Chapter 113: Failure

As the French army prepared for the night raid, the Austrian positions were filled with celebration. The absence of a French attack that afternoon led all the Austrians to believe they had successfully repelled the French assault, which was undoubtedly a victory for them.

Rome had become their last stronghold. If they couldn't hold it, they were finished. Initially, the rapid defeats had left the Austrian soldiers anxious. But now, their confidence had been significantly boosted.

Philip seized this moment to send a triumphant report to the capital, Vienna. In his report, Philip claimed that not only had they held Rome, but they had also destroyed a significant number of French cannons and killed at least eight thousand French soldiers, including a French brigadier general. Of course, the report was exaggerated, but what did it matter? Rome was a thousand miles away from Austrian territory, and with the ongoing war, who would bother sending someone to verify it?

That night, just past midnight, a French unit quietly left their forward positions and headed towards the Austrian fortifications. Using the cover of darkness, they reached the foot of the hill without incident. The soldiers began to climb, some carrying heavy explosive packs. If they could quietly reach the Austrian gun emplacements and place the explosives, they could easily destroy the cannons.

"Everyone, be extremely careful and don't make any loud noises. If you alert the Austrians, not only will you die, but you'll also endanger your comrades," a French action company commander reminded his soldiers before the raid.

After hearing the commander's words, all the French soldiers nodded slightly. They were well aware of the dangers of this mission, which required them to destroy the Austrian fortifications under the cover of darkness. If discovered by the Austrians, their firepower would tear them apart.

"Alright, the operation starts now. Everyone, be careful," the French company commander whispered.

Then, the French company dispersed, silently approaching the Austrian fortress.

"Halt! Password?" On the Austrian side, security was tight, with sentries posted at every point. The French raid encountered trouble immediately as an Austrian sentry spotted them.

"Take him out!" The French company commander's pupils dilated in surprise, but his battlefield experience kicked in quickly. He swiftly drew a throwing knife from his coat and hurled it at the Austrian sentry, hitting him in the chest.

A kill with one strike!

"Bang!" However, the dying Austrian sentry managed to fire his musket, the sharp report echoing across the entire position.

"Damn, we've been exposed! Retreat!" The gunshot contorted the French commander's face in anger. Knowing their cover was blown, he shouted for all his soldiers to retreat.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! We've got a situation!" But he was too late. The shot had already alerted all the Austrian soldiers in the fortress. Under their officers' orders, they woke from their sleep, grabbed their muskets, and began firing at the French.

The Austrians had anticipated the possibility of a French raid, so they had pre-loaded their muskets with bullets and powder, keeping them piled up nearby. This preparation allowed them to respond instantly to any threat.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" As the Austrian soldiers fired in succession, the battlefield lit up, the flashes illuminating the area like daylight. The French soldiers lying on the ground were instantly exposed.

"Look! It's the French!" Seeing the enemy, the Austrian soldiers shouted.

"Fire! Don't let a single one escape. Turn them all to pieces," commanded the Austrian officer.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Rat-a-tat-tat!" Following their officer's orders, the Austrians unleashed a hail of cannonballs and bullets at the French. From within the fortress, the Austrian soldiers continuously fired upon the French, pinning them down with overwhelming firepower, making any movement impossible.

"Boom!"

A shell exploded among the French soldiers, instantly tearing several of them to pieces. The distance between the French and Austrian troops was less than a hundred meters. At this range, even with poor accuracy, the hit rate was remarkably high. The Austrian cannons and rifles could hit the French soldiers almost with their eyes closed.

"Rat-a-tat-tat!"

A volley of bullets swept through, piercing the bodies of the French soldiers. Blood flowed from their wounds, staining the ground beneath them red. The French raiding company, an enhanced unit with over 400 soldiers, was entirely wiped out in less than half an hour.

---

Outside Rome, in the French command post, Napoleon and his generals were awake, awaiting news from the night raid unit. Although they were skeptical about the possibility of destroying the Austrian fortifications this way, there was still a glimmer of hope. Deep down, Napoleon hoped for a favorable outcome.

"Bang!" A loud explosion echoed. Even five miles away from the Austrian fortifications, the French command post heard the sound clearly.

Upon hearing the explosion, Napoleon's face darkened. He recognized the sound of a British Armstrong 16-pound cannon. The Austrians had opened fire, indicating that the French had been discovered.

The night raid had failed.

Murat, standing nearby, turned pale upon hearing the cannon fire. He hadn't anticipated such an outcome. As the one who proposed the plan, Murat would bear some responsibility for the failure, though he wouldn't face severe consequences overall. However, this failure demonstrated that attempting to assault the Austrian fortifications in this manner was futile. The Austrians were not entirely unprepared.

"Consul Napoleon," Murat called softly. The failure of this raid significantly impacted French morale. Moving forward, to minimize losses, the French would likely have to rely solely on heavy artillery to pave the way. However, such a method was incredibly slow.

"That's enough for tonight. We'll discuss the rest later," Napoleon said, his face stern. The failure of this attack had displeased him, but for now, there was no better alternative.

---

Rome: Inside the City Hall.

Major General Philip gathered all the Austrian commanders in Rome, as well as the Mayor of Rome, Snoke, and representatives of the upper class.

"Gentlemen, I apologize for calling you here so late at night. The reason I've summoned everyone is that something urgent has happened," Philip began, addressing the assembly at the ball.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure you all heard the explosions outside the city."

"General Philip, please tell me, have the French begun their assault again?" one of the richly dressed Roman nobles asked. He was deeply worried that the war would affect Rome, as his entire fortune was there. For someone like him, war was terrifying, as a single shell could destroy most of his wealth.

"Yes, the French have attacked," Philip nodded, not denying the news.

"What? It's really the French."

"This is bad. The French have started their assault. Where can we flee to?" Hearing Philip's confirmation, all the Roman nobles, and even some Austrian commanders, began to panic.

"General Philip, can our army hold Rome?" Mayor Snoke, who had recovered from the initial shock, stepped into the center of the ballroom and asked Philip.