Chapter 460 (2/2)
「Next up, shoot!!」
Catapults as large as towers shoot from the back while slightly smaller models follow suit in front of them.
We hear the booms as the projectiles land in the city and the rising fire dyes the sku red.
「It’s a counterattack!」
Well, the enemy isn’t going to let themselves be attacked.
Catapults, probably set up inside the city, fire back at our camp.
「Archers, close the distance! Pour as many flaming arrows into the city as possible!」
The archers charge forward as volleys of steel and stone fly back and forth above their heads.
「We won’t allow that, shoot back!」
In response, enemy soldiers on the ramparts, near the turrets and on the watchtowers aim at our archers with their own arrows and bolts.
And in turn, our ballistae also move up to target the enemy archers.
Hundreds of flaming arrows soar over the walls and into the city.
Bolts fire from ballistae installed on top of towers and rip through a few ally archers.
Seconds later, a flaming pot of oil hits that tower from an ally catapult, forcing enemy soldiers engulfed in fire to fall off.
「It feels like time has gone backwards.」
「This way of fighting has more charm and I like it. I can’t get used to shootouts between cannons.」
Myla is just a little bit excited.
「Hmph. A battlefield with cannons and explosions is clearly better than this dull fighting.」
Sekrit appeared from nowhere.
She gives Myla a provocative gaze, but distances herself when she notices Tikuku.
Did something happen between them?
「The climbing is starting!」
The idle chatter stops when Celia shouts.
Allied soldiers protected by greats.h.i.+elds approach the walls carrying ladders.
Enemy attacks are still severe, but the a.s.sault from towers and turrets are considerably weakened.
Erich must have chosen the timing.
Any available soldiers on the enemy side focus on fending off those trying to get over the walls.
It was at this time that things were looking tough for us.
「An armored tower!!」
The giant turret covered in iron plating advanced slowly from the rear of our allied forces.
I see, this kind of structure was prepared during the reorganization period?
The armored tower doesn’t take damage from arrows or bolts.
Minimal damage was dealt by catapults and iron b.a.l.l.s but that doesn’t stop the tower from moving.
「Shall we go?」
「Yes.」
With a sharp yelp and a kick to the belly, I spur Schwartz forward.
「We’re going to that catapult.」
「Eh? Not the turret?」
Not good. Why am I trying to get on a catapult when I’m trying to climb over the wall?
This is all Gildress’s fault.
I change my mind and close in on the turret.
The escort unit and Celia’s battalion, which is reduced to half its members, are also coming along.
「How does it look?」
「Enemy attacks are still fierce and we can’t climb over! If we don’t strike their camp a little more and rob them of the power to resist―― uwaah!!」
A cannonball struck the center of the turret when the commander of the armored tower spoke.
Although it did not penetrate entirely, it created a hole in the armor and destroyed some of the wooden framework underneath.
「The skeleton got damaged! The tower is done for, run――」
I grab the head of the commander giving the order to retreat.
「No, don’t run.」
「But the tower can’t move and it’ll collapse soon!」
I can tell that by looking.
I climb up the ladder of the turret.
「Ram straight into the wall. I don’t care if it breaks.」
That’s all I say before stepping up the unsteady ladder.
The tower is taller than the wall.
Even if it falls over, it will still reach the top.
「B-but――」
I glare at the hesitant commander.
「――! All soldiers, charge forward! Brace for impact!」
Once I stood on the roof of the crumbling turret, the speed of the turret suddenly increased.
Rather than moving though, it was more like the turret was tipping forward.
「Hey, they’re coming at us! They’re trying to crash into us!!」
「H-heh, the city walls blessed by Her Majesty’s grace will not flinch in the face of such a tower!」
「The wall may be fine, but we’ll be crushed!!」
「「Gooooo!!」」
The soldiers shout as the turret plunges into the wall.
An unpleasant metal grating mixes with shrieks, cries and flesh-squas.h.i.+ng sounds as I kick off the falling tower.
「Gebuh!」
I land on the stomach of an enemy soldier who fell over from the crash and he expels blood from his mouth and a.s.s, instantly dying afterward.
「Hmp.」
I waste no time and slice an enemy soldier on my left in half with my Dual Crater, then kick another soldier on my right in the stomach, knocking him off the walls.
「T-they climbed up.」
「Cras.h.i.+ng the turret like that…… who are these guys?」
Enemy soldiers aim their crossbows at me.
However, daggers stab into their necks before they could pull the triggers.
「Please catch meー!」
Celia screams as she falls.
The lightweight girl was flung higher than me from the impact.
「Of course.」
I catch Celia in my right arm, immediately switch to my Dual Crater and mow down the spearman running at me.
「Do it, Celia.」
「Yes!」
Celia takes out a dagger, sc.r.a.ping it on the ground before throwing it straight up.
Then, the dagger spontaneously combusts in midair and explodes.
「Over here. Come over here!」
Her message, properly being communicated, the group of armored turrets head towards the place we got off.
A bunch of soldiers also prop ladders below us and start climbing up.
「They secured the top! If we don’t steal it back, more enemies will come flocking up!」
「We have to recapture it no matter what!!」
Countless arrows whiz through the air and rain down on us.
「Fortunately, I have an umbrella.」
I select a large nice-looking fragment at my feet from the fallen armored tower and stab it with my Dual Crater.
This completes my steel umbrella.
