Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 744 - 403: The Siege of Apar, The Roar of Cannons

Chapter 744: Chapter 403: The Siege of Apar, The Roar of Cannons

The beginning of February promised clear skies, shallow streams, and a gentle breeze. Splendid sunshine fell upon the Apa Plain, bringing life’s hope to the fertile fields. The warm wind caressed the mountains and forests, coaxing delicate new buds to poke their heads out from lofty treetops. In the rivers of the South, juvenile salmon had just hatched from their eggs, frolicking in the fresh waters of the streams. When they grew big enough, they would return to the vast ocean in the West to begin a new cycle of life.

But when the wind traveled eastward to the city of Apachigan, the scenes bursting with life vanished abruptly, replaced by the stillness of death and destruction. The surrounding farmlands lay withered and yellow, the villages desolate, trees felled, and wildlife scattered. The formidable military city of Apachigan had been besieged in desperation for nearly three months.

During these three months, the red-haired legion moved swiftly like the wind, raiding and ambushing before departing; the spear legion stood firm as a mountain, establishing besieging camps, while sending half to move westward. Then the Royal Banner of the Black Wolf arrived, with the Imperial Guard Legion surging forth, bringing the destruction of a thunderbolt.

At this moment, the Royal Banner of the Black Wolf stood to the south of the besieged city, symbolizing the presence of the King. Over ten thousand Royal Army samurai stood forbiddingly, completely encircling the military city, leaving no hope for survival. The camps of the besieging Royal Army stretched over the terrain, blocking the rugged north and east, and occupying the flat terrain of the west and south.

The military city of Apachigan was built against the mountain, easy to defend but difficult to attack. To the north of the city lay steep mountain ranges, to the east rolled hills, while to the west and south lay fertile plains.

The fortress-like military city stood six meters tall, beneath which lay hundreds of fallen corpses, while thousands of demoralized militia stood on its walls. By the militia’s side lay unused stones, logs, and pots of lime. The rocky walls of the city were pitted and dented everywhere, also scorched black by fierce fires. Even the air was permeated with the smell of gunpowder.

"Boom!"

A terrible explosion like thunder suddenly exploded outside the South City! Then, a two-pound stone shot, spinning through a distance of over two hundred paces, crashed against the stone wall of the military city under the horrified gaze of the militia on the parapets. In an instant, the stone shot fell, stone chips blasted in all directions, and the wall was cratered shallowly, causing the surrounding walls to tremble slightly.

Xiulote, clad in copper armor, stood with hundreds of trusted aides outside the southern camp, watching the two-pound Divine Eagle Cannon bombardment.

A hundred paces before him, ten Divine Eagle Cannons were lined in a row. The muzzles of the Divine Eagle Cannons faced the city of Apachigan over two hundred paces away, their barrels braced and reinforced with bronze and wooden frames, and their backs pressed to the ground. Dozens of artillerymen busied themselves around the cannons, while over a thousand armored Imperial Guard Warriors stood guard. The ten Divine Eagle Cannons, like bronze beasts of the God of Death, emitted fearsome roars. And should the militia in the city dare to attack, they would be reaped by the waiting Armored Warriors.

"Boom!"

Another booming explosion echoed. Accompanied by the smoke from the muzzle, another stone shot was propelled, flying over the heads of the militia on the city walls, and crashed within the mountain city, hitting a simple wooden hut directly. With a "bang," the hut splintered, scattering a great quantity of wood and thatch. Then the roof cracked, the rafters broke, and the simple hut collapsed violently, half demolished. Several citizens within the city screamed in panic, bolting from the house, praying wildly to their deities.

"Hmm, not bad."

Watching this, Xiulote nodded with a smile. The two-pound Divine Eagle Cannon was unable to inflict effective damage on the stone walls, but it had ample destructive power against wooden structures. And if precision was not demanded, the two-pound Divine Eagle Cannon could reach up to two li, striking the majority of the buildings in the entire mountain city.

"Damn it, aim better! His Highness is personally watching!"

After two shots went astray, Camp Commander Tupa’s face turned red with fury, and he roared in a low voice. His fierce gaze swept across the artillerymen, who all tensed up.

"Let me do it!"

The seasoned artilleryman, Eagle Eye Wadika, called out and promptly stepped toward the third Divine Eagle Cannon that was ready to fire. Seeing him approach, the gunners at the third cannon immediately cleared the position.

Eagle Eye Wadika, originally from the Mexica Temple Guards, was once an outstanding longbowman, then was transferred to the Stirrup Crossbow squad, becoming an excellent crossbowman. He had always been a skilled shooter, especially at long range, earning him the widely recognized nickname "Eagle Eye."

When the Artillery Camp was established, he became one of the first gunners. But the primitive artillery could not control accuracy, rendering his nickname meaningless. It was only with the advent of the Divine Eagle Cannon that he truly became an outstanding gunner.

Eagle Eye Wadika squinted, aiming with the rudimentary sight on the Divine Eagle Cannon. This aiming device, suggested by His Highness the Divine Revelation, was roughly similar to the sighting mechanisms on crossbows. Familiar with bows and crossbows, Wadika handled the Divine Eagle Cannon as if he were operating a giant crossbow.

"Raise it a bit more! A bit higher! Lower a little!...Almost there! Stop!!"

