Chapter 1568: Chapter 76: Siege (Conclusion)
“Just these few days,” Winters kicked the stones on the ground with disinterest, “I originally planned to use Alda as bait to lure the United Provincials in the Jade Crossing and the southern army at Kingsfort out, but I didn’t expect Jansen Cornelius and Leon Degler to both enjoy being turtles, each more timid than the other.
“Colonel Degler lights fires to communicate with Alda every night, but doesn’t make a move. Occasionally, he sticks his head out, and upon encountering a small obstruction, he imdiately shrinks back in;
“As for Commander, it’s nothing but a false front, sending a few light cavalry to run around the Westwood Province every day, changing flags, posting notices, spreading false news.
“In my view, both of them are waiting for news of Colonel Alda’s death.”
Winters frowned, “Then let’s not waste ti, this siege should co to an end.”
“It’s enough, is there any warfare in the world that ends in complete victory?” Gessa instead comforted Winters, smiling, “When we return to Maplestone City, you should be promoted to Major.”
This ti, Winters didn’t put up any pretense, and simply nodded.
Because he knew, many were looking forward to this day — just because he was stuck at the rank of Major, the ranks in the New Army were in chaos.
Especially for people like Senior Mason who have a strong need for “rule conformity”, every ti he looked at the organizational chart, it was a form of torture.
“How do you plan to deal with Alda?” Gessa asked, “Directly set up the cannons and start blasting?”
“If negotiation fails, then we’ll have to set up the cannons and start blasting,” Winters smiled, “We can’t really wait for them to eat up everything, can we? I still want their boots and belts.”
“How to negotiate? If it could be negotiated, it wouldn’t have co to this day.”
“Colonel Alda should be reaching his limit by now. I’ve done a lot of humiliating things to him recently, even though I have a very good reason, I still feel sowhat guilty. So, I plan to…” Winters revealed a warm smile, “give him an opportunity.”
—————–
On Hill 50, not only the officers but all soldiers also realized that the rebels had the capability to wipe out the “Twelfth Legion” — the cannons seized by the rebels were displayed at the foot of the mountain, their dark barrels facing the “Twelfth Legion’s” positions — but they deliberately left the “Twelfth Legion” a breathing space.
The demise of the “Twelfth Legion” was already a matter of ti. Clearly, the rebels were using the “Twelfth Legion” as bait, intending to eliminate reinforcents from Jade Crossing.
The officers generally realized another layer — since their defeat was a matter of ti, was it not the case that the longer they survived, the more dangerous it would be for the allied forces?
Following this logic, the optimal choice for the “Twelfth Legion” should be to surrender directly — breaking out was not even an option anymore, as the position of the Twelfth Legion was completely encircled.
The trenches, embanknts, high walls, and fortifications were built even more beautifully than the “Twelfth Legion’s”.
Since when did the Paratu people stop playing with whips and start playing with shovels?
Upon thinking about this, the United Provinces officers felt a bitter taste in their hearts.
If the officers could think of this, the Commander surely could think of it as well.
But no one dared to speak up, everyone was held in the bitterness, waiting for Colonel Vansco Alda to make that difficult decision.
The envoy ca again.
The gate guard soldiers numbly let the rebel envoy into the fortress. The fear and panic on the latter’s face were no longer visible; his deanor and step were as if he were returning ho.
The sa act had to be played out three tis a day, once in the morning, once at noon, once in the evening.
The envoy would convey the sa ssage every ti: His Excellency Winters Montagne requests that you surrender.
And Vansco Alda’s reply remained steadfast: Scram.
This ti, unsurprisingly, it should be the sa.
Then repeat at noon, repeat in the afternoon, and a day passed.
Compared to the tedious dialogue between the envoy and the Commander, the soldiers were now more concerned about what to eat that night.
No one probably thought that on this barren hill, what would be exhausted first turned out not to be water, nor food, but fuel.
The carts were the first to be burned, then the boxes, wooden barrels, ropes, then the grass on the ground, finally, even the dung was dried out for kindling.
Next, they had to start burning tents and clothes.
But the tents and clothes were bought by the soldiers themselves, so it was highly likely that what will be burned next are other people’s clothes and tents.
When it truly cos to that, [Steadfast] might beco the first naked army in history to surrender.
But there was a turn of events today because the envoy did not repeat the sa old cliché.
He ca before Vansco Alda, “His Excellency Winters Montagne asked to deliver a ssage—”
The envoy cleared his throat, striving to imitate Blood of the Wolf’s accent: “Vansco Alda, what the hell are you still not convinced about?”
“Scram…” Alda instinctively replied before realizing today’s conversation was different, he even doubted his ears a little.
Not only Alda, but several other officers present were also extrely surprised.
Because although the fellow from Vineta was rude, such blunt language of humiliation was a first.
Alda glared with bloodshot eyes, gripping his sword, stepped down from the campaign chair, and asked, “What did you say?”
Thomas Hamr, beside him, couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety for the rebel envoy — during this period of interaction, he truly couldn’t bear to see this naive young man bleed within five steps.
He subtly gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at any mont.
The envoy swallowed, speaking quickly, “His Excellency asked to ask you, Vansco Alda, what the hell are you still not convinced about?
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