Chapter 188: Time to Show Them Our Strength (2)
Unlike the others, Ghislain had no intention of merely stalling for time.
Dragging the conflict into a prolonged battle to secure an easy victory would have been ideal. But such an approach wasn’t an option right now.
It was true that Ghislain had waited for the drought as an opportunity, but that was merely to obtain what was needed with less resistance and to lay the groundwork in a way that made it difficult for the Duke’s faction and the Royal Faction to intervene openly.
Now, seizing the fortress as quickly as possible was of utmost importance.
‘The Marquis of Branford will handle the Duke’s movements.’
This was precisely why he had enlisted Branford as a patron. The Marquis, concerned about maintaining his influence in the north, would do everything in his power to protect Fenris.
The remaining issue was the Duke’s faction. They would undoubtedly try to mobilize Count Desmond, as an outright civil war would be burdensome for them right now.
‘I need to secure this place before that happens.’
While messengers attempting to leave Cabaldi Castle were being intercepted one by one, there was no way Count Desmond hadn’t already been informed.
Count Desmond was cautious, but he wasn’t so foolish as to stay idle in such circumstances.
‘Even without direct orders from the Duke, Count Desmond will act.’
Losing this fortress would be a significant blow to Desmond’s ability to regroup his forces.
Thus, no matter how dire the drought-stricken conditions were, Count Desmond would be forced to make a move.
‘Count Cabaldi must be aware of this, which is why he remains still.’
The enemy’s supplies were nearly depleted. Facing starvation, they would sooner or later attempt a decisive battle rather than perish slowly.
Despite this, their current inactivity could only mean they were confident that reinforcements would arrive.
Although the situation was clearly favorable for Ghislain, he knew that advantage wouldn’t last indefinitely.
‘You must always stay one step ahead of the enemy.’
The timing was right, and preparations had been made as thoroughly as possible. Now, it was time to quickly seize the fortress.
Of course, Ghislain wasn’t planning a reckless siege. They lacked siege weapons, and most of the troops under his command were infantry. While the knights were relatively numerous, their capabilities were still lacking.
Attempting to take the fortress walls in their current state would only result in significant losses.
Launching a siege without overwhelming weaponry and manpower was sheer folly. That was precisely why he hadn’t brought siege weapons in the first place.
Minimizing losses was always critical. Only by doing so could they quickly build up greater strength.
“Intelligence suggests that another lord is preparing to aid Count Cabaldi. We must capture the fortress before that happens.”
At Ghislain’s command, the group sighed in disappointment and began digging tunnels.
It was clear why they needed to work on tunnels. With no siege engines brought along, tunneling was the only viable option.
Whoever was sending reinforcements to the enemy was making them endure this unnecessary effort, adding to their grievances.
The dwarves quickly understood why Ghislain had insisted on bringing them. After all, dwarves were specialists in digging tunnels.
For those capable of carving through solid rock to construct underground cities, creating a tunnel was an easy task.
“Agh! Just when I thought I’d get a break, more work! Always more work! There’s no end to the toil in this blasted land!”
Grumbling incessantly, Galbarik began drafting the tunnel plans with the dwarves.
There were two primary methods for using tunnels to attack a fortress:
The first was to dig beneath the enemy’s walls and collapse them, and the second was to use the tunnel to infiltrate the fortress directly.
Both methods were risky, but the latter had a significantly higher chance of success. While collapsing the walls would inevitably lead to a full-scale frontal battle, infiltrating the fortress would allow them to launch a surprise attack from within.
“We’ll dig as cautiously as possible to avoid being detected,” Galbarik assured.
Ghislain shook his head.
“No, prioritize speed over stealth, even if it gets noisy.”
“If we get caught, the whole operation will fail. Are you sure about this?”
“It’s fine. Just make sure to dig toward the rear of the fortress. Right now, the most important thing is to finish before reinforcements arrive.”
“Ugh, got it. I’ll dig as fast as we can.”
Targeting the rear of the fortress would make the tunnel much longer, but that wasn’t a major concern.
Solid ground? The mages and knights could easily break through it. Digging and setting up supports? With thousands of soldiers, they could brute force their way through with sheer manpower.
Under the dwarves’ supervision, the tunnel progressed at an astonishing pace.
Everyone knew time was of the essence, so they put aside their exhaustion and focused on the task at hand.
Still, there was always someone grumbling in such situations.
“Ugh! Why am I stuck here doing this filthy, lowly work? This is ridiculous! Disgusting! Why is there so much dust? I can’t even breathe!”
Kane, who had been forcibly conscripted, cursed nonstop as he swung his pickaxe.
Born into a noble family, he had never done such grueling labor before, and the indignity of it all made his blood boil.
Yet, he lacked the courage to escape. After being brought here and undergoing some “education,” his fear of Ghislain had grown considerably.
As a 3rd-circle mage, the detection spell consumed a significant amount of his mana, making it a challenging task. Moreover, his eyesight wasn’t the best, having strained it with years of reading.
