Siege of the Fortress 4

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Duke Dodge's face was stern as he watched the battle on the fortress walls.

The current situation was dire; the defending army was clearly under pressure from the rebels.

After careful consideration, he ordered, "Send the reserve troops to support and help the soldiers withdraw to the inner wall."

TL Note: Buglers are skilled musicians who undergo training to play specific bugle calls, such as reveille, taps, and various ceremonial calls.

A bugler beside him immediately raised his horn and blew it in a special rhythm.

The old duke said to a military officer behind him, "Bring out our secret weapon."

The officer was startled, "My lord, that's our last ace in the hole! We shouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary!"

Duke Dodge sighed bitterly, "Can't you see? Now is precisely the time of absolute necessity. Or rather, if we don't reveal this trump card now, we won't survive to see such a time."

A bitter expression crossed the officer's face as he nodded, "Yes, my lord."

Then he turned and hurried away.

...

"Withdraw to the inner wall!"

"Withdraw to the inner wall!"

Officers fighting on the fortress outer wall with their soldiers immediately conveyed orders to their subordinates.

The defending soldiers gathered around their respective commanders, covering each other as they moved toward the inner wall.

As a fully equipped defensive fortress, Thorn Fortress had two layers of walls. The distance between the outer and inner walls was 15-20 meters. The inner wall was higher, thicker, and more difficult to breach than the outer wall.

Rebel soldiers who had climbed up the fortress walls pursued closely. Now was not the time to rest; allowing the defending army to retreat to the inner wall would bring many troubles. The battlements on the inner side of the outer wall were low and offered poor defense against arrows and other attacks from the inner wall.

However, the gates of the inner wall suddenly opened, and a large number of soldiers rushed out. This reserve force of the defending army had been waiting in the rear, eagerly watching the melee on the outer wall. They charged out immediately upon the duke's command.

The reserve soldiers quickly replaced their comrades who had been fighting on the front lines, pressing hard against the rebels on the outer wall who were already showing signs of fatigue. Hastily, they managed to suppress the rebel soldiers on the outer wall.

But the reserve force did not linger; after all, their side still faced numerical inferiority. Once they covered the withdrawal of their comrades, they quickly retreated back to the inner wall and tightly closed the gate behind them.

"Lord Samal! We've taken the outer wall!"

"Good!"

Samal was overjoyed. He hadn't expected to take Thorn Fortress's outer wall so quickly.

"Immediately send the second wave of troops to press forward!"

"Yes!"

The rebel troops who had captured the outer wall, enduring the crossbow attacks from the inner wall's defenders, opened the gates and rushed in with ladders and battering rams, launching an immediate attack on the inner wall!

Leading the charge were those soldiers wearing enchanted leather armor, gripping their swords in their mouths as they struggled up the ladders towards the inner wall. After the previous fierce fighting, the initial 500 soldiers now numbered around 300 and maintained their combat effectiveness.

Another group of soldiers gathered at the city gate, vigorously banging on it with battering rams.

But strangely, the defenders only obstructed them while they climbed the ladders. Without the cover of siege engines, many rebels were lost to attacks like stones and fire oil, but once they jumped onto the wall, the defending soldiers who had just fiercely resisted them suddenly dispersed to both sides, leaving a large area near the siege ladder empty.

"What are they up to?"

With such doubts, the rebel soldiers who had climbed the wall were stunned, but they still raised their weapons vigilantly, focusing their attention, covering their comrades who followed them up the wall.

In this way, more and more rebel soldiers climbed onto the inner wall.

"Attack!"

When they gathered a sufficient number, they couldn't care less about their doubts. They shouted in unison as they charged towards the defending soldiers.

Suddenly, someone among the defenders shouted, "Aim!"

Then, many soldiers carrying strange weapons emerged from behind, aiming the front ends of their weapons directly at them. That... seemed to be a nozzle.

"Fire!"

Suddenly, those strange "nozzles" spewed out long tongues of flames straight towards the rebel soldiers.

In an instant, hellfire descended!

By the time the tongues of flames reached where the rebel soldiers were gathering, they had turned into a massive pillar of fire, engulfing many soldiers. Immediately, they burst into flames, their clothes ignited by the splashing liquid.

"Ah~!"

The panicked and agonized cries immediately rang out among the rebel soldiers.

If someone were to observe closely, they would realize that the strange weapons wielded by the defending soldiers were actually spraying burning liquid. This liquid splashed onto the rebel soldiers, fueling the flames, ultimately igniting their clothing.

The soldiers on fire frantically beat at the flames, their comrades around them also joining in to extinguish the fires. Some soldiers with more intense flames fell to the ground and rolled around, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't extinguish the flames on their bodies, only watching in agony as the flames consumed their bodies.

Even the watching defenders were stunned, including the "firemen" who had created this spectacle themselves. The power of the weapons in their hands had far exceeded their expectations.

Those who stayed by the side of the "flamethrowers" subconsciously distanced themselves from them.

"What are you standing around for! Keep spraying!"

