Chapter 26

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

I shouted while supporting the wounded soldier on my shoulder.

"Those who can fight, go to the gun ports by the castle gate! Those who can't, retreat to the defense tower with me!"

Truly, I am a genius. Under the pretense of aiding the wounded, I have cleverly arranged my escape.

I don't have command over the soldiers, and there's no need to advise Captain Dambur from this point on. Everything is going according to plan.

"Don't stick your head out of the parapet! You'll get shot, and they'll figure out our movements! Hey, wait, don't go down to the courtyard! Have you forgotten that we blocked the first-floor entrance?"

While giving various instructions, I led a few wounded soldiers and ran through the castle walls, rushing into the second floor of the defense tower.

Inside the defense tower, my comrades from the 6th Special Operations Brigade welcomed me with relieved faces.

"The staff officer has returned!"

"It's a relief to see you safe!"

"Bring bandages for the bleeding!"

"What, the staff officer is injured!?"

"No, not me, this person!"

Despite the commotion, at least we managed to recover the living.

Clearly, some soldiers are beyond saving, but we can't abandon them. If I were seen abandoning my men, they would no longer fight with their lives on the line.

I left the wounded to my subordinates and quietly peeked at the castle walls. Intense gunfire could be heard. They must be attacking the soldiers at the base of the walls.

Medieval castle walls have narrow slits for attacking downward, used to drop stones, boiling oil, or thrust spears.

However, the number of defenders is too small, so even if we fire continuously, the enemy's numbers don't decrease much. The enemy focuses their attacks on the slits, causing us casualties.

Just as I was worrying about Captain Dambur, Colonel Altsar arrived.

"Good work. You made it back safely."

"I've decided to die by your side if I must."

Half of that is a joke, but the other half is serious. If I must die in battle, I'd rather do so next to an understanding superior.

The colonel smiled faintly and then covered his face with his cap.

"Stop it, you're embarrassing me."

"Am I embarrassing you?"

You're a straightforward person, aren't you...

The colonel patted his cheeks and then turned to me.

"We are firing from the defense tower for suppression, but we're not causing significant damage. However, if we don't fire, they move more boldly."

"Suppression is enough. We need to conserve ammunition."

The colonel nodded and then looked a bit uneasy.

"Abandoning everything except the defense tower is a bold strategy."

Indeed. I proposed a siege defense in the defense tower to Colonel Altsar and Captain Dambur.

"The rest of the fortifications are just add-ons. The structure is flawed, and with a small force, we can't defend the entire fortress. Concentrating our limited troops is the only way to hold out for a long time."

I only know Japanese castles, but most of them are designed to hold out in the innermost keep even if the rest is occupied. The fall of the gate doesn't mean the end.

Fortunately, the defense tower of Zepher Fortress, though old, is sturdy. It's better to gather everyone in the defense tower rather than waste lives trying to defend the gate.

I proposed this, and while Captain Dambur was hesitant, he agreed after Colonel Altsar's persuasion.

"This fortress is only really useful for the defense tower. We can abandon the rest."

"I didn't expect you to say that in front of the defense commander."

"If I kept quiet, I wouldn't be doing my job as a staff officer..."

I understand his attachment to the fortress, but we're not that close to die together in this hellhole.

I admit my plan is extremely unpleasant for him. If I were in his position, I would have been equally reluctant.

But it's just work, so there's no choice.

"The gate won't hold for long. It's time to prepare the 'welcome'."

"Right. We must treat them to some lead balls, or the reputation of the Schweider soldiers will be ruined."

Why are you so eager with that grin? You're scary.

Eventually, the infantry who had been firing from the gate retreated to the defense tower. Captain Dambur and the non-commissioned officers are all safe, but we've lost a few more men.

"Captain, it's a relief to see you safe."

"Yes, but we lost two men."

The arrow slits for bows and crossbows have large openings, making us vulnerable to gunfire.

The result is that the defenders took casualties, but with a retreat-based strategy, using soldiers familiar with the fortress structure is necessary.

Still, we need to fight.

Captain Dambur ordered the infantry to rest. The next phase of the firefight is the responsibility of the 6th Special Operations Brigade.

From the gate, the sound of destruction has been continuous. With our counterattacks weakening, the enemy is accelerating their assault.

It's hard to even want to defend a gate without a moat or a drawbridge. Let them do as they please.

I wait for "that moment" next to Colonel Altsar and Captain Dambur.

Soon, the gate burst open, and the blue-uniformed Bruges soldiers flooded into the courtyard.

But they quickly lost momentum and stopped.

The tents we set up in the courtyard were re-erected to surround the entrance. The thick, seamless fabric blocked their view and movement.

But the subsequent waves didn't realize this, causing a massive traffic jam at the entrance.

"Now."

The moment I whispered, Captain Dambur shouted.

"I know. Fire the cannons! Fire!"

The cannons in the defense tower fired in unison.

The cannonballs easily penetrated the tent fabric. The blue coats of the Bruges soldiers turned red and scattered in purple fragments. Dozens died instantly, but the worst was yet to come.

The next moment, the tents exploded.

The gate also detonated and collapsed. The sound was deafening.

"Oh... what a waste."

Captain Dambur looked displeased, but I whistled nonchalantly.

The letter from Duke Retraeu contained a significant secret.

Captain Dambur had kept it from us, but Zepher Fortress was an ammunition depot. It stored part of the ammunition for Godo Fortress.

In retrospect, the location was perfect, and it was understandable that Captain Dambur kept it a secret. Such information isn't shared lightly, even among allies.

However, the amount of ammunition was too much to gather in the defense tower, so I used the excess to blow up the gate. Seeing that explosion, I think it was the right decision.

For Captain Dambur, this means losing both the gate he was supposed to defend and the large amount of ammunition he was responsible for. It's a harsh situation.

But I'm the one who proposed this harsh plan...

The Bruges army likely never expected the defenders to blow up their own gate. The siege has only been going on for two hours.

If I were an enemy officer, I would think the commander here is insane.

But this is for the best. I encourage Captain Dambur.

"Captain, now the enemy can't bring in their cannons through the gate. With the gate gone, we have a clear line of fire."

"To call a gate with over a hundred years of tradition 'in the way'..."

The captain sighed, but such a difficult gate to defend should be demolished and renovated with the Mildor family's money. This isn't a historical museum.

I apologize out of courtesy.

"I apologize. But at least the ammunition won't fall into enemy hands. That's the most important task for you, isn't it?"

"Well, yes... but, should I thank you or complain?"

"Either is fine. Let's observe the enemy's next move. They won't attack until the fire is out."

I also left barrels of oil, so the area around the gate is on fire. The enemy will put it out.

We're fine if the gate burns, but they can't attack until the fire is extinguished.

Infantry are weak against fire. They carry ammunition in paper cartridges, which are easily ignited by the oil paper used for waterproofing, even though they won't explode.

Let's take a break. A siege is the ultimate in discomfort, so we need to relax.

"Fire tactics are truly effective..."

The flames become a new force to repel the enemy.

As I hummed and watched the burning flames, the colonel sighed.

"Now I understand why you're called the 'Reaper'."

"I don't understand why."