Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 475 - 475 222 Heresy and Miracle

475: Chapter 222 Heresy and Miracle 475: Chapter 222 Heresy and Miracle The blaring horns and the sound of countless footsteps and rotation of siege engines signaled the start of a full-scale assault.

The sergeant in the back of the siege camp shouted to the soldiers: “—Release!!”

The ropes of a row of massive catapults were unleashed, and the heavy counterweights descended from the frame under gravity.

The gigantic levers hurled countless blazing fire bombs toward the high walls hundreds of meters away.

The flames and smoke drew trajectories in the air, crashing with precise accuracy, calculated by army engineers, upon the inner and outer bastions of the city.

Countless splatterings of grease unleashed a torrent of blazes between the battlements and towers, the spreading fire forcing the already exhausted defenders to scatter and flee.

Several towering, formidable ladder towers advanced in synchronization, and the rough trenches, repeatedly filled in by the soldiers of the West Territory, could no longer obstruct these enormous structures.

Behind them, soldiers with large shields slowly followed, closing in on the city walls.

Squads of valiant knights and soldiers filled the multiple floors of the siege tower, the archers atop the ladder towers taking cover with the arrow tower’s protection, trading volleys with the dense rain of arrows from the walls.

A series of crackling blasts echoed as strong arrows fired from giant crossbows pierced into the tower.

A few West Territory warriors who were unlucky enough to be too close to the wooden walls were pierced by giant crossbows capable of penetrating Dragon Skin and were instantly pinned to the shaft lifelessly.

Fire arrows and flame bottles crashed against the surface of the siege towers, setting the wooden tower ablaze….

….But these casualties were still not enough to halt the assault launched by the siege army.

Finally, when the last giant crossbow tower within the city collapsed under the bombardment of the catapults, the ladder towers, bristling like porcupines with arrows, reached the vicinity of the city walls.

With a thunderous release, the drawbridge lowered, and the wide plank bridges paved the way for the attackers.

The doors of the high towers swung open wide, and the heavy armor knights of the West Territory and the barbarian warriors from Northnia charged out at the forefront, with shield-bearing infantry pouring out in a stream, the first to mount the flames engulfed the city walls.

“—Kill them all!!…” “Kill them all!”

Shouts of battle rose to the heavens…

the symphony of blood and fire, a see-sawing struggle, persisted until near dusk.

In the midst of slaughter, when the last of the defenders gave up resistance…

This final city on the trade route near Double Gorge City also fell into the hands of Orland…or rather, into those of the alliance of the Great Vestra Territory and Northnians.

With victory seized, the forces of the Great Vestra Territory did not rush into the city but let the barbarians from Northnia pour into the city, scattering and looting the wealth and slaves of the Kantadar people.

Outside the city, in the camp where fires burned in braziers, the western generals of Orland gathered under the commander’s tent of the West Territory alliance, seeming to wait for something.

Ines, donned in armor, was among them, clutching her symbolically adorned sword.

She lightly fanned away the bloodstained air, even though the girl had gradually grown accustomed to the scent over the months.

After several hours, as night nearly fell, a squad of knights hurriedly returned to the camp.

“Lords!

Double Gorge City remains silent.”

At this, Count Quelgang, sitting at the head, was the first to laugh.

The other western nobles of Orland relaxed considerably.

Count Rahman, stroking his beloved dog, patted the large head resting on his lap, turned to look at Ines sitting nearby, and with satisfaction on his aged face said, “Remarkable, Your Highness; your back and forth antics have truly scared the fools in Double Gorge City into turtles.”

“We shouldn’t be too happy too soon, Lord Rahman.

Turtle shells are quite hard.

Since they dare not come out to take the bait, we’ll have to continue fighting hard battles,” Ines remarked with a slight smile.

Count Quelgang nodded and instructed the lords, “Everyone, go rest.

The previously designated ones, tomorrow, take three thousand men to support His Majesty in the Ustato Territory, leave your two thousand men, Lord Rahman, to station with the Northnians in this city, while the rest will assemble with me heading north, to knock on Double Gorge City’s turtle shell!”

