Chapter 150 : Chapter 150
Chapter 150. Incorrect Meeting (4)
Finally, the next day.
Kung Kung Kung Kung!
Ppuuuuu!
The Imperial Army besieging Velia Castle began their advance with the sound of drums and trumpets.
The Imperial Army's movement was not much different from usual.
Catapults launched boulders, and infantry units ran towards the castle wall carrying ladders.
And archer units covered the Imperial Army from below the castle wall.
It was the usual aspect of siege warfare.
The movement attacking the castle gate was also the same.
Currently, the Imperial Army had succeeded in lowering the bridge over the moat (=drawbridge) and was attacking the first of the two double gates.
Even the first castle gate of Velia Castle was made of thick steel, so it was difficult to breach easily.
A knight had to use aura several times to barely succeed in breaching it.
So, in fact, attacking the castle gate in siege warfare was rare.
Even if they succeeded in breaching the first castle gate like this, they had to breach the second castle gate.
The second steel gate made in a lattice shape.
In fact, what was harder to attack than the first castle gate was this very second castle gate.
The second castle gate could only be attacked by passing through a short corridor with holes in the ceiling.
In this corridor, a tremendous number of soldiers died.
It wasn't for nothing that the nickname ‘murder hole’ was attached to this hole.
Like this, breaching the castle gate to capture the castle was a very difficult task.
One had to be prepared for the loss of not only a huge number of ordinary soldiers but also knights.
For that reason, in siege warfare, the attacking side much preferred climbing or destroying the castle wall rather than breaching the castle gate.
Actually, the Imperial Army attacking the castle gate right now wasn't to breach it either.
It was a movement to disperse the Main Battalion's attention and troops, and to quickly enter the castle when soldiers who succeeded in climbing the castle wall opened the castle gate.
Normally, it was correct to see it this way.
However,
‘If you are thinking only like that, you will get hurt badly.’
Deniz thought while watching the castle gate.
It was understandable because the key to today's siege warfare was attacking the castle gate.
Since the Imperial Army had decided to use the Castle-Breaking Crystal Orb in this battle.
As if proving this fact, there were actually more Imperial knights attached to the castle gate than usual.
It was to tear apart the first castle gate quickly and advance to the second castle gate.
The Main Battalion noticed this fact belatedly and shouted.
“Many enemy knights are pounding on the castle gate! Archery Platoon, defend the castle gate!”
The person who gave such an order was Chevalier.
And this order was correct.
No matter how strangely the Imperial Army was focusing on attacking the castle gate, it was too dangerous for the entire Archery Company to move at once and focus on defending the castle gate.
It was sufficient for the Archery Platoon belonging to the Special Task Force Company to defend the castle gate.
Even, the Archery Platoon wasn't just capable of shooting arrows.
Shuuuuk!
It was possible to imbue arrows with aura using shortbows enchanted with Aura Conduction magic.
And this attack was one of the most effective attack methods for dealing with knights.
Because no one imagined that aura would be imbued in arrows.
Sure enough, an Imperial knight pounding on the first castle gate felt an arrow flying from behind his back and turned his body.
Then, he naturally deflected the arrow with his sword.
However,
Kaang! Peok!
The knight's sword bounced off creating sparks, and the arrow pierced his chest in the direction it was flying.
“W, what is this?”
Like that, the knight lost his life without knowing why he couldn't deflect the arrow.
Like this, the Archery Platoon's arrow attack, which could induce the enemy's carelessness, could deal with most ordinary knights.
However, that didn't mean it was omnipotent.
If the aura stage was around 3-star, it was possible to instinctively grasp the suspiciousness of the arrow attack.
Kaang! Peok!
The proof was that Prokle just now failed to deflect the arrow similarly, but momentarily thrust his shoulder forward to avoid a fatal wound.
Prokle broke the arrow stuck in his shoulder and shouted.
“There is aura imbued in the Allied Forces' arrows! Don't just deflect them, raise your aura!”
Because of that, the power of the arrow attack, which was picking off knights one by one, decreased significantly.
At the same time, the Imperial Army's momentum, which had faltered in the castle gate attack, changed fiercely again.
Eventually,
Jjeoeoeok!
The first castle gate suffered sword wounds and was breached.
It was something that happened thanks to Prokle raising 6-star aura and attacking.
“The castle gate has collapsed! The first row, raise your shields above your heads with me, use defensive crystal orbs, and move towards the second castle gate!”
Like that, the Imperial Army moved towards the second castle gate with Prokle.
And Deniz, who was watching this, clenched his fist tight.
Because soon the second castle gate would be shattered by the Castle-Breaking Crystal Orb.
‘Those bastards probably can't even imagine what will happen in the future.’
A smile naturally appeared on Deniz's lips.
In the meantime, Prokle and the Imperial Army arrived at the second castle gate.
Stones and hot oil poured over Prokle and the Imperial Army's heads, but it was useless.
Even the aura-imbued arrows fired by the Archery Platoon couldn't exert their full power due to the defensive crystal orbs.
Like that, the Imperial Army arrived safely in front of the second castle gate, and Prokle took out something he had been hiding in his bosom as if waiting.
