Chapter 1402 - 1317: Reclaiming Bear Castle (4k)

Chapter 1402: Chapter 1317: Reclaiming Bear Castle (4k)

On the third day after Alexei’s cavalry arrived at Fat Cow Castle, the main force led by André also reached the vicinity.

Behind André were nearly fifty thousand defeated and retreating Royal Court clan troops, forced to retreat downstream of the Seine River.

As for André’s retreat, it was entrusted to the defense by the Norn people’s troops.

Initially, Alexei launched an attack near Fat Cow Castle with nearly ten thousand cavalry, but by the time André met him again, Alexei had almost thirty thousand men under his command.

With André’s nearly fifty thousand soldiers, there were now close to eighty thousand troops surrounding Fat Cow Castle, eyeing the city with hostility.

In the past, these serfs, tenant farmers, and city commoners, except for forming militias for self-protection, could not possibly intervene in "noble wars."

It was even less possible for them to take up arms over matters concerning other cities or even neighboring villages, although skirmishes with neighboring villages were more common.

But now, things had obviously changed. A large number of Norn people, bringing their own food and weapons, joined Alexei’s army.

This was closely related to a book organized by the Holy Alliance and spearheaded by Alexei, the Concise National History of Bear Castle Territory, "Our Struggle."

The entire book consisted of fifty pages, over four thousand words, taking approximately three months to complete.

Roughly half of it discussed history, while the other half entirely dealt with politics.

The main argument was that all of Bear Castle Territory was united; whether wildlings, serfs, commoners, or nobles, all were kin and compatriots by blood.

It also defined a new ethnic group called the Bear Castle People, distinguishing them from the Norn people.

It seemed like a book, but essentially, it was a political negotiation meeting to jointly decide the future direction of Bear Castle Territory.

Alexei once tried to insert some republican ideas, but was restrained by the warlocks and nobles.

Alexei settled for seeking a constitutional monarchy instead.

The effectiveness of these books wasn’t because most of the Norn people of Bear Castle Territory could understand them.

Even if citizens could comprehend them, the serfs and tenant farmers were all illiterate.

Those who could truly understand and were willing to read were, in fact, the warlocks in various villages and priests in the cities.

They then preached, making those tenant farmers and commoner serfs acknowledge their expressions.

The arrival of vampires wasn’t without benefits.

They massacred the locals, plundered wealth, reducing all commoners into serfs, but also wiped out many slave owners, forcing wildling tribes to join the Norn community.

This external pressure compelled the local Bear Castle People to unite.

"Our Struggle" simply went with the flow, guiding the direction of this torrent.

Due to the vampires’ massacre, a large amount of assets and land became vacant, reducing internal conflicts within the Bear Castle People.

With the joint changes of external and internal factors, Alexei forcefully instilled a new consensus in the minds of the Norn people of Bear Castle Territory—Bear Castle People.

Currently, only a small number of key figures sincerely believe in this proposition, but that is enough.

Just look at the number of troops Alexei gathered after raising his banner, that is the best proof.

These twenty thousand self-mobilized militiamen would be hard-pressed to attack a city in open battle, but if it’s about digging trenches, that’s their comfort zone.

In Bear Castle Territory, who hasn’t been forced into labor? Isn’t it just digging a ditch?

After clearing the surrounding strongholds and setting up camp, André swiftly used coastal defense cannons to control the waterway.

Two battalions were dispatched to the rear of Fat Cow Castle to guard against reinforcements from the northern border knights and the direction of Golden Soup Castle.

After ensuring the surrounding safety, with the support of massive manpower and resources, they got vigorously to work around Fat Cow Castle.

The sound of pickaxes striking black soil continued day and night, changing the landscape daily.

Horizontal trenches were for defending against cannonfire from the city walls, while vertical trenches were for advancing forward.

In less than a week, newly dug trenches spread across the outskirts of the city like a web.

And inside the trenches were crowded Bear Castle men in coarse linen, pickaxes and shovels rising and falling, flinging dirt everywhere.

At first, it was manageable, but as they entered the maximum firing range of the cannons, these Bear Castle militiamen had to labor under the blazing sun and sudden cannon fire daily.

Yet still, there were few who retreated or fled, because they knew it was a fight for restoring the nation, for a better future.

This was promised to them by the warlocks, by Grand Duke Alexander, by the Holy Alliance Pope.

They didn’t want to continue being slaves under the vampires’ whips, even if only to the nobles!

As the trenches pressed closer, the artillery gradually shaved down the city’s defenses, making both the reinforcements rushing from all directions and the defenders inside the city increasingly anxious.

From the highest tower of Fat Cow Castle, with a telescope in hand, one could look around to see the breastworks and makeshift Tumu Castles on the distant plains.

Surrounding these breastworks were innumerable vampires mobilized for battle.

At this moment, it was beyond the control of Lakunio or even Serafe; all Northern Route troops were frantically rescuing Fat Cow Castle.

Golden Soup Castle, Smoked Castle, Chicken Chop Castle, Pork Chop Castle, all Royal Court troops left their stations to come for support.

They could only rely on the Holy Alliance itself.

Nearly a hundred thousand clan troops and servant armies summoned from various places surrounded the Holy Alliance’s army, while the Holy Alliance’s army surrounded Fat Cow Castle.

Only the Royal Court, as an emerging military state, learned their opponent’s tactics far quicker than imagined.

Approaching the city walls, Alexei was surprised to find that the Royal Court had actually learned from the Holy Alliance to build a line of fortifications in the villages and strategic terrains outside the city.