The return of the fallen king

Chapter 86: All is ready (extra chapter)

Hi guys, as I promised a review has been issued and as such an extra chapter was published, wanted to let you know that the offer still stands for today so if any of you wanted a new chapter tomorrow they would just need to review the novel

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May 13 1267

96 hours have passed since the Muslim community in Calabria have swore fealty to Conradin's cause, the residents of Girifalco were armed, the storehouse was stocked with supplies to sustain a siege, and a wave of recruitments was launched to deliver men to Corrado's army.

The recruiting was entirely voluntary, and in the end, 400 individuals were added to Corrado's army of liberation, increasing his troop strength from 2,200 when he left Reggio (Rhegium) to 2,600. Following that, he and his army went through the rest of the region, receiving Catanzaro and Cosenza's capitulation. The 400 Muslim foot archers were ready and determined to battle for their beliefs and independence, knowing that turning their backs to Conradin would result in the death or slavery of their people.

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As such, the morale of every one of those volunteers was high, since they had chosen to fight on their own and were inclined in offering their lives for a shared belief. At the end of the subjugation campaign for Calabria, Corrado could count on 2,800 troops, as 200 more soldiers were recruited from the surrendered city of Catanzaro .

After a few days of marching the army finally arrived at their final destination Cosenza where their first and strongest line of defense would be built.

Our dear general was currently reviewing the food situation of the city with great focus and attention, as he was well aware of the importance of this matter and of his responsibilities in ensuring that the city was properly provisioned and could withstand a siege for as long as necessary. The report actually relieved Corrado, for the situation looked good, as it was reported that the city could withstand a siege for 5 months, more than enough to allow Conradin to move through the south of Italy.

' It was a damn stroke of luck that Charles was so unpopular among his cities; this mission would have been compromised from the start if it were not' Corrado thought, reminiscing his good luck during a highly desired moment of peace.

'Just thinking about how all of this would have failed if I was forced to besiege any part of the city fills me with relief. I wonder if his highness received the message and if he decided to actually send some support here, not that we are in dire need of it; actually, our position increased greatly in the last week; maybe I was overthinking when I wrote to him .Anyway, I think that the French army is on the move, and I do not have much time before they will actually arrive here, so I should start working more . '

Corrado was aware it was just a matter of days before they would arrive, and he knew that the French would provide a strong challenge and a tremendous threat to his campaign and his mission. He felt a great sense of urgency and purpose in his mission, and as a consequence, he ordered his forces to move quickly and decisively so as to prepare the city of Cosenza as the line of defense for the entirety of Calabria and, as such, also Sicily. Corrado was determined to make sure that the city of Cosenza was properly prepared and fortified, as he understood the importance of its strategic location and its impact on the campaign and the mission. He knew that it was crucial to ensure that the city was well protected and defended and that it would be able to withstand any attacks or attempts to overrun it.

The city was chosen for its strategic location, since it controlled the entrance between the region's hilly north and south, preventing any army from going deeper unless they aggressively seized the city.

Actually, an army might easily circumvent it, but what about their supplies? Do they believe the defenders will remain within their walls and not try to burn and take their food? Do you wish to go through the process of abandoning the fortress? No worries; just be prepared to eat grass and starve.

Corrado could not help but smile at the high morale of his soldiers, each ready to defend their home or at least die while trying. The reason for that was also the fact that they were not fighting to serve some lord but to effectively improve their situation, for they knew that only the worst would happen if King Conradin failed in his mission to reclaim his throne.

As a consequence, they were filled with determination and resolve to overcome the enemy and triumph in battle, ready to kill the oppressor and, with some luck, get some booty on the way.

As for their equipment and skills, it was an entirely different story. Apart from the 200 knights loaned by Conradin, who were the cream of Corrado's army, and the 400 Muslim foot archers that had some experience with the bow, the rest of the army was literally peasants with sticks, as they never effectively even struck with the weapon they held. Corrado took it upon himself to train these peasants just as much as was needed to allow them to effectively hit something so that it would die or be injured and incapacitated from fighting.

Corrado was resolved to guarantee that his troops were adequately equipped and trained so that they could face the enemy in battle and beat them efficiently. He understood that appropriate equipment and training were critical to the success of any campaign, as such he worked hard to ensure that his forces were as well-equipped and trained as possible because the success of his cause depended on it.

'600 of them will be trained by the Muslim contingent to at least become able to use their bow , as archers are what we need most. For the rest of the troops, I will train most of them to use the sword, as it is the biggest weapon spread around the army.As for those who use maces and axes, I do not think that they need to be taught how to use them since the base for them is really easy," reminisced Corrado as he started drifting off on how he would prepare his soldiers to fill the space created by the difference in skill as much as possible.

Fortunately, the men did not need much skill because they were not expected to fight on wide land, but rather to protect a city. While they would undoubtedly be routed in a pitched fight by the larger and more powerful French army, a siege is a very different matter. What? Are you attempting to get inside the city? Best of luck getting through with the arrows, bolts, and stones!

In a siege situation, the men would only be required to protect a city rather than fight on open land. This would have significantly reduced the skill set and level of expertise required of the men, as they would not have been expected to match the French army's level of skill and proficiency.

Instead, they would have focused on defending from high ground, making use of the walls and terrain to wear down the enemy and weaken them enough to allow a successful counterattack and triumph when Conradin arrived. It would also tremendously aid future conflicts by allowing his troops to see blood for the first time.

A man who has just been taken from the safe harbor of the city will frequently be visibly put off by the sight of blood and will truly be afraid of the enemy's steel, thus, this would be an excellent opportunity to remove those anxieties from his soldiers' souls.

It is important for troops to get used to and accustomed to the sight of blood and the horrors of warfare so that they can be effective and efficient in their duties and responsibilities. Having this kind of experience and familiarity will help them stay calm and focused during battle and will allow them to more effectively carry out their duties and responsibilities.

'The enemy will have two options to choose from once they see the gate lowered upon them. Ignoring the city is impossible for them as they will effectively starve. Theoretically, they could have gained the required supply from the sea, allowing them to actually only be scared of a surprise attack from the garrison, but luckily for us, most of Charles' fleet is underwater with the crabs guarding it.' Corrado thought visually happy from the recent victory at sea 'They would be forced into a position where they have only one viable option, which is to attack the city and attempt to overcome us. So in the end, the French can only besiege the city; they could either starve us out, which would give Conradin enough time to arrive, or they could throw their men toward their butcher, greatly lowering their number. As the siege drags on, the French numbers will inevitably dwindle and wear down, which will only benefit us. Either way, we will be in a good position to succeed, and the French will find it extremely difficult to overcome us. There will be more than 3,400 troops defending the city, a good number for garrisoning a city.'

Corrado was a veteran general, and from the look of the situation, even though his army was underequipped, weaker, and outnumbered, they were still in a better position to hold out. At the end of the day, things didn't look half as bad as the retainer perceived them when he joined Conradin in his quest to reclaim his kingdom. What Corrado was sure of, however, is that when the French arrive, they will be in for many surprises, much to their dismay but to Corrado's happiness, for he made sure to make use of most of his time productively. He could not help but smirk, for the frenchs would find out about what he kindly left them during the time they had allowed him to prepare himself and his men..

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