Chapter 73: The Best Defense is a Good Offense (4)
“Waaaaah!”
With nowhere to go, the enemies clustered in front of the Fallen Castle Wall under the command of the Knights.
Bam! Bam!
The breached wall was tightly reinforced by the Mercenaries’ shields. Although the enemies pushed with all their strength, the Mercenaries gritted their teeth and held firm.
Thwump!
Every time the enemies shoved, the shields of the Mercenaries trembled like waves.
As soon as the enemy soldiers exposed their weapons, Ghislaine shouted loudly.
“Attack!”
The Mercenaries slightly parted their shields.
The enemies, who missed their timing to defend, were met with dozens of long spears thrusting between the shields.
Poke! Poke! Poke!
“Gaaaah!”
It was the spears of the second row of waiting Mercenaries.
As the front line of the enemy fell, Ghislaine gave the command.
“Close it!”
Clang!
Once again, the shields locked tightly together.
But the enemy was still numerous.
“Advance! Keep advancing!”
“Where are the Archers? Provide cover!”
“Don’t stop, push in!”
Under the command of the Knights, the enemy soldiers charged forward with their weapons raised again.
Boom! Boom!
The Mercenaries knocked them back with their spears a few more times, but as the enemy swarmed in relentlessly, they could no longer part their shields.
Just when it seemed the wall would be breached, an attack came down from the wall.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ghislaine climbed up the wall and began hurling debris piled around, as well as rocks shot from the Catapult.
Each time she threw, more of the enemies at the front fell like dominoes.
The soldiers, finding it harder to advance, hesitated and fell back.
It seemed that the side with Ghislaine would not be easily breached for a while.
Zvalter, observing the situation, quickly made a resolution.
“Leave only the minimal personnel and move the rest this way!”
The soldiers of Perdium atop the wall rapidly moved to the side with another Siege Tower.
“Waaaaah!”
Even though the Perdium forces were outnumbered, consolidating their troops began pushing back the enemies emerging from the Siege Tower.
Eventually, the enemy was gradually pushed back inside the Siege Tower. It was the result of morale differences.
The support from the enemy Archers shooting next to the Siege Tower was useless.
The increased numbers of Perdium soldiers raised their shields and blocked the attacks.
“Ugh! How dare they!”
Viktor ground his teeth, trembling with anger.
His tactics were solid, and there was nothing wrong with them.
He believed he could capture the castle by today or, at the latest, by tomorrow.
If it weren’t for those strange fellows suddenly popping up, everything would have gone according to his plan.
‘Where did such an elite unit come from?’
The ones coming out of the Castle Gate were surprisingly fast and strong.
They seized the fleeting moment and shattered the formation of his allies.
It was hard to accurately assess from such a distance, but judging by how they completely destroyed the Siege Tower, it seemed there were some Knights among them.
Amidst the panic over their appearance, the battlefield descended into chaos. He moved the remaining troops too late but failed to catch them.
Whether their tactics were luck or skill, he’d been caught off guard.
Whether it was luck or skill in the tactics, he had definitely been hit hard.
‘Should I launch a full-scale attack now…?’
He trembled his hands in thought but ultimately gave up.
The enemy’s morale was high, and the allies were floundering in confusion in front of the castle wall.
Even the remaining siege tower was being pushed back.
In this situation, attempting a full-scale attack would only increase the damage.
Viktor sighed and reluctantly issued a retreat order.
“Pull back the troops.”
As the retreat order was given, the remaining shield soldiers rushed forward to protect their allies.
They clustered tightly around the siege tower, raising their shields.
Once all the soldiers had evacuated, the knights used their mana to pull the siege tower back.
“Hey! Throw! Throw!”
Randolf packed mana into rocks the size of people’s heads scattered around and started hurling them.
Ghislaine, glancing sideways at him, mimicked his actions.
Thud! Thud!
As the shield soldiers got hit by the rocks, arrows swiftly flew in through the gaps.
They couldn’t inflict heavy damage, but it did boost the morale of the allies.
The knights nearby also began flinging stones with their overflowing mana.
“Stop! Save those rocks!”
Zvalter halted the knights’ actions since they were in a situation where even one rock was precious. They needed to conserve stones and arrows in case the enemy used ladders.
Perhaps the enemy had been well-trained, as they retreated in an orderly manner.
Once all the enemies had completely pulled back, Zvalter raised his sword and shouted loudly.
“The enemy has retreated!”
“Wowwwww!”
The soldiers of Perdium also raised their hands, cheering.
