Arc 4 Chapter 46 : Siege of Tusculum

[Siena PoV]

A month passed by quickly, yet nothing significant happened during that time.

This was because the Empire was also using this period to recover its strength after losing so many soldiers in the war.

However, we knew this situation wouldn't last forever.

"Quickly! The eighth departure will begin shortly! Anyone who hasn't entered the harbor yet, please come here immediately and board your respective ships!"

Someone shouted from atop a raised platform, urging the civilians waiting to be evacuated to prepare themselves for the journey to the capital.

The evacuation process had begun ten days ago.

This afternoon would be the final departure for civilians who wished to leave Tusculum City.

Around 160,000 civilians had already been evacuated to various regions of our country that had not been affected by the war.

We had to do this even though some of them refused to leave their hometowns.

"Papa! Don't take too long to follow us to the capital, okay? If you're not there, I'll be the only one taking care of Mother while she's sick!"

A young girl stood in front of a Knight who was kneeling down so that he could meet his daughter's height.

"Of course, Amore. I'll come back to you as soon as I've dealt with those bad guys."

The father smiled.

He obviously didn't want his daughter to worry by showing a serious expression.

They embraced each other and exchanged their farewells.

The father eventually released his daughter from his embrace, allowing her to board the ship that would soon depart.

Similar scenes could be seen throughout the harbor.

Many people made promises, gave lucky charms, or finally confessed feelings they had kept hidden for so long to the people they loved.

Once everyone had boarded, the ships began sailing away from the harbor.

The civilians could still be seen waving at the soldiers who remained behind to defend the city.

"Defeat them!"

"Show those Imperial dogs the strength of the Venetian people!"

The soldiers responded to the civilians with confidence, wanting to ensure that their families could leave the city without carrying too much sorrow in their hearts.

"Of course! We won't let those invaders lay a hand on you!"

"We'll crush them if they dare set foot in this city!"

Once the ships carrying the civilians had sailed far enough from the city's harbor, the soldiers began returning to their respective barracks as night approached.

I didn't return directly to my residence in the city.

Instead, I had to attend a meeting at City Hall.

When I arrived at the meeting room, representatives from the other two nations were already there.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen. Let's discuss the developments of the war today," I said to Marshal Auros and General Melisandru.

"Our Reconnaissance Unit just returned from a scouting mission around Regium Fortress City—the Imperial forces' base of operations in this region," General Melisandru explained. "They reported that the Empire received 80,000 additional troops from the capital today."

80,000 troops?

That meant their total forces had now reached 120,000 soldiers, while we had only received 20,000 new recruits to replenish our forces, bringing our total to around 90,000 soldiers.

"By the Great Goddess, how can they still recruit that many soldiers!?" Marshal Auros exclaimed, clearly shocked by the Empire's ability to replenish its forces.

"The Empire has the largest population on this continent. Even if the populations of the three Alliance nations were combined, we still wouldn't match the population of the Aragon Empire," I explained to the Marshal. "Furthermore, the Empire doesn't recruit only its own citizens. They also recruit immigrants. That's how they're able to replenish their forces by this much."

The Venetia Republic had a total population of 3.000,000 official citizens, along with around 300,000 legal immigrants from other nations living in this country.

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Of that population, only five percent could be mobilized for the battlefield.

On the other hand, according to the data I had obtained, the Aragon Empire had a total of 10,500,000 official citizens and another 1,500,000 legal immigrants.

In this war, the Empire had mobilized 200,000 soldiers, which was only around two percent of their total population.

During peacetime, a nation would usually maintain a standing army equivalent to one or two percent of its total population.

However, during wartime, that percentage could rise to five percent, and up to ten percent in a state of emergency, such as during the demon invasion long ago.

"At present, their forces are heading this way," General Melisandru said. "It seems they intend to conquer this city as quickly as possible."

"But are they really that confident about attacking a city defended by 90,000 soldiers with only 120,000 troops!?" Marshal Auros questioned our enemy's decision once again.

"Have you forgotten? They have a Goddess of War now!" General Melisandru replied.

Although we would have the advantage of being the defending side, we still had no answer to Princess Elena's ability.

Even our strongest fighters would have difficulty getting close to her if the three Grand Espada were constantly protecting her.

"What do you think, Major Siena?" the two of them asked me.

"Tell me, can Prince Vlad fight?" I asked the General.

"Of course. I believe he awakened his new Profound Codex after returning from the Empire," General Melisandru replied. "His Profound Codex possesses a wide area of effect, and it is an ability traditionally possessed by the kings of our nation."

Hooo~

I didn't know that bastard was actually competent.

I thought he was nothing more than a spoiled Prince who had gotten everything he wanted since childhood.

The families of Monarchs did indeed possess special magical abilities.

