Chapter 382: Chapter 379: Inside and Outside Moncado Fortress
It seemed Schmidt wasn’t limited to just Shaping Power magic. After infiltrating the fortress, Richard planned to move toward the main gate. Though the gate was now sealed, fortified with sandbags, and guarded by artillery crews on both sides, it was still the fortress’s weakest point.
However, Schmidt stopped Richard and shared his thoughts. "Don’t you think something’s off about today’s battle?"
Richard thought it over but couldn’t find anything unusual.
"The morale! Especially the commanding officer’s sheer resolve!" Schmidt analyzed quickly. "In the past, the Holy Kingdom’s officers were experts at retreating. This is the first time we’ve run into such a tough opponent. The enemy’s tenacity probably caught even the general by surprise, creating the opening for us to slip in.
"Possibility one: the defending commander is a hard-liner with absolute confidence in the fortress’s defenses.
"Possibility two: Behind Kongdi lies Valuva, so they could be waiting for reinforcements. But the Kingdom’s three major legions are all tied down, and the Royal Capital can’t possibly muster a relief force capable of fighting us in time.
"The final possibility is that he has an ace up his sleeve! Just as our army has us Casters, they have supernatural powers of their own. The commander is waiting for that power to be ready before striking our forces."
Schmidt believed the last possibility was the most likely, and he had evidence. "The weather just turned dark and changed dramatically. That’s not normal for winter! I suspect it’s not a Divine Benefactor from the Church, but a Mage."
Richard thought back and realized it had indeed been extraordinarily strange.
But Richard, the captain, had one last concern. "But if they’re causing a spell of that scale, I doubt we can face it head-on."
"No. If there really were a Great Mage here supporting the Holy Kingdom Army, it would be more effective to attack our forces directly and inflict massive casualties. But as it is, the Caster is holed up in the fortress. The battle has been raging for some time; they should have launched the spell by now." Richard ruled out the possibility of a Great Mage, guessing instead, "It’s probably a group of Mid-Low Tier Mages performing a collective casting."
Schmidt was only a Low Tier Mage and couldn’t sense the large-scale flow of Magic Power. Fortunately, Richard was of a higher Level and had been taught by the Chief, so he could attempt to track the focal point of the Magic Power here.
The two snuck into a storeroom. Richard held his breath and concentrated, sensing the flow of Magic Power while scattering a fine powder. As it hung in the air, the powder was suddenly drawn toward the heart of the fortress.
"This way!" Now with a direction, Schmidt did his best to lead Richard, weaving through passages until they neared a secret chamber from which immense Magic Power was surging.
"My lords, how much longer until the Magic is ready? The enemy is about to reach the first ramparts," a soldier’s voice called from inside.
"Don’t bother us! It’s almost ready..." Three Mages, drenched in sweat, were gathered around an exquisite Magic Wand. The wand was now serving as the Magic Node for the fortress area, its crystal tip storing a Ninth Ring Spell: *Revenge Storm*.
The spell’s name was fitting, for it was their revenge against the invaders. Its effect was also perfect for the battlefield—once complete, any enemies without shelter would face the furious onslaught of wind, rain, lightning, and ice.
Unfortunately, this ancestral Alchemy Weapon was out of energy. A newly-promoted Middle Level Mage and two Basic Level Casters, there just to make up the numbers, lacked the power to fully activate the crystal and unleash the Ninth Ring Magic.
From the messengers’ constant, urgent reports, they could feel the battle’s desperation. But anxiety was useless. Even if they grit their teeth until they bled, the spell was still a hair’s breadth from completion.
So close, so close...
Suddenly, a dense fog filled the enclosed space, a fog that seemed to absorb all light. The leading Middle Level Mage quickly realized that Negative Energy was at work within the mist.
"Ambush!" he roared, but with the Ninth Ring Spell so close to completion, all three hesitated for an instant. That single moment cost them their chance to fight back. As soon as Richard finished casting *Death Cloud Skill*, Schmidt smoothly followed up to end the fight.
Richard couldn’t resist asking the last survivor, "Do Mages within the Holy Kingdom join the war, too? You would have been safe forever if you had just stayed on the sidelines."
The dying Mage struggled to respond. "Many... think that way. But I am one of the Valois people first, and a... Mage... second."
"Then you should have been on the battlefield, striking at key personnel, attacking the artillery and cavalry positions."
