[Vol. 1] Chapter 23: The Siege Battle Begins!
After three days of intense preparation, the entire Western Front Army had been fully mobilized, resources were in order, and they were ready for war.
The Beastmen army had also arrived.
On the western gate wall of the Wanhe Fortress, Lilya, General Leyton, and a group of commanders were all on high alert, keeping a close watch on the distant horizon where a dust storm was gradually rising.
Violet stood beside the princess, protecting her safety. At this moment, even the usually carefree priestess had become more vigilant.
At the far end of the ground, countless dark figures surged forward like a tide. Swift Catfolk and Apefolk led the vanguard, while Bearfolk, Tigerfolk, and Lionfolk formed the main forces. Wolf riders flanked the formation on both sides, and in the sky, there were large groups of Harpyfolk advancing with the army.
Apart from the Foxfolk priests who typically avoided direct combat and the noble but rare Half-Dragon royals, nearly all the formidable military units of the Beastman Kingdom had gathered.
"Just as the scouts reported, a full fifty thousand Beastmen, and they are all young warriors. This is not your ordinary autumn war, the Beastman Emperor seems to be going mad. Does he really want a full-scale war with our kingdom?"
Even General Leyton, a seasoned war commander, couldn't help but wear a grim expression as he saw the massive and overwhelming army on the horizon.
It should be noted that in previous autumn wars, the Beastmen would send at most ten to twenty thousand troops, often consisting of weak and infirm soldiers.
After all, the primary goal of the autumn wars was to plunder resources and dispose of the superfluous population, essentially sending those Beastmen who couldn't be of use to die. Nevertheless, this still posed a significant challenge to the Western Front Army.
Now, the Beastmen had increased their forces by nearly five times, and all of them were strong and young warriors. Despite General Leyton and Lilya's preparations, a real battle with such a force would undoubtedly be a brutal and bloody conflict.
As for the sudden full-scale Beastman attack, it could only be attributed to two possibilities: either they received news from some source about the illness of the Western Front Marshal, Leyton, and saw an opportunity to strike while he was vulnerable.
Either some external force has provided them with support and confidence, or it's closely related to Lilya's older brothers.
Though Lilya had considered these possibilities and her expression darkened slightly, she chose not to bring up these concerns. Firstly, it wouldn't serve any purpose, and secondly, there was no evidence. Mentioning it could even undermine the morale of the army.
General Leyton, who had guarded the western border for over twenty years, was no stranger to facing challenges. Even when confronted with such a formidable enemy, he showed no panic. In fact, he took the opportunity to offer some advice to Lilya.
"Ha-ha, Your Excellency, now that the enemy is as expected at our doorstep, how do you think our forces should defend? What would be the best strategy in your opinion?"
The old general's words were both a subtle teaching and a request for guidance. After all, Lilya, as the fifth princess, was the supreme commander of the entire Western Front Army now. Everything should follow her orders, not Leyton's.
Lilya pondered for a moment and replied, "Well… since the enemy hasn't launched their attack yet, there's no need to rush. This is a large-scale war with tens of thousands of soldiers, and it won't be decided in a day or two. As long as the city holds, our main focus will be resource consumption and attrition warfare."
"Pass the orders: The first, second, and third legions guarding the western gate will rotate shifts every 8 hours. The fourth legion should remain prepared for reinforcement."
"The troops at the south, north, and east gates should stay vigilant, be prepared for potential enemy surprise attacks, and be ready to support the western gate."
"Do you all understand? Get to it right away."
"Yes!"
It must be acknowledged that General Leyton still held great respect at the Wanhe Fortress, even after stepping down from the position of marshal. His messengers instinctively waited for the old general to issue his orders before moving.
Both Lilya and Leyton noticed this, but they silently agreed not to delve into the matter. As long as they weren't foolish, they knew it was meaningless to be concerned about such issues at this time.
"The first wave of the attack is about to begin. It's not safe on the city walls. Your Highness, please step back and take cover for now."
"No, our army is already at a disadvantage. If the commander shows fear before the battle begins, it will demoralize the troops. I have to stay here," Lilya firmly rejected Leyton's suggestion, her gaze fixed on the overwhelming horde of Beastmen.
"…Indeed, that's true. But, Your Highness, you may not be skilled in combat. The battlefield is unpredictable, and if you get injured, it could have a greater impact on morale!"
"It's okay. Miss Violet will protect me. She's a legendary specialist in protection and healing. Beastmen are no problem at all, right!?"
Violet didn't make any promises but took a step forward, standing beside the princess and nodding towards Leyton with a smile.
Seeing her and recalling the miracle a few days ago that eradicated his illness and even rejuvenated him, Leyton, although having a thousand words in his mind, couldn't express them. In the end, he could only nod helplessly.
"Well then, I entrust you, Miss Violet. Please make sure to protect Her Highness."
"Rest assured."
During the conversation, the fastest group of tens of thousands of Catfolk vanguard had already reached below the city and began climbing the massive wall that was several tens of meters high.
Yes, climbing with their bare hands.
This was the Beastmen- lacking tactics, lacking strategy, unable to use tools and equipment. Although individually stronger than humans, humans had managed to withstand them for so many years due to the sturdy fortifications and well-crafted weapons.
The Catfolk extended their claws and forcibly dug into the almost seamless solid rock. Although their strength couldn't penetrate deeply, they managed to hang their agile bodies on the wall.
Fortunately, only the Catfolk and Apefolk, two races with relatively weaker individual combat abilities, could climb the wall with their bare hands. If it were some of the more powerful units, things would be much more dangerous.
"Boiling oil, rockets, first wave, release!"
Clad in a red robe and white armor, the young general, Rekt, took the lead and stood in the most conspicuous place on the city wall, shouting out the prearranged commands. In an instant, countless scalding and viscous liquid poured down in large sheets from the top of the wall, followed by a barrage of rockets flying out like rain, hitting the densely packed Catfolk below and creating billowing waves of scorching heat.
"Ahh! It's so hot!"
"I'm on fire! I'm on fire!!"
"Roar! Don't retreat, keep charging!!"
It was a well-known fact that Beastmen were afraid of fire. Except for the Dragon-Half royal family members with scales, even the Tiger, Lion, and Bear, the three main fighting races, would instinctively avoid flames.
The combination of boiling oil and rockets was a tried-and-true method for dealing with Beastmen. Their fur was too easily ignited, so this tactic worked almost every time, except for a few warriors with exceptional physical conditioning who could resist normal flames.
However, Beastmen weren't completely defenseless against this assault. Seeing the flames spreading, they immediately dispersed under the command of their superiors, significantly reducing the density of their formation. As a result, the fire attack couldn't be as effective as it was initially.
Although there were still Catfolk and Apefolk screaming as they fell from the city wall, some even turning into burning fireballs in mid-air before plummeting into the moat, they were gradually getting closer to the top of the wall.
This was inevitable. Lilya and Leyton didn't expect to repel this wave of attacks with a single move.
Furthermore, the Catfolk's wall-climbing mainly served to harass. Unless an excessive number of them managed to climb up, the wall's defenders would be sufficient to suppress them.
Taking advantage of the gaps created by the Catfolk, the main forces of the Lionfolk, Tigerfolk, and Bearfolk had also reached the base of the wall. Meanwhile, the Harpyfolk had initiated their attack on Wanhe Fortress from the skies.