Chapter 1445: Chapter 24: Negotiations (Part 1)

[Kingsfort]

[West Bank of the River Shijian]

“That’s right!”

Colonel Montecuccoli stood on the city wall, scribbling with a silver needle attached to a wooden stick on a palm-sized personal notebook;

occasionally extending his arm, raising his fingers, squinting to estimate the distance of various landmark buildings in the suburbs.

The Old Arrow Tower where he stood was the highest point on the west bank of the River Shijian. Overlooking from the tower, the scenes on both sides of the city wall were fully visible.

From the city wall to the east, in order from near to far, were the New Town, the River Shijian, and the Old Town.

The former Paratu Army Headquarters—now the office of the Military Commissioner of the Paratu Army—was just north of the New Town.

The beautiful stone-built two-story building stood out among the low residential houses on the west bank.

Entering the city from the gate below Montecuccoli, crossing the main road through the New Town, over the Crow Bridge across the River Shijian, and heading north, you would reach the Kingsfort dock.

On the dock, ant-like people and thumbnail-sized carts were coming and going.

Some barges were still waiting to unload, but the oared sail warship “Marco Good Fortune” was no longer visible by the jetty.

Entering from the dock through the Old Water Gate, climbing up the steps, you would reach the old castle atop the east bank plateau.

The old castle was the narrow definition of “Kingsfort,” the residence of the old Duke of Paratu. One could say that the history of Kingsfort was mainly the history of the old castle and the knoll beneath it.

The famous Cathedral of the Holy Mother in Paratu was located on Trinity Square below the old castle, facing each other high and low.

The golden Holy Emblem atop the bell tower of the Cathedral of the Holy Mother, higher than the Arrow Tower where Montecuccoli stood, glistened brightly.

However, as a follower of the Protestant faith, Colonel Raymond Montecuccoli clearly wouldn’t have any particular sentiments for the sanctuary of the Public Church. If forced to feel something, it would only be disdain and contempt.

All of Colonel Montecuccoli’s attention was focused on the west and south sides of the city wall.

To the west of the New Town, it was a vast expanse of farmland and plains.

Apart from small patches of woods and scattered cottages, there was nothing else that could be used as cover during a siege.

And to the south, on the River Shijian, a Riverheart Island naturally formed over thousands of years due to sedimentation in the gentle river section, approximately two kilometers long and four hundred meters wide—Magit Island.

There were no dwellings on the island, only a monastery and the Summer Palace of the old Duke of Paratu.

A service soldier held up a yellowed old map, standing guard beside the colonel.

But the colonel would only glance at the ready-made map occasionally; most of the time, he was observing and sketching in his notebook.

Compared to information provided by others, the colonel trusted more in what he saw with his own eyes.

As the artillery colonel’s silver needle pen traced across the notebook, the special paper coated with a thin layer of paste left uniform and clear lines—depicting the defense structures of Kingsfort vividly on the paper.

“Very good,” Colonel Montecuccoli praised, “The city walls from the old era are well preserved, maintained, and renovated constantly. So, there’s no need for major work, a bit of repair is enough to make them a fortress capable of breaking iron hooves again.”

“No, that’s not right,” before anyone nearby could speak, Colonel Montecuccoli shook his head to himself, rigorously adding, “To be precise, it’s a formidable fortress even now.”

Montecuccoli firmly closed the sketchbook, pointing at the surrounding scenery, marveling to his colleagues beside him, “Look at this location—it’s simply perfect!”

“Which historical city with such a long history has a poorly chosen location?” remarked Jansen Cornelius, who had led his subordinates up the tower to view the city, gazing at the southwest skyline calmly:

“And let’s not forget, this is the Kingdom of Galloping Horses, a place ravaged by war, constantly facing military threats from the barbarian tribes of the plains, seldom enjoying peaceful days.

“The Paratu people would naturally choose to settle in the safest place. Any ancient city that has stood on this land for hundreds of years is one that is easy to defend and hard to attack.”

Cornelius patted the battlements in front of him, “Even the urban area on this west bank was only built after Paratu joined the Alliance.

“In the past, whenever the Hurd Raiders came, the Paratu people would burn everything on the west bank and retreat to the old city on the west bank, holding their ground across the river.

“That’s why Kingsfort has never fallen.”

Montecuccoli said regretfully, “Unfortunately, we can’t burn it now.”

Cornelius heard this, smiled, and said nothing.

Suddenly, Major Fritz, who was accompanying them, felt a chill in the wind blowing from the city wall.

…

Among the United Provinces officers present, neither Colonel William Ludwick nor his subordinates were present.

Just yesterday, after the public meeting ended, Brigadier General Cornelius and Colonel Ludwick had a private conversation.

An intense argument broke out between them, more accurately, it was a one-sided attack, especially after Jansen Cornelius explicitly ordered Colonel Ludwick to retract the defenses.

In fact, at this moment, William Ludwick’s main force was not stationed in Kingsfort but was distributed among outer strongholds like Birch Fort and Pelan Fort, guarding the provincial road to and from Maplestone City.

Upon hearing firsthand the order from his theoretical superior to withdraw to Kingsfort, William Ludwick’s anger reached its peak.

“I must remind you, General,” Colonel Ludwick, not caring about seniority, gritted his teeth, eyes filled with a resentment unsure of how to explain to fools, his speech even becoming somewhat incoherent: