Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 561 Siege (Thirteen)
[Outside the Fortress of Kings]
The biggest advantage of teaching on the front lines is that you can practice on the spot.

Therefore, Houdl now deeply regrets that he did not pay close attention when Tribunal Mason demonstrated how to dig in a prone position.

Not only Hoddle, but probably few reserve officers could have imagined beforehand that the task assigned by Chief of General Affairs Mason would be so stimulating.

As soon as the lesson was over, the reserve officers were sent directly to the front lines to put their newly acquired skills into practice.

Houdel's class was taken back to the small fortress they had built three days earlier by the baby-faced man.

The baby-faced man handed out a tool to everyone, clapped his hands, and announced crisply, "Let's begin."

The question raised by some reserve officers, "Do we really have to do this kind of work ourselves?" was refuted by the baby-faced man's nonchalant reply, "In the future, we won't need to; now, we must."

It was only then that the reserve officers gradually realized that the seemingly amiable Chief of General Affairs, Mason, was actually the "strictest officer in the Second School."

Because other people only get points deducted for not completing their assignments, but Richard Mason's assignments could potentially kill someone.

Just now, when the chief of general affairs was crawling around on the ground, the reserve officers found it funny, and some even made rude remarks, mocking the chief of general affairs as a maggot.

When the trainees were driven into the trenches and began digging towards the walls of Zhuwangbao against the guns and cannons, everyone wished they could turn into maggots and burrow into the ground.

Houdel was one of them.

At this moment, Houdel's clothes looked as if they had just been pulled out of the water; the fabric on the back was soaked with sweat and clung tightly to his back, making him extremely uncomfortable.

The cloth in front of him was covered in mud, because the dry soil beneath him had been turned into mud by his sweat.

The helmet was stuffy and hot, and kept sliding down, but Houdel dared not take it off;

Sweat streamed into his eyes, but Houdel didn't dare wipe it away, because his hands were also covered in mud.

To Houdel’s left was a row of willow baskets filled with soil, and in front of him was a small handcart with planks nailed to it; these two things were his shelter, the means of survival.

Even though he could breathe fresh air simply by straightening his back, Houdel didn't dare to lift his head and kept it lowered as far as it could go.

Although their trenches had only just begun to be dug and were at least two kilometers from the city walls, the shadow of death still loomed over everyone, suffocating them.

……

As early as the first day that the new army broke ground on the city's fortifications, after discovering that cannons could hardly pose a real threat to the attacking forces, the United Provinces immediately came up with a new strategy.

Instead of firing cannons during the day to intimidate the attacking forces, they now send out sharpshooters equipped with rifled guns at night.

The latter would silently approach the New Army's trenches, lie in ambush, and wait until the sun rose and the attack began.

Immediately afterwards, they pulled the trigger, took away an unfortunate officer, sergeant, foreman, or anyone whose head was sticking out of the trench, and then swaggered back into the city.

The officers of the new army knew perfectly well that the reason the provincial leaders weren't in a hurry to run was to lure the pursuers into the effective range of the cannons on the city walls.

Therefore, even if the patrolling cavalry arrived at the scene in time, they dared not pursue the enemy too far.

The new army leadership had no good solutions to the new tactics of the United Provinces and could only repeatedly emphasize discipline, strictly prohibiting anyone from exposing their body outside the bunker.

In terms of casualties alone, the provincial sharpshooters inflicted only single-digit casualties on the new army.

However, they successfully disrupted the construction work of the new army, slowed down the progress of the fortifications, and made the civilian laborers and soldiers on the front line feel extremely anxious.

……

So at this very moment, Houdel had no idea whether a provincial was aiming at him in the killing zone between the siege trenches and the city walls.

He could only lie close to the ground, leaning against the basket, with his head lowered as low as he could.

Moreover, Houdel had to check as he dug to make sure the trench he had dug was straight.

As he walked into the passageway, the baby-faced man smiled and reminded him from behind:

"Be careful not to go astray, or you will die."

Even though he knew the baby face was trying to scare him, Houdel still couldn't help but be on high alert.

