The
"Sorry, Brother Rorick—this is every fishing boat and net on every river and lake within a hundred li. There may be another batch arriving in a few days, but the numbers won't be large. Beyond that range, there are no more rivers or lakes that branch off from Egret Lake," the Second Prince said apologetically.
"No need to apologize, Your Highness. What you've managed is already an enormous kindness. We're deeply grateful for your care and help. We started fishing this afternoon already—why don't we head to the lakeside now and deliver these boats and nets along the way?" Lorist smiled and expressed his thanks.
It took less than half an hour to reach the lakeside. From a distance, they could already see the shore packed with people and hear a tremendous bustle.
On the open ground about ten meters from the shore, a thick layer of reed mats had been spread out, piled high with lake fish of all sizes. Over ten women in their forties were sorting the catch, picking out fish of similar size and tossing them into nearby baskets. Once a basket was full, someone would drag it over to another area, where the fish were gutted, scaled, cleaned thoroughly, and hung on neat rows of wooden racks. They were making dried fish.
The smell of fish was quite pungent. The Second Prince wrinkled his nose and let out a sneeze.
Only one reorganized Iron Lance Cavalry squadron was currently fishing on Egret Lake. All the soldiers selected were swimmers, standing shirtless on the thirty-plus completed small boats as they cast their nets.
These little boats were named "Rorick boats." Quite simply, Lorist had designed them—and to be honest, they were essentially pointed-roofed wooden plank boxes about three meters long. Reinforced with crossbeams in the middle, the hull was coated inside with a thick layer of blue clay to prevent leaks. Once the clay dried, a layer of decking was laid over the crossbeams inside, and a small fishing boat was complete. To prevent capsizing, Lorist also had a one-meter-wide wooden plank attached vertically to the bottom of each boat, making it harder to flip.
Several experienced shipbuilding masters in the Artisan Corps shook their heads and sighed. Though such boats could be built quickly, they wouldn't last—a month or two and they'd easily warp and fall apart. A proper small fishing boat would take at least a month or two to build, using carefully selected quality timber. You couldn't just nail some planks together haphazardly like this.
But Lorist insisted that the nearly two thousand skilled carpenters in the Artisan Corps produce over two hundred of these boats within ten days. Thus these little boats came to be called "Rorick boats"—though no one could quite tell whether the carpenters were mocking him or praising him.
Fatty Shi noticed the boats and nets the Second Prince had brought, curled his lip, and said: "These nets are too small. I've already got people working overtime on a bigger one. The wider you spread the cast net, the more fish you catch—that's what I've figured out."
"You could sew all these nets together," Lorist suggested. "That would cut down on the weaving time. Just make sure the joins are strong enough."
Fatty Shi slapped his hands together: "That's right—great idea!"
He turned and bustled off, ordering the small boats and nets hauled away.
Just then, the nets were being hauled in on the lake again. Judging by how heavily the soldiers were straining at the ropes, this catch was going to be quite impressive.
The Second Prince marveled: "I never expected Egret Lake to yield this much. I recall there's a kind of long-tailed white fish in this lake—pointed head, fine scales, few bones and lots of meat. The flavor is exquisite, and it was a famous delicacy in the imperial capital, but the catch was always small and the price steep. After the Empire's civil war broke out, fewer and fewer fishermen came to Egret Lake. Either they were conscripted and sent to the front lines, or they couldn't stand the lords' oppression and became vagrants.
When the Maderas Duchy was established and my father led troops to conquer, Egret Lake became the border between the two nations and fishermen were forbidden from coming. So all these small boats ended up on the smaller rivers and lakes. Now this lake has become the granary that feeds a hundred thousand refugees. What an unexpected turn of events! Ha ha..."
"Then let's take a few fish back and try them tonight," Lorist laughed.
"Sure. But not too many—I prefer sea fish. The ones in lakes and rivers have too many bones; they poke your tongue. Pick out the bigger ones, the ones with more meat and fewer bones," the Second Prince said.
"Right, I'll have someone look for the long-tailed white fish you mentioned." Lorist agreed.
Glancing back at the rows of small boats set out in the distance to let the blue clay dry, the Second Prince asked curiously: "How many boats have you built?"
Lorist replied: "A little over two hundred."
"Why so many?"
"Too many? Your Highness, Egret Lake stretches a hundred li. We can't just fish in one spot. Even two hundred small boats spread across it wouldn't cover but a few li. We need to fish in multiple locations simultaneously to maximize our catch in the shortest time," Lorist said.
