236. Throwing the Spark (2)
The city of Ibalis, under the Lavirata Dynasty, was shrouded in a more ferocious aura than ever before. The heat of the day scorched the ground, creating mirages, and beyond them, the yellow stone walls revealed traces of the ancient Empire of Ashit.
Colorful, vividly dyed linen adorned the outer walls of Ibalis, beneath which ancient proverbs and heroic reliefs were extravagantly decorated.
There was undoubtedly something overwhelming about the sight.
The Beastmen feared the Wraith Dynasties of Ashit. This was half-instinctual.
The busts of gods with animal heads instilled a sense of awe in the Beastmen.
Kadán, the god of hunting, was also a deity of the ancient Ashit’s Temple of the Gods. For the Beastmen, the image of the Ashit Empire evoked nostalgia and reverence.
Though they were mere wraiths. Skeletons moving with a crude intelligence beneath their cold, lifeless forms, mimicking the past. Each one was a living relic, an artifact, and a piece of history.
“Your Excellency, my subordinates have abandoned the battle.”
Kirhas approached Fernandez and whispered, careful not to be overheard.
Fernandez chuckled briefly and tousled her hair.
“I already knew. I ordered it.”
“I will stay with you, Your Excellency. But will the forces excluding my legion be enough?”
“Of course not.”
Fernandez gazed at the formidable walls of Ibalis. The dust raised by the advancing Imperial Army could be seen from kilometers away. Indeed, the enemy’s artillery was moving towards the legion, which had been pushed just outside the range of the catapults.
Magic Cannons. Powerful cannons infused with the unique magical engineering of the dwarves. A single barrage from these cannons could even bring down the Serpent King’s flagship. What chance did these city walls have?
The walls of Ibalis, taller than the inner towers of Ribue, and the deep moat flowing beneath them.
Ibalis was an impregnable fortress city. Moreover, Lavirata was now thoroughly enraged. Even in magical warfare, they held no significant advantage.
-Screech! Thud!
From the center of the legion, the siege towers built by Imperial siege engineers slowly emerged. These massive towers, designed with the height of the walls in mind, moved steadily to the marching songs of the soldiers and cavalry.
“Quite impressive.”
Kirhas clicked her tongue briefly. For the nomadic Beastman Nobility, siege warfare was a very foreign concept. The palisades they built for settlements could be easily breached and entered by the force of cavalry.
But the Imperial Army was more skilled in siege warfare than any other legion in the Material World. Their battles, though very straightforward, were precisely where their strength lay.
The Imperial Army fought strictly according to a thoroughly tested manual. A manual created by the Empire’s strategists based on centuries of experience and records. It was a direct approach, but varied and threatening.
Conflicts between territories, numerous civil wars during the Empire’s fragmentation, and wars with external forces. It was the culmination of experience accumulated over the long existence of a single nation. Due to the high towers of Imperial fortresses, they had become specialists in siege warfare.
“At least, the Imperial Army will be enough to breach the outer walls.”
“Doesn’t breaching the outer walls mean the war is over?”
“No, urban warfare remains, Kirhas. Battles with the Legion of Wraiths shine in urban warfare.”
Fernandez gently stroked Kirhas’s head as he spoke. Kirhas let out a short growl and shook her head.
“Urban warfare means fighting will occur in the city center, right?”
“Yes. They only need to protect the royal castle. That massive fortress and the urban areas within are merely… ornamental clutter. What use do wraiths have for houses and markets?”
For the Wraith Warlords, the city area was a luxury in peacetime but could transform into a battlefield during war. Typically, a fortress with its outer walls breached would surrender, as a fortress without its residents and residential districts had no future.
But for wraiths, who do not eat, drink, or live, the city area becomes an overwhelmingly advantageous battlefield. The maze-like, narrow alleys cannot accommodate war machines, and soldiers are easily isolated and scattered.
The Imperial Army, having exhausted their strength breaching the outer walls, would be bewildered by the unfamiliar concept of ‘urban warfare.’ And that bewilderment would translate directly into casualties. Fernandez chuckled briefly from atop his horse.
“Shouldn’t we warn them, then?”
“The Imperial Army?”
“At least Duke Carvelier. Duke Carvelier refused to be stationed in the rear for this battle.”
“He must be quite excited.”
“He has achieved too many victories. From an outsider’s perspective, it’s an achievement worthy of arrogance. He has always led the charge on every front, breaking through the enemy’s depth and securing victories.”
“Don’t underestimate the Duke, Kirhas. He was born during the Fifty-Year War, grew up in it, and survived until its end. His entire life has been intertwined with the battlefield.”
Fernandez said this while gazing at the sky.
A hawk was flying.
The flow of magic, swaying with the hawk’s wingbeats, could be read. He whispered briefly. It has begun.
-Whoosh! Boom!
The fortress’s barrage began. Trailing gray trajectories, they tore through the blue sky. Lavirata’s legion began bombarding the Imperial ranks and the siege towers beyond.
“It’s going to be a rough battlefield, Kirhas.”
“If it’s the path Your Excellency takes, I wouldn’t refuse even if it’s a thorny road.”
At her words, Fernandez stroked her hair and turned his gaze beyond the frontline. The Imperial Army had begun their advance.
The moment they crossed the death line, the offensive of the Legion of Wraiths began. Arrows rained down like a torrent. Everard gritted his teeth and shouted.
“Form ranks! Shields up!! Shields up!!”
“Shields!! Raise them!!”
-Thud thud thud thud thud!!
Arrows fell onto the shields made of interlocked iron plates. Even Everard, clad in full plate armor, flinched at the impact of the falling arrows. Fierce. He pulled out an arrow embedded in the ground and examined it.
It was an old, rusted arrow that looked like it would shatter at any moment. How could it have such power? It had flown a distance greater than the maximum range of the Imperial Army’s bows. Shields were torn, and soldiers fell wounded.
If such an offensive was possible, why hadn’t they used it until now…?
Everard’s contemplation didn’t last long. Soon, the sound of artillery tearing through the sky approached.
“Cannons!!”
