Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 129

7. Star of the Battlefield

1

North of the Variand Mountains.

Fires raged in fortresses and castles along the defense line, the result of a surprise attack by the Kingdom of Symphonia.

The Symphonian army, bypassing the expected invasion route of the Baroque Empire, had launched a surprise attack, seizing border castles and fortresses.

Caught completely off guard, the garrisons of the fortresses were either forced to surrender or flee without putting up a proper fight.

‘The first step was a success.’

Satisfied, Belik left the rear guard to handle the cleanup and advanced north, capturing more of the Empire’s fortresses and territories one after another.

The Southern Army, having received the urgent news, hastily sent reinforcements to stop them, but the Symphonian army’s movements were much faster and more devastating than they had anticipated.

In a barony located about two days away from the Symphonian border.

The lord’s castle walls, which they thought would be safe, were half-collapsed.

They had been easily destroyed by the simultaneous attacks of the Symphonian Gigants [large, humanoid war machines] that had just stormed in.

Amidst the half-collapsed ramparts, with shattered Gigants scattered around, the knights and soldiers of the territory walked out with their hands raised high.

Defeated by the Symphonian army and taken as prisoners, their faces were filled with worry and fear, as they were well aware of how prisoners of war were typically treated.

However, the soldiers soon brightened up.

The Symphonian army had simply released them. Moreover, they even shared some of the food and goods seized from the fortress.

“What if they rejoin the enemy forces?”

On a hill overlooking the lord’s castle.

To Philip’s concern, a red-armored general riding a glossy white horse chuckled and replied.

“Hah, even if they walk on two feet, can they be faster than our army, all mounted on horses and carriages? And if they do rejoin, we’ll just crush them again.”

The man who answered confidently was Grand Duke Belik, the commander-in-chief of this expedition.

After answering Philip’s question, he turned his gaze to a middle-aged knight on the opposite side.

“You, your face has been looking grim. Are you feeling unwell?”

“How can I be well? This place was under my protection until recently.”

“Ah, that’s right. That’s why you were chosen as a guide.”

Belik tapped his head as if he had just remembered.

The middle-aged knight was Count Ferrero, whom Luke had rescued from prison two months ago.

Before heading to Nemesis, he had stayed here, planning to rebuild the Southern Army, expand the castle, and construct fortresses.

Furthermore, he had identified invasion routes to bypass the Variand Mountains and its southern territories, in case they needed to be recovered later.

There was no way Luke would leave him, who knew the situation in this area better than anyone else, alone.

Luke had conscripted him and Shirley, who had been doing nothing but practicing swordsmanship or lazing around, as ‘guides’ without any special title.

Ferrero, who had been utterly defeated in a duel with Luke before, had served him as his new lord as promised, and obeyed the orders to go to war without complaint.

However, he was not in a good mood.

Many of the knights and soldiers defending this place were his former subordinates.

Given his chivalrous nature, he felt as if he had betrayed his own country.

However, it was Emperor Rudolf who had first broken the bond of loyalty between lord and vassal.

He had falsely accused Ferrero and imprisoned him in a dungeon to break his spirit.

Not only that, he had taken his family hostage and threatened him, and even tracked down and killed all the people Ferrero had barely managed to persuade to return.

Rudolf’s actions, intended to make Ferrero a well-behaved dog, had only fueled his resentment.

‘Yes, I am no longer Rudolf’s puppet!’

Having sorted out his thoughts, Ferrero shook his head to clear the unpleasant feeling.

The only fortunate thing was that the Symphonian army did not cause trouble for the imperial citizens or indiscriminately massacre prisoners.

As they had just done, they released ordinary soldiers after disarming them.

Commanders, knights, and officers would be taken to Symphonia, but they were not in danger of being executed.

They would either be released after receiving compensation or persuaded to join their side.

‘I’ll probably be made to participate in that persuasion process too.’

Seeing the Symphonian army’s more lenient treatment than expected, Ferrero decided to be more proactive in assisting this expedition. The sooner Rudolf fell, the sooner the people’s suffering would lessen.

At that moment, Shirley, who had gone on reconnaissance, returned and reported.

“The enemy forces stationed at the fortresses and castles 40 kilometers north are all retreating. They will probably join the defense at Sherwood City.”

Initially, the Southern Army had sent the reserves from headquarters as reinforcements.

However, as the Symphonian army’s advance speed exceeded their expectations, they immediately recalled them.

Not only that, they were now gathering troops stationed at each fortress and territory.

“Hmm, the commander over there isn’t a complete fool either. Well, it’s much better to gather in a place that’s good for defense and fight it out than to have the remaining forces be defeated piecemeal.”

Ferrero nodded in agreement with Belik’s words.

“Count Darlang, he’s still young and terrible at swordsmanship, but he’s a capable commander.”

“Then we need to be careful when attacking Sherwood.”

Sherwood, the final target of this expedition, was the central city of the Baroque Empire’s south.

It was a transportation hub with a developed commercial and industrial sector, and a military stronghold where the Southern Army headquarters was located.

The city itself was located on an island in the middle of a river, making it difficult to attack by conventional means.

“Certainly, a blitzkrieg like this won’t work. If I were Darlang, I would blow up the bridges leading to the city and burn all the ships.”

“But they’ll probably keep them until we arrive. To gather the retreating or defeated troops.”

Belik said with a smirk.

From that sinister smile, Ferrero and Shirley realized that he was plotting something.

“Anyway, to prepare for the siege, we need to change our strategy from a blitzkrieg to a methodical attack. Tell the engineers to secure materials to build pontoon bridges and temporary transport ships. If necessary, mobilize Gigants or trailers.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

After Philip, who had received the order, stepped back, Belik issued a summons to the units that had been dispersed for the southern campaign.

Since the enemy was concentrating their forces, they planned to prepare thoroughly and then launch the attack.

2

Sherwood, a city on the river.

Gigants and troops were constantly entering through the two bridges and ferries on the south side of the city.

They were the retreating units and stragglers from the south.

“Hurry! Get into the city quickly!”

“We’ll destroy the bridges when the rebels come! Don’t dawdle!”

“Hey! Gigants can’t enter the bridge all at once! Keep your turn, keep your turn!”

From an observation deck overlooking the city, a frail-looking noble youth was looking south with a worried expression.

He was Count Darlang, the commander of the Southern Army.

Darlang frowned at the Gigants of the lords, who were rushing to enter the bridge.

“Those fools. Gigants are of little use in this kind of siege warfare.”

Unlike a typical fortress, Sherwood was located on an island in the middle of a river.

The river was wide and deep on both sides, making it quite dangerous to cross the river on a Gigant. If a ship or boat was attacked, it was highly likely to sink completely.

Moreover, the winters in the south were not very harsh, so there was no chance of the river freezing thick enough to walk on.

In other words, the possibility of Gigant battles in this siege was slim.

It would have been much more helpful if they had brought fortress cannons instead of Gigants.

However, conservative nobles, obsessed with old-fashioned chivalry, did not value artillery much.

‘Well, in terms of assets, Gigants are much more valuable than artillery.’

In fact, many of the lords were bringing wagons and trailers loaded with valuables.

For Darlang, who needed a handful of gunpowder more than gold and silver, it was nothing short of annoying.

“Commander, we have finished reinforcing the southern walls.”

At the adjutant’s report, Darlang nodded and asked.

“Good job. Have you secured enough fire-fighting water?”

“Yes, we have filled all available water containers and jars. More importantly, what should we do with the stragglers?”

At the adjutant’s question, Darlang was lost in thought.

Unlike the territorial armies that had retreated, many of the stragglers who had been defeated in the face of the enemy’s blitzkrieg or had been captured and released were unarmed.

The problem was that Sherwood did not have enough weapons and military supplies to provide for them.

This was because Emperor Rudolf had focused on conquering the Kingdom of Lybia, leaving only minimal supplies in the south.

“If we feed the stragglers, we won’t be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive from the capital.”

“So, are we supposed to starve them?”

“How about driving them out instead?”

At the adjutant’s words, Darlang jumped up and said.

“Drive them out… It’s obvious what will happen if we do that, isn’t it?”

It was not uncommon for stragglers or abandoned soldiers to turn into bandits and attack nearby villages or civilian houses in the battlefield.

If that happened, the public sentiment, which was already bad due to conscription and requisition caused by the war, would worsen even further.

And it was obvious where that worsened public sentiment would turn.

‘Those Symphonian bastards, it was an intentional release.’

No, it wasn’t just that intention. There must be another intention behind it.