It was the Castle-Breaking Crystal Orb.
Hwirik!
Prokle shouted at the same time he threw the Castle-Breaking Crystal Orb towards the second castle gate.
“Everyone retreat!”
Although the formation collapsed and the effect of the defensive crystal orbs disappeared at the sudden retreat order, no one cared.
Because they had to dodge somehow to save their lives from what would happen next.
Watching Prokle and the Imperial Army rushing out of the castle gate, Deniz's smile deepened.
And after a while.
Kwaaaaaaang!
A tremendous explosion occurred as the Castle-Breaking Crystal Orb flew to and stuck to the second castle gate exploded.
It was an explosion that shook the ground and seemed like it would collapse the castle wall.
The sound was so loud that everyone nearby heard a beeee ringing in their ears.
How much time passed like that.
Kollok kollok!
Prokle, who was coughing, came to his senses first and gave an order towards the castle wall where the black smoke had not yet completely cleared.
“All troops charge!”
Deniz also raised his voice as if he couldn't miss this opportunity.
“Let’s go too! Charge!”
Like that, the Imperial Army ran expecting the appearance of the second castle gate horribly destroyed.
However, the Imperial Army, who had run ambitiously towards the castle gate with Prokle, stopped abruptly on the spot.
Deniz, who arrived at the castle gate leading troops belatedly, tilted his head watching that appearance.
“What is it? Why aren't you going in?”
“That is…….”
Prokle hesitated unable to answer, and Deniz belatedly witnessed the appearance of the second castle gate revealed as the black smoke cleared.
Surprisingly, the second castle gate was intact.
Except for being slightly dented.
***
“It's as you said. They came prepared to destroy the castle gate from that side.”
At the same time the Castle-Breaking Crystal Orb exploded, Michael, who was watching this scene from a distance, spoke to Roden.
That was right.
In fact, Roden was predicting this situation.
He wasn't predicting it from the beginning.
Even when several siege battles took place at Velia Castle, he hadn't thought of this.
But as a few pieces of information were newly obtained in the meantime, Roden was able to predict the current situation.
The first piece of information was the fact that the commander of the Imperial Army currently besieging Velia Castle was Deniz.
Deniz, who clearly held a grudge against Roden.
Actually, whenever their eyes met on the castle wall, Deniz couldn't manage his expression.
And through this, Roden realized that Deniz had grasped almost all the facts.
Otherwise, there was no reason to make such a face like he was chewing shit.
At the same time, he thought that if he held a grudge to this extent, Deniz would surely do something.
Because no matter how rational a person is, if engulfed in a grudge, they tend to show emotional behavior.
Like that, Roden could predict to some extent from this part that something would happen.
The second piece of information was the fact that Leon captured even Davia Castle following Kelakla Castle with a secret technique that destroys castle gates.
When he first heard the story that Leon destroyed the castle gate with a secret technique, it was hard to believe this.
Because even for a magician, unless they were at the level of the 9th circle, it was impossible to use magic of this destructive power.
But Leon captured even Davia Castle like this, and at this point, Roden had no choice but to believe it as well.
That Leon had a secret technique that could destroy castle gates.
At the same time, he realized the fact that the Empire could also utilize such secret techniques.
Although the Glockner family was great, the Empire's talent pool was also not something to be ignored.
So Roden had no choice but to prepare for siege warfare under the assumption that the Empire could destroy the castle gate at any time.
Even adding the possibility here, a method to destroy the castle wall at once.
He thought there could be such a method.
From that day on, Roden went around every corner of the castle reinforcing the castle gates and castle walls.
Fortunately, as Roden became a 7-star knight and could use 7th-circle magic, methods to reinforce the castle gates and castle walls existed.
The magics ‘Factum Murorum (Barrier of the Impregnable Fortress)’ and ‘Ultima Porta (The Final Gate)’ were exactly that.
Both magics could be said to be of a similar series to the defensive magic Roden frequently utilized for enchantments.
Just one thing was different, that the subjects were the castle wall and castle gate.
‘Also, it is a magic that is very difficult to enchant. Because I had to fill the entire castle gate with runic words.’
This was why Roden stuck something messily on the castle gate before the start of the siege warfare.
It was a thin steel plate with runic words written in advance.
He judged that it was better to carve them on such a thin steel plate and attach it later rather than carving runic words directly on the castle gate.
As a result, the castle gate could withstand the explosion of the Castle-Breaking Crystal Orb.
Although it was slightly dented.
Like that, after hearing Michael's story and recalling the past for a moment, Roden opened his mouth.
“I was lucky. If I had taken measures on the castle wall first, the castle gate would have been destroyed.”
“Indeed. That side was too unlucky.”
“Anyway, let’s wrap up the appreciation at this point and focus on defense again. Since the siege warfare isn't over yet.”
Eventually, that day, the Imperial Army, who didn't gain much result even after using the Castle-Breaking Crystal Orb, couldn't capture Velia Castle blocked by the still firm second castle gate and retreated.
Somehow, the retreating Imperial Army looked like their will to fight was greatly broken.