Chapter 24: The Battle for the Royal Capital’s Recovery 2

Chapter 24: The Battle for the Royal Capital’s Recovery 2

TL: Etude

On either side of the north gate of Crystal Shine Fortress, siege towers were deployed with ladders propped against the city walls. The royal soldiers, struggling to climb up, defended themselves with shields from the arrows, boiling oil, and even scalding fecal concoctions hurled by the rebels.

Some siege towers, drenched in boiling oil, were ignited by the rebels fire arrows. The flames quickly engulfed the towers, forcing soldiers ablaze to jump from the upper levels. Many unfortunate ones didnt make it out, and the smell of charred flesh permeated the area.

Leading the royal army were soldiers clad in thick armor, wielding swords and shields. They fiercely blocked the slashes and chops of the rebels, leaping from the siege towers onto the city walls. The soldiers behind them rapidly followed, continually widening the breach.

The battle cries resounded everywhere on the walls.

By noon, both attackers and defenders were thoroughly exhausted. Duke Walker ordered a temporary halt to the offensive, and the rebels took the opportunity to regroup and rest.

In a civilian house near the north city gate, several people sat in the living room, their faces clouded with worry.

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

About four hundred of our brothers a subordinate replied cautiously.

Hals, drained, rubbed his forehead. He didnt bother to inquire about the losses among the forcibly conscripted militia.

At this moment, Hals was consumed by regret, anger, fear, and various emotions. Trapped in a besieged city, the expected reinforcements were nowhere in sight, while the loyalist army, he knew, was continuously gathering nearby.

He cursed bitterly, Damn that Jars! May he rot in hell!

He had always portrayed himself as a loyal dog of the royal family, secretly colluding with Jars all the while. Due to his caution, he never slipped up and maintained his position as the commander of the city guard.

When the princess led her army on an expedition to the highlands, Jars couldnt contain his ambition and seized the opportunity to rebel, sending word to Hals to rise in support before the princesss army returned.

Initially, Hals refused. Jarss army was still far away; starting a rebellion in the capital was suicidal.

However, the messenger later claimed that Duke Dodge in the south had already sided with Jars, clearing the biggest obstacle to the armys northern advance. The smaller lords were of no concern, and they even promised Hals a countdom once they succeeded.

Blinded by the prospect of great achievements, Hals thought: if he waited for Jarss army to reach the capitals gates before responding, he would be seen as insignificant. If he took control of Crystal Shine Fortress and captured the king himself, his merit would overshadow anyone in Jarss camp.

So he rebelled. Apart from failing to capture the king, everything went smoothly. He had purged the city guards command system, executing or imprisoning non-compliant officers, bringing the entire force under his control.

After imprisoning the chancellor and other ministers, and eliminating a few troublemakers, the nobles in the capital neither openly opposed nor supported him. He thought, let Jars deal with these fence-sitters when he arrives.

Many nobles fled during the chaos of the uprising, but Hals didnt care. He thought, let them add to Princesss troubles, as long as they left their wealth behind.

The retreating royal army, caught off guard by this sudden counterattack, struggled to resist the onslaught of the 500 cavalry.

However, as Hals was venting his frustration and wreaking havoc, he spotted a rider rushing towards him from the city gate, shouting something urgently.

When the rider drew closer, Hals finally understood the message.

The east gate has fallen; Lord, please send reinforcements quickly.

Hals felt a darkness before his eyes, nearly falling from his horse.

Lord Hals! Lord Hals? the rider called out anxiously, knowing it was critical for the commander to remain capable at such a crucial moment.

Hals steadied himself, then suddenly thrust his lance forward.

The rider, in disbelief, stared at the lance piercing his chest and fell from his horse, dead.

Haha! Youre lying, youre all lying to me!

Hals, having lost his sanity, threw away his helmet and raised his lance to charge again, this time towards the densest cluster of enemy soldiers.

His crazed voice echoed across the battlefield:

Youre lying, you all are!

On the nearby Rocky Mountains, two individuals disguised as merchants silently watched the distant battle.

Sigh, a young man with a frivolous look and an earring in his right ear sighed.

Lord Hals, cautious for so many years, yet he capsized at the final moment. What a pity.

Hmph, dont pretend to be sympathetic. Without your insinuations, I doubt I could have stirred the slightest ambition in him. But this guy was really useless, lasting only a day.

The one responding was a middle-aged man with a goatee.

People shouldnt be too greedy. If the princess hadnt returned to the capital and instead had gone south through the eastern route, joining forces with old Duke Dodge, it would have been the duke whod be in trouble. The princess took a long detour, and the extra time wasnt just a day.

Hmph, I know that without you telling me. By the way, have you prepared the gift for the princess?

Hehe, how could I neglect or disrespect such a beauty?

The young mans lips curled into a slightly sinister smile.