136 First Castle Attack
The head of one of the advancing soldiers jerked sideways every once in a while.
Rudy dismounted and passed among the soldiers.
The soldier was a very young slave soldier. fifteen? sixteen? In most countries, fifteen is considered an adult. It seems that this soldier also became a soldier as soon as he became an adult. It’s not magic disease. It was a general disease.
As Rudy drew closer from behind, the other soldiers moved slightly away, still advancing.
But the young slave soldier doesn’t know yet. I eagerly chase after the soldier in front of me. Occasionally he groaned and shook his body.
“There’s something wrong with your leg.”
When Rudy spoke to him from behind, the young slave soldier turned away in surprise. If you turn around like that while advancing, you will bump into a soldier coming behind you. I was still young and didn’t know much about it.
“Okay, it’s okay.”
The young slave soldier shook his head in embarrassment. As the slave soldier stopped and abandoned him, other soldiers passed the two men.
A soldier who looked to be closer to forty, walking beside him, lightly tapped the slave soldier on the back of the head.
“Hey, it’s weakly frostbitten.”
As Rudy frowns, the soldier laughs.
“It’s okay, Your Majesty. It was too weak to be called a real frostbite, so I found it right away and melted it down. I’m also applying herbs from the military doctor.”
The soldier pointed at the leg of the young slave soldier.
“I’m just limping because I’m wearing special shoes that I’ve developed. This guy is so hard on me that I put a sole on it so he doesn’t get sick.”
Looking at the slave soldier’s feet, there were two layers of straw soles under his shoes, tied with string. Indeed, if it was like this, it was worth limping.
“Are you really okay?”
When Rudy asked, another soldier came up and smiled.
“It’s really good. Since this guy is inexperienced, the socks are not dry, but it looks like he just put them on. If you wear wet ones in cold weather, of course you get frostbite.”
The soldier laughed like he was having fun.
“The pain was so severe that within a few hours, it was itchy, I had no sense, and I made a fuss. Thanks to that, I was able to take action quickly. He is better than me.”
If you say that, it puts my mind at ease. Rudy tapped the boy slave soldier on the shoulder.
“We have to be careful from now on. The most dangerous thing in the Winter War is frostbite. If you do something wrong, you might have to have your leg amputated.”
The slave soldier’s face went pale.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
All soldiers passing by laugh at the exchange between Rudy and the slave soldier.
Rudy smiled at the soldiers.
“Let’s all suffer a little bit. The castle will come out soon. As long as we get there, everyone can run wild.”
The soldiers answered loudly.
“Old! Your Majesty.”
“Listening to His Majesty’s words gives me a lot of energy.”
“Little boy, walk hard too.”
The soldiers passed by, saying one word at a time.
Rudy got away from the soldiers again and rode his horse. As I rode my horse forward, I heard the voices of several captains.
“An hour more is the castle.”
“Come on, everyone, put your strength together. The treasure awaits us.”
Morale remains high. However, due to the increased speed of the advance, fatigue was piling up. Experienced soldiers and captains were keenly aware of the appearance of the soldiers and were advancing while encouraging their surroundings.
Rudy watched the soldiers silently and muttered.
“They are good soldiers. I am a blessed person.”
An aide who approached at some point said.
“We are blessed to serve a lord like Your Majesty.”
“Well, I guess I’m more fortunate.”
Rudy narrowed his eyes to see the soldiers. The aide smiled brightly.
But it really is. The Imperial Army are good soldiers. It was completely different from the soldiers I saw in Dicoquaria. Strict military discipline, faithfully following orders when given.
Rudy hurried his horse and passed among the soldiers, carefully checking for any limping soldiers. Every time he passed, the soldiers smiled, even though they must be tired.
There are quite a lot of items brought by the supply unit.
Because he used enough refrigerated and frozen magic tools, he was able to produce fresh food that could not be seen on the battlefield. It is quite luxurious for a battlefield.
There are some things prepared exclusively for the emperor, but basically, in the empire, the emperor eats food together with the soldiers on the battlefield.
For that reason, even though it was a stew eaten by soldiers, the quality was good.
However, most of the items brought to the battlefield are things that can be reduced in volume as much as possible. Most of them were beef jerky, harvested and dried vegetables, and grain powder such as wheat flour.
