Thud. Thud. Thud.
The army of Cairo was moving. The main frame for the launchers was moved with wheels, and the other parts were placed on a cart to be assembled later one by one.
The troops on the wall watched this scene. They had no idea what the kingdom’s army was up to, but they weren’t worried either.
“So is that a Flare?”
A guard of the Benedict Castle’s gate said. He was Cameron, the captain of the guards. The use of a Flare was essential for warfare when it came to a siege. And a powerful siege weapon would make the castle lose its advantage.
In a fight between ordinary nobles, the ones with more money would get a Flare, but a Flare would always be used in a civil war on a national level. Even at a glance, the kingdom’s army appeared to be planning to install up to five of them.
And after about two hours of installation, its firepower would be able to collapse the wall.
But Benedict was different.
‘Staying in Benedict Castle is one of the things we have been preparing for. By making a request to the Magic Tower, we have installed a strong Magic Defense on the walls of the Benedict Castle. It has the defensive power to withstand dozens of Flares, and it even has the ability to recover if it is replenished with enough mana stones, even if its durability is worn out. Cairo’s forces can never capture Benedict.’
Replacing the King was their ultimate goal as nobles. They never overdid it with the precarious power system, but they were steadily preparing for the rebellion over the years. The Magic Defense was just the start. The military training of the soldiers was also carried out steadily, and various options, such as Plan A and B in case of a rebellion, were calculated in advance.
Of course, they also considered what to do if the royal faction attacked first. They didn’t expect that the royal faction would form an alliance with Dmitry, but they also didn’t really think it would change things either. They had an impenetrable wall, and they were able to secure a lot of war materials. Cameron trusted Benedict.
Thinking that the soldiers might be scared, he raised his voice,
“You know that the commander of the army is Roman Dmitry. He is the Southern Front Devil and the best swordsman in Cairo, who has defeated Count Nicholas. But this is a war on a national scale. Even if he is strong, it means nothing if he cannot cross the walls of Benedict Castle, which have been installed with defensive magic by the Magic Tower. In the end, it means that he is just a mere human in front of these tall castle walls.”
Their anxieties were due to the existence of Roman Dmitry. As he reassured the people who looked nervous, Cameron gave them something to believe in.
“Trust me. The enemies will not be able to cross the walls, and the final victors will be our nobles.”
Because of Cameron’s confidence and basis for faith, everyone was feeling positive.
The appearance of the individuals in robes caused everyone to become agitated.
“… who are they?”
“They seem to be up to something.”
Above the castle walls, the troops of the nobles seemed anxious. Their enemy’s unexpected movement gave them an ominous feeling, but they didn’t show it. The safest place was behind the walls, and because they were being protected by the Magic Defense on the walls, they didn’t have to be too anxious.
Time passed, and the individuals in robes, who had been preparing for a while, approached someone to see if the work was over.
“Team 1, preparations are complete.”
“Team 2, preparations are complete.”
These individuals in robes were the magicians from the Phoenix Magic Tower. Felix, who hid his face in a robe, recalled what Roman had told him a month ago.
“Once the Ranking Matches start, Dmitry cannot avoid being caught up in a war. At that time, I will intentionally push the enemy into a corner and start a siege. Felix, your role is to bring your people there to tear them down.”
A month ago, when everyone else was enjoying peace, Phoenix began to prepare for the war. On Roman’s orders, they were ready to risk their lives. The Phoenix Tower was revived thanks to Roman Dmitry, and they quickly found stability with his full support. It was truly the gift of a lifetime.
Everyone in the Phoenix Tower was ready to do anything for Roman Dmitry, and when the order for the siege was given, Felix and the other magicians all laughed for joy.
Magicians were the flowers of siege warfare, and they were given the best role. Now their goal was to pay back for the meals Dmitry had given them.
And Felix said,
“The Lord has done so much for us. Even silent beasts can recognize the goodness of their owners, but we haven’t done anything for our Lord. And finally, the time has come. The Lord has given us a mission that we excel at, and if we cannot do it right, then our existence has no meaning.”
