“I do have a plan, at least in theory.”
“As expected of Lady Romelia. In that case, we shall spare no effort in carrying out your orders—use us as you see fit, even if it means grinding us to dust.”
As I nodded, Kyle bowed his head exaggeratedly.
At that moment, the sound of war horns echoed from the basin. The siege of Gangaruga Fortress had begun.
“Oh, it’s starting. If I recall correctly, the Hamiel Kingdom and the Hurion Kingdom are attacking the front gate.”
Kyle turned his gaze toward the western-facing front gate of Gangaruga Fortress. Before the gate, armies bearing the banner of the eagle and the banner of the sun had taken their positions.
“Yes, it was decided that the Hurion Kingdom, as the leader of the allied forces, would assault the front gate. However, the Hamiel Kingdom insisted on joining them.”
I looked toward the forces of the Hamiel Kingdom, deployed to the left of the Lionnel Kingdom’s army.
A soldier with a red plume on his helmet brandished a baton, commanding his troops to advance toward the front gate of Gangaruga Fortress. That soldier was, if I remembered correctly, General Zebul, leading the Hamiel Kingdom’s forces. The general himself was taking direct command, rallying his soldiers.
Beside them, the Hurion Kingdom’s forces also began their advance to attack the front gate.
“Then, shall our forces move forward as well?”
When I gave the signal, the horn blowers in the main camp sounded their war horns.
Hearing the call of the horns, the Lionnel Kingdom’s forces split into three divisions and advanced toward the right flank of Gangaruga Fortress.
Leading the central infantry division of fifteen thousand was Otto, clad head-to-toe in armor. Behind him, Ben and Bray of the Rome Squad supported Otto’s command.
To the left, on the left flank, Gran of the Rome Squad donned a beautiful silver suit of armor, gripping a bow as he led ten thousand archers. Zeze and Zini followed behind Gran, assisting the soldiers.
On the right flank, Lagun commanded another ten thousand archers, leading Borel and Gatt.
At the base of the hill, a reserve force of ten thousand infantrymen under Kyle’s command and five thousand cavalry led by Glen and Hans stood by. Additionally, three hundred magic soldiers and a thousand engineers had been brought along, though they were stationed further back, beyond the hill, and thus not visible from here.
In response to the advancing allied forces, countless arrows rained down from Gangaruga Fortress.
The volley fell upon Otto and his men, striking down several soldiers. However, Gran’s archers had not yet reached firing range. The walls were too high—they would have to advance much closer to be effective. The soldiers pressed on, enduring their wounds.
When Gran and Lagun’s archer divisions finally entered firing range, they halted and nocked their arrows. Meanwhile, Otto’s infantry raised their shields and advanced with ladders in hand. Arrows concentrated on Otto’s forces as they neared the fortress, but in that opening, Gran and Lagun’s archers unleashed their own volley. The storm of arrows forced the Demon King’s army to momentarily weaken their assault. Otto pushed forward until his forces reached the fortress walls. The infantry set up their ladders and began climbing, but the height of the walls proved a formidable obstacle—the ladders were far too short. Undeterred, the soldiers climbed anyway, passing up additional ladders from below and tying them together with ropes to extend their reach.
As they ascended, the Demon King’s forces fired arrows down upon them. One soldier, pierced through the chest by an arrow, fell from the ladder. He would likely not survive. From afar, I could do nothing but watch as soldiers suffered and died. It was agonizing, but this was the reality of war.
Yet, Gangaruga Fortress’s defenses remained formidable. Scaling those walls would be no easy feat. I believed the key to breaching the fortress lay in the gates—both the west-facing front gate and the smaller, more heavily guarded eastern rear gate. The massive western gate was the primary objective.
I turned my attention to the Hamiel and Hurion Kingdoms assaulting the front gate. Their casualties were greater than ours. Originally, the two kingdoms were supposed to coordinate their attack, but the Hamiel Kingdom had surged ahead, pressing close to the fortress. Meanwhile, the Hurion Kingdom seemed content to let the Hamiel forces take the lead, hanging back slightly and firing arrows from a distance.
