I will be crowned king

As the general attack horn sounded, the last bit of suspense in the Battle of Iron Bell Castle began to dissipate.

Although the Mist army that was the first to break through the city wall defenses suffered heavy casualties under the desperate resistance of the defenders, they were able to successfully complete their mission, attracting firepower and acting as human shields for the subsequent coalition forces, and successfully covered the Aiden Army. Break through the defense line.

From this point of view, they did deserve their death - although the Mist heir, Ruko Visenya, who is still in a coma, may not agree with this view.

The nearly 8,000-strong Aiden Legion followed the gap in the defense line opened by the Mist soldiers and poured into the Iron Bell Castle almost crazily. They began to chase after the defeated defenders and bite them.

As the troops continued to pour in, shrill wails, smoke and flames from lead bullets also began to spread inside the castle; streets and houses were either set on fire by the defenders trying to block the attack, or were transformed by the looting of the attackers. into ruins.

Among the robbing thugs, it was not even the mad-dog-like Aiden Legion that bore the brunt. Instead, it was the Mysterians who were even more enthusiastic about "robbing their own people."

"...They rushed into the houses of nobles and wealthy merchants, smashed all obstacles in front of them with rifle butts and bayonets, and killed all the resisters who tried to stop them from looting. In the end, because they were red-eyed, they killed them again. Targeting children and women who are still crying and begging for mercy..."

"...Bloodstains and dismembered corpses spread from the door to the cellar, and the houses that had been set alight by the defenders could not stop their madness; these Mysterians who were shouting to fight for peace in Myster a second ago, now they are not even To be able to fight each other in order to plunder their own compatriots, so much so that the Aiden people, who have always been considered crazy, have to stop them..."

“…In order to snatch the silver coins, they threw away the copper plates in their pockets, threw away the silver coins for the gold in the box, and insulted the corpse for the jewelry on the deceased… But the truly precious paintings, sculptures and books were abandoned like worn-out shoes. Burned in the sea of ​​fire..."

"...The defeated defenders were still retreating towards the inner fort, but there were still many people left behind to make a last stand. Although they were quickly defeated and annihilated, they bought precious time for the fleeing people to escape - — though it’s hard to say whether that makes sense…”

"...All these things that were once considered commonplace in Hantu are so heartbreaking in my eyes at this moment; I have also had the experience of counterinsurgency, and I take killing and searching for traitors as a matter of course, Leon Fo François... felt for the first time how urgent unity and peace were..."

Slowly stopping the pen in his hand, Léon Francois, who was sitting on the collapsed city wall, sighed and raised his head, looking at the Iron Bell Castle that was still shrouded in smoke and fire with extremely complicated eyes.

Victory was clearly in sight, but he couldn't feel any joy at all.

Sporadic gunshots rang out from the city wall position at his feet. The Stormtroopers-Thun line infantrymen, who were walking on ashes and corpses, entered the castle in formation and began to advance inward along the outer defense line, annihilating small groups of enemy troops while quickly Control and occupy important strongholds and roads within the castle.

As this main force entered the battle, the rate of defeat of the Iron Bell Fort defenders also began to intensify; even if a small force defeated the attack of the vanguard Ayden Corps, it would soon be discovered that they were unable to defeat the advancing coalition forces. The linear phalanx would have to pay a heavy price in casualties.

While they were resisting, the mad-dog-like Aiden Legion was still attacking and intersecting in the streets and buildings wildly. Many defenders were surrounded and attacked from two sides before they could retreat; The phalanx exchanged fire, and the next second they were about to mount their bayonets, turn around, and engage in a hand-to-hand battle with the Aydin people who appeared from behind.

By 11:30 noon, all 20,000 coalition troops had been engaged in the battle, and the total casualties except for the Mist soldiers did not exceed 200; more than half of the defenders of Iron Bell Castle had been killed, and the remaining troops were completely unable to resist the attack. The waves were overwhelming, and they were unable to defend the entire castle, so they could only retreat into the inner castle and defend it.

