dognovel Chapter 409 Sacrifice
Chapter 409 Sacrifice
In the garden outside the Windam Palace, King Mitland walked side by side with his brother, Count Ulysse, the summer sun shining on them and the breeze bringing a slight coolness.
"You have read all the intelligence from the front line."
King Mitlan asked in a deep voice.
"Looked."
Count Ulysse replied, with a trace of regret on his face.
"What a pity! General Conseil was one of the few nobles in Midland who could lead troops to fight. He died for his country like this."
Hearing what Count Yuris said, King Midlan stopped, sighed slightly, and a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes.
"I have summoned the nobles of the southern, western, and northern Midland, as well as the governor of the Southwestern Governorate, to gather their troops outside of Wendam."
King Mitlan still said steadily:
"This time, the Yoda army is different from the past. That Ludwig probably brought all the energy of the Yoda Empire to fight."
Count Juris nodded. He understood the importance of this war. He thought for a moment and then asked:
"Your Majesty, the intelligence also said that the territories ruled by the Forest Governor and Earl John were surrounded by the Yoda army from the east and south, and there are no less than ten siege artillery pieces that broke through the walls of Rona City. Do you think that is right..."
King Mitlan turned his head and looked at Count Yuris, his eyes revealing a hint of sharpness:
"Did someone ask you for help?"
Count Yuris nodded, a trace of helplessness appeared on his face:
"Yes, including the deputy commander of the White Lion Knights, Jules, and Milo II of Milo Territory, also sent people to find me, hoping that I can persuade His Majesty to send troops to support as soon as possible."
“That’s not surprising.”
King Mitlan said this, with a hint of deep thought in his eyes.
"Jules is Count John's uncle. As for Count Milo, he is probably a vassal under him, that is, someone entrusted by Count John's father."
"Then your majesty, please see..."
Yuris continued to ask, wanting to see King Mitlan's attitude.
King Mitlan thought for a while, then said directly: "We must save him, but not now."
The king's remarks surprised Count Juris somewhat, after all, John was trained by him.
"Earl John has indeed made a lot of contributions to the Kingdom of Midland, and I have given him a lot of rewards accordingly."
King Mitlan said, with a complicated look in his eyes:
"But these rewards have accumulated so much that the Hohenzollern family has become one of the most powerful families in Midland. John is now almost like a rising sun. Even if he doesn't mean to, the light he radiates has overshadowed other nobles... and me."
"but……"
King Mitlan changed the subject:
"The sun rises and sets at the right time. This is a theorem. Earl John is too tired, so it's time for him to set. Besides, I heard that he is now stationed on a small island with his troops. I'm afraid he is in danger."
"You mean we should wait until all the Hohenzollerns there are killed in battle before..."
Before Count Yuris finished speaking, King Mitlan waved his hand and interrupted him:
"No, no, no, I'm not that cold-blooded. I will still help when it's necessary. I will send troops to support after the Yoda people and the local defenders are almost defeated. Doesn't Earl John have a son? After the war is over, I will appoint him as the heir to all of John's territories and titles in Wendam, except for the Forest Governor's Territory..."
In the desolate land on the southern border of Franche-Comté, a lonely fortress stands tall, as if it is the last barrier to protect this land. On the fortress, the centurion's hair is dyed gray by the wind and dust, and his eyes are shining with determination and resoluteness, staring closely at the group of Yoda soldiers rushing in like a tide in the distance.
The artillery bombardment of the Yoda army had smashed two huge gaps in the city wall, and the city gate was also ruthlessly torn apart. But the soldiers did not give up. They used the last two cannons to launch a fierce counterattack against the Yoda people. At the same time, they used the debris in the fortress to try their best to fill the gaps and try to stop the Yoda people's attack.
However, these efforts were just a drop in the bucket. Soon, the Yoda soldiers on the opposite side swarmed over the gap like locusts and started a fierce hand-to-hand fight with the defenders. The centurion wielded his long sword and stabbed to death a Yoda soldier who wanted to climb up the wall.
But at this moment, a soldier nearby came to report:
"Captain! The brothers on the west wall can't hold on any longer. There are too many Yoda people. They are climbing up the wall!"
"Push on! We must hold on no matter what! It's not yet time to evacuate as planned! If we run away, the people behind us will die!"
The centurion's voice was like thunder, echoing over the fortress. He then swung his sword and chopped off the head of another Yoda soldier, and the gushing blood painted his dust-covered armor red again.
However, as more Yodas came forward, the casualties of the defenders continued to increase, and many soldiers fell in a pool of blood. Despite this, the defenders at the gates and gaps still resisted firmly and were unwilling to retreat a step.
But as time went on, the number of soldiers became fewer and fewer, and the enemy's offensive became more and more fierce. Looking at the tragic situation, the centurion knew that he could not hold on for long.
Finally, he made up his mind and ordered loudly:
"Everyone, retreat to the warehouse!"
With the remaining dozens of soldiers, the captain and his team quickly ran to the warehouse. When they arrived near the warehouse, facing the closed and silent buildings, he knew that he could not delay any longer and immediately gave the order:
"Burn them all!"
As the flames spread instantly, black smoke rushed into the sky, and at this moment, the Yoda people followed closely behind. The centurion looked around and his eyes fell on a warehouse with a gunpowder logo. He swallowed and shouted to the nearby soldiers:
"Retreat to the gunpowder warehouse!"
As the door of the gunpowder depot was held tightly by several soldiers using sundries, the atmosphere became increasingly tense. Among the exhausted soldiers, several seriously injured soldiers were no longer able to stand up and fell to the ground, looking extremely vulnerable. The centurion gasped in such a desperate situation, looking around at the gunpowder barrels and shells, knowing that there was no time to hesitate in this battle.
"Sir, what should we do next?"
A young soldier asked in a trembling voice, with a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.
The centurion paused for a moment, then looked at the soldier and asked:
"How old are you? How many people are there in your family?"
The soldier seemed a little confused, but answered truthfully:
"I'm 23 years old. In addition to my parents, I have three younger brothers and sisters. They just left the village and headed north a few days ago."
"it is good."
The centurion patted the soldier's shoulder, glanced at his comrades around him, and then asked:
"Brothers, let me ask you one last question. Are you afraid of death?"
When the soldiers heard this question, they felt even heavier in their hearts. They looked around at the gunpowder barrels and realized what was about to happen. After a moment of silence, a sergeant with a gray beard finally stood up and said in a trembling voice:
"I have been following the Earl since 1444. These 13 years have been the happiest time of my life."
He paused and took a deep breath:
"But what I want to say is that once you become a soldier, you must always be prepared to make sacrifices. You cannot expect the Earl to support you and your family for the rest of your life. As long as you can still pick up a weapon, you must fight! If you live in disgrace now, you will die in disgrace in the future, and so will your family!"
At this moment, there was a sudden loud banging outside. The door slammed and the soldiers immediately stood up, holding their weapons tightly, ready to meet the enemy. The captain's mind gradually became clear, and he silently said:
"May the God of Light bless Lord John to come back quickly, and then kill all these scums to bury them with us."
A soldier nearby smiled helplessly and said jokingly:
"It doesn't matter, mate. If Lord John comes down with us, we won't have the heart to complain, will we?"
Before he finished speaking, there was a loud bang, and the door was kicked open like paper, and the Yoda soldiers poured in like a tide. However, what awaited them were soldiers who fought desperately. The soldiers raised torches and threw them at the gunpowder barrels. At that moment, it seemed as if time had stopped.
With a loud bang, the gunpowder depot was like a ignited volcano. With a deafening explosion, the entire camp was engulfed in flames and smoke.