They had successfully stopped an enemy assault that seemed unstoppable.
Although this didn’t mean the war was over, the fact that they had managed to repel an attack even once significantly impacted their morale.
While the soldiers celebrated, Zvalter glanced at Ghislaine, tilting his head slightly.
‘What on earth…’
His son was laughing and patting the still-dazed mercenaries on the shoulder.
He looked just as he typically did.
‘Was it a gamble, or was he confident? Did he plan this, or was he completely thoughtless?’
Looking at the results produced by Ghislaine, one could see how astonishing his judgment was in that moment.
The enemy’s troop numbers, marching routes, placement of siege equipment, the disposition of the rest of the troops, the enemy general’s intentions—all of it.
However, that strategy only worked when there was a possibility of success.
If Ghislaine’s judgment had strayed even slightly, it could have resulted in significant damage not just to Ghislaine and the mercenaries, but also to the soldiers of Perdium.
How could one possibly have such confidence and act amidst the shifting tides of battle that change in the blink of an eye?
Neither he nor Randolf… No, no commander would make such a split-second decision.
And the idea of going to smash that siege tower alone and actually succeeding?
‘Even on the battlefield, he acts on impulse.’
Zvalter found himself shaking his head unknowingly.
‘It fits him, but… it’s too reckless.’
Perhaps it was exactly the kind of daring action that suited Ghislaine’s personality.
He called Ghislaine over and asked.
“…Why did you act so recklessly?”
“I thought the enemy would be careless in the initial stages. I just didn’t want to miss the opportunity.”
“Moving instinctively on the battlefield can lead to brilliant tactics. But a beast with only primal instincts will ultimately end up caught in a trap. You have only one life, so always act with caution.”
“Understood.”
Ghislaine couldn’t say, ‘I have more war experience and life experience than you, father,’ so he merely nodded.
Randolf, who had been cheering excitedly, approached with an affected serious expression.
“Ahem, I was a bit surprised by the Grand Duke’s performance. But if you keep moving like this, it will be problematic.”
This was the most awkward scenario: having achieved merit without following command. It was tricky to get mad or praise.
If they had achieved something without trying, it would be difficult to either get angry or praise them.
Randolf had never imagined that the Grand Duke, whom he always dismissed, would have this level of skill.
‘Could he be stronger than me?’
A sudden wave of anxiety hit him, but he thought he might be able to do it if he really tried.
Of course, he couldn’t guarantee the success.
Ghislaine slightly bowed her head to Randolf and replied,
“The situation was urgent, so there was no other choice. If we can keep blocking like today, we should be fine.”
She didn’t say she wouldn’t do it again.
Randolf clicked his tongue in discontent, but Zvalter simply nodded.
“Right. If Count Roges sends reinforcements, that would be perfect.”
If they got some strength from Roges, victory seemed attainable.
He was restless, disappointed that there was still no news from the messenger.
Yet thanks to Ghislaine’s performance today, his anxiety seemed to ease a bit.
“Anyway… anything can happen in war, so always move with caution.”
No matter how good one’s skills are, trusting someone is a different matter.
Ghislaine had always acted independently, risking serious danger.
Having seen her skills and judgment today, he thought she was pretty good, but one mistake could easily cost someone their life in war.
Zvalter couldn’t hide his concern.
Of course, Ghislaine’s thoughts were entirely different.
‘You can never win with a half-hearted mindset.’
Duke Delphine had fought with his life on the line and barely managed to win.
As the weaker ones, they always had to draw out more strength than their limits to achieve victory.
However, others could never understand this fact.
Ghislaine just nodded and tried to step back.
“Wait a moment, Ghislaine.”
Zvalter grabbed Ghislaine as she turned to leave.
He seemed awkward, shifting and clearing his throat unnecessarily.
“Ahem, thanks to you, we were able to win. I look forward to your continued support. Good job.”
He wanted to praise her, but it was hard to say with their not-so-friendly relationship.
Until just before the war, they were talking about killing and saving each other.
In this strange atmosphere, Randolf scratched his head and spoke up as well.
“I didn’t know the Grand Duke could command mercenaries like that. And taking down the siege tower alone… cough, anyway, you’ve really improved.”
For the first time, Randolf praised Ghislaine, and he seemed a bit embarrassed as he smiled.
Ghislaine smiled slightly and bowed her head to the two.
“Nothing special.”
Leaving the two awkwardly silent, Ghislaine returned to the mercenaries.
The mercenaries were huddled together, still blinking in confusion.
It felt good to win, but they had no idea why they won.
