I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 352 The fisherman was rubbing his hands together in the distance, eager for a fight.
War is an activity that makes people lose track of time.

From the moment Chris and his men appeared in the sight of the Minieses to the moment Black and White Bear led the Han and Tang warriors to storm the city gates of Golden Harvest City, the time span seems quite long...

Every second on the battlefield is a tug-of-war between life and death, every moment filled with the clanging of metal, the roar of gunpowder, and the cries of the dying. Tense nerves and boiling adrenaline blur the marks on the hourglass.

However, this was just an illusion; in fact, more than half a day had already passed.

The midday sun had already slanted, casting a huge shadow of Golden Harvest City onto the bloody battlefield. The First Army's siege artillery was following His Highness Chris's orders, unleashing a barrage of shells onto the battlefield.

The scorched earth from the shelling was filled with hot air mixed with thick, pungent stench of blood and gunpowder, creating a nauseating, foul-smelling haze.

The Miniese troops, who were trying to flank the Han and Tang warriors from both sides, were unable to advance under the devastating bombardment, whether they were spearmen or reserve cavalry.

With powerful artillery support, the Black and White Bear led the Han-Tang warriors, who had been sniped by the enemy layer by layer, and who were only three hundred men left. Like a red-hot iron cone that was still tenacious, they finally broke through the layers of fleeing soldiers and sporadic resistance, and crashed hard into the last flesh and blood dam of Jinsui City... the city gate area!
There was no room for escape here; the last and most elite forces of the Minisians gathered here.

A heavily armed phalanx of swordsmen and shieldmen, composed of the King's Guard and mercenaries hired at great expense, blocked the massive arched city gate like a rock.

They wore heavy plate armor inlaid with steel plates, wielded tower shields almost as tall as a person and sharp broadswords, and their eyes showed no fear, only the determination to fight to the death.

Behind them was the heavy city gate, which had been abruptly closed and secured with thick horizontal bolts.

"Hold on, for the Sea God, for Minicia!"

The hoarse roar of the guard commander echoed through the humming doorway.

"Kill all these metal monsters!"

The black and white bear roared, leading the Han and Tang warriors to muster all their strength and launch another charge.

Just as the steel torrent of Han and Tang warriors was about to crash into the shield wall, a sudden change occurred.

"put!"

A sharp command rang out from above the city gate and behind the low walls on both sides.

It wasn't a chorus of musket fire, but a dozen or so more muffled, brutal sounds, like a heavy hammer striking rotten wood.

Thick white smoke billowed out from the crenellations of the city wall and from behind the makeshift bunkers on both sides of the city gate.

Those were not field guns, but dozens of replica bronze tiger-squatting cannons* that the Minieses had hastily carried up the city walls and pushed them to the defensive fortifications on both sides of the city gate.

These bulky little cannons have a short range and poor accuracy, but at this moment, at a distance of less than fifty meters, they were given a single mission... a devastating close-range volley of shot!
Countless shattered iron pellets and lead bullets, like a death storm from hell, instantly engulfed the charging Han and Tang warriors.

The distance is too close!
Even the heavy armor forged with modern technology has its protective capabilities reduced to a minimum when faced with this almost face-to-face hail of shot.

The sounds of impact and tearing were chilling!
The dozen or so warriors at the forefront were struck as if by an invisible giant hammer. Their heavy bodies suddenly stopped, and their armor was instantly covered with dense dents and tears. The specially made protection was torn in some places, and blood mixed with broken armor pieces splattered everywhere.

Some had their faceplates ripped off, revealing their bloodied and mangled faces; others had their arms, which were holding heavy weapons, twisted and deformed from the blows; and still others were hit directly in the joints or gaps in their armor plates by several large iron pellets, falling silently to the ground, their heavy bodies rolling in the mud.

Even the most hardened samurai player couldn't suppress a roar of pain when suddenly bombarded by shotgun shells at such close range.

The massive body of the black and white bear was the first to be hit. It felt as if it had been rammed head-on by a herd of charging rhinos. Its chest and shoulder armor groaned under the strain. Several specially made, thickened armor plates were torn and blown off, revealing the punctured cotton armor and bloodstains underneath.

The powerful impact caused him to stagger back a step for the first time, and he only managed to steady himself by slamming his sword heavily on the ground.