Having made that judgment, Count Darlang gave a separate order to his adjutant.

“For now, don’t arm the stragglers and just make them do labor. And keep a close watch on them. There’s a possibility that enemy spies have infiltrated among the stragglers.”

The most dangerous thing in a siege was not the enemy’s shells and arrows pouring in from the outside.

It was internal strife or enemy sabotage within the city.

“Understood. We will thoroughly check their identities and ferret out the spies.”

After the adjutant saluted and stepped back, Darlang moved to the communication room.

It was to request supplies from the territories north of the city and to urge the reinforcements from the capital to advance faster.

“Can’t you go any faster?”

Marquis Vanden, who had received 20,000 central army troops and the Imperial Guard knights as reinforcements, was hurrying south.

However, contrary to his urgent heart, the march speed was slow.

This was because the morale of the central army soldiers had dropped significantly due to the continuous wars and recent events in the capital, and the frequent breakdowns of the trailers transporting the Gigants were taking up time.

“Most of the trailers are new, but the quality is not good. It seems that defects occurred in the process of urgent production during the war.”

“Hmph, not all new things are good.”

“The problem is the ordinary soldiers, not the trailers. We are constantly encouraging them to advance, but if we push them any further…”

Perhaps a large number of deserters would occur, or in severe cases, a riot would break out.

‘Damn it! Everything is a mess because of that crazy Emperor!’

If you think about it, Rudolf was responsible for the state of the trailers and the low morale of the soldiers.

If he had been a better politician, he wouldn’t have faced this crisis.

Vanden, who was inwardly cursing Emperor Rudolf, spoke to the communication mage standing next to his adjutant.

“Has there been any contact from Sherwood City?”

“An hour ago, Count Darlang, the commander of the Southern Army, contacted us directly and urged us to advance.”

“Is that so? Did he say anything about the enemy?”

“It’s reported that the enemy’s main force hasn’t appeared yet. Only small reconnaissance units have shown up near the city, just enough to be annoying.”

“That’s a relief, at least.”

According to the reports received on the way here, the enemy’s advance speed was unbelievable.

They must have been using cavalry as their main force, or some means equivalent to cavalry.

In response, Count Darlang, the commander of the Southern Army, said he would gather the remaining forces in Sherwood City and hold a siege.

It was a relief that they weren’t being defeated piecemeal or recklessly going out to intercept.

If he had arrived late and Sherwood had been captured, not only would he have lost the chance to gain merit, but the Emperor might have punished him.

“Ugh, anyway, make sure to encourage the soldiers and mages so that we can increase our marching speed even more.”

After instructing his subordinate commanders, Marquis Vanden let out a long sigh.

It seemed that this war would not be as easy as he had initially expected.

3

Three days later, the Symphonia Kingdom army arrived in front of Sherwood City.

The reason it took them three days to cover a distance that could have been reached in one day was that they had brought a large amount of logs to build pontoon bridges and transport ships for the siege.

In addition, they brought fortress cannons from the fortresses they had occupied or that the enemy had abandoned and lined them up along the riverbank.

This was the result of mobilizing not only trailers but also Gigants [large, humanoid war machines] for transportation.

“Just give the order! We can fire right now!”

“Your enthusiasm is good. But we still have to wait and see.”

Belik patted the artillery commander on the shoulder and looked at Sherwood, which was located on an island in the middle of the river.

Then, Philip approached him and reported.

“We’ve received contact from the spies who infiltrated Sherwood, mixed in with the defeated soldiers.”

“Yes, what’s the internal situation?”

Philip replied with a troubled expression to Belik’s question.

“They say that the preparations for the siege are thorough. They are also receiving supplies from the northern territories, and internal control and identity checks are quite strict.”

Since quite a few spies had already been discovered and arrested or executed, the remaining spies were barely managing to communicate from underground.

Because of this, it was impossible to incite or sabotage from within.

“That’s a shame. One of our cards to attack Sherwood has been lost.”

“It seems that the commander named Darlang is quite capable, just as Count Ferrero said.”

“Yes, he’s called the Star of the Battlefield, and it seems that the nickname wasn’t given lightly.”

“But we still have some cards left, don’t we?”

“That’s right.”

Belik turned his gaze to the black trailer.

There was cargo wrapped tightly in oilcloth on that trailer.