General Zebul of the Hamiel Kingdom urged his soldiers forward with fierce commands. The troops advanced bravely, raising ladders against the walls and attempting to climb, but like our forces, most were thrown down before even reaching halfway.
“The Hamiel Kingdom’s soldiers are courageous. And quite skilled, too.”
Kyle observed the climbing soldiers with admiration.
I agreed with his assessment. The Hamiel Kingdom’s fighting spirit was high. In contrast, the Hurion Kingdom’s soldiers lacked initiative.
General Zebul swung his baton. In response, a thousand soldiers waiting in the rear began to move—but these were no ordinary troops. They wore no armor and carried no conventional weapons. Instead, they were clad in hooded black cloaks, wielding staves that glowed with crimson magic stones.
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“Magic soldiers? Deploying a thousand of them is impressive. We only have three hundred at most.”
Kyle sounded genuinely impressed.
These were magic soldiers—individuals gifted with rare magical aptitude. Such talent was exceedingly difficult to cultivate, and the staves they carried were enchanted artifacts that assisted in spellcasting, each costing as much as a house. Magic soldiers were not only precious but also required immense resources to equip. For the Hamiel Kingdom to mobilize a thousand of them for this expedition spoke volumes of their commitment.
While I marveled at their numbers, the magic soldiers advanced and took formation.
At General Zebul’s command, they raised their staves in unison. The tips of their staves glowed red, and spheres of light shot toward Gangaruga Fortress.
A thousand crimson orbs surged toward the Demon King’s army on the ramparts, exploding on impact and sending demons flying.
General Zebul barked another order, and a second volley of magic projectiles was unleashed. But just before they struck, a pale-blue barrier of light enveloped the fortress walls. Upon contact, the magic projectiles disintegrated, vanishing like mist. Standing atop the wall was a demon, holding a white staff.
“A magic barrier?!”
Kyle, watching intently, let out a groan at the sight of the glowing shield.
That barrier was a spell designed to nullify magic. The demonic magic soldier had erected it, blocking the Hamiel Kingdom’s assault.
General Zebul ordered his magic soldiers to keep attacking, but breaking through the Demon King’s barrier seemed unlikely. The general’s frustration was almost palpable.
Then, he swung his baton again. In response, a unit of about a hundred soldiers moved from the rear. They pressed tightly together, holding shields overhead to form a protective canopy against arrows.
“A battering ram, perhaps?”
Kyle guessed at their purpose.
In siege warfare, a battering ram was essential for breaking down gates. However, when I looked behind the Hamiel Kingdom’s forces, the actual ram—a massive log suspended beneath a triangular roof—remained stationary.
“No, I think it’s probably…”
A different idea formed in my mind.
The shield-bearing soldiers charged toward Gangaruga Fortress. The Demon King’s forces, noticing their advance, concentrated their arrows on them.
Under the relentless hail, the shielded unit dwindled rapidly. By the time they reached the front gate, fewer than half remained.
Once close enough, the soldiers suddenly split to either side, revealing three figures who had been concealed beneath the shield canopy. They sprinted toward the gate.
I narrowed my eyes. Their bodies were wrapped in cloth, beneath which something bulky was packed tightly.
“Under that cloth—could it be explosive magic stones? A suicide squad?!”
Kyle’s voice rose in shock.
Explosive magic stones were enchanted artifacts that detonated with magical force. The Hamiel Kingdom was attempting to breach the front gate through a suicide bombing.
The Demon King’s forces, realizing the danger, shot arrows at the three charging soldiers. Though arrows pierced their bodies, they did not stop. They threw themselves against the gate, clasped hands, and embraced one another—as if declaring they would die together. A flash of light erupted. The front gate exploded in a tremendous blast.
I stared intently through the swirling dust.
The suicide squad had vanished without a trace. Yet, despite the massive explosion, the front gate remained intact.
Upon closer inspection, the same pale-blue barrier flickered around the gate. Likely, magic soldiers had been stationed behind it, using their barrier to dampen the explosion’s force.
Unless they could unleash a blast exceeding the barrier’s strength or sustain enough consecutive attacks to overwhelm it, breaching the front gate would be impossible.
The battle continued until dusk, but Gangaruga Fortress stood firm.
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