The cannons deployed by the United Provinces on the city walls and fortresses were capable of crossfire.

Therefore, the trenches advancing towards the city walls could not go straight but had to bend repeatedly – ​​a lesson that Hoddle had already learned during the siege of Maple Leaf Castle.

However, Maple Leaf Fortress only had a few hundred demoralized remnants; and there were no cannons from the Allied Provinces on the walls of Maple Leaf Fortress.

Everyone knew that the fall of Maple Leaf Castle was only a matter of time, so at that time, Houdl was neither afraid nor in a hurry, as if he were playing a game.

But this time it's different; this time it's for real.

The cannons of the United Provinces were incredibly accurate; they could hit the target almost perfectly even from two kilometers away.

It is conceivable that the further they advanced, the more likely the United Provinces' shells would hit the trenches directly.

Therefore, His Excellency the Protector of the People measured the angle of each trench that was advanced forward individually.

As the vanguard of his "drilling team," Houdl's responsibility was to ensure that the trench did not deviate from the route planned by the tribunal.

But the task was just too difficult. Only after actually rolling around in the mud did Houdel realize how difficult it was for the baby-faced man to say "don't go astray".

Apart from the cart in front of him, the willow basket on his left, and the mud beneath him, he could see almost nothing.

Even though he was on the ground, Houdel had the illusion that he was in a mine.

He could only bury his head and dig a few shovelfuls, then back up a short distance to make sure he wasn't veering off course before continuing forward.

Claude, the second member of the tunneling team, followed about three meters behind Houdel. Unlike Houdel, who could only work on his stomach, Claude was in a slightly better position and could squat.

Claude's task was to deepen and widen the shallow ditch that Houdel had "carved out," which was only wide enough for one person to crawl through, to the point that one person could squat and walk through it.

Behind Claude was Matthias Jr., whose task was to deepen and widen the trench until it was wide enough to walk on while bending over.

His working environment was the most comfortable, but his workload was the heaviest, as he had to shovel the most soil.

This "small group tunneling" model was developed by Richard Mason after summarizing lessons learned during the siege of Maple Leaf Castle.

When Maple Leaf Castle was besieged, the speed at which the attacking forces advanced their trenches left Ald Felt speechless.

At that time, the digging method of the Tiefeng County Army was that one squad was responsible for one trench. They would dig the trench to a depth deep enough for one person to walk on from the beginning, and two people would take turns digging forward while the others were responsible for widening and reinforcing it.

But Richard Mason still felt it wasn't fast enough, and with twelve people working in one trench, it was difficult to maneuver effectively, and some were bound to slack off.

So this time, at the foot of Kingsburg, Mason began to try the three-person team digging mode.

Practice has shown that the efficiency of a three-person team is no less than that of a twelve-person team digging a trench.

After inspecting the area, Mason was very satisfied.

However, Houdel, who is working hard on the front lines, probably doesn't think that way.

To be precise, Houdel's mind was blank; he had no thoughts whatsoever.

Not only Hodel, but even Claude, who is usually very talkative, has lost his wit and banter.

Needless to say, Xiao Majiya used all his strength to barely keep up with the two in front of him.

In the sweltering trench, the only sounds could be the three men's heavy breathing and the dull thud of shovels cutting into the soil.

Houdel had lost track of how long he had been digging; he mechanically shoveled soil, backed away, and then moved forward again.

Until one instant, a pulling force came from Houdel's waist and abdomen, pulling him tightly.

Hodel looked down at his navel and noticed that the rope binding his waist had somehow reached its end and was taut. Hodel was stunned for a moment, then, coming to his senses, he burst into tears of joy.

"That's it!" Hodel shouted to Claude as he turned around. "The rope's reached its end!"

As Houdel entered the passageway, the baby-faced man tied a rope around his waist.

Tribunal Mason kindly limited the workload for each group, allowing them to take turns resting once they had dug the required distance.

When the rope reaches the end, it means the task is complete.

Upon hearing Houdel's words, Claude and Matthias couldn't help but shed tears of happiness and collapsed in the trench.

