Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 568 Siege (20)
As the “rebels’” signal lights flashed beneath King’s Castle, Lord Wik’s forces were already preparing for their next counter-offensive on Margit Island.

"...No matter how fierce the storm, how turbulent the sea, until we enter into heavenly rest..."

The soldiers from the United Provinces who had been selected for the commando unit gathered around the small shrine, knelt on one knee, and followed the priest's chanting, praying in hushed tones.

The chief officiant was none other than Lieutenant Colonel William Lordwick.

After the prayer was finished, the soldiers stood up.

“I have always believed that God has a plan for the fate of us mortals,” William Lordwick said, looking around at his men. “Just as He brought you and me to the land of galloping horses, to the castle of kings, to this island.”

"And this time, he revealed our destiny through the mouth of an unbeliever. This unbeliever was Jason Cornelius, a man I never trusted, but some of the things he said were true."

“If we fail here, the rebels will sweep across South Paratú, and the standoff between the north and south will become unstoppable. The war will no longer be confined to Paratú; everyone in the foothills, Venetta, and the narrow valley between the two mountains will be drawn into the war.”

Lieutenant Colonel Lordwijk paused for a moment. "So, soldiers, we are not just guarding this island. We are standing against a larger, more unfortunate, and more terrible disaster, which is why he brought us here."

The lieutenant colonel's tense face relaxed slightly, revealing a rare hint of tenderness. "You have known me for many years, and I have known you for many years. After dawn, many of us may never see each other again. But don't be afraid. Entrust yourself to him, and one day, we will meet again in Paradise."

After saying this, the lieutenant colonel stood at attention with his boots on, saluted his subordinates, and said, "It is my honor to work with you all."

The soldiers selected for the assault team stood at attention in unison, returned the salute, put on their helmets, and set off for the attack position.

Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Montecouccoli, who had been anxiously waiting in the distance, finally had the opportunity to speak with Lordwick.

Because the head of the family was an unbeliever, the religious atmosphere at the Army Officer Academy was very weak. As a result, the head of the artillery department was also lax in his worship and prayer rituals. He couldn't even remember the last time he stepped into a church outside the school.

However, the lack of religious atmosphere within the Army Academy does not mean that the religious atmosphere within the military is weak.

In fact, because the Protestant believers in the foothills had experienced brutal oppression and were very combative, the United Provinces' army, which now mainly recruits soldiers from among the Protestants, is the most fanatical among the republics.

Therefore, even though Raymond Montecouccoli was in dire straits, he dared not interrupt the ceremony of his allied troops.

Finally, after Lieutenant Colonel Lordwijk finished his sermon, Montecoccoli strode forward and cut to the chase, "I disagree with the counter-attack!"

Lordwick gave the artillery lieutenant colonel a cold, icy look. "So what do you want?"

“Hold the inner ring,” Montecuccoli replied immediately, “and wait for reinforcements.”

The island of Margit is high in the middle and low around the edges, with the high terrain in the middle resembling a convex platform, where the Domencos Monastery is located.

After Lieutenant Colonel Lodwijk's troops landed on the island, they immediately began to expand the Domencos Monastery—because the monastery could not accommodate two battalions—and built a breastwork around the edge of the plateau as an outer defensive fortification for the monastery.

Therefore, although Margit Island is small, it has a structure of "monasteries, breastworks, and trenches" nested within each other. The "inner ring" mentioned by Montecuccoli refers to the second defensive ring located on the plateau, bounded by the breastworks.

After the vanguard of the "rebels" landed on Margit Island, they did not immediately attack the inner ring, but instead immediately moved south to clear the outer trenches. Therefore, the plateau in the center of Margit Island, as well as the more central Domencos Monastery, are still in the hands of the Southern Front.

"Lieutenant Colonel, have you seen any of the rebels' small boats?" Lieutenant Colonel Lordwijk asked with unusual patience.

"What do you want to ask?" Montecoccoli asked impatiently.

How many rebels do you think are on the island right now?

This stumped Montecuccoli. He silently counted the rebel boats he had seen, and although he was unsure, he answered confidently, "A whole battalion."

“A battalion?” Lordwijk’s expression turned grim. “If we replaced those canoes and sampans with real boats, the rebels might be able to transport a battalion to the island in one go. But with those wrecked boats on the river, the rebel vanguard can only manage two hundred-man squads at most—which is why they didn’t take advantage of the situation to attack the inner ring. Including the troops that follow, the rebels on the island will only have three hundred-man squads at most. So even if we lose Lieutenant Thomas’s hundred-man squad, I still have a numerical advantage.”

Lordwick glanced sideways at the artillery lieutenant colonel. "In fact, if it weren't for someone, my numerical advantage would be even greater. But once the pontoon bridge is completed, things could change."

Upon hearing this, Montecuccoli was both angry and ashamed.

The earlier debate on the main direction of the "rebels'" attack that took place on the walls of New Town has now been resolved—Jason Cornelius was right, and Raymond Montecouccoli was wrong.

Although the "rebels" were building extensively outside the new city, appearing ready to forge ahead through the trenches, their primary objective remained Margit Island—the heavy artillery mounted on the opposite riverbank was irrefutable proof of this.

However, making a judgment is one thing, and responding to it is another.

For the Southern Front, the problem was that the rebels timed their new offensive on Margit Island too perfectly.

The main event tonight should have been at King's Castle, but the "rebels" clearly didn't intend to follow the United Provinces' script.

To ensure the success of the arrangements at King's Castle, the Southern Army Command temporarily kept the troops originally intended for reinforcements on Margit Island within the city.

Just as the Southern Army was focusing its attention on the direction of New Town, the rebels once again attacked Margit Island.

Clearly, Wake Lordwick was criticizing Montecuccoli to his face.

The head of the artillery department wished he could duel the damned lieutenant colonel on the spot, but now was clearly not the right time to resolve the internal conflict.

So Montecuccoli suppressed his anger and tried to let reason guide his mind. "If the rebels didn't have cannons, taking back the beachhead wouldn't be a problem. But now that the rebels have set up cannons on the other side of the river, the situation is completely different!"

“Then we’ll all be counting on your cannons,” Lordwick replied coldly, “Lieutenant Colonel.”

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