The Second Prince considered this for a moment, then nodded: "You've thought it through more carefully than I have. I really don't know much about fishing."
...
That evening, Lorist dined with the Second Prince, and the main course was pan-fried long-tailed white fish.
This fish...
"We caught quite a few this time. I've had them placed in water buckets to keep alive. When Your Highness leaves, you can take them along—my cousin Krisha should have a taste as well. It's a pity she couldn't come today," Lorist said.
"Rorick, that's very thoughtful of you. Thank you. Krisha is busy training newly recruited soldiers, so she couldn't get away. By the way—aren't you also recruiting from the refugees?" the Second Prince asked.
Lorist nodded: "We recruited twenty thousand. After all, we're heading north. Even if Egret Lake freezes over and our caravan and refugees enter Maderas Duchy, we need enough armed guards to ensure the caravan's safety. These twenty thousand soldiers were recruited purely to maintain order during the northward journey. Once we reach Northland, they'll be disbanded into the civilian population. Northland is barren and can't support that many soldiers—without working, there's nothing to eat..."
The Second Prince let out a long sigh: "It's maddening. The Grand Duke of Maderas has deployed the Iron Guard Corps at Lichtenana Fortress. He's forcing our Andinak Kingdom to garrison troops at Nadegass to face off against him. Now that Verbastia Province has returned to direct royal control, we have to prevent it from being raided by the Iron Guard Corps. If I hadn't just received some good news, once your caravan heads north I'd be wracking my brain trying to fill the troop gap here."
"Oh? What good news?" Lorist asked.
"It's the Tempest Corps. They helped Grand Duke Meleiene sweep through the south of Iblia Kingdom—the Innord Southern Province, the three southern commanderies the Second Prince had claimed. Their army reached the gates of the capital Windbury, forcing the Second Prince to call upon his father-in-law, the Grand Duke of Fisablen, to deploy the Border Corps. The two sides fought several small-scale engagements with no clear winner. With winter approaching, Grand Duke Meleiene decided to pull his troops back to the duchy, so the Tempest Corps can finally return," the Second Prince said.
Lorist raised his silver cup: "A toast to Your Highness. After being taught a lesson by Grand Duke Meleiene, the Second Prince should stay quiet for a few years. With the fighting subdued, Your Highness can let the kingdom recover and rebuild its strength."
The Second Prince still had a furrowed brow, shaking his head: "I'd originally planned to deploy the Tempest Corps to Nadegass to guard against the Iron Guard Corps once they returned. But I've also received intelligence that the alliance of four duchies which recently counterattacked into the Redelis Kingdom is now preparing to make peace with the First Prince under outside mediation. They're about to sign a ceasefire agreement. Though the First Prince lost cities and territory, his troop losses were minimal and his strength remains—that's the main reason the four duchies are willing to negotiate.
What worries me is that once the First Prince and the four duchies stop fighting, they'll turn their gaze toward our kingdom. When the kingdom was in turmoil, the First Prince had no interest—invading the four duchies was just about looting. That's why the several-hundred-li border between our kingdom and the Redelis Kingdom has been poorly defended. It's also why, back when your caravan seized Benzburg Fortress, my eldest brother refused to take it over—partly because he had no troops, and partly because he saw no need.
Currently, the fortresses along the border are only manned by small garrison units. Once the First Prince and the four duchies agree to a ceasefire, I'll have to reinforce the border defenses. The Tempest Corps, when they return, will have to be stationed there to guard against the First Prince. That leaves Nadegass with a troop shortage—which means more recruitment, which means more food and supplies. It's truly a headache."
Lorist laughed: "If Your Highness needs food supplies, then after our caravan heads north, we can leave these fishing boats and nets behind. You can use them to catch fish for military rations."
The Second Prince raised his cup to Lorist in gratitude.
"But in the long run, Your Highness, if you could capture Lichtenana Fortress, it would mean seizing the initiative against Maderas Duchy. With some modifications, this fortress could become a dagger at the throat of the Grand Duke of Maderas—one that would keep him tossing and turning at night. You might even bring the Yunegesandra Province into the fold, adding another province to the kingdom." Lorist looked at the Second Prince as he spoke.
The Second Prince smiled bitterly, shaking his head with a sigh: "You're right, but I lack the means. Never mind that Lichtenana Fortress sits on commanding terrain that's easy to defend and hard to attack—the Iron Guard Corps defending it alone is enough to give anyone a nightmare. Without at least ten times the defending force and a prolonged siege, I believe taking this fortress would be extremely difficult."