By twelve o'clock, all the retreat routes of Tiezhong Fort had been cut off, and the coalition had controlled all the outer walls and towers of Tiezhong Fort, as well as one-half of the city; the remaining defenders who were unable to retreat could only defend the interior. There is no other way out except fortification and surrender.

So far, the siege of Iron Bell Fort has only lasted six hours.

The battle situation turned out to be so smooth, which could not help but surprise and delight Ruco Visenya, who had just woken up from the hospital bed.

Of course, the good news is that Anson Bach really kept his promise and conquered the Iron Bell Castle in just one day as he promised!

It was a scene he had fantasized about all his life, a position he had stared at for too long.

Ruco still remembers the scene when, at the age of ten, he walked timidly into the hall of the Iron Bell Castle, supported by his mother and servants, on that snowy and icy night in the 40th year of the Saint's Calendar.

That year, I was still a child, and my father was a 27-year-old young man who was still childish but already shouldered the heavy responsibility of protecting the country;

That year, there were still seven years to go before the "Second Public Order Conference" that brought peace to the world of order; at that time, Mist was still the real overlord of Hantu, joining forces with Aiden and Thune to win over Carindia in an attempt to create The Seven Cities Alliance that can unite the entire Hantu to deal with the threat of war in the northern continent;

That year, the servant knelt humbly in front of him, pointed to his father's chair in a slightly teasing tone, and called himself "Little Archduke Mist";

That year, my father held himself high and proudly declared to everyone that he would surpass him and become the "Lord of the Vast Earth".

So I have been looking forward to it...I have been looking forward to it for sixty years. The world has been changing, and the stars have passed. Only I have always been one step away from my own position.

My mood also changed from full of longing to full of expectation, to ambitious and on the verge of despair... until it all turned into an obsession.

His mother passed away due to illness, and his servants rebelled and were killed... The people cheering for him in the hall passed away one by one, and he also changed from a young boy to a frail and stooped old man with gray hair and beard.

Only my father was still full of energy and sat steadily on that chair.

Now the excited attendant told him that maybe he didn't have to wait until tomorrow, maybe he could be crowned Grand Duke of Mist tonight... How could Ruco Visenya not be overjoyed.

But it was also this that frightened him.

He is still very clear about the defensive power of the Iron Bell Castle and the combat effectiveness of the Grand Duke Myster's Guards; now Anson Bach has captured the Iron Bell Castle in less than a day, and this combat effectiveness really cannot make him Don't feel intimidated.

What frightened him even more was that with such a powerful Clovis army, what could he do to satisfy their appetite?

The funerary objects in the ancestral tomb of Vessenia alone may not be enough, not to mention how much treasure there is is unknown; once the final amount fails to satisfy Anson Bach, he may even feel that he has cheated him. ,so what should I do now?

Pay indemnity, cede territory, become a vassal of Clovis, or...

The more Ruco Visenya thought about it, the more frightened he became. He felt that his heart that had just calmed down began to beat rapidly again. The blood in his body was rushing like a flood that broke a dam, hitting his head again and again along the direction of his spine. It seemed as if something was going to tear open the top of his skull and crawl out of his body in the next second.

"Well!"

The next second, the old man's body suddenly became violent, his eyes rolled white, and his limbs began to tremble unconsciously. "Plop!" He lay back on the bed again, and began to foam at the mouth amidst the exclamations of the hurried attendants. Twitching and falling into unconsciousness.

However, this "little episode" did not affect the siege of Tiezhong Fort; or in fact, no matter who died now, they could not stop the coalition soldiers who were already red-eyed and eager for victory and loot. They will fight to the last moment.

At 13:10, after the line infantry had completely occupied and controlled the entire periphery of Iron Bell Castle and began to clean the battlefield, Chief of Staff Carl Bain officially conveyed the order of Deputy Commander Anson Bach. The Grenadier Regiment and Skirmishers Begin to dispatch, under the cover of artillery fire and lines, launch an attack on the inner fort of Tiezhong Fort.

Balls of golden-red cannon flames lit up the earth again, pouring down like thunder on the Mist defenders, turning the ancient and noble castle into a pillar of fire shrouded in black smoke.

