Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 102 Proactive Negotiation
The fall of Vallecas meant that the Saxons had officially put their cannons right up to the heads of the Madrid defenders.

The artillery brigade under the 8th Infantry Division couldn't wait to drag their 105mm howitzers and 77mm field guns up to the high ground after daybreak.

After a busy morning, simple artillery positions were completed on the high ground.

The artillerymen took turns firing several rounds of calibration shots, preparing to fire a temporary firing table here first.
Most of the shells hit Madrid's sturdy old city walls, kicking up clouds of dust, but causing no real damage.

But this was enough to send shivers down the spines of the city's defenders.

Today the cannonballs only landed on the city walls, but they dared not even think about where the Saxons would dare to throw them tomorrow.

The atmosphere in the city became increasingly oppressive due to the intermittent cannon fire.

Before the loss of the Vallecas Heights, Douglas Haig, commander of the Brittany expeditionary force, had already sent several telegrams back to the homeland.

He earnestly explained Madrid's precarious situation and requested that more reinforcements be sent from the mainland immediately, especially the support of the Highland Mage Corps.

However, the responses from the local authorities were all just bureaucratic platitudes.

In summary, it boils down to one sentence: 'Hold firm to your position, and there will be a way.'

This infuriated Haig so much that he almost smashed the telegraph machine at headquarters.

It wasn't until noon that a detailed telegram from the Minister of War finally arrived.

In the telegram, the Secretary of War, in an unquestionable tone, instructed Hague to hold Madrid at all costs.

He emphasized that Madrid was the empire's most important strategic foothold in the Kingdom of Aragon, and also its most important bargaining chip in the upcoming negotiations.

Only by holding Madrid can the empire have room to maneuver at the negotiating table; otherwise, all previous sacrifices will be in vain.
negotiation?

As Haig looked at the telegram, he lost his composure and snapped the cigar in his hand.

With the war in this state, what's the point of talking about a judgment?

Would Saxons spit out the meat they've already eaten?
Left with no other choice, Hag had to bite the bullet and head to the highland mage corps' encampment once again.

He relayed the news verbatim to the high-ranking instructors of the mage corps.

He hoped that the other party would consider the interests of the Empire and assist him in organizing a counterattack, at least to retake the Vallecas Heights.

The senior instructor's answer made him want to draw his sidearm.

"Please rest assured, Commander, once the Saxons begin their siege, I will lead all the highland mages to fight to the last for the glory of the Empire!"

These words sounded righteous and awe-inspiring, but the unspoken meaning was crystal clear—don't expect mages to risk going out of the city to fight unless it comes to the point of attacking the city.

They don't want to repeat the mistakes of their colleagues in Seville.

Haig's last hope of launching a counterattack with the help of the Highland Mages was also completely dashed.

Now they could only watch helplessly as Saxon shells rained down on the walls of Madrid, relentlessly eroding the morale and will of the defenders.
Meanwhile, at the temporary headquarters of the Saxon expeditionary force, a heated discussion was taking place about whether to launch an immediate siege.

The commanders of the two armies, along with several division commanders below them, almost unanimously advocated attacking the city.

After all, for soldiers, the allure of "capturing the capital of another country" is simply too great.

Which Saxon soldier wouldn't want to add this significant chapter to their resume?

However, General Mackensen, who had been launching a rapid offensive, unexpectedly calmed down at this moment.

He pointed to the map and analyzed the situation to his subordinates, who were getting a little carried away:
"Gentlemen, we did indeed advance with unstoppable momentum, reaching the outskirts of Madrid. However, it also took us more than ten days."

"This time is enough for enemy reinforcements to land on the coast and then travel by rail to Madrid to provide assistance in the defense."

"Not to mention, the Brittany have gathered all the mages they can muster in Madrid."

He pointed heavily at the location of Madrid on the map with his baton.

"Therefore, now that we are outside Madrid, it is hard to say that we still have an absolute advantage in manpower."

"Furthermore, Madrid is the most important city controlled by the Britannians in the Kingdom of Aragon. They will do everything in their power to defend it because if they lose Madrid, they will lose the right to continue playing the game in the Kingdom of Aragon."

Mackensen's gaze swept over every general present.

"Therefore, I judge that once the siege begins, the two armies responsible for the main attack must be prepared to suffer heavy casualties."

After listening to Mackensen's analysis, the generals' excitement cooled considerably.

They were all experienced commanders and naturally understood that Mackensen's words were true.

Siege warfare has always been the most brutal and bloody battle.

Even so, in order to put greater pressure on the garrison inside the city, Mackensen issued new orders.

他调集了第2军三个师下属的全部炮兵旅，共计36门105毫米榴弹炮和162门77毫米野战炮。

They began to concentrate their firepower and launch a sustained bombardment on a selected section of the city wall that was in dire need of repair.