…Having disbanded the military council in the camp, leaving the swarm of men reeking of sweat and blood, Ines returned to her tent, where Agatha helped her remove her armor.

She fell, heedless, onto the rug, exhaling comfortably.

After over two months of planning, she had finally earned the respect of the lords of the West Territory, despite being a young girl without strength to bind a chicken.

It’s important to note that apart from the noble second sons and bastards gathered by households in the Knights Order, neither her princess status nor the West Bay County Lady title that she managed to obtain earned much notice from the elder lords in the West.

Especially those old nobles of the former dynasty who had lived through the internal wars fifteen years ago; Ines understood that in their hearts, they didn’t regard a young daughter born to a usurper king after the war.

After all, her father was just an Earl of a single Hecha county before ascending to the throne.

In terms of hereditary and legal principles, there were many branches of kin in Orland descended from daughters of the royal family wed off in previous generations.

Fortunately, with the strategies proposed by Count Quelgang, representative of the army of the West Family, the victory in three major campaigns gradually sought to cut down the surrounding forces of Double Gorge City, the western alliance finally accepted the combat plan she suggested.

Double Gorge City was tough to breach, but she also didn’t plan for the allied army to storm the city arduously — merely besieging Double Gorge City until the war ended would be enough.

However strong a pass may be, its existence is meant to protect something, and according to her current analysis, as the southern campaign ends, Orland’s southwestern frontier would be expanded considerably southwards.

By then, Double Gorge City would be left isolated, making it meaningless to hold onto forever.

When the southern campaign concludes, that would be when Double Gorge City starts negotiating for surrender by opening its gates.

It was fortunate that with the promise of spoils of war and intelligence, a temporary alliance agreement with the Northnians was successfully established….

Ines turned over, gazing at the dark top of the tent.

Otherwise, to contend with the Felcon forces arriving from the western Kantadar, relying solely on the troops from the West Territory participating in the campaign, it would be impossible to trap Double Gorge City.

Without the Northnians raiding coastal cities to distract the Kantadar on the southwest coast of the continent, this plan would have been impossible.

Though the crude Northnian leader often spoke indelicately, as long as his forces contributed sufficiently, enduring his absurd words was a minor issue.

Of course, she could discern that the old leader of the Barloway family of Northnia was merely testing her demeanor during the negotiations, a cunning and fierce old fox, unlike the rash Orad.

Cooperating with the Northnians was undoubtedly risky; the conditions offered could very well be matched by the Felcon Family of Western Kantadar.

If there were other opportunities, she would never take such a risk, hoping the information about Kantadar’s recent maritime feud with Northnia due to long-distance sea routes was accurate.

…..Mr.

Rody’s messages from Dragon Throat City were usually accurate, and hopefully, this time would be as well.

If only it were possible to contact the “Floresians” countries — compared to the cunning and savage Northnians, those tall figures with dragon horns enjoyed much better credibility among the countries of the continent, and it was also heard that the naval fleet of the Floresians was stronger than Northnia’s.

The best part was, the dragon-horned people’s relationship with Urian and Kantadar was extremely poor.

Unfortunately, they were too far to the south of the continent, too distant to send a messenger or negotiate.

As she pondered, the girl could only sigh at the unpredictability of the world; the southern campaign came too suddenly, making it impossible to prepare in advance and leaving no room for oversight…

Like the rumors Count Rahman mentioned about Eastern Kantadar.

…..The Undead Calamity?

The Corpse Ghosts were not uncommon in her eyes.

Ines had seen Harvey demonstrate the witchcraft that animated corpses, as well as the walking dead that appeared in the Nightmare Forest.

They looked intimidating, but in reality, that was all they were.

Ordinary walkers and magically created skeletal undead could be dispatched efficiently by trained soldiers, one vs.

five is not unlikely.

And for a Knight of Valor, if they were just the slow-stupid ordinary Corpse Ghosts, they posed even less threat than an equal number of living soldiers.

Moreover, it was said that it was challenging for past wizards versed in such arts to control even hundreds of corpses.

But hundreds of thousands…

or even millions?

Are there truly that many wizards on the Western Continent?

Real, or fake?

Should it be true, what impact would that have on the current situation of the Western Continent?