Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 419: 55: Excavation



Chapter 419: Chapter 55: Excavation

The rivers across the Great Wilderness all belong to dendritic drainage systems, with tributaries and the main rivers intersecting at sharp angles.

The Herders, taking advantage of the terrain, built their city on the narrow high ground where two rivers met. The city was surrounded by water on three sides, making it easy to defend and hard to attack; only the northwest side was solid ground.

Although the two unnamed rivers were rapid, they were not too wide, allowing for swimming or boating to cross. The land around Bianli City was thus split into three parts by the two rivers.

Therefore, the besieging Paratu army also split into three, with two flanking forces encamped on the south and northeast sides, across the river, to prevent the Herders inside the city from fleeing across the river.

The main force crossed the river and set up camp to the northwest of the earthen city, building ramparts and trenches to seal off the land route. Meanwhile, temporary bridges set up by the engineers connected the three areas above the rivers.

The Paratu army had been besieging the city for nearly two months, and these arrangements had been completed even before Jeska’s battalion arrived.

Although they had not launched a direct attack on the city walls, the Paratu people had not been idle during this time.

Under the suggestion of Major General Alpad, the engineers had continuously tunneled towards the base of the city walls. Most of the timber hauled back by Jeska’s battalion was used by the engineers to reinforce the tunnels.

However, the progress of the tunnel was confidential, and the officers of Jeska’s battalion were unaware of it.

As auxiliary troops, their only responsibility was to dig trenches and guard them.

No one knew the decision-making process at the top, but at least the opinions of the generals were unified.

Two infantry battalions and one cavalry squadron from the Fifth Legion left the main force and headed east, following the orders of Brigadier General Sekler, they were to return to the west bank of the Styx to rebuild the floating bridge.

Besides that, there were no more detachments from the Paratu army; they focused all their efforts on attacking Bianli City.

The Paratu’s attack began after noon, when the daylight was in their favor.

Several Paratu generals, all experienced military officers, understood the Herders’ arrangements at a glance.

The “Bianli” earthen city was narrow and long, roughly divided into west, central, and east sections.

Among these, the main city was on the highest ground, with the Herders’ added defensive cities to the east and west of it.

Because of the erosion caused by the rivers, the south and north sides of the earthen city were steep and had the rivers as barriers, so attacking from these two directions would only result in a bloody nose.

The west and east sides had gentler terrain, but the Eastern Defense City was surrounded by water on three sides, making it equally difficult to attack.

Therefore, the west was the most vulnerable part of Bianli, and the Herders would surely deploy their main force in the West Guard City. The struggle for the west wall would determine the outcome of the battle.

The Herders formed a grand array to invite battle, with no clever strategies to employ, they could only gnaw at the bone.

When the sun reached its zenith, Alpad sent envoys to persuade the Herders to surrender one last time. The Herders flatly refused but were quite gracious, not attacking the envoys.

The war drums were beaten loudly; this was the signal for the Paratu to attack.

The desolate sound of the horn came from afar, and the shadows on the city walls moved. A few city gates also opened with a bang as the Herders started entering the defensive positions below the walls.

Under the officers’ guidance, the Paratu behind the fortifications all roared in unison. Wave after wave of shouts rose, and hearing this battle cry, no one could help but be stirred with fervor.

The roar echoed on the wilderness, and the Paratu army marched out.

Winters peeked out from the trenches prepared against the enemy’s sorties, watching the heavily armored Paratu soldiers push dozens of shield carts, protecting the musketeers as they slowly approached the city walls.

Alaric’s cohort had once pushed shield carts to attack the Styx military camp; now seeing Paratu employing the exact same tactic, Winters couldn’t help but let out a wry laugh.

Pressed for time, and considering the Herders’ weak long-range firepower, those above decided there was no need for trench progression. Brigadier General Sekler ordered a direct assault on the city walls.

Winters’ troops were not part of the siege lineup; Jeska’s battalion was responsible for defending a segment of the blockade line, so Winters could dig trenches according to his own plan.

This was something he had done frequently on the archipelago.

He spaced the trenches six meters apart, not connecting them transversely, so as to save on labor.

Dispensing soldiers like sprinkling salt made them easy to break, so Winters enlarged each angle in the trenches to accommodate two ten-man squads, which he referred to as “salients.”

Beside Winters, the militiamen also peeked out from the trenches, nervously watching the siege troops press towards the city walls.

Several puffs of white smoke rose from the walls above, Winters tensed up—Bello had not lied; the Herders indeed had cannons.

The cannonball, thundering like a storm, flew toward the trench where Winters was located. The militiamen gasped, scrambling back into the trench.

Winters did not flinch as the cannonball whistled overhead, four or five meters above, its destination unknown.

What was the point of firing at the trenches? The cannons atop the city were surely aimed at the shield carts, but the shots were wildly off.

Winters shook his head; in his view, the Paratu’s siege ability and the Herders’ defensive skills were both poor, third-rate.@@novelbin@@

A militiaman beside him, getting to his feet, suddenly asked, “Why are you shaking your head, sir?”

Winters glanced at the questioning militiaman: “What’s your name?”

He had recently had a large influx of militiamen under his command, and so he still didn’t recognize everyone.

“Ish from Ganshui Town,” the militiaman stammered, unnerved under the gaze of the Blood Wolf.

The other militiamen in the salient also stood rigid.

“I’m shaking my head because storming the city like this is nothing but brute force,” Winters tried to memorize the appearance and name of the militiaman before him.

He jumped back into the trench, slapping the dirt off his hands and said, “Stop looking; Bianli won’t fall today. Pick up your shovels, keep digging forward!”

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