The cannon fire was more intense than ever before, causing the entire city of Madrid to tremble slightly.

Meanwhile, the 9th Infantry Division, which had previously served as a reserve force and suffered little loss while maintaining high morale, was also deployed. Under artillery cover, they advanced to the outskirts of Madrid and began to slowly advance towards the city walls by digging trenches.

This tactic is an old trick used by various countries when besieging fortresses.

The 'siege trenches' they dug were different from the trenches used for defense during the trench warfare period, or the later shock trenches.

It is relatively simple, and its biggest function is to allow the attacking troops to approach the target city wall with as few losses as possible.

Under the relentless bombardment of the artillery, the siege trenches, like earthen pythons, slowly snaked their way towards the walls of Madrid.

Mackensen even ordered his military dependents' fortification troops to carry explosives and prepare to blow up the city walls.

Fortification soldiers are skilled at building fortresses and positions, and their familiarity with various structures also makes them adept at demolition operations.
As the Saxons' shovels were about to reach the base of the city wall, the highland mages in the city, urged repeatedly by Hag, finally couldn't sit still any longer.

After a night of preparation, the high-ranking instructors flew out of the city early the next morning, under the cover of other mages.

Then they charged straight up to the section of the trench that was under construction.

"Fire! It's a mage!"

The Saxon soldiers on the ground spotted the uninvited guest and immediately raised their guns to fire.

Further away, on the machine gun positions, the machine gun squads also tried to raise the gun depression angle and fire at the mages in the air.

In an instant, countless bullets whistled as they shot towards the figure in the air.

However, a pale blue magical shield appeared around the high-ranking mentor, deflecting all the incoming bullets and creating ripples.

Despite the intense firepower and the fear on their faces, the high-ranking instructor charged through the barrage and hovered directly above the trench.

He stretched out one palm and pressed down—just like Eldridge had done outside Seville.

[Fifth Ring Spell - Transform Rock]

The newly dug siege trench below, along with the surrounding land, seemed to have instantly lost all its hardness.

Under the influence of magic, they were forcibly transformed into a softened mud pit.

Many Saxon soldiers who were working in the trenches were swallowed up by the sticky mud before they could even scream.

Immediately afterwards, the other highland mages, while remaining within the defensive fire range, unleashed a barrage of Fireballs at the attacking forces' forward positions.

Fireballs the size of human heads, trailing long flames, rained down on the Saxon positions like a meteor shower, triggering a series of violent explosions.

This not only destroyed several hard-won positions, but also resulted in the deaths and injuries of a large number of soldiers.

However, this is all the highland mages can do for now.

Under the strict orders of their high-ranking instructors, their attack time was strictly limited to the duration of the [Flight Spell].

In addition, these mages were indeed still fearful, afraid that they would die inexplicably at the hands of these mortals, just like their colleagues in Seville.

Therefore, they had no desire to fight.

After throwing a round of fireballs, they quickly retreated back into the city and ceased their attacks.

Although the mage's surprise attack caused some trouble and losses to the Saxons, it did not fundamentally change the situation on the battlefield.

Upon learning of the situation at the front, General Mackensen immediately ordered his troops to halt their advance.

However, he did not intend to give up. Instead, he replanned the attack route and brought in more heavy machine gun teams to strengthen air defense.

He seemed to have anticipated the monk's intervention and did not show much surprise.

What truly slowed down the offensive was a telegram from the General Staff.

In a telegram, Army Chief of Staff Moltke the Younger stated that the expeditionary force's commencement of the siege had greatly provoked the Britannians.
This led them to unprecedentedly request a second round of negotiations in Paris.

The Emperor and the General Staff believed this was an excellent opportunity.

Therefore, Moltke allowed General Mackensen to postpone the attack and preserve his manpower.

However, by maintaining a siege, pressure can be applied to the other side, creating more advantages for one's own negotiating representatives.

War is ultimately a continuation of politics.

General Mackensen, upon receiving the order, was somewhat disappointed that he could not take Madrid in one fell swoop.

But in reality, this was the order he had been hoping for.

As a veteran general, he was well aware of the losses his troops would suffer from a forced siege.
He immediately ordered the entire army to cease all offensive operations against Madrid and to begin a full-scale siege.

On the other side, after the night raid and close-quarters combat on the Balekas Heights, the 1st Company, which had suffered heavy casualties, finally got a precious opportunity for a temporary rest.

That day, as Morin reorganized the troops for their daily drills and physical training, a new notification popped up on the system's [Intelligence] page.

The Holy Britannian Empire and the Saxon Empire begin their second round of negotiations in Paris.

(End of this chapter)