Chapter 246: Queen Leila’s Resolve (3)

“Rick, we’ve got permission from our Master.”

Shouting, Tommy immediately ran back to Rick.

“Great. Then, let’s do it.”

Rick laughed excitedly as he turned to shout at the soldiers.

“Carry that and follow us. Quickly!”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers ran after them with large barrels of liquor on their backs.

***

“The siege escalade is coming!”

“Get ready! As soon as the ladder is leaning, surround the entrance and respond!”

The members of the Northern Knights shouted loudly as they commanded the soldiers.However, even as they were giving out commands, they still had an inkling of concern. 

‘If the Republican Masters come up, then we’re all going to die.’

The biggest headache with escalades was that it allowed the people with overwhelming strength to climb over the walls too easily.

In fact, the best thing they could do if a Master was to climb up over the wall was to use their own lives to endure and drag things out until their Masters arrived.

But even with that, there was no guarantee that it could be done.

Then…

“Sanson,[1] get out of the way!”

“What… Rick?”

Because he had also trained with the Northern Knights under Duke Palan, he immediately recognized Rick.

“I’m borrowing the catapult.”

“Huh? Yeah, go ahead. That doesn’t matter, but…”

“Quickly!”

Rick aimed the catapult at the escalade. Then…

“Fire!”

With his signal, the large barrels hit the escalades.

Smack! Squelch!

The barrels broke as it hit the escalades and black liquid spilled out of it.

“Fire arrows!”

Rick shouted loudly as fire arrows were aimed at the escalade.

“Fire arrows? Rick[2] even if we shot a fire arrow at that, it’s so big it won’t burn easily…”

Pffffft!

“Huh?!”

The Northern Knight who had been talking was shocked. The moment Rick’s arrow hit the escalade, it burst into flames.

“Awesome.”

Rick clenched his fist while the Republican soldiers who were in the midst of climbing up the escalade were greatly flustered.

“F… Fire!”

“Quick! Put it out!”

“Damn it. We soaked it in water, so how…”

“It… it won’t go out! This fire… keugh!”

The escalade burned quickly.

When Ricked turned his head, he saw a similar scene unfolding on the other side - the escalade burning and Republican soldiers jumping to the ground in a state of panic. 

“Rick, what did you do?”

“My Lord told me that since the escalade is made out of wood, it’s natural to respond to it with fire.”

“No, I know that. But there’s no way it would burn that easily with just one fire arrow. They probably soaked it in water, and the soldiers would probably try to put it out so…”

“Hell, I don’t know. We don’t have time for this. All I know is that the oil My Lord told me about is unique.”

“Huh?”

“It’s something that came up when we were digging up the ground before. My Lord called it petroleum. From what he said, it’s when animal bones are liquefied… Damn it, I don’t have time to explain it. I’m leaving behind two barrels of oil. If they set up another escalade, respond to it, you got it?”

“Huh? Yes, understood.”

“Guard it carefully! Once that catches on fire, it won’t go out!”

“Yes, sir!”

And Rick went elsewhere and started to do the same thing all over again - setting escalades on fire with the oil.

***

It had been a while since Milton had discovered petroleum. In the process of developing the country, he had received a report that black water was coming up from the ground. When he had immediately gone to see for himself, he saw that crude oil was gushing out.

If this had been modern Earth, it would have been a windfall, but here, he didn’t know what to do. Since there wasn’t any knowledge or technology to refine and use the oil, all he could do was collect as much crude oil as he could and store it in case there might be any future usage. 

Only Rick and Tommy, as his closest aides, were told to use it if there ever was a time where fire power was needed. He had also told them that once it caught on fire, it wouldn’t go out easily, so handle it carefully. Because it was so dangerous, Milton hadn’t taken it with him on the expedition and left it stored under the palace. Yesterday, Rick and Tommy had taken it out to use it.

***

“Keugh!”

“Fire… the fire won’t go out!”

