1. Battle of Tolude Fortress
1
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The Volga Republic’s Gigants, having crossed the frozen river, advanced towards the fortress walls. Behind them, cavalry and infantry followed like a swarm of ants.
The Imperial soldiers within the fortress were stunned, unable to react. They had never imagined the enemy would cross the river so quickly.
Luke was equally surprised.
However, he quickly regained his composure.
He had been diligently preparing for the past three months, anticipating a border conflict.
‘Activate the anti-Gigant magic circles! Artillery, prepare to fire!’
At Luke’s command, several mages began chanting spells to activate the magic circles. The artillerymen hastily loaded gunpowder and cannonballs into the cannons.
‘The enemy is within 200 meters!’
‘Wait! Hold your fire!’
The soldiers, tense and eager to attack, hesitated at Luke’s command.
‘Enemy Gigants are within 100 meters!’
‘Wait!’
The enemy Gigants’ greatswords glinted in the sunlight, clearly visible to everyone. It seemed as if the enemy Gigants would climb the hill at any moment, break through the fortress walls, and storm inside.
‘The enemy is within 50 meters.’
‘Now! Commence the attack!’
As Luke’s command rang out, the mages chanted the final activation spells for the magic circles, and the artillerymen lit the fuses.
Boom! Rumble!
With a roar that shook the sky and earth, flames erupted from the ground.
The anti-Gigant magic circles, including the Explosion Mines, had been activated simultaneously.
About a dozen Volga Gigants, charging at the front, were shattered and sent tumbling to the ground.
The Gigants closest to the blast had their lower bodies completely blown away, while those nearby suffered major and minor damage, such as broken ankles or knee joints.
‘W-what…!’
‘Don’t stop, keep charging!’
The Volga Gigant unit, which had briefly paused, began to charge again, spurred on by their commanders.
However, they were met with a fierce barrage of cannon fire as they climbed the hill below the fortress.
Boom! Boom!
‘Retract the barrels!’
‘Hurry up with the reloading!’
The artillery officers on the fortress walls shouted hoarsely.
The large-caliber cannons for Gigants were as powerful as they were large.
If they could hit their target accurately, they could neutralize even a Gigant with thick steel armor in a single blow.
However, they consumed a large amount of gunpowder, and the cannonballs were large and heavy, making the reloading process slow.
Luke had employed an unconventional method to compensate for this drawback.
By having the Gigants on the fortress walls assist with reloading the cannons, he had managed to speed up the process considerably.
Initially, the Imperial knights, who prided themselves as the elite of knights, had strongly protested.
They questioned how they could be asked to do such menial work.
However, Luke, who had completely taken control of the knight order with his skill, forced them to do it, and the effects were clearly visible in today’s battle.
The Volga Gigants were being destroyed one after another by the continuous barrage.
‘Tch! When did they set up such defenses at Tolude Fortress?’
A mage in a flamboyant robe, who had been watching his army’s attack with a relaxed posture from the main camp, frowned deeply and spoke.
He was Meister Tyrone of the Republic’s Magic Tower.
Although a mage, Tyrone was also a skilled military strategist, having led mages on the front lines and earned merits during the Republic Revolution.
That was why he was in charge of the Tolude Fortress attack.
To catch the enemy off guard in the early stages, Tyrone had mobilized black mages supported by the Dark Moon [a group or organization].
Using them, he had frozen the Sand River, allowing them to cross it in an instant.
His plan was to storm the fortress before the enemy could properly prepare, but he had encountered an unexpected problem.
No, it wasn’t just a problem; it was a significant setback that inflicted considerable damage on the Republic’s Gigant unit.
‘The fortress commander who recently arrived is no ordinary person. Send the signal to retreat the unit.’
Although he had suffered a loss in the initial engagement, it did not mean he had lost the war.
He had several methods to capture Tolude Fortress, and only one of them had failed.
Moreover, it was an order he had given because he was concerned about the cumulative damage to the Gigant unit.
Boooooo!
A loud horn blared from the main camp across the Sand River.
Then, white smoke began to rise from behind the Volga Gigant unit.
