My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 229. Espionage

Ferda came outside and looked up at the siege weapon.

The trebuchet could be called the culmination of Imperial technology.

Since it had been developed relatively early, it was old enough that other kingdoms had already figured out its structure and were capable of producing their own. Even so, its performance and efficiency remained outstanding even in recent times.

—Fire!

The sound of wood creaking and ropes winding.

At the same time, a heavy boulder soared into the sky.

BOOM...!

The sound of impact rang out as the stone fell inside, but there was no sound of anything collapsing.

As soon as one shot was fired, the crews immediately reset the machine and prepared to launch the next boulder.

The safety of the civilians no longer mattered. All they had to do was keep driving the bombardment farther inside the outer walls of the kingdom.

"We are currently on the eighth bombardment. And these are the estimated points of impact."

With more than twenty trebuchets in operation, the map he had marked was densely covered with numbers.

Among them, Ferda noticed a location where three projected impact points overlapped.

"You say this place has been hit three times, yet there was no sound of a collapse?"

"That’s correct."

"Hmm..."

Normally, in a situation like this, one would conclude that it was a sturdy structure that could not be brought down by a trebuchet.

But there was no way an ordinary residential building—not even part of the outer wall—could be that sturdy.

"That’s good news."

"Is it?"

"It means they are maintaining the power of the Legion in order to preserve the kingdom’s form. In other words, our siege is inflicting meaningful damage."

One thing remained unclear to him: whether this was due to compulsion or obsession.

King Heinkel was obsessed with protecting his kingdom, so either possibility would not have been strange.

"How are the various kings planning to use their forces?"

"The details differ, but the general idea is similar. They intend to create sacrificial pieces and concentrate their attacks on the parts that constitute King Heinkel’s strength."

"So everyone is after the same thing."

They wanted to obtain power comparable to that of the President of the Cerdes Magic Association, Erdes Roton.

What exactly was human greed?

It wasn’t as though they were unaware that such terrifying power came with a price.

At the same time, Ferda could not say he failed to understand it.

The more eyes that watched you, the more anxious you became. And the more anxious you became, the more power you desired.

That was the ugly cycle of humanity.

"Oh? What are you doing here?"

Ferda turned his head at the familiar voice and saw Zed.

As fate would have it, the tent where Zed was staying was right next to the place where Ferda and Garnet were standing.

He scratched his bedhead as he emerged, looking like a man who had only just woken up.

Ferda and Garnet looked at him with expressions of exasperation.

"The sun is about to pierce the sky, and you’re only coming out now?"

"Aw, don’t even mention it. It was hard sleeping on that hot, humid ground. And I worked hard last night too, you know?"

"What kind of work?"

"What else? Gathering information."

Zed flashed a grin, and Garnet narrowed her eyes as she spoke.

"Spit it out."

"Good grief, why are you making it sound so scary? Between us, no less."

"Spit it out."

"Ahem. I found out yesterday that King Hudret’s army received grenades from alchemists."

Alchemists and grenades.

"Explosives?"

"Yes. There are ordinary explosives, but apparently some of the bombs contain deadly poisonous gas."

"King Hudret is waging war mercilessly."

"Apparently, he doesn’t normally operate that way. He likes conquest, but he shows mercy to those who surrender and makes every effort to win over those who are going to become his citizens."

"Is that so?"

"So when the knights heard about a plan to massacre everyone like this, they apparently had a hard time accepting it."

When Ferda had first heard that they intended to massacre everyone, he had thought Hudret was the same sort of person as Ureas.

Ferda reflected on how shallow his judgment had been.

"I see."

He nodded quietly at the surprisingly detailed information Zed had brought back.

But Garnet still looked at him suspiciously.

"Don’t trust him, Regent. Everything that comes out of that swindler’s mouth is a lie."

"What?! How can you say something so harsh?"

"Even our people don’t know this yet. How the hell did you find out?"

"What’s wrong with you? I’m a man who does his job too."

"No, I know there hasn’t been a single report that you went anywhere. So how exactly did you conduct espionage? Are you going to keep lying?"

"What, did you watch my tent all day? Why would you do that? To look at my body? You dirty little vixen..."

Zed gave Garnet a greasy smile and tried to seduce her.

"Changing the subject at a strange point, are we..."

Garnet took a step toward him, and Zed instinctively stepped backward.

"Don’t move."

