Siege Towers and Shadow Assassins
“Damn it all! Block them! And hurl the magic bullets! Even mana stones will shatter eventually!”
“No, sir!”
Colonel Teiran hurriedly blocked Brigadier General Chaison’s order.
“In this situation, anything more than—”
“The walls’ durability isn’t high after the prolonged fighting. If we detonate a magic bullet here, the whole structure could collapse.”
“So you want me to just watch them swarm in?!”
“We can hold off one siege tower. The real issue is...”
Colonel Teiran’s gaze shifted to the dozens of siege towers still approaching.
Confirming his look, Brigadier General Chaison swiftly assessed the battlefield and spoke.
“Prepare to fire! Stop those siege towers!”
Beep!
“Fire!!!”
Beep! Beep!
The walls were still mostly intact.
Dozens of magic bullets arced through the sky once more, hurtling toward the siege towers.
“Firing results...”
Whoosh!
In his haste, Colonel Teiran snatched the telescope from the officer’s hand and pressed it to his eye.
One down, two down...
As expected, the mana stone siege towers didn’t fall after a single hit.
If we can’t stop them all, we at least have to keep the wooden ones from reaching the walls.
If they’d known sooner, they could have focused fire to topple them, but it was far too late now.
“Mark the targets: right flank, 30 degrees, second siege tower in the lead.”
“Right flank, 30 degrees, second in lead!”
“Left flank, 40 degrees...”
Colonel Teiran had the officers note down the siege towers that appeared to be made of mana stone, then lowered the telescope.
“They’re abandoning bombardment and bracing to ram the walls.”
“Yes, sir!!”
The officers moved with unprecedented urgency to relay the orders.
Who would’ve thought they’d pull this move.
It was a battle they’d decisively lost on the tactical front.
“How many are made of mana stone?”
“Three confirmed so far, but there are surely more.”
“Tch. Report the situation to the commander and prepare for a wall breach.”
“Understood!!”
The watchtower, leisurely just moments ago, was now a hive of frantic activity.
“Colonel, fall back to the rear.”
Brigadier General Chaison ordered Colonel Teiran, who lingered in the tower.
“No. I’ll stay until the end.”
“Foolish talk. Get back there and figure out how to support us from afar. There’s nothing more for you to do here.”
The words were ice-cold, but undeniably true.
The tactics had failed, and now that the towers were against the walls, it was purely a war of endurance.
“May we meet again alive, sir. Loyalty!”
Colonel Teiran saluted with a face full of resolve and hurried down from the walls.
And soon after, a second siege tower slammed home.
“Push forward! They’re starved and weak!”
“Waaaaah!!!”
There was no hesitation as the enemy climbed the walls.
“Hold them! Block them by any means!”
Squish!
“Argh! Blood from my arm!”
“Dam... damn it! If we give ground here, it’s all over!”
In stark contrast, the Lycan Empire’s defenders wavered badly.
They’d never imagined siege towers reaching the walls when the battle began.
“Cease bombardment on visible forward siege towers and prepare for combat!”
“Focus only on wooden towers we can destroy!”
Orders rained down from the watchtower, spreading to each sector’s commanders.
Meanwhile, the towers drew closer.
In the end, eleven survived to crash against the walls.
“Secondary defense line forming now. They estimate at least four hours.”
Brigadier General Chaison scanned the battlefield at the communications officer’s report.
“Four hours...”
The enemy surged up the walls with ferocious momentum.
Holding them off for 240 minutes wouldn’t be easy.
But no one knew better than Brigadier General Chaison that there were no other options.
“Understood. Stake your lives on holding. Commit everything to the fight.”
“Yes, sir!!”
Brigadier General Chaison drew his sword from his belt.
Usually laid-back and fond of drink, the crisis had transformed him utterly.
“Soldiers! The empire’s citizens shelter behind us! Do not retreat—hold this line!”
He left the watchtower to join the melee personally.
As he fought valiantly, twelve assassins slipped silently over the walls.
“All personnel, walls cleared successfully.”
“Good. Split into two teams as planned. Team One with me, Team Two with Konel. You know the drill?”
Hidden behind a building out of sight, Airen issued orders.
“Yes, ma’am. We’ll confirm the kitchens and destroy the facilities.”
Konel’s voice held no emotion.
But Airen, who’d fought beside her for years, knew she was shaken.