“Aaaaaaack!!”

Along with the sound of humans screaming, there was an acrid smell of burning flesh everywhere. 

“Who knew there was a thing like that?”

Siegfried muttered to himself as he watched the escalade burning up in flames. 

“Your Excellency, all the escalades have been destroyed. The flames are continuing to spread, so it’s difficult for the soldiers to advance as well, sir.”

“Sir, the best option seems to be for us to retreat and attack again after the fire has burnt out.”

All his aides recommended that they temporarily retreat, however, Siegfried had a faint smile as he answered them.

“It’s definitely different without Milton Forrest. How clumsy.”

His aides seemed like they didn’t understand. Their soldiers were currently burning to death, so why was Siegfried smiling?

He soon answered their unspoken question.

“We will be collapsing their walls today. Jake!”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

“Give General McCarthy Ghost Groups 6 and 7. We’re breaching the walls.”

“Understood, sir.”

As Jake immediately left to carry out his order, one of Siegfried’s aides spoke up urgently.

“Fuhrer, the flames are too strong. With almost all the escalades burning, even if it’s Captain McCarthy, it’ll be too difficult, sir.”

“If we were to use the escalades, then I’d agree.”

“Sir?”

“Calamity and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. Our enemies will regret using fire.”

Siegfried pointed confidently towards McCarthy’s group heading towards the walls.

***

General McCarthy. Once, he was Duke McCarthy O’Brian of the Strabus Kingdom, but now, he was a general in the Republic and was leading two Ghosts groups towards the walls. As he moved closer, he realized why Siegfried had told him to head for the walls and not use the escalade.

‘I see… those bastards can’t see us right now.’

Using the petroleum to set large areas on fire had been useful in destroying the escalade, but it also had an adverse reaction - due to the wide-spread fire, the smoke made it difficult to see.

Even though General McCarthy was covertly moving with two groups of Ghosts, the enemy had no idea.

“General McCarthy, we’ll be reaching the base of the wall soon.”

“Take out the grappling hook.”

“Yes, sir!”

Having reached the base of the walls, Ghost Group 6 took out their grappling hooks and tossed it into the air with all their strength.

Screech!

Once the hooks had firmly caught the wall, McCarthy gave his command.

“We’re going up. Ghost 7, stand by at the bottom and cover us with your bows. Come up once we’re all up.”

“Yes, sir!”

Having quickly given out the order, McCarthy grabbed the grappling hook as well and began to climb up.

“The enemies are coming up!”

“Cut off the hook! Drop them so they can’t come… keugh!”

The Lester Kingdom’s soldiers tried to cut off the hook from the walls, but were struck by the arrows fired from below and fell. Several soldiers tried to keep low to the ground as they approached to cut it off, but the hooks were tied with ropes twined with wire, so it was impossible to cut off.

“Damn it. An axe! Get me an axe! It’s impossible with a dagger.’

“Someone went to get it… Gah! They’re coming up!”

“Stab them with spears!”

The soldiers on the walls tried to stab the enemies who were climbing up the wall using grappling hooks, however…

Smack!

They were outclassed. McCarthy held onto the rope with one hand while with the other hand, grabbed onto the spear the soldier was trying to stab him with. And then...

“Hold on tight!”

With that one phrase, he pulled on the spear with all his strength, and using that momentum, flew up.

“Keugh!”

“Ack!”

Two flashes of light were seen over the walls at the same time. With that, the soldiers who were trying to cut the hook from the rope, died.

The real problem was…

“I am McCarthy! Leila von Lester, give me your head!”

A Master had climbed up the wall.

***

If a Master were to climb onto the wall during a siege, it was no different than having a hole in a dam. If they didn’t hurry to block that hole, the whole thing would quickly collapse because of it.

In fact, with McCarthy’s rampage, the Ghost Group 6 quickly climbed up. The Ghost Group 7 were coming up after them and Republican soldiers were waiting below to follow them up. The enemies had begun to build footholds on the walls.