As they disappeared into the thick smoke, the fortress’s attack ceased. It was difficult to aim due to the smoke.
‘Are they retreating?’
Luke observed the enemy’s movements and realized they were retreating.
Having suffered unexpected damage to their Gigant unit in the early stages, there was no way they would recklessly continue their assault.
Luke thought that even if he were the enemy commander, he would have ordered a retreat.
‘The problem is not the Gigants, but the enemy’s artillery unit.’
Luke looked at the enemy’s large army beyond the smoke screen.
The enemy, densely arrayed along the riverbank, was enough to make his own troops quail just by looking at them.
Among them, the most impressive was the artillery unit gathered on one side.
It was large in scale, and the types of cannons they possessed were diverse, including large-caliber cannons for Gigants, rapid-fire cannons that fired shrapnel, and mortar-like cannons.
‘The Volga Republic values its artillery unit more than its knight order, and it’s true.’
Unlike the Baroque Empire and other kingdoms that valued their knight orders, the Volga Republic valued its artillery unit.
This was partly because the role of ordinary soldiers had diminished as Gigants and cannons were deployed in large numbers on the battlefield, but the biggest reason was that they had difficulty manufacturing and importing new Gigants due to the checks and balances of other kingdoms.
At one time, various measures were devised in the Volga Republic to overcome this situation.
Among them was a plan to introduce personal firearms such as flintlocks on a large scale.
However, this plan was soon discontinued.
With the emergence of Gigants, there were fewer battles where infantry directly engaged, and the firepower of flintlocks could not inflict any damage on Gigants.
Therefore, the Volga Republic focused on improving its cannons.
They not only used them for defense but also developed various transportable gun carriages for offensive purposes.
They even modified discarded Gigants that were no longer suitable for combat to tow cannons or load large cannonballs.
‘Good heavens, did those guys do nothing but make cannons?’
‘If they start shelling, this fortress will be blown away in an instant!’
The Imperial soldiers, seeing over 200 cannons, trembled with anxiety.
Luke’s roar cut through their fear.
‘Don’t tremble! Only a few of the enemy’s cannons can directly hit the fortress!’
The Tolude Fortress was located on a hill.
The large-caliber cannons for Gigants were for direct fire and could not attack upwards from flat ground, and the rapid-fire cannons that fired shrapnel lacked range and power from the start.
The only threats were the medium-sized cannons that could adjust their angles and the mortar-like cannons.
In particular, the mortar-like cannons were quite dangerous as they could fire large cannonballs.
Boom!
A plume of smoke rose from the Volga Republic army’s camp with a loud explosion.
The cannonball, which had soared high into the sky in a curve, landed dozens of meters away from the fortress.
Another shot followed, this time landing closer.
‘Are they adjusting their aim?’
As Luke had predicted, the third shot landed inside the fortress.
Fortunately, the cannonball was just a lump of stone, and it landed in the middle of the parade ground, so no soldiers were injured.
The problem was what came after. The Volga artillery unit was moving in perfect unison.
The Volga artillerymen, having adjusted the direction, angle, and amount of gunpowder, began firing about twenty shots at the fortress at once.
‘Cannonballs are coming!’
‘Everyone, take cover!’
But before the fortress soldiers could take cover,
Luke, who had been watching the incoming cannonballs, suddenly manifested magic.
‘Fire Bolt!’
The arrows of flame created from his hands flew towards the cannonballs falling towards the fortress and struck them.
Bang! Boom!
The ones that were hit directly exploded in mid-air, and the ones that were slightly off course had their trajectories diverted outside the fortress.
Anna, witnessing the scene, couldn’t help but shout.
‘Kyaa! Amazing, Baron!’
‘The best!’
‘Long live Baron Luke!’
Not only Anna but also the other knights and soldiers of the fortress cheered.
Unlike the Imperial army, whose morale was soaring, the Volga Republic army couldn’t hide their bewildered expressions.
To intercept falling cannonballs, and not just one or two, but about twenty at once!
‘Can you do that?’
The black mage, dispatched from the Dark Moon, shook his head at the Volga Republic artillery officer’s question.
