276 – I’ll buy some time. (3)
“Uh?”
The soldiers of Desmond, trying to exit the siege tower, faced a situation they had never encountered before.
Kwahh!
First, Gillian rushed into the siege tower and began swinging his axe.
One by one, the knights followed him into the siege tower.
Kwahh! Kwahh!
The sudden attack caused the cries of Desmond’s army to resonate everywhere.
“Uaaaah!”
“What the hell! These bastards!”
“Stop them! I said stop them!”
The inside of the siege tower was more cramped than expected, forcing the soldiers to crowd together.
Ziiiiing—!
The more the Penris knights moved, the brighter the light burst forth from their armor.
Using their suddenly enhanced strength and speed, they indiscriminately slaughtered the nearby soldiers.
Fwaaaash!
The speed of their swords and spears became nearly invisible. With each movement, soldiers’ necks flew off, and their bodies were pierced.
At this moment, all the Penris knights exhibited power close to that of advanced knights, which Desmond’s soldiers could not stop, no matter how elite they were.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Eventually, the sound of bursting air accompanied their weapon swings.
The Penris knights weren’t holding back. Their mana surged out, impacting the surroundings.
— The first attack must be overwhelming. Only then can you break the enemy’s momentum. Especially if we’re outnumbered.
It was something Ghislaine repeated during their training sessions. They always engraved that saying in their hearts.
And now was the time to faithfully follow that teaching.
‘If we let up, they will keep coming!’
Everyone had the same thought. Since their power had a time limit, they couldn’t afford to hold back.
They had to break the enemy’s momentum and at least force them to pull back. Otherwise, the enemies would keep pouring in.
The Penris knights pushed themselves, disregarding their lives for that moment.
Kwahh!
“Uaaaah!”
Desmond’s soldiers fell without being able to mount a proper defense against the sudden onslaught.
These were attacks from knights who were ready to sacrifice their lives. Thanks to their overwhelming power, almost as strong as advanced knights, no one from Desmond’s army could escape the siege tower.
Among them, Gillian stood out remarkably.
Nearly ten knights entered one siege tower. Yet, he was alone in there.
Gillian looked as fearsome as a lion among a flock of sheep.
Kwah!
With each swing of his axe, several bodies were split apart. His strength was so great that sometimes the axe he used to behead soldiers would get stuck in the tower’s interior.
Kwah! Kwahh!
The more intense Gillian’s attacks became, the more the siege tower itself seemed to tremble.
The Desmond soldiers, who had just managed to reach the exit, were quickly annihilated.
“W-What is this monster!”
“Push forward! Keep pushing!”
“Ugh! The knights need to come up!”
Gillian blocked the staircase entirely, killing every approaching enemy.
The enemy was only moving the siege tower at this moment. To avoid enemy counterattacks, it was standard to attach the tower to the castle wall first and have the invading soldiers buy time while setting up ladders.
In other words, as long as they blocked the exit of the siege tower, the enemy wouldn’t have a way to attack.
A narrow path can be held by a few strong individuals. Gillian and the Penris knights effectively sealed off the openings that the enemies could use.
Meanwhile, the Penris soldiers weren’t idly standing by either.
“Fire! Keep firing!”
From the highest point of the siege tower, Desmond’s soldiers were shooting arrows to suppress the enemy soldiers.
However, the Penris army was all clad in full armor made of Galbarium. Even if they couldn’t block with shields, the full armor mitigated the damage from arrows significantly.
But the Penris army was all wearing full armor made of Galbarium. Even if they couldn’t defend with their shields, thanks to the full armor, they didn’t suffer much damage from the arrows.
After realizing they were still standing despite taking a few blind arrows, the Penris soldiers began to gain more confidence and respond.
Swoosh!
The Penris army also began shooting arrows toward the top floor of the siege tower.
“They’re all wearing plate armor!”
“Our attacks aren’t getting through!”
“Duck! Get down!”
Just like inside the tower, the archers on the top floor were also thrown into chaos.
It wasn’t easy to pierce full plate armor with mere arrows. They could deal shock damage, but unless they aimed for joints or necks, the attacks were hardly effective.
One side would die from a hit, while the other side wouldn’t die even when hit. The engagement cost didn’t match up, so the situation continued to tilt in favor of the Penris army.
By the time a ladder was secured and the Desmond army started to climb up, the archers on the top floor of the siege tower were almost entirely wiped out.
Still, the Desmond army didn’t seem to care and continued their attacks.
“Climb up! Overwhelm them with numbers!”
At the cries of the commanders scattered about, the soldiers of Desmond erupted in cheers.
“Wooooooah!”
