Episode 77: They’re really some guys. (4)
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As day broke, the enemies began to swarm again.
The enemies began to move all at once, unlike before.
They even brought a mobile ladder truck, as if they were seriously planning to climb over the castle.
Ferdium’s soldiers froze in shock at the sight.
Morale was high thanks to having withstood the siege for two days, but seeing the large army moving all at once was a source of great pressure.
“Cheer up! You can stop it today!”
Listening to Zwalter’s encouragement, the soldiers took up positions and fired arrows diligently at the enemy.
Boom! Boom!
Arrows had little effect on the enemies advancing with their shields at the forefront.
Still, occasionally the infantry and archers in the rear ranks were hit by arrows and fell.
A group finally made it to the foot of the wall, breaking through the barrage of fire.
The hole in the wall had already been filled in with wood, dirt, rocks, etc.
The enemies also paid no attention to you and placed ladders all over the walls.
Kwah! Kwah! Kwah!
Enemies began to climb up the ladders that stretched across the wall.
“Stop them! Shake off the enemies!”
At Zwalter’s command, the soldiers scattered numerous weapons up the ladder.
They rolled down a cylinder with spikes and poured hot water and molten metal on it without stopping.
“Eww!”
The enemies who were coming up with shields were unable to withstand the violent response and fell down one by one.
Ferdium’s soldiers also had to fight hard while protecting themselves from enemy fire flying in from under the walls.
Fortunately, the enemy’s offensive was not strong, so the damage was not that great.
‘What? Why isn’t the siege tower moving?’
Zwalter’s head became complicated.
If you use a ladder to climb the wall, the attacking side will inevitably take greater damage than if you use a siege tower.
However, the enemies were only using ladders, and the siege towers were not moving at all.
It was also suspicious that the enemies were not actively pushing forward.
It felt like if we took over, it was good, otherwise it was over.
But since there were so many of them, we couldn’t block them like the enemy.
Zwalter continued to ponder the enemy’s intentions.
‘Are you trying to tear down the wall foundation and destroy it? Or are you thinking of digging a tunnel to get in?’
I tried to think of other methods that are often used in siege warfare, but nothing came to mind.
There was no sign of any work being done beneath the walls, and there was no time to dig a tunnel either.
The enemies were unable to get over the walls and withdrew as the sun began to set.
“Wow! I blocked it again today!”
The soldiers cheered, but it was an awkward victory like yesterday.
Zwalter’s worries did not last long. As night fell, he soon became aware of his enemies’ intentions.
“Whaaaaaah! Hit me!”
The enemies continued to attack without resting even at night. And only about half of their forces did so.
Even if it’s half, it’s more than the entire force of Ferdium.
“These guys! They’re planning on completely draining our power!”
Zwalter gritted his teeth and shouted.
‘If we withdraw our troops, the place will be empty!’
Because the size of the force was different, it was difficult to adopt the same strategy as the enemies.
The casualties were not great as the enemies attacked cautiously, but fatigue was building up.
The next day, the other half that had rested at night invades again.
Zwalter also tried to withdraw half his troops, just like the enemy.
However, as soon as the enemy withdrew their troops, they sensed it like ghosts and rushed in, targeting their weak points.
‘Even though he is the enemy, the commander’s skills are amazing!’
If Giselle and the mercenaries had not been active, one side of the wall would have already been taken.
“Brother! The soldiers are so tired.”
Randolph tried to convey the message carefully, but there was no other solution.
I was somehow able to gradually remove the soldiers, but the ratio was too different from the opponent’s.
The next day was the same. The enemy forces, who had been well rested, were relatively in good health, but the friendly forces were visibly exhausted.
“Oh, no… … I’m so tired.”
“Do we have to keep fighting like this?”
“When on earth will it end? Didn’t they say there’s no supply on that side either?”
The morale of the Ferdium soldiers fell rapidly.
I haven’t slept properly for three days already.
War itself brings tremendous tension and fatigue.
However, because they had to fight without resting even at night, the soldiers’ physical strength rapidly declined.
