Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: 340 (1/2)
Chapter 360: 340
Emerald Lake Province, on the outskirts of Banyoles City.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds, casting a faint glimmer on the brass medals on the shoulders of Cyart soldiers and the barrels of their flintlocks.
The soldiers, dressed in uniform, lined up in formation on the grassland, with feathers on their caps swaying gently in the breeze. Officers on horseback wore military garb with gold trim.
Soon, the officers gave orders, and their soldiers began to move in an organized manner. The air was filled with the scent of horses and gunpowder—the so-called smell of war.
Heavy artillery was towed to the rear of the troops, a type of muzzle-loaded smoothbore gun. Undoubtedly, it was an important force within the army, its presence a comfort to the soldiers.
The silhouette of Banyoles City gradually became clear in the distance, but at the moment, the army made no rash moves; they simply assembled there quietly, like a solid fortress awaiting orders, everyone could feel the intense tension, a decisive confrontation that would determine their fate was about to unfold here.
By now, the army supporting the Adley Royal Family had arrived near Banyoles City in Emerald Lake Province, a city that had been under the sole rule of the Romann family for centuries.
Due to the curfew implemented during wartime, the city streets were deserted, and the faces of the citizens inside their homes were marked with worry and unease. Some who wanted to flee the city, soon to be engulfed in warfare, found themselves without the means to do so.
Others stood at street corners, staring blankly into the distance, their hearts filled with fear.
“What do we do? What can we do?”
“There’s no way out, just hide.”
“The Duke is dead, can we win?”
“I don’t know, why are we even fighting a civil war… We’re all Cyart people!”
Dark clouds slowly amassed in the city sky, as if foreshadowing the impending “storm,” making the moods of the citizens of Banyoles even heavier.
Extraordinary nobility, primarily locals from Emerald Lake Province and from all over Cyart, had now gathered in the meeting room of the Romann family, with several combat maps and various charts hanging on the wall.
“The enemy has finished assembling outside the city; they just haven’t attacked yet. It seems we still have time!”
Lively exchanges filled the meeting room as noble officers discussed tactics, personnel deployment, and supplies, seeking the optimal plan of action.
Beyond tactical discussions, they considered ways to boost soldiers’ morale, strengthen discipline, and devise more scientific training schedules.
They were mostly noble officers with rich experience from the Rhea war, although this was their first encounter with a civil war.
An elderly noble officer said, “In the end, what will really be decisive in this war are the Monarch powerful experts. At this level of war, the army can only serve a supporting role…”
“Indeed.”
The others agreed, acknowledging that the mobility and destructive power of Monarch powerful experts were unmatched by any other military force at present.
Byrne and Chris of the Fischer family were also in this meeting room.
The two heard that the enemy forces originally targeting the East Coast Province had suddenly turned and marched toward Emerald Lake Province, so they immediately came to support.
Their strength was formidable enough that they could arrive ahead of time, though without being able to bring along the rest of the Fischer family.
While “Stars Mortal” Ariel was the nominal head of the Romann family, the actual commander of this war was “Dragon Taming Lord” Aldrich Romann.
Everyone had confidence in him as well.
“Everyone, come over here.”
Aldrich motioned with his hand, beckoning Byrne and dozens of familiar Extraordinary nobles. He then calmly analyzed,
“Well, the ‘Blood of Salvation’ Adley Royal Family, ‘Flaming Blood Proud Dragon’ Castleton family, ‘Fog Wayfarer’ Abernathy family, and ‘Ruins Song Spirit’ Middell family— the forces of these four families have all assembled to the west of Phelps Port, and there’s been no sign of their advancing for the moment.”
He pointed at the map of Banyoles City and drew a circle on it with a pen.
“The city barrier of Banyoles has already been raised in advance, and it is of a high level. Although they could attack at any moment, they definitely don’t have the confidence to take down this city for sure.”
Whenever it came to defending a city, the presence of a barrier unquestionably put the defenders at an advantage.
Byrne nodded lightly and said, “Another siege battle, huh? I’m a bit nostalgic. After calculating carefully, the number of enemy Monarch powerful experts is probably around ten, but it’s hard to say for sure how many there are from the ‘Words of Tranquility’ side.”
The Salvation Church and the Tempest Church had, after communicating, decided not to participate in this secular battle and had sworn an oath to God, entering into The Oath.
Therefore, they had fewer variables to consider.
Thinking this through, Aldrich nodded and said,
“Let’s first assume the ‘Wordless Elder’ isn’t dead. In that case, our known enemy Monarch powerful experts would be three from the Adley Royal Family and the Words of Tranquility, two from the Castleton family, two from the Abernathy family, and two from the Middell family… After the Rhea war and a series of other events, the number of Monarch powerful experts in Cyart isn’t that high, actually.”
Ariel suddenly interjected, “A high-level Monarch, two mid-level Monarchs, and six low-level Monarchs? Plus a few hundred Transmutation Extraordinary Exponents?”
“It looks like we’re not at a disadvantage on our side.”
Sighing, Aldrich said with a troubled expression, “Only thing is, after this civil war, I wonder if Cyart can still stand its ground among the Eastern Four Kingdoms?”