A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 379 The Stepping Stone

The main defensive structure of Condi's capital was the fortress of Moncado.

Most of the city defenses in the Holy Kingdom are of this type, especially when the city grows beyond the limits of the city walls. The originally strong fortresses can no longer encompass the entire city, but instead serve as the fulcrum for the garrison to station, defend, and counterattack. From there, the fortifications extend layer by layer around the city, gradually weakening until they reach the edge of the city.

Overlooking the Moncado Fortress, its strong lines outline a geometrically symmetrical triangular protrusion, with layers of walls stacked upon each other, like a thorny rose blooming on the earth.

Moncado Fortress is a defensive masterpiece since the widespread use of dwarven cannons on the continent. Built by King Charles XIV of the Sun, it is classical, elegant, and formidable.

By the time Richard arrived, General Carl's troops had already completed their defensive positions.

He strictly followed the army manual's deployment, digging parallel trenches along the outer contour of the fortress, where he constructed gun emplacements. Next came rectangular approach trenches extending towards the fortress.

This process is a common siege tactic on the continent, and the Holy Kingdom's defenders naturally have countermeasures—they proactively construct their own trenches under the city walls to stop Karl's siege forces.

But their resistance failed, and the defenders were forced to retreat back to the fortress, where the trenches were reversed and became the Imperial Army's second parallel trench.

"Report! We have captured the enemy's anti-approach trench!"

Karl received good news from his subordinates: Richard's siege supplies had arrived, and with ammunition readily available, the real siege could begin.

The cannons were mounted on the emplacements. Previously, only the cannons and heavy crossbows of the fortress were firing at the Imperial army building trenches. Now, the tables had turned, and it was Karl's legion's turn to operate the cannons and return fire. Admittedly, the shells from the six-pound cannons seemed weak and ineffective against the low earthen walls of the outermost edge of the bastion, but when they hit the defenders' emplacements accurately, they were deadly and effective.

The defending commander keenly realized after the Imperial army opened fire that the enemy's artillery accuracy was higher than his own.

But they still insisted that the Condi region was the northern gateway to Valuana and must not be taken!

"The enemy doesn't have siege artillery, only field guns, so their method might be to blow up the city walls. Send another company; they must recapture trench number three for me."

The commander of the kingdom's garrison was right; Karl's siege tactic was indeed based on explosives. As they approached the trenches, squads of engineers carrying explosive packs began to move under a hail of bullets.

Carl surveyed the battlefield, seeing everything clearly. He turned to Richard, who was on his way to his mission, and said, "Now I have a task for you, Major Richard."

"The reason we were able to arrive here first was not because of our superior combat strength, but because we carried the fewest artillery pieces and had the fastest mobility. Normally, our troops should not have attacked the city rashly."

But Karl did just that, and he must have had his reasons: "According to the estimates of the Imperial Military General Staff, the Chancellor, and the Marshal, the current scale of the war, with the entire nation's resources and years of reserves, can only last for three months. This is the first month, and whether we can capture the Condi region will determine whether the Imperial army can take Valuvana next month. If we win today, we can greatly accelerate the process."

Did Karl have ulterior motives? Yes, as the vanguard lacking heavy artillery, he should have been engaged in open field battles and pursuing the remnants of the kingdom's army. However, he was currently ordering his troops to launch a strong attack on the fortress at great casualties, hoping to quickly capture the capital. This was an attempt to gain merit.

But it wasn't entirely out of personal motives. Today's decision was all for the strategic purpose. He was willing to give up the huge credit for taking the capital next. In order for the follow-up troops to reach the heart of the enemy without any obstacles, Karl and his troops would serve as the stepping stone, knocking open the Moncado Fortress regardless of the consequences.

If they fail, new troops will charge again in three days. It's a three-month storm, with every legion of the Imperial Army to strike swiftly like lightning.

Carl continued, "The key to this siege is not the explosives carried by the engineers, but you. Whether you are willing to take the risk and break through the fortress's defenses will determine the victory of the battle."

"Your father and your teacher entrusted you to me, entrusting you with the responsibility for your safety. Now I am willing to take that risk, for the war, for the empire. Are you willing?"

Explosions and gunfire continued unabated. Richard exhaled a breath of stale air: "There are no cowards here, General."

"Alright!" He gestured, and the guard beside him stepped forward. Richard immediately noticed the guard's unusual nature; this guard was not carrying a spear and was wearing gloves embroidered with subtle patterns.

He removed his military cap, revealing a head of messy hair and a scar on his left cheek. It was a mark of a duel, a symbol of honor for soldiers and nobles in the empire's culture.

The white silk hand rose in a military salute: "Captain Schmidt, 7th class student of the Imperial Royal Magic Academy."

There was actually a mage accompanying the army, one in the open and one in the shadows! And he was a senior one at that. Richard was taken aback and saluted in response: "Major Richard, a 19th-term student of the Imperial Royal Magic Academy."

Carl was making a huge gamble, betting his two most valuable chips on the board.

The sky suddenly darkened with gloom, and clouds gathered, merging with the billowing smoke from the battlefield.

The two entered the trench. Richard concealed himself, while Schmidt put on his cloak, making his figure blurry. They walked quickly, one after the other.

The trenches were initially filled with friendly forces, along with members of Richard's infantry regiment advancing with explosives. Near the end of the trench, soldiers from the Holy Kingdom clashed with Imperial troops. At this distance and in the confined space of the trenches, neither side could fire their weapons; they fought with bayonets and their own swords.

Someone threw a mortar in the direction of the garrison, and the blast wave brought smoke, blood, and the smell of burning into Richard's nostrils.

But they remained hidden and carefully avoided others, unable to rashly offer support, as if the two spellcasters were isolated on the battlefield. Yet they were the most crucial figures in the current battle.

As they approached their target, Captain Schmidt communicated using the [Communication] spell: "Junior spellcaster, proficient in [Freezing Ray], [Force Wave], and [Magic Missile]."

A standard Evocation-based Barbarian, perhaps the teaching methods at the original magic academy were even more extreme than those of Richard's class.

Normally, the spells that the casters are good at are forbidden, but they are not fighting each other, but teammates who are entrusting their lives to each other. Richard also announced his own spells: "[Dragon Breath], [Death Cloud], and [Corrosive Claw]".

Although he didn't disclose his spellcaster rank, the first two spells were intermediate-level and extremely powerful. Captain Schmidt looked at the young major, his feelings a mix of emotions. After this battle, he might retire, be ennobled for his service, and become a small estate owner. But what about this young man? He'd heard he came from a distinguished family; would he become the empire's youngest general?

Dispelling their thoughts, the two arrived at the foot of the fortress. They easily climbed the first low earthen slope, and then there was a brick wall with gun emplacements.

Richard clenched his fist, and a sticky acidic liquid seeped from the surface of his skin.

But the captain interrupted his spellcasting, pulling Richard aside to take a deep breath, as if he were putting in the effort to mentally prepare himself.

Richard waited silently for the other to cast the spell, and then something miraculous happened: his and Schmidt's figures began to thin, existing in the world like mist. Schmidt carefully and attentively stepped through the wall.

Richard was pulled along by him and also managed to pass through the wall. At the same time, because of his darkvision, he saw the three-layer structure of brick surface, soil layer, and stone pile.

"It was a wonderful experience," Richard commented using telepathy.

Schmidt took off his silk gloves and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Spell successful! If you've ever experienced the feeling of a spell being interrupted and embedded in a wall, you probably wouldn't be so calm."

(End of this chapter)