But the man could no longer answer.
As a Low Tier Mage, Schmidt could empathize. "From experience, once the density of bullets and cannonballs on a battlefield reaches a certain threshold, the *Spirit Armor Skill* most commonly used by Low Tier Mages can no longer offer reliable protection. A Caster’s first priority has to be survival."
"That’s no excuse. We made it here. With three of them, they had even more reason to be on the front lines." Richard picked up the Magic Wand. Having lost its focus, the crystal at its tip had shattered from an internal energy imbalance. He figured the massive spell outside the fortress must have dissipated.
Schmidt shook his head. "Major, most people possess both passion and cowardice. You shouldn’t judge them too harshly. Besides, they’ve already given their lives for their motherland."
Meanwhile, Commander Carl was growing more and more anxious, his gaze constantly shifting between his Pocket Watch and his Telescope. But the magic he was waiting for was long overdue.
The fortress’s outer ring had been breached by sporadic explosions, but a sturdier wall still stood behind it. If the troops were to simply charge through the breach, the Rampart’s design would allow the defenders to create overlapping fields of fire, delivering a devastating blow to the invading enemy.
"How many demolition teams do we have left?"
"Including reserves, there are thirteen squads ready for deployment, but we’re running low on explosives. At this rate, we won’t be able to break through the second defensive line. General, should we move the artillery forward?"
"Stand by." He raised his Telescope again, peering at the Moncado fortress across from them.
Finally, the turning point came! Earth and stone flew into the air as smoke and dust billowed skyward. A violent explosion erupted from within the fortress, the sound drowning out all other sounds of battle. It struck everyone on the field like a sledgehammer to the chest, making them tremble.
’A secondary explosion!’ The six-pounders could never have penetrated that deep. ’It has to be the two Casters who snuck inside!’
Almost at the same instant, he saw a pillar of fire erupt through his Telescope. It washed over the fortress parapets from within, like the breath of a legendary Red Dragon. The artillery near the main gate was destroyed in quick succession, and defenders died in the inferno without ever spotting the enemy.
"Excellent!" Carl cheered in excitement. He watched as the fortress’s massive, iron-clad gate was blown from its hinges and supports. As it came crashing down, the Holy Kingdom soldiers behind the sandbags were left shocked and panicked, their will to fight completely shattered.
Carl issued the final, critical command of the Battle of Moncado Fortress: "Full assault! Advance! Advance!"
...
"The capital of the Kongdi Region has also fallen. Looking at the map, Valuva is in danger." Rorschach sighed as he read the battle report that came in by telegraph.
He’d thought the Holy Kingdom had some strength left. He never expected its three legions to be beaten so badly by the Empire Army on the Kingdom’s eastern and western borders, leading so quickly to the start of the battle for the Royal Capital.
The war’s progress also came as a surprise to Bayern. His Majesty Albert hadn’t expected the Empire Army to have accumulated such strength. Feuerbach’s plan to goad him into breaking away and stabbing the Empire in the back was put on hold.
Andre was dejected when he heard the news. He was from Valois, after all, and though his life in Bayern was peaceful, he still felt the urge to return to his homeland and support the front lines.
Andre, who was responsible for compiling intelligence, added what he knew. "A secondary explosion occurred inside the defenders’ fortress at the last minute. The gate was destroyed from within by Magic."
"No need to even think about it. That was definitely the work of the Mages attached to the Empire’s army. Probably one of my old classmates from the academy." Rorschach rubbed his chin. "Now, surely some of the Holy Kingdom’s Mages won’t be able to sit still anymore? The old fogeys might endure it, but I can’t believe the hot-blooded youth will stand by and watch their nation fall."
Whether it was the Holy Kingdom attacking under the banner of defending their homeland and the fruits of the great reformation, or the Empire’s current "special military operation" to "end the chaos in the Holy Kingdom and restore the authority and stable order of Charles XVI," this war had already gone far beyond the old squabbles between Lords. Along the festering front lines of the conflict, more Casters would inevitably be drawn in.
’Hurry up and get to it, everyone. That’s the only way we’ll be able to fish in troubled waters...’ For some reason, Rorschach felt a little worried about his senior, Pascal. He had a premonition that Pascal was very likely to join the battle.
"One more thing." Andre saved the most important piece of news for last. "His Majesty the King has sent a letter. He’s inviting you, Teacher, to the palace tomorrow."
