"Fire!" newly promoted Golden Knight Ovikis commanded with great enthusiasm. Ten thunderbolt catapults let out deafening "boom boom" sounds as ten round stone balls the size of washbasins soared into the sky, growing smaller and smaller until they vanished from sight. Two or three seconds later, a cloud of dust exploded along a lonely stretch of the distant city wall, engulfing it entirely. When the dust settled, the once-pristine wall had been reduced to utter ruin, with a gaping hole torn clean through it.
Count Kenmais, Baron Fillim, and Baron Shaxin all widened their eyes in shock, staring at the damaged wall on the distant hillside. Just moments ago, the three of them had been insisting that to breach such a wall, they would need to resort to human wave tactics—throwing bodies at it regardless of casualties, rushing to the base to erect siege ladders, bleeding the defenders dry while suffering terrible and costly losses before they could hope to take it.
Never did they expect that
"Next target—the tower on the right side of the wall. Prepare fire meteors!" Ovikis ordered again.
Fire meteors were round stone balls wrapped in hemp ropes soaked in fire oil. They were first placed into concave iron launching plates, and then a soldier would come with a torch to ignite each one. Before long, all ten stone balls were blazing with fierce flames.
"Fire!" The burning stone balls soared into the sky, aimed at a square tower on the distant hillside.
Perhaps because the target was smaller this time, seven of the ten burning stone balls landed near the tower. The accumulated fallen leaves and dry branches on the ground quickly began belching thick plumes of smoke as flames erupted. The three stone balls that struck the tower left three large holes in its walls, and before long, fire and black smoke appeared inside as well...
"This is incredible..." Baron Fillim exclaimed in admiration. "With weapons like these in our hands, what castle or fortress in the world could we possibly fail to breach?"
Count Kenmais excitedly grabbed Lorist's arm. "So this is the confidence you were talking about! Hahaha, Grand Duke Madras would never have imagined that even if he hid inside a turtle shell, we could smash him right out of it. We'll steamroll our way through—nothing can stop our attack! Unless he dares face us in open battle, but in that case, he'd only lose even faster."
"Locke, give me a few of these thunderbolt catapults! I want to smash every arrow tower and wall along the river to smithereens!" Baron Shaxin clenched both fists tightly. It was clear he harbored deep resentment toward the defensive installations the Duchy of Madras had set up along the lower reaches of the Mithobro River, and he had never forgotten his two fishing boats destroyed by the arrow towers that now lay sunken in the river.
"Don't be hasty. After we conquer the Duchy of Madras, I can sell you these thunderbolt catapults—as many as you want. However, Henned, I can have Ovikis's thunderbolt catapult battalion assist you in smashing those riverside defenses first. This will force the Duchy of Madras to mass their heavy troops along the river to guard against a surprise attack from that direction. After you return, gather your manpower and build a large number of flat-bottomed boats along the riverbank. First, the thunderbolt catapults can be used from flat-bottomed boats. Second, the flat-bottomed boats can later be converted into pontoon bridges. We'll also send shipwrights and plenty of carpenters to support you." Lorist said with a smile.
"Alright, I'll prepare the materials for the flat-bottomed boats and round up the manpower as soon as I get back. But Locke, are you sure that building boats so openly along the river won't alert Grand Duke Madras?"
"Don't worry—the bigger the commotion, the better. If the Duchy of Madras masses their heavy troops to defend against you, that's exactly what we want. Their defenses everywhere else will weaken, which is perfect for launching a surprise attack elsewhere."
Baron Shaxin Henned rubbed his fists together eagerly. "Hehe, I was only saying. With Ovikis's thunderbolt catapult battalion backing me up, I'm confident we can smash our way all the way to the seven castle fortresses in the Hindson mountain range and flatten them all—that would finally vent some of this frustration."
Lorist shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend doing that, Henned. Don't forget that the Hindson mountain range area has been designated as the territory exchange for your family. Smashing it all to rubble would only be counterproductive. In fact, I have a plan to force the garrison there to surrender, so the seven castle fortresses are delivered to you intact. That way, you won't need to worry about how to reorganize your family's armed forces—it saves both time and expense. That's truly the best outcome."
