Chapter 129: Catching Turtles in a Jar

"What? So many supplies? That's fantastic!" Though Mirella had anticipated it, hearing the quantity still shook him to the core.

The sheer volume of supplies was immense, enough to sustain a fifty-thousand-strong army for a month.

"Uncle Mirella, we'd better destroy all these supplies, including burning the grain!" Roland once again suggested, startlingly.

"What? Destroy everything? Roland, do you realize how much these things are worth?" Mirella cried out, feeling as if his tail had been stepped on. In this moment, Mirella seemed like a greedy cat, fiercely guarding his newfound treasure.

"But Uncle Mirella, even if we don't destroy them, we can't take them with us. Kacha is near the Venetian border, closer to Austria and farther from us. Moreover, once Karl learns that his logistics base has been attacked, he will surely lead his army to reclaim it. By then, not only will we not take these supplies, but we'll also put ourselves in danger. It's not worth it," Roland explained. Despite Mirella's extensive military experience, the allure of the captured Austrian supplies was undeniable.

"This... Ah!" Initially reluctant, Mirella understood Roland's reasoning after hearing his words.

Commanding cavalry, Mirella's specialty was high mobility. Carrying these supplies would undoubtedly slow down his marching speed, making him an easy target for the Austrian main force. In such a scenario, his fate was certain death.

"Burn all these supplies, not a grain of food left for the Austrians. Destroy the weapons too; that's even more crucial," Mirella ordered the surrounding soldiers.

"Yes, General," the French soldiers immediately began to act.

Soon, flames engulfed the warehouses throughout Kacha. With the sound of gunpowder igniting, the entire city turned into a sea of fire.

"Well done, well done! Without logistical supplies, how will the Austrians continue to fight? Their only option now is to retreat," Mirella said with a satisfied smile as he watched the blazing fires of Kacha in the distance. Now, the Austrian army was no longer a threat.

"Alright, boys, let's turn our horses and head towards Tournai to join forces with Dessau's infantry division, sandwiching the Austrian army from both inside and out. Charge!" With that, Mirella pulled his horse's reins and galloped westward.

Behind him, thousands of cavalrymen followed closely.

...

"Boom!"

"Bang bang bang!"

Outside Tournai, the sound of artillery filled the sky as countless Austrian soldiers roared towards the city. However, they were soon overwhelmed by the intensive attacks from the French.

Underneath the walls of Tournai, another wave of Austrian attacks was repelled. They left behind a carpet of corpses in front of the French positions. With their casualties mounting, the morale of the Austrian troops continued to plummet, almost reaching rock bottom.

"Damn it! Why can't we break through the French's last line of defense? Yes, those French bastards must be at their breaking point already. We just need to push a little harder, and we'll succeed," Austria's commander, Karl, told himself. He had already bet all his chips on this. If they couldn't break through the French defenses and capture Tournai, he would suffer a humiliating defeat, and hundreds of thousands of Austrians would be annihilated. This would be a devastating blow to Austria.

Inside the command post, Grand Duke Karl paced anxiously. They had been attacking Tournai for over ten days now. Despite heavy losses suffered by the Austrians, they still hadn't been able to breach the city. This made the Grand Duke feel the tide of the battle turning against them.

"Tournai, a mere city with only tens of thousands of French troops, yet our army of hundreds of thousands still can't break through. Is it because the French are too strong, or are we too weak?" the Grand Duke said, his face grim.

A few days ago, they had successfully breached the French's second line of defense, which had filled the Grand Duke with excitement. He had thought that the French were on their last legs and victory was imminent. But reality had once again slapped him in the face.

"The French, who have 'turtle-shelled' themselves into the third line of defense, have erupted with an unparalleled fighting force in their battles with the Austrian army. They firmly occupy the final line of defense, impervious to any of Karl's stratagems."

"Duke, sir!" Inside the command post, the besieging commander, Orlandi, arrived in front of Karl, looking disheveled.

"How is it? Have we breached the French defenses?" Karl hurriedly asked Orlandi.

"Your Grace, we haven't. The French counterattacks are too fierce. My men have given their all, but we've made no progress. Additionally, our cannons are out of ammunition, so we can't provide artillery support. Under these circumstances, our casualties are devastating," Orlandi said with his head bowed.

"Worthless! We're so close to the end, and yet we can't break through. Incompetent!" The Grand Duke Karl cursed angrily upon hearing of another failed attack.

"Tournai, a small city, was taken by Napoleon with just fifty thousand men after four days of fighting. Here we have two hundred thousand troops, and we've been attacking for nearly a week, yet we still haven't captured Tournai. Doesn't this prove to the world our incompetence?" Karl shouted in frustration.

This counterattack had been eagerly awaited within Austria, with countless citizens and officials anticipating news of Karl's impending victory. But now, a full week into the counteroffensive, there had been no progress.

"Grand Duke, I request artillery support. With artillery, we can suppress the French, and I will personally lead a death squad to break through their lines. This time, we will surely defeat the French," Orlandi said, trembling.

"Artillery support? Right, yesterday was supposed to be the day for transporting supplies. Why haven't our war supplies arrived yet? Send someone to find out immediately," Karl ordered.

"Yes, Your Grace, right away," Orlandi said, turning to leave. But just then, another Austrian officer rushed in anxiously from outside the command post.

"Duke, General Anatoli is back," the officer reported breathlessly to Karl.

"Anatoli? His timing couldn't be better. I was just about to ask him why he hasn't delivered the logistics supplies as scheduled. Doesn't he realize this delay is hindering our frontline attack?" Karl said, clearly displeased.

"Every day, the Austrian soldiers under Tournai are fighting fiercely, and in such circumstances, the consumption of supplies is rapid. Therefore, the timely arrival of logistical supplies becomes increasingly crucial."

"Your Grace, General Anatoli seems to have suffered a disastrous defeat. He returned with only a few hundred men, and they were covered in blood, as if they had just been through a major battle," the aide continued.

"What? How could this happen? Damn it, my Kacha City! Could it be those damn French attacked there?" Upon hearing this, Grand Duke Karl's face turned pale. His worst fears had come true. The French counterattack had begun.

Furthermore, the French commanders were cunning. Their counterattacks were deadly. Now, Kacha's supply line had become almost the lifeline of the Austrian army. If it were destroyed, the two hundred thousand-strong Austrian army would be doomed. Once the supply line was cut off, Austria would starve to death here.

In such a situation, forget about continuing to attack Tournai; just being able to preserve their lives would be considered fortunate!

"Idiot! Damn idiots! Didn't I already instruct him? Kacha is crucial, there must be no loss whatsoever. How could it still be attacked by the French? Quickly, summon Anatoli to see me," Grand Duke Karl almost shouted out these words.