Chapter 85
The kingdom's army defending Serona fortress numbered 8,000.
The total force of the 5th Corps, which had marched leaving only minimal defensive troops behind, was 18,000.
Calculating by numbers alone, they had 2,000 more than double.
Although they lacked siege weapons due to hasty preparation for the expedition, and Serona's defense was solid.
The overwhelming numbers themselves had meaning.
Volker maintained an appropriate distance from Serona fortress and mobilized all archers to begin full-scale firing at the southern part of Serona fortress.
"Fire without pause! Don't let them even show their faces!"
As they continued to attack from a distance while surrounding all sides, the kingdom's army, who had tried to counterattack from the battlements, couldn't withstand and hid behind the walls.
With this, the number of arrows and stones flying from the fortress noticeably decreased.
"Launch the battering rams and siege towers, and set up the ladders! Today, we will scale those walls!"
As the enemy's resistance seemed to weaken, Volker initiated a full-scale siege.
"Waaaaaaah!"
The 5th Corps soldiers broke through the diminished arrow rain and clung to the walls.
Volker smiled as they reached the walls and began pounding on the seemingly vulnerable southern wall, but,
-Thud!
"Ugh, aaaaargh!"
-Boom!
The kingdom's army defending Serona was no easy opponent.
Ladders were kicked away, and soldiers hanging on them fell,
-Hiss.
"Aaaaargh!"
"Water, bring water!"
As boiling oil, fire arrows, and stones targeted the siege weapons, the 5th Corps' offensive gradually stalled.
Even soldiers who succeeded in climbing some walls were pushed back by the kingdom army's resistance, and the resounding battle cries gradually turned into horrific screams.
The casualties, which had been only in the dozens during the days of confrontation, instantly exceeded hundreds.
"...Have courage! Keep pushing! Victory is near!"
Volker encouraged the soldiers from the rear where arrows couldn't reach, clinging to a thread of reason, but there was no sign of success.
As their allies got closer to the walls, the 5th Corps archers mainly fired at the command post inside and areas where their infantry hadn't yet climbed.
At this, the kingdom's army that had been hiding behind the battlements poked their heads out again and attacked the approaching soldiers.
As the soldiers who went ahead fell from ladders and were crushed, or caught fire and died in agony one after another, the other soldiers couldn't help but be affected.
"This..."
"General!"
"What is it!"
When Volker's impatience reached its peak due to the kingdom army's defense that seemed about to break but didn't,
"A message from the Red Dragon Corps! They say they'll arrive at Serona within a few hours!"
A messenger ran towards him, delivering the final sentence.
"...Is that truly the case?"
"Yes! The scouts patrolling the Adense direction have also confirmed the sight of the Red Dragon Corps marching!"
"The Red Dragon Corps already..."
"...What..."
"..."
He tried to deny reality, but it was meaningless.
The Red Dragon Corps, which had instantly brought down La Leon and Adense, was now aiming for Serona.
With just a moment's thought, Volker could easily understand the purpose of the Red Dragon Corps' swift movement.
It was just yesterday that news of the Red Dragon Corps' victory was delivered.
Even considering the time for the messenger who heard the news to travel, it was a speed impossible to achieve through normal marching.
This likely meant that they had marched immediately without reorganizing in La Leon or Adense.
And, it naturally followed that such a march was possible because they hadn't suffered significant damage during the siege process.
"They're trying to finish me off completely."
"...Pardon?"
In Volker's eyes, Viktor's movements were a firm declaration that he wouldn't let him have even a bit of merit.
Once he was convinced of this, it didn't matter what Viktor actually thought.
"...This can't be. This can't happen."
He muttered with his head down, seemingly oblivious to the messenger and officers looking at him in confusion.
The short time left until the Red Dragon Corps' arrival, the still sturdy Serona fortress, and the sight of soldiers losing morale and barely moving flashed through his mind.
With even the last thread of reason gone, his eyes were filled only with irritation and desperation, and.
As there was no time or resources for a long siege.
"One shot. We need one shot."
He decided to pour all his strength into a single offensive.
A few minutes later, raising his head again,
"For now, we'll halt the offensive. Prepare a horse."
He ordered Florian, who was standing by, in a growling voice.
"A horse? Could it be...!"
"Bring it immediately! It's an order!"
"...Understood."
Florian's voice, trying somehow to dissuade him, was suppressed by Volker's shout.
As this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened, the officers who knew Volker's stubbornness gave up trying to dissuade him when they saw him not even listening to Florian's words.
