Chapter 385
My Villains Episode 385
62. deception tactics(12)
Altenberg's magicians are beings created through various drugs, spells, and brainwashing..
A half-battle wizard who only knows two spells - a 'combustion' spell that burns his life to recover mana and an attack spell according to his role.
field.......
Although they were only half-hearted, the spells they unleashed such as 'fireball', 'arrow lightning', and 'gust of wind' were sufficiently fatal. It was even more difficult to deal with them because there were a few people who used curses instead of attack spells - it wasn't a very big curse, it was just enough to make you blind or deaf for a day..
Maybe that's why, some say that magic soldiers are much better at fighting than half-baked magicians..
Unlike ordinary magicians who learn at most four to fifteen spells, magic soldiers practice only two spells throughout their lives, and their proficiency is said to be extraordinary. The chanting speed is about half as fast as that of a wizard of similar level..
Also, since they are wizards created for war, they are bound to have much more practical experience..
Moreover, the magic soldiers whose minds were steeped in the special brainwashing technique taught in Altenburg were braver than most elite soldiers and absolutely obeyed orders..
Even though he knows that every time he uses a combustion spell, his remaining lifespan is reduced by several years, he immediately sacrifices his life and pours out attack spells as soon as the overseer gives him an order..
When these living siege weapons burned their lives and used spells, mana flames would gush out from their mouths. This was the reason why magic soldiers were called ‘devils of blue flame’..
Currently, there are five hundred such demons in the enemy camp. Seventy percent of Alzenburg's magic corps were mobilized for this war..
More than half of the five hundred magic soldiers can use fireballs, so they can fire out about two hundred and fifty fireballs using only their own mana, which is an incredible amount of power..
If you start using combustion spells, the number of fireballs will double in proportion to the remaining lives burned by magic soldiers..
The firepower of the magic corps alone is enormous, with over 30 Trebuchets constantly firing at rocks the size of houses..
Is there any way the castle wall can withstand this?.
“dismissal! It's urgent.!”
An officer stormed into the castle tower alone..
The lord and several of his staff were gathered at the large table in the center of the hall. These are the people who make up the command staff of my castle..
The other lords and officers were all fighting sword-to-sword with the enemy, or were injured during the battle and were receiving treatment at Andal-Viren's cathedral..
Is that why? I was the only one sitting comfortably, and everyone else was pacing around the table looking nervous. As their eyes gathered, the officer who brought the messenger continued his report in an urgent tone..
“It is said that the outer wall fell down.!”
The news was delivered eight hours after the full-scale siege began..
“Is it a preface??”
“Yes sir.”
«Uh ha r丁 •
The Margrave of Landry, the highest ranking person here, sneered low but did not look embarrassed or surprised..
Since the west gate was where the enemy's offensive was concentrated, the staff expected that the outer layer of the double wall surrounding the city would soon be broken..
“You left much later than expected..”
“According to Sir Ariad, he held out in order to inflict damage on the enemy..”
“I see. Friendly damage is?”
“The damage between conversion operations is around 30..”
“It's mild..”
“It looks like the operation is working well..”
“Is that so?.”
Margrave Landry nodded, sat down at the head of the table and leaned back. The staff also breathed a sigh of relief. An officer updated casualty figures in a table next to the map..
“Is the conversion complete??”
“All areas except the northeast gate have been completed. Northeast Gate is also moving troops to the inner wall under the command of Baron Ruyan..”
“Your Majesty?”
“You're safe..”
“good. to wait a moment.”
Is it because the heavy cavalry led by Ulkar suffered a severe blow? The imperial army continued the siege so persistently that it made people vomit..
The wave of attacks that started in the early afternoon continued until the moon rose, so that's all. Is it the power that comes from the great army of 15,000? The intensity of pressure was enormous as the soldiers continued to pour in..
“I'm glad the conversion operation was a success. It will be easier to hold on now..”
When an officer expressed his opinion, the diminutive lord, Viscount Cirillo, nodded..
“Probably so. The front is much narrower, and the inner wall is much higher and thicker than the outer wall..”
“Moreover, the outer wall is not completely gone, so it will block Trebuchet's bombardment and magician's attack spells to some extent. From the Gerlans' point of view, the attack has become about ten times more difficult..”
Although this is natural for the purpose of constructing a double wall, the outer wall viewed from the inner wall is completely exposed. There are no inward-facing battlements at all, and there is not a single blade of grass on the flat ground between the walls, so when arrows rain down on you, you have no choice but to use your body to catch them..
