It saddened Victor that the city would not surrender; he had hoped for a peaceful resolution, so that he could quickly march to Napo. However, the city of Prato would not surrender; they would fight tooth and nail against Victor's army.
The odds were astronomical. Victor's army consisted of 315,000 infantrymen, 45,000 cavalrymen and 1,350 cannons. This number was almost 20 times the amount of the Prato garrison, which consisted of 18,000 infantrymen, 2,000 cavalrymen and 100 cannons.
Most of the garrisons' cannons were destroyed in the bombardment, so they were no longer a threat to Victor's soldiers. The rest of the soldiers were mostly militia who had been undergoing basic military training.
It was simply impossible for the garrison to succeed, but whether it be stubbornness or bravery, they would not back down.
Victor called upon General Lasalle and 14th Corps to deal with this situation. General Lasalle, the Duke of Leibenzig, was one of Victor's best offensive weapons. He had proven himself time and again that he was one of the best. Hunyuan and Xiangyang were great examples of his bravery and ability.
The Hussar General had his three infantry divisions from ranks and began their march towards the city. A brigade of skirmishers was held in the rear to deal with any garrison soldiers atop the walls.
Drums and flutes were played as the synchronised footsteps of the Luxenberg Soldiers advanced them closer to Prato. These men were veterans of multiple battles, with each one bearing scars that told tales of their bravery.
The defenders had no time to prepare the city for a siege. They had failed to properly clog the side streets or set up barricades to help give soldiers cover. Buildings were not boarded up, and civilians had spent the night cowering in their homes.
General Lasalle and the infantry of 14th Corps breached the gap in the wall, firing upon any defender that dared to challenge them. For the first time in decades, musketfire could be heard in the streets of Prato.
With one hand, General Lasalle fired his pistol, and in the other, he swung his sabre. The defenders around him stood no real chance. His showing of bravery and skill impassioned the men, causing them to fight harder and push the defenders back.
Through the breach surged ranks of Luxenberg infantry, their bayonets glinting like cold teeth in the dim light. Muskets clutched to their chests, they advanced at a half-run, shouting over the thunder of gunfire that echoed between the stone facades.
Within the narrow streets, the fight became a tangle of bodies and steel. Bayonets thrust in desperate arcs, boots slipped on cobblestones slick with blood. Smoke from scattered musket discharges clung low, curling around shattered shutters and fallen beams.
Each step forward was contested—every corner a sudden, vicious struggle, every doorway hiding the snap and flash of gunpowder. The roar of battle rolled down the streets, drowning out all but the drumbeat of boots and the ragged cries of men fighting for every inch of the captured city.
Prato's garrison fought valiantly; they tried their best to hold back the never-ending waves of Luxenberg soldiers. Despite their efforts, it was all for nought. The city was overrun, and with more and more enemies advancing further into the city, the defenders could not hold out.
Scores of their ranks were eviscerated by musketfire as General Lasalle and his men pushed forward. In the end, there was not a lot the defenders could do. Those with common sense surrendered and hoped for fair treatment, while those too stupid and stubborn to surrender were met with a swift end.
By midday, the city was captured, but at the cost of 3,500 Luxenberg infantrymen. The defenders' tenacity had willed them to fight with every fibre of their being. Consequently, 13,000 infantrymen, 1,600 cavalrymen and most of their artillerymen had perished in the fighting.
The city was lost, and so too was the slippery Count Lamaro. It seems that during the night, he slipped out of the city and rode towards the Red Viscontes' territory. This annoyed Victor; failing to secure the lord of the territory was disappointing, and to let such a weasel escape his clutches truly infuriated him. What improved Victor's mood was the sight of a system screen.
Hidden Quest Completed!: Conquer A Zandarian City!'
'Rewards: 1x 10,000-Man Infantry Unit Summon, 50,000 Store Points,'
The rewards were a bit smaller compared to when Victor conquered his first Simbarnese city, but he was appreciative nevertheless. His Store Points balance was now back up to 300,000, which was ideal. Having money to spend on a rainy day certainly made Victor feel more confident.
Now that Prato was secured, a new problem had arisen: what was to be done with it? Victor could not leave any of his corps to defend the city since none of them knew the language. There would be multiple issues caused by this language barrier. In order to avoid that, there were two options that Victor could choose from.
The first option was to use his new reward and summon Zandarian soldiers to garrison the city. Although this could lead to misunderstandings with Prince Alphonse, this was the most suitable option. The other one was to send a messenger pigeon and get Luca Sozzini to send some soldiers to garrison the city. This was not a good idea, since it would take over a month for the soldiers to arrive.
In the end, Victor decided it was best to just deal with the misunderstandings and summon the Zandarian soldiers.
Their unit panel displayed a soldier wearing a dark, tailored coat with brass buttons and white lapels. Across his chest ran a white crossbelt holding a cartridge box, while at his side hung a bayonet in a black scabbard. His trousers were pale, tucked neatly into black gaiters that buttoned to the knee. The tall shako on his head was adorned with a brass plate and plume. The soldier's musket was resting against his shoulder.
These soldiers arrived the very next day, which was ideal since Victor wanted to move towards Napo. The war would truly begin from there.