Following Wadika’s shouts, seven or eight gunners worked together, urgently lifting or lowering the tail of the cannon. The Divine Eagle Cannon had only recently been cast and did not yet have a convenient mechanism for adjusting height. To adjust the firing angle now, gunners had to dig pits to lower or prop up stones to raise the base at the end of the carriage, or use similar crude methods beneath the wheels.

"May the Chief Divine protect us!"

Eagle Eye Wadika stretched out his arms, opening and closing his eyes, gesturing for distance and angle, feeling it should be almost right. He silently prayed, then shouted loudly.

"Ignite!"

The gunner lit the touch hole’s fuse, then all the gunners simultaneously covered their ears, crouching on either side of the barrel.

"Boom!!"

A thunderous blast suddenly erupted, causing everyone’s eardrums to ache. A heavy stone projectile "whooshed" out with peerless force, howling towards the battlements! It moved so swiftly that the militia atop the wall could only let out a half scream of terror before being precisely struck by the projectile!

"Crack!"

In an instant, blood splattered and bodies were torn apart! At such close range, the massive stone shot was utterly unstoppable, rolling over the bodies of the militia, leaving behind a trail of blood several meters long before crashing down onto the ramparts. Three or four militiamen died on the spot, their bodies fused together, beyond separation.

"Good! A very precise shot!"

Xiulote exclaimed in admiration. The 2-pound Divine Eagle Cannon fired solid stone shots, which manifested their power in long-range precision shooting. Once the gunners could achieve sufficient accuracy, they could execute decapitation tactics within a battle formation or target specific weak spots in the city walls, crushing the enemy and breaching the city!

"Get him to change the cannon and fire again! If he hits the target once more, I will reward him handsomely!"

The King’s command was passed to the front. Eagle Eye Wadika turned red with excitement. His Highness was always a man of his word; a generous reward was sure to be substantial. He spat twice, rubbed his hands together, and then proceeded to adjust the fourth cannon.

"...Good! All set! Stop! Ignite!"

"Boom!!"

A few breaths later, a second thunderous roar shook the air, and a deathly howl accompanied the stone that struck another part of the rampart! This time, the 2-pound projectile hit a wooden shield erected on the battlements, shattering the shield into pieces.

"Crack!"

Countless splinters scattered instantly like flying blades, injuring more than a dozen militiamen clothed in plain fabric. The militiamen howled hysterically and blindly ran down the castle, some even leaping from the wall. Soon after, the disciplinary squad at the base of the wall executed several men, driving the militiamen back up to defend.

"Excellent, just excellent!"

Xiulote laughed with satisfaction. Two consecutive hits were not by blind chance, but a sign of genuine skill. He immediately waved over a trusted aide to disseminate his reward.

"Reward the cannon operator generously! Offer him ten bolts of cloth, two bags of cocoa, and ten gemstones! Promote the samurai two ranks, and if he is a senior samurai, raise him to military nobility! Also appoint him as a hundred-man commander within the Artillery Camp, compile his shooting experience, and disseminate it throughout the army!"

The generous rewards spread throughout the Artillery Camp, and the eyes of the gunners turned red. A single moment of accurate shooting was worth several years of fighting!

Eagle Eye Wadika knelt down toward His Highness and repeatedly kowtowed, shaking with excitement. Having served in the military for many years and already being a senior samurai, his promotion to the rank of military nobility was an essential breakthrough in class, making him a member of the nobility from now on!

Seeing this scene, Xiulote nodded in approval with a smile. The Artillery Camp was recently established, and there were many aspects still to be explored and perfected. He was setting such examples to encourage the fervor of the gunners.

"Boom!... Boom!... Boom!..."

One by one, the Divine Eagle Cannons fired in turn, constantly bombarding the Defending Army of South City. Every quarter of an hour, a stone shot was launched, either shaking the walls, bursting into the city, or striking the battlements, creating a new wave of panic. With the continuous bombardment over several days, the morale of the Defending Army had plummeted. The militiamen all looked pale, stiff in limbs, and numb in spirit. Only the disciplinary squad hidden behind the walls still held on to their resolute will to fight.

Xiulote watched for a long while, a confident smile on his face. Apa City, besieged until now, was ripe fruit ready to fall at any moment. The city’s defenders were desperate animals, clinging to the fleeting hope of support from the Tekos people as their last breath. With only a few thousands of his elite Imperial Guards attacking mightily, and a few hundred casualties, they could breach the city in less than two days.

"Black Wolf’s three thousand elites entered the enemy’s rear in the mountain areas, looting extensively. The Tekos Allied Forces fled north in disarray, struggling to survive. Ezpan led his army in pursuit, cutting the grass to remove the roots... The Palm Family within the city had long lost any chance."

With these thoughts, Xiulote shook his head with a smile. He was somewhat critical of Black Wolf’s rashness; as a Great General, he always liked to take risks alone. But in his heart, Xiulote greatly admired this kind of spirited and lofty vigor and even felt some envy. For he, the ruler of a million citizens, carried the weight of responsibility and had long lost any opportunity for adventurous combat.

"Apa City is within easy reach and there’s no hurry at the moment. It is the perfect opportunity to use this robust military city for the newly formed cannon crews to practice and familiarize themselves with the Divine Eagle Cannon’s siege warfare."

Xiulote smiled confidently, memories from the past months flooding his thoughts. The campaign to the South was coming to an end, the overall situation had been determined. Although there were some twists, it was mostly within the plan.