In the northwestern part of the Sacred Empire lies the Munster Region.
The lord and guests of that place, not far from the Palatinate, were caught in an unbearable fear at this moment.
“Y-You mean that Mansfeld and that crazy woman called Christian are coming back?”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct, my lord.”
At this time, an enormous army was marching toward Munster Castle.
The fact that tens of thousands of troops were approaching was enough to send people trembling with heavy dread.
“I mean… didn’t that Christian woman already pass through here a few weeks ago, taking money and supplies? Why the hell is she coming back here again?”
“W-Well, we don’t really know either. Just…”
“Just what?”
The officials hesitated, showing their anxious faces.
However, they soon confidently stated what they believed would happen next, in his view.
“Don’t you know, my lord? About the atrocities they committed in the Palatinate.”
“Cities and towns, including the Alsace Region, turned to ashes. There’s no guarantee Munster won’t face the same fate!”
They were already well aware of the rumors about the oppression that had taken place in the Palatinate.
The tales of cities being burned and the elderly, women, and children being slaughtered without a single survivor were enough to terrify even them.
Imagining such events happening here again was something they didn’t want to think about.
“B-But… last time they at least left quietly after taking some money. W-What if we try that again this time?”
Hopeful, like a fragile glass about to shatter, the lord of Munster asked.
However, the officials all shook their heads, expressing their negative opinions.
Normally, they would at least pretend to agree with the lord, but they understood all too well that this situation was far too harsh for mere flattery.
“Given the circumstances… this time they won’t just leave quietly for a few coins.”
“Last time, they brought a somewhat mediocre army, but now Mansfeld’s forces are with them, right? The situation now is fundamentally different from then.”
“Surely they won’t stop until they turn this city into hell. Just like what happened in the Alsace Region when they attempted negotiations without any resistance.”
Feeling the sense of inevitable disaster approaching, the officials spoke with fear.
In the end, they reached the conclusion that the only choice available to them at this moment was one.
“Staying still will only mean death for us.”
“And… while our numbers are small, we do have an army. Last time we didn’t have time to respond due to the urgency, but this time it’s different.”
“Hmm… I see what you mean…”
Recognizing the need to prepare an army for the inevitable crisis arising from Christian’s previous rampage and the worsening situation, the lord and his officials managed to gather around 7,000 troops, including local mercenaries and militias.
Of course, it would be impossible to face Mansfeld and Christian’s forces head-on with such a small army.
But… if they could maximize the defensive advantage of being inside the castle, and if they could engage fiercely enough to not win but at least inflict heavy losses, maybe, just maybe, they could see a sliver of hope.
Of course, the biggest reason was the most basic yet simple thought that resisting at least once would hold greater meaning than dying either way.
Thus, Munster shut its gates tightly and prepared for defense against the advancing forces of Mansfeld.
And… not long after that, the dreaded army of Mansfeld and Christian began to appear before them.
*
With the gates tightly shut, Munster Castle clearly showed its intent to resist.
However, even though they displayed a distinct will to fight back, the defense of the castle did not seem particularly solid.
The castle, built on flat ground for the sake of convenience, lacked natural barriers like mountains or rivers.
Although there was a dense forest along the mountainside, it didn’t contribute much to the defense.
Of course, people could be evacuated through the forest, but from the perspective of the invaders, worrying about that wasn’t necessary.
After all, what they wanted was the food and treasures left inside the castle. There was no need to expend effort to snatch away the lives of the people.
Thus, with a flimsy defense relying on weak walls, Munster Castle and its soldiers stood.
Meanwhile, from the eyes of the invaders, Mansfeld and Christian began to chuckle lightly.
“Fools, do they plan to make a meaningless resistance?”
“Perhaps they think squirming is better than just sitting idly.”
“Well, I suppose so… How many troops do they have?”
“The number of soldiers inside the castle is about 7,000. But since there are fewer than 100 mages among them, I wouldn’t worry too much.”
“That’s true. The strength of an army hastily assembled in just a few weeks is predictable. How foolish to think they could stop Mansfeld’s advance.”
With those words, Mansfeld drew his sword. Simultaneously, Christian, with excitement gleaming in her eyes, pulled out her staff.
“Then we shall just have to kill them all as they wish! Let’s wipe them out! We will show these foolish bastards our fearsome might!”
Commanding his soldiers to march resolutely towards the castle before them.
“Fire! Shoot like there’s no tomorrow!”
“Stop the enemies!”
The lord of Munster issued firm fire orders against the terrifying charges of the enemies.
The soldiers immediately began pulling the triggers of their preloaded guns.
– “Tatata… Bang!” –
– “Kaboom!” –
With a deafening noise, bullets flew toward the enemies.
Simultaneously, the cannons positioned in the back began to blast shells toward the advancing troops.
However…
“Deploy the barriers!”
Just before the attack could pour, hundreds of mages at the front unleashed their barriers.
It resembled a translucent curtain they began to envelop in front of the running soldiers.
And then…
– “Pakang! Pakang!” –
The very barrier that blocked the incoming shells and bullets.
Though it managed to deflect the bullets largely without issues, the barrier cracked with every blow as some shells broke through and landed right above the soldiers’ heads.
“Ugh!”
“Damn it!”
Nonetheless, the force of the attacks unleashed was barely 20% effective.
The faces of the soldiers defending the castle began to darken, and they desperately started to reload their guns and cannons to block the enemies’ advance again.
But… before they could even finish preparing a second attack, Mansfeld’s army quickly reached the castle walls.
“Stop them! Don’t let a single one in!”
“They’re aiming for the gate! We must stop… Gahhh!”
Soldiers rapidly climbed up the low castle walls.
Among them were several mages with enhanced physiques, using their superior physical abilities to ascend the walls and start decapitating the Munster soldiers.
“Damn it… Stop them! We have to hold!”
“Ugh… What are these guys so strong… Gahhh!”
Though they had gathered quite a number of forces, the individual combat prowess displayed stark contrasts.
This was true not only for the mages but also for the soldiers following closely behind, wielding weapons.
The Munster army, mostly composed of militias rather than trained mercenaries, stood no chance against this professional force.
“Is this how it crumbles…? I expected some level of this, but it’s falling so easily…”
“My lord, you must escape! The castle will soon fall!”
“Escape? Where should I go… If anyone is leaving, it should be you! I am the lord of this place; I will bury my bones here till the end.”
“My lord!”
In such a desperate situation, the resolute lord drew his sword, preparing for his last stand.
In his view, he saw the soldiers driving deeply into their command center, and he steeled himself for a final charge against the enemies.
In that moment…
– “Pwooo!!!” –
“Huh?”
“What… What is that?”
The next instant, the loud sound of a horn began to echo through the air.
Simultaneously, the enemies, who had been pressing in relentlessly, abruptly turned and started fleeing in a hurry.
As a result, expressions of confusion and astonishment… followed by relief washed over those present.
“W-What on earth is happening?”
“I… I don’t know. Why are they retreating… after coming this far?”
As the lord, his officials, and the surrounding guards puzzled over what was happening, one of the guards suddenly pointed.
“Th-There, my lord!”
In that moment, everyone turned their gaze toward the indicated direction.
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