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nChapter 89

nProofreader: somnium

nThere were also two catapults, not just battering ram.

nLysia looked at them with binoculars. All three were just a rudimentary machine.

nThe wooden wheels were loose. Instead of capping the tip of the log with iron, a part which would hit the wall, it barely had an iron belt around it.

nThe catapults were also poorly held together. The rebound will break itself.

nHowever, the design itself was refined enough.

nAbove all, the fact that it appeared was important.

nUntil now, Karam wasn’t very dependent on weapons. They have the physical ability to climb the walls barehand. So, there was hardly ever a siege ladder to be placed on the wall.

nHowever, this is the first time that aspect has changed.

n“Siege weapon after guerrilla warfare…..”

nLysia sighed.

n“They’re perfectly prepared for the war. I don’t think the problem is the kidnapped Karam or anything like that.”

n“No, it doesn’t look like they’re ready for war. If they did, they wouldn’t have collected 20,000 at most.”

nCedric’s face remained relaxed.

n“Rather, I am curious about how they came up with such an idea.”

n“They have been fighting at the Thold Gate for over a hundred years. Maybe they just realized that it’s difficult with a naked body?”

n“Rather than that, it’s more likely that they learned from someone. If the first idea was to smash gates by hitting them with a log, they would have brought a log first. But they made a battering ram and also have catapults. I don’t think Karam will be able to make something like that so suddenly.”

n“You mean someone taught them?”

nAlthough there are trade routes, it is only at the level of communicating with gestures.

nIt was impossible to explain the concept and share the design of catapult or battering ram, and to go to war with it.

nCedric was silent.

nIt’s not that he had nothing to say, but decided to save his words.

nThe same goes for both siege weapons and small troops crossing the mountain range and disturbing the borders.

nIt was beyond the limits of accumulated Karam history.

nLife or wisdom.

nHowever, some of the Karams have crossed it.

n“Anyway, 20,000 warriors are not enough to stage a siege properly. Karam probably knows.”

nThe fortress commander intervened.

nCedric nodded his head.

nAnd he opened Artizea’s letter. The letter concisely explained what had happened in the stronghold.

nOf course, she omitted the story she heard from the priest. The information on the northern village of Thold was leaked, and the information on the follow-up was written first.

nAnd as a result, there was a need to quickly create a grain merchant union, and the main point was that there were works to be done in the capital.

nCedric was first suspicious when he was told that Lysia had brought the letter. He was wondering if it had something to do with Lysia leaving her place.

nBut when he looked at the content, it wasn’t.

nTo accommodate residents of the village north of Thold, who may have leaked information, with the village of the rebels, was a reason that Cedric could accept.

nIn fact, if she wasn’t going to kill everyone, there was no better way.

nIt seemed that Artizea had not yet decided for sure whom she could trust in Evron Grand Duchy.

nIt would have been. It wasn’t long since Aubrey’s incident happened.

nLoyalty and trustworthiness are different matters. Cedric knew it now.

nCedric folded the letter back and put it in his pocket. Later, the letter will have to be burned. There was some information that should not be put into the hands of others.

nHe smiled bitterly. From the time they met in the capital to this day, they still exchanged a few letters, but none was left in his hand. Because all had to be burned.

nThere was never a word written that was affectionate enough to be kept.

n“I’m taking a rest at the fort today, Lysia. I have to write a reply.”

n“Yes.”

nLysia nodded her head.

n“But won’t you stop her from going to the capital?”

n“I’m worried about her traveling in winter, but I’m sure Tia knows it already. Nevertheless, the purpose must be important enough to have to go.”

nCedric said so.

nIt is also important to make a grain merchant union and to put Karam crops on the altar of the Temple.

nApart from that, Cedric was able to raise several advantages for the Grand Duchess during a dispute at the Thold Gate.

nSo he could have guessed why she was going back to the capital.

nIf so, all he has to do is support her.

nDong! Dong! Dong! Dong!

nThe Karam began to beat the drum.

nKa! Kak! Ka! Kaaram!

nThe shouts of the Karam warriors united and shook the sky.

nSaid Cedric looking down at it.

n“I’ll have to drag the confrontation a little longer.”

n“Your Grace?”

nCedric’s command flustered both Lysia and the fortress commander.

n“It’s less than 20,000. That means that they didn’t really come together to fight a war. Maybe some of the forces have come to test whether the catapults and battering ram they made were actually useful or not.”

nThe fortress commander’s face was slightly hardened.

nCedric was speculating that way from the start.

nHe was first reported as to what caused this dispute,

nHowever, it is a superficial excuse to tilt the scale further toward the extremist due to the kidnapping.

nUpon learning of the facts, Evron immediately sent the child back and provided a significant amount of compensation.

