Ch.164Workshop Battle.

*Scritch-scratch!*

“Clean those barrels thoroughly! If there’s even a speck of soot left, you’ll feel the whip!!!”

“AHHH!!!”

The stronghold at the bottleneck point occupied by Amurtat.

And the formidable fortress built upon it.

Thanks to Amurtat’s advanced construction techniques, multiple gun emplacements had been added, equipped with 24-pounder howitzers, 12-pounder direct-fire cannons, and 6-pounder old-style cannons—hundreds of them mounted on embrasures and batteries, built with every ounce of strength they could muster.

“Remember the comrades who died in the last battle! If we don’t defend this place, their sacrifices will have been for nothing!”

“Mages, draw drying magic circles! The gunpowder must not be exposed to moisture!”

“Stack the canister shot boxes near the embrasures and the round shot near the batteries! If you confuse the two, come to me!”

In just one month, the Amurtat forces had poured in every possible effort and available resource to enhance the fortress’s defenses. They firmly believed this would be their ultimate trump card, capable of grinding down the approaching Fahrenheit soldiers like a millstone.

If the fortress were to fall, they would resist to the end, just as the previous defenders had done, giving their lives alongside the fortress.

Even now, reinforcements were rushing toward the bottleneck points, and weapons capable of slaughtering thousands—tens of thousands—were being transported to the fortress.

But those reinforcements would only arrive if they held out long enough. Until then, they had to withstand Fahrenheit’s fierce assault with what they had.

“Sergeant… are we really going to win? I… I heard they outnumber us by 10 million.”

“Don’t worry, you fool. We won’t lose.”

Indeed.

The situation was identical to when Fahrenheit had occupied these points.

“H-how can you be so sure? The enemy has far greater numbers!”

Ah, with just one exception.

“Why, you ask?”

“Yes! What’s the reason?”

“Because we have guns and cannons.”

“Oh…”

That’s right.

The Amurtat forces had guns and cannons, while the Fahrenheit forces did not.

For the record, it was an undeniable fact that no matter how hard ballistas and catapults tried, they could never match the range of gunpowder weapons.

*

Winter of the year 100 in the Amurtat calendar.

Unlike the typical harshness associated with war, this winter wasn’t particularly cold. The snow was light and fluffy, maintaining a relatively warm temperature.

It was so mild that rain and snow fell in equal measure—more like a slightly chilly autumn than winter, if that helps you understand.

And in this time of confusion between early winter and late autumn.

The Fahrenheit allied forces finally arrived at the ten bottleneck points and established their positions.

“Damn it. They’ve modified the fortress.”

The commander frowned as he observed the changed fortress landscape through his telescope from a distance.

Now, they would have to endure the one-sided firepower they had desperately hoped to avoid.

“What should we do?”

“Unpack the supplies and feed the soldiers well. That’s the only way to raise morale even a little.”

When the adjutant asked for a plan, the commander chose to boost the soldiers’ morale rather than devise strategies or tactics.

A flanking attack against such a fortress would merely divide their forces to no advantage.

“Should we distribute alcohol too?”

“…Yes.”

When the adjutant asked with a surprised expression, the commander chose to numb his soldiers’ judgment.

After all, no one in their right mind would charge at such a fortress.

As more units arrived, telescopes extended in rows, conversations grew louder, and the sound of oak barrel lids being opened echoed through the camp.

“Ah! How frightening! Since when did the sound of bubbles escaping from wine and beer become so terrifying?”

Just as he said, their fortress had become the enemy’s fortress, and now they had to advance, building towers of blood and entrails to reclaim what was once theirs.

Soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers brought out supplies they had been saving and began a feast in the middle of enemy territory, setting neither guards nor sentries.

The reason was simple.

There was no need.

The fortress had a view of the entire terrain, and anyone who came within cannon range would not survive.

So they ate and drank here.

In a place where sound could reach but substance could not, they filled their bellies with meat and alcohol to shake off the fear of death.

“Eat and drink! And die tomorrow! We’ll recapture that fortress by piling up mountains of corpses!”

“Fuck it! We’re going to die anyway! Might as well eat everything before we go!”

“Beer! Wine! Meat! Bread! Stew!”

Not all soldiers can survive a war.

But there is a world of difference between accepting losses while executing a plan and planning an operation with losses as a premise.

For commanders, designing and implementing the latter type of operation was an extreme humiliation and disgrace.

Because I am incompetent, because the nation is weak, because the weapons are inferior, because the tactics are insufficient, because the strategy has collapsed, because the situation is difficult, because supplies are cut off, because training levels are low, because there are no officers…

No amount of excuses piled from earth to heaven could anchor the feelings of commanders sending their subordinates to certain death.