A moment later, the mud-covered Hoddle, Claude, and little Maja returned to the fortress where they had started.

The next group of trainees, bending over and carrying tools, stepped into the passageway.
-
[Kings' Castle]
Meanwhile, on the walls of Kingsburg, officers of the Southern Army were closely observing the new movements of the "rebels".

Jason Cornelius specifically summoned Lieutenant Colonel Montecuccoli back from Margit Island to reassess the "rebels'" siege progress.

“I’ve only been on the island for a week,” Montecochli said, his glasses nearly falling off the city wall as he witnessed firsthand the fence posts being talked about by the lower-ranking soldiers. “The rebels have already made such a big show of things?”

Cornelius chuckled.

“To be precise,” Fritz stepped forward to explain, “it’s three days, three full days, plus one night.”

"Three days?" Montecochli was speechless.

“Yes,” Fritz nodded, “the rebels only began building siege fortifications outside the new city after the Winged Lion banner appeared…”

"What's the situation on Margit Island?" Cornelius interrupted Fritz, asking directly, "What moves have the rebels made?"

“They’ve been quite active. We’re building fortifications on the island, and they’re building fortifications on the other side of the river, creating a standoff between us.”

"Not only did they build fortifications during the day, but they also sent people into the water at night to deliver supplies to the island."

“Lieutenant Colonel Lordwick intercepted some, but a few small boats also slipped in,” Montecoccoli said with a wry smile, pointing to the fortifications outside the city. “But compared to these, Margit Island is surprisingly calm.”

"What do you think?" Cornelius asked pointedly.

Montecoli pondered for a moment, then squinted at Fritz to confirm, "You mean, the rebels only started building the siege fortifications after the 'Winged Lion Banner' appeared?"

“Yes,” Fritz replied, “both scout cavalrymen reported that the rebel convoy carried the Winged Lion Banner, and the next day, the rebels began digging trenches outside the city. Before that, the rebels relied entirely on cavalry to block the entrances and exits of the Kings’ Castle, so our scout cavalry were occasionally able to infiltrate.”

Montecukoli pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Only a Platonic would be so arrogant as to think that cavalry alone would be enough to besiege a city."

"Now, the rebels are digging trenches and building high walls, shifting from a dynamic blockade to a static one, which means they've realized that their forces are just as insufficient for the Kings' Castle. Their attitude is becoming more pragmatic..."

“Are you suggesting,” Fritz asked tentatively, “that the rebel commanders have changed their strategy and are now planning a long siege?”

“Change tactics?” Montecuccoli scoffed. “I’d rather believe that the rebels have changed hands.”

Montecuccoli pointed to the trenches that stretched like roots from the fence posts toward the Kings' Castle, and frowned as he said to Cornelius, "During the Tanilian War, the Venetian army repeatedly dug serrated trenches to approach the Tanilian fortresses. I haven't actually inspected the Venetian battlefields, but no matter how I look at it, this is exactly what it looks like..."

Cornelius nodded slightly in agreement.

Montecoli then turned to Fritz and asked, "When did the rebels start approaching the city walls?"

Fritz coughed lightly, paused, and answered as calmly as possible, "This morning."

"This morning?!" Montecoli exclaimed as his glasses fell off his nose and he frantically groped around on the ground.

The next second, the glasses were handed to Montacuccoli—in Cornelius's hands.

Montecuccoli took the glasses, nodded to Cornelius, and without saying a word, put the glasses back on his nose and leaned over the city wall to observe carefully for a moment.

“If those jagged trenches were indeed started by the rebels this morning,” Montecoccoli’s expression grew increasingly grave, “then at their current pace, they’ll reach the moat in less than twenty days, optimistically twenty-five days…”

"Do you believe," Cornelius asked calmly, "that the Venetta faction within the rebels has officially taken over command?"

Montecuccoli was both anxious and angry. "Why are you still thinking about that little brat Veneta? What does it matter who's in command? In at most a month, the rebels' cannons will be at our doorsteps. We have to find a way to stop them!"