After ordering the archers to resume firing as before.
Volker mounted the horse brought by an anxious-looking Florian and advanced to the front of the 5th Corps infantry who had momentarily stopped their charge to reorganize.
"Men! Are you afraid of the enemy's arrows, their resistance? Look at the expressions of those standing on the walls! Just as you fear the enemy, the enemy fears us!"
He shouted in a resounding voice in front of the soldiers, using the arrow rain fired by the imperial army as a backdrop.
"The enemy is only 8,000 strong! Once we scale the walls, victory is ours!"
He wore flashy armor and pointed a sword with equally flashy decorations at the walls of Serona fortress.
Speaking until the archers pressuring the enemy stopped firing,
"...Let's go! For the empire, towards victory! Attack!"
As the firing stopped, he swung his sword and advanced towards Serona fortress.
"...With the General leading like that, we can't hold back! Let's go!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
With a high-ranking general at the very front encouraging them, the fallen morale of the imperial army quickly rose again.
The soldiers advanced again, pushing siege towers and battering rams, and picked up fallen ladders to cling tenaciously to the walls.
The kingdom army's response slowed bit by bit due to fatigue from continuous firing, and more imperial soldiers than before successfully climbed the walls and engaged in combat.
"Yes, this is it! This is the latent power of our 5th Corps! Push forward!"
Of course, not intending to die senselessly, Volker stopped charging when he thought the soldiers had gained enough momentum.
Stopping midway and looking satisfied at the changed battle situation,
"...Huh!"
-Clang!
He instinctively moved his arm to deflect an arrow flying towards him.
By an incredible stroke of luck upon luck, he caught the arrow with his gauntlet and was fine without any significant injury.
"Wow..."
"Amazing, General!"
"...Haha! With God protecting me, how dare these wretches think they can harm me!"
The soldiers marveled at Volker's feat of deflecting an arrow with his hand, and even he, who had been dumbfounded, happily shouted, considering this luck as something like a divine revelation.
The soldiers' morale soared sky-high, and Volker inwardly praised himself, thinking his decision had once again led to success, but.
-Thud.
"Ugh..."
"...Huh?"
His luck ended there.
Another blind arrow that flew again unfortunately found a gap in his armor and lodged in his shoulder.
-Thud!
Volker fell from his horse from the impact and lost consciousness.
As many soldiers around witnessed this scene,
"...Oh no."
"The, the General has fallen from his horse!"
"Hey, hey!"
Before Florian could control the news, it spread quickly among the soldiers.
"The General?"
"My goodness..."
"Wh-what's going to happen?"
The high morale plummeted instantly.
"Don't panic! Continue the attack!"
"Attack in this situation, what nonsense! Retreat while protecting the General!"
The remaining 5th Corps officers tried to control the soldiers, but as even the officers' opinions diverged, the soldiers' confusion intensified.
Fortunately, the Serona fortress defenders had also suffered considerable losses during the 5th Corps' firing and siege, and they were afraid of the pursuit turning into a field battle, so they didn't counterattack beyond shooting arrows at the backs of retreating soldiers.
"Did we... lose?"
"Retreat? Ru-run away!"
However, the soldiers couldn't regain their senses due to the shocking news of their commander falling, and some panicked and fled alone,
"What about the Corps Commander?"
"He's unconscious. Quickly, get a medic...!"
Most of the high-ranking officers who should have controlled them were focused on the unconscious Volker.
"All troops retreat! Retreat!"
The soldiers who had been taking arrows while in chaos could only all retreat after the order from Deputy Corps Commander Axel Lübeck was issued.
The situation was not good.
Even as the medics immediately cut open the wound to remove the arrow and provided emergency treatment, Volker didn't regain consciousness.
The 5th Corps officers gathered in the tent to discuss their response, but,
"...What should we do?"
"First, we need to calm the soldiers."
"In this situation, how can we calm the soldiers!"
"That's..."
Without Volker strongly leading the officers, the meeting stagnated.
"We might have to retreat to Mannzheim."
"Retreat? We can't retreat without any achievements!"
As they couldn't decide whether to retreat or continue advancing, and meaningless arguments were going back and forth, at that moment.
"Who... Huh?"
"..."
Pushing open the tent flap, Viktor boldly appeared.
Silence fell in the tent, and,
"You all look very confused. What's the matter?"
Viktor, receiving everyone's gaze, asked calmly with his usual expressionless face.