However, the General's expression suddenly became gloomy.

"What is it, General?" I asked him.

"It is true that Prince Vlad's Profound Codex can counter Princess Elena's ability, but..." the General explained. "He still cannot fully control his own power."

"That means..."

"Exactly. It won't only affect the enemy. Our own soldiers will suffer the same fate."

Ahhh...

I take back what I said about him being a competent Prince.

He really was a completely useless Prince.

---

[Raul PoV]

We began advancing toward Tusculum City.

Based on the outcome of our previous battle, we were certain that the Alliance forces wouldn't dare fight us in open terrain again.

For that reason, we weren't too worried about them attempting another trick and surrounding us like they had before.

After four days of marching, we finally emerged from the Tuscan Forest and arrived in the vicinity of Tusculum City.

Even from a distance, I could see that the city was heavily guarded by a large number of soldiers.

Our troops began constructing camps where they could rest comfortably, since an assault on a city this large would take several days before the main battle could begin.

Because Tusculum was a port city, we couldn't simply surround them and wait for their food supplies to run out.

We didn't have access to Cosentia Bay.

That meant that after bombarding the city with magical projectiles, we would have to launch our first assault.

— BOOOMBBB! BOOMMMBB!

Explosions echoed in the distance as the mages began doing their work to weaken the enemy's defenses.

"Do you think the enemy has a plan to turn the situation around, Raul?" Elena asked me.

The two of us were watching the bombardment of the city from a distance.

"They're certainly afraid of the Profound Codex you possess, Elena," I replied. "They must also have someone capable of using a large-scale Profound Codex like yours to counter your ability."

"If they have someone with such an ability, shouldn't they have brought them into the previous battle?"

Elena was right.

If they really had someone capable of using such an ability, the Alliance should have brought them onto the battlefield before.

But they hadn't.

Because there was a risk they would have to bear if that person used their power.

Vlad mel Dracus...

The Dracus family was famous for their ability to manipulate blood, with their most renowned Profound Codex being Blood Frenzy.

I suspected the reason they hadn't brought Vlad into the previous battles was because he still couldn't fully control his ability.

Just like the Bloodlust-themed Profound Codex I possessed, the Dracus family's Blood Frenzy could also cause its user to lose control.

"They must have something up their sleeves, Elena," I replied. "Always prepare for the worst-case scenario, and never underestimate our enemy, especially when they're being cornered."

— DUUMMBB! BADUUMMM! DUMMM!

The sound of war drums echoed across the battlefield, ordering the troops to advance.

Finally, the first assault was about to begin.

Earth Element mages created seven-meter-tall Golems and controlled them as they advanced toward the city.

The Golems then began throwing enormous boulders.

Aside from testing for traps around the city, this was also intended to determine the effective range of the enemy's weapons.

— BOMMB!! BOMMBB!! BOOMMM!!

The Alliance forces responded by firing cannons at the Golems.

Several of them were destroyed.

The mages then pulled their Golems back and resumed hurling boulders at the city.

This time, the enemy's cannon fire couldn't reach the Golems.

"Hmmm... Their range has increased compared to before," Elena muttered. "Previously, their cannons were only effective at a range of around 500 meters."

I assumed Elena had witnessed a siege before.

This was the first time I had seen one myself, since during the battle for Sarisa City, I had been positioned far behind the defensive line.

"We probably can't use the Barrel-throwing trick anymore either," Elena said. "The enemy will have prepared for it and will be more cautious after our previous attack on Regium Fortress City."

Whoa...

I wished I could have witnessed the siege back then.

Honestly, I'd always been curious about how soldiers in a fantasy world conducted a siege.

"You know a lot, Elena," I complimented her.

"No. In fact, my unit didn't participate in the previous city assault at all," Elena said, shaking her head. "However, Marshal Salazar asked me to participate in this assault alongside our Infantry Unit."

However, Elena then told me that the Empire had another trick to enter the city without being detected.

But this method required time and extreme caution to succeed.

The Earth Element mages would use their magic to construct an underground tunnel and connect it to Tusculum City.

Before sending in the troops, several people would be dispatched to find a weak point in the city's defenses where our forces could emerge from underground.

I had proposed this plan to Elena, and she had presented it to Marshal Salazar during the war council.

Constructing the tunnel would take several days.

For that reason, this would be a rather lengthy siege.

"Are you sure you want to volunteer for that mission?" Elena asked me.

Indeed, I was one of the people who had volunteered to search for an exit point for our forces once the tunnel was completed.

"Don't worry. I've escaped from that city before," I replied. "At the very least, I know a little about the city's layout."

I just hoped the mission would go smoothly and that I wouldn't have to fight against thousands of soldiers chasing me through the city.