If you eat that kind of thing every day, you get tired of it. Unknowingly, stress and dissatisfaction build up. Looting on the battlefield was a way to blow those things away at once.
When plundering, it is decided what the soldiers can have.
Items such as gold coins, silver coins, and jewels cannot be possessed by ordinary soldiers. However, the person who first acquired daily items such as farm tools and pots or coins during plundering time was the owner.
Soldiers sell loot to merchants for small pieces of wood. If the amount increases, you will receive a different colored piece of wood and exchange it for money later.
Women are like loot. Noble women should not be touched by common soldiers. But if you were a commoner, you were free.
Soldiers were forbidden to sell them as slaves, but they could have any woman when it was plunder time without having to pay the merchants who followed them.
Ordinary slave soldiers, who make up the bulk of the Imperial Army, cannot have personal property. Everything they plundered became the property of the emperor.
Instead, slave soldiers were given the privilege of consuming as much wood as they received on the battlefield. In his personal time, he has drinks and women. It was the reason why the slaves dreamed of being battle slaves and soldiers of the Empire.
However, Rudy forbade looting during the march. From the perspective of the soldiers, they were deprived of the wages they deserved. Complaints and complaints could not come out, but no one showed displeasure.
‘I felt like I pushed a little too hard on this job.’
Still, to the soldiers who smiled and accepted without saying anything, what Rudi offered as an alternative was plundering the castle.
This time, it was the people of the Kingdom of Cania who allowed Rudy to plunder and the people of Dicoquaria who cooperated with them. All the rich people in the city are targeted.
Money, such as gold and silver coins, is still not allowed for ordinary soldiers, but this time, it is specifically allowed to touch the clothes and daily belongings of nobles.
It was for this reason that the captains boosted the morale of the soldiers by using castles as bait. Well, their morale would have risen significantly, too.
‘It was fortunate that not many nobles participated.’
The Imperial Army also has aristocratic units. However, unlike other countries, it was not on a large scale. They are a kind of hostage, made up of aristocratic children and a small number of subordinates.
If it had been in the form of a large number of lords’ troops like other countries, even the emperor would not have been able to stop plundering at will.
Suddenly, the city began to appear in the distance.
A stone wall surrounds the city in a circle. And further out there rose a high hill.
The lord’s castle was beyond the high walls perched on the hill.
The imperial army stopped at a reasonable distance from the castle.
Some troops shouted “Wow,” toward the castle. The sound soon spread to the surroundings, and gradually the entire army let out a loud roar. The earth seems to shake.
The aide came closer, pretending to cover one ear.
“Do you have a map of that castle?”
At Rudy’s question, the assistant smirked and opened the map.
“Yes, Your Majesty. It doesn’t show every corner of the castle, but this map is quite accurate. The walls you see now are the outermost walls of the city.”
The place where Rudy and the imperial army arrived was the most prosperous city on the outskirts. It’s so big, but the walls are solid. In addition, a double or triple wall encircled the city.
Even if you pass through the walls surrounding the outermost city, there are walls and gates beyond that again. The lord’s castle was at the top of the hill through the gateway once more.
Even if you break through the third wall at the bottom of the hill, you have to break through the last wall at the lord’s castle at the top of the hill.
It used to be famous as an impregnable castle, the aide said with a laugh.
“It was because we were lucky that we captured the castle even when Kania invaded.”
The aide said so and changed the topic to the city structure.
Rudy smiled bitterly. I heard that the Imperial Army occupied this city during the Canian War. The map the aide was holding was probably made at that time.
Rudy checked the map on the back of his horse and nodded.
“Be warned not to go too far. That castle is ours to use later anyway. If it’s completely demolished and the wall is gone, our successor will end up doing the hard work.”
The captains who had come near us smirked.
“All right.”
“It’s a matter of course.”
Each of the captains nodded, but one of the captains commanding the magicians frowned as if in trouble.
“But I don’t know if the soldiers will be able to restrain themselves. I’m determined to show you the skills I’ve cultivated so far. If I limit myself too much, morale will suffer. A little exaggeration on the battlefield is better than stagnation.”
He is the leader of a unit that handles heavy equipment among magicians.
Rudy shrugged.
“If that’s the case, please be content with just one gate or one wall. It’s really scary to come back if it’s so rampant that it all collapses. Every brick is money.”
The captains laughed loudly.
