blogombal Chapter 93 Mohata: The extent to which I can fall asleep is unimaginable to others...
Chapter 93 Mohata: The extent to which I can fall asleep is unimaginable to others...
"Lord Marcus, Watchtower is destined to belong to us!" said an officer dressed in a purple robe, known as the "Uncrowned Prince," with considerable pride.
Yes, the Fortress of Lookout, the fortress built with painstaking effort by the people of Ries, which stands across the river from the Fortress of Broken Sword, is about to fall.
The outer perimeter of this magnificent city—its watchtowers, outposts, and towers—has been reduced to ruins. The engineers and auxiliary troops of the Fourth Legion of Valantis, the "Iron Totem," have been like ants, turning the entire outer perimeter of the fortress into a vast construction site.
Countless trenches, makeshift camps, short walls, and temporary roads were built, while more Valantis tiger-robed banners fluttered in the wind.
"But this battle isn't over yet, is it?" Marcus casually picked up a roasted soybean and put it to his mouth, but his eyes were rather gloomy.
He watched as soldiers of the Fourth Army Corps struggled to push a siege tower onto the front line, while other soldiers used shovels and hastily found planks and straw to fill in the path leading to the siege tower.
"Besides, the enemy forces at the Three Taxes Pass might arrive at any time. I don't trust those Valantis nobles who have temporarily joined the war. If things go badly, and two guests show up at one table, how can we fight?"
"Especially..." He looked up at the highest tower on the inner city wall of the fortress.
At the top of the tower, a red triangular flag lay limply on the flagpole.
"The enemy has already raised that blood-red triangular flag; they will absolutely not surrender!"
The blood-red pennant—the army that raises this flag is destined to fight to the last moment and never surrender.
The ancient Valantis Empire once conquered Rhys and Myr, and this tradition has been inherited by the Valantis army.
"Tell our soldiers there are no offensive missions today... but one thing!" he told the sergeant beside him.
"Tomorrow, I will make our Valantis banner fly over that tower! They are at their wits' end!"
Marcus gripped the binoculars in his hand, his heart filled with pride and elation.
"Perhaps we really can make the Third Daughter Kingdom relinquish this fertile land of Rieslan!"
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Later, Mohatta recalled:
"They bound my wrists with rough hemp rope, the other end of which was thrown over the roof beam, suspending me in mid-air. They gave me a merciful illusion—there was a low stool beneath my feet, which I had to reach by tiptoeing. This was not relief, but a more elaborate form of torture: I could not relax; with each tremor of my muscles, the knots would dig deeper into my flesh, carving out purplish-red grooves. Struggling was futile; if you didn't struggle, it was fine, but if you struggled, the rope would tighten, my hands swollen and in excruciating pain."
"There are several bells outside the house where I sleep. They make a sound every time the wind blows. The sound isn't very loud, but it's like it's drilling straight into your head. It's extremely stimulating to your mind. After hearing that sound, I can't fall asleep, and I can't muster even the slightest bit of energy."
"The extent to which I get sleepy is unimaginable to others."
"Once I was drinking boiled water and fell asleep before I even took a sip. Then there was a 'pop' sound, and when I opened my eyes, the boiled water was still warm, with steam rising from it."
"Later, they took me down from the beam, probably afraid I was really dead, but then they would 'check on me' every two hours. Every time they checked on me, they would talk to me, even if I was asleep, they would wake me up without exception... It was common for them to use a 'relay race' tactic to get intelligence and information from me. Sometimes I would fall asleep while they were talking to me..."
"So, did he confess?" Jules asked Tiberius as he came out of the room.
He didn't know why his nephew suddenly wanted to personally interrogate Mohatta.
"He confessed, he confessed everything." Tiberius shrugged. "He's confessed everything now, he just wants a little sleep. But Uncle, could you get him some liver-protecting medication? I bet his liver is in really bad shape right now."
Tiberius now understands why Mohatta and the others suddenly appeared in Stoneraven Town.
Originally, the Valantis held an absolute advantage in the delta region of the disputed river, owning most of the islands and the fertile land to the east, while Rhys could only occupy the western riverbank to build a few ports, fortresses and dikes.
Most of these cities are purely commercial, which means they lack protection.
