The Betrayed Master Betrays In Turn

Chapter 81

“They claimed that each fortress houses around 10,000 soldiers, but according to the reports, the total number of troops across the three fortresses barely reaches 25,000. Unless the enemy mobilizes additional forces, we’ll be facing a significantly smaller army than ours.”

Volker was of little help, but the information they provided proved to be quite useful.

“The enemy’s walls are fortified against traditional siege weapons, but they’re entirely unprepared for our cannons. If they remain holed up in their fortresses, we’ll crush them along with their walls. If they attempt to engage us in the field, we’ll counter with the tactics we’ve repeatedly drilled.”

With the reinforced data and mini-maps, and given the strength of the Crimson Dragon Legion, the strategy didn’t require anything elaborate.

Twenty-five cannons and ten thousand muskets would be more than enough to overwhelm an unprepared enemy.

“Our first target should be La Leon. The terrain is flat, and the surrounding geography is favorable for advancing toward Adense and Serona afterward.”

“It’s also the oldest of the three fortresses, so it’ll be a good opportunity to showcase the power of our siege cannons.”

After finalizing the finer details with the officers—

“...Then we’ll set out before dawn tomorrow morning. Tell the soldiers to get plenty of rest tonight.”

“Understood.”

The meeting wrapped up swiftly.

If we wanted to leave Volker in the dust, we had to move as quickly as possible. Our goal was to capture all three fortresses before the Fifth Legion could even attempt to claim any credit.

Fortunately, since the meeting concluded in the morning, there was ample time to prepare.

“...It seems they’re watching us.”

“Hah... Quick on the uptake. At least it shows he’s not entirely sluggish.”

The subtle gazes from the Fifth Legion personnel observing the Crimson Dragon Legion were irritating, but—

“They’re still working on maintaining their fortifications.”
“Trying to gauge our movements, perhaps?”
“Most likely...”
“Hah, figures.”

Since they weren’t openly mobilizing their troops yet, it wasn’t a significant concern.

At least this was preferable to them preparing their forces for immediate deployment. If things stayed as they were, the Fifth Legion would likely advance a day or two after us, and we were ready to exploit that lead.

Capturing all three fortresses might be overly ambitious, but taking down two should be well within our reach.

---

Before dawn, at 4 a.m.

The soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Legion, already awake, illuminated the siege cannons with torches as they conducted final inspections. The cannons, mounted on wagons, gleamed in the flickering light, and meticulously crafted cannonballs were stacked on nearby carts.

"…So we’re really firing these at the walls."
"At least we’re the ones firing them… thank goodness for that."

With little time left before their departure, the soldiers quietly murmured among themselves as they carefully checked the wagons and cannons.

"Should I clean the barrel one more time?"
"You’re insane."
"Shh, someone might hear you."
"…No, you’re seriously insane."

Some soldiers, already growing attached to their firearms, were obsessively polishing their barrels even though they were already spotless.

"What if the walls hold?"
"No chance. Those walls were made to stop rocks, not giant iron balls like these."

Their quiet conversations betrayed a mix of worry—

"Still, wouldn’t it be disappointing if we brought all these muskets and barely got to use them? Honestly, I hope the walls hold."
"…You’re full of crap."
"Then why are you fiddling with your musket? You’re just like me, you idiot."
"…"

—and subtle anticipation. Much like the officers who displayed confidence in their earlier meeting, the soldiers also didn’t seem to entertain the possibility of defeat.

Following Victor’s orders, most of the soldiers left their armor on small carts, carrying only their weapons as they prepared to march.

By 5 a.m., the soldiers and hundreds of wagons were ready.

"Move out."

The order came, and they quietly departed from Manzheim.

Though the usual battle cries were absent, the soldiers’ morale was unmistakably high.

---

The next day.

The soldiers of La Leon Fortress, Jose and Isaac, were starting another day like any other.

Although word had reached them that imperial forces were on the move—

"How many hours this time?"
"Hmm... three hours?"
"Hah, you still trust them?"
"Common sense says three hours. Didn’t they say reinforcements arrived too?"
"They sent what, ten thousand? I think it’s just testing the waters. They’ll leave in under an hour."

Leaning casually against the fortress wall, the two bantered about their usual wagers.