That cargo was something Luke had given him before the war, saying it would help in the attack on Sherwood.

Belik also thought that this would play a decisive role.

“When is the Baroque Empire’s support army supposed to arrive?”

“According to the intelligence department, the soldiers’ morale is low and the trailers are breaking down frequently, so it will take at least a week.”

“A week, huh… Then we have to capture Sherwood within that time.”

If ordinary people had heard Belik’s words, they would have thought it was absurd.

Sherwood City was located on an island in the middle of the river, and it was surrounded by walls on all sides, making a siege very difficult.

However, Belik, as well as Philip, thought that a week would be enough to capture it.

They had useful cards left.

“The full-scale siege will begin tomorrow. Let the soldiers rest well today. However, don’t neglect your vigilance, as the enemy may try to cross the river secretly and launch a night raid.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Philip saluted and stepped back.

Belik, who had been staring at Sherwood City, also returned to his tent with a meaningful smile.

Thump! Thump-thump!

Bang! Kwaaaang!

The next day, as soon as the sun rose, the Symphonia Kingdom army began their attack.

With the artillery in the lead, they relentlessly fired shells at the walls and gates.

Meanwhile, the engineers approached the broken bridge with tools and materials such as logs, trying to connect the severed bridge.

“Hurry! Don’t let the artillery’s cover be in vain!”

“The outcome of this war depends on our performance!”

The Baroque Empire’s Southern Army was not just watching the Symphonia Kingdom army’s movements.

They used the cannons mounted on the walls to fire shells at the Symphonia artillery and engineering units.

It was the Gigants that were blocking these incoming shells.

The riders used large steel shields to deflect the enemy’s shells or helped load the huge fortress cannons.

“Doesn’t it feel like we’ve become the artillery’s assistants?”

One of the riders grumbled as if he didn’t like it, and a colleague tried to soothe him.

“Don’t be impatient. Once the bridge is repaired, it’s our turn.”

“Well, I wonder if that bridge can be properly repaired…”

The Baroque Southern Army’s shelling was more focused on the engineering unit repairing the bridge than on the artillery unit.

Gigants were also sent to support the engineering unit for defense and work assistance, but due to the narrow space on the bridge and weight issues, not many could be mobilized at once.

“Oh my, look at that…!”

The riders clicked their tongues as a shell fell on the bridge they had barely connected and shattered it.

“This won’t do. We need to further disperse the enemy’s attacks… !”

“It seems like they’re already doing that.”

As if Grand Duke Belik had given the order, a series of infantry units launched rafts into the river.

The Baroque Southern Army moved even more busily upon witnessing this.

“Your Excellency! The enemy’s infantry units are attempting to cross the river.”

“Disperse the shelling and stop them! If there aren’t enough cannons, use catapults! If you don’t have those either, mobilize the Gigants and have them throw rocks!”

Following Count Darlang’s orders, some of the cannons on the southern wall fired at the raft fleet, and the catapults, which had been treated as outdated weapons and left to rot in the warehouse, stretched their limbs for the first time in a while.

Thwack! Whoosh!

Although dozens of water columns shot up on the surface of the water, the Symphonia infantry units did not give up and continued to row.

They even attempted a counterattack with large crossbows mounted on the rafts or created a thick smokescreen to block the view.

“Hang in there! Not much left…”

“Ughhh!”

The rafts that had approached close to the island were hit by shells or shattered by rocks launched from catapults.

In addition, soldiers were splattered with blood and fell to the ground after being hit by a hail of pebbles thrown by the Gigants that had climbed onto the wall.

Philip, who was watching the scene with binoculars from the rear, frowned.

“They’re all going to die like that.”

“It can’t be helped. Order them to retreat. And the engineering unit at the bridge too.”

At Belik’s command, a bugle horn sounded a long retreat.

As the Symphonia Kingdom army retreated, the Baroque Empire army on the wall cheered in victory.

“Waaah! We won!”

“Long live the Baroque Empire!”

However, for some reason, Count Darlang’s face did not brighten.

He thought that this was just the beginning of the battle, and the damage to his artillery unit was greater than expected.

Almost none of the enemy’s shells had fallen on civilian houses inside the city. That meant the shelling was accurate.

‘I thought that artillery units with this level of skill would only be in the Volga Republic or the Grenada Kingdom…’

It seemed that the siege would be much more difficult than he had expected.

