Once the airship had fired off its last shot, it began to move away from the fort. I had given its crew instructions to make their way to where we’d set up camp as soon as the attack was finished, and they did just that, eventually coming to a stop right above us.
“I almost can’t believe how effective that was… Do we know how much damage it managed to inflict on the enemy?” I asked.
“Let me see…” said Rietz. “It would seem that all but one of the mage’s towers have been destroyed. The fort’s keep is half fallen, and while its outer walls weren’t entirely destroyed, they were breached in a number of locations. Storming the keep through those gaps will be a simple matter. I’m afraid there’s no telling how many casualties were inflicted, as of yet.”
I’d checked about the damage dealt because the manner in which we approached our assault could vary depending on it. This time around, it seemed that we’d eliminated most of the fort’s defensive measures. Considering the state their keep was in, it was possible we’d managed to neutralize their commander as well.
“I-I can’t believe it worked that well…” Rosell marveled. “The airship was incredible, of course, but Charlotte was just as amazing.”
“This battle’s pretty much in the bag, at this point,” added Mireille. “That fort’s not gonna do much for anyone anytime soon.”
“The enemy forces are likely in a state of disorder, and I’m certain that we can claim the fort if we act now. Please give the order to attack, Lord Ars,” said Rietz.
“Agreed,” I replied. I unsheathed my sword and held it aloft.
“Charge!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, and my soldiers echoed my yell, letting out a bellowing war cry as they took off toward Fort Purledo.
The battle that ensued was so hopelessly one-sided, the word “battle” barely even felt appropriate for the occasion. The count who’d been leading the enemy forces had apparently either been killed or knocked unconscious, and his troops had been left without direction. They were helpless against the surge of Canarre’s soldiers. The enemy mages barely managed to attack us at all, allowing us to storm the fort with almost no casualties on our side. The one mage’s tower that was still standing was overwhelmed and brought under our control, rendering them incapable of striking us through magical means.
Before long, enemy soldiers started emerging from the keep to surrender or flee. And, soon afterward…
“We’ve apprehended Barth, the Count of Purledo!”
The unconscious body of the enemy commander was discovered. A blow to the head had knocked him out cold. He’d been found in the half-leveled keep, surrounded by rubble, and apparently he was lucky to have not been crushed to death beneath it.
We proclaimed to the enemy army that we’d captured their leader. At that, the few soldiers within the fort who’d still felt like putting up a fight laid down their arms. Losing their count was a blow that their morale couldn’t recover from, it seemed.
Thus, Fort Purledo fell with barely any effort expended on our part.
○
Following the fall of Fort Purledo, we had the airship touch down so that Charlotte could alight and get to work conducting rapid repairs on the structure’s defenses. Rietz instructed her and Musia, who used their magic to bring the fort back up to a usable state. There was still an enemy army stationed on Klax’s Hill, after all, not to mention the Seitzan soldiers holed up in Castle Auros. We needed the fort in as good of shape as we could get it, just in case either of those forces chose to attack us.
On the other hand, considering the size of our army compared to theirs, I had a feeling that we didn’t have much to worry about even if the fort wasn’t in perfect shape. If they did choose to attack, they would be fighting a nasty uphill battle. I soon learned that the troops in Castle Auros had indeed begun to move out in an attempt to come to Fort Purledo’s aid, but upon learning that the fort had fallen in an instant, they’d turned right back around again.
The troops on Klax’s Hill, meanwhile, hadn’t moved from their encampment at all. They’d been left without a stronghold to return to, and retreating to Castle Auros would have involved passing right by Fort Purledo. That would mean a fight, and if they abandoned the defensible position they’d set up in, we wouldn’t be letting them reclaim it. They were, for all intents and purposes, stuck in place.
My retainers and I gathered up for a meeting to decide what to do about Auros Castle and the troops on Klax’s Hill.
“Gotta say, I wasn’t expecting the airship to be quite that ridiculous!” noted Mireille. “Maybe a little too ridiculous. Wasn’t much of a fight, was it? They folded like a wet washcloth.”
She had a point. The airship had inflicted such devastating damage that we’d barely had to put any thought into our tactics at all. From her perspective, it was something of an anticlimax.
“I can’t think of anything better than an effortless victory, personally,” Rosell replied. He looked a little aghast at Mireille’s apparent dismay.
“Okay, yes, the airship was amazing, but let’s not forget that my magic was a big part of that, okay?” Charlotte chimed in with a very self-satisfied look on her face. She was right, to be fair: her capabilities had just as much to do with our victory as the airship’s. In fact, it seemed safe to say that she and it made for an outrageously powerful combination.
“Keep the irrelevant chatter to a minimum, please. We’re in a meeting,” Rietz scolded.
“S-Sorry!” said Rosell.
“Right, sure,” Mireille casually grunted.
Charlotte ignored him. Apparently, she hadn’t realized she was one of the ones being scolded.
“I believe we should urge Count Barth to formally surrender to our force. His words carry weight, given his station, and the remaining forces should lay down their arms if he instructs them to,” Rietz suggested.