"kill……"

The heavily armored swordsmen of Minicia seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. While the Han and Tang warriors were being routed by the volley of shrapnel, they roared and abandoned part of their shield wall, launching a fierce counter-charge like a flood bursting its banks.

The heavy kite-shaped shield was no longer a simple defense, but had become a terrifying ramming weapon, slamming into players who had not yet found their footing. The armed swords and half-swords that followed gleamed coldly, darting in and slashing through the gaps in the armor and the holes torn by the shot.

With bloodshot eyes, the black and white bear endured the excruciating pain in his chest and the dizziness. He rose from the ground, his waist driving his arms, and the wielding of his longsword transformed into a piercing arc of light, cleaving a shield bearer and his shield in two as he charged in.

But more of the Miniseyan elites, who were paid double or even triple wages, surged forward. They formed small groups and used shields to press down on the warriors and broadswords to slash at their relatively weak points, such as the joints of their legs and the joints of their arms.

The battlefield instantly transformed from a one-way crushing assault into the most brutal close-quarters combat and grappling.

The narrow space in front of the city gate became a veritable death mill.

Steel clashed against steel, flesh tore against flesh, the silence of the Han and Tang warriors was broken, roars, groans of pain, the muffled sound of blades piercing flesh, and the cracking sound of bones breaking mingled together.

They remained fierce, each swing taking a life, but the Minesian heavy swordsmen's fearless counterattack and numerical superiority, along with the Tiger Crouching Cannons that continuously spewed death shot at close range, began to tip the scales of victory.

One heavily armored warrior after another fell under the siege.

Their armor might be able to withstand a straight thrust, but it couldn't stop several broadswords from simultaneously slashing at the same joint from different angles. Their strength might be enough to overturn an enemy, but it couldn't cope with the pressure from several tower shields and the thrusting spears at the same time.

Like a giant bear trapped in a swarm of ants, the black and white bear's every swing of his longsword brought forth a storm of blood and gore, but it also added new wounds to his body.

He saw familiar figures fall in the siege, and he saw the growing madness in the eyes of the Minisians.

"Retreat! Retreat! Reorganize your formation!"

Monokuma issued his most reluctant yet clearest order since the start of the war: Continue to hold out in this death trap, or everyone will perish here!
The remaining less than two hundred Han and Tang warriors roared in their final fury, wielding their heavy weapons to sweep away the enemies in front of them. They began to cover each other as they struggled to retreat to the scorched earth covered by artillery fire and corpses.

Every step backward was a trampling of the corpses of comrades and enemies, each step accompanied by the increasingly frenzied pursuit of the Minisians and the sporadic, yet still deadly, bombardment from the Tiger Crouching Cannon.

Before the city gate, the Minieses used corpses and replica bronze cannons to finally halt the advance of that silent steel behemoth.

The price was that the city gate area was littered with the corpses of elite warriors from both sides, and blood pooled into viscous streams on the bluestone pavement.

Bagnia's sharpest spearhead, after a bloody battle and nearly reaching the city gates, was brutally and tragically repelled.

Seeing this from a distance, Chris ordered the flag bearer beside him to wave the flag. Soon, the sharp sound of a suona horn, indicating a possible support, was blew out. A group of heavily armored cavalry began to charge along the blood-soaked path carved out by Black Bear and his men, preparing to reopen the road and support the retreat of the Han and Tang warriors.

"Keep the artillery firing. The Second Army will decide whether to retreat or continue fighting, depending on the situation. The First Army will prepare to advance and take over the baton from our allies." ...

Meanwhile, about 45 miles southwest of the battlefield of Jinsui City, in a huge camp known as "Camp No. 1," the atmosphere was strangely a mixture of calm and unease.

In the center of the camp, in the largest and most ornate tent embroidered with the Reteria family's galloping horse crest, Seba Reteria was leisurely wiping his sword, inlaid with a large sapphire, with a velvet cloth.

Before him knelt a travel-worn Miniseyan messenger, his armor still bearing dried blood and traces of gunpowder.

"...So, Chris is leading all his troops in a fierce attack on Golden Harvest City? And it looks like the fighting is quite brutal?"

Seba's voice carried a hint of amusement, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed as he scrutinized every subtle expression on the messenger's face.

"It is absolutely true, Your Highness!"

The messenger's voice was urgent and pleading.