Garnet pressed her nose against Zed’s neck and sniffed him before frowning.

"You don’t smell like yourself."

"Of course not. I sleep out in a place like this, so naturally the smells of grass and earth stick to me."

"No, that’s not it. This is—"

Rustle.

Something moved loudly inside Zed’s tent.

It was supposed to be a tent for him alone, yet there was clearly someone inside.

A moment later, someone sprang out.

It was a woman whose hair was just as disheveled as Zed’s, and whose clothes were equally disheveled.

"Hmm?"

The woman, who had been sleepily opening her eyes and stretching, belatedly noticed the three of them and opened her eyes wide.

She gave an embarrassed look before bursting into hearty laughter.

"Ha ha! It seems I’ve shown you quite an embarrassing sight."

"...."

"Allow me to introduce myself belatedly. It is an honor to meet the Regent of the Duchy of Valdrova. I am Jenin Clive, a knight of the Kingdom of Hudret."

"...I am Ferda Valdrova. Nice to meet you."

"Last night, Sir Zed and I exchanged operational information and took some time to get to know each other. Please don’t worry. Sir Zed did not reveal any confidential information or anything of the sort."

"...I see."

"Then I shall be going now. Sir Zed."

"Yes?"

"Write me a letter when you return. Or you may come visit before then."

With an unusually shy expression, she winked and walked away.

Zed pressed his fingers against his brow and muttered,

"I definitely told her to leave quietly through the back..."

Ferda quietly watched the woman’s retreating back before realizing something and asking him,

"That woman named Jenin. Isn’t she the general known as Lady Pasan?"

"...Yes."

"Wasn’t she famous as a beautiful Sword Master who declared that she would never take a man weaker than herself as her husband?"

"I heard she ended up an old maid because she chose her words poorly."

"I see."

"..."

"Don’t misunderstand. She was the one who came on to me first. When I brought that woman named Erdes here, the knights of King Hudret came here with us as well. We were talking ’completely normally,’ and then she suggested that we exchange strategies, and somehow things ended up like that!"

"I see."

As far as Ferda was concerned, he wondered whether that was really something worth explaining while sweating bullets.

Ferda didn’t care what Zed did.

The reason Zed was desperately trying to explain himself was because the person he needed to convince wasn’t Ferda, but the woman standing beside him.

Unlike Ferda, Garnet was extremely interested. She glared at Zed with eyes as sharp as an axe.

"Strictly speaking, isn’t this espionage as well?"

"...."

"I infiltrated deep into enemy territory and—"

"Is there really no option available to you other than just shutting your mouth?"

Garnet said that, and only then did Zed finally shut up.

***

Count Rooster’s Camp, Imperial Army

Although they were members of the Imperial Army, they were closer to an independent detachment that operated separately.

Count Rooster was kneeling as he sharpened his sword with a whetstone.

With his eyes closed, he focused on the sound of the blade being ground against the stone.

His mind was calm.

It had to be.

That was the only way he could throw himself into the maelstrom of excitement.

It was also the reason he had returned alive from operations with a survival rate of zero percent.

—What do you think is a soldier’s duty?

A question arose in Count Rooster’s mind.

It was a question a certain man had once asked him when he was a young knight cadet who knew nothing of the world.

—A soldier exists to devote himself to his country. But that doesn’t mean he should become someone who has to bear everything alone.

That devotion comes from knowing that we have a great future ahead of us, and from knowing that one day, I, my comrades, and my family will be rewarded for it.

That man had extended his hand to someone as insignificant as him.

—I will take responsibility for your future. So will you devote yourself to me?

That man had never spoken empty words, and even now, he was keeping that promise.

Therefore, Count Rooster’s answer remained the same as it had been back then.

Count Rooster strapped his sword to his back and stepped outside the tent.

His knights were waiting there for his orders.

"Are you all ready?"

"Yes!"

"We must make absolutely no mistakes this time. His Grace, Duke Golt, is watching."

"Yes!"

Count Rooster took the lead and moved forward past them.

The grueling siege was over.

Now came the all-out battle.

It was time to pour everything they had into it.

***

After the three-day siege ended, the full-scale assault began.

Flags fluttered in the wind, and the army advanced in perfect formation, its footsteps moving in unison.

The plains near the Kingdom of Heinkel were instantly filled with people.

More than 100,000 soldiers were gathering toward a single location.

