Chapter 1521: Chapter 63_3
In a word, due to historical memories, the United Provincials are inherently very afraid of being “besieged”.
But on the other hand, it is precisely because they are extremely fearful of being “besieged” that they are very well psychologically prepared for it.
Just like feeling at ease when the other shoe drops, after the United Provincials on Magit Island were trapped in Bishop’s Castle, they showed no signs of disintegration. Instead, they became more motivated—at least that’s the situation observed by the commanders of Iron Peak County.
From the moment they entered Bishop’s Castle, the United Provincials began strengthening its defenses. They were like startled hamsters, frantically digging holes, excavating earth, and building walls.
Overnight, Bishop’s Castle underwent a transformation—by comparison, the work done by the Mont Blanc County soldiers who previously defended the castle was indeed rather rough.
The following morning, under the watchful eyes of Tamas, Lannis, and other Iron Peak County commanders, Bishop’s Castle continued to become increasingly impregnable at a visibly fast pace.
“The easiest time to take Bishop’s Castle was actually last night; the next best time is now.”
Lannis’s words were unanimously agreed upon by the others.
Tamas also regretted not taking Bishop’s Castle in one fell swoop last night.
Last night, after the battle situation became clear, he opted for caution, deciding first to clean up the battlefield, tend to the wounded, and establish a stable foothold before making further plans.
He couldn’t help but think, “If the Second Battalion Commander was in charge, he definitely wouldn’t have missed the opportunity like I did. Bart Xialing would have surely pursued the victory and fought a brilliant battle, whereas I left a difficult mess, and who knows how many soldiers will have to sacrifice for it.”
Thinking of this, Tamas felt increasingly saddened, self-reproachful, and ashamed.
Just as Tamas was tormented by these thoughts, Lannis’s clear voice interrupted his reverie.
“In my opinion, it will take a while to bring the cannon up!” Lannis said with determination. “The Floating Bridge has already been destroyed, and building another one will take an unknown amount of time. Moreover, the United Provincials’ warships are still there; they won’t sit by and let the Floating Bridge be constructed.
“Therefore, even if we have enough time to erect another artillery platform in front of Bishop’s Castle, it won’t be able to threaten the castle. Besides, we don’t have time! The longer we drag this on, the harder it will be to take Bishop’s Castle.”
The other commanders present nodded lightly.
“So give the order, Acting Regimental Commander. Attack directly and swiftly while the United Provincials’ footing is still unstable,” Lannis said, looking at Tamas with bright eyes. “The Fifth Battalion didn’t exert much force last night, so let us take the lead in attacking Bishop’s Castle.”
Tamas gazed at Lannis’s fiercely determined face and, for a moment, truly envied the Fifth Battalion Commander’s resolve and confidence.
After repeated consideration, he nodded.
That afternoon, the Iron Peak County Military launched a full assault on Bishop’s Castle.
The struggle for control of Bishop’s Castle entered a state of intense combat from the very beginning.
Both sides deployed cannons on the riverbanks, fiercely firing at Bishop’s Castle. It was as if the apocalypse had descended on this tiny promontory.
Swords, firearms, iron grenades, and liquid fire—all possible weapons were used by both sides, solely to kill each other.
Long ladders leaned against the walls only to be pushed down again. Flags were planted on top of the castle only to be torn to shreds.
Boxes of gunpowder were detonated, and barrels of alchemical substances were poured out.
There were moments when people were killed or set on fire by their own crude, unstable throwing weapons, having their arms blown off, or being turned into human torches.
Cannonballs fired by the United Provincials’ artillery near adjacent batteries sometimes landed inside Bishop’s Castle, killing their own men, but when those cannonballs flew into trenches next to the fortress’s outer walls, they easily claimed more lives.
By the end, it was unclear who was firing anymore. The smoke was so thick that it obscured the enemy’s position.
Both sides’ artillerymen fired frantically, as if it no longer mattered who they killed; the more killed, the better.
Amid such an environment, the Iron Peak County Military launched one charge after another.
The battle continued into the night, turning Bishop’s Castle into a volcano, with the battlefield as bright as day. Gunners no longer needed illumination to aim.
The sight of the battle along both banks of the River Shijian left witnesses trembling in fear—regardless of which side, no one knew how to help their allies escape this ghastly hell.
Especially for the New Army, if the officers and soldiers from the other counties hadn’t clearly seen the situation the previous night, now everyone knew how the warriors of Iron Peak County fought.
Screams, shouts, explosions, and blinding fire convinced observers for a time that Bishop’s Castle must have changed hands.
But it remained held.
Because the United Provincials also showed resilience and courage equal to that of the Paratu People.
Finally, when the United Provincials’ warship “Marco Good Fortune” appeared on the battlefield, delivering a new batch of reinforcements to Magit Island, the day’s battle ended.
Upon seeing the personal flag of the Southern Front Army Commander planted atop Bishop’s Castle, the exhausted Iron Peak County Infantry Regiment retreated.
And this was just the first day.
That night, the New Army on the West Bank also supplemented their forces to Magit Island by small boats.
Then came the second day.
The third day.
By the fourth day, the attackers changed their strategy, shifting to primarily targeting the living strength of the defenders.
Not because they lacked courage, but because if they continued fighting like this, the most valuable components of the New Army would be completely exhausted.
At that point, seizing Bishop’s Castle would no longer have any meaning.