Chapter 25

Captain Dambur's orders and the selected artillerymen's firing were precise.

The first shell landed just in front of the enemy's band, blowing several line infantrymen away. It was a gruesome death, as always.

"Correct the error, three to the right! One up!"

"Three to the right! One up!"

The cannon slightly changed its direction, and the next powder and shell were quickly loaded.

"Fire!"

The next shell landed behind the band. It didn't hit, but I was impressed.

"Excellent, Captain."

"Flattery is fine, but we haven't hit yet."

We didn't hit, but we had bracketed the target with two shots. The band was now within the cannon's sights, and no further adjustments were needed.

"Fire!"

The enemy band seemed to realize they were being targeted. If the band was destroyed, the entire army would lose coordination and command. The band was the target.

However, the band couldn't stop playing or retreat. If the music stopped, their purpose would be lost.

In other words, they would continue to be exposed to the cannon fire.

"Fire!"

The fourth shot hit the band. Drummers and trumpeters were blown apart. Though unarmed, they were more dangerous than the line infantry. Still, it was pitiful.

Even with a direct hit, the band's formation was disrupted, and the music stopped. This would disrupt the line infantry's pace.

...Or so I thought, but the march music was still audible.

However, the sound was quieter than before.

"Captain, look at that."

I handed the telescope to Captain Dambur.

"Hmm..."

It was no wonder the captain grunted.

"There's another band in the rear."

"Probably the main one. There's an officer, and they're out of range of our field guns."

"They must have underestimated us. But it seems they were one step ahead."

Yesterday's firepower reconnaissance revealed the enemy's knowledge of our cannon's power, accuracy, and range, as well as the skill of our officers and artillerymen.

Based on this, they prepared a target for us to aim at.

So, the band we just hit might have been a punishment unit or something similar.

The enemy's formation was still intact, and the infantry was already approaching the city walls.

Captain Dambur looked grim as he assessed the distance to the enemy's front line.

"The angle is too steep."

Medieval city walls were built high, and firing from the top meant the trajectory would be downward.

Modern city walls had gun emplacements at lower levels, allowing for a flatter trajectory to hit the enemy's ranks sideways.

City walls, despite the name, had different requirements depending on the era.

Captain Dambur quickly adjusted his thinking and ordered the artillerymen.

"Continue firing at the enemy's rear ranks. Disrupt the communication between the front line and the command post."

With only one cannon, we couldn't apply much pressure, but there was no other choice.

The musket duel was about to begin. Captain Dambur and I descended from the top of the wall to check the gun ports below.

The defending infantrymen were visibly nervous, guarding the gun ports.

"The enemy is more numerous than we thought..."

"With fewer than ten gun ports, how are we supposed to fight them?"

The person who designed the oval-shaped walls was to blame. The current trend was for star-shaped walls with prominent gun emplacements, which were completely outdated.

Captain Dambur patted the infantrymen on the shoulder to encourage them.

"Don't worry, men. We don't need to wipe them out. Just keep them from entering the city. And besides..."

While listening to the captain, I noticed something odd about the enemy's line infantry. Some of them were carrying unusually bulky muskets, clearly different from the standard muskets with bayonets.

Suddenly, I felt the 'Scythe of Death' brush against my neck.

I knew this without needing a warning from Death.

I quickly moved away from the gun port and shouted to Captain Dambur.

"Captain, there are gunners among the infantry!"

"What!?"

As Captain Dambur rushed to the gun port, the enemy gunners readied their weapons. They were still nearly a hundred meters away.

"Take cover!"

As the captain shouted, a series of terrifying explosions echoed.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

The edge of the gun port cracked, and sunlight poured in. Dust and debris swirled in the air.

"What happened!?"

Someone shouted, and I, still on the ground, shouted back.

"Stay down! It's a 'Swivel Gun'!"

The 'Swivel Gun' was a massive musket, ineffective in close combat but with a monstrous range and power. It was a portable cannon for destroying objects.

