Chapter 357 - 253: Perverted Harassment
These nobles, though accustomed to a life of luxury and comfort, could only brace themselves now, mustering a sliver of courage. They prayed inwardly, hoping the battle would end quickly and they would escape unharmed.
’That son of a bitch John, actually making us risk our lives. How can we do that? If we die, how are we supposed to make any money?!’
’As soon as we get through today, the first thing we’ll do is get the hell out of this city. The world is a big place; we’ll find somewhere to live out our days as minor landowners.’
John looked at these nobles and sneered inwardly.
’These nobles know nothing but pleasure. It’s impossible to expect them to fight on the front lines at a time like this.’
’But having them here on the wall at least serves a purpose. It shows the soldiers that even the nobility has come to the front. What excuse do they have to be afraid?’
As Henry’s army drew closer, the atmosphere on the city wall grew more and more tense. The nobles, though terrified, could only force themselves to appear calm, trying hard to look braver than they felt.
’Sigh, what’s done is done. We’re nobles, we have to save face. With so many people watching, we have to at least put on an act.’
John stood by the edge of the city wall, staring intently at Henry’s army, his heart thumping.
In Henry’s army, there was a group of terrified people in tattered clothes, bound with ropes. They were the prisoners captured earlier.
Henry ordered his men to push these captives to the very front, making them carry Cloud Ladders and approach the city wall step by step.
John’s brow tightened when he saw this. ’What a vicious, cunning trick,’ he cursed inwardly, even though he’d pulled the same move himself before.
The captives were numerous but possessed no combat ability whatsoever. They were simply being used by Henry as cannon fodder to draw out John’s army’s arrows and other expendable munitions.
If they held their fire and let the captives place the Cloud Ladders against the wall, Henry’s Cavalry would descend like tigers from the mountains. Riding two to a horse for rapid deployment, they would reach the base of the walls in an instant.
That would be the moment Henry launched his all-out assault, and the walls would be nearly impossible to hold.
Left with no choice, John gave the order to fire.
Instantly, arrows rained down. The captives let out bloodcurdling screams as they fell one after another, but a stubborn few continued to approach the city wall.
They didn’t know what they were even striving for. To advance was death, to retreat was death—death was on all sides. So they simply marched forward, numb.
Arrow after arrow flew, depleting John’s precious supplies, while Henry’s army watched from a distance like a predator, ready to launch the killing blow at any moment.
John gripped his sword hilt tightly. Although his face remained calm, fine beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead. The situation was extremely perilous. If Henry’s Cavalry suddenly made a move and charged to the base of the wall, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The soldiers on the city wall mechanically drew their bowstrings while nervously watching the movements of the captives.
Just then, a burst of chaotic shouting erupted from below the wall. Amidst the chaos, a few captives had managed to break their bonds and were now fleeing back toward Henry’s army.
The sight invigorated the soldiers on the wall; it was as if they saw a glimmer of hope. John immediately recognized the opportunity. "Aim for the captives who aren’t running!" he roared. "Fire!"
The soldiers quickly adjusted their aim, and arrows rained down upon the captives who had not broken rank.
Seizing the advantage while Henry’s cannon fodder were in disarray, John swiftly ordered one group of soldiers to maintain suppressive fire against Henry’s army. Simultaneously, he had another group prepare rolling logs and stones, ready to repel a sudden enemy charge.
The nobles on the wall couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy as they watched John’s decisive command. They used to be like that, too, but now all they wanted to do was run. Though terrified, the tense atmosphere forced them to pull themselves together.
The first wave of captives was quickly wiped out, falling either to the enemy’s arrows or the swords of the Supervision Team. The chaos gradually subsided.
The officers re-formed their lines and increased the number of captives for the charge. They prepared to send them to attack again, splitting them into two groups for the left and right flanks to deplete John’s defensive weapons faster.
Seeing this, John quickly adjusted his tactics. He ordered the archers on that section of the wall to divide into two groups and continue firing on the captives.
’This is death by a thousand cuts,’ John thought. He felt that he would exhaust all of his ranged weapons long before he killed all the captives Henry had rounded up.
’But what choice do I have? What else can I do?’
The arrows crisscrossed in the air, forming a dense web. The captives struggled forward through the downpour, men constantly falling as they were struck.
Behind them, the Supervision Team from Henry’s army waved whips and swords at any captive who tried to retreat, mercilessly forcing them to advance.
𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
However, as more and more captives fell, obvious gaps began to appear in their ranks.
Boman and Fass stood at the rear of Henry’s army, their gazes locked on the enemy troops on the city wall and the charging captives.
Fass frowned slightly, observing the battlefield. "You see," he said in a low voice, "John’s archers are well-trained, but against this many captives, they’re going through their arrows far too quickly.
"At this rate, I doubt their stamina, morale, and supplies can hold out for long."
He paused, a ruthless glint in his eye. "I estimate their lines will completely collapse within three days at most. At that point, they’ll either fight back desperately like cornered animals, or they’ll surrender outright. We’ll take Odoche without spilling a single drop of our own blood."