I pull Celia close to my body and hold my make-s.h.i.+ft umbrella up at the arrows.
The umbrella is more than wide enough to s.h.i.+eld me and Celia.
All the arrows bounce off the steel plate, leaving the noise as the only annoying part.
（How humiliating.）
The rapist dragon isn’t happy, but this is easier on me since I don’t have to deflect all the arrows one by one.
Moreover, the enemies won’t attack when I’m being bathed in arrows.
「Guh, it’s not effective.」
「Stop firing and take him down in close quarters! We’re only up against two people!」
The arrows cease and soldiers rush in from the left and right.
「I guess the umbrella has served its purpose.」
I go to pull my Dual Crater out from the steel slab.
「Wait, stay in cover for a bit longer.」
A dark-skinned figure jumps in from my left.
At the same time, three arms and two heads dance in the air.
It seems Sekrit also dropped down from the turret.
「Here we go, you guys. Climb up!」
「Hyaaha~! Hand over your women and money!」
Following Sekrit is the 105th army corps led by Yakov.
Accustomed to fighting on a rocking boat, very few of them fail to jump from the turret to the walls.
Meanwhile, more soldiers flood in from the ladders on the right.
「This fight is our fight. Let us join!」
Cutting to the front is Jim, as well as the former Libatis crew.
「S-s.h.i.+t! Like I’ll hand over this city to you!」
An enemy soldier slashes at him.
「Invader! This city is our home, a city of freedom!!」
Jim skillfully parries the enemy’s slash with his two-handed sword.
「Taste my blade of justice! Justice Kick!!」
Jim’s high kick explodes on the off-balance enemy soldier, sending him off the city walls.
「I’ll run this sword of freedom through all of you! Freedom headb.u.t.t!」
He elegantly evades the enemy soldier’s sword, then bashes in the enemy’s face with a powerful headb.u.t.t, instantly knocking the guy unconscious.
「「「We are justice!」」」
Shouting their battle cries, the soldiers of former Libatis climb onto the walls and engage in the melee.
「「「All hail justice!」」」
Despite being equipped with light armor, one-handed swords and small s.h.i.+elds meant for a guarding mission, they are able to compete on par with, and even surpa.s.s, the soldiers of South Yuguria wielding crossbows and those wrapped head-to-toe in a complete set of armor.
「「「Retake our native country!!」」」
South Yuguria’s constant influx of soldiers could only handle being pushed back so many times by the combination of the 105th army and the Libatis squad before finally showing an opening to storm into the city.
Seeing us gain the upper hand, an ever-increasing amount of soldiers acc.u.mulate below us.
If we can take control over a single part of the city, it will likely lead to tens of thousands of reinforcements flooding into the city.
「Shall we go?」
As I raise my sword, I hear someone mumbling at my feet.
「Ow, ow, ow…… I got hit all of a sudden and fainted…… what’s going on……?」
I kick the face-down soldier writhing in pain.
「Uwaaaaah!!」
「Aaah, he’s done! He fell! He’s dead!」
「No, he landed in a pile of fodder. He’s alive!」
It happened right as I composed myself and took a deep breath.
「Enemies in the northwest――! Cavalry, in the thousands, no, over ten thousand!!」
I stick my sword into the ground.
「Argh, them again!!?」
In frustration, I kick an enemy soldier secretly trying to run away.
He rolls along the top of the city walls and unfortunately impales himself on a sharp metal shard, tearing his head off.
The allied soldiers gathered at the bottom of the city walls disperse.
Dang, we were so close too, how irritating.
Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett. 25 years old. Summer.
Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave. Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area. Mountain Legend.
Friend of the Dwarves. Friend of the King of Aless. Dragon Slayer Hero.
Elf Mediator. s.e.x King of White City.
Subordinates:
Myla (scramble), Celia (excited state), Irijina (scramble), Luna (scramble)
Gido (torn off), Pochi (lizard), Leopolt (scramble), Tristan (staff officer B), Agor (scramble)
Yakov (on the city wall), Mack (engineer corps captain), Jim (flames of justice)
Others:
Ivanna (lethargic), Sekrit (on the city wall), T-99 (sleep mode), Brynhildr (ー)
Natia (manufacturing drugs), Annette (princess of the 105), Piris (recovery), Baroness Escaote (nursing), Seika (unsatisfied with nursing), Naesys (sisterly love), Nasis (sisterly love), Busco (low-life)
Army – Southern Goldonia
Under Protagonist:
Escort Unit: 70
Infantry: 4800
Cavalry: 670
Archers: 680
Cannoneers: 380
Bow Cavalry: 7500
Independent Celia Squad: 500
Conscripts + Security Unit: 10 000
Cannons: 40, Large Cannons: 23, Dwarven Cannons: 16, Field Artillery: 20, Chariots: 45
————————————————————————————————
Reinforcements / Allied Forces
105 Army Corps: 3600
Fleet
Battles.h.i.+p Suvorov, Battles.h.i.+p Aless of Aless, and others: All grounded.
Transport s.h.i.+ps: 20
————————————————————————————————
Ally Forces: Royal Army: 50 000
Conscripts: 60 000
Enemy Force: Regular Soldiers: 30 000?
Conscripts: 100 000?
Cavalry Army: 25 000 ?
a.s.sets: -10 000 gold
s.e.xual Partners: 794, children who have been born: 69 + 567
Current Location: Tortoent