"You mean after we break through that section of the Mithobro River, we drive straight for Vannades City, take Westis Castle, and push directly into Westegle Province—all the way to the city walls. Speed over slowness, decisive victory in a single blow. As long as we capture Grand Duke Madras, whether dead or alive, the garrisons and nobles in all those places we haven't yet visited will obediently surrender, right?" Baron Fillim asked from the side.
Lorist nodded slightly. "The basic idea is indeed like that, but we won't rule out adjusting if a better opportunity arises. The only concern with crossing from the river is that we might encounter the heavy forces Grand Duke Madras has massed, which could drag the war out. Though we have war-winning weapons like the thunderbolt catapults, we still need to be cautious about unexpected developments.
Moreover, once spring arrives, they won't have much fighting strength left—and that's when our opportunity will come."
After Count Kenmais, Baron Fillim, and Baron Shaxin went back to prepare, Bodenfeng sought out Lorist.
"My lord, I heard you intend to sell the thunderbolt catapults to our three allies?"
"Yes. What about it?"
Bodenfeng snapped to attention. "My lord, I object. Although all three are allies of our
Lorist laughed. "A weapon that's about to be made obsolete—it's not as dire as you think."
"Made obsolete? Surely not. How could thunderbolt catapults possibly—"
"Have you forgotten the bronze cannons equipped by the Naval Legion?
"Oh, I see, my lord. Please forgive my presumption—I simply didn't know," Bodenfeng said.
Lorist waved his hand. "That's enough. I know you—you were only prodded by someone else to come ask me about this, weren't you? In fact, you should have realized the moment you saw that even Shrade kept quiet about it. If I were truly selling the thunderbolt catapults regardless of the family's safety, he would have been raising a fuss long before you showed up."
"My lord, I was thoughtless..."
"Very well. Have the commanders of the Naval Legion and your Stone Legion all arrived? If so, let's begin the meeting."
...
Lorist faced the hall packed with family knights, picked up a thin, long pointer, and directed it at the large map on the wall. "What I'm about to reveal is the real attack plan—one even our three allies know nothing about. They've been assuming we'll launch our assault from the riverside, using the thunderbolt catapults to smash through the enemy's defensive line and force them into open battle. In truth, that's merely a feint—to lure the Duchy of Madras into massing their heavy troops at the river, thinning their defenses everywhere else."
"The place we're truly going to attack is here." Lorist's pointer tapped a location on the map. "Westegle Province. Silver Beach. The attack launches at the end of December."
Aside from
"This operation will be led by the Stone Legion, with the Naval Legion providing support. If anyone has questions, feel free to raise them." Lorist glanced at the whispering family knights.
Bodenfeng stood up. "My lord, a winter amphibian landing carries enormous risk and danger. The Northern Sea is always rough and stormy in winter. The slightest mishap during the landing could result in heavy casualties."
Lorist smiled. "Sembawood, you answer Bog's question."
Sembawood rose to his feet. "Lord Bodenfeng, in recent years the lord has consistently ordered us to record the Northern Sea's climate patterns. We've found that every year, from the thirty-second to the thirty-fifth day of the twelfth month—just a few days before the New Year—the Northern Sea always calms down, with still winds and quiet waves. If we conduct our landing during this window, there shouldn't be any unexpected problems. Furthermore, beyond the small landing boats, the lord has also had us prepare numerous modular wooden dock components. In just ten hours, we can quickly assemble two modular wooden docks extending to the shore, ensuring that the brothers of the Stone Legion can land rapidly and safely."
Malek stood up and asked, "My lord, how can we ensure our landing won't be detected by Grand Duke Madras's garrison? Westegle Province is his stronghold. If our movements are discovered, it would severely compromise the surprise attack. After all, the enemy is inside the city and holds the defensive terrain advantage."
