Chapter 88: The Expedition
Duane had not been idle during those three days.
He had Carpenter Riesen and his apprentice working on building siege engines.
First up were the catapults.
After his Basic Manufacturing reached the Skilled Level, Duane had learned the method for building simple catapults.
The design for this type of catapult wasn’t complex, making them relatively simple to build.
With the lumber prepared in the preceding days, they could just barely manage to build one per day.
Next were the battering rams.
These were a bit too complex to finish in the time they had, so Duane had the apprentices find a few sturdy logs and fashion them into a siege hammer, ready to smash the castle gate.
And finally, there were the long ladders.
These ladders weren’t for scaling the castle walls, but for crossing the moat.
Simone had said the drawbridge at Daniel’s Castle was about a dozen meters long.
Aside from Kaelon and a few others, not everyone would be able to make the jump, so they needed an alternative.
The crucial thing for these ladders was that the wood had to be sturdy. If one broke midway, the soldiers would fall into the defensive works below, and their fate would be uncertain.
So, Duane used the oak logs Bard had sent over earlier.
This wood was hard and dense. If made thick enough, the ladders would have no problem supporting several men running across them.
While Duane was busy, the others weren’t idle either.
For this siege, they had spearmen, and the previously trained archers would also be mobilized.
In addition, most of the militia had donned armor, and Raymond was conducting basic training.
Julian had also called over a group of farmers to help move the siege engines to Broken Wave Bay.
Duane had also made arrangements for the propaganda efforts that Raymond, Kaelon, and the others had overlooked.
He exposed Daniels’s true nature, and with the help of several of Julian’s assistants, the news was spread to every region.
Duane framed the war not as a matter of his own interests, but as a crusade to save those abused by Daniels and to avenge the unjustly killed.
Although there were many ignorant folk on the island who didn’t think Daniels was so bad.
But there were also those who had benefited from Duane’s policies who rallied behind their Lord, singing his praises. That was enough.
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, three days were gone.
At dawn on May 25th, Duane’s courtyard was packed with people, both inside and out.
The kitchen had long since prepared hot soup and food, ensuring that the departing soldiers and the logistics crew were well-fed and hydrated.
Around six in the morning, the column set out.
Duane, Kaelon, Raymond, and the others walked at the head of the column, while the farmers tasked with transporting the siege engines followed behind.
The procession was long, stretching for several hundred meters.
At the crossroads.
Bard was waiting with his contingent of a hundred men. When he saw the scale of Duane’s force, his heart tightened.
’Good heavens, how did this Baron gather so many men?’
And when he saw the Baron had brought catapults, long ladders, and other equipment, he was stirred once more.
’This Baron is a true professional when it comes to sieges. He actually brought equipment, unlike me—I only brought men.’
"Baron, I’ve been waiting for you!"
Bard stepped forward and offered a salute. The two parties had been in constant communication over the past two days, and their correspondence had been smooth.
"I appreciate you waiting."
Duane gave a brief greeting, glancing over Bard’s force. It was only about a hundred men, a motley crew at that. He now had a clear assessment of the situation.
"Let’s go. Here’s to our triumphant return!"
Bard laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! It’s only Daniels. Victory is assured!"
Duane just gave a slight smile and said nothing.
As the two forces merged, the army swelled in size.
In Broken Wave Bay, aside from those who had been conscripted into the castle, the other four thousand-plus residents were so frightened by the sight that they hid in their homes, peeking out through cracks in their doors.
Fortunately, Duane had given strict orders: no harming the innocent, and absolutely no one was to rush into the homes of Broken Wave Bay residents to plunder. The penalty for doing so was death.
This was enough to make some of the militia rein in their avarice.
"So this is Daniel’s Castle!"
Duane gazed into the distance.
A wide road led to the castle gate. On one side of the castle was a pond, with a moat dug in front and behind it, while the other side was flanked by a steep mountain peak.
’The terrain was well chosen.’
"When do we start?" Bard asked, sounding impatient.
Duane glanced at the column. "We’ll wait for my siege engines to arrive. Raymond."
"Your orders, my Lord!"
Duane pointed to the men from the Broken Wave Gang. "Brief them on the specifics of the battle plan."
"Yes, sir!"
Duane took the opportunity to step aside and rest.
Just then, Jack hurried up from the rear and came to his side. "My Lord, the item you requested."
Duane took it and unfolded the letter to read.
Jack had just retrieved it from the Simone Family’s home, where it was hidden under the floor near the head of Simone’s bed.
This, too, was part of the plan.
The letter detailed the layout of Daniel’s Castle, including the number of occupants, their combat strength, and their provisions of food and supplies.
It also revealed that after three days of treatment, aided by eating a Sauce Meat Fruit, Bard’s strength had not only fully recovered but had even improved.
Reading this, Duane’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint appearing within them.
Bard knew better than anyone where that Sauce Meat Fruit had come from.
For him to know that, yet still request it from Daniels and eat it... that was an act that filled Duane with utter revulsion.
’You brought this on yourself. You can’t blame me for what happens next.’
Duane was now set on killing him.
He had originally considered keeping Bard to serve him. After all, it was a pity for an Earth Tier Warrior to die.
But he didn’t dare use someone so devoid of humanity, because there was no telling when such a person might turn on him.
"Kaelon."
Duane called out.
"My Lord, your orders."
Duane beckoned, motioning for Kaelon to lean in.
"Bard has recovered his full strength—he’s even gotten stronger. I’m leaving this tough nut for you to crack."
"Good. No problem!"
Kaelon had spent the last three days struggling to overcome his inner demons, and he had more or less recovered.
He had been able to defeat Bard in their duel before, and now that he had achieved a breakthrough, he was even more confident.
"My Lord, I ask only that you leave Daniels’s life to me!" he requested.
But Duane shook his head. "I have questions for him, so it would be best to capture him alive."
"And after he’s captured?"
"You may."
Duane said, "You shall be the one to carry out his execution."
Personally killing Daniels might be good for Kaelon’s psyche, helping to alleviate his guilt.
Duane didn’t want his loyal subordinate to fall into a depression.
Soon, the siege engines began to arrive. Under Duane’s command, the three catapults were arranged in a row.
The militia assigned to the catapults took their positions, while the farmers piled stones nearby.
The spearmen and archers were at the ready.
The members of the Holy Hand Association on the castle walls opposite could see everything clearly, but there was little they could do to stop it.
Even when a Level 1 Mage cast a Flame Technique, by the time the spell traveled from the castle wall, across the moat, and to the other side, its power was negligible over the distance of several dozen meters.
The warriors could easily block it with their shields; there was no chance of the spell damaging the siege engines.
"Are you ready?"
Duane strode to the front.
"Ready!" Raymond replied in a low voice.
Bard narrowed his eyes and stared at the castle. The moment he had long been waiting for had finally arrived.
’The Baron’s doom is at hand!’
SHNK!
Duane drew his longsword. The crisp, ringing sound spread through the air, putting everyone on edge.
"First volley! Begin!"