Ferda observed the situation from the front line alongside the commanders.

"We’ve moved this much, yet they haven’t shown themselves."

"Indeed."

It was customary for the enemy to show themselves immediately before the beginning of a war and conduct one final negotiation.

But there were no soldiers guarding the gates.

Nothing.

It was as if death itself were waiting for them inside.

Ureas seemed to like the situation and shouted,

"All that remains is merciless conquest. Sound the battle horn!"

BWOOOOOO—!

The horn’s deep resonance announced the preparations for battle.

The commanders returned to their respective armies, and Ferda did the same.

The Far Eastern troops took their positions as planned.

However, instead of putting the Spearmen who were intended as sacrificial pieces at the front, they placed their knights—the very embodiment of their full fighting strength—at the forefront.

Every one of them was equipped with a large shield and a relatively short sword.

Even that alone offered a glimpse into their tactics.

They were a moving wall, designed to block all damage that would otherwise reach the rear ranks.

As long as they did not collapse, Ferda’s army would suffer the fewest casualties.

But they said reality and ideals were different things.

When seasoned commanders saw such tactics, they would undoubtedly have dismissed them as the dream of inexperienced recruits lost in idealism.

However, Ferda’s army had Alberdo.

When he stood in the center of the front line holding a massive shield as large as the main gate of the royal castle and a long club in his other hand, he was a fortress unto himself.

Ferda approached the commander standing at the front line.

As they had discussed, Olivia was in command of the Tactical Infantry, while William stood beside her as her adjutant.

"Please take good care of my soldiers, Princess."

"May Alte’s blessing be with you, Regent."

Olivia subtly glanced at William and gave him a signal.

He immediately understood and turned toward the Hestia troops, shouting,

"Our future rests upon you! Who are we?!"

"Who are we?!"

The morale-filled knights struck the emblem of Valdrova engraved upon their shoulders as they called out the first response.

The Tactical Infantry standing behind them answered in unison.

"We are the guardians of the front line!"

"Where is our homeland?!"

"The final bastion of humanity that protects the continent!"

"What is our mission?!"

"To punish all evil with the blue flame!"

"To the weak!"

"A warm campfire!"

"To the sinful!"

"The flames of hellfire!"

"Glory to the Aspect of Fire!"

"Glory to Hestia!"

Even though their army numbered only 500, they radiated an overwhelming presence.

"Impressive."

Ferda smiled in satisfaction.

Having made such a powerful display of presence, it would have felt awkward to simply turn around and leave.

So Ferda said to William,

"When the war is over, give everyone an additional reward regardless of their contribution. Make sure that is communicated."

"Yes, Regent."

Ferda then withdrew to the rear and remained there with his escort.

His escort consisted of an elite force of only Luri, Zed, and Arwen.

Ferda looked at Arwen and asked,

"Was your wedding this autumn, Lord Consilus?"

"Yes. And I would appreciate it if you simply called me Arwen..."

Arwen said this with a reddened face.

Even though it had been a long time since he had become Consilus’s adopted son, it still felt awkward to him.

Zed knew this and began teasing him.

"What’s wrong, Lord Consilus? Are you embarrassed about being a Consilus?"

"I don’t want to hear that from you."

"Anyway, are you sure this is okay? You’re getting married this autumn, yet you’re throwing yourself into a place like this."

"Now that I have become Count Consilus’s adopted son, shouldn’t I do this even more? It is my duty to serve Regent Ferda."

"Someone who’s about to walk into hell really isn’t taking care of himself."

"Even if this is hell, it will still be less hellish than for someone who got caught cheating."

"Cheating?"

"The rumor has spread everywhere. They say you spent the night with Lady Pasan and got caught red-handed by your wife."

"That was espionage. And why would she be my wife? She’s nothing to me."

"Can I tell Supply Commander Garnet that, then?"

"Hey, hey. What’s gotten into you? I barely touched you, and you immediately throw a punch. That’s not how you treat a man."

While the two laughed over their pointless conversation, Luri spoke with a displeased expression.

"Lord Ferda."

"What’s wrong?"

"I will protect you, Lord Ferda."

Despite her small stature, she carried a massive axe over her shoulder—an axe that most grown men would not even dare attempt to wield—making her look extremely dependable.

BWOOOOOO—!

The battle horn sounded once again.

The war had begun.

Read more Chapters here - Apexnovelhub.com