Crystal Radiance Fortress was the capital of the Auldo Kingdom, named after the giant crystal stones on Labusen Mountain near the city.
After several relocations under the first few kings of the Rodney Dynasty, the capital was finally established here during the reign of the fifth king. From then on, it gradually became the political and economic center of the entire kingdom. After being carefully developed by the eleven kings who followed, the Royal Capital now had a population of over a hundred thousand and was already one of the largest cities in the known world.
In the spring of the year 1990 of the Sacred Calendar, the kingdom's eastern territories came under attack from the highland barbarians. Her Highness Princess Catherine personally led an army to drive them out. After the princess's army had fully reached the Eastern Highlands, Giles, the Grand Duke whose fief lay in the south, raised the banner of rebellion and began rapidly marching north.
But worse still followed. Sir Haas, the commander of the City Garrison left behind in the Royal Capital, betrayed the Royal Family, launching a rebellion in response to Giles in the south.
It was already noon, yet the fields on both sides of the King's Road leading to the Royal Capital were still bustling with activity.
It was not that the farmers did not want to rest. The City Garrison's rebellion some time ago had thrown the area around the Royal Capital into chaos. No one had dared leave home, delaying a great deal of farmwork. Now that things had settled somewhat, many people were working from dawn to dusk so they would not miss the farming season.
Many birds flew chirping down from the north. When the people looked up, they saw an army appearing at the end of the road.
Some people began to tense up, but only relaxed after they recognized the flags fluttering among the ranks.
As one troop of soldiers after another passed by, clouds of dust billowed across the road. Countless soldiers and flags merged into a colorful river, winding and surging toward the Royal Capital.
"Hyah—" A group of knightly riders galloped past the marching soldiers toward the front of the army. Leading them was a female knight, her bright golden hair streaming in the wind like golden flames dancing through the air.
When they were nearly at the very front of the army, the knights saw someone riding toward them at full speed. They all pulled on their reins and slowed their horses.
The newcomer soon reached the knights. Facing the female knight at their head, he placed his right hand over his chest and bowed slightly. "Your Highness, Princess."
Catherine waved for him to rise and asked, "What's the situation ahead?"
"The vanguard has joined up with the Aid the King forces that arrived earlier in Aulen Town. The temporary command center has been set up and is waiting for you to arrive."
"Good. Everyone, hurry up. Let's get there quickly."
"Yes!" The people behind her acknowledged the order one after another, urging their War Horses onward as they followed Princess Catherine at a gallop.
About half an hour later, Catherine and the others arrived at Aulen Town's administrative hall, which had been made into the temporary command center. Just as she dismounted, a female officer appeared at the door and knelt on one knee beneath the steps.
"Your Highness, Princess!"
The female officer had black hair and black eyes and wore a suit of black armor, forming a striking contrast with the princess's white armor.
Catherine immediately reached out with both hands to pull the female officer up, then embraced her tightly. Relieved, she said, "Auffina, thank the Lord of Light. Even in such a crisis, He arranged for you to accompany me."
"Your Highness, Princess, I once swore that I would follow you forever."
A trace of warmth appeared on the female officer's icy face.
"Thank you, Auffina..."
"Serving my liege is my duty. Your Highness, the lords who came from all over the kingdom to Aid the King are still waiting for you to summon them."
"All right. We've seen no shortage of soldiers and horses on the way here. Sending you to gather the Aid the King forces was indeed the right choice."
As she praised her, Catherine held tightly to Auffina's hand, and the two of them entered the administrative hall together.
When the princess arrived, everyone inside, who had been engaged in heated discussion, rose together to greet her.
Catherine walked to the seat of honor at the front of the hall and sat down, gesturing for everyone to take their seats. Auffina sat to her right, while the others who had come with the princess also found seats.
The princess surveyed the hall and nodded in satisfaction.
"After the upheaval in the Royal Capital, Father's health deteriorated, so he ordered me to temporarily manage state affairs. This is the decree His Majesty personally signed."
The princess unrolled a scroll. A servant immediately took it with both hands and passed it around to everyone in the hall. The Imperial Edict indeed bore His Majesty the King's handwritten signature.
No one objected to Catherine managing state affairs. Her abilities had long been renowned far and wide. She had been literate at five and skilled in martial arts at ten. While children her age were still obediently studying, she had already been assisting the ailing king in handling various affairs, earning praise from all the ministers.