But time was cruelly fair, and as the faint echoes of alcohol settled on the muzzles, the morning dew fell on the foreheads of sleeping soldiers.

Morning had come again to the north.

The sun, which some would never see again, rose indifferently.

*

“Prepare the cannons for firing!”

“Riflemen, do not fire until the enemy enters the pre-marked firing lines! That’s an order!”

“Respond with free fire against enemies who enter the firing lines!”

“Swordsmen and halberdiers to combat positions! Prepare for their attack!”

They breathe.

“For the glory of Fahrenheit! For the freedom of the North!”

“Let’s scatter the chimney smoke! Let’s break the factory wheels!”

“Standard-bearers forward! Drummers, sound the drums!”

“War! War!!!”

They shout.

“Enemy forces moving!”

“Artillerymen, load canister shot!”

“Bring out more gunpowder barrels! This won’t be a battle that ends in a few hours!”

“Show them the power of Amurtat! Open fire!”

They fight.

“Don’t be afraid of the thunder! The mages are casting protection spells, barrier spells, and distortion spells!”

“Keep going! Keep running! You can do it! You can do it!”

“Everyone disperse!!! Scatter! Don’t drop the ladders!”

“O wind that never stops blowing! Please protect us from the raging storm…”

They die.

“Mother!!! Mother!!!!”

“Angels have mercy! This is a dream… this is a dream…!!”

“Keep running! Not much further!”

They run.

“The canister shot is ineffective!”

“Damn it…! The mages have protection spells…!”

“Cease canister fire! Load round shot to increase impact!”

“Yes sir!”

“Have the old cannons in the battery and the 12-pounders on the walls open fire as well!”

“Understood!”

They change.

“Wind, protect uuuussss!!!!”

“Mage down! Mage down!”

“The spell is broken!”

“Hook the grapples! We’ve reached the wall, we still have a chance!”

They climb.

“Alert all forces! The enemy is climbing the walls! Respond immediately! I repeat!…”

“Damn it! They’re inside the fortress!”

“Go up! We must protect the battery at all costs! Without it, we’re finished!”

“Let’s show these Fahrenheit gentlemen the taste of Amurtat steel!”

They confront.

“Neutralize the battery! Blow up the gunpowder barrels! We need to reduce casualties for our forces coming up!”

“Captain! The enemy is climbing up!”

“Form ranks! Gather under the banner! Squad leaders, rally your men!”

“First squad, assemble! Form a square formation!”

They gather.

“We’ve lost this fight! We need to run! We need to escape…”

“Leaving formation during battle is armed desertion punishable by immediate execution! Fight! Fight to the death!!! The grappling ladders have reached the walls, we can still win!”

“Mages, quickly use shock spells to collapse the walls!”

They desire.

“The mages!! Target the mages!”

“Artillerymen, reload with canister shot! The enemy mages are decreasing in number!”

“The battery on the wall is being neutralized! We need support!”

“Damn it! Third and Fifth Companies! To the wall!”

“Yes sir!”

They advance.

“Guh.”

“N-no! All the mages…!”

“Damn it! Hurry! Hurry up the wall! The cannons will start firing again soon!”

“Stick to the wall! That’s how you’ll survive!”

“Arghhhh!! Everyone get down!!!!”

They kneel.

“The enemy is right in front of the wall!”

“Throw fire bombs! Pour boiling oil and water! Unleash everything we’ve got!”

“Enemy forces have captured the top level and are coming down!”

“Block them somehow!! Deploy all reserves and have the mages cast barrier spells to protect the embrasures!”

They block.

“We’ve made it down! Find the armory! Find the armory!”

“The enemy is everywhere! We’re surrounded, we can’t…”

“Damn it..! Retreat…! Retreat!!!!”

“Damn it! There are too many of them..!”

They fade.

*

The fierce battle continued for three days and nights.

Fahrenheit failed to capture even a single bottleneck point from Amurtat.

The Amurtat forces managed to defend all points, though at tremendous cost.

Fahrenheit lost 540,000 out of their total force of 830,000, along with 92,000 ballistas, 113,000 catapults, 24,000 siege towers, and 400 siege hammers.

Amurtat lost 250,000 out of their total force of 380,000, along with 1,600 24-pounder howitzers, 5,400 12-pounder direct-fire cannons, and 2,300 6-pounder old-style cannons.

And so, the winter of the 100th year began to cover the burning red world in white once more.