The Last Fight Of A Dying Kingdom (7)

"The enemy's strength is estimated to be around 20,000 remaining. Thanks to Master Medellin, they've lost quite a large portion of their army." <Lamp >

"I see. But how could that proud girl retreat, from what I can see her army is in full retreat though it might be a feint as it only looks like her vanguard is the portion retreating?" <Duke Fran> 

Fran twisted his head quizzically at Lamp's report.

"They left Voltaire Castle without much supplies and retreated this way. Don't you know what that means?" <Duke Fran>

Lucana answered Fran's question with a clap of his hands.

"Isn't it because Aquitania has supplies?" <Lucana >

"Yes, it does. After all, the heart of this enemy is in Aquitania. In fact, if the Fourth Army had held out a little longer, we could have reduced the number of enemies fleeing to Aquitania to a very small percentage...It's a pity." <Duke Fran>

"We don't have a clear picture of the situation. Every single allied soldier around Master Medellin's position from her formation is dead..." <Lucana >

Fran scratched his cheek.

But right now, winning was more important than his sister's condition.

"Let's go for the straight and narrow. We'll lay siege to Aquitania Castle. The supplies inside the castle are limited, and the enemy has only 20,000 men, and they'll be exhausted after that battle, and running all the way home." <Duke Fran>

The battle could have ended there if the Fourth Army had not been defeated on the plains, but unfortunately, it did.

However, the fact remains that their advantage is still overwhelming.

It was a battle between 20,000 and 90,000; in addition, there were still the Eight Warlords still alive and well in the main army afterall.

***

- - Visigoth Kingdom POV - -

 - A few days later -

Fran's large army of 90,000 marched towards Aquitania Castle at once.

It was a situation where they were chasing the fleeing enemy, with the cavalry in the lead and the infantry following.

However, there was a change in the enemy that was fleeing.

When Fran received the report, he had no idea what it meant.

"Are you saying that a small force has entered Aquitania Castle and the rest have moved south?" <Duke Fran>

"Yes, sir! Shall we go after them both? Supreme General, give me your orders!" <Scout >

He wondered what this was all about.

There was nothing good about dividing up the troops.

If this was a tactic to confuse the enemy, it was not something a strategist like Julius would use.

There were only around 20,000 troops left.

It was quite a feat to hope for victory by dividing his forces.

A small force has entered Aintorian Castle...For once, Fran couldn't quite understand it.

Of course, he couldn't even predict it.

He had completely ignored the fundamentals of general strategy.

"Supreme General, it seems there is no need to be concerned. I wonder if the predicament has caused an internal split?" <Lucana >

"I have the same feeling." <Lamp >

Lamp and Lucana said.

Istin meanwhile was silent, but his thoughts seemed to be the same.

So were Valdesca's other vassals and the other warlords attending this war council.

The Aquitania army that the vassals had pursued had been driven back, they had nowhere to go.

Victory was in their grasp.

"In the end, a strategy is only as good as the troops you have. I am convinced of this from my long experience in the service of generals." <Lamp >

When Lamp said that, Fran nodded.

No matter what he thought, there was no way this time.

No matter how much he overestimated Julius, this was different.

"Where is Julius Aquitania?" <Duke Fran>

"He went to Castle Aquitania!" <Lucana >

"Then we'll head for Castle Aquitania, don't worry about anything else!" <Duke Fran>

"Yes, General!" <Lucana >

Following the order, the second-in-command Istin rushed out, and the entire Visigoth army also started running towards Castle Aquitania.

"We will lay siege to Castle Aquitania in multiple layers. We must not give them an opening." <Duke Fran>

Fran decided not to think about anything else.

***

- - Lunan Remnant POV - -

The last battle of Aquitania, from the way things were going, all the refugees thought so too.

"I can't believe we're being attacked when all we have to rely on is Aquitania to get around. What the hell is going on? Their just a border province how are they the only ones still in this fight!" <Citizen >

"From what I've seen firsthand, there are far too many of them, so what can you do?" <Citizen >

"Can't we beat them with numbers?" <Citizen >

The refugees who had gathered nearby were wandering around looking for a place to go, talking in whispers like this.

"That's Aquitania over there, right?" <Citizen >

"Yes. The great final battle will soon begin." <Citizen >

"Everyone is saying that this will be Lunan's last battle." <Citizen >

"It's true, the king died on the run, and the only one who joined us late enough to fight was Lord Aquitania...I wonder what the other lords are doing, they've probably all run away or surrendered to keep hold of their lands." <Citizen >

"He was the only one who had the troops ready." <Citizen >

"He stopped Visigoth in the last war, but will he be able to do it again this time?" <Citizen >

"The northern part of Lunan had already fallen by the time he returned from Roserun?" <Citizen >

"Yeah. That's exactly where I came from, and I got beat up like crazy." <Citizen >

The refugees began to lament their misfortune, but the thought of becoming a citizen of another country made them feel uneasy.

