Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Siege of Como City (3)
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There's no time like the present.
With that mindset, Wilhelm arrived near the east gate of the castle late at night with his crew.
Before executing the plan, he stopped the group.
"I'm going to say this one last time, so listen up."
The crew nodded at his words.
"When I act like a sergeant, you all have to play along. Our army or yours, militaries are all pretty much the same, so just roll with the situation."
Militaries are mostly alike anywhere in the world.
Sure, facilities and mess hall menus might differ, but the drill sergeants are always yapping about sun-drying this or that, dragging soldiers around on weekends.
Company and battalion commanders are monsters obsessed with promotions, too.
So the others could easily grasp what Wilhelm meant.
"Got it."
"When I draw their attention, you pull your knives and stab them. Then we open the gate right away."
Antonio piped up.
"Hey, say we open the gate. What if the Imperial Army doesn't come our way?"
"What else? We die."
Successfully sneaking open a city gate could earn you a massive reward.
Because it's insanely dangerous.
The odds of getting killed on the way there are sky-high, and you have to survive keeping it open until the Imperials arrive to claim that reward...
'Easy, right?'
But for Wilhelm to claw his way up from the rock bottom of life, he had to take on something like this.
"Besides, if the war just ends like this, we're still at the bottom of the barrel. And the Imperial bastards aren't idiots—if we're waving flares or torches, they'll see it and come running."
"Yeah, you're right."
Here, they could just kill Wilhelm and go on living like nothing happened.
But they didn't want to miss this one shot at changing their lives.
No families to protect, no great jobs right now...
Couldn't they risk their necks once to live like humans?
"Let's get started."
Wilhelm immediately started acting like a sergeant, leading the crew toward the gate.
"Everyone's working hard."
"Not at all, sir."
"Anything unusual here?"
The gate guard eyed Wilhelm suspiciously.
"Nothing unusual, but where are you from? You don't look like you're from our battalion."
"Out on patrol."
At that, the guard relaxed.
The city was under siege, so soldiers patrolling to maintain internal order was perfectly normal.
"How many men are guarding the gate right now?"
"Just the night watch, about ten guys."
During the day, nearly thirty soldiers were posted at the gate.
But humans work during the day and sleep at night to perform properly...
Wilhelm had figured the night shift would have fewer guards and come now...
'Perfect timing.'
"Good work."
"Loyal—"
The soldier trying to salute "loyalty" couldn't finish.
A knife had plunged into his throat.
His deputy tried to blow a whistle, but the others subdued him instantly.
"......Don't make a racket, or you die."
Wilhelm's crew quickly sent the noisy one to Fortuna's side.
Meaning they killed him.
"Let's find the gate mechanism first. It's usually on the left or right of the wall... Antonio, you take left. I'll go right."
"Got it."
"Once the gate's open, don't wait for me—just wave those torches and fire the flares. The Imperials will come rushing when they see it. You get what I'm saying?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's drilled into my skull, you punk."
Wilhelm led his five thugs straight to the watchtower on the right side of the gate.
Inside, soldiers were chatting idly.
Guards on gate mechanisms like this often slacked off, sometimes even playing cards...
Not gambling meant they were decently diligent, he thought.
'Rare diligent types these days.'
Not that it mattered—they were dead anyway.
"Good work, everyone."
They fell for Wilhelm's sergeant act at first.
Seizing the moment, the crew killed them as fast as possible.
Unlike at the gate, one soldier bolted quick.
"Shit, enemies! Enemies!"
As one of Wilhelm's thugs moved to chase...
"Leave him. If we chase now and get caught up top, we're the ones who die."
"But if we let him go, they'll send soldiers from the castle to kill us soon..."
"Open the gate, signal with torches, and pray the Imperials get here fast—that's our best shot at surviving, you bullet-brained idiot!"
"......Got it..."
Instead of arguing, Wilhelm started operating the mechanism.
Turning the massive wheel...
A creaking sound came, followed by something moving.
The gate was opening, bit by bit.
"Hey! Lucas! Light the torch now!! Hurry if you don't wanna die!"
"On it. What next?"
"What else? Wave the damn torch after the gate's open! Fail here, and we're all goners."
About a minute after starting to open the gate.
The creaking stopped.
The gate was fully open.
"Torches up!"
Wilhelm grabbed a torch, stood atop the open gate.
No lights, so dark—the Imperials probably hadn't noticed yet...
"One second faster, please, just one second..."
His crew kept waving the torches frantically.
And that signal was spotted by both the Imperial Army and the city's defenders.
Now it came down to who arrived first.
Ten spies had been sent, but the odds of success on this mission were slim to none.
Opening a city gate isn't like popping a tuna can.
Still, if it worked, the Imperial Army could launch the war from a hugely advantageous position.
It'd crush the Dolce Republic's morale and secure supply lines...
"Please, just please succeed."
It was bedtime, but sleep wouldn't come.
As anxiety gnawed, a soldier came running toward me from outside.
"Some soldiers in Como City are waving torches like crazy!"
I slapped my knee at the news.
A whoop escaped my lips.
"Yes!"
"Deputy Battalion Commander...?"
The soldier looked baffled, but no time for that.
We had to move, every minute, every second counted.
Any delay put us at a disadvantage.
"Wake all the cavalry and charge the gate!"
"Pardon...?"
Sending cavalry straight at a gate was like smashing rocks with eggs.
Just wasting good cavalry heads.
Normally, yeah.
But this was different.
Even if the gate was open, the enemy wasn't brain-dead—they'd rush troops to close it soon.
To stop that, we needed maximum speed injecting forces...
'Infantry fast? Or cavalry?'
No contest.
Cavalry, hands down.
"Send every cavalryman! We can't let that gate close!"
Excitement garbled my words, but no time to nitpick.
Every second mattered—were we sitting around?
As my blood pumped, a welcome voice rang from outside my tent.
"Deputy Battalion Commander!"
"Lieutenant Monica."
"200 cavalry ready to deploy. Armed for street fighting."
Monica, as expected—fast and reliable.
That's why competent subordinates are gold.
Lina came dashing in right after.
"Deputy Battalion Commander, right now..."
Monica had beaten her handily this time.
So Monica smirked, thrusting her chest out a bit.
Given the urgency, even Lina let the smugness slide.
Though she looked pissed.
"Take the cavalry and charge the gate now! Save those who opened it, whatever it takes!"
"Yes, sir."
Guys who risked everything on the mission.
If they staked their lives for the Empire, we owed them proper treatment.
Only human.
Respect for dedication.
Mocking the devoted ain't human.
"Tell the battalion commanders to prep for an immediate gate assault. Leave the cannons—grab matchlocks and close-quarters weapons only."
"Right, no spears?"
Spears just clog streets.
Too long, snagging on houses and walls.
"None. Don't stop NCOs with halberds."
"Understood."
"Every second counts—send ready battalions straight to the walls."
I armed up quick and bolted out.
Every second mattered. Had to hurry.