Chapter 152: Ardius Fortress Siege Battle – Final Battle (1)
The “Ice Spear” Jude. I had never heard that alias before, but I knew exactly who he was. When I was transported to the Empire alongside Orvo, there was a man who emitted a menacing aura; he was about to kill his own allies simply because they were noisy at night. He belonged to a mercenary group called the “Fangs of Dawn”. I had eavesdropped on that piece of information, so it should be him.
“The Fangs of Dawn would be a valuable addition to bolster our dwindling forces, and the Ice Spear Jude is a strong man who can hold his own against me! He will fight with us against that golden one!”
“Are you saying he’s the missing piece we needed?”
“Exactly! This time, we will most certainly slay him! Gahahaha!”
I had long since thought that the three of us might not be enough, but now a fourth member was set to join our ranks. And if that guy’s abilities were truly as good as master, then victory might finally be within reach. No, we must defeat the enemy to eliminate any future troubles for good. You should always eliminate strong enemies when the opportunity arises.
Until then, the army would continue their tactic of harassing from a distance with the Dragon Roar Cannons. And when the golden-armored soldiers appeared again, the three of us would intercept them. Though it seemed like we were inflicting one-sided damage, in fact, I felt like we were the ones being cornered… and I hated such feelings, but I was in a position where I couldn’t refuse.
“But still, why hasn’t a skilled mercenary group like the Fangs of Dawn been hired elsewhere?”
“Well, it seems they’ve had some trouble with the Imperial army! They apparently returned here without renewing their contract after the battle over there ended. That’s when we managed to catch them!”
“That’s only because he’s a volatile guy, that one.”
Lady Altissia, who seemed to have temporarily abandoned her efforts to block master’s voice, concluded. It was true; that guy called Jude was even willing to kill allies over a mere disturbance to his sleep. He seemed prone to making enemies, and although the two of us had never spoken before, I was convinced of that.
However, the thought of having to fight alongside such an unpredictable individual left me feeling rather depressed. I definitely didn’t want to end up with a knife in my back. I silently hoped that he wouldn’t throw a fit and make things even more complicated.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
The siege continued for about two weeks after that. The outer walls of the Ardius Fortress were riddled with holes from the bombardments of the Dragon Roar Cannons. The only part that remained intact was the innermost outer wall, and if we had the same number of troops we started with, we might have launched an assault.
However, we had suffered enough losses to accept the impossibility of that now. During the daily artillery battles, infantry soldiers suffered casualties when intercepting the unmanned drones launched from the fortress.
Moreover, in the past few days, all the drones that flew in were of a type we had never seen before. We had no idea what they were capable of, and almost certainly, the initial attack would result in casualties. The constant anticipation of “What will happen today?” had become a significant source of stress for the soldiers.
However, there were two silver linings amid this misfortune. First, there hadn’t been a single attack by the golden-armored soldiers since that incident. Second, we managed to prevent all nighttime ambushes by the Republican Army.
When the second outer wall was breached, the soldiers on the central front became more cautious before celebrating. This was because they expected the golden-armored soldiers to make their appearance once again.
In reality, in addition to the countless self-propelled artillery units, the drones also continued to emerge from the breaches, so everyone’s vigilance was a natural response. The self-propelled artillery units advancing from the front were met by heavy infantry, while the self-propelled units deploying to the sides were confronted by the Dragonblood Knights and other cavalry units. The drones were intercepted by infantry soldiers.
However, unlike before, there were no reports of any golden-armored soldiers lurking. Although we all assumed they might be hiding somewhere….in the end, they never made an appearance until now.
Perhaps as a substitute, on certain days when we refrained from launching nighttime raids, night attacks by drones have started to be carried out from time to time. In these instances, the sand rings I had set up, designed to detect vibrations, came in handy.
Typically, the drones emitted a noisy sound as they floated, but this time, they moved silently along the ground. If they reach our main camp, they might disperse poisonous gas and scatter small projectiles before self-destructing….. I rushed to intercept them upon sensing the vibrations, and I was hit at close range. Without my exoskeleton, I believe I would have been covered in lacerations if I wasn’t already dead.
When the soldiers on the central front, who were on night watch, finally learned that the Republican forces had also started launching nighttime ambushes, they increased their vigilance without incurring any casualties. Detecting and destroying threats at a distance from the main camp earned me high praise and, along with master’s words of praise, a generous reward in the form of a large quantity of dried fruits.
This time, it seemed that the supplies from the rear had just arrived, and they had prepared quite a quantity. Not only that, but the dried fruits came in various types. There was so much of it that I asked master to distribute half of it among my comrades. I’m sure Lappy and the others were overjoyed.
But putting that aside, we could say that the siege had reached a critical point. We were currently launching a full-scale assault on the last outer wall, and while there were no breaches yet, it was already riddled with dents. It was expected that the final outer wall would crumble soon. If there were any significant movements from the enemy, master expected that they would happen soon
“Ah, it’s so noisy…! Can’t you do something about this noise?”