However, Count Darlang, who did not have time to dwell on pessimistic thoughts, immediately gave orders to his adjutant.

“The enemy’s separate forces may attempt to cross the river upstream or downstream. Release reconnaissance units to thoroughly monitor the riverbank.”

“Understood, Your Excellency.”

After giving the order, Darlang instructed the artillery commanders on the wall to prepare for the enemy’s second attack.

In particular, he ordered them to further increase the defense of the batteries.

However, the Symphonia Kingdom army did not attack any further.

The first day of engagement ended with a victory for the Baroque Southern Army.

4

On the second day, unlike the previous day, the Symphonia Kingdom army began their attack around noon.

The operation to attempt to restore the bridge and cross the infantry units under the cover of artillery was no different from the previous day.

However, one thing that had been added was that they had begun to build a pontoon bridge upstream, out of reach of the Baroque Southern Army’s shelling.

Upon receiving this report, Count Darlang hurriedly sent Gigants and cavalry units to that side to check the Symphonia Kingdom army’s crossing.

When the Baroque Southern Army set up camp across the river, the Symphonia Kingdom army gave up on installing the pontoon bridge and retreated.

This was because too much damage was expected if they continued the operation.

“There was no progress today either.”

Belik shrugged his shoulders at Philip’s disappointed words.

“Sieges aren’t easy. Especially fortresses on islands.”

In the many wars of the past, fortresses in the middle of a river had rarely been captured.

The few cases where they had been captured were only when an internal sympathizer opened the gates or when food and supplies had been exhausted after a long siege.

Belik, who was well aware of this fact, deliberately did not carry out the operation recklessly. There was no need to increase the damage to the soldiers.

And one more thing.

He had a reliable card that Luke had prepared for him.

That evening, Belik, who had gathered the commanders of each unit for a strategy meeting, asked Shirley, who had scouted the upper and lower reaches of the river.

“Was there any place to cross the river?”

“No, the enemy’s reconnaissance units are already guarding any place that can be crossed. There were armies and Gigants that seemed to have come from the territories across the river nearby.”

“Thorough, aren’t they?”

He was not called the Star of the Battlefield for nothing.

Just by looking at how thoroughly he had prepared for this siege, Count Darlang was qualified to be called a great general.

Anyway, praise was praise, and Philip spoke to Belik, who had no way to attack because of it.

“I think we should use ‘that’?”

“That?”

“Yes, that thing that His Majesty gave us.”

At Philip’s suggestion, Belik thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“That’s our last card. If we use it carelessly and fail, we won’t be able to find another way.”

“But we can’t delay any longer. According to the intelligence department, the enemy’s support army that departed from Nemesis is increasing its marching speed. There are also reports that the Emperor’s Imperial Guard and hero-class Gigants have been sent ahead as advance troops.”

At Philip’s words, Belik and the commanders’ eyes widened.

“Is that true? The Emperor’s Imperial Guard is in the support army?”

“Yes, there are ten of them, and they are all said to have reached the level of Sword Masters.”

The Rudolf Emperor’s Imperial Guard was already known. Count Ferrero and Shirley had provided information about them.

However, this was the first time they had heard that the Imperial Guard was heading south as a support force, and even as an advance party.

“This is troublesome. If those guys join the fray…”

If it were a battle on an open plain, Belik wouldn’t have even blinked.

He was confident in Gigant battles, to the point where he was known as a self-proclaimed Gigant Master.

However, this battle was a siege, and they had to attack a castle on an island.

If they faced enemies from both sides, the situation would become dire.

“There’s no choice. We’ll use ‘that’. We’ll capture Sherwood before their support army arrives.”

“Then we need to make a plan.”

“Of course. It’s our last resort, so we absolutely cannot fail.”

Belik’s eyes flashed with determination, and everyone nodded.

They selected the units and knights to participate in the operation and received information about the internal layout and various facilities of Sherwood City from Count Ferrero.

“The operation will begin at 2 a.m. tomorrow. Let’s finish it before sunrise.”

“Understood, Your Grace!”

The commanders, after giving their military salutes, quickly returned to their respective units.

Belik, emerging from the command tent, looked with anticipation at ‘that,’ which was being unwrapped by the soldiers.

To capture Sherwood, they had no choice but to rely on their last resort.