"In that case, Your Highness—if you lent me twenty thousand troops, I might be able to capture Lichtenana Fortress and present it to you." Lorist paused for a moment, then offered his suggestion.
"What did you say? You have a way to take Lichtenana Fortress?" The Second Prince's eyes went wide in an instant, and the silver cup slipped from his fingers onto the table unnoticed.
Lorist nodded: "I've identified the fortress's weakness and have a plan that could very well succeed. I simply don't have enough troops on hand. If Your Highness could lend me twenty thousand, I'd have a strong chance of taking it."
"I'll lend you thirty thousand! As long as you can capture this fortress, it wouldn't matter if all thirty thousand were lost!" The Second Prince could no longer sit still, pacing back and forth in excitement.
Lorist laughed: "It won't come to that kind of casualty. I estimate five or six thousand would be the worst case."
"Impossible. The defenders are the Iron Guard Corps—reputed to have the finest defensive capability in the world. How could you take Lichtenana with only five or six thousand casualties?" The Second Prince stared at Lorist with open skepticism.
"Your Highness, I won't be attacking the fortress. On the contrary, I intend to provoke the Iron Guard Corps into attacking us, while we hold the defense," Lorist said.
"Hehe..." Lorist chuckled. "Reidi, bring over that map of Lichtenana Fortress's defensive layout."
Reidi promptly spread the defensive blueprint of Lichtenana Fortress—the one Lorist had purchased at the bookstore in Fannades—across the table.
"Your Highness, take a look. This shows the interior of the fortress."
The Second Prince was astonished that Lorist had managed to obtain the fortress's internal defensive blueprints. After a moment's thought, Lorist decided there was no need to tell him that such maps could be bought at the Fannades bookstore for a single imperial silver coin. Let him wonder.
After studying the map for a long while, the Second Prince still couldn't see a way to take Lichtenana, thinking that his earlier estimate of ten times the force had actually been far too generous in underestimating the Iron Guard Corps' defensive capabilities.
Lorist pointed to a small pond inside the fortress on the map: "Your Highness, does this reservoir suggest anything to you?"
The Second Prince shook his head: "This reservoir may be small, but it's sufficient to guarantee the garrison's water supply. It could even be used to defend against fire attacks. As for the fortress's weakness you mentioned—I don't think it's this."
"Your Highness, look here. The fortress was built on a hillside. The water in this reservoir is fed by a hidden pipe running from a waterfall pool on the peak over there. That's why the reservoir has an endless water supply—and the overflow feeds into the moat in front of the fortress, then flows downhill to form a stream. Everyone has overlooked where this water comes from. If someone could get to the waterfall and drain the pool, or find that hidden pipe and block it, then I guarantee—within ten days, the fortress will run dry. When that happens, will the Iron Guard Corps still be able to hold?"
Lorist's words delighted the Second Prince, but after examining the map more carefully, he shook his head again: "We can't reach the waterfall from our side. We'd have to cross over the mountain from the other side of the fortress. But right now, the fortress and Bread Hill form a crossfire that blocks the frontal approach. Breaking through that defense line would still cost us heavy casualties."
Lorist smiled: "That's not something Your Highness needs to worry about. The caravan's forces will eliminate the enemies on Bread Hill. Once Bread Hill falls into our hands, we can dig trenches and build earthen walls beyond the range of Lichtenana's crossbow towers, besieging the Iron Guard Corps inside. Once we've cut off the fortress's water supply, it'll be the Iron Guard Corps' turn to come at us like cornered dogs. That's what I mean by 'we defend, they attack.' I'm honestly curious to know where the Iron Guard Corps ranks among the world's best in siege warfare..."
"Excellent, Rorick! Your plan is brilliant and thorough. What do you need me to do?" the Second Prince exclaimed.
"Simple. Your Highness just needs to deploy your forces for a frontal confrontation—keep the Iron Guard Corps focused on your troops. Once we take Bread Hill, your forces only need to surround the fortress with walls and trenches. From then on, dealing with the Iron Guard Corps' sortie attacks from inside the fortress would be your responsibility. Will that work?" Lorist asked.
"Of course it will. I'd actually like to test the Iron Guard Corps' attack capabilities." The Second Prince slammed his fist onto the map. "Ten days, Rorick. Give me just ten days, and I'll bring the Royal Guard Corps here. If the Iron Guard Corps earned their glory at the Royal Guard Corps' expense, then let that glory wither at the Royal Guard Corps' hands..."
...(To be continued.)