His voice was heavy. Because of what they would do, people would die. However, the moment they would take a step into the battlefield, they had no thoughts of stepping back.
“Let’s show it to the enemies. How the Phoenix Magic Tower has been able to hold the position of the 13th Magic Tower on the continent.”
“Yes.”
“Your orders will be executed.”
The wizards started to move. There were three of them for each launcher. They immediately started to generate mana, and the pattern engraved on the launcher reacted to it and emitted light.
Wheik.
‘Commonly known Flares have limitations on their damage. If their Magic Defense was properly installed, then they would not break even with the Flares. But what if a magician can amplify the power of a Flare? Its attack power will exceed the limit and the defensive magic on their walls will break down because these are not regular Flares.’
Mana resonated, and the magicians continued. In particular, the Phoenix magicians were known to have mana with the fire attribute that perfectly harmonized with the Flares.
Bam.
Pung!
Pupupung!
The Flares were fired, and the fireballs hit the castle walls.
Kwakwakwang!
Rumble.
They held a strong power. The soldiers screamed at the impact that shook the walls, and they looked at the captain of the guards with shocked faces. The man had told them that the walls had Magic Defense that couldn’t be broken down even with the Flares.
However, the tremendous shock they felt made it seem like they could destroy the castle walls all at once. Even those who didn’t know about the Magic Defense were now taking the situation more seriously.
Kwakwakwang!
Boom!
The attacks continued. Depending on the amount of mana the magicians generated, the flames caused explosions on similar levels.
The flowers of siege warfare—it was the power of magicians. And among the 13 Magic Towers, the Phoenix Magic Tower specialized in fire the most.
Rumble!
“Captain of the guards! The durability of our best Magic Defense is rapidly declining.”
“If things continue like this, the walls will not stand! Please give us your order!”
The reports kept coming in from all directions, and Cameron looked pale. He never imagined that a kingdom’s army would be able to mobilize magicians in such a large number.
‘The magicians who belong to the Magic Towers always stay neutral. In fights between nations, they sometimes lend their strength to the nation that supported them, but in cases such as civil wars, they never step forward. So who are they? I wouldn’t have cared if there were just one or two, but dozens of magicians are supporting the royal family. Even if the King himself went to secure magicians, this number of people makes no sense.’
He was shocked by the dozens of magicians. This was beyond normal. There has never been a case in the history of the continent’s Magic Towers where they have sent such a large number of people to fight in a foreign nation.
First, he had to solve the problem. As the attacks continued, Cameron shouted loudly,
“Activate the emergency defense system! Even if we have to use all the mana stones, make sure to protect the Magic Defense from losing its durability! Once the walls fall, there is no turning back! Mobilize the ballista right now and destroy the launchers!”
The flames went out. He gave a command that contradicted his words earlier. The war materials would run out quickly, but Cameron had no other options.
Cameron wasn’t the only one surprised by the turn of events. Staring at the fire-breathing machines, Simon had a startled expression.
“… what the hell is this?”
Magicians—it was a power that even the Cairo royal family didn’t possess. However, they were very active in attacking the nobles, following Roman Dmitry’s orders. It made no sense.
How on earth did he appease the magicians?
The answer came from Chris.
“Not too long ago, the Phoenix Magic Tower came and settled in the Dmitry estate. In general, the Magic Towers claim to be neutral and do not intervene in civil wars, but the Phoenix Magic Tower belongs to a noble family now. If Dmitry decides to become the sword of Cairo, shouldn’t the Phoenix Magic Tower also help?”
At his blunt response, Simon was shocked. According to what Chris said, it meant that these magicians were from a Magic Tower that belonged to Dmitry.
‘The 13th Magic Tower. It lost its skills and was considered to have the lowest number of people, but it was called the best in the continent for its attacks and flames. A group that would be welcomed anywhere swore their allegiance to Dmitry.’
