How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 249: Excavator’s Edge (4)

Moreover, the speed at which the enemies loaded and fired their guns was so fast that even seasoned soldiers struggled to keep up.

Surely they are just a rabble... surely they are nothing...

Yet they were strangely strong.

Although they didn’t know it was due to Lexan shields and flintlock muskets, everyone felt that strange sensation. Despite overwhelmingly superior skill and numbers on their side, the enemy was somehow holding out.

This makes no sense.

They shouldn’t even be able to hold out. When did those slaves ever receive military training?

That very fact that they could stand against seasoned soldiers who had rolled through Ireland, the Low Countries, and various places was unpleasant and difficult to comprehend.

"Francisco! Pull your soldiers back right now! Another company is advancing!"

"...Understood."

And the command seemed to be feeling such anomalies sufficiently as well.

They had advanced boldly, but after suffering significant casualties, they were retreating to distance themselves from the enemy. It seemed like it would be a protracted battle with both sides just bombarding each other for days, forcing casualties on each other.

Other captains who realized this fact were clicking their tongues, spitting, and cursing. For now, they were slowly retreating under the cover of naval gunfire.

...It’s fine.

Soon, large siege cannons will land on the shore.

Once the cannons being inspected on Anastasia Island arrive, they can pound those walls much more powerfully than the sporadic naval gunfire from a distance.

Even their strange armaments won’t be able to do anything about that.

If that happens, the battle becomes easier.

If that happens...

Tap-tap.

"Th-there...!"

"What is it, Lieutenant?"

Francisco, annoyed at the interruption of his thoughts, turned around, and suddenly Lieutenant Juan pointed to the distance with a trembling finger.

"Something is coming there...!"

"What do you mean something is coming..."

Saying this, Francisco turned his head and.

"..."

"..."

For a moment, just a moment, he lost his words.

Everything about this battlefield was strange.

Those clumsy slaves, though trembling with fear, were somehow achieving decent results.

Strangely, when aiming and shooting at the enemy, there would be a sound as if bouncing off something, and the enemy would return unscathed.

Among all that.

"...Wh-what?"

Francisco seemed to have just seen the strangest thing of all.

Several cavalrymen are charging towards our troops, firing guns. Well, that’s possible. It seems some enemy reserves were waiting outside the fortress. Although their numbers are insignificant, about 30.

But, among those cavalrymen.

Koo-koo-koo-koo...

’Something’ approaching with a roaring sound.

Koo-koo-koo-koo...!

That something captured the soldiers’ gaze and made them stop in their tracks. It made everyone open their mouths and quietly recite prayers.

"Wh-what are you all doing! Shoot at least!"

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

When someone shouted boldly, the gunners finally regained their senses and began loading and firing from various positions. While several cavalrymen fell, that ’something’ rushing among them still didn’t fall.

It’s the same as before.

Just like when rushing to the fortress earlier, bullets are bounced off. Realizing this fact, the gunners began to back away, increasingly scared.

Koo-koo-koo-koo...!

The roaring sound gets louder. And the image of that ’something,’ which was only vaguely visible, gradually becomes clearer.

"Uh... uhh? Uhhh..."

It was.

It could only be expressed as truly ’something.’ Because there were no words in the world yet to describe it.

It was.

It looked like a monster crudely imitating the Lord’s creation, made by the devil.

With a huge yellow body, spikes and blades protruding here and there resembled the externally protruding teeth of a monster.

A massive neck extending upward from between them supported a large head with a big mouth.

The wheels underneath rolled frantically, climbing over slopes and rocks like a snake, approaching him.

The soldiers, collectively terrified, backed away, throwing stones and firing guns. Some brave ones tried to approach and swing their swords.

Thud!

But.

"Sa-Sanchez is dead! Dead!"

"Wh-what? How can that huge thing be so fast?"

That massive thing.

"Wh-what are you doing, Captain (Capitán)! Please escape quickly!"

Fast.

"Captain? Captain!"

Too.

"Francisco! Damn it, what are you doing! Run!"

Fast.

...

...

...

When Francisco blinked for a moment, the monster was right in front of him.

And there was a person inside the monster. Their eyes met briefly.

For one second.

Koo-koo-koo-bang!

That was his last memory.

Crack!

Many began to shout about the monster spewing black smoke and started to flee.

The formation of hundreds collapsed, and thousands wavered.

"Pu-pursue! Quickly!"

But ’it’ was too fast for the soldiers to chase in pursuit.

Before the Spaniards could even guess its identity, it disappeared beyond their sight.

They didn’t dare to attack the fortress again.

==

"The losses themselves... aren’t significant. However, since ’that thing’ seriously disrupted our formation, it could be a big problem if we’re not careful."

"You’re worrying too much. If the enemy had cavalry numbering in the tens or hundreds capable of striking us, I’d understand, but even if our formation temporarily collapses, the enemy doesn’t have the means to strike our forces..."

"Do you folks do mathematics?"

"What?"

"If you only look at what can be counted for convenience, sometimes you miss important things."

Spanish Army Commander Juan del Águila said to his subordinates who were reporting.

"Think about it. Really, is that ’all’?"

"..."

"..."

"I’m asking if that’s the full extent of the damage our army has suffered. Dozens dead and injured, formation disrupted, reorganization delayed because of it... is that all I’m asking!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone fell silent at the commander’s words. Juan del Águila, unable to contain the anger rising in his old body, panted and then lifted the tent to look into the eyes of the soldiers reorganizing nearby.

Their eyes should have been filled with certainty of victory. And that certainty actually creates victory. He had learned this painfully over the past few decades.

But what dwells in their eyes now is not certainty, confidence, or fighting spirit.

It’s fear. And the most terrible kind of fear...

"What on earth is ’that thing’..."

Fear of the unknown.

Something they don’t even know is coming to kill them. That monster made of iron, that monster rushing with a terrible roar, is on the side of the enemy.

Some are spreading rumors that those primitive slaves used evil sorcery to summon a demon.

Some are embellishing stories of terrifying monsters, collecting fragments of Indian legends and folk tales.

That fact alone is breaking the will to fight of the entire Spanish army.

The human casualties and equipment damage can be counted. But fear cannot be counted.

Nevertheless, that fear was spreading like a fatal epidemic in the army. Soldiers refuse to stand at the front, resort to praying among themselves, or rely on all sorts of superstitions.

...There’s only one way to reverse this situation.

"How prepared are ’San Pedro’ and ’San Lorenzo’?"

Overwhelming victory.

Just by Juan del Águila mentioning those names, the fear momentarily lifts from his adjutants’ eyes.

"...It seems preparations can be made in four to five days."

"Expedite it. As much as possible."

They had forgotten for a moment.

The fact that they must win this battle.

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