Desmond’s soldiers began to swarm up the ladders like a tide of ants.
“Block them!”
As Gillian shouted, some of the Penris knights charged out of the siege tower. Another knight entered the tower where Gillian was located.
Half of the knights blocked the exit of the siege tower, while the remaining knights faced off against the enemies climbing the ladders.
Bang! Bang!
“Ughh!”
The enemies that had come up were not much to write home about. Gillian was covered in blood from head to toe, relentlessly slaying foes.
He wasn’t wearing the new armor like the knights. Thanks to Ghislaine’s teachings, he had already surpassed that level.
Unlike Gillian, who was rampaging without a break, the knights’ momentum had somewhat weakened. The light seeping out from their armor was dimmer than before.
“Damn it, my hands are starting to shake.”
“My mana is running low.”
“I can’t hold on much longer.”
They had used too much mana trying to withstand the initial magical attacks. They could clearly feel their movements becoming sluggish.
If they continued like this for just a bit longer, they would puke blood and collapse from exhaustion.
“Woooooah!”
However, the gaps left by the exhausted knights were filled by the soldiers. The soldiers escaping the siege tower’s constraint quickly regrouped and began to drive the enemies off the castle wall.
Lucas, who was poking at enemies with his spear, couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
“Haha! These guys aren’t half bad!”
The full armor made of Galbarium was truly impressive. The trained elite soldiers of Desmond couldn’t properly pierce the armor of the Penris soldiers.
Thanks to their outstanding defense, the Penris army was able to dominate the greater numbers of the Desmond army.
Sensing the attacking momentum had dwindled, dozens of Desmond knights climbed the ladders and jumped over the castle wall.
Clang clang clang!
“Ugh!”
As a Desmond knight swung his sword infused with mana, it slashed the armor of a Penris soldier cleanly open.
Just as the knight was about to swing his sword again, following the staggering soldier…
Bang!
Gillian’s axe flew in from somewhere, instantly taking off the knight’s head.
“Deal with the knights first! Leave the soldiers alone!”
At Gillian’s thunderous shout, the Penris knights lunged at the Desmond knights.
After all, the fight between the soldiers was overwhelmingly in their favor.
Zing—
Once again, bright light burst forth from the armor of the Penris knights.
“I don’t want to think anymore. Let’s just die today.”
They weren’t holding back any mana. Their original goal had been to stall for as long as possible, but now they discarded even that thought.
But now, I’ve discarded those thoughts.
Fighting with such a mindset would only lead to defeat. The enemy’s numbers were simply overwhelming.
‘In that case, it’s better to take down at least one more bastard. I won’t let you go, you little shits.’
The Penris Knights, filled with venom, were unleashing their strength to the max, and their momentum was truly impressive.
KWAANG!
“Grrr! What the hell are these bastards!”
Desmond’s Knights were continuously pushed back. Some had their heads severed in the blink of an eye.
Even though they were elite troops and stronger than knights from other territories, not everyone had reached the level of a high-ranking knight.
They were no match for the Penris Knights, whose strength had risen to nearly that level thanks to their armor.
If they just played it cool and took their time, they could easily win, but no one in Desmond’s Army seemed to know that.
“More! Push harder! Don’t let a single one escape!”
Gillian’s face looked like that of an evil spirit. It seemed as if flames were pouring from his eyes.
‘No matter what, I have to hold out a bit longer and push them back.’
Gillian knew well that the power of the Penris Knights was time-limited. Although the usage time had increased compared to before, he felt it was nearing its limit.
But now, he couldn’t stop. If they were pushed back from the very first battle, they would lose all meaning.
‘If we slip back now, it’s over.’
Once they were pushed back, the massive army would surge forward like a storm. There would be no time to regroup.
To hold on even a little longer, they had to exert their strongest power right now.
That way, the enemy would be more cautious from the next battle.
‘The more time we buy, the longer Lord can take action.’
They couldn’t stop or win against the enemy. No matter how strong they were, it was impossible against that number. All they could do was.
‘Hold out until the Lord arrives.’
With that mindset, Gillian took down the enemies.
“Hang in there! We can definitely protect this!”
Shouting loudly to encourage the knights, Gillian suddenly felt a sting in his side.
Whoosh!
Turning his head, he saw one of Desmond’s knights stealthily approaching and stabbing him with a sword.
Even in the chaos, they snuck in. These were truly formidable opponents.
Gillian briefly twitched his lips.
The knight from Desmond had a twisted grin, as if he thought his attack had succeeded.
“Arrogant…”
Gillian immediately spun around, grabbing the knight by the neck roughly.
“Gah!”
CRACK!