They understood that breaking the siege tower had helped, but why did the enemy’s army fall so helplessly?
Before they could grasp the situation, everything had already ended.
“What exactly did we do? How did we win? Did the captain really destroy it all by himself?”
“We just followed the captain and did what we were told, and we won.”
“Do you remember what the captain said during training?”
“If you think and understand something, the enemy will figure it out too. So just do as you’re told.”
“Was today one of those days?”
In the end, the conclusion was that “you just have to do what you’re told.” They clearly were mercenaries with no tactical insight.
It wasn’t hard to explain strategic goals or operations ahead of time for them to learn.
That way, soldiers wouldn’t panic and could move more efficiently.
But in the frantic chaos of the battlefield, you couldn’t explain and make them understand everything.
Moreover, Ghislaine’s strategy was something she came up with spontaneously through her experience as the Mercenary King and her sharp instincts.
If she tried to organize her thoughts and explain them to others, she would miss the right timing.
Thus, Ghislaine simply taught the mercenaries to follow her movements unconditionally.
He taught the mercenaries.
The experienced mercenaries were less shocked due to their time in the forest, but the newly recruited ones still looked a bit dazed.
“It’s okay when you’re actually moving; it’s all chaotic.”
“Right? Overthinking just makes you chicken out. At times like this, it’s best to just mindlessly smash the ones in front of you.”
Their initial anxiety upon seeing the enemy’s massive army had vanished at some point.
No, to be precise, they had no time to feel anxious.
After just swinging their weapons for a bit, they felt as if they had performed some grand feat.
“If we’re going to keep this up, we need to stay sharp. It’s a shame to die while acting like an idiot.”
“By the way, the captain is seriously strong! He could put most knights to shame.”
Ghislaine encouraged the murmuring mercenaries.
“Alright. Let’s keep this momentum going. Just stick to the training. Keep following well.”
Kaor gave Ghislaine a thumbs-up and smiled.
“That was quite fun. If operations are going to be this thrilling, count me in.”
The Cerberus Mercenary Group fought like rabid dogs, tearing everything apart to protect their retreat route.
For those who typically don’t think deeply, being thrown into a fight without restrictions must have truly been delightful.
Ghislaine chuckled and nodded.
“Don’t worry. There’s more amazing stuff left to come.”
Kaor giggled and cheered, while Belinda was on the verge of losing it.
“What do you mean? What more ‘amazing’ stuff could there be? At this rate, you’ll lose your life! Young Master, do we really have to go this far?”
When the siege tower collapsed, she was so shocked that her heart raced.
Though they followed orders since the situation was urgent, she was far from pleased.
No matter how strong they were, there are limits. Why were they throwing themselves around like that?
She contemplated whether to just pick up Ghislaine and run away. Of course, she would grab the runestone too.
“It’s alright; we’re being careful. I told you not to worry, right?”
“Cautious? If this is caution, then… next time, I’ll be charging into the enemy’s lines alone!”
“Hahahaha.”
“Why aren’t you denying it, though!”
Belinda yelled in frustration, but Ghislaine just kept smiling and changed the subject.
“Alright, next time will be busier, so everyone get some good rest.”
At Ghislaine’s words, the mercenaries shouted from all around.
“Captain, you should rest too! You were the wildest today!”
“Isn’t Gordon just too scared to pee himself? Didn’t he not do it today?”
“You idiot! I was right up front blocking the attacks!”
“Captain, are your knees alright? Didn’t you get hit by an arrow before? Today you were soaring through the air!”
“Whatever it is, we just have to trust the captain and follow him!”
Now, the mercenaries were fired up enough to follow Ghislaine to hell and back.
They still couldn’t grasp the situation, but there was no need to worry.
Just believing that they could win by doing as told was enough.
Ghislaine smiled as he watched the lively mercenaries and turned around.
In that brief moment, his expression turned cold.
‘They haven’t moved properly yet.’
It had been only two days.
The first day was spent preparing, with no thoughts of attacking, and today’s assault wasn’t their full power.
‘They must be testing the waters. With their plan failing, they’ll move differently now.’
There was no way they would continue the same strategy after taking a hit from Ghislaine.
Having had a taste of the mercenaries’ strength, they would now adjust their tactics accordingly.
‘If they throw all their troops at us, it will be hard to defend.’
They still had three siege towers and thousands of troops left.
The enemy was likely wary of a protracted battle due to supply issues; they would want to conclude things quickly.
That was precisely the situation Ghislaine wanted and had created.
‘There will only be one chance.’
The fight had only just begun.
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