nNevertheless, this happened.

n“Now, we can destroy all siege weapons with one or two bombardments. It’s better not to let Karam know the utility of it at all, Your Grace.”

n“Karam already knows the utility of the weapon and the meaning of tactics. If you break it down at once, you can create infight in Karam. But the end result will be the same.”

n“The end result?”

n“The second and third attempts will be made. Eventually, Karam will learn as well. That in order to destroy the walls, you can’t do it with physical strength alone. Before that, we must be different.”

nYou must have the power to pour out enough resources to stop it completely or gain the power to attempt for peace.

nCedric reached out his hand.

n“Bring my great bow.”

nThe fortress commander turned his head in amazement.

nOne of the lieutenants ran. Cedric’s bow was hung in the third command post adjacent to the wall. These days with guns, it was more of a decoration.

nCedric adjusted the string of the bow that was not used for a long time.

nHe chose not to shoot a gun, but to shoot an arrow, because it could have a much more direct emotional impact on Karam.

nGuns are unknown to Karam. Fear may be instilled on them, but cannot serve as a reminder that a true warrior is here.

nDong! Dong! Dong! Dong!

nThe drumming rang without stopping.

nThe battering ram started to move. The fortress commander said with an anxious face.

n“Are you really going to just leave them alone?”

n“They can’t threaten the gate.”

nCedric hung an arrow on the bow. As the string was pulled, his whole body muscles were tense.

n“After I shoot the second arrow, fire afterwards.”

n“What about the catapult?”

n“Leave one. Let’s see if it’s functioning properly. All shields are in place, right?”

n“Yes.”

nIt was Karam who moved first.

n“Kak! Kaak!”

nKaram’s warrior, who took the lead, yelled.

n“It’s coming!”

nSomeone shouted.

nA group of Karam pushed the battering ram and ran.

nCedric let the arrow go. The arrow that flew away with a whispering sound was stuck in the center of Karam’s big drum.

nTong!

nThe drum tore apart the shouting sounds.

nThe second arrow broke the flagpole standing next to the drumming Karams.

nThe Karam was startled and paused for a moment. Shooting the drum accurately with a bow across that distance and breaking the flagpole was usually not something a warrior could do.

nThe bombardment continued without missing the beat.

nBoom!

nThe first bombardment broke the battering ram in one hit. Some of the Karam who was pushing the battering ram got caught in the blast and became bloody.

nBoom!

nThe second bombardment threatened the catapult.

nCedric saw a young Karam standing near the flagpole.

nThe reason he noticed him anew was because he was looking exactly at Cedric.

nCedric could not clearly distinguish Karam’s face. This is because he had been away from the Grand Duchy for a long time.

nHowever, the Karam did not seem to be having the same problem.

nA meaningful gaze swept Cedric’s face.

nUsually, Karam will not be able to clearly distinguish human faces.

nThey can tell who is the head of the human beings by clothes, bows, and mood. However, this Karam’s gaze was not simply a face looking at the head of the hostile forces.

n‘You know me.’

nCedric caught the gaze. The inside of his chest was flickering.

nIt had crossed the limit.

nWould it be better to kill it here?

nOr should he keep it alive?

nIs it the status quo or change to a different future?

nHe wanted to know what Artizea would say.

nKaram warriors roared. The situation that almost became a battle entered into a confrontational situation once again.

n***

nAt that time, Artizea headed to the temple with only Alphonse.

nShe wore a hooded fur cloak over her coat. In her hand, wearing thin lace gloves, she held a small handbag with jewels.

nShe walked without a carriage, but no one asked why. Because she came out without anyone knowing.

nIf possible, she wanted to come alone without Alphonse. However, unlike in the capital, she could not separate him.

nShe didn’t have Freil to take the place of the escort, and Alphonse didn’t want to be separated either. Alphonse insisted that if she doesn’t take him, she should take at least two other knights with her.

nAlphonse was better than two knights. Besides, he followed her to the temple last time. He has already seen the priest’s face.

nWhen the Grand Duchess came to the temple without any notification, the apprentice priest at the entrance greeted with great surprise and bowed his head. Artizea spoke quietly.

n“I’ll just pray for a while, so don’t let them know.”

n“Oh, yes.”

nThe apprentice priest bowed his head.

nProbably not really a secret visit. It is not something to hide; that the Grand Duchess came to the temple and quietly prayed and left.

nIt didn’t matter that much.

nArtizea walked across the temple without taking off her hood.

nIt wasn’t the chapel or prayer room that she was heading for. It was the room of the faithful priest who told her about the Karam crop.

nCedric was wrong. Artizea had entrusted the letter to Lysia in order to be separated from her.

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