Even so, his magical observation offered a clearer picture than a knight’s naked eyes. Quickly surveying the Fenris camp, the magician took note of their movements. Overwhelmed by the influx of information, his head throbbed, and he stumbled for a moment. Once he regained his composure, he immediately rushed back to Count Cabaldi.
“It looks like they’re carrying out some kind of construction.”
“Construction?”
“I’m not certain, but their soldiers are bustling with activity at the rear. They’ve erected several large tents, making it hard to discern precisely, but I saw them transporting carts loaded with dirt and heavy sacks.”
Count Cabaldi unconsciously touched his forehead and laughed upon hearing those words.
“This rascal must’ve seen something somewhere and decided to dig a tunnel.”
There weren’t many methods to take down a fortress without siege weapons. Among them, the most well-known was tunneling.
Particularly in the North, most fortresses lacked moats except for a few major strongholds, making them easier targets for such a tactic.
“Kuhuhu, he must be worried that the Royal Faction might mediate. But, as expected of a fledgling, his thinking is shallow. Who digs a tunnel so blatantly? Hahaha!”
Tunnels were only effective if dug in secrecy. If discovered, the attackers could suffer significant counter-damage.
Thus, the standard practice was to divert the enemy’s attention and use the tunnel as part of a feint operation. However, since the Fenris forces lacked siege weapons, their strategic options were limited, making their moves predictable.
“What a pitiful wretch. Trying to wage war with the food he got by sheer luck and ending up so clumsy. I heard he won the last war with traps—clearly a skill inherited from his father.”
Count Cabaldi couldn’t stop laughing.
Now, whenever he thought of Ghislain, instead of anger, he felt an odd sense of amusement. The young man was trying to accomplish something, but how could he be so blatantly sloppy?
“If his military capabilities are this pathetic, couldn’t we just march out and crush him immediately?”
Count Cabaldi briefly pondered this but quickly shook his head. If the tunnel’s location could be identified, it would be far more effective to trap and eliminate the enemy easily.
There was no reason to risk unnecessary casualties when a safer method was available.
He quickly issued an order.
“Install vibration detectors all around the fortress walls and confirm the direction the enemy is coming from! We will dig traps at that location and station our forces there!”
Bowls and jars filled with water were placed across the walls or buried in the ground. By observing the ripples caused by vibrations from the tunneling, they could determine the direction of the excavation.
Three days later, a knight rushed in, panting.
“We’ve identified the direction! It appears they’re digging towards the southern gate!”
“What? You’ve already pinpointed it? And it’s not the eastern gate but the southern gate? They’re going that far around? But why is their tunneling so fast?”
Considering the overly circuitous route they’d taken, the speed of their approach was remarkably swift.
Count Cabaldi clicked his tongue as he seemed to grasp Ghislain’s intentions. If successful, it would indeed be a highly effective strategy.
“That fool isn’t trying to collapse the walls but plans to sneak in and strike us instead. Are you sure they’re coming from the south?”
“It’s certain. There’s nothing nearby that could have caused similar vibrations,” the knight confirmed.
If the vibrations had been detected, the tunnel would likely be completed within two or three days. Count Cabaldi quickly stood up and shouted.
“Gather the main forces at the targeted location and prepare to strike. The moment the enemy’s heads emerge from underground, we’ll kill every last one of them. Then, we’ll open the gates and strike the confused enemy forces immediately!”
“What about the fortress walls?”
“Well, since they lack siege weapons and are mostly infantry, any attempt to approach is likely just a diversion. Still, leave some defensive forces in place just in case. Even a volley of arrows should be enough to hold them off.”
“Understood!”
Confident of victory, Count Cabaldi let out a satisfied laugh.
No matter how large an army was, if its commander was incompetent, they could be wiped out in a single battle.
The foolish Baron Fenris would lose all his soldiers the moment they tried to infiltrate through the tunnel.
“Kuhuhuhu, thanks to that fledgling, my reputation will soar even higher. This is excellent.”
Imagining himself turning the tide of an unfavorable situation and claiming victory even before reinforcements arrived brought a grin to his face.
All the nobles would praise his military prowess, and even the Duke’s family would be impressed beyond words.
Just as the self-assured Count Cabaldi predicted, the Fenris forces began their movements two nights later.
As the Fenris troops advanced, Count Cabaldi burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Look at this fool! Moving so conspicuously in the middle of the night—what is he thinking?”
Even as the enemy approached, he felt no fear. There were no battering rams, no ladders, nothing. They would merely be cut down by arrows the moment they reached the walls.
Approaching so unprepared in the dead of night could only mean they intended to serve as a distraction. It was obvious to anyone watching.
“What about the forces at the target location?”
“They’re all in position.”
“Good. I’ll take command myself. The time has come to kill that brat once and for all.”
With a hearty laugh, Count Cabaldi headed toward the targeted site. His knights followed, their expressions equally relaxed and confident.
As they laughed and chatted with ease, convinced of their impending victory, something ominous began to stir.
Against the backdrop of the pitch-black night sky, dozens of massive, unidentified shadows rose silently into the air.