"I'm going to see the last fight." <Citizen >

"You'll die if you do that!" <Citizen >

"If we climb that mountain over there, we can see it, right? I have to see it just in case." <Citizen >

"It's not safe." <Citizen >

There are many times when curiosity overcomes fear.

Many people began to climb the mountain to watch the battle here and there.

Rumours were already spreading about the situation, so no one thought that Lunan would win.

But on the other hand, rumours were spreading that he was the only lord in Lunan who would fight to the end, and people were flocking to watch.

Everyone knew that it was dangerous.

"Aren't the Aquitania people too quiet?" <Citizen >

"Yeah, I guess so." <Citizen >

In the midst of all this, the refugees had one question.

There was no sign of evacuation among the Aquitania's people.

Or perhaps there was no one in the territory.

"It's as if there's no one else in this huge territory but the soldiers." <Citizen >

They were not talking about the inside of the castle, of course, but about the entire Aquitania territory outside the castle.

As they gazed down upon the land from atop the peak, the lands stretch before them looked like a veritable hellscape, the fields had been burned to ash, the scattered villages that used to dot the plains were now barren patches of dirt their structures having been burned down as well.

Julius's final tactic, scorched earth.

***

- - Aquitania POV - -

Eventually, this moment arrived, the assembly of the entire Visigoth army.

The missing troops who remained from the fourth army have joined up and become a complete unit.

In other words, we must make sure to inflict crippling damage on them here.

To be honest, Aquitania was not in a good position to build a country.

Especially in a situation like this, with few reliable personnel and soldiers, and surrounded by Visigoth on all sides.

In addition, most of the troops of the Lunan Kingdom have gone to Bridget's territory in this situation to secure their new holdings.

This was the main reason why the northern part of Lunan could not even resist and was easily defeated.

Of course, it was part of my plan to throw the huge bait of Bridget and move the army of the Lunan Kingdom there, and an influx of immigrants would follow shortly thereafter.

I wanted the destruction of Lunan more than anyone else.

Even if all those troops were to join me, it was impossible for me to build up my strength in such a position.

However, even if I set up my base elsewhere, it would not matter if I didn't destroy the army of Visigoth at least once.

There would be no time to catch my breath.

In order to get such time, it was necessary to influence the refugees, denounce other troops from the Lunan Kingdom, and inflict heavy damage on the Visigoth army at least once.

This would cause all involved parties to require time, not just days but years to recover and regain their strength and position before they'd be able to try something once again.

The reason I moved my primary troops elsewhere and came into Aquitania Castle with only a small force was to lure Fran.

I surveyed Fran's army from the top of the castle walls.

They were surrounding the city of Aquitania in multiple layers on all sides, it was a moderate movement.

I was glad to see such a gathering.

In fact, all of this maneuvering was possible because of the secrets hidden in Castle Aquitania.

There were hidden passages in Aquitania that were built during the time of the Ancient Empire.

The room with the gold and the room with the perks had nothing to do with the Ancient Empire, at least not directly.

The room with the gold was created by the descendants of Caesar, and the room with the perks was created by the game's management.

However, there was another secret room in this castle that shared the end of the Ancient Empire.

That is exactly the hidden passage in the Ancient Empire that can only be entered with Yuri's ring.

It was because of this power that I gathered Fran's large army, using the Aquitania castle and myself as bait.

The sun was setting, but Fran was planning an attack.

He didn't even know that the castle was mostly empty.

Fran wouldn't give me time, he would use this momentum to try and take down the castle Aquitania in one fell swoop, like an avalanche of flesh against a paper house.

That's exactly when the opportunity would arise.

Fran waited breathlessly, as he thought it would be easier to attack at night, and finally ordered an attack as soon as the sun went down.

"All troops, charge!" <Duke Fran>

For the sake of the kingdom Fran had absolutely no intention of prolonging the capture of Castle Aquitania.

The entire army charged towards the castle.

It was the Third Army that was the first to charge using the ladders.

Because of the mistake of Master General Kediman's death, Lamp asked Fran to spearhead the charge in order to redeem the honor of the Third Army.

With no one to stop them, the large army quickly walls, and descended into the city, and the gates were quickly opened.

As soon as the gates were opened, the 110,000-strong army of Visigoth poured into the town.

The invading army didn't waste time and began setting the residences and structures ablaze providing light in the night with the flames illumination, and the speed of their advance was quite fast.

The incoming troops also opened the other gates of Aquitania, resulting in even more soldiers pouring in as the third army who entered first made their was to the castle.