Chapter 65: Reunion (Part II)

Back in Gaul, although tensions between Landia and the northern kingdoms had been rising and news of it reached the ears of Cecily and the others, Cecily had only recently returned from the orc territories, and Madam Serra was far more consumed by her worry over Hegel’s abnormal behavior than by the shifting continental situation. Tangled up in their own personal troubles, neither of them had imagined how these events might affect them.

During their return journey, the two women continued to fret over the future, giving no thought to how the political landscape of the continent might have changed, even after war had broken out.

It was only now, upon suddenly hearing that Amango—whom they were so soon to meet—was trapped within the Fortress of Banissa, that they abruptly realized the turmoil of the outside world had finally encroached upon them.

"How could this happen?" Cecily asked in shock. Madam Serra instinctively lowered the hands that had been covering her face, revealing a look of utter horror.

"It is likely due to a combination of factors. In short, under the coordination of the Church, the northern nations have united to launch an attack on Landia this time. Although the mastermind behind the scenes has refrained from taking direct action, he is currently running around Valencia, hypocritically lobbying and urging the South to accept the North's demands and declare a truce between the two sides," the Crow replied.

"Will... will there be a truce?" Cecily asked, feeling somewhat lost and clinging to a fragile thread of hope. She knew nothing of the mastermind calling for a truce, nor of what the South accepting northern demands would cost Landia, let alone the detrimental treaties it would inevitably impose upon other southern nations. All she cared about was whether Amango could be rescued.

"It is difficult, highly unlikely. If a treaty were to be signed now, it would undoubtedly be the most draconian in Landia's history. Furthermore, once Landia is forced to yield, the other southern nations will likely not escape unscathed. Therefore, even if some short-sighted countries have yet to declare their stance, even the weakest alliance of city-states was the first to support Landia. Their troops are said to have already arrived in Landia to rendezvous, and barring any accidents, they will arrive just in time for the Fourth Army's deployment," the Crow shook his head and said.

"Mr. Wei, please—I beg you, you must save Amango!" Cecily pleaded with Wei Wuji.

Madam Serra suddenly snapped back to her senses as well, gazing at Wei Wuji with imploring eyes. "I beg you, you must save the boy Amango."

"Why must Wei go? It is too dangerous," Helen muttered softly from the side.

Before she could voice her opposition any louder, Wei Wuji had already spoken: "Rest assured. He is my friend, and I promised to let you see him."

***

"Who will win this war?" Wei Wuji calmly asked the Crow.

"It is hard to tell at this point," the Crow replied. "Judging by the current situation, the northern coalition clearly holds the advantage. If Banissa falls, Landia will be in grave danger, because its military strength is already inferior to the coalition's. Losing this northern gateway would lay the heartland wide open to the enemy. Therefore, Landia will undoubtedly throw everything it has into relieving Banissa. As far as I know, Prime Minister Fahrenheit is already trying to find a way out. As long as Banissa can hold out a little longer, the situation might take an unexpected turn."

"Miss Cecily, you actually do not need to worry too much. The defenses of Banissa are extremely formidable. It is a fortress-city formed by connecting several older castles with sturdy walls, and its internal infrastructure is fully self-sufficient, capable of providing the garrison with enough sustenance for a short period. Although it is currently under siege, it will not be so easy for the northern coalition to breach the fortress anytime soon," the Crow comforted the anxious Cecily.

"But... but..." Madam Serra was so anxious she could barely speak.

"I will make a trip to Banissa, rescue Amango, and bring him back to you," Wei Wuji said in a deep voice.

The two women were instantly overjoyed. This time, it was Helen's turn to stutter out of apprehension, "But... but it's very dangerous there."

Wei Wuji waved a hand dismissively, indicating there was nothing to fear. Helen had no choice but to keep quiet. Their time spent together on the boat had taught the little mermaid his temperament; once he made up his mind, her only option was to obey. She could only cast a glare of fierce resentment toward the two women: *To save your men, you are actually making the man I love take such risks!*

It was the Crow who ultimately persuaded Wei Wuji otherwise. "Wei, going charging in like that probably won't work."

