Chapter Thirty-Fifth (Revised) Preparations for Battle

  (The revised content is not showing up, and a new chapter has been released directly. There are many classes on Tuesday, so I'll just update once a week from now on... This is a revised chapter that incorporates feedback from one reader, hoping to make up for some of the plot holes caused by my limited knowledge level. It's also an explanation of this world.)

  Two days later, inside Count Ratzis's tent.

  "Earl, I heard our army's provisions are insufficient?" Einiq asked.

  "Rations? No, there's enough to last five days..." The Earl replied strangely.

  "That's still not enough, Earl. I need more time." Einer interrupted the earl, "However, I do have a way."

  "What's the solution?"

  "It is well known that your army is a righteous one, so I think the local farmers have an obligation to contribute to this war effort. From my observations over the past two days, your army is still in good shape and doesn't need further reorganization. Let them go to the nearby fields and farms to collect the grain and fodder needed for our military. Considering they are your army, Count, it would be more appropriate for you to give the order." Enich said at the end, using honorific language, "In order to make these commoners remember your great name, please raise the flag of the Reizys family."

  The Earl was delighted with this show of respect for his authority. He immediately issued the order, which might bring him great trouble. The army of Count Raisis was very pleased with this fat job. They began to ransack every civilian residence they could see, bringing back a large amount of supplies and, of course, intercepting some extra money. The entire county of Dalaran fell into unprecedented disaster for a time. Many peasants took the food they could carry and hid in the woods, while others were killed in the resistance. Wails, curses, and the crackling sound of burning houses echoed around the city of Tabris.

  On the city wall, there were mobilized peasants who saw their homes destroyed and thought that their relatives and neighbors might have been killed. They wailed loudly and continuously fainted soldiers were carried down from the city wall. The crying sound was heart-wrenching and made the people of Tabriz unite against a common enemy. Was this still an army of nobles outside? Was this the work of a devout follower of the sun god?

  The Solarian Church in the city faced the suspicious eyes of the city's believers and had to come forward to express strong condemnation. The regional bishop, accompanied by holy warriors and a team of pastors, personally went out of the city to reprimand Count Lycoris, demanding that he stop this dishonorable behavior. Count Lycoris, who held the church in awe for its potential to provide powerful military strength, had no choice but to admit his mistake in front of the bishop, stating that he would severely punish those responsible and ask for the church's forgiveness, promising to pay 300 gold coins in the future to atone for his guilt.

  And so the matter was settled at an official level. When the bishop announced his gains from this trip in the city, the reputation of the Sun God Church in this place fell to its lowest point in the history of Tabriz City.

  The Earl of Laissez indeed stopped the behavior of looting civilians. After all, a earldom is not big, and there are not many sweet heads to taste at this time.

  At the same time, Einig commanded his subordinates to chop down trees and bind them into ladders with ropes. The local lords of the southern empire lived in seclusion, at peace with each other. When there were contradictions, they would duel each other, and since there were priests present, they were not afraid of death or injury. If dueling could not solve the problem, they would pull out their troops and farmers to find a fight at someone else's doorstep. If the challenged party hid in their castle and did not dare to come out, it was considered a loss of honor, and until he died, people would say: "Look, this is that cowardly guy!"

  So the life-and-death struggle of attacking and defending a city has never really appeared. To put it more elegantly, everyone is a subject of His Majesty the Emperor, what's there to be so worked up about?

  Upon learning of this peculiar use for ladders, Count Ratzis felt a sense of sudden enlightenment.

  However, the executioners were in a different mood. Some mercenaries who thought they had strong combat power complained about doing hard labor, and some even openly refused to execute orders, which gave Aini a target for entertainment. After three crosses were erected one after another, the efficiency of the miscellaneous soldiers' work had already doubled compared to the beginning.

  These days, Johnny has been preparing the giant wood on the city wall. The city wall of Tabri City is high but not very spacious - wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. Because there are no stones nearby, Earl Darius followed the idea of frugality when expanding, mixing a lot of yellow soil. However, the magnificent appearance was quite intimidating to the small earls who came to visit at that time. Plus the fine armor, so this city wall has never been used. Also for this reason, many problems have not been considered or discovered until today.

  Considering the transportation problem, Joanie had his militiamen saw the huge logs placed at the other side of the city gate into sections as long as their arm span. Then, two men carried these large wooden blocks onto the city wall and placed them on platforms above and beside the city gate. This was a labor-intensive task, so progress was slow. Three days later, thirty-six pieces of wood were piled up at their designated locations, with six logs stacked together in each pile, spaced three people apart from each other, leaving a two-person-wide passageway in front.

