Chapter 1428 - 1339: The Peda Ambush

Chapter 1428: Chapter 1339: The Peda Ambush

Imperial Calendar, December 9, 1463, at the mouth of Winter Embrace Valley, along the Peda River.

The lead-gray clouds hung low over the horizon, engulfing the entire valley in a damp and chilly haze.

A bird unique to the Winter Embrace Valley, the Winter Embrace Dove, broke through the rain curtain.

Fine raindrops slanted across the sky, splattering on the chest armor of Holy Alliance soldiers, splashing up fine mist.

Winter Embrace Valley was evidently part of the muddy terrain, showing no signs of Holy Alliance-paved roads.

After being trampled by horses and men, it had long turned into mud.

Every step sank deep into the mire, the withdrawal accompanied by the sticky sound of "squelch, squelch."

"Six days! Catch up with Serafe in six days!" A Corps Commander blinded by the rain shouted at the marching soldiers.

This was already midday of the first day.

At this moment, viewed from above the valley, rows upon rows of dense formations were advancing along the valley plains.

Soldiers carried spring-loaded rifles on their shoulders, bayonets at their waists, and backpacks pressed down upon their shoulders.

Inside were compressed biscuits, jerky, ammunition, and simple bedding.

If not for the Holy Alliance soldiers’ breathing techniques, how could they march quickly with such heavy loads?

The rear kept marching, while under the Vanguard Corps’ cover, the engineers at the forefront began constructing the floating bridge.

Small rafts rocked back and forth in the turbulent river as the engineers swung hammers, driving hefty logs into the riverbed mud.

The logs were connected with iron chains, covered with thick planks and sheepskin air bladders.

Thus, a floating bridge was forming at a visible pace.

"Faster! Hurry it up!" hollered the engineer captains, "Before the Royal Court notices us!"

The engineers in the rain shouted in unison, their actions becoming more nimble.

Meanwhile, nearly a hundred cavalry galloped back and forth along the riverbanks, occasionally halting to observe through binoculars, spraying mud with their hooves.

"There’s movement on the opposite bank!" Suddenly, a cavalry scout reined in his horse, shouting loudly.

Looking in his pointed direction, silhouettes of the Royal Court army were emerging on the high ground north of the Peda River.

Scarlet formations quickly approached the shore, and the battle flags flapped loudly in the cold wind.

At this moment, amidst the Royal Court army on the north bank of the Peda River.

Wearing a silver silk robe and a black mink fur cloak, Serafe stood atop a mound.

Her gaze swept over the busy Holy Alliance soldiers on the south bank, and she couldn’t help but curl her lips into a subtle smile.

"Your Majesty, the Holy Alliance’s floating bridge is being built quickly," Lakunio reported quietly beside Serafe, "Should we let the Flood Roar cannons fire first?"

Serafe shook her head slowly, her gaze falling on the abandoned wooden crates by the riverbank.

The boxes had been pried open, with gold and silver jewels scattered out, still glinting enticingly in the dim light.

This was a small amount of loot she deliberately ordered to abandon — both to slow the Holy Alliance’s pursuit and mislead soldiers into believing the Royal Court’s army was in a panicked retreat.

"Let’s wait a bit." She raised her hand to stop the artillery commander from ordering, "Wait until their floating bridge reaches the middle of the river, then give them a surprise."

Time passed bit by bit, the raindrops gradually becoming denser.

The Holy Alliance’s floating bridge had reached the middle of the river, with three parallel bridges like gray serpents crossing the murky Peda River.

The first batch of infantry was already lined up, gripping spring-loaded rifles, ready to step onto the floating bridge at a moment’s notice.

"Prepare everyone! Force the crossing!" The frontline commander drew his saber, raising it high.

"For victory!" The soldiers shouted in unison.

The first row of soldiers stepped onto the floating bridge, the bridge surface swaying slightly under the weight.

Holding their spring-loaded rifles, they moved cautiously yet in neat steps.

