Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks

Chapter 729 35: Rain

"Candle Knight!"

"Viviana!"

Cheers resounded atop the city wall. The countless enemy forces besieging the middle section of the walls paused for a moment, their eyes vacant, incredulous as they gazed at the figure of one person, one sword, as poetic and song-like as they appeared.

"Your Majesty?"

Beside Mahmud II, many close ministers instinctively cast their eyes. The sand giants, once seen as a promising siege weapon, were completely annihilated, and the morale of the besieging army suffered a tremendous blow. They couldn't help but doubt whether they should continue.

"What are you standing there for? I don't recall giving the order to stop the attack."

Mahmud II stared unblinkingly at the figure. Usually unmoved by female beauty, for a moment even he couldn't help but feel a trace of admiration.

With such power, by comparison, beauty becomes insignificant. After all, though that female knight's appearance was beautiful, Mahmud II could still find one or two in his harem to rival her.

Such a woman, matched with his Dragon Taming Bloodline, what terrifying talents would their future crown prince possess?

"But Your Majesty, our morale has suffered a severe blow, and the enemy's casters have all ascended the wall. Shall we let our soldiers confront their spells with mere flesh and blood?"

Mahmud II responded coldly, "Send the Sufi casters to protect the siege tower. Even with everyone in the city, they are still less than half our army; I refuse to believe they can endure long."

The Sufi is a branch of the Fire Worship that emerged in rural areas, serving as a powerful arm for Ottoman monarch rule. Although its casting power surpasses that of the Brotherhood and Sisterhood, as a newly-emerging sect branch, it has yet to gain enough refinement.

Everyone knows that relying on Sufi monks to deal with that female knight is quite unreliable.

Thus, after a brief pause, he added, "Let the Brotherhood and Sisterhood handle that female knight. No matter how strong she is, she's still just one person. Such powerful spells cannot be cast at will."

"Try to capture her alive."

With Mahmud II's order given, the previously halted army began once more advancing towards the walls under the push of scimitars and arrows.

"Attack, continue the attack!"

"Fight for God, fight for the Holy Fire, eliminate the wicked witches of heresy!"

The Brotherhood members, wearing black turbans and robes, moved like elusive shadows hidden within the siege troops.

The magic from the defending casters stirred ripples on the siege towers. Although the Sufi casters' strength is average, their numbers far exceed those ancient relics in Constantinople. Counterattacking may not be easy, but defending most of the siege towers to reach the wall's edge is achievable.

And Viviana, clearly depleting a significant amount of her spiritual power by killing those sand giants. While a Demon Warrior can enhance various attributes with spiritual power, the core strength remains spiritual power, and its depletion will significantly reduce her power.

"Ensuring the preservation of strength is now the priority."

Losa advised.

Mortals have mortal battles, and extraordinaries have extraordinary ones. If there's not enough reserve when the enemy ups the ante, they'll find themselves without resources, leading to more deaths.

War never considers equality.

As the gangway from the siege tower crashed down, a line of Ottoman warriors in heavy armor charged out.

The Latin guards armed with long halberds roared and went to meet them, brutally smashing their helmets. Both sides became entangled together, fully becoming a meat grinder, grinding the flesh of enemies and allies alike into mud.

Greek Fire spurted, roasting the bodies in the trench.

Flames, frost, and wind blades; colorful magic radiance illuminated as both sides' casters exchanged attacks.

Standing in a conspicuous spot on the wall, Losa soon drew the attention of the enemy. Dozens of Brotherhood members, premeditatedly, approached Emperor's guards stealthily from the chaotic battlefield, swarming towards the man under the Imperial Banner.

Viviana glanced back but did not assist. While she hadn't experienced Losa's true power, she knew the aura couldn't lie. Even if thousands of troops besieged Losa, she didn't believe he'd be in peril.

Instead, more Brotherhood members were surrounding her.

The Candle Knight sighed softly, recognizing that the enemy too realized she was in a period of vulnerability.

Yet even in weakness, she surmised that such opponents would only cost her a bit of effort.

...

Southern section of the wall.

Orhan and his guards roared as they fought against their former kin brothers, his guards also trained in the manner of Janissaries, showcasing extraordinary combat strength.

Beside him, the Sharp Claw Dragon, without a master's control yet linked to Orhan's mind, acted like a fish in water along the wall, its sharp claws were elusive, striking with deadly precision, tearing apart even heavily armored foes with ease.

The battle continued into the afternoon.

Orhan and his guards roared as they fought against their former kin brothers, his guards also trained in the manner of Janissaries, showcasing extraordinary combat strength.

Beside him, the Sharp Claw Dragon, without a master's control yet linked to Orhan's mind, acted like a fish in water along the wall, its sharp claws were elusive, striking with deadly precision, tearing apart even heavily armored foes with ease.

The battle continued into the afternoon.

It began to rain…

The rain came!

People's voices suddenly turned excited.

No matter how arrogant, the heretics wouldn't dare continue the siege in these conditions.

More importantly, in the torrential rain, the heretics' stored gunpowder would likely dampen and fail, halting the artillery barrages that had oppressed the defenders for days on end.

"God bless Rome."

The emperor raised the four Beta banners planted on the wall, proclaiming loudly: "God bless the Roman people."

"Saintess Viviana!"

"Saint Constantine!"

The Greeks rejoiced, canonizing those they revered.

What defines a saint? Is it someone who stands atop doctrinal debates and outtalks the cardinal assembly within the Church?

Perhaps it is.

But in fact, most saints were simply charismatic individuals in a region, capable of rallying followers and meeting the needs of believers.

Not to delve into the distant past, even recently with Jan Hus, burned in Constantz as a forerunner of reformation or Jeanne, also executed by fire — one labeled a heretic, the other not recognized by the Church.