It was virtually impossible to hit cannonballs falling at high speed with magic.
It required precise calculations of the cannonball’s trajectory and the magic manifestation, and it was unbelievable that there was a monster who could do this on the battlefield!
Moreover, he had hit not just one cannonball but several at the same time!
However, the black mage was not flustered.
Since it was practically impossible, he would soon reach his limit.
‘Don’t panic, keep firing. No matter what, he won’t be able to block dozens or hundreds of shots at the same time.’
The artillery officer nodded at the black mage’s words and waved a red flag.
Then, the hesitant Volga artillery unit began to fire cannonballs at the fortress without pause.
‘So, you’re going to keep trying?’
Luke once again fired Fire Bolts, intercepting the cannonballs flying towards the fortress.
Philip, who had been admiring his valiant efforts, shouted at the Imperial soldiers, who were all staring blankly.
‘What are you doing? Don’t just stand there, attack so the enemy can’t fire their cannons!’
At these words, the artillerymen, snapping out of their daze, aimed their cannons at the Volga artillery unit and began to fire.
Because the fortress was on a high hill and Luke had thoroughly trained them in artillery fire, their accuracy was quite high.
As about a dozen artillery batteries were destroyed in an instant, the Volga artillery unit began to panic, and the black mages were busy deploying defensive magic to block the falling cannonballs.
In the end, Marquis Tyrone had to issue another order.
‘Gigant unit, prepare to re-charge!’
‘Infantry, follow behind the Gigant unit!’
While both sides exchanged fire, the Volga Gigants, having retreated and completed their maintenance, began to charge towards the fortress again.
The battle, intense from the start, showed neither side willing to easily back down. 2 Kukukung! Kwaaang! Puhpung! Puhpuhpung! The Gigant’s greatsword hammered against the fortress walls, and cannonballs rained down from the sky without pause. ‘Stop the enemy Gigants from climbing the walls!’ ‘Get down! Enemy artillery fire!’ ‘When are they going to resupply the gunpowder?’ At first, the Tolude Fortress held off the Volga Republic forces well. This was thanks to Luke’s thorough preparations. However, despite all the preparations, the damage began to noticeably increase from the third day. This was because the Republic forces, which had an overwhelming numerical advantage over the Imperial forces in the fortress, divided their troops into three groups and launched relentless attacks in sequence. With these attacks continuing day and night, the Imperial forces in the fortress couldn’t even eat properly, let alone get any sleep. Naturally, fatigue rapidly increased, and so did the damage. ‘Hahaha! Push them! If we attack a little more, the Tolude Fortress will fall…’ ‘Fall, you say!’ Kwajik! Luke, aboard the Gigant Achilles, used his greatsword to slice off the head of an enemy Gigant that was climbing the wall. However, despite having its head destroyed, the enemy Gigant’s rider stubbornly tried to climb onto the wall. Luke was more annoyed than impressed by their tenacity. ‘Damn it! Just give it a rest already!’ After blasting an enemy unit off the wall with a fireball, Luke noticed another Gigant approaching the fortress. But that one looked a bit different from the others. Its wide shoulder armor had railings like a watchtower, with shields around it, and inside were archers and artillerymen. ‘Could that be…’ As Luke hesitated, the Republic soldiers riding the strange Gigant launched an attack. Puhpung! Pung! Hwirik! Hwiririk! ‘Kuaaaak!’ ‘D-dodge!’ The Republic artillerymen on the Gigant fired a barrage of scattershot by exchanging the main cannon with sub-cannons. Even the infantry fired arrows, causing chaos among the Imperial forces on the wall. While the Imperial forces were in disarray, another strangely shaped Gigant came from behind and pressed its body against the wall. There was a steel ladder attached to its back, and the Volga Republic infantry following behind tried to climb the fortress wall using that ladder. ‘I knew it! They’re using the Gigants as siege towers!’ No other country used Gigants for anything other than breaking down gates or walls during sieges. It wasn’t because the Gigants were not versatile, but because there was no need to do so. The massive body of 10 meters and the core engine output of over 1000 phytes [a unit of energy] were excellent siege weapons in themselves. However, the Volga Republic, which lacked Gigant power, recycled old Gigants that had been made long ago, using them as siege towers or ladder trucks. Even if they were old, the mobility of the Gigants was incomparable to wooden siege towers, and their defense was also excellent. Moreover, the combat power of the Republic assault troops moving with them was tremendous. They were clearly composed of knights or apprentice knights who knew how to use swords, and they quickly seized a corner of the wall. If Gigants were sent, they would be swept away at once, but the Gigants in the fortress were busy blocking other enemy units. Moreover, they couldn’t move recklessly on the narrow wall, as they could accidentally trample their own soldiers. ‘Sweep away the enemy!’ The knights of the fortress rushed at the Republic assault troops. The Republic assault troops were strong, but the one leading the knights of the fortress was Vice-Captain Kaper. Kaper, who already had mid-Expert skills and had received the Gold Sword from Luke, cut down every assault troop he saw. However, Kaper was also quite exhausted from fighting non-stop for the past few days. As he staggered from fatigue, three or four assault troops who had been targeting him rushed at him at once. ‘Oh no!’ Shugaak! Kaper, thinking he couldn’t block it, closed his eyes tightly. But after the sound of something tearing through the air, he opened his eyes, realizing he was still alive. Then, he saw his best friend, Alex, standing in front of him with dual swords. ‘Tsk tsk, you have to be careful. Death can come in the blink of an eye.’ ‘Tch, you should have been resting…’ Alex was supposed to be resting right now. As the enemy attacked in three waves, Luke divided the fortress’s forces into three groups and had them take turns resting. There were opinions that it could be dangerous to defend with fewer troops, but he ignored them. It might be true for the moment, but an army that couldn’t rest wouldn’t last long. ‘Hey, you, you’re disobeying orders. Do you know that?’ ‘How can I rest when it’s so noisy?’ As Alex said, the knights and soldiers in the rest group couldn’t rest properly. Cannonballs kept falling on the fortress, and the psychological anxiety of not knowing when it would fall made it difficult for them to sleep. ‘But I don’t see Hobart and Anna, have they been killed in action?’ ‘Don’t say such unlucky things. Those two left the fortress through a secret passage under Lord Luke’s orders. They took over 100 troops with them.’ ‘Seriously, are they planning a surprise attack?’ ‘Well, I don’t know if hitting the enemy’s flank with 100 men will do any good. They didn’t even take any Gigants.’ The current size of the enemy forces seemed to be around 50,000 to 60,000. No matter how much they exploited the enemy’s weaknesses, how much could they achieve without Gigants? It was truly a hopeless situation, like throwing an egg at a rock. ‘What are they planning to do…’ ‘The enemy is coming again!’ The two, who had been sighing, took a breath and readjusted their swords as they saw the enemy forces rushing in again. Unfortunately, there was no time to think about what kind of operation Luke was planning. 3 Tolude Fortress Southern Road. A group of cavalry appeared at this place, quite far from the fortress. They were a separate detachment that had secretly left the Tolude Fortress, led by Hobart and Anna. ‘All troops, halt!’ At Hobart’s command, the soldiers of the detachment stopped their horses. While the soldiers rested, Hobart approached Anna. Before they departed, Luke had given her an operation order to open at this point. He had clearly told her to open it around here. ‘What does it say? Does it say to go to the Northern Army Headquarters and ask for reinforcements?’ ‘There’s no way it would say something so obvious.’ Anna replied with a sulky expression. She was dissatisfied with the headquarters, not Hobart. Since the start of the war, they had sent messengers and used magical communication several times. Each time, the headquarters sent back disappointing replies, saying, ‘We cannot move our troops recklessly because we are concerned about further enemy provocations.’ The knights and soldiers of the fortress knew that the Northern Army Headquarters usually left them at the front lines. However, they never imagined that they wouldn’t even provide support when a battle broke out. ‘The commander was also very angry about this. So it can’t be a simple request for reinforcements.’ Anna’s prediction was correct. Luke had instructed them, the 100 soldiers, on a special operation. Anna and Hobart were surprised when they saw the contents of the order, but soon wore doubtful expressions. ‘Can we really confuse the enemy by doing this?’ ‘Well, we’ll see.’ The two decided to carry out Luke’s plan and gave instructions to the soldiers. The soldiers quickly began to move. ‘Gather as many twigs as you can!’ ‘Come on, hurry! We have to finish before sunset!’ While one group of soldiers cut branches, another group of soldiers tied the branches together to make them look like brooms. The dozens of brooms that were made were attached to the saddles, and some soldiers began to ride their horses up and down the road with the brooms attached. Srrrrrrrr! As a dozen cavalrymen began to ride diligently on the road, a cloud of dust rose. The dust became thicker and thicker as the number of cavalrymen increased, and it scattered high into the sky. Tyrone was at the main camp by the river, looking at the Tolude Fortress where a fierce battle was taking place under the blood-red sunset. His staff members around him each said a word. ‘Commander, sir, the enemy’s resistance is still fierce.’ ‘Should we change our strategy at this point…?’ Although they were attacking in sequence, the Imperial forces in the fortress were resisting so fiercely that the Republic forces had no choice but to suffer considerable damage. Naturally, morale was bound to drop, and combat power was also rapidly decreasing. Even if they won, they could end up with a pyrrhic victory [a victory won at too great a cost]. However, Tyrone’s thoughts were different from those of his staff. ‘Continue the attack.’ ‘Sir!’ ‘The flames that burn last are the hottest. If we pass this point, the enemy will not be able to hold out any longer and will collapse.’ At those words, the staff members could not say anything. They could not ignore the insight of the veteran who had led the revolutionary army, which was at a disadvantage in everything, and fought against the king’s army and won during the Republic Revolution in the past. ‘Commander, urgent report!’ A knight rushed in to report. ‘A large number of troops are approaching from the south of the fortress.’ ‘What? Is that true?’ At Tyrone’s surprised question, the knight nodded and continued. ‘We have confirmed that a large amount of dust is rising from the road. It must be the Empire’s reinforcements coming.’ ‘Hmm…’ At the knight’s words, the staff began to stir. If this was true, they had to reconsider the current attack. If they continued to focus on attacking the fortress, they could be attacked from both inside and outside and suffer a crushing defeat. ‘But what if this is the enemy’s deception?’ Tyrone suddenly had that thought. So he wanted to send scouts to check, but he couldn’t afford to waste time. ‘If we hesitate and encounter the enemy’s reinforcements without reorganizing our ranks, we will be caught off guard.’ Moreover, the sun would set soon. If they were caught off guard by the enemy and immediately had to fight a night battle, the confusion would only increase.
Then, the Republican army could have suffered more devastating damage than imagined.
This was because, aside from the 10,000 central army troops currently attacking the fortress, the majority were local troops conscripted from the territories.
The local troops were formed after the Republican Revolution.
After the revolution, the Republican government of Volga promised to preserve the property, status, and honor of the local lords. In return, they absorbed the remaining knights and soldiers into the state, leaving only a minimal number of guards.
The elite among them were incorporated into the central army, and the rest were assigned to the local troops.
The local troops were mainly responsible for local security and monster defense. Unlike the central army, their armaments and training levels were inconsistent, making them an unreliable force.
It wasn’t apparent now because they had numerical superiority, but if the central army were to collapse, they would quickly fall apart.
‘It’s a shame we can’t deliver the final blow… but it’s better than suffering a potentially huge loss.’
Having decided that, Tyrone issued a retreat order.
‘Halt the attack and withdraw all units. We will reorganize our ranks by the river.’
‘Understood, sir!’
As the commander issued the order, the staff officers breathed a sigh of relief.
However, if they had known that the events on the road were a deception by the enemy commander, Luke, they would have been kicking themselves.
‘The enemy is retreating!’
‘Whew, we barely survived!’
The Imperial soldiers of the fortress, who had been barely holding on against the Republic army’s fierce attacks, sighed in relief at the sight of the retreating enemy.
Luke was just as relieved.
He had pulled out a separate unit and used appropriate tactics at the right time, and as expected, the enemy had fallen for it.