“Duke Palan, the Republic’s McCarthy has gotten up on the walls.”

“Kuh… I’m going!”

Even though they had destroyed all the escalades, the Republic’s Master had still managed to climb up onto their walls. Duke Palan tried to go and stop it from becoming worse, but...

“Duke, please focus on the overall command of the frontline.”

From next to him, Queen Leila stopped him.

“Your Majesty, if I don’t go…”

“He already went.”

“By ‘he’ you mean… Ah!”

“McCarthy O’Brian’s head belongs to him.”

At those words, Duke Palan looked somewhat convinced. 

‘They’re connected… but.’

“Your Majesty, there’s no guarantee that he’ll win alone.”

“Don’t worry.”

Duke Palan realized something at her calm response.

“Did you do something, Your Majesty?”

“It’s not something someone as honorable as you should know.”

Duke Palan bowed his head as he calmly replied.

“I’ll abide by your orders, Your Majesty.”

Duke Palan knew that his liege, Queen Leila, wasn’t the ideal and ‘clean’ monarch. He knew that but he still followed her. He also knew that when Queen Leila was this certain, then things most often ended the way she wanted.

‘Let’s believe in Her Majesty.’

In that case, there was only one thing he had to do.

“The enemy is using the smoke from the fires to come up. Thoroughly defend the walls. Focus the arrows at the base of our walls!”

Duke Palan gave out orders to stop the enemies from climbing up somewhere else.

***

“Where is Queen Leila! Leila!”

Once he had created a foothold, he began to rampage around wildly looking for Leila. While it was natural to seek the enemy’s leader on a battlefield, McCarthy’s current appearance revealed his personal feelings that had nothing to do with the outcome of this war.

There was a reason for this…

[I’m sorry, General McCarthy. While you were away, Claudia was kidnapped by the Lester Kingdom.]

This was what Siegfried had told McCarthy after he had handed Claudia over to Queen Leila.  

McCarthy never even imagined that Siegfried might have handed Claudia over himself, because McCarthy believed Claudia was Siegfried’s biological younger sister. Of course, that was false, but McCarthy truly believed that. Because he was completely enthralled by Claudia, he believed everything she said, and that was why he believed what Siegfried said. 

And that was why he was more active in this war than anyone else. He believed that if his wife Claudia was still alive, then he could capture Leila von Lester and save her.

“All of you, get lost!”

McCarthy was rampaging around trying to get to where Leila was. He was smashing through all the enemies in his path. But then…

“Honey!”

McCarthy was running around wildly like a rabid beast, when he clearly heard a voice.

A woman looked up at him from below the walls, crying for help. An unforgettable woman. A woman he had constantly seen in his dreams.

Tightly tied up, Claudia was crying for him from underneath the walls.

“Claudia!”

He jumped right down from the walls. He didn’t think why she might be there. His body had moved before he could even think. If nothing else, McCarthy’s love for Claudia was real. But he was also blinded by it.

“General McCarthy! Moving alone is dangerous!”

“Please wait for us!”

Behind him, members of the Ghost Group 6 tried to stop him. But McCarthy ran and ran.

“Move out of the way!”

Nothing could be more dangerous for the soldiers than to be in his path. His wild rush forward caused a bloodbath and piles of bodies. And so, he arrived in front of Claudia who had been bound at the foot of the wall.

“Now!”

“Fire!”

With the signal, scores of arrows poured down upon him from all directions.

“Foolish bastards!”

McCarthy swung his sword around. With Claudia as bait, it had been a trap meant just for him. Even if he knew about it, it was a trap he couldn’t have avoided.

But…

“Don’t underestimate me!”

1. Not the same Elder Sansen Bruno back in Milton’s territory

2. The raw used 선배, which means senior - someone who is above you in year (school, company, training, etc) but since English doesn’t have that kind of seniority, I went with his name to keep with the western theme.