Goosebumps rose. What if Daniel Cairo rejected Dmitry’s offer? Then Dmitry could have taken down the nobles with the power of the magicians alone.
And if he had pointed his sword at the Cairo royal family, it was clear that the high walls alone would not be able to defend against Dmitry’s attacks.
The choice of the King was a godsend. If he hadn’t embraced Dmitry, they would have faced the monstrous Roman Dmitry and the magicians as enemies.
‘The heavens didn’t abandon Cairo. We made the right decision.’
He let out a sigh of relief. The more he saw the true face of Dmitry, the more Simon was convinced that the war would end in their victory.
The sun went down. When the first battle was over, Cameron went to report the results with a miserable face.
“… in order to prevent the attack from the royal faction, we had no choice but to use 30% of the mana stones that we had prepared in advance. I apologize. But please consider the fact that the enemies have magicians. If we hadn’t acted quickly, the walls wouldn’t have lasted long and would have collapsed right away.”
In this meeting, none of the members of the nobles’ faction could blame Cameron. Didn’t they see it too? The nobles watching the situation clenched their hands whenever the flames on the castle’s walls exploded.
They were overwhelmed by the sight. Since they had never imagined the royals would have secured dozens of wizards, the anxiety about the walls collapsing spread to each of them.
Fortunately, the attacks stopped. But just like Cameron’s miserable expression, no one could take it positively that they lasted one day.
Marquis Benedict said,
“So how long will they last?”
“… our opponent has dozens of magicians. If they repeat the same attack with proper rest, then we will not be able to last more than ten days even if we replenish with the mana stones that we have.”
“The longest we can survive is ten days?”
It felt hopeless. Roman Dmitry’s strategy was too simple. As soon as he arrived in Benedict, he attempted an attack, and as soon as the mana of the magicians was exhausted, he retreated with his troops, and they would be able to get plenty of rest.
The nobles’ troops couldn’t let down their guards even for a moment against the attacks that could come at any time, but the royal faction did not seem to have any intention of attacking unreasonably.
Ten days like this—it was a completely different pace that favored the royals. While being attacked with such magic, the nobles would get tired, and they wouldn’t be able to stop the troops rushing in when the gates would collapse.
Their plan to appease the empires’ factions hasn’t brought any results yet. The process of appeasing them and assembling their troops would take time, but the movement of the royal faction was so fast and powerful.
Finally, there was just one person the nobles could trust.
“Viscount Owen. What happened to Baron Winston?”
“The troops have gathered, and they have arrived at the entrance in the northeast. The situation could still change. If Baron Winston captures the Dmitry estate, which is empty now, Roman Dmitry will not be able to attack us as he did today. And once that happens, we just need to buy time and bring in the empires’ factions.”
“What is the probability that the attack on the Dmitry estate will fail?”
“We will succeed. Isn’t Baron Winston the proud commander? With his skills, he can destroy the northeast within a day. The only variable is the possibility that there are magicians in Dmitry. However, considering that dozens of magicians have already participated in attacking Benedict Castle, it is almost impossible for them to have any more magicians. And even if that variable does happen, the probability that the result will change due to their presence is not very high.”
Think about it. The opponents were on the outskirts, and with Roman Dmitry away, who would stop their attack?
Not all of those who belonged to the nobles’ faction gathered at Benedict Castle. They split their forces into two, and some of them followed Baron Winston to Dmitry.
Fake in the west and hit in the east. Benedict wasn’t too surprised. After deliberately locking the castle and distracting them, he chose a clever strategy to rob the enemy’s main estate.
Marquis Benedict’s eyes were sharp.
“Deliver this to Baron Winston. In this war, defeat is not allowed, and I will give you full control of everything that happens in the process of bringing down Dmitry, so I need us to be the victors in the end. The Cairo royal family is a sand castle waiting to fall, so if we can deal with Dmitry, then the army of the royal faction will be shaken.”
The nobles were convinced that within three days, the news of their victory would arrive, and then the real rebellion would begin.
