Iron Powder and Spellcaster

[Margit Island]

[Domoncos Monastery]

"Where are we?" Lieutenant Colonel Montecuccoli stood on the steps of the bell tower and anxiously asked the observer on the top of the tower.

"They turned off all the lights," the young warrant officer who served as the lookout replied timidly, "I can't see clearly."

Montecuccoli punched the stone wall beside him in annoyance.

If the artillery lieutenant colonel couldn't see more clearly, he really wanted to pull the warrant officer down and stand on the top floor to see it himself.

Years of drawing and reading at the desk seriously damaged Montecuccoli's eyesight. He could only see the color when he was a little far away.

This is also the reason why many people think that the director of the artillery department is difficult to get along with when they meet for the first time-Raymond Montecuccoli is nearsighted and doesn't like to wear glasses. He always squints his eyes to look at people. With his face that keeps people away, it is strange that he can leave a good impression on people.

Suddenly, a gunshot was heard from the bottom of the bell tower, followed by a noisy sound.

Montecuccoli was shocked and immediately dragged the still dumbfounded warrant officer back to the stairwell from the uncovered top of the tower.

He wanted to blow out the signal light, but hesitated after opening the cover. In the end, the eye-catching signal light remained on the top of the tower, and he hid under the floor with the warrant officer.

But the enemy's lead bullets did not hit him, and there was no shouting.

After waiting for a while, Montecuccoli held his breath and stuck his head out, but did not see any trace of the enemy - of course, even if there was, he probably couldn't see it clearly.

"What's going on?!" Montecuccoli climbed to the top of the tower and asked angrily.

A moment later, the voice of a lieutenant came from below, "Private John said he saw a figure, he must be dazzled."

"Which John?" Montecuccoli was furious. But before the lieutenant could answer, the lieutenant colonel sighed, "Forget it! Let him see clearly before shooting next time! Let all the musketeers listen carefully, shoot when close! Shoot when you see the target! Don't be fooled by the rebels again!"

When he said the last sentence, Montecuccoli's fist was almost bleeding.

Previously, they failed to defend the Bishop's Castle because they were fooled by the most critical first round of volleys.

The rebels who landed on the island quietly moved a hundred steps away from the castle and suddenly lit many torches at once.

The nervous sentry instinctively pulled down the firing rod, and other musketeers followed suit and shot in the direction of the fire, even causing the gunners to poke the red-hot iron rods into the medicine tanks.

After a spectacular round of volleys, only the cannon that Montecuccoli personally controlled could still fire on the Bishop's Castle.

And the "knocked down" enemies were just fake targets made of resin and sticks.

After the defenders wasted their most lethal volley, the "rebel" commando climbed up from two hundred steps away and launched an attack on the Bishop's Castle.

The trenches, which were still a long way from completion, only added a little trouble to the rebels.

Therefore, without waiting for the first rebel to climb into the fortress from the muzzle and witnessing his subordinates firing lead bullets into the air, Montecuccoli was already convinced that the Bishop's Castle could not be defended.

So he activated the backup plan on the spot and ordered a separate breakout.

To say that they were breaking out in separate ways was actually to climb over the wall and run away - the trenches of the Bishop's Castle could not stop those who wanted to come in, nor those who wanted to go out.

Fortunately, the "rebels" who landed on the island were not large in scale, had no cavalry, and focused their attention on the Bishop's Castle, and even intentionally or unintentionally gave the defenders a way out, so Montecuccoli's "breakout" was relatively smooth.

After escaping from the Bishop's Castle, Montecuccoli gathered the soldiers who had been separated from their immediate superiors and retreated safely to the Domoncos Monastery, located in the south of the Bishop's Castle and in the center of Margit Island.

Domoncos Monastery is a female convent that has been on Margit Island since the year when the Palatine people officially converted to Catholicism. It has a history of hundreds of years.

After Cornelius decided to build a fort on Margit Island, Domoncos Monastery was requisitioned by the Southern Front Army, and the nuns were "invited" into the city. Almost all of them were Protestant federal provincials.

Because the commander himself specifically stated the discipline, the federal provincial soldiers did not intentionally destroy the monastery.

However, the Southern Front Army Command took a fancy to Domoncos Monastery because the monastery was a solid stone building with a high terrain and a good view. With a little renovation, it could become a qualified fortified stronghold and could also echo the Bishop's Castle.

Therefore, the federal province remodeled the Domoncos Monastery according to the standards of a barracks, raised the walls, widened the canals outside the walls, and dug holes in the walls of the monastery.

Since the Bishop's Castle has not been completed, the baggage and ammunition allocated to the Bishop's Castle are also temporarily stored in the Domoncos Monastery. Even the troops dispatched to the Domoncos Monastery are more than the troops currently stationed in the Bishop's Castle.

In fact, the fall of the Bishop's Castle was originally part of the combat plan formulated by the Southern Front Command, and the Domoncos Monastery is a key point that cannot be lost.

If the "rebels" land on the island in large numbers, then according to the plan, Montecuccoli will give the unfinished Bishop's Castle to the "rebels" and retreat to the Domoncos Monastery to hold on and wait for help.

At that time, the Bishop's Castle will become a hot potato, and the rebels will face a dilemma.