Thus, after Marcus decisively defeated the allied forces of the Three Kingdoms, taking advantage of their lack of mobile forces, the Valantis, especially the Valanti nobles and mercenaries who participated in the Delta War, easily occupied these cities on the west side. They then plundered these places at an extremely fast pace and rushed to the Three Taxes Pass with large amounts of food and spoils.
Therefore, without a doubt, the three customs offices were now surrounded by layers of security.
According to Mohatta, this was also General Marcus's plan: his decision was to capture Watchtower first, while the Valantis soldiers under the Three Taxes Pass only needed to ensure that the Three Taxes Pass troops would not come to aid Watchtower.
Once they've swallowed Wangbao, they'll have plenty of time to digest the three customs offices.
Once the Three Taxes and the Watchtower fall, the entire Rieslan region will be swallowed up. At that time, only the isolated Flanker Corridor region will face the Valantis army, which is riding high on the momentum of a great victory!
"Damn it, what kind of war is this?" Vito spat. "Now look what happened! We were supposed to advance into enemy territory, but now we have to fight a homeland counterattack on our own soil!"
Tiberius had also heard of Smugglers' Bay, where they landed: the city didn't resemble a city at all; it was more like a distribution center than a city, with only low walls and an unbelievably small number of guards.
Ironically, Smuggler's Bay is the only port in the Controversial River Delta region that can accommodate a large naval fleet, yet the city's tax farmers refuse entry to the Ries fleet.
It is said that decades ago, before the Rieslan region existed, when the Ries first established a foothold in the delta region, they set their sights on what is now Smuggler's Bay—a natural, concealed anchorage surrounded by mangroves, reefs, and islands. However, at that time, the entire Kingdom of the Three Daughters was engaged in a fierce naval battle with Valantis, and its treasury was depleted, making it unable to simultaneously support fleet operations and the construction of a massive port. Therefore, they adopted a classic strategy: leasing out the development rights through a "tax-inclusive" arrangement.
So a wealthy merchant contracted it out, and in the agreement with Ries, Smuggler's Bay and its surrounding area would become the hereditary tax farm of the tycoon and his descendants, enjoying a high degree of autonomy.
The core clause states: "No warship or non-commercial fleet of Rees may enter or anchor in the port without the express permission of the tax collector. This right shall remain in force forever to ensure the neutrality of the port and the freedom of commerce."
At the time, the Reiss government believed that this move would firstly stabilize the "financial backer," and secondly, allow the port to act as a "neutral port," attracting merchant ships (including even Valantis' own merchant ships) that were unwilling to openly oppose Valantis to trade, thereby economically damaging the rival.
Of course, none of this stopped the Valantis from landing here, extorting the entire city and its tax-farmer families before leaving.
"This is terrible," Jules muttered to himself, looking at the map.
"You see, although the Reissians have been building various fortifications along the flank corridors, ultimately, there are only three truly core strongholds!"
Jules placed a chess piece representing a knight in Twin Bridges Town.
"First, there's Twin Bridge Town, where we are now! This is the first solid line of defense in the flanking corridor defense system. All land traffic from the Riseland region into the heart of the disputed lands must pass through here."
"In fact, by retreating to this point, we have already lost half of our flank corridor outposts. If we continue to retreat, we will truly have no strategic depth or room for maneuver left! The Valantis engineers and their endless auxiliary troops can use earthworks to starve and wear us down."
"By then, it will all be over. Because they can slowly and deliberately smash us to pieces with siege towers and trenches, just like a blacksmith forging iron."
"Secondly, there's the peninsula port located downstream from us." Jules suddenly pointed his baton to a city located downstream of Shuangqiao Town.
"The distance between Peninsula Port and us is only half a day's ride on horseback. The two rivers that flow through Shuangqiao Town eventually merge into Peninsula Port. We not only have land routes, but we also have waterways connecting with them. This is very beneficial for us to transport supplies and personnel."
"Moreover, this region is the only major port for sea transport in the flank corridor. As long as the peninsula port remains in our hands, supplies and troops from the rear can be safely transported to Shuangqiao Town via inland waterways, without having to rely on land transport: that's too dangerous. You all know how efficient those light cavalry from Valantis are at raiding; they're no less docile than the Dothraki from the steppes!"
"Moreover, as long as the Peninsula Port remains in our hands, the deployment range and effective combat range of the Valantean navy will be greatly reduced. Their navy's last port is New Valantean Port and Taxpayer Island, located in the disputed river, not the Peninsula Port."
"Uncle, what does this mean?" Tiberius, who didn't understand the navy, quickly asked.
"It's very simple, Tiberius," Lisanro explained to Tiberius. "It concerns the initiative in offense and defense. You see, the port of the peninsula and the port of Ries are very close. Our Ries spice fleet can travel from the port of the main island to the port of the peninsula in just half a day, and from the port of the peninsula to the disputed river delta in the same time. It's like a dagger held to the enemy's throat. Now, we hold that dagger in our hands."
"Look, starting from the delta ports of New Valantis and Taxpayer Island, Valantis' naval power can only cover the mouth of the Disputed River at most. Beyond that, they are powerless. After all, in the Disputed Lands, the navy of our Three Daughters Kingdom is stronger than theirs. Their navy needs to take care of both the Three Daughters Kingdom and Slave Bay at the same time. A navy that needs to take care of two sea areas at the same time, therefore, the prestige of their navy is firmly limited to the edge of the Disputed River Delta." He then slid his finger towards New Valantis and Taxpayer Island, which are controlled by Valantis.
“But once the Peninsula Port on the flank corridor falls into the hands of the Valantis, everything changes,” Lisanro said gravely. “Look at what will happen once the Peninsula Port is controlled. From the deep-water port of Valantis’ main city at the mouth of the Lorne River, to the chain of islands on the Orange Coast, continuing to the New Valantis Port on the Controversial River, and finally to the Peninsula Port… this will form an unbreakable, continuous, and protected chain of bases. Their transport ships and warships can easily move between ports under the protection of their own shore-based defenses. Naval fleets can sail from one friendly port to another like a relay race, always within resupply and support range, resulting in an exponential increase in their effective combat radius and sustained combat capability.”
"And we, the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, will be unable to protect our sea lanes leading to the disputed western coast. Transporting reinforcements and supplies to the flank corridors or the remaining strongholds of Rieslan will become a costly adventure, requiring a powerful fleet escort, and may not even be possible."
"At the same time," Lisanro pointed to Mil in the north and Tyrosi in the Stone Steps Islands region, "when their fleet arrives to provide support, their last foothold will be Peninsula Port, and once Peninsula Port falls, the port closest to Rieslan and the River of Controversy is..." Lisanro gave a wry smile.
"Lisbon!"
Tiberius's eyes narrowed.
The forward friendly port was instantly pushed back to Lisbon Island. This was almost a devastating blow to the navies of Lisbon, as well as its allies such as Tyros and Mil.
"And Tiberio, have you noticed something?" Lisanro pointed to the ports of the peninsula and Lisbon, as well as several ports of Lisbon located in the heart of the disputed territory.
"Within this triangle, our fleet's range is kept short and easily defended, while simultaneously acting like a boxer's fist against his opponent's chin, forcing the Valantis to constantly keep a close watch on the sea, never daring to relax for a moment! Defending the peninsula port is defending our right to deliver a powerful blow and give the Valantis a good show!"
Jules' finger finally landed heavily on the westernmost point of the map, on a fortress marker guarding the narrowest passage between the mountains and the sea.
"As for the third point..." Jules' voice was hoarse. "...It's the bloodline barrier."
"We won't retreat there, will we, Uncle?" Tiberius's voice held a barely perceptible pleading tone. "Can Tyrossi and Myr still mobilize people?"
Jules did not answer directly; his gaze swept over the crowd, sharp and cruel.
"At this point," he slammed his hand on the map, making the other pieces bounce, "it actually means that Rieslan has completely fallen, Twinbridge Town is scorched earth, and Peninsula Harbor has also fallen into enemy hands! All our previous sacrifices will have been in vain!"
He turned abruptly, staring intently at Tiberius and everyone else.
"This is the end of everything. Either we hold them off here, buying time for the rear to regroup and for the Allied fleet to counterattack; or we die here, our bodies becoming the final foundation of this pass."
"I understand, Uncle." Tiberius slowly drew his sword, its cold gleam reflecting his resolute gaze. "There is no strategy here, no way out, only... a bloody battle. The name of this pass is our answer."
Jules looked at his nephew, and finally a cruelly relieved smile appeared on his face.
"That's right, Tiberius. This is the 'Bloodline.' Either let the blood of the Valantines stain every inch of the land before the pass, or let our blood flow here."
After the crowd dispersed, Jules pulled Tiberius to a corner, the tragic and resolute expression on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a world-weary cynicism.