Though La Leon was old, its age was a testament to its resilience. For countless years, it had withstood attacks without falling. Imperial assaults in the past had consisted of little more than a few arrows and stones before retreating.

-CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!-

"…Hah."
"What if we bet on two hours this time? Starting from the first arrow they shoot—if they stop before two hours, I win."
"Two hours? No way. I’m sticking with three."

Even as the warning bell rang out, Jose and Isaac squabbled over their bets. A sentry from the watchtower, Juan, came running toward them.

"Hey! They’re here! They’re here!"
"Oh, really?"
"Why the fuss? It’s not like this is your first shift."
"No, you need to see for yourselves! Get up here, now!"

Unlike the two, who remained relaxed, Juan was clearly unsettled. Sensing something unusual in his demeanor, Jose and Isaac grabbed their shields and bows and climbed to the top of the wall.

Shoving past the other soldiers lined along the battlements, they moved forward until they reached a spot where they could see the enemy.

And then—

"…What is that?"
"…"

Far off in the distance, they spotted dark, metallic objects approaching. More than twenty of them were mounted on wagons, slowly advancing alongside armored soldiers.

"I-I told you! They’re coming! Why don’t you believe me—"
"Everyone, quiet! Take your positions and prepare to fire! We’ll shoot when they come closer!"

"…Idiot."
"So, still three hours?"
"Fine, fine!"

As Juan ducked under the commander’s barked orders and hid among the soldiers, Jose and Isaac chuckled and took their places. They readied their arrows, pulling back their bowstrings.

"…They’re not coming closer."
"What’s going on?"

The imperial army halted over a hundred meters away.

"What are your orders?"
"Hold."
"Understood."

The distance was too great to effectively shoot at the armored enemy with arrows, so the soldiers lowered their bows and watched. The imperials began digging into the ground, creating pits where they buried the metal objects before covering them with soil.

"…They’re doing something down there."
"You can see that from here?"
"Unlike you… wait, are they lighting something on fire?"
"Fire?"

Jose, whose eyesight was sharper than most, observed the soldiers moving around the objects and igniting something.

"…They’re retreating."

Unlike the noisy, chaotic retreats the imperials were known for, these soldiers withdrew in an eerily organized fashion after lighting the fire. This sudden stillness filled Jose with unease.

"Some kind of siege weapon?"
"Probably, but—"

Before Jose could finish his answer to Juan’s question—

"…!"

Juan saw something black streaking toward him.

-BOOOOOM!-

A deafening explosion echoed across the sky before anyone could react, tearing through everything and everyone in its path.

-SCREEEEEEECH-

"…What?"

As the sharp ringing in their ears began to fade and the dust settled,

"…Aaaargh!"
"Ugh, what is this..."
"Help! Please!"
"My arm! My arm!"

Jose, still standing in shock, took in the sight of soldiers writhing on the ground in pain, the walls around them shattered.

"…Juan?"

Reality hadn’t set in for him yet. He turned blankly, searching for Juan, but the spot where Juan had stood was gone, as if a giant had taken a bite out of the wall itself.

Smoke and white haze obscured the imperial army’s position, and the once-visible metal objects were nowhere to be seen.

"…Ready your weapons! The enemy is—"
"…Fire—"

Jose couldn’t process anything anymore. All he felt was a dampness on his body.

The shouting and screams around him were muffled, distant. His head turned aimlessly.

-THUD!-

"…Hey! Move!"
"…?"

A blow from the side jolted Jose back to reality.

"Can you hear me? Grab your weapon and move!"

The voice belonged to Isaac, who had leaned in close to yell directly into Jose’s ear. With effort, Jose understood enough to grab his bow and shield again, letting Isaac pull him along.

"Are you okay? Hey, Jose!"
"Uh… yeah…"

Isaac, who had recovered faster, dragged Jose toward an intact section of the wall. But Jose, who had been near the impact zone, was far from fine. His body was riddled with fragments of stone, and moving through the panicked soldiers was a struggle.

The imperial army didn’t wait.

Before they could secure their position—

-BOOOOOM!-

A second volley of cannon fire tore through La Leon’s walls, collapsing the ground beneath their feet.

Isaac felt a strange mix of weightlessness, fear, and despair as he closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable.