Dungeon Defense (WN)

Chapter 379: Encounter of Two Heroes (7)

It took the imperial army six days before they arrived in the region nearby.

Until now, the imperial army had always marched swiftly, but this time, their pace was notably slow. According to the reconnaissance unit, the enemy was deploying a considerable number of scouts, which significantly hindered the speed of their advance.

“They are moving quite cautiously.”

“Is it not because they are afraid of being ambushed? The path here consists of narrow valleys surrounded by steep mountains.”

“Hm. Is that it?”

After hearing the mercenary captain’s guess, the Grand Duke believed it was a reasonable answer.

“Furthermore, it appears they have been pillaging every single village they come across on their way here. They are confiscating all the stored grain and butchering the cows required for farming.”

“Tsk tsk.”

The captains clicked their tongues in disapproval. The imperial army had turned ruthless in their pillaging, precisely after the negotiations collapsed, or more accurately, since the Habsburg Republic decided to join the war.

“Your Highness, it is still not too late. We should deploy a sizable ambush force on a mountain range to intercept the imperial army. Think of the devastation they would inflict on innocent lives if we simply let them through.”

“……I will not permit it.”

The Grand Duke furrowed his brows as if there were a bad taste in his mouth.

“Did you not hear the report just now? The enemy is approaching while taking all possible precautions. We have ten thousand troops while they have twice that. There is no way for us to possibly win in a frontal battle. We will be utterly defeated……. We cannot engage them yet.”

“But Your Highness, the people…….”

“I told you to wait!”

The Grand Duke of Florence suppressed most of his anger as he issued his order. Amongst everyone present, the Grand Duke himself was the most eager to venture out. The mercenary captains did not argue any further. In truth, apart from those native to Sardinia, most captains preferred the safety of the city walls.

Just in case, around two hundred men were positioned at the most advantageous ambush point they could find. However, these two hundred mercenaries proved how foolish it was to try and ambush Helvetian mercenaries who were born and raised in the Alps. They ended up being ambushed instead and were completely wiped out.

“Do you understand now? Trying to face the imperial army recklessly is hereby forbidden. Be patient. An opportunity will arise if we are patient.”

The thirteen thousand troops under the command of the Grand Duke hunkered down.

Apart from increasing their number of scouts, they performed little to no military activities. They focused on maintaining the ramparts, inspecting the siege equipment, and persuading Genovan merchants to supply more provisions……. The Grand Duke of Florence took on administrative tasks as he cautiously monitored the movements of the imperial army.

Were they coming to Genova? Or were they going to La Spezia, Marquis Rody’s former territory?

Eventually, the information that the Grand Duke had been waiting for was brought by a messenger.

“Your Highness, we have received a report from the scouts. The imperial army has altered their course in Berceto.”

“……! Are they going west or east!?”

“East, Your Highness. The imperial army is going southeast.”

So it was east!

The Grand Duke of Florence brought his hand to his forehead. The imperial army was heading for La Spezia, not Genova. This meant, as he had been warned earlier, there was a high probability that the people of La Spezia had been secretly communicating with the Empire…….

“Your Highness.”

The mercenary captains cast uneasy glances at the Grand Duke. Though no words were spoken, their unspoken intent weighed heavily in the air of the room.

The Grand Duke gulped.

‘Do we have to raze La Spezia to the ground?’

The Grand Duke could feel the faint throbbing of the veins in his forehead against the palm of his hand.

‘Are you telling me that I have to burn them with my own two hands before the Empire can get their hands on them?’

La Spezia was an affluent region thanks to the Marquis’ good governing. During the Black Death that ravaged the entire continent, La Spezia stood as one of the exemplary cases with its lord’s swift response that managed to minimize the damage. If the imperial army were to occupy this place without shedding a drop of blood……. It would be dreadful.

The imperial army will undoubtedly be well-supplied, enabling them to sustain their war with abundant provisions and weaponry. The consequences of this will extend far beyond the vicinity of La Spezia. Like an unstoppable epidemic, it will engulf not only Genova, Florence, and Teberina, but also spread across the entire kingdom.

“Your Highness.”

One of the mercenary captains called out to the Grand Duke carefully but to no avail. At that moment, the words that Consul Elizabeth had said a few days ago in an amused tone were going through his head.

‘Will you protect the people of La Spezia, or will you protect your people in Florence? You will undoubtedly have to choose between the two. It will most likely be at this point that you will reveal what sort of person you are…….’

The Grand Duke’s silence grew longer, the unease of the mercenary captains growing with it. Prolonged silence indicated that the forthcoming command would have been contemplated thoroughly and could not be easily reversed.

“……La Spezia will……be left alone…….”

“Your Highness!”

The Grand Duke of Florence maintained an expressionless face, but his voice seemed unable to entirely conceal the anguish he felt.

“The entire nation will fall into severe turmoil if we allow the enemy to have La Spezia! Your Highness, we must do something!”

“Your Highness can stay here and watch. Just give us permission to act freely! We will handle this ourselves!”

The mercenary captains urged for a decision with a unified voice. They were resolved to not let their commander stain his hands in blood.

The Grand Duke raised his voice as if he were trying to shake the captains off.

“I am repeating my order. We will not touch La Spezia! This decision is final.”

“But, Your Highness, please allow us to at least requisite the armory in La Spezia. We can cite the threat of a rebellion to justify our actions.”

“Is there any evidence that La Spezia has betrayed the kingdom?”

The captains shut their mouths. There was no proof. This was simply a strong intuitive feeling they had because of the situation.

“There is no evidence of betrayal, nor any indication that they will betray us. On what grounds do we claim the right to requisition their armory when they have done no wrong yet? If we demand their weapons forcefully, it may only fuel resentment. I am repeating my order once more. We will not touch La Spezia…….”