Jiselle took another leap from the wall, but the enemy’s strategy remained the same.
When the mercenaries in black armor appeared, the soldiers avoided them and the knights rushed to keep Giselle in check.
In the end, Giselle returned without causing much damage.
But there was a strange smile on his lips.
‘Yeah, you’re doing great, Viktor. Try a little harder.’
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
After that, Giselle and the mercenaries devoted themselves solely to defending the walls.
“Master, if we continue like this, we will surely lose. We must find a way.”
Gillian whispered worriedly, but Giselle nodded and smiled coolly.
“Yes, they are really sharp. But it is not time yet. Just wait a little longer.”
This strategy is not very useful when Mercury has sufficient troops and supplies, as it only wastes time.
If you are not careful, the besieging side may suffer great damage.
However, it was a fairly effective move against the current Ferdium.
Zwalter was once again doubting what was behind this war and what its purpose was.
‘How long have you been preparing for this?’
It is so well known that there is a shortage of supplies in Ferdium that there is no need to hide it. However… … .
‘That ladder. It must have been prepared before the war.’
The walls of Perdium are lower than those of other places.
Even the bridge of a siege tower becomes a downhill slope when it is hung on the wall.
However, all the ladders brought by the enemy were made to fit the exact height of the walls of Perdium.
This means that they have been preparing for Ferdium for at least several months.
‘It wasn’t planned from the moment the traitors crossed over. Was it prepared as soon as the runestone was discovered?’
It seemed that spies had been swarming within the territory for a long time.
‘Count Rogers won’t be able to come.’
It seemed like I had to give up hope that support would come.
The reason why contact with Count Rogers was lost was obvious.
‘The messengers must have all been caught by those guys.’
Now the last hope is that the enemy will retreat due to supply problems.
The day when the siege towers that are standing still now move will be the last battle.
‘Can you hold out until then?’
Zwalter looked at the siege tower in the distance with tired eyes.
* * *
Meanwhile, Victor was also weighing up the final battle.
Although the battlefield was turning in their favor, it was inevitable that their troops would be attrited.
The increasing damage was not pleasant, because he could only be recognized for his commanding ability if he reduced the damage even a little.
But I couldn’t just hold on, so I had to move carefully.
“We’re running out of supplies. Are you okay?”
Thamos asked worriedly from the side.
We must somehow settle the matter and obtain the runestone. If we do not, Digald will not be able to repair the damage he suffered in this war.
If in the meantime, Ferdium were to invade in reverse, Digald would be destroyed.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon.”
Victor answered firmly.
The truth that Digald would end on the day Ferdium ended was buried in my heart.
‘Can you hold out for two days? It’s about time they started having problems too.’
It would have been good to push on for just three more days, but there wasn’t that much leeway here either due to supply issues.
“Push a little harder.”
Victor took some damage and extended the battle time a bit.
Ferdium, who had been holding on while sleeping, found it increasingly difficult to hold on.
In the meantime, Giselle divided the mercenaries into half and made sure they were able to sleep and rest regularly.
The problem was that the more the mercenaries rested, the more Jiselle had to move.
“Master! Are you crazy? You’ll die like this!”
“Your Majesty! You too should rest a little!”
Despite Belinda and Gillian’s attempts to dissuade her, Giselle was the type of person who would push through with anything she set her mind to.
“It’s okay. It’s better than dying and resting forever, right? You have to move hard now.”
Belinda was struck in the chest by his stubborn, even calm, answer.
Two days passed like that.
The Ferdium Army faced a more serious problem.
“The arrow… … fell.”
“There are no more Mercury supplies.”
As the knights’ reports continued, Zwalter eventually lowered his head.
All supplies were eventually consumed in the fight to stop the enemies who invaded day and night.
Homer worked hard to gather supplies from the territory, but there was a limit to what he could do.
‘This must have been what you were aiming for.’
The enemy commander exploited this weakness very well.
Even Randolph, who was always full of energy, was just blinking his eyes, and the soldiers were all exhausted.
‘It’s the end.’
It’s surprising that they’ve lasted this long against such cautious enemies.
