I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 208 Dud's Calculation

In just one afternoon, the treacherous terrain on the other side of the stream was transformed by the enemy into a perfect position for a large-scale attack—something that Dudley never expected.

Before this, there were also questions about why Prince Chris was so rich and where his cannons came from, all of which were beyond Dodd's expectations.

What shocked Dudley even more was that the speed and quality of these renovation projects were completed far beyond his comprehension.

As dusk fell and the enemy engineers withdrew and the artillery ceased fire, Dodd stood behind the dilapidated earthen wall, looking at the orderly fortifications opposite him, his hand holding the binoculars trembling involuntarily.

"Sir...we have to launch a night raid..."

The colonel standing next to him offered his advice in a low voice.

"If this continues, we'll...sigh..."

Dud glanced back at the thousands of people who, while the enemy artillery had ceased firing, were working in hushed tones, using branches felled from the west and silt dug up to hasten the construction of new earthen walls.

Thickening the earthen wall was no longer an option, so in addition to repairs, Dudley later devised a plan to build two more earthen walls.

But how long can they withstand Prince Chris's heavy artillery fire?
Dodd didn't know, wasn't sure, and didn't want to speculate.

All he knew was that behind every earthen wall lay the blood and sweat of Minisian soldiers. The cracked hands from artillery fire, the shoulders worn raw from carrying earth and stones, the bloodshot eyes from sleepless nights—how much time could all these sacrifices buy for those steel behemoths?

"Messenger."

Dud suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper was being rubbed.

"Go and fetch Captain Lacey."

When the young Captain Lacey arrived, weary from his journey, Dodd noticed that the bandage on his left arm was still bleeding. This officer, who had retreated from the ridge position, was one of the few who had witnessed the horrors of the Prince's army and remained sane.

"Captain, I need you to lead a reconnaissance team. I've already selected the personnel for you."

Dodd pointed to the winding mountain ridge to the north.

"I need you to sneak over under cover of darkness, cross the mountain ridge, and find the Bagnian Republic army, which is theoretically scheduled to arrive the next day or the third day..."

At this point, Dud paused, took a deep breath, and then continued.

"The two-pronged attack plan has failed. We have lost this battle. Our army will prepare to break out the day after tomorrow..."

"What, really? General, we've lost!?"

"Fake, you idiot!"

Dud suddenly roared, his voice sounding particularly jarring in the night.

"Do you think this is child's play? We can't afford to lose in this situation!"

Captain Lacey's body trembled slightly. He lowered his head, his voice tinged with apology.

"Yes, General, I lost my composure."

Dodd took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He looked at Captain Lacey, a complex emotion in his eyes.

"Captain, you must understand that we are facing an extremely dire situation. Chris's artillery and fortifications have put us in a desperate situation, but we cannot give up, so the presence of reinforcements is of utmost importance."

However, based on my understanding of the Republic of Bagnia, their leaders are a bunch of fools and cowards. Without a little extra provocation, they'll just lazily stand by and wait for us and Prince Chris to settle things. Without the Bagnians' involvement, even if we win this battle, it will be a Pyrrhic victory. Therefore, your mission is crucial, Captain Lacey.”

"Understood, General!"

Captain Lacey stood up straight, the wound under the bandage throbbing slightly, but his eyes were unusually firm. In the moonlight, he saw a rare vulnerability flash in General Dodd's eyes, an expression he had never seen in the ten years he had followed this iron-willed general.

"I will set off with my men."

Lacey lowered her voice.

"But General, what if the Bagnians refuse to send troops..."

"Then you don't need to come back. Just take your men back to Minicia and inform the military about everything that happened here."

"General, what about you?"

"I will turn the deception into reality and lead the troops to launch a breakout at the right time."

Dudley frankly expressed his thoughts.

"In any case, the Minisian army will only fight for the interests of the kingdom, not for that damned ally, the Republic of Bagnia... They didn't tell me that Prince Chris's army was like this before this battle started."

Captain Lacey shuddered as he recalled the madmen he had seen on the ridge during the day.

Yes, before coming to Bagnia, they had no idea that Prince Chris's men were all madmen, and not just any madmen, but rich and incredibly skilled fighters.

This afternoon, a limited-time activity suddenly became popular among the soldiers remaining in the Minisian military camp... to find the shells fired from the other side.

Because they discovered that the enemy's shells were not made of stone or cast iron, but of a particularly strong steel, everyone, including General Dodd, wondered if Prince Chris was firing.

This is a rich madman trying to bury the Miniese soldiers in money.

“General!”

A panicked voice suddenly came from behind.

"A signal has come from the watchtower on the northern ridge; they have detected something unusual at Prince Chris's camp!"

Upon hearing this, Dud quickly raised his binoculars and saw a faint flicker of light two kilometers to the east. However, it was not the light of a torch, but a more stable and brighter... lamplight?
"What is that...?"

Dud muttered to himself. The points of light in the telescope were moving rhythmically, forming neat rows. Even more terrifying, he vaguely saw the reflection of metal... Was it finished armor, or... more cannons?
Soon, Dodd learned what those noises were, because half an hour later, when Captain Lacey led his men toward the northern ridge, a dull, continuous rumbling sound came from the east.

The sound was like distant thunder, yet it carried a certain mechanical regularity. As observed by the sentries on the northern ridge, a patch of orange-red fire suddenly rose on the eastern horizon, turning the night sky blood red.

"Fire! Take cover..."

The sentry's shouts were drowned out by the impact of the shells hitting the ground. The first round of shells rained down on the first earthen wall. Because of the darkness, the shelling was less accurate than during the day, but it was even more deadly.

Because a considerable number of shells flew over the earthen wall and landed in the ranks behind which were building new earthen walls, human bodies were torn to shreds like pieces of paper by the heavy shells that landed, and the flying mud contained the remains of soldiers.

After receiving the report, General Duds, who was hiding in the safe area of ​​the military camp, could only sigh.

"Pass on my order to have the troops retreat... I refuse to believe that Chris can maintain this bombardment for another night."

(End of this chapter)