The officers were the first to snap out of their shock, loudly urging their subordinates to launch a second wave of attacks.

"Yes!"

The flamethrowers reacted and continued to unleash the "pipes" in their hands, fierce torrents of fire dragons once again pouncing ferociously onto the rebel soldiers.

Suddenly, the door to the inner wall also swung open, and just as the rebel soldiers gathered at the door were about to rush in, they were greeted by fire dragons...

A tragic scene unfolded once again.

...

"What's happening?"

On a makeshift wooden tower, Samal and Scott stared dumbfoundedly at the scene unfolding on the inner wall.

In their eyes, they only saw a flash of fire on the wall, and then their own soldiers began to catch fire one after another. Those soldiers engulfed in flames struggled weakly until they fell motionless.

The soldiers fortunate enough not to be burned immediately retreated from the wall, desperately climbing down the ladder. However, as the entire climbing ladder became a human chain, the defenders on the wall immediately seized the opportunity to spew out flames straight down, igniting the ladder from end to end...

Samal came down angrily from the wooden tower and ordered a knight, "Go and see what's happening!"

Before the knight could depart, a large group of their own routed soldiers surged out of the fortress.

Following them were the fortress cavalry, mercilessly slashing at the enemy's flank, while their own soldiers fled in disarray, utterly unable to organize effective resistance and simply running towards their own side.

Samal immediately ordered, "Form up!"

With many soldiers still by his side, they quickly formed a tight square formation, spears pointed diagonally towards the fortress, aimed at the enemy cavalry and... their own routed soldiers.

A knight with a loud voice shouted at the routed soldiers running back towards them, "Anyone daring to charge the formation will be killed without mercy!"

The routed soldiers knew this was no joke and scattered to both sides.

The rebel cavalry also began urging their horses into a trot, covering their own flanks.

The charging fortress cavalry, seeing the remaining enemy forces on high alert, withdrew from pursuing after a distance.

Samal breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately ordered the routed soldiers to regroup and brought in a fleeing officer to question in detail.

The officer's arms bore shocking burn marks, still shaken as he said, "I don't know what they used, but they sprayed us with flames that couldn't be extinguished. Many... many brothers were burned to death."

"Flames that couldn't be extinguished?"

"Yes, sir! Impossible to extinguish!"

The officer's face showed a mix of horror and disbelief.

"There's a small pond between the outer wall and inner wall. Some of our brothers jumped in to put out the fire! But... but..."

Samal sternly asked, "But what?"

"But... but the flames on their bodies only grew stronger!"

"How... how is that possible?"

Even Scott standing next to Samal doubted he had heard correctly. Water extinguishes fire; this was common knowledge even among three-year-olds.

Flames that burned more intensely when in contact with water, a feat even mages were proud of was unable to accomplish. How did ordinary people achieve it?

At this moment, Samal unexpectedly remained exceptionally calm. He ordered the officer to reorganize his troops and then commanded with a stern face, "Withdraw!"

"Withdraw? No, sir!"

Scott didn't want to retreat in vain like this; he had high hopes for this attack.

"These are just some inflammables. What kind of fire can't be extinguished even by water? It must be an excuse found by those deserters out of fear of death."

"Silence! My soldiers fought bravely ahead, and you dare to slander them like this?"

Samal suddenly shouted at him, his face and neck turning red, clearly infuriated.

Scott was so frightened by this outburst that he stammered, unsure of what to say.

"Sorry! Mr. Wizard, I spoke impulsively just now."

Samal calmed down.

"I know that officer; he's not someone who is timid or afraid of death; otherwise, he wouldn't have been selected to command the assault team. And... do you know 'Hellfire'?"

Scott heard this term for the first time, showing confusion on his face, "Hellfire?"

Samal nodded, "Hellfire, a terrifying flammable liquid. In ancient times, probably during the era of the ancient Bela Empire, Hellfire once ran rampant."

"It is said to be made from a black, viscous oil mixed with certain proportions of sulfur, asphalt, resin, and other flammable substances. Not only is it highly flammable, but it can also float on the surface of water and burn; no matter how you try to extinguish it, it won't go out. However, the exact nature of that black oil and its specific recipe were lost due to extremely strict secrecy."

Scott widened his eyes, "There's such a magical substance?"

"This is a disaster that cannot be saved except by the Lord. The only way, whenever the enemy attacks us with Hellfire, is to kneel down and pray for divine salvation to escape—legend has it that it is described like this."

Samal sighed, "Ah! I didn't expect this long-lost weapon to reappear in the world, and I just happened to encounter it."

Scott asked unwillingly, "Is there really no way to counter Hellfire?"

Samal shook his head, "Perhaps there is, but I do not know it. For now, we can only retreat and continue to monitor the fortress. I cannot risk my lord's entrusted troops with a second risk; if there is any mishap, it will cause great trouble to the Grand Duke's plan to unify the South."

Scott turned his head to glance at the Thorn Fortress, filled with endless regret, saying:

"Well! I'll follow your arrangements!"

(End of the Chapter)