  Then it's a matter of how to use it. In these three days, Joanie found that he really was too simple. If you want to work together to lift and throw down the city head, you must stand up straight to exert force. At this time, if someone is shot by a crossbow arrow under the city, one person's death will cause another person to be crushed by the lifted wood.

  What's wrong?

  Eisatis came to visit, arranging the firewood and iron pot. He looked at the neatly stacked woodpile and asked the same question. Joni furrowed his brow, indicating he hadn't thought it through yet. As the two men sat opposite each other in contemplation, a militiaman glanced over this way, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Eisatis noticed his expression and smiled, asking: "Do you have something to say?"

  Joni looked up and followed Isatis' gaze to the militiaman. The militiaman was clearly not a brave man, and seeing a knight and an attendant staring at him made his body tremble slightly. Isatis knew what he was afraid of, still smiling with a gentle spring breeze: "It's okay, just say whatever you have to say, it doesn't matter if you're wrong."

  "Hey, Sir Knight, it's like this, I just heard you guys discussing how to throw these woods down..."

  "Do you have a way?" Johnny's eyes lit up and stared intently at the militiaman.

  "I... I have an idea." The militiaman recoiled, trying to avoid Johnny's shining eyes. "If we lay planks across this wall and roll the logs up on them, it should work, shouldn't it?"

  Aisatis nodded, while Jony was stunned. Having played too many games, they lacked common sense in this aspect!

  So he went to prepare the wooden boards. In this process, Joanie somewhat regained some face - he suggested preparing more wooden boards as simple shields to cover the soldiers who would pour boiling water or push logs down the city.

  In terms of city defense, everyone here is a rookie.

  Fortunately, the attackers didn't seem to have much experience either.

  The structure of the ladder is not complicated, but making a ladder that is higher than a three-story building is still a bit troublesome. The materials are easy to handle, cut down a tree, remove the branches, and it's the main body of the ladder. Cut out dozens of short logs, and they can be used as steps. But how do you fix them together?

  Eynik first suggested making holes in the trunk and then nailing the steps into them. It was a good idea, but unfortunately there were no tools. Count Raisys summoned his own peasants, hired a large group of mercenaries, but not a single craftsman was brought along. What do craftsmen have to do with battles? This is the inherent concept of the local nobility.

  Then it can only be second-best, tied up with a rope. This is easy to do, and many ropes were found in the nearby civilian houses, some of which were also carried by mercenaries. If there are not enough, those farmers will also make them.

  When the first bound cloud ladder appeared in front of Aini Ge, even a cold-blooded and evil person like him felt that his eyes had gone blind. The muscles on his usually calm face twitched slightly. In the end, he let out a sigh.

  "Go hang yourself on that tree, try it."

  The result should be worth rejoicing. When the tenth person climbed up the tree along the ladder, only one step of rope broke.

  But Aynig's face turned even uglier. If only ten people could climb... let alone climbing slowly like these bastards.

  "Redo! One group per hundred people, tell them that what they produce is for their own use, and when there's a problem, they'll have to pay with their lives!" Aini Ge was somewhat exasperated. "Also, after it's done, practice well and climb faster for me. Do they think this is climbing the roof of their own home?"

  Fortunately, the previous collection of supplies from nearby farmers yielded a lot, otherwise the military rations would really be insufficient.

  Ten days have passed.

  Raiseth's military camp was not far from the city of Tabri. The news that something was being manufactured there soon reached the ears of the count, and incidentally also to Johnny.

  "A ladder? A very tall ladder?" Johnny asked in surprise, without even greeting the Earl first.

  "Yes, follow me, Joanie. Mind your manners, this time I'll let it pass." Earl Delras's expression remained unchanged, showing excellent composure, "Do you have any questions?"

  "Sorry, Earl," Johnny apologized and immediately said, "I think our city defense may not be enough. The other side might want to use these ladders to climb up on our city wall."

  "Set up a ladder?" The earl pondered, "Can ladders be used in this way?"

  The ladder can be used like this, didn't you all know? Joanie looked at the Earl with a strange expression and swept her eyes over the others, who were all lost in thought. Only Odara's expression seemed to be recalling something.

  "This is getting troublesome...... Joanie, I think you need to prepare more rolling logs." Earl Delras's face was full of worry, he realized the severity of the matter, "I'll allocate fifty more men to you, speed up the progress."

  "Obey orders."

  "If we emerge victorious this time, Odara, I intend to dub your squire a knight, if you do not object." said Count Darius somewhat tiredly.

  "It was his honor." Odara recalled her thoughts and bowed.

  "Thank you, sir! Thank you, Earl!" Johnny exclaimed excitedly.

  "Go." The earl waved his hand, "All of you disperse."

  This battle marked the end of the era of ordinary plain battles for the southern nobles of the empire, and opened the curtain of a new era - an era that was even more cruel and bloody.

  The battle is about to begin.