The sound of hooves, footsteps, and weapon clashing mixed together with the loud noise of rushing water.

Just then, Serafe finally raised her hand: "Fire."

"Boom—"

Over a dozen Flood Roar cannons, ready and aimed, thundered together, with polished iron balls screaming through the rain, heading straight for the floating bridge.

The iron balls left only fleeting shadows in the air, fiercely slamming into the bridge.

"Crack!"

A thick log was struck by an iron ball and snapped instantly.

One end of the floating bridge abruptly sank, with several Holy Alliance soldiers crying out as they were thrown into the icy river.

The turbulent river swept them away as soon as they surfaced, leaving only a few bubbles.

Another iron ball struck the center of the bridge, splinters flying.

Two soldiers were splattered by the flying wood shavings, covering their faces and kneeling down, blood flowing from between their fingers.

"Fire back! Damn it, shoot back!" The Holy Alliance’s artillery commander roared orders.

The south bank’s spring-loaded cannons immediately responded, iron balls whistling towards the Royal Court’s artillery positions on the opposite bank.

But the Royal Court artillery held elevated positions, and since they were shooting from low to high, the Holy Alliance artillery couldn’t yet guarantee such precise targeting.

They could only watch helplessly as the shells struck fortifications, kicking up dirt without causing any real damage.

Serafe stood on the high ground, watching Holy Alliance soldiers fall into the water, watching the bridge being battered, increasingly unstable, her smile growing wider.

She raised her hand to brush away raindrops from her cloak, her voice laced with a touch of delight: "Lakunio, look, doesn’t it resemble a comedy on stage?"

Lakunio bowed in agreement: "Your Majesty is wise."

With Holy Wind suppressing the river crossing, the clan army responsible for the rear finally arrived.

Almost instantly, the battle on the river intensified.

"Praise Holy Wind!"

Five rounds of simultaneous lead shot fire rained onto the opposite bank, Royal Court soldiers dodging into cover, retaliating with blood pact rifles.

Black and red mist rose in the positions — a sign of short-term heavy vampire casualties!

Yet these clan soldiers remained fearless, flooding in continuously, using their flesh and blood to block the Holy Alliance’s advance.

Admittedly, these clan soldiers were indeed elite, nearly matching the Royal Palace army in combat strength and resolve.

The rain grew heavier, blurring vision and washing away the blood on the river.

Through repeated bombardment and repair, the Holy Alliance’s floating bridge barely held, and relying on their numerical advantage, some soldiers finally set foot on the north bank.

They immediately formed combat lines, engaging Royal Court soldiers in bayonet brawls or lining up for precise shooting.

Serafe raised an eyebrow, acknowledging that this timeline exceeded her expectations.

Bayonets clashed with claws, gunfire interwoven with roars.

With tight formations and coordinated efforts, Holy Alliance soldiers visibly expanded their landing zone and temporary fortifications.

Royal Court’s senior vampires could still resist stubbornly, relying on their impressive individual combat prowess.

But on the riverbank, ordinary vampire corpses continued to pile higher.

Especially as grenadiers joined the fray, plasma grenades’ white light flashed more frequently.

Blood flowed down the slopes into the Peda River, staining its murky waters a dark red.

Serafe watched the northern shore’s battle, her smile gradually fading.

She sensed the Holy Alliance’s assault intensifying, the Royal Court’s defense steadily torn apart.

Damn it, these human soldiers were like tireless machines, or zombies.

Even at great losses, they still pressed on with the offensive.

Her meticulously prepared gift, those gold and silver treasures, had been intended to divert at least some soldiers’ attention.

Yet aside from a few passing engineers and laborers sneaking a handful, almost no one touched those spoils.

She decisively ordered: "Accelerate the main troop’s retreat eastward, instruct the rearguard not to fight to the death, delay until nightfall is enough."

Lakunio nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Soon, Holy Alliance soldiers controlled the landing beachhead, and after leaving four to five hundred corpses behind, the rearguard clan army fled in panic.