Siege of the Fortress 2

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Scott turned to several other mages and said, "It's time. Let's enchant the soldiers."

His companions nodded and followed him to a formation of infantry.

The soldiers in this formation were clearly elite, mostly tall and robust men who looked like each could take on ten others. There were also a few who, though not tall, were sturdy and agile.

These were specially selected assault soldiers by Samal.

They were all dressed in meticulously crafted, high-quality leather armor, even covering the exposed parts of their limbs.

This group of men would serve as the fist of the rebels, breaking through the defenses of Thorn Fortress to pave the way for the following troops.

After the four mages arrived, a military officer dressed in the formation stepped forward and bowed to them.

"My lords of the clergy, we are ready."

Scott nodded to him. "Yes, we will now pray for you."

As a mage, Scott had to conceal his identity from these low-ranking soldiers who were followers of the rival church. He felt a wave of disgust, but he knew he had to endure for now.

Scott and his three companions stood on each side of the formation, extending their arms with palms facing the soldiers, and began chanting softly.

Accompanied by their incantations, a faint glow started to emanate from the soldiers, specifically from their equipment.

The soldiers saw this for the first time and widened their eyes to inspect their own or their nearby comrades' equipment. Some tried to exchange a few words with their neighbors but were immediately stopped by the officer.

Was this the effect of praying to the gods? Was this the blessing of the Lord of Light? Even though they had been informed beforehand, everyone still found it incredible.

Days ago, they had been selected from their respective units, informed that they would lead the charge on Thorn Fortress's walls as the vanguard. Whether they survived or not, they or their families would receive substantial rewards, enough to live without worries.

Some were ecstatic, anticipating a good life if they survived, while others were dismayed. Leading a charge in a siege was a dangerous task, especially against Thorn Fortress, renowned as the South's foremost stronghold. What good was all that reward if they lost their lives?

Then, priests accompanying the army suddenly appeared before them, proclaiming that four clerics had come from the Holy See. They brought a prophecy: the soldiers leading the charge in this battle were chosen champions blessed by the Lord of Light, tasked with overthrowing the fallen royal house. These four clerics would also pray for them before the imminent battle, a prayer unlike any other, imbuing their armor with the invulnerability of steel.

Upon hearing that they were chosen ones blessed by the Lord of Light, everyone became excited. It was the priests themselves who spoke, and even those who had been disheartened were now rejuvenated.

Under the protection of the Heavenly Father, they would be invulnerable, easily surviving to enjoy the lavish rewards. The morale of these five hundred soldiers soared.

About twenty minutes later, the four "clerics" ceased their chanting. They crossed their arms over their chests, seemingly adjusting their breathing. Each one looked as if they had just completed an intense workout, sweat streaming down their faces.

The soldiers' glow faded, and their equipment returned to its usual appearance. Seeing the "clerics" with closed eyes, adjusting their breathing, everyone held their breath, afraid to disturb them.

After nearly two minutes, Scott opened his eyes and said to the officer who had spoken earlier, "It's done. Now you have received the blessing of the Lord of Light. When the order to attack is given, bravely fight the enemy and do not disappoint the expectations of the Heavenly Father."

As he spoke, he was still panting heavily.

The officer was deeply moved. "Yes, my lord cleric, we will obey the prophecy!"

Earlier, he had quietly taken out a dagger and tested it against his leather armor. To his amazement, was this still leather armor? The sensation transmitted from the dagger was akin to touching a steel plate, but touching it directly with his hand felt no different from before.

Oh my goodness! Could it be that I am truly a chosen one of heaven? No wonder each of us had to be selected from different units.

Scott added a final instruction, "Don't forget to take the holy medicine given to you. It will make you incredibly strong, and the enemies before you will be as powerless as babies."

The officer immediately responded, "Yes, my lord, we are immensely grateful to you. Praise the Heavenly Father, all glory to the Almighty."

Upon hearing these words, Scott felt uneasy. He nodded slightly and led his three companions to the commander of the army, Samal.

"My lord, everything is ready," he said.

Samal, mounted on his horse, nodded. He glanced at his subordinates around him and then slowly drew his sword, pointing it forward.

"Attack!"

With the command given, the hornblower beside Samal blew the horn with full cheeks. The sound of the horn quickly spread in all directions, echoing with the fluttering battle flags in the wind.

Upon hearing the horn, the five hundred men who had been enchanted each took out a small pill. The pills were very small, about the size of pomegranate seeds. They all swallowed the pills.

Soon, each of them felt a rush of heat throughout their bodies, and strength surged endlessly. Despite wearing leather armor, they felt as light as if they were bare-chested.

Before they could marvel at the miraculous effect of the holy medicine, the five hundred men divided into two groups, each pushing a siege tower towards the fortress, followed not far behind by a large number of infantry.

The other four siege towers also began to move, accompanied by many infantry, though noticeably fewer than the first two towers.

Leading the charge were a large number of archers, who jogged towards the fortress. When they reached a certain distance, under the command of the officers, they began to shoot arrows at the walls, suppressing the attacks from the fortress and covering the infantry's approach.

...

At the moment the rebel horns sounded, the defenders of the fortress were on high alert.

"Enemy arrows incoming! Take cover!"

The defenders crouched behind the battlements as the rebel arrows rained down from above. Many unlucky ones who didn't find cover were hit.

"Quick, get the wounded down. Counterattack! Counterattack!"

The archers immediately stood up and began shooting arrows toward the direction of the rebels.

The rebels also suffered casualties, and with nowhere to take cover, more of them were injured. However, they quickly launched a second wave of attacks.

The archers on both sides engaged in a fierce arrow-shooting battle.

As the rebel infantry approached, some of the defenders' archers began to attack the enemy near the walls. However, due to the cover provided by the siege towers, their effectiveness was limited.

Finally, the first siege tower leaned against the wall, and almost as soon as the climbing ladders reached the top of the wall, rebel soldiers immediately began to climb up.

"Ah!"

The first rebel soldier to jump onto the wall glared with bloodshot eyes, unbelievably blocking the three or four swords that slashed toward him with incredible strength.

He swung his sword hard, knocking back the four guards surrounding him.

However, a sharp knight's sword pierced through, catching the rebel soldier in the chest before he could steady himself.

Bowman widened his eyes, his face filled with incredulity.

His full-force strike was blocked by what seemed to be thin leather armor?

(End of the Chapter)