Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 25: Recapture of the Capital 2

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

At the north gate of the Crystal Brilliance Castle, siege ladders on the assault vehicles were propped against the city walls. Soldiers of the royal army climbed desperately upwards, holding shields to defend against arrows, boiling oil, and even boiling feces thrown down by the rebel forces.

Some assault vehicles doused in boiling oil were ignited by rebel forces using fire arrows, and the flames quickly engulfed the vehicles. Soldiers engulfed in flames could only jump down from the upper levels. Unfortunately, many soldiers were unable to escape, their flesh burnt to a crisp, the smell spreading around.

Leading the charge, the first batch of royal soldiers wore thick armor, wielding swords in one hand and shields in the other, vigorously blocking the rebel soldiers' axes and hatchets. They leaped from the assault vehicles onto the city walls, followed swiftly by the soldiers behind them, continuously widening the breach.

For a moment, the walls resounded with cries of battle.

By midday, both attackers and defenders were thoroughly exhausted. Duke Walk ordered a temporary halt to the attack, while the rebel forces took the opportunity to regroup and rest.

...

Inside a residential building near the north gate, several individuals sat in the living room with worried expressions.

"How many did we lose this morning?" Hals, the former commander of the city guards and now the leader of the rebels, asked wearily.

"About four hundred, sir," one subordinate answered cautiously.

Hals rubbed his forehead wearily. As for the losses of the conscripted militia, he didn't bother to inquire.

At this moment, Hals was consumed by regret, anger, and fear, various emotions swirling repeatedly in his mind.

Trapped in the besieged city, with no sign of the reinforcements they had hoped for, while loyalist forces were undoubtedly gathering nearby.

He cursed fiercely, "Damn Giles! Rot in hell!"

Despite his usual appearance as a loyal hound of the royal family, he had been colluding with Giles in secret all along. Due to his caution, he had never revealed his true colors, firmly holding onto his position as the commander of the city guards.

This time, with the princess leading an expedition to the Highlands, Giles finally could no longer contain his ambition. Seizing the opportunity, he rebelled and informed Hals to rise up in rebellion before the return of the princess's army.

Initially, Hals had refused. Giles' army was still far away, causing trouble in the capital would only lead to death.

However, subsequent messengers revealed that Duke Dodge in the south had already pledged allegiance to Giles. The biggest obstacle to the northern advance of the main army had been eliminated. The other minor lords were not a concern, and they even promised him the title of Earl once the rebellion succeeded.

Then he got carried away for a moment, wanting to achieve a great feat. If he waited for Giles' army to arrive at the gates of the capital before responding, wouldn't that make him appear insignificant? If he could seize control of Crystal Glare first, capture the king, this achievement would definitely overshadow anyone in Giles' camp.

But then everything went wrong. Apart from failing to capture the king, everything else went smoothly. The command system of the city guards had been purged; disobedient officers were killed or imprisoned. The entire army was under his control.