Translator: Cinder Translations
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After half a day of marching, Samal finally led the army assigned to him by Lord Giles to the vicinity of Frog's Croak Town.
"What's the situation inside the town?"
He frowned and asked a man in a black robe beside him.
The black-robed man ignored him, simply staring blankly ahead with his eyes.
"These arrogant wizards!" Samal grumbled inwardly. During the last war, he had worked with spellcasters from the Arcane Order, and they had the same attitude.
It seemed that wizards, regardless of their affiliation, were universally arrogant.
After a long moment, the wizard finally came to his senses, his eyes darting around.
"What's the situation inside the town?" Samal asked again, trying to remain patient.
"Hmm… The streets are eerily quiet. The watchtower near the entrance seems to have been modified—I saw that they built a tall stone wall there, and spear-wielding guards are stationed below."
"How many people?"
"There are too many obstacles to estimate an exact number, but I saw at least two hundred soldiers."
Samal pondered for a moment. "Two hundred… That's manageable. It shouldn't be too difficult."
He didn't believe the royal army could deploy thousands of troops behind Eagle Beak Pass.
While the rebels were observing the town, the royal army was also keeping an eye on them.
In fact, when the rebels were still on their way to Frog's Croak Town, scouts hidden along the road had already spotted them and rushed back to report.
By the time the rebels stopped near the town, the royal army had been watching their every move through their telescopes.
"They've finally arrived!"
Second Regiment Commander Chambers decided to launch a preemptive strike.
Meanwhile, Samal unsheathed his sword and shouted to his soldiers:
"Lions of the South! The despicable northerners have sent spies into our lands, stirring up a gang of bandits to create chaos. Now, they've fled to Frog's Croak Town, plundering and oppressing the innocent townsfolk. We are here to wipe them out! In the name of Lord Giles, let's charge in, crush them, and rescue the people!"
"Charge! Charge! Charge!"
The soldiers, inspired by Samal's speech, raised their weapons and shields, shouting in unison.
"Follow my orders! Capture the high ground at the town entrance first! Charge!"
Samal pointed his longsword forward, and the rebel soldiers eagerly rushed toward the town.
The first thing that greeted them was a scattered volley of arrows. The rebel soldiers raised their shields while charging, suffering only minor losses from the arrows.
However, as they neared the high ground, the situation changed.
Not only did the arrows become more concentrated, but something even more terrifying appeared.
From behind the stone walls on the higher ground, a row of royal soldiers suddenly stood up, muskets aimed at the rebels.
"Fire!"
At the officer's command, white smoke filled the air, and gunfire roared.
Several rebel soldiers fell instantly, struck by bullets.
"How do these southern bandits have muskets?!"
Samal's troops had fought the royal army before and recognized the firearms, but they were completely baffled.
"Attack! Attack!"
Seeing the charge falter, Samal immediately spurred his horse forward, risking stray bullets to personally urge his men onward.
The rebel soldiers obeyed his orders, brandishing their weapons as they pressed toward the high ground, engaging the spear-wielding guards behind the lower walls.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The "Grasshopper" light cannons opened fire, unleashing deadly shrapnel upon the charging rebels.
Even though they were only three-pound cannons, they were still artillery. The blast instantly tore through the rebels, creating gaps in their ranks.
BOOM!
Another cannon fired from a different direction, inflicting more heavy losses on the rebels.
A church not far from the high ground had its second-floor windows lined with dark cannon muzzles.
The royal artillery commander had split his cannons into two groups—seven "Grasshopper" cannons positioned on the high ground and three placed in the church.
This formation created a devastating crossfire when the rebels advanced past the high ground, hammering them from multiple directions.
Thick, lead-gray smoke rolled over the rebels' heads like the shroud of death, while the royal soldiers faded in and out of sight within the haze.
"Damn it! They even brought artillery?!"
Samal was horrified. He quickly dismounted, knowing that standing out would make him a prime target for enemy fire.
The royal soldiers behind the lower walls held their spears firmly, preventing the rebels from advancing. Samal knew firsthand how lethal the royal army's firearms were—several of Giles' officers had been killed by concentrated artillery fire.
Below, the rebels were locked in melee combat with the spear-wielding guards. Above, gunfire rained down on them from multiple angles.
Under this relentless assault, the rebels quickly fell into disarray.
They surged forward like waves, only to be driven back again and again.
"Useless cowards!"
Samal roared in fury, whipping the retreating soldiers viciously.
"I should have a headsman execute you all!"
Unwilling to give up, he reorganized the attack, but every attempt ended the same. The soldiers were utterly terrified of the enemy's firearms.
After multiple failed assaults, Samal still couldn't capture Frog's Croak Town, and his army had suffered severe casualties.
Even the most slow-witted soldiers began to realize something was wrong.
They weren't fighting mere bandits—judging by their uniforms and weapons, their enemies were clearly royal army soldiers.
Panic quickly spread among the rebels.
Just as Samal was at a loss for what to do, thunderous battle cries erupted from all directions.
He looked around in alarm—large groups of enemy troops were charging toward them.
The already demoralized rebels were caught completely off guard. Their morale collapsed, and they scattered in a chaotic retreat.
Anyone who could run fled for their lives, desperate to escape.
Seeing that the rebel assault had failed and their losses were severe, Chambers decisively unleashed his full force, crushing Samal and his army's attempt to reclaim Frog's Croak Town.
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"Y-You actually lost?!"
Giles' eyes widened in disbelief. The news Samal brought was like a hammer blow to his head.
"They have at least five thousand soldiers!"
Samal, still wounded, pleaded his case. "The troops I led were at an overwhelming disadvantage in numbers!"
In truth, he had no idea how many there were. But exaggerating the number would help shift the blame away from himself.
"You're telling me that five thousand royal soldiers somehow sneaked through the mountains behind us?!"
"Impossible! This is impossible!"
The duke furiously slammed his hands on the table.
(End of the Chapter)
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