It also becomes difficult to manage Trebuchet and wizards..
To hit the inner wall, you had to throw a catapult or a spell from beyond the outer wall, but since it was an attack with an obstacle in between, it was natural that accuracy would be low. Even so, if you go inside the outer wall and attack, the archers and wizards on the inner wall will look down and snipe you..
“What's going on with the enemy magic corps??”
“It hasn't moved since they broke down half of the west gate and retreated..”
“So, has all the enemy's magical power been withdrawn??”
“That's not it. It is said that a few battle mages are mixed among the enemy infantry. It seems like a power to deal with attack spells from friendly wizards..”
Magic soldiers are certainly a powerful force, but when they engage in close-range combat with skilled battle magicians, they are defeated so easily that they become discouraged..
Wizards with a high understanding of magic, abundant magical power, and control over mana can interfere with other wizards by twisting or blocking the flow of mana before they can complete their spells. This talent is commonly called ‘Spell Blocking (C ounterspell)’. Of course, many conditions are necessary, such as they must be close enough to control mana and the magician must have a much higher magical level than the subject. However, as long as all these conditions were met, it was possible for a high-ranking wizard to fool six or seven low-level wizards alone..
The battle wizards under Ulkar and the battle wizards brought by the lords from the western part of the kingdom were all of quite high level. On the other hand, Altenberg's magic soldiers were only good at using two spells and had almost no magical understanding or basic skills..
So, if the magic soldiers stuck their heads inside the outer wall, they would be beaten like dogs by the spell blocking coming from the inner wall. Then, you will collapse, vomiting blood due to reflux of magical energy, or become a scarecrow who cannot even open his mouth..
Of course, you could use a force of 500 and just push ahead, but it wouldn't be a very economical method..
“……Although it is a situation worth taking a breather, the accumulated damage is quite significant..”
General McNeil, who serves as the representative of the staff, opened his mouth..
“I don't know how the south gate will hold out, but the west gate will need support. Move the reserves, sir..”
Margrave Landry quietly examined the casualties..
About 350 people were killed or injured at the west gate, which was directly commanded by Ulkar, and about 210 people were killed or injured at the south gate, which was commanded by Captain Arbecon..
The number of casualties in the north and east combined was less than 50. Based on the third castle gate, the Northeast Gate, the north was adjacent to Asag, and the east was the furthest from the enemy's main camp, so it did not receive a proper offensive..
“already… … . If you count the damage from the heavy cavalry, the casualties would be over eight hundred..”
“Of these, four or five hundred may return during the war.,”
“It will take time. At least a few days, if the priests don't collapse from exhaustion..”
“Yes, sir..”
The priests who resided in Andal-Viren's cathedral gave a huge advantage to the allies' combat durability..
It took over an hour at best for the enemy's wounded soldiers to be transported to the forest camp and meet the priests of the Calandari Church, but for our troops, twenty minutes was enough. This difference is enough to separate life and death in the case of a stabbed neck, and a difference between an idiot and a normal person in the case of a cut wrist..
In addition, Ulkar spent a huge amount of money and stocked up on wound healing potions. Thanks to this, even during the cruel battle, the ratio of dead to casualties was below 30%..
The Imperial Army will be in a much worse situation..
The staff estimates that the enemy's casualties will be four times that of our troops, and the casualty rate will be well over four percent. According to these calculations, it means that more than 1,500 enemies have been killed so far..
Even considering that it was a water-based battle, it was a very good exchange rate, but none of those gathered here were optimistic. Because if the inner wall collapses, playing with numbers will have no meaning..
“Then should we move Harold’s troops…? … . I think it would be better for that unit not to move until His Majesty orders it directly..”
Commander Harold has elite soldiers who have previously performed scouting missions. The number reached three hundred, making it the largest of the remaining reserve units. This was the unit where ‘Shield Maid’ Grania served as the unit commander..
Reserves are one of Prince Ulkar's most important tactical elements. It was emphasized several times during the mock battle that a strong reserve force must be present in order to flexibly respond to the war situation, whether on offense or defense..
“So, Your Majesty will have a plan for their operation. There must be a reason why he kept his subordinate commanders and his soldiers in reserve near the west gate.” “Yes, that’s what I said.” In High Castle, Ulkar is the one with the greatest tactical insight, and he is also the one with the best understanding of the war situation. If the prince had a plan for Harold's troops, it would not be wise to use them carelessly..