"Why?" Wei Wuji raised an eyebrow, though knowing the Crow's character, he knew the man never spoke without thinking, so he decided to listen to the advice.

"The person you are looking for is merely an ordinary soldier," the Crow explained patiently. "Think about it, how do you plan to find him there? You would first have to fight your way through layers upon layers of siege lines. But right now, tens of thousands of troops are surrounding Banissa. Even for you, do you really think you have the certainty to face thousands of people simultaneously? And even if you somehow managed to break through, how would you go about finding him?"

Wei Wuji’s eyebrows twitched again. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Initially, he felt the Crow was merely being out of touch and underestimating him after their time apart, but then he recalled his recent experiences. Trying to force his way in alone might genuinely not be as easy as it sounded. He remembered being ambushed by firelocks twice in rapid succession—once in the Valencia square and once in Gaul City. Sometimes, one simply could not boast too much; the lethality of such weapons was increasing with each encounter. If thousands of soldiers were armed with the kind of volley-fire guns he had faced during the weapons heist, a single round might be enough to riddle him with holes. The cannons he had encountered in Gaul were also highly threatening.

***

Most importantly, the Crow was right. Even if he managed to force his way inside, he had no clue how to locate Amango within Banissa. Was he supposed to storm the place and inspect every single face, or run through the streets shouting his name at the top of his lungs? Or perhaps capture their supreme commander upon breaking in and order him to track Amango down? Well, he supposed he would have to resort to that last option if push came to shove.

Although he kept that desperate final resort suppressed in his mind, going in blind to coerce the city's commander still left a massive problem even if he miraculously found Amango: how to get him back out? Doing so would thoroughly offend both the besiegers and the besieged. Thus, such a brute-force approach was a last resort. Charging in by force, charging back out by force, and making enemies of everyone both inside and outside the walls while still keeping the young man alive—the difficulty of such a task was off the charts. Even with Wei Wuji's arrogance, he rated his chances at less than ten percent. Of course, if he were alone, those odds would be somewhat higher.

However, since the Crow had brought it up, he undoubtedly had a plan in mind.

"Stop beating around the bush. What do you want to tell me? Hmph, rest assured, I have no desire to act recklessly either," Wei Wuji muttered stubbornly, before finally conceding, "It's not that I lack the courage to face tens of thousands of troops, but my objective is to rescue Amango safely. If I act rashly, it could place him in extreme peril."

This admission immediately made Cecily and Madam Serra anxious again. Despite the Crow's dissuasion, the two women remained deeply worried; in their minds, every extra moment Amango lingered there added another layer of danger, and they wished Wei Wuji could rush over and save him immediately. But upon hearing Wei Wuji's words, they abruptly realized that simply breaking in by force would make extracting Amango an immense hurdle. Overwhelmed by panic, the two women found themselves caught in a dilemma, anxiety etched across their faces.

At that moment, the Crow spoke up: "Charging in by force is definitely not the answer. Most people on this continent may not be a match for you, but that does not mean you can completely disregard their collective strength—especially when their forces are pooled together, and doubly so when you must ensure Amango's safety. Even if I went with you, facing the armies of multiple nations, escaping with our own lives would be a feat in itself. Therefore, you would be better off forming a temporary alliance with Landia. As far as I know, Landia is desperately trying to find a way to relieve Banissa, attempting to clear a direct land route. But that is currently exceedingly difficult; at least until the Fourth Army can deploy, that hope remains slim. However, land is not the only way to reinforce Banissa; there is also the water route. The northern coalition has blockaded the waterways, but their naval forces are quite weak. Their original plan was to rely on the marigolds to pin down the Landia navy. However, because the Fisi people are helping Landia counter the marigolds, a portion of the fleet formerly stationed at Herldasin can now sail along the maritime route, navigating from the mouth of the Mins River to Banissa to provide reinforcements and transport supplies and ammunition into the city. If you are willing to set out with this fleet, it will undoubtedly benefit both sides."

*(Author's Note: My apologies, I have a dinner gathering tomorrow and am unsure how late I will be held up. If I return early, I will type out the chapter; if I return late, I might have to pause for the day.)*