to escape!"

Although he shouted in surprise, his body seemed to have muscle memory. He stood still, his fingers even clasped the strap of the gun, as if he could quickly remove the gun and shoot at any time in the next second.

"This is my friend Dave, who I grew up with in Bass Town." Benny briefly explained to his comrades and team leader.

The team leader hummed, "I'll give you five minutes to catch up. Don't cross the street, and don't let your guard down!"

The two childhood friends, just across the street, quickly and excitedly told each other about their experiences and current situations.

Then Benny and Dave said goodbye reluctantly and agreed to meet here again when it was his turn to patrol next time.

Dave and the others knew that these Northern soldiers had promised not to enter the city. As they watched them march away, they boasted to those around them, "Look, these soldiers from the North aren't barbarians. Among them is my friend Benny, a native of Bass Town!"

A fellow leather worker whispered enviously, "Look at their clothes! Although they don't have the shiny armor of a knight, they're all made of the finest cotton. And those boots... wow, wow, they're deerskin boots that only aristocratic lords could afford!"

These soldiers from the North seem to be treated better than the guards in His Majesty the Grand Duke's court...

...On the second day after the Northern Army occupied the city wall, the airship flew over the palace again. This time, it dropped two magic explosive bombs, which razed a section of the palace wall and the gate to the ground in an instant.

"Prime Minister, the northerners have occupied the southwestern and southern gates of the outer city. We still have a chance to escape from the northeast," the Minister of State urged anxiously. "If we don't leave now, it will be too late once they completely block all four gates!"

Chief Knight Dickinson rested one hand on the hilt of his sword, glaring at the Minister of State and the Prime Minister. He snorted, "Your Majesty is seriously injured and unconscious. The Archbishop returned to the Radiant Church and was caught in an explosion. They still haven't found him... Are you going to abandon the capital and flee without a fight?"

The gray-haired Prime Minister curled his lips. "Escape without a fight? Tell me, facing such an enemy...how can we fight? Haven't you witnessed enough of their horrific tactics on the city wall?"

"If we're going to leave, we'll have to get His Majesty out first!" the Chief Knight gritted his teeth. "Send His Majesty to the border. The Church's Inquisition Army and the Allied Nobles are stationed there, so it's safe for now. We'll stay here to conceal His Majesty's whereabouts and delay the pursuers. We'll wait for the promised reinforcements from the Church to arrive before we launch a counterattack!"

The Minister of State trembled and said, "How can Your Majesty send him away? If the priests of the Church don't use healing magic to keep him alive every seven days, all he'll get when he's sent to the border is a corpse!"

But now even the archbishop has disappeared in the bombing of the church. Where can we find the surviving officiating priest?
The enemies in the north did not seem to be afraid of the reinforcements from the Holy City at all. They surrounded the royal capital and controlled the outer city. Every day, they sent their terrifying flying vehicles directly to the royal court, dropped destructive and terrifying weapons, and then slowly returned.

And there were those pieces of paper that kept falling from the sky into the city - the war hadn't ended yet, but they were already trying to win over people's hearts and minds, winning over those stupid and despicable ordinary people in advance!

Two more violent explosions were heard in the distance. The place where the dignitaries were taking refuge was a wealthy businessman's mansion not far from the royal palace, so they would not become the target of airship bombing.

"After blowing up the palace and the church...where are they going to blow up today?" The explosion should have occurred in the east. The window frames of the building were rattling, which meant that the distance was not far.

The guard walked in tremblingly and reported, "My Lords, what was blown up was... the headquarters of the Royal Capital Knights."

All the Knights of the Royal Capital have been dispatched to the border battlefield. The other side does this only to show off their military strength and make threats, but they can only watch helplessly, not daring to raise the slightest thought of resistance.

The enemy's attack was incredibly swift; no one expected them to arrive so suddenly at the gates of the city. Spring plowing had just concluded, and the crops were in their prime growth phase. There weren't many militiamen available near the capital...

After the city gates fell, the capital's only remaining defensive force - the more than 3,000 soldiers of the Royal Guards - also scattered in an instant, opening the two northeastern city gates and fleeing desperately. Now, there are only less than 200 court knights and noble guards left in the royal city. Under the command of the chief knight, the competent ones are guarding the Grand Duke Saint Valen who has been transferred to the wealthy businessman's mansion for safety.

Dickinson knew very well that the Prime Minister and the State Minister... might not appear here again after tonight, and they would abandon the seriously injured Majesty and secretly flee the capital.

He turned and walked out of the room, raised his hand to call over a trusted knight, and whispered, "Move His Majesty from the bedroom on the second floor to the basement. Someone must guard the door at all times..."

Wait another seven days... The Chief Knight knew very well that if the church reinforcements from the Holy City did not arrive after seven days... For the sake of His Majesty's life, he could only surrender to the other party in a humiliating way in exchange for the spellcaster's rescue of His Majesty.

This was an unprovoked war. The real purpose of the Northern Lords was to use the Grand Duke and the Royal Capital as bait, and to lure and intercept the reinforcements from the Church by besieging and attacking them.

(End of this chapter)