‘Fortunately, they fell for it.’
Philip said as he came out of the Gigant’s [A large, armored war machine] hatch.
He had heard about the deception operation through the separate unit from Luke.
‘But it’s only a matter of time before the enemy realizes it. How will you respond?’
‘Is there any need to think about it? We should eat, drink, and have fun.’
‘Pardon?’
Philip wondered if he had misheard. But Luke was serious.
‘Tell the soldiers to quickly clean up the fortress. Then, tell them to take out all the food from the warehouse and prepare for a feast.’
‘…Is it a last supper?’
Philip’s expression darkened.
A story he had heard in a history class at the Imperial Military Academy came to mind.
When there was no way out of a defensive position, the lord had used a trick to buy some time, then fed his soldiers a final meal, euthanized his family, and fought a final battle, dying a glorious death.
‘A last supper, my foot. Do you think I’m such a pessimistic person?’
‘Aren’t you?’
‘Of course not. I have a lot to do in the future. Do you think I’d die in a tiny fortress like this?’
Luke, having given a sharp retort, went down the fortress wall.
Philip, who had been looking dazed, soon chuckled.
‘Right, my lord isn’t someone who would be discouraged by something like this.’
His lord was young but intelligent.
He not only found a way out of crises that others thought were impossible, but he also seized opportunities within them to grow even stronger.
That was the case when he was in debt to the Alon Merchant Guild, and it was the same when he fought the territorial war with the Monarch County.
Instead of failing, the territory had grown remarkably through those crises, and Luke’s skills had become stronger.
‘Right, let’s believe. Even if I don’t know, let’s just believe. Haven’t I already decided to believe and follow him?’
Moreover, although he couldn’t say it carelessly, the lord had even mastered the dark magic of the Demon King Seymon.
He wouldn’t reveal it and use it, but he had an optimistic feeling that he might come up with a different plan than ordinary people.
4
After the battle, the Imperial soldiers of the fortress hurried to clean up the battlefield.
Cleaning up the battlefield was just about collecting the bodies of the dead and evacuating the wounded. The order was given to postpone repairing weapons, walls, or Gigants.
‘…And the commander has ordered us to eat, drink, and have fun to our hearts’ content.’
At Caper’s words, the knights and soldiers were initially confused.
However, they all cheered at his following words.
‘I was too busy fighting to tell you, but our reinforcements are coming.’
‘Is that true?’
‘Could it be… the dust that rose from the south earlier…’
As hope dawned on the soldiers, Caper continued to speak.
‘You’ve worked hard fighting until now. The reinforcements will take care of the rest of the fighting, so everyone should have fun, eat, and rest well.’
‘Wow! Long live Baron Luke!’
The soldiers cheered or shed tears of joy.
They couldn’t contain their joy at the thought that the nightmare-like week was finally over.
‘Let’s have a toast!’
‘For our little devil, Baron Luke!’
‘Hahaha! What if you get killed by the devil for saying that?’
The excited soldiers forgot their fatigue for a while and enjoyed the lively feast. They brought out all the beer they had saved in the warehouse and roasted whole cows and pigs that they had raised in the fortress’s barn.
The low-ranking knights and officers also joined in and had a great time.
Caper, who watched the soldiers’ feast that continued late into the night, gave a bitter smile.
‘I wonder how they’ll react when they find out that the news about the reinforcements is a lie…’
The reason he had to tell them that, even though it was a lie, was because of Luke’s orders.
Luke had instructed him to give false information, saying that he needed to deceive the enemy further and buy time.
‘I don’t see how deceiving the enemy and buying time will solve anything.’
Caper was frowning when a voice of reproach came from behind.
‘Why the long face?’
Startled, Caper turned his head and saw the demon instructor who had taught them the Gold Sword [A powerful sword technique], or rather, Luke’s aide, Philip, standing in front of him.
‘P, Philip sir…’
‘What if the soldiers notice? Just relax, drink, and have fun.’
Philip handed him a pewter mug full of beer.
Caper, having received the mug, cautiously asked him a question.
‘Does the commander have some kind of brilliant plan?’