At the age of fifteen, she formed her own knight order. She had repeatedly led troops into the highlands herself to drive away the various barbarians who harassed the kingdom. No wonder she had been sent to lead the army again this time.
Catherine said loudly, "Only when a nation is in peril can one distinguish people's true hearts. All of you have honored the ancient oaths and aided the Royal Family in this time of crisis. Father will surely be deeply gratified."
Everyone present rose one after another to respond to the princess.
"Your Highness, the Harden Family will follow the Royal Family to the death..."
"By Heaven as my witness, the Derry Family's loyalty to the Royal Family has always remained unchanged..."
"My Edley Family is willing to lead the way for Your Highness and punish Giles, that traitor!"
"Giles betrayed His Majesty the King. His crimes are unforgivable, and the Lord of Light will punish him."
After the lords from other regions had finished expressing their loyalty to the Royal Family, the meeting entered its substantive stage: discussing how to recapture Crystal Radiance Fortress.
"Your Highness, Giles's main force has been held off by Duke Dodge and is temporarily unable to reinforce the rebels in the Royal Capital. The City Garrison has only five thousand men, while we have more than forty thousand. There's no need to wait for the Aid the King forces still on the way. Tomorrow, we can gather all our troops and recapture the Royal Capital in one decisive push."
"Those five thousand men are the elite troops guarding the Royal Capital, not farmers temporarily conscripted into service. We should still proceed more cautiously."
"Are you looking down on those of us from outside the capital?"
"I absolutely do not mean that."
"My intelligence indicates that Hals has forced at least twenty thousand able-bodied men to help him defend the city."
"Lord Merlin, you're worrying too much. What is there to fear from a rabble? Once they see the Royal Family's banners, they'll scatter like beasts."
"They only need to know how to operate the defensive siege weapons. The Royal Capital's walls are not the flimsy earthen barriers in the countryside that collapse at a single blow. Without an advantage of more than ten to one in troop strength, they will be difficult to conquer."
After an afternoon of discussion, the meeting decided that Duke Walker would lead fifteen thousand men in a feint against Crystal Radiance's North City Gate, while Princess Catherine would lead the main force of twenty-five thousand in an assault on Crystal Radiance's eastern gate.
The next day, the attack on the North City Gate began first.
The Royalist Party's side sent out catapults and archers first. Because of their lack of accuracy, the catapults mainly served to intimidate the defenders psychologically. The archers were what truly put tremendous pressure on them, with wave after wave of archers firing dense barrages of arrows onto the walls.
The rebel side lacked archers. Apart from occasional scattered counterattacks, most of them could only rely on the battlements and their shields to withstand the rain of arrows.
Under the cover of the catapults and archers, large numbers of Royalist Party soldiers pushed siege vehicles, Siege Hammers, and other large weapons slowly toward the walls.
People were struck by arrows and fell on the walls from time to time. The actual City Garrison soldiers remained relatively calm, holding up their shields and carefully protecting their bodies. The forcibly conscripted militiamen, however, could not remain so composed, especially whenever someone beside them was hit by an arrow.
One militiaman finally could not take it anymore. The men on his left and right were dead and wounded, and he figured the next arrow would be lodged in him. Taking advantage of the brief interval before the next volley, he left his defensive position and quietly moved toward the ramp leading up to the wall.
"Get out of this damned place!"
That was the only thought in his mind.
He saw the entrance to the ramp, and no one was guarding it. The militiaman was just about to rejoice when a burst of agony suddenly struck from his chest through to his back. Looking down, he saw a bloodied spearhead protruding from his chest. Before he could understand what had happened, his consciousness gradually blurred, and he fell forward onto the wall.
The City Garrison officer behind him pulled out the spear with reddened eyes and hysterically shouted at the others, "This is what happens to deserters who abandon their posts! Kill them without mercy!!!"
Just then...
"Bang!" A tremendous impact rang out. It was the sound of a siege vehicle crashing into the wall.
"Kill—"
The shouts of countless Royalist Party soldiers shook the heavens as they charged up along the ladders mounted on the siege vehicles.
"Prepare the boiling oil! Sword Shield Soldiers, forward!"
The rebel side was also fully prepared.
"Woo—"
The attacking and defending sides blew their horns at the same time, officially announcing the beginning of the battle to attack and defend the Royal Capital.
I'm not very good at describing battles. Please bear with me, dear readers.
Before you continue