Amidst the rumble of artillery, the soldiers of the Storm Division Grenadier Regiment entered the battlefield with great arrogance and with the cooperation of "friendly forces", and launched the final offensive as the confidants of the "Deputy Commander".

This is not only to "grab battle merit", but also to let the close friends who watched the whole show gain experience. To some extent, it is also a symbolic signal - announcing to the allies and the enemy that the battle is over, and this will be The final attack.

"Won."

In the empty conference room, the expressionless Karl threw the matchbox on the table and reported to Anson Hui with a cigarette in his mouth:

"The 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Regiment led by Fabian himself, which was the grenadier battalion of your Storm Regiment before, used grenades to clear the way and directly blew open the gate of the inner castle; all the elite defenders had been destroyed during the city gate battle. All that's left is to help rotten fish and shrimps, which are completely vulnerable."

"oh."

Anson held his chin, lowered his head and said nothing.

"Someone from Mist said that the old man Ruco Visenya is in a coma again. It seems that he was overly surprised and his heart is not in good condition. He hopes that we will send a military doctor to him - I agreed."

"oh."

"Well, by the way, did you know that the Aiden and Mist people gave the Stormtroopers a new name, the Gray Shirts - just because someone was too stingy to even wear a black and red standard military uniform."

"oh."

"Also, Erich, the head of the arsenal, said that Miss Thalia came to White Tower City, and by coincidence, Miss Sophia from the Franz family also came, and they are all waiting for you in White Tower City. Woolen cloth."

"oh."

The expressionless Anson nodded stiffly when his whole body shook as if he was suddenly electrocuted. His horrified eyes seemed to burst out of his sockets in the next second: "What did you just say?!"

"I just said several words, which one were you talking about?" Karl, who was crossing his arms, rolled his eyes:

"Fabian has already breached the inner fort?"

"That's not it!"

"Ruco is crazy about happiness again?"

"That's not the case either!"

Anson, whose face was full of horror, was stunned, and suddenly understood something: "Did you lie to me?"

"You are so smart, my Commander-in-Chief of the Gray Shirt Army." Karl snorted coldly and raised the corners of his mouth:

"If the two eldest ladies are really here, do you think I will be the first to know?"

"What do you want to do?" An Sen, who was still frightened, covered his chest and looked at him weakly.

"That's what I should say."

Karl's expression became serious again, and he came close to Anson and stared into his eyes: "What do you want to do?"

"What?"

"Why forge the Bell Castle?"

"What's the reason for this? Haven't you seen it?"

"What did you see? Are you a tomb robber? I don't doubt your moral level, but a pile of funerary objects can bribe you? No, no, no... your level of shamelessness goes beyond this."

"You overestimate me. I mainly look at his age. He's so pitiful."

"There's something wrong with you."

Karl narrowed his eyes and stared at Anson meaningfully: "There must have been some accident, and it was an accident that must not be made public, which forced you to do this...right?"

"..."

The two people looked at each other and were silent for a long time.

With his throat twitching, Karl suddenly withdrew his gaze, pulled out the chair next to him and sat down, turning his gaze outside the tent as if nothing happened, with his back to Anson:

"...Can't you tell me?"

"No." Anson shook his head with a wry smile and let out a long sigh:

"The main reason is that this matter is indeed very troublesome, and it is indeed an accident. I haven't figured out how to solve this matter yet, and... you are right, it must not be made public now."

"...The Thirteen Council?"

"no."

"Duke Eden rebelled again?"

"No."

"……what is that?"

Karl finally couldn't help but look back: "It can't be the empire sending troops, right?"

Anson's smile froze on his face.

Karl was shocked: "Really?!"

"Uh...that's not true." Anson quickly shook his head to dispel his concerns, but his expression did not ease much:

"But the seriousness of the problem is not much worse than that of the empire sending troops... That's why I ordered the capture of Iron Bell Castle as soon as possible, because if I don't do this, I'm afraid it won't take long for the entire land to fall apart again, and even some of our 'Allies' will also take the opportunity to backstab."

Under the gaze of Carl Bain, Anson, with a solemn expression, put his right hand into his arms: "Yesterday, I received an urgent letter."

"The sender is...Major General Ludwig Franz..."