"Who commands the rebels is crucial to our success or failure," Cornelius asked with a smile. "Raymond, do you really think the rebels plan to switch their attack to the new city?"

“What difference does it make whether I think so or not?” Montecochli’s temper flared. “Do you think I can lead the rebels by the nose?”

“And you?” Cornelius asked Fritz.

“After the Winged Lion Flag appeared, the rebels did not make any major moves in the direction of Magitek Island,” Fritz said, trying not to add too much subjective analysis. “Judging from their behavior, it is possible that our defenses on Magitek Island were too strong, which made them abandon their plan to continue attacking Magitek Island and instead try to find a breakthrough in other directions.”

Cornelius nodded, then made a startling statement: "My view is exactly the opposite of yours. I believe that the calmer Margit Island is, the more likely the rebels' main attack will be directed there. Therefore, we must get the local troops to take over the new city's defense zone as soon as possible, and reserve as many troops as possible for the battle on Margit Island."

“Are you sure?” Montecuccoli retorted bluntly in front of Fritz. “I’m not sure if Grove Magnus’s greenhorns can hold their ground when the rebels’ cannons are aimed at the city walls.”

Although Fritz did not speak, his expression revealed that he supported the artillery lieutenant colonel's view.

“New City is not a good target. Even if we capture New City, the Ten Arrows River is waiting for us,” Cornelius said calmly. “I don’t believe the rebel commanders can’t see that.”

Cornelius looked at Montecuccoli and said, “You think the rebels building the siege fortifications is a prelude to a large-scale attack, but in my opinion, the reason they built a wall around the new city is not because they want to come in from the new city, but to prevent us from coming out from the new city.”

"And what about those approaching trenches?" Montecoccoli asked, pointing to the root-like trenches extending from the fence-like fortifications.

“A brilliant move,” Cornelius said with a smirk. “As long as they show any intention to launch a frontal assault, regardless of whether they ultimately attack the new city, we will have to deploy more troops in that direction. In fact, they have already achieved their objective.”

Although Montecoli was unconvinced, he couldn't find any rebuttal and could only retort, "What you're saying is all just speculation..."

“That’s right,” Cornelius readily admitted, “it’s all speculation.”

"First of all, although I witnessed the Winged Lion Banner, I do not believe that the Venetta faction rebels have taken over the siege, because if the rebels were led by the Venetta faction, they would not have come to attack the Fortress of Kings in the first place."

"Therefore, I don't think the rebels will easily give up the soldiers on Margit Island, which are the elite troops of the local rebels."

"More importantly, abandoning Margit Island is not just about giving up a few hundred veterans, but also about admitting defeat and handing over the leadership of the rebels."

“The local rebels cannot afford a defeat, so they must take Margit Island, even if it means many deaths.”

"Finally, regardless of which faction is now in charge of the rebels, I don't believe they can't see the value of Margit Island."

“So,” Cornelius concluded, “I believe that the rebels’ ‘offensive’ outside New Town is just a feint; their real target is still Margit Island.”

“What if they just want to attack the new city?” Montecoccoli protested.

Jason Cornelius replied, "The probability is very low."

“What if they’re going to attack the new city?” Montecoccoli pressed on relentlessly. “Do we have enough troops to fight them in a trench battle?”

“No,” Cornelius said calmly. “If they lose their minds and attack the new city recklessly, in a sense, that would be the worst-case scenario for us.”

“So,” Montecuccoli asked, emphasizing each word, “what if they are going to attack New Town?”

“Well,” Cornelius sighed, a helpless smile on his face, “we have no choice but to find a way to dissuade them from this irrational idea.”
-
That evening, at the new army camp.

As Mason and Woods were reporting the progress of the past few days to Brigadier General Gaisa Adonis, a cavalry officer suddenly burst into the tent and whispered a few words to the brigadier general.

A moment later, a disheveled young man was brought in.

Upon entering the tent, the young man burst into tears:

"The people from the United Provinces are searching and confiscating property throughout the city. We beg the general to uphold justice for us. We are willing to act as inside agents to help the general enter the city."

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