‘Well, it seems like he does, but I don’t know. But my role is to believe and assist him. And your role is to laugh and chat with the soldiers.’
‘…’
‘If each of us does our job well, the higher-ups can work more easily. That’s what I think.’
‘I see.’
Caper, nodding as if he understood something, asked another question.
‘But where is the commander now?’
‘I don’t know, but he’s definitely not in the fortress.’
Philip said with a cold smile.
‘Did you just suspect that my lord ran away?’
‘N, no. That’s not possible…’
Seeing the demonic smile he had shown when he taught them the Gold Sword, Caper shook his head, sweating profusely.
Philip chuckled at him.
‘Don’t worry. He’ll be back. Our lord is responsible and good at winning battles that others think have low odds. He’ll win this time too and save your lives.’
‘Is he really good at winning battles with low odds?’
‘Of course, he’s so cunning for his age. When our territory was in trouble because of debt…’
Philip went on and on about the past, even spitting as he spoke.
Then, he suddenly noticed a suspicious figure floating in the night sky, looking at them.
‘That guy is…?’
He recognized the figure, but instead of reaching for his bow or throwing his sword, he pretended not to see it. Just laughing and chatting like this was enough.
‘What? They’re having a feast?’
Marquis Tyrone couldn’t hide his bewildered expression at the report from the war mage who had flown over the fortress to scout.
The battle wasn’t over yet.
But they were having a feast in the fortress as if they had won a victory.
What did this mean?
‘Sir, isn’t it because reinforcements have arrived?’
One of the staff officers mentioned the assumption that Tyrone already had in mind.
Then, another staff officer immediately raised an objection.
‘But even though quite some time has passed, there’s no sign of reinforcements approaching the fortress. No, I doubt if there are even any reinforcements.’
There was a reason why the objecting staff officer said that.
After withdrawing the soldiers, the Republican army had hastily sent out scouts and war mages who were serving in the army to find out the detailed size and location of the enemy reinforcements.
However, they had searched several likely locations where a large army could be stationed, including the southern road, but there were no reinforcements to be found.
‘I suspect we may have been deceived by the enemy’s trickery.’
‘Could it be that the scouts didn’t find them properly because it was dark?’
‘That’s right. This is the enemy’s territory, so there’s bound to be a limit to our soldiers’ scouting ability.’
‘A limit! Isn’t this an area that the intelligence department has investigated several times in advance? Nevertheless, the fact that the enemy is not visible means…’
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As the staff officers’ debate was about to get longer, Tyrone banged on the table with his palm, calming everyone down.
‘Let’s wait until morning.’
‘Sir!’
‘There’s no need to rush now anyway, is there?’
The offensive that had been raging for the past few days had been cut short due to the unknown enemy reinforcements.
Even though they had been attacking in shifts, they had retreated without any results, which had lowered the soldiers’ morale and made them feel tired.
They needed to rest now.
‘And let’s remember that our goal is not just that small fortress.’
At Tyrone’s point, the staff officers’ eyes changed. They remembered what was most important in this war.
They had a more important mission than capturing Tolude Fortress.
That was to lure the Empire’s Northern Army and hold them back as much as possible.
‘Let’s end today’s strategy meeting here. Tell the units in charge of guarding to prepare for a night raid, and make sure the soldiers can rest in peace.’
‘Understood, sir.’
As the staff officers left the barracks, Tyrone took out a thick bundle of documents from his bag.
They were materials kept in the Republican library, records of the Tolude Fortress attacks over the past ten years or so.
There were victories and defeats.
However, there had never been a time when the Republic had mobilized such overwhelming force as now.
‘Nevertheless, the enemy commander not only defended well but also cut off the flow at the right time. And somehow, he’s boosting the morale of his soldiers.’
Tyrone, having analyzed the enemy commander’s skills in various ways, looked towards Tolude Fortress and muttered.
‘It won’t be an easy battle, but if reinforcements don’t come, they won’t be able to hold out in the end. After letting the soldiers rest for a few days, we’ll have to unleash another attack.’
Having made that decision, he headed to his personal tent attached to the commander’s barracks to rest.