If the rebels decisively abandon the Bishop's Castle, there will be no loss, it will only be destroyed, and Montecuccoli will take back the Bishop's Castle and continue to build under the rebels' noses.

If the rebels are reluctant to part with the Bishop's Fort, then the Bishop's Fort, which is only an empty shell, will become a millstone that crushes the flesh and blood of the rebels.

Therefore, Lieutenant Colonel Montecuccoli was not surprised by the loss of the Bishop's Castle.

What really surprised Montecuccoli was that the "rebels" offensive launched so early.

There are various indications that the size of the "rebels" outside the King's Castle is currently roughly between one brigade and two brigade, supported by two to three squadrons of light cavalry, without artillery support.

Such a small number of people is not enough to block the city gate, let alone attack the city.

However, the rebels dared to attack, dare to land on the island, and dare to rush to the Bishop's Castle.

In this regard, Montecuccoli did not feel fear or awe, but felt a little sad and regretful.

It is one thing to read about the courage of the Palatine cavalry in books, but it is another thing to experience the bravery of the "bordermen" in person.

The courage of the Platuan people, the cannonballs of the Federal Provinces...these resources that should have been used to deal with the empire were instead used on each other. When he thought of this, Montecuccoli felt extremely regretful.

At the same time, when he thought of the tricks played by the "rebels" under the Bishop's Castle, Montecuccoli felt shame and anger again.

He had read many records in war history about how to trick musketeers into firing volleys - in the early days of the uprising, the royalist cavalry were particularly good at teasing militia musketeers into firing volleys at an ineffective distance through repeated false charges, followed by a real charge. Easily destroy the militia's formation.

After Ned Smith took over the Piedmont Militia, this never happened again.

Montecuccoli never thought that this kind of thing would happen under his command again.

He was not even deceived by the cavalry, but tricked by a small group of infantry.

He was not injured during the whole battle, but his face was burning with pain.

Even if he didn't want to admit it, he had to admit that the United Provincial Army had been resting on its merits for too long and always regarded the glorious achievements of its ancestors as its own merit.

But Raymond Montecuccoli isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet.

"The reinforcements from the Kings' Castle didn't know that we had nailed all the cannons, so they put out their torches." Montecuccoli picked up the signal light and solemnly handed it to the warrant officer who was the lookout. "There are no stars or moon tonight. This is not a clock tower now, but a lighthouse. This light is the only thing that can guide the reinforcements - no matter what happens, don't let this light go out."

The warrant officer was confused but carefully took the signal light and held it in his arms.

"Why are you holding the lamp?" Montecuccoli was so angry that he wanted to laugh, "Looking outside."

The warrant officer suddenly understood and pointed the signal light in the direction of the kings' castle.

"Signal," Montacucoli taught the warrant officer patiently, as calmly as possible, "a flash is brighter than a steady light."

According to the time commanded by the lieutenant colonel, the warrant officer shook the handle of the signal light up and down rhythmically.

Montecuccoli nodded and walked off the top of the tower, "Let me know if anything happens."

"Where are you going, sir?" the warrant officer asked subconsciously. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he immediately realized that he had asked the wrong question and shrank his neck.

However, the artillery lieutenant colonel was extra patient tonight, and it didn't look like he had just suffered a defeat.

"Everyone is still scared after escaping death," Montecuccoli replied calmly, "I have to go down and show everyone that the battle is not lost yet."

The warrant officer was startled for a moment, then raised his hand and saluted, "Yes!"

"Signal."

The warrant officer quickly put down his hand and continued to shake the handle of the signal light.

"Warrant Officer... Warrant Officer Camp," Montecuccoli paused and asked for no reason, "Do you think we will win?"

"Definitely!" Edwin Camp responded reflexively.

Montecuccoli smiled noncommittally and patted the warrant officer on the shoulder, "Keep up the confidence."

Then he walked off the lighthouse without looking back.

——

At the same time, on the river beach on the other side of Marget Island, Woods Frank was standing in knee-deep water, directing the follow-up troops to "board the ship."

It's said to be a boat, but it's actually just a few rafts.

But the soldiers of Baishan County have already pulled a rope between Margit Island and the west coast, so the efficiency of raft transfer may not be much worse than that of a rowing boat going upstream in the direction of Kings Castle.

The wounded who were evacuated from the island sent a message to Woods, "Lieutenant Alani reports to you that the lieutenant successfully rescued many requisitioned laborers, but the artillery in the fortress was nailed to death by the federal provincials."

"I know," Woods nodded, calling for others to carry the wounded back to shore.

Although the result of not being able to seize the available cannon was not difficult to predict, when the hope was really dashed, Woods's heart sank a little.

For the new army, the situation that needs to be avoided most is to turn the battle on Margit Island into a tug-of-war.

Looking at Margit Island shrouded in darkness and silence, Woods prayed silently:

"If you can hear me, Senior Mason, come on."

——

About 40 kilometers southwest of Zhuwang Castle, on the Provincial Avenue in Sanchahe City.

Richard Mason, who was sleeping soundly in the carriage, suddenly sneezed.

[Thanks to the leader of the book friend [Master Taifu], thank you very much]

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