“It’s a suicide mission. Sounds insane. Prioritize survival—the blame’s on me if it fails.”
“No, ma’am. Why take responsibility?”
“This happened because I couldn’t stop that bastard Baren again. I won’t lose you—follow orders without argument.”
Her deep loathing for Baren was palpable.
No one here could fail to understand.
During the Molang Pirates extermination op, Baren’s plan had cost her seven subordinates.
“Understood.”
“Move out. And one more thing I should’ve mentioned earlier.”
“Another task?”
“Nothing tough. Request from Recon Command: if you spot Second Lieutenant Palan Oclo, kill him on sight.”
Airen pulled a paper from her bosom with Palan’s face sketched on it.
“He’s supply company commander, so high chance we’ll run into him destroying the kitchens. Report immediately after.”
“Combat ability?”
“A bit stronger than a civilian.”
“Shouldn’t be an issue, then. Face memorized.”
Airen tucked the paper away at Konel’s words.
“That’s all from me. Handle it quick and get back.”
“Yes, ma’am. See you soon.”
They exchanged final glances before the assassins moved.
“The walls are about to fall, everyone’s distracted—no one suspects our bold moves.”
Airen nodded at her teammate’s words but grimaced too.
“Yeah, it’s infuriating.”
The situation unfolded exactly as Baren predicted.
The thought of dancing in his palm again turned her stomach.
“Captain, spotted a kitchen ahead.”
The scout reported immediately upon finding it.
“Good work. Lead on.”
“Yes!”
Airen and her five teammates approached the kitchen silently.
“Looks like about thirty troops.”
“Take them all out? Or just trash the facility?”
“Just the facility. This isn’t the last one.”
“Understood.”
At Airen’s order, they drew magic bullets from their pouches.
All that remained was her throw signal.
As she timed it and opened her mouth, an unexpected conversation drifted over.
“Company commander! Orders to withdraw inside the secondary defense line immediately!”
“What? What the hell is that?”
“Enemy’s on the walls—can’t hold long.”
“Insane.”
The man wore the most bewildered expression imaginable.
Up close, his insignia marked him as a second lieutenant, and his face matched the sketch perfectly.
Found him.
Airen turned to her team, thinking their luck had turned.
“Plan change. When the magic bullets blow, scatter as usual. I’ll slip in, take the target, and rejoin.”
“Ma’am...? Alone?! Too dangerous.”
“Agreed. We go together.”
“No, this is safer. Escalating draws their attention.”
No matter how much she valued her subordinates, Airen wouldn’t force sacrifices or make poor calls.
“If you say so, understood.”
“Move.”
“Yes!!”
The assassins fanned out around the kitchen.
Moments later.
The magic bullets engulfed it.
BOOOOM!!!
“Company commander! Orders to withdraw inside the secondary defense line immediately!”
“What? What the hell is that?”
Abandon the kitchens they’d slaved over for two sleepless days and nights?
An incomprehensible order.
“Enemy’s on the walls—can’t hold long.”
“Insane.”
They’d sworn the walls couldn’t be breached.
This is why you can’t trust the top brass.
I’m the idiot for hoping otherwise.
“Hurry, bring the wagons—pack the key gear first.”
“What about ingredients?!”
“Leave ’em! Plenty more inside anyway!”
Trying to save food too would just get them caught.
No cookware, no point in stockpiles.
With the walls breached, this battle would end in ten days anyway.
“No time—move fast! Relay to the other kitchens!”
“Yes!!”
As urgency mounted, voices rose unavoidably.
BOOOOM!
“Argh! Artillery!”
“Wh-where?! Enemy already over the walls?!”
An explosion erupted from the cookware area.
“What... the hell?”
The walls hadn’t fallen yet.
So why the blast?
Impossible to fathom logically.
No—only one explanation.
“Enemy raid! Weapons up!”
Even as a non-combat supply unit, they carried basic arms.
Where?
Scanning for foes, one unnatural movement caught his eye.
Not one of ours.
A seamless infiltration he’d have missed without focus.
And unfortunately, she was heading straight for him.
“Damn it!”
As distance closed, the woman accelerated, drawing a dagger.
Claaaang!
“Ugh! Who the hell are you?!”
A lethal strike at his throat.
Only a miraculous reaction saved him.
Shit, almost died.
A split-second slower, and his neck would’ve been slit.