Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 423: Chapter 56: The Shadow Commander_3

The civilians were naturally obedient to military authority and didn’t require much additional concern.

“If I were in charge,” Winters seriously repeated his answer, “next year. No one would listen to me, only waiting for the Herders to starve to death.”

Major General Sekler understood the lieutenant’s point and explained, “Of course, you don’t need to come to the forefront, you can take a position at the legion’s headquarters. Orders would be issued in my name and Alpad’s, so you won’t be made a target.”

“Why the rush?” Winters countered, “Even if I were to step up, it would be the same old tactics—tunneling, blasting, artillery bombardment. Today, we can already glimpse the dawn of victory; with patience, Bianli City will be Paratu’s sooner or later.”

“No!” Sekler said, his eyes intense and expression stern, “It must be fast! The faster, the better!”

…

…

That night, the Paratu army entered the trench positions and tunneled forward throughout the night.

The next day, the Paratu army blasted open the South Rampart’s wall again.

This time, the engineers adopted a new tunneling method, not going straight in but instead creating an angled cavity. Although it required more work, the sealing effect was much better.

The engineering craftsmen in the army also improved the containers used for the gunpowder. Previously, to facilitate transportation, gunpowder was delivered to the mine in separate barrels. The barrels were detonated successively, which dispersed the power of the explosion.

This time, they used a single “coffin” filled with gunpowder, bound tightly with iron hoops, and sealed with pitch both inside and out.

The second blast was no longer a muffled fart.

A corner of the South Rampart was directly demolished, the explosion sound even startling the warhorses at the main camp. Earth and splintered wood flew dozens of meters into the air, and there was a rain of mud both inside and outside the city.

As soon as the South Rampart had been breached, the newly-formed Paratu grenadier battalion rushed into the gap.

Following Winters’ suggestion, Sekler picked tall, strong, powerfully built, and courageous soldiers from the Fifth and Sixth Legions, equipping them with half-armor, full-face helmets, close-combat weapons, and iron bombs specifically for storming breaches.

The iron bombs were heavy but had a miraculous effect in siege warfare.

The Herders fought back desperately, but the Paratu army advanced and retreated three times, eventually securing a firm hold on a corner of the bastion.

By the time the Herders wanted to push back the Paratu People from the breach, it was no longer possible, because while the two sides were struggling at the gap, Winters had already led his men to connect the last section between the breach and the trench positions.

The Paratu army could continually reinforce the breach through the trenches.

As night fell and both the exhausted Paratu and Herders could not best each other, both sides ceased their banners and drums to lick their wounds, and the battle ended for the moment.

However, in the dead of night, another explosion jolted people, animals, and birds awake for miles around.

This time, it was a mine blast almost unbounded by the volume of charges; the entire North Rampart of West Guard City was blown sky-high.

The Herders inside were so terrified they thought it was an earthquake and scattered in all directions.

The Paratu army, prepared in advance, seized the moment to attack the breach in the North Rampart with two infantry battalions.

Fighting fiercely from deep night until dawn, West Guard City was conquered. The Herders fled into the main city seeking refuge.

Paratu’s flanking forces on the south and north banks also took the opportunity to cross the river, erecting siege ladders to attack the Eastern Defense City.

As the sun rose from the horizon, Winters stood at the watchtower, gazing at Bianli, where Paratu’s quadrant flags were already planted throughout the West City.

Andre was beaming with joy beside Winters.

Lieutenant Vineta and others had already heard—the war would be over, and they could go home, with victory within reach.

“So vulnerable, so utterly vulnerable!” Andre laughed heartily, clapping Winters’ shoulder vigorously.

“The battle isn’t won yet, don’t rush to celebrate,” Winters also let out a hint of a smile, and he beckoned to a messenger, “Go find Major General Sekler. Lieutenant Mason has gathered the Herders’ artillery shells. Have Lieutenant Mason take the shells to the front, turn the Herders’ cannons around, and blow open the main city gates.”

The messenger scrambled down from the watchtower and ran quickly towards the headquarters of the legion.

Winters felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction, the army was at his disposal like chess pieces, and he could plan without restraint, watching his plans unfold—nothing could excite him more.@@novelbin@@

Even though he was just an adviser strategizing behind the scenes, he found all this gave him an illusion of omnipotence, and he couldn’t help but ask himself, “Is this what power is like? Dangerous and intoxicating.”

With the dawn, squad after squad of soldiers left the staging area, heading towards Bianli City.

Winters reached for his pendant box, “The Herders’ morale is already faltering; maybe it is possible to win the battle in one go.”

Behind him, unseen, a rider charged straight into the camp gates. The guards immediately intercepted; the rider fell from the horse, shouting and scrambling toward the headquarters of the legion.

Five minutes later, Winters received a slip of paper.

The joy on his face gradually faded, and the wrinkles on his forehead began to appear one by one.

“What’s wrong?” Andre sensed something amiss.

Within view, the Paratu formations marching in step towards Bianli started to turn around one by one, the green-crested messenger riders galloping towards West Guard City.

Winters raised the slip of paper in his hand, an unusually calm look on his face, “The Herders’ reinforcements have arrived.”

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