Chapter 94 - 87: Tower of London

The distance from Luton City to London was short, and with an army composed entirely of Knights, their advance was exceptionally swift.

They arrived before the walls of London City in less than a day.

The fortifications of London City were largely the same as those of Luton City. If there was any difference, it was that the former’s were much, much sturdier.

The city’s outskirts were also encircled by a set of remarkably sturdy outer walls. Unlike in Luton City, these were not built in tandem with a castle but were an independent structure that had existed for a considerable time.

The construction of these walls could be traced back to 200 AD, built by the Ancient Romans.

After their rule in Britain ended and the Anglo-Saxons settled England, these walls fell into neglect for many years.

However, the invasion of Britain by Ragnar’s Sons and their overwhelming offensive against the Seven Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms forced the Anglo-Saxons to recognize the importance of such walls.

The great Alfred the Great put these walls back into use, repairing and reinforcing them.

Had the previous King of England, Harold, chosen to defend from within London City rather than meeting the enemy head-on, the outcome of the Norman invasion might have been very different.

After William seized the Crown of England, frequent English rebellions led him to build a colossal castle in the southeastern corner of London City, the likes of which had never been seen in the British Isles—the Tower of London.

The Tower of London was a complex of several towers. It drew water from the Thames River to form a barrier, making it like an isolated island. This island was further protected by a thick outer wall. And even though the wall and moat were still only half-finished, the structure was more than worthy of being called a formidable fortress.

The Earl of Hereford’s Xialing City was nothing in comparison.

Compared to its towering structure, the houses within London City seemed as small and laughable as toys.

The tower stood nearly thirty meters tall, a height that was absolutely staggering to the common person of the age. Even a fleeting glance from a distance was enough to evoke a profound sense of oppression.

This was precisely the effect Conqueror William wanted. More than he wanted the English to remember his greatness and glory, he wanted them to remember his terror and cruelty. He firmly believed the latter was far more effective than the former.

Outside London City, on a distant high slope.

Robert and Eric had halted their army on a high slope far outside London City.

They planned to wait here for the fleet led by Odo. The most crucial elements for a siege—infantry and siege weapons—were all with him.

Conqueror William had clearly received news of their impending arrival. London City was on complete lockdown; no one was allowed in.

"So we’re just going to wait here? I feel like we should be making some preparations before Ansebel’s so-called ’inside man’ opens the city gates for us or cuts the drawbridge ropes." Robert turned his head and gave Ansebel a pointed look.

’He did not have a good impression of the old man.’

’A cunning sycophant. If Eric hadn’t thought it was worth a shot, he wouldn’t want to rely on this treacherous old man at all.’

"The throne is destined to be yours, Your Grace," Ansebel said, bowing respectfully to Robert.

"How will you contact your man inside?" Eric asked, looking at Ansebel.

"There’s no need for contact. When we begin our formal siege, we need only wave the banner of the Wessex family. The man will know."

Ansebel waved to an attendant behind him, who was holding a furled banner on a pole.

"A decent method," Eric said with an approving nod.

Though the inside man could only open the gates of London City for them, not the Tower of London, that was more than enough.

The London Wall might not be as impregnable as the Tower of London, but a direct assault would still take a great deal of time.

"Then what about the Tower of London?" Robert asked, looking at Eric. "I’m familiar with that thing. Back then, the old bastard was paranoid that someone was out to get him, so he put a lot of effort into it. I’ve heard that no siege weapon can even scratch it."

Its basic structure was incredibly sound, with castle walls over 15 feet thick. No siege weapon of this era could possibly breach something that thick.

There weren’t many ways to breach a castle in the Middle Ages. Besides siege weapons, there was mining, but the Tower of London’s moat made that method completely impossible.

If they wanted to take the Tower of London by force, the only way was to enter the city, cut off the Tower’s food supply, and starve the defenders into submission.

But that would take time. Robert doubted the old man would be stupid enough to have not stockpiled food for a siege.

"Since it’s a turtle shell, we don’t necessarily have to crack it by force. We can try a different approach."

"Such as...?"

"We’ll figure something out when the time comes. There’s no rush. Let’s wait for Odo’s fleet to arrive first. For now, I’ll take some men to build a few watchtowers." Eric waved his hand dismissively.

Eric chose not to reveal the entire plan to Robert.

Eric had felt uneasy for the past few days. From Essex to Luton, and then from Luton to London, they had encountered no resistance at all, save for the confrontation with Earl Hugh of Chester.

He had even deliberately slowed their pace yesterday when Robert was leading the troops across the river, but still, there was nothing.

Eric hoped he was just overthinking it.

"Watchtowers?"

As if a keyword had been activated, Belem immediately perked up.

"Eric! Let me handle building the watchtowers. I’ve completely mastered what you taught me last time."

"Not so fast. I have other uses for that pig-brain of yours. I have a more important task for you."

Eric patted Belem on the head, then waved over the attendants standing behind him.

"Take your master here, find a quiet spot, and build a latrine."

...

「That evening.」

Eric found a secluded corner.

’Open System Panel.’

[Celestial Salvation System]

[Name: Eric Outville]

[Status: Normal]

[Identity: Second Son of Robert Outville, ordinary cultivator of King’s Bridge Monastery, Junior Priest of the Lucifer Servant Society, Advisor to Duke of Normandy Robert.]

[Title: None]

[Strength Level: 10]

[Agility Level: 10]

[Intelligence Level: 13]

[Physical Strength Level: 13]

[Oratory Level: 12]

(The average for an ordinary person is 7.)

[Reputation: Emerging (120/1000) Daily/+1.8]

[Devotion: Dutiful (16/500) Daily/+0.8]

[Money: 560 Groschen]

[Exchange Points: 6001]

’Even though I have over 6,000 Exchange Points, which seems like a lot, I can’t actually redeem them for anything useful.’

’A single piece of chewing gum costs 100 points.’

’There aren’t many useful items on this system panel, but there’s a strange abundance of everyday sundries.’

However, Eric’s eyes soon fell upon one particular item available for purchase.