"Our army is under tremendous pressure. His Majesty the King implores you to abide by the alliance and send troops immediately!"
Your 20,000 iron cavalry will be the key to turning the tide of the battle. As long as you cut in from the flank, you will surely crush the Bagnians' army.

Seba stopped wiping his sword and slowly returned it to its ornate scabbard with a clear "clang".

He strolled to the tent entrance and lifted a corner of the heavy curtain.

Outside, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the densely packed tents and supply wagons in the camp, as well as the boundless sea of ​​cavalrymen in the distance, who were quietly eating or being inspected, in a dark gold.

The Leterian army gathered here was not large, only a little over 20,000, including 10,000 cavalry. However, every cavalryman and every warhorse here was extremely valuable and could be considered his elite troops.

There were even more Retalia troops further back, because Seba did not believe that the decisive battle would begin anytime soon.

Therefore, in order to reduce logistical pressure, the Leterian army was distributed throughout the province of Chivelevka... The Leterian army, which consisted of nearly half cavalry, had a large number of horses.

If so many horses were gathered together, the problem of fodder alone would be enough to give the Reteria people a splitting headache.

Therefore, the dispersal of troops was inevitable.

"alliance……"

Seba chewed on the word, a cryptic smile playing on his lips, as if he were savoring an interesting phrase.

“I have received the King of Minicia’s request.”

He turned around, his gaze returning to the messenger, his smile becoming gentle and soothing, but deep in his eyes lay a cold calculation.

"Tell His Majesty the King that the reputation of the Retelia family shines as brightly as gold. Since Minicia is our loyal ally, how can I, Seba Retelia, stand idly by when my ally is in trouble?"

The messenger's face instantly lit up with ecstatic joy, and he almost kowtowed on the spot.

Seba raised his hand in a gesture of support, his tone becoming serious and powerful.

"Order! All troops break camp! Target... Jinshui City battlefield!"

We must show the Bagnians who the true masters of this plain are!

"As you command, Your Highness!"

Several high-ranking officers standing in the tent immediately bowed and accepted the order, quickly stepping out of the tent. A loud bugle call then rang out over the camp, breaking the previous tranquility. The camp instantly sprang to life like a giant beast awakening, with shouts of men and neighing of horses, the clanging of armor, and began operating efficiently.

As Seba watched the messenger being led away to rest, full of gratitude, the smile on his face slowly faded, leaving only a cold scrutiny.

He returned to the map table, pressed his finger heavily on the location of Golden Harvest City, and then slowly moved it westward, landing on the vast plain marked with the battlefield area.

"Who to hit?"

Seba muttered to himself, as if asking the map, or perhaps asking himself. There was no eagerness for his ally in his eyes, only the shrewd glint of a cheetah assessing the value of its prey.

“Chris… his troops are indeed strong, but Golden Harvest City, garrisoned by 20,000 Minesian royal troops, is clearly a tough nut to crack. Even if he manages to take it down, he'll surely break a few teeth and bleed profusely. If I can take advantage of his vanguard's setbacks, when they are exhausted and in disarray…”

Seba tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"And the Minisians..."

That playful smile reappeared on his lips.

"I wonder how much of Charles's Miniese standing army will be left after the civil war?"

Outside the tent, the hoofbeats of the assembled cavalrymen grew louder and louder, like rolling thunder, and the earth began to tremble slightly. Seba took a deep breath, feeling the destructive power that was about to be under his control.

"Whoever is easy to hit, we'll hit."

Seba's final decision was cold and realistic, tinged with naked pragmatism.

"Once we get to the battlefield, we'll see things clearly before we speak. Should we take advantage of Chris's exhaustion and confusion to stab him in the back and wipe out part of his main force?"

Or should we wait until the Minisians are completely exhausted, then 'repel' the Bagnians as saviors and take over Golden Harvest City? Or... wait until they are both severely weakened, then reap the rewards and become the sole winner?
The Bagnians were prey, and the Minieses were no exception.

Charles, the saltpeter you promised me is indeed very good, but once I capture you, your saltpeter will be my saltpeter… saving me the trouble of a transaction, isn't that great?”

He looked at the area on the map that was about to be completely stained red with blood and fire, and the corners of his mouth gradually curved into a smile.

“Someone, pass on my order to all the generals, tell them to bring their troops to Golden Harvest City and arrive at the battlefield no later than the day after tomorrow… No, Marquis David Neil is an exception. I need him and his men to Tavitsky.”

(End of this chapter)