That was the knight’s last cry. Holding onto the knight’s neck, Gillian brought down his axe on the head.
He intentionally killed the enemies in a more violent and brutal manner. Covered in blood, he resembled a frenzied beast, intimidating Desmond’s army.
“Whoever wants to die, come at me!”
KWAANG!
With every step Gillian took, the ground cracked. His shout, filled with mana, seemed to burst the surrounding air.
As he approached, Desmond’s army, whether knights or soldiers, hesitated and pulled back.
They looked at Gillian with horrified eyes, as if they were staring at an insurmountable wall.
Not just Gillian, but the knights clad in black armor were equally powerful. This place was filled with monsters.
“W-What kind of monster-like guys are these…?”
“With just this few numbers…”
“Why are there such beings in Penris…?”
Desmond’s army let out hollow laughs. They couldn’t believe it. They had clearly pushed forward with overwhelming numbers, yet it was they who were being pushed back.
They never expected there would be such strong figures aside from Count Penris. Thanks to their armaments, every soldier was showing skills close to that of a knight.
There had been rumors that the Penris army was quite excellent, so they had presumed they would at least be at the level of elite troops. They had trained for that and firmly believed their opponents would not be easy.
Rumors suggested they would be at the level of elite soldiers. They had trained hard and were certain that their opponents wouldn’t be easy to tackle.
But this wasn’t your average army. It was truly an unimaginable force.
Harold, who was observing the battle from a distance, felt the same shock.
‘What… How… Just what in the world…?’
Words failed him. They had poured a staggering 5,000 troops into this assault, intending to swiftly seize the fortress.
Yet, even this massive army was struggling to kill the enemy, let alone conquer the fortress.
‘Is this for real? That brat Ghislaine managed to create such a force?’
Those in black armor certainly looked to be on the level of knights. In fact, they seemed to be at least intermediate-level fighters.
Moreover, the soldiers were all clad in full plate armor. It would be exceedingly difficult to take down these mere infantry soldiers.
And thinking the enemy was entirely composed of archers was a big mistake. Their close combat skills were remarkably impressive.
Even just a thousand could take on ten thousand.
‘I really came close to dying at that guy’s hands.’
He felt a shiver run down his spine. Recently, a large number of troops had been recruited from the Penris Territory.
What would have happened if he had been just a little slower?
Even if he had brought in a hundred thousand, he couldn’t guarantee he could take down that guy.
Not only was it surprising that such knights had been gathered, but the figure who appeared to be the commander was even more exceptional.
He seemed to be on a level comparable to Viktor, whom Harold had carefully nurtured, someone vying for the title of the best swordsman in the North… perhaps even surpassing him.
It wasn’t just the skill; the white-haired figure was so reckless and fierce that his hair had turned bloody red from fatigue.
It was truly an action that no one would dare to perform unless they were risking their life.
Troops armed with outstanding talent and powerful equipment. When had that brat gathered and trained such people?
Harold closed his eyes.
‘It’s fate. The heavens are helping me.’
Moving without considering the Duke Faction’s orders or his relationship with the Crown Prince Faction was unlike him, but had he not done so, he would have undoubtedly fallen victim to that guy.
‘He wasn’t a rookie after all.’
Since losing Viktor, Harold changed his assessment of Ghislaine Perdium from someone fortunate to someone capable. Yet, that was still a gross underestimation.
He was a monster. That Ghislaine was a beast capable of overturning the kingdom. He was cunning enough to prepare and grow such a military force.
Neither the Duke Faction nor Harold fully understood what kind of person Ghislaine was. That’s why they kept falling into traps.
‘What a relief.’
It was good that he realized this now. Finally, he could grasp what that brat was preparing for and what he was waiting on.
‘Perhaps he was the one waiting for civil war to break out.’
No one knows exactly when a civil war will occur. That is for the Duke Faction to decide.
But if it were Ghislaine, he would surely trigger the civil war as soon as his preparations were complete.
To devour the North with that terrifying army.
‘This is it. That guy’s finished with this war.’
The foes before him were certainly formidable, but they were only a thousand. Against overwhelming numbers, they would surely collapse.
Gathering his thoughts, Harold steadied his mind and raised his hand.
“Baron Hutton.”
“Yes, Count.”
At Harold’s call, a middle-aged man approached and slightly bowed. He was the lord of Baron Hutton and an exceptionally skilled knight known for his loyalty to Desmond.
“Can you kill the enemy commander? That man with the white mane, like a lion.”
Baron Hutton squinted his eyes and gazed at the castle wall. After tracking Gillian’s movements for a moment, he lowered his head slightly and replied.
“Leave it to me.”
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