Due to its massive recoil and weight, it wasn't easy to handle. The gunners had to roll to absorb the recoil.

"The enemy mixed gunners with swivel guns into the line infantry!"

The enemy's cannons were advancing with the line infantry.

No wonder we couldn't find the cannons.

"Report the damage!"

Captain Dambur shouted, and a non-commissioned officer responded.

"Three casualties!"

Three men were out of action, possibly dead. With only thirty men, this was a significant loss.

Fortunately, the cannon on the upper floor was unharmed. It immediately switched to canister shot and began firing at the enemy's ranks to prevent the gunners from firing.

However, one cannon wasn't enough.

"Infantry, engage the enemy! Don't let the gunners get any closer!"

Unlike the enemy, we were out of effective range, but if we did nothing, the gun ports would be destroyed by the swivel guns. Our cannon was also at risk.

There was a problem.

"Damn, it's hard to shoot!"

"Ah!"

Another man was hit. The gun port had cracked, making it harder to protect ourselves and aim.

The enemy gunners were firing swivel guns from about eighty meters away.

The line infantry continued to advance and, at fifty meters, began concentrated fire at the gun ports.

"Ah!"

"Whoa, this is bad!"

Our infantrymen quickly ducked. Bullets whizzed through the enlarged gun ports, and I was in danger too.

"Captain, we can't return fire with the enemy's intense attack!"

The bearded non-commissioned officer shouted, and Captain Dambur shouted back.

"Aim isn't necessary! Just stick your guns out and fire from cover!"

This was bad. The density of their fire was completely different.

With only ten gun ports, even a volley could only hit ten men at most. In reality, hitting one would be a major success. Without proper aim, that was the best we could do.

The enemy... there must be hundreds of them. Our casualties would increase as we tried to resist. If this turned into a war of attrition, the outcome was clear.

I crouched and approached Captain Dambur to discuss quietly.

"Captain, if we continue like this, our allies will be worn down."

"But we can't just stand by and do nothing."

Captain Dambur crouched and whispered back, but I shook my head.

"The enemy's movements are not for climbing the walls. They are only focused on firing. However, they can't destroy the walls with muskets or swivel guns."

"Indeed, you're right. This is an attack to apply pressure."

"Yes."

The eastern wall had few cannons and gun ports, so an attack here would cause minimal damage to the Bruges army.

However, entering from the east was troublesome. There were no openings large enough for people to enter, so they would have to climb the walls.

But this was a medieval castle, and the walls were unnecessarily high, with defensive features to prevent climbing.

Without cannons to breach the walls, it would be easier to enter from a different location.

Where, then?

Probably the main gate.

Attacking the main gate from the south would expose the enemy to fierce attacks from the western defense tower.

Even a night attack would be detected by sound. Any attempt to target the gate would be obvious, and we could destroy them with cannon fire.

However, if they infiltrated along the eastern wall, the defense tower's attacks would be blocked by the wall. Our musketeers' fire density was limited, so they could reach the gate with enough numbers.

Normally, a moat would prevent this, but Zeffel Fort had no moat, not even a dry one.

The enemy's artillery consisted only of swivel guns, but the gunners could move quickly with the infantry. They were likely using the swivel guns' mobility to get close to the gate.

At close range, the swivel guns' firepower could destroy the gate.

I see, well thought out. They are doing their best with the forces and conditions they have. They have a good officer.

I advised Captain Dambur.

"Captain, the enemy intends to silence the eastern gun ports and attack the gate along the wall. It's easier than climbing the wall here, and the defense tower can't fire due to the wall."

"Oh, what a situation."

The captain sighed and then smiled at me.

"Everything is as you predicted. I'm glad I followed your advice."

"Yes, with this, we can still fight."

Yesterday's battle inflicted significant damage, so the enemy was likely wary of the western defense tower. Naturally, they would attack from a different angle. The effectiveness of clinging to the eastern wall was evident in our tabletop exercises.

The situation is still under our control. We haven't given up the initiative.

But this is the critical moment...