The Grand Duke’s face contorted in pain.

He believed, without a shred of doubt, that Marquis Rody was not a traitor. Turning the Marquis into a sacrificial lamb was already an irreparable mistake that they could never wash off. How could he now accuse the Marquis’ people of treachery as well? He couldn’t bring himself to do that. That wasn’t something he could do as a human…….

The Grand Duke’s army remained in Genova.

A few days later, news arrived that the imperial army, numbering up to thirty thousand, had launched a relentless assault on La Spezia. The information came with reports of the city’s feeble garrison of barely a thousand soldiers engaging in a futile siege battle.

– The damage is severe! We cannot withstand the enemy’s mage unit!

– Part of the eastern wall has collapsed. When will reinforcements arrive?

Every hour, La Spezia would urgently plead for reinforcements. The voices flowing through the crystal sphere were drenched in despair. Normal civilians were forced to also participate in the defense, but the situation still remained dire.

A day passed.

Followed by a second.

And then a third.

The commanders gathered in the meeting room. The Grand Duke’s face had become noticeably pallid.

“Is La Spezia still holding on?”

“Yes. As per the report we received before dawn, the imperial army initiated a surprise attack in the middle of the night and successfully breached their defenses. However, the people of La Spezia were able to repel them thanks to the reserve troops they had positioned beforehand.”

The Grand Duke and the mercenary captains looked frustrated.

“Did La Spezia truly collude with the Empire?”

“We must not make any rash decisions. This could be a ploy to lure us out.”

“We cannot afford to hesitate now. Their outer defenses are about to fall. We need to send reinforcements immediately.”

The commanders were sharply divided into two opposing opinions. One side argued that La Spezia did not collude with the enemy, while the other believed the situation to be a mere decoy tactic. Both sides presented strong arguments, leaving the debate to continue with no clear resolution in sight.

“…….”

As expected, the Grand Duke couldn’t figure it out.

If the imperial army was genuinely carrying out a siege on La Spezia, then why didn’t they block the communication magic? Thanks to this, urgent requests for reinforcements kept pouring in without end. Could it be that they were trying to lure them out of the safety of Genova?

However, the Grand Duke was well aware of how cunning the Empire’s forces could be. They could have intentionally left the communication channels open because they knew how the kingdom would react. Just how many steps was the imperial army ahead of them……? The Grand Duke felt like he was miring over a question that couldn’t be answered.

A Sardinian mercenary captain got angry and shouted.

“I do not understand! Allowing La Spezia to fall into enemy hands……. How would we be any different from the Duke of Milano when he abandoned Pavia!? What’s the purpose of an army that doesn’t protect its allies!?”

The Grand Duke of Florence quickly came back to his senses.

‘What have I been contemplating all this time?’

That mercenary captain was right. What would happen if they abandoned La Spezia here? How would he be any different from the Duke of Milano who did nothing as Pavia was destroyed and ravaged? He would be committing the same mistake.

The Grand Duke felt a wave of shame wash over him. He had been the most outraged by the Duke of Milano’s decision, yet now, he found himself sitting there, seemingly about to repeat the very actions he had condemned……. The Grand Duke questioned himself again. What was he thinking?

“Your Highness! We have received an urgent report!”

It was at that moment, a messenger urgently entered the room. The messenger promptly saluted.

“The outer wall of La Spezia has collapsed! Their knights have been wiped out!”

“……!”

“Currently, the acting lord has retreated to the inner castle and is making a last stand. They are asking if reinforcements are coming and, if so, how far they have advanced!”

The captains turned to look at the Grand Duke. In the next four to one days, La Spezia’s fate will be decided. This choice rested on the Grand Duke’s shoulders.

The Grand Duke of Florence and the head of the Medici family, Cosimo de Medici, opened his mouth.

“We will save La Spezia.”

A mixture of joy and sorrow came from the commanders once the Grand Duke finally made his decision.

“Your Highness!”

“However, we will be approaching La Spezia by water, not land. The Empire does not have a navy in any form. They will not be able to stop our advance.”

The Grand Duke ordered in a firm tone, making it clear that he wasn’t going to accept any objections.

“Inform the mayor of Genova of my order. We will be commandeering all of Genova’s vessels. This plan is being carried out under the name of His Highness the King. All those who display even the slightest hesitation to help will be immediately punished for mutiny!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

The Grand Duke’s adjutant gave a salute before quickly leaving the room.

“We will dispatch the mage unit to La Spezia first.”

“Your Highness, my apologies, but……the enemy has set up an anti-magic barrier against teleportation magic.”

“So they are only letting the communication network through?”

The Grand Duke clenched his fist. He wasn’t certain, but he could tell that the imperial army was probably genuinely attacking La Spezia. The proof was the fact that they jammed teleportation magic. However, he had no way of gauging how far ahead the enemy was planning…….

“It will be difficult for them to endure long since their knights have been wiped out. Prepare to depart immediately. We will be going to La Spezia as soon as possible.”

“As you command, Your Highness!”

The die was cast. However, the Grand Duke had no way of knowing where the die would roll. He could only hope that he would not be an embarrassment to himself…….

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. My brain is on autopilot. Next chapter will be up sooner. We have another new EN translator at my workplace, but he’s apparently just “testing the water” to see if he wants to go full-time and not be a freelancer. I sort of feel like it’s a waste of time cause now we don’t know whether to fully integrate him into our workflow or just treat him as some person on the side. I’d rather just get a new person who’s fully determined to stick with the job. Welp, I’m not a part of human resources, so this is just my own rant. 

In any case, I’ll see you guys in the next chapter. I promise the story is going to pick up in excitement in the next few chapters :^)

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