If it weren’t for Giselle, I wouldn’t have been able to endure this much.
“You look a little better.”
Giselle shrugged her shoulders in response to Zwalter’s words.
“Because the battle isn’t over yet.”
In fact, although Giselle’s face looked tired, it wasn’t as deadly as the others.
Zwalter hesitated for a moment and then spoke in a trembling voice.
“When the battle begins… …you lead the mercenaries and leave this place.”
“What are you talking about?”
Jiselle looked puzzled at her father’s unusual appearance.
He was a man who always emphasized the duty and honor of the nobility, so he told me to run away.
“Take refuge in the care of Count Rogers. In private, the Countess will not ignore your aunt. She will protect you.”
“Didn’t you say that that wasn’t the duty of a nobleman?”
“… … I am also human, so there is nothing I can do. It is my father’s heart, not yours. Take Elena with you.”
“Do you think you’re already going to lose?”
“The time has passed for your forces to have any influence. If we win, we will win without you, and if we lose, we will lose with you.”
“… … .”
“Don’t hit Kane, be friendly with him. Don’t cause trouble and get in trouble for no reason.”
“……haha.”
It was rare to see Zwalter joking. Giselle couldn’t help but laugh.
Randolph also came over and placed a gentle hand on Giselle’s shoulder.
“Your Highness, no, I will speak comfortably from now on since you are like my nephew.”
“When have you ever been comfortable?”
When I answered bluntly, Randolph showed his teeth and smiled.
“We were dirty together, let’s never meet again. You were always ugly, but in the end, you were truly the grand prince of the family and the successor to the land. Go and continue the family line.”
“I don’t run away.”
“Just go. If you live, we can get revenge later.”
Revenge.
Jiselle answered with a snicker.
“Revenge has already begun.”
“what?”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before Randolph could ask what was happening, the enemy’s drums began to be heard.
Ddddddddd!
The three remaining siege towers were also moving.
Everyone felt that the time for the final battle had finally arrived.
Jiselle turned around to see the enemy approaching.
“Now I will move as I wish.”
Zwalter and Randolph were speechless as they watched Giselle descending towards the gate.
After a while, Zwalter sighed.
“Yes, when was that guy a listener? But the ending was noble.”
“Since it’s come to this, let’s see it through to the end. Judging from the fact that you moved the siege tower, it seems like today is the last day. If you don’t have a weapon, can’t you just fight with your fists?”
Zwalter nodded as he watched Randolph’s motivation flare up again.
And he shouted to the soldiers.
“Everyone, cheer up! Today is the last battle!”
“Wow!”
At the lord’s assurance, the soldiers took up their weapons and shouted loudly.
In fact, no one believed that Ferdium could win.
It was more like a scream of not wanting to die.
Victor laughed as shouts came from Ferdium’s direction.
“It’s over now. You boring guys.”
Since yesterday, hardly any arrows have been flying.
It was evidence that the enemy’s supplies were almost depleted.
Now it was time to rush in with overwhelming force and take victory.
“The central army will go near the castle gate and wait!”
In particular, he placed a thick layer of shieldmen in the central army’s battle lines.
“When they are pushed to their limit, the enemies will open the gates and rush out. Then, use magic to blow away the vanguard.”
The wizards standing next to Victor nodded.
Victor was sure that once the siege began, the men in black armor would rush out.
At the last moment, they will charge forward using their strengths.
‘You probably think that’s your last chance to win.’
But if the wizard strikes suddenly, they too will collapse.
‘I have been hiding the wizard for this moment.’
It seems like there are quite a few people in Ferdium who use their brains, but that’s as far as it goes.
“All troops! Advance!”
At Victor’s shout, all troops began to move simultaneously.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ferdium’s soldiers trembled in despair.
I’ve been holding out well so far, but today I just don’t think I’ll be able to survive.
Only the mercenaries were glaring at the enemy with sharp eyes and burning with fighting spirit.
Jiselle’s gaze, which was looking around at the mercenaries, stopped at the person right next to her.
“Vanessa, get ready.”