Lorist nodded. "In fact, over the past two years, every year from the thirty-second to the thirty-fifth day of the twelfth month, I've sent teams to land at Silver Beach and conduct reconnaissance of Westegle Province. We've found that the province's defenses are extraordinarily lax—the enemy could never imagine we'd launch a surprise amphibious assault. Here—" his pointer tapped a spot on the map, "—this is Edelis City, the capital that Grand Duke Madras named after his daughter, and it's also the seat of the Madras family.
Every winter, Grand Duke Madras invites the duchy's nobles to gather here for a New Year's banquet that lasts several days. During this period, Edelis City's defenses are at their most relaxed. The reason I decided to launch the attack at the end of December, landing at Silver Beach, is to catch them completely off guard, seize Edelis City, and capture all those nobles in one fell swoop. That way, we can take the entire Duchy of Madras into our hands without breaking a sweat.
Our plan is to land, launch a surprise assault, and after seizing Edelis City, immediately use Grand Duke Madras's official seal to either mobilize or launch surprise attacks on Westis Castle, Vannades City, and Kebo City. This forms a single line of advance—if we take these three cities, the Duchy of Madras can be considered all but won. I will personally be among the first wave of landing troops, the first to set foot ashore."
Bodenfeng stood up again. "My lord, you needn't take such risks. Leave this attack to us—we won't let you down."
"...the camp and prepare for the amphibious operation. During this time, Bodenfeng and Malek, you need to drill the soldiers on embarkation and disembarkation procedures. We can't afford any oversights when the time comes."
"Yes, my lord."
"Falaya, after the Stone Legion departs from Shilowas Island, you'll take a guard battalion to handle the island's defense."
"As you command, my lord."
"The moment we capture Kebo City—Grand Duke Madras's rebuilt granary city—the garrison of the seven castle fortresses in the Hindson mountain range, as well as the heavy troops massed along the river, will soon face the prospect of running out of food and supplies. Their only options will be collapse or surrender. That is why I want to take the Duchy of Madras this winter. I hope everyone can earn new glory for the family!"
"Yes, my lord."
"That concludes the meeting. Tiger Ross, Doles, Josc, and
Besides these four, Fatty Shi also remained.
"If everything goes smoothly, after we take the Duchy of Madras, we'll need to turn our attention to the Fisablen Family." Lorist paused in thought before continuing. "After Count Kenmais completes his territory exchange, the Flying Tiger Legion will be stationed in the eastern part of Northland, maintaining military pressure on Muyeyuan Province. However, the Flying Tiger Legion is technically heavy armored cavalry—more than adequate for defense against the Fisablen Family's ranger cavalry, but insufficient for offense. Therefore, after consulting with Sir Shrade, we've decided to raise a new light cavalry corps modeled after the rangers—a scout light cavalry corps. It will be called the Hunter Cavalry Corps, with Josc as corps commander and Yuri as deputy commander."
Josc was stunned. He was about to speak up when Lorist waved him off. "Josc, besides you, I can't think of anyone more suitable. And Yuri is more than willing to serve as your deputy. The best countermeasure against ranger cavalry is scout light cavalry—otherwise you'd need to amass a massive army just to compress the battlefield enough to defeat them. But the great grasslands are the Fisablen Family's territory. We can't leverage terrain advantage, nor can we commit every last family soldier to seek a decisive battle. So I'm placing my hopes on you. Can you do it?"
Josc leaped to his feet. "My lord, I will not fail your trust."
Lorist patted Josc's shoulder with satisfaction. "Time is tight. After we take the Duchy of Madras this winter, we'll need roughly a year to stabilize the situation and allow the Kenmais and Shaxin families to complete their migration. But after next year, we'll have to deal with the Fisablen Family. Josc, Yuri—I've ordered all legions to lift personnel restrictions for you. You may select anyone you deem suitable, but you must leave behind enough seeds in your original units. You have one year to build this Hunter Cavalry Corps. Can you manage it?"
Josc and Yuri stood up and gave Lorist a knight's salute. "My lord, rest assured—we will not let you down."
... (To be continued.)