At the same time, Count Darlang, who had been observing the Symphonia Kingdom army camp across the river from the watchtower, immediately called a strategy meeting.

“It seems the enemy is planning a night raid.”

“Did an informant in the enemy camp report that?” one of the commanders asked, surprised. Darlang shook his head.

“No, it’s something we can deduce even without an informant’s report.”

The siege during the day ended earlier than expected, and there was more smoke rising from the enemy camp during dinner time than yesterday or the day before.

It was clear evidence that they were preparing a late-night meal before the night raid, building up the soldiers’ strength.

“They will surely attempt to cross the river under the cover of darkness. We must prepare thoroughly for this.”

“Then please send me, Your Excellency!”

A rugged-looking middle-aged knight stood up abruptly as soon as Darlang finished speaking.

It was Baron Bodri, who was in charge of the Gigant unit in the Southern Army.

“Alright, lie in ambush by the river, and when the enemy tries to cross, attack…”

“Instead of that, give me a ship, Your Excellency. I’ll cross the river before they launch their night raid and crush them.”

Bodri was a natural-born charge leader.

Such a person was stuck inside the castle due to the siege, so it was no wonder he was itching for action.

That’s why he suggested a counterattack, but Darlang shook his head.

“I refuse. I cannot waste valuable forces on such a reckless operation.”

“Reckless operation? Are we just going to keep getting pushed back like this?”

Bodri almost cursed.

He was getting frustrated because the young commander, who was barely his youngest brother’s age, was only responding passively.

‘Hmph! Why is a frail coward who can’t even swing a sword properly called the Star of the Battlefield!’

Bodri didn’t know it well, but Darlang had earned merits in past conflicts with the Volga Republic and the Holy Empire.

However, his merits were not from aggressive attacks but from his actions in defensive situations, so they were relatively unknown.

“The Gigant unit is our last line of defense to stop the enemy from crossing the river and to use when the gate is breached. Unless the support army arrives, I cannot allow such a risk in this situation.”

‘Tch, so you’re just going to keep us locked up. Are you jealous that I’m going to earn merits?’

Bodri was annoyed, but he couldn’t show his true feelings.

It was wartime, and the current commander was the ‘cowardly brat’ in front of him.

If he disobeyed, he would be punished immediately.

“Understood, Your Excellency. As you command, the Gigant unit will only remain in ambush.”

“Do so. But to prepare for any situation, leave half of them inside the castle.”

At the commander’s added order, Bodri’s expression hardened even more.

However, he did not disobey in the end.

He vowed that when Marquis Vanden, who was leading the support army, arrived, he would formally accuse the commander of his passive response and his restraint on the Gigant unit.

In the dark hours before dawn.

The Symphonia Kingdom army, who had gone to bed early, moved busily.

After eating the late-night meal they had prepared in the evening, they began their attack on Sherwood City.

As the infantry unit at the vanguard quietly launched rafts to cross the river, torches were lit brightly on the castle walls.

“Fire!”

Boom! Boom boom boom!

The shells that flew into the sky exploded, and flashes of light flickered.

The flashes brightly illuminated the infantry of the Symphonia Kingdom army, who were quietly crossing the river in the moonless night.

“Damn it, we’ve been discovered!”

“Don’t panic, quickly cover our allies!”

The Symphonia artillery unit, which had been waiting in silence, began firing all at once.

Amidst the flashes of light from the shells at night, cannons fired incessantly, and screams echoed from the surface of the water where the shells fell and from the castle walls.

The full-scale night siege had finally begun.

While the battle was raging fiercely, a series of floating objects drifted down the river upstream.

However, the Southern Army’s attention was focused on the south where the battle was taking place, so they did not notice the floating objects approaching.

Sherwood City, being a large city, had large sewers through which various sewage and rainwater flowed.

These sewers, which were connected to the river at the east and south, had double iron bars made of steel and Gigantium alloy [a fictional, very strong metal] to prevent enemy intrusion.

They had placed guards here, but they didn’t think it was a route that the enemy could infiltrate, so there weren’t many of them.

Inside the guard post near the entrance of the eastern sewer.

When his comrade began to doze off, another soldier shook him awake with a pathetic expression.

“Hey, wake up! If you get caught dozing off, the knight will hang you.”