“Well, then, first of all, we’ll send a messenger encouraging you to surrender. Inside the castle, you’ll be thirsty because you’ll wonder if we’re allies or enemies.”
“hahahaha. I see.”
At a reasonable distance from the castle, the imperial army’s camp was built. Tents are erected on all sides, and the banners of the Imperial Army blow in the wind.
Before the battle, the magicians and soldiers began to check their weapons. The supply unit checked the condition of the carts and horses.
While everyone prepared for battle, messengers passed between the castle and the imperial army over the course of several days.
At first, the contents of the letter, which started politely, surrender if you want to live, thought you were allies, but why did you come as enemies, etc., became more and more radical as time passed.
At the last minute, the letter was filled with sentences dotted with curses from beginning to end.
Perhaps the castle on the hill noticed that the Imperials had no siege equipment and thought they would be safe.
Well, if it were an ordinary country, it would have been difficult to besiege the outside of the castle.
I don’t know if it’s spring. Few troops can survive a successful assault that takes months in the middle of winter with nowhere to airlift food. The winter war is difficult for the sit-in side, but it is equally difficult for the attacking army.
However, they seem to have forgotten that the Empire is a country famous for its magical weapons. In addition, he might not even know the meaning of the new emperor being the Corea Dynasty, which can make magic tools.
Rudy stared at the castle for a while while being blown by the cold wind.
I didn’t tell the soldiers, but I wanted to end it with surrender if possible.
If the castle surrendered quietly, it could have been done with minimal sacrifice. At least the lives of the children would have been concluded without stepping on them. Life doesn’t work out the way you want it to.
“Your Majesty, all the captains have gathered.”
An aide came to call him. Now the true war of decoquaria begins. My heart felt a bit heavy.
Rudy hid his sinking heart deep inside and grinned at his aide.
“This is just the beginning. I almost died of boredom. Now, let’s go.”
“…”
At first glance, the aide’s eyes softened. I don’t know why you look at yourself like that. It’s like looking into the eyes of a child. But he didn’t even say anything, so he averted his gaze.
The sound of the two footsteps toward the tent reverberated on the frozen ground.
Among the camps of the Imperial Army, the emperor’s tent was exceptionally large. It is not simply because the emperor uses a large tent, but because the strategy meeting is also held in the emperor’s tent.
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Dozens of captains stood at the table in the middle, looking at Rudy.
The captains seem to be itching to attack. When they saw Rudy, each of them shoved their shoulders and said one word at a time.
“At this point, I think it’s time to attack.”
“It doesn’t look like you’re going to come out there at all.”
“They’re cowards.”
“The honor and all that was thrown into the gutter.”
“Your Majesty, it would be a waste to spend any more time on a coward.”
With faces completely cleared of fatigue from the past few days, the captains’ warlike eyes shone.
It was to the point where I wondered if these people would just run away on their own if they put off the battle any longer.
Rudy raised an eyebrow and nodded.
“It seems that the soldiers’ fatigue has also disappeared, so now we have to deal with this place and depart. Give an ultimatum. You guys, too, prepare your soldiers.”
“yes.”
“All right!”
The captains hurriedly answered and each began to decide where to attack.
Rudy made a strong expression. He nodded as he listened to the captains’ stories, occasionally intervening in their conversation. No one should know that he hoped that the enemy would surrender.
“Okay, let’s trample them down at once. Don’t take too long. There’s no need to capture the nobles as well as the Kanian soldiers. Don’t save them unless they’re handed over to slavery right away. Their homeland is already unable to pay the ransom.”
Rudy traced the map with his finger.
“I go right in like this. If someone drops the castle lord’s head, I’ll immediately sound the drum. The morale of the soldiers will rise.”
The captains nodded, bared their yellow teeth, and smiled.
Rudy looked at their faces one by one and asked.
“Never underestimate the enemy. A cornered mouse will bite even a cat. I don’t want to lose any of our soldiers. You always keep an eye on their backs.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Do not worry.”
“Imperial soldiers can avoid even arrows.”
The captains finished the meeting and returned to their units.
After they left, Rudy sat down in a chair and tilted his head slightly.
‘It’s also strange.’
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During the meeting, I sometimes felt the gaze of the aide or the captain. It wasn’t the look of excitement in a fight. It was close to a feeling of pity.
But I still couldn’t figure out why. Why were the aides and the captains looking at him that way?
