Thus, the five unfortunate mages merely gloomily acknowledged the order and dispersed to their sleeping quarters. The vampire returned to his own tent, accompanied by approving glances from the seasoned soldiers. This was how the entire journey to Zalona passed.
The fortress greeted its visitors with tightly shut gates and tense guards on the walls. Everything around seemed deserted. The wooden buildings outside the fortifications had been burned or dismantled several days ago.
The rebels had clearly prepared well for the impending siege. When asked to open the gates for the royal envoy and lay down their arms, they responded only with derisive laughter from the walls and advised the messenger to leave quickly.
— How did he manage to turn the royal soldiers to his side?
The question, asked into the void, was posed at the military council that the archmage had convened once the army had set up camp.
— He turned the officers, and the soldiers are used to following their commanders.
The archmage gave a malevolent look at the duke who had answered.
— I understand that; I don't understand why the officers sold out!
No answer was forthcoming.
— Since no one knows the answer, I will ask the traitors themselves! Tomorrow, we begin the siege!
— Ahem! — The vampire coughed, drawing attention.
— Do you have something to add, dear? — Dukon looked at Alexander with dissatisfaction.
But the knight completely ignored the rising anger of his superior.
— I want to draw attention to the fact that not everyone has betrayed their king. Some forts, those guarding the mines, have remained loyal and true to the king. Others, on the other hand, have openly supported the rebellion of Elos.
— And what do we do with this information? — The irritation in the archmage's voice was growing.
— I suggest we do not storm the fortress. Set up camp in a way that the rebels cannot leave it, and you, with a small detachment, should storm the rebellious forts.
— Why would I do such a foolish thing?
— Zalona is one of the most fortified fortresses in the world; it is not so easily taken, even with all your might. Success in storming the smaller forts, which are very weakly fortified, will boost the soldiers' morale and reduce the rebels' strength.
— And in the meantime, they will attack the main camp! Have you gone mad to suggest such a thing!?
— We do not need to engage in battle; we can retreat if necessary. Exhausting the enemy is more advantageous for us. Their food supplies are not infinite and cannot be replenished. The bulk of the rebel forces consists of former convicts who have joined him, and they are not soldiers, their morale is easily broken! — The vampire made one last attempt to persuade the commander, but he was no longer listening.
— Tomorrow we will deploy the artifacts and begin the siege. We will take Zalona without foolish plans and external observers!
Alexander politely bowed, indicating that the order was heard. All that remained was to correctly position the siege artifacts, reinforce the camp, and begin the main battle of the autumn. The officers commanding the army quickly drew up a plan for the next day and rushed to execute it once they received approval.
By morning, the "Fire Meteors" came into play, and the vampire was able to observe firsthand how magical fortresses were stormed.
The dagger lay comfortably in his hand. The patterns on the blade and its resilience left no doubt about the material from which it was made. Pattern-welded steel, and there could be no other opinion.
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