“Huuuahm. Sorry. I was tired because I went out to repair the castle walls during the day…”

“Even so, how can you sleep when the cannons are roaring so loudly?”

“It’s not like the shells are falling here. I feel sorry for the friends who are dying on the south wall, but those who need to rest should rest, right?”

“If you’re sorry, you should be more alert. What if an enemy special forces unit comes in this way?”

Enemies secretly infiltrating through sewers was not just in novels but had happened several times in actual history.

That’s why it was something anyone could worry about, but the comrade shook his head with a look that said not to worry.

“Hey, inside this sewer, there are double bars made of Gigantium alloy that are thicker than an adult’s arm.”

Not only that, but defensive magic was enchanted on them, so they wouldn’t be scratched by the aura of ordinary soldiers or even most knights.

“But what if a Gigant comes in and breaks it?”

“Have you ever seen such a fool? How could that heavy Gigant cross the river? And even if it did, what could it do? This sewer is big, but it’s not big enough for a Gigant to enter. If it tried to force its way in, it would get stuck and be unable to move.”

There was a reason why only a small number of guards were stationed there.

Because of that, the knight who should have been commanding the guards was not staying in the smelly post but was resting inside the castle.

“Well, that’s a relief… Huh, what’s that?”

“What is it?”

The two soldiers, who had been chatting, discovered a floating object approaching the sewer entrance.

A sharp light flickered within the floating object, which was tangled with reeds and aquatic plants, and then two arrows flew out.

“Kuh!”

“Kuh-eok!”

As the two soldiers fell, Scarlett and her special forces members emerged from the floating object.

Carefully surveying the surroundings and securing the post, they sent a signal to the river by flashing a magic lantern on and off.

Then, a large floating object that had been stopped in the middle of the river approached them.

Chwaaaaaa!

What emerged after shaking off the reeds and aquatic plants was surprisingly a Gigant.

The Gigant, which was much smaller than a normal Gigant, had large leather tubes filled with air on its limbs, and its wooden armor was covered with floating magic circles.

“Luckily, it didn’t sink.”

“It seems you didn’t freeze to death crossing the river with your bare bodies either.”

Hobart, who was riding the Gigant, handed brandy to Scarlett and the special forces members to warm them up.

The Gigants that the riders led by Hobart were riding were Crabs that had been captured from the Grenada Kingdom army during the last war.

Originally developed for naval and shipboard battles, the Crab was smaller and lighter than a normal Gigant.

However, relatively light did not mean it was actually light; the alloy frame and core engine parts inside it weighed several tons.

Therefore, it was definitely not something that could float on water.

However, after the war, Luke, who had taken apart and studied the Crab with the mages of the Katarina Magic Tower, discovered that if he attached some auxiliary equipment to this Gigant, it could float on a river, if not on the high seas.

This was the first time it was being used in actual combat, and if this fact became known, the continent would be turned upside down.

Because it would change part of the paradigm that leads strategy and tactics.

“None of them sank, right?” Hobart asked, and his crew members replied.

“No, sir. But the cockpits of numbers 5 and 8 leaked, and they were shivering.”

“Really? When we get back, I’ll have to kick the Iron Mages’ butts.”

Hobart ordered the landed Crabs to be checked to see if there were any problems with their operation.

Some of the units had leaks, but not enough to interfere with the battle.

“Then, good luck.”

“Good luck to you too.”

Hobart and the riders on the Crabs left Scarlett and the special forces behind and began to crawl into the sewer.

A normal Gigant, which was over 10 meters tall, would have gotten stuck in the middle, but the Crab was less than 7 meters tall, so it could easily enter.

After going some distance, they found the thick Gigantium alloy bars that Count Ferrero had told them about, installed in double layers.

Hobart, who was at the front, injected aura into the Crab’s left hand, which was shaped like a pincer, and cut through the bars.

Clang-! Clang! Clang-! Clang!

“Alright, keep moving forward!”

Hobart, who had succeeded in cutting through the bars, led his men further inside.

After going some distance, a manhole appeared that led to the city streets.

The manhole entrance was too narrow for the Crab to pass through, but it wasn’t a big problem. They could just break it with their greatswords or pincers.

Kwaaang!

Hobart, who had broken through the entrance and climbed to the surface, grinned as he looked at the brightly lit Sherwood city.

“Alright, it’s time to go wild!”