“Hmm… honestly, ignorant mercenaries can be quite a nuisance. You see, the Dragon Roar Cannon is inscribed with intricate and complex spiritual circuitry. Considering the need for structural integrity and operational aspects, there’s no need to add a silencing spiritual circuit. In other words…”
“Just say there’s nothing we can do about it! Gahaha!”
Beside the Dragon Roar Cannons, which could be considered the centerpiece of this siege, there was someone with a frustrated expression while furrowing his brow. It was the “Ice Spear” Jude who had arrived on the battlefield just a few days ago.
And he seems to be a very hotheaded man, just like the impression I had when I saw him before. Not only did he get annoyed each time the Dragon Roar Cannons were fired, but he also furrowed his brow as the recoil kicked up clouds of dust.
“Tsk! Let’s just deal with those blue-skinned bastards quickly and get out of this noisy and smoky battlefield… Ugh, it’s so annoying!”
“Gahaha! He’s still the same!”
“A noisy man and a picky man… how come the silent demon is the best one out of you…?”
Every time the Dragon Roar Cannon roared, Jude grew increasingly frustrated, and master, seeing his reaction, burst into hearty laughter. Seeing this, Lady Altissia made some casually rude remarks with a complicated expression.
Master was someone who didn’t fuss over details, and while I was rather reserved, I had received the highest praise from her, so I had no intention of complaining. However, the one who took her words to heart the most was undoubtedly the “picky man”.
“What did you say? Are you implying that I’m inferior to that… mutant over there!?”
“At the very least, he consumes less needless energy on the battlefield than someone who constantly nitpicks. Wouldn’t that make him better than you?”
“This bit*h…!”
Jude, who casually referred to me with the derogatory term used on demons, glared at Lady Altissia, gripping his spear so tightly that it creaked on his shoulder. Killing intent was leaking out of his body, and he seemed on the verge of launching an attack. If she hadn’t been an ally, he would likely have struck her without hesitation.
Lady Altissia, however, didn’t possess the kind of cute personality to simply back down when confronted with killing intent. She narrowed her eyes and stared right back at Jude. Her hand remained naturally open, ready to use her spiritual arts at a moment’s notice.
Ignoring the tense atmosphere that made it hard to believe they were allies, I kept my gaze fixed on the battlefield. My comrades were still fighting on the front lines. In the course of this battle, a few suffered serious injuries, and unfortunately, one of them lost his life. I could sense that his fighting spirit and spiritual energy had completely faded, leaving no room for doubt.
Losing a comrade was not a new experience for me, but it was incredibly bitter and even more sorrowful every time. I doubted I would ever get used to this feeling of loss. I allowed myself to be briefly immersed in a sentimental mood.
“Gahaha! It’s nice that you two are getting along, but it seems the enemy is about to make their move!”
While master laughed off the rather dangerous standoff between the two of them as a mere quarrel, he still urged caution. Just like master had said, there was a huge presence moving inside the fortress. It was undoubtedly the golden-armored soldier. It seemed he had no intention of hiding his presence this time.
Since he didn’t bother concealing his presence, everyone on the battlefield could feel it. The spiritualists involved with the Dragon Roar Cannons, in particular, seemed to sense it acutely. They hurriedly prepared the Dragon Roar Cannons and fired it all at once, as if intent on shattering the final outer wall.
BOOOOM!
Immediately afterward, a deafening roar echoed across the entire battlefield, unlike anything we had heard before. The source of this sound wasn’t just the simultaneous bombardment from the Dragon Roar Cannons. In addition to the sounds of the barrage, something grand was launched from inside the fortress, accompanied by a massive explosion.
Although the projectiles had hit and caused significant cracks in the outer wall, what caught our attention even more was the object that had been launched from the fortress. It was a spindle-shaped object, ascending in the air while spewing flames from its bottom parts, and it was… golden in color.
“What is that…?”
“It’s not about what it is! The problem is that I’ve been sensing that golden guy’s presence ever since that thing came out!”
“More importantly, isn’t it coming this way?”
“”Huh!?””
Yes, just as Master had said, I could also feel the presence of the golden-armored soldier emanating from that flying golden object. Moreover, its flight trajectory traced a gentle arc… and it seemed like it might descend right on top of the Dragon Roar Cannons.
When Master and Jude regained their composure, Lady Altissia had already sprung into action. She extended her palm towards the sky, unleashing a tremendous gust of wind that struck the flying object. It seemed her preparations to use her spiritual power at any moment, which was mainly intended for Jude, had paid off. Or maybe she was just that skilled?
In any case, thanks to Lady Altissia’s quick thinking, the trajectory of the object veered significantly off course, landing a bit away from the battlefield. Simultaneously, the release of a huge amount of spiritual power from within shattered the flying object into pieces.
“Goaaaaaaaah!”
Naturally, it was the golden-armored soldier who unleashed that spiritual power. With a beast-like roar, he sprinted towards the nearest group of soldiers.
We couldn’t allow him to slaughter the infantry again. We raced forward to fulfill our role once more.
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