General McNeil added, looking sideways at the young lord, Count Ost, who was standing next to him..
“I think it would be better to move the reserve unit at the northeast gate..”
“……If you are the reserve unit of the Northeast Gate,”
Margrave Landry stroked his chin as he examined the horses placed on the map..
“This is Baron Thoseth's unit..”
“Yes sir.”
Baron Thoseth is a vassal of the Marquis of Eavon, Highlord of Antrum..
Currently, he is following Ulkar's command to fight against external enemies. However, both by custom and in practice between masters and servants, his real superior was the Count of Orth, the successor to the Marquis of Eavon..
“Hmm, since there was little damage there, I don't think it would be a problem to move the reserve unit. Still, tribute might come... … The Margrave of Landry had an appetizing look on his face. However, as if it was burdensome to arbitrarily decide the fate of troops that were not under my direct control, I glanced back at Count Os..
“uh,”
Os, a young sixteen-year-old count, looked at General McNeil and Margrave Landry alternately with a puzzled look on his face. After staring at him like that for a while, he slowly nodded..
“……Baron Toseth, well, he has a lot of battlefield experience for his age, so he will be a great help to the prince.-”
“There is no need to worry about the northeast gate..”
Before the young lord finished speaking, the old general spoke in a stern tone..
“It is said that Baron Lujan, who is only thirteen years old, is personally carrying the flag and encouraging the soldiers' spirit. Also, the man next to him named Gilbert is a talented person who proved his ability at a young age and became the senior petty officer of His Majesty the Third Prince. As long as those two are there, the northeast gate will never be breached by tribute or anything like that..”
Unlike Margrave Landry, who simply nodded his head, Count Ost kept his mouth shut..
Os had a kind personality but was not an idiot. And General McNeil's words contained so much bone that it was even more difficult to ignore them..
“Yes, that's right.”
The boy, who had something to gain from this war, forced his mouth shut. It seems like he's trying to imitate Lu Yan's confident expression, but he just looks awkward..
“Baron Thoseth and his troops... … These are Antrum's native soldiers that I personally led. If your Excellency allows, I would like to personally lead them and support Your Majesty the Third Prince..”
“……Umm.”
Margrave Landry must have sensed the situation and smiled bitterly..
“How could it be that the person who came on behalf of His Excellency, the Marquis of Eavon, gave permission to me, who is not even His Royal Highness the Prince? Please do whatever you want..”
“thank you.”
“It's okay to say that I'm a minister, but I'll replenish the troops with slightly injured people who have recovered. Lord Diyut, I'm sure you have troops ready.?”
“Yes, sir. I will prepare to dispatch immediately. I think it would be a good idea to resupply supplies along the way..”
“very good.”
By the time the Margrave's female knight disappeared like the wind, the boy's face had already turned pale. I felt sorry for that sight, so I smiled bitterly and opened my mouth..
“Sir, would you like me to attach some of your men as well??”
“……“The Lord’s men?” "yes. They are all useful, so if you take them with you as an escort, at least you won't get hit by a blind arrow..”
I was thinking of attaching about ten people, including the heavy soldier Dervish, the spearman Mackay, and Fritz, who had just recovered his condition. However, Count Oss shook his head politely, even though his face looked as if he was about to burst into tears..
“I really appreciate your meaning... … I have to decline..”
The boy count, who had succeeded in hiding his frightened expression while speaking, smiled broadly as if he was truly grateful..
“By my side are many retainers and knights of the Golden Age, including Sir Jebi Eo. If I accept Sir’s offer, I will be insulting them..”
“Well, I was short-thinking..”
“No, no. The kindness shown during the chaos cannot be discounted.……
Ugh. I thought about it before, but he's such a nice guy..
Well, nothing much will happen. There are four skilled guard knights, and he won't go into battle directly..
And, more than anything, Prince Ulkar does not want Os dead or hurt. If Ulkar was fighting Burcard's slave army with a ragtag group of people, he would watch over the young count's well-being as if he had eyes in the back of his head..
No, maybe I will give you a chance. An opportunity to make a big contribution to show off to your strict grandfather..
I, who was so hungry that I was slumped in my chair, got up and saw the young count off on his expedition..
……Oh, Hayla will soon be asleep, so I'll have to ask Rowen to make me a late-night snack..
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