Chapter 142
Grind.
“Damn it….”
Baron Isaac clenched his sword hilt with a severe expression. But no matter how tightly he gripped, it was to no avail. After all, the enemy he needed to cut down had not yet shown themselves.
“…Thus, the Ashton County hopes that all soldiers will avoid spilling unnecessary blood. We trust that you will not be swayed by the deceitful words of a few scoundrel traitors. Your duty is to protect your family and neighbors, not to raise your sword against your comrades. Therefore…”
Raul’s voice, echoing continuously throughout the castle, was thoroughly painting them as traitors. The main issue was that most of the guards manning the outer walls had no idea what was really happening.
They were simply following their commanders’ orders, performing their usual duties. The takeover of the gates and the subduing of knights was led by a faction supporting Viscount Jaden, comprising some Chain Knights and nobles.
Had the situation continued unnoticed, the guards would have followed their commanders out of necessity. However, with Raul broadcasting the entire situation, the mood among the soldiers became increasingly uneasy.
Bang!
“Damn it. Can’t we do something about this damned broadcast?”
“Send messengers to the commanders and have them calm their troops! If we lose control, we’re in big trouble!”
But the broadcast, which had been running for more than thirty minutes, couldn’t be stopped.
Conford Castle, with a population of more than 200,000, had over a thousand magical loudspeakers and hundreds of magical screens installed.
However, these were rarely used, except during festivals or tournaments, often earning the ire of treasurers when budgeting. Who would have thought they’d be used in this way?
“As the third son of the Count, lord of Calix, bates, Franois, and Louisin, and the acting lord of Conford Castle, I, Raul de Ashton, promise that no blame will be placed on any guardsmen dragged into this rebellion unwillingly. This also extends to members of the Chain Knights who remain loyal to the Count….”
Clang, clang, clang!
“Don’t believe it! It’s all lies!”
“The real rebellion is those who’ve taken the inner castle! We are the true followers of the Count’s legacy!”
Though rebel knights and commanders were moving about, trying to reassure their troops, their morale had already plummeted.
For now, the guards were holding their positions out of fear of the knights, but they looked ready to drop their weapons and surrender at any moment.
“What do we do? We can’t maintain discipline like this.”
Isaac’s slightly trembling voice asked.
Baron Dwayne replied with a grim expression, “We need to endure… That underhanded tactic means they know they’d lose in an outright battle. We must hold out until we can join forces with Viscount Jaden.”
If the inner castle forces would come out and fight, it wouldn’t be so frustrating. But they showed no signs of doing so.
‘What’s going on? They should be the ones desperate. And Raul? How is he here when he should have returned to his domain?’
Baron Dwayne ground his teeth. This was an unexpected development. They faced the risk of their army disbanding without a battle. But time was on their side. With every passing moment, Viscount Jaden’s forces were drawing closer to Conford Castle.
While Raul’s psychological warfare was shaking them, they still controlled the gates firmly.
‘Even with such tricks, they won’t be able to reclaim this place with their insufficient knight force,’ Dwayne believed.
But the situation wasn’t unfolding as he hoped.
***
“150 meters ahead. Sector A of Zone 3 shows unidentified forces, about a hundred men, approaching!”
“Similarly, 20 cavalry units in Sector C of Zone 3 are approaching the inner castle!”
Sentinels watching over the city streets from the inner castle gate relayed their reports. Interim Commander Waylon couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘It’s all unfolding exactly as Young master Raul predicted.’
“What shall we do?”
His deputy asked, and Waylon responded calmly,
“No one is to enter the inner castle. Explain the situation and incorporate them into the interim unit.”
“Yes, sir!”
It had been an hour since the broadcast began. Raul’s recorded message continued to repeat, ensuring everyone inside the castle understood the situation.
“Tirennian de Ashton. Though modest, I’ve brought my retinue and knights to aid in quelling the traitors!”
“Welcome. We commend your loyalty to the Count’s family. Please leave the unit organization to my deputy and join the command tent over there.”
Blood relatives residing within the inner castle, hearing the news, arrived with their retainers.
“Jenito Tallen here. Please allow us to join the punitive force!”
Officials and nobles from the outer castle, too, sought to join, bringing their bodyguards and retinues. The forces gathered quickly numbered over a thousand, including more than fifty knights.
But the true reinforcement came with the arrival of:
“Welcome, elders. My apologies for causing you such trouble.”
Raul went out to greet them, bowing deeply.
“Hehe. We heard some bold fools dared to rebel against the Count’s family, so we came to see for ourselves.”
“Haha, Young master Raul. You’ve grown considerably since I last saw you. Quite impressive!”
Dozens of elders, their faces lined with wrinkles and hair turned white, stood before Raul in shining armor.
“We are ashamed to have caused strife within the family. But the traitors will be dealt with soon, so there’s no need to worry.”
Despite the rebellion, the castle remained calm, and neither Raul nor his knights and soldiers displayed any signs of panic. Instead, the confident expression on Raul’s face reassured the veteran knights, who nodded approvingly.
“Yes, Young master Raul will handle this well. But this is more than just a matter for the main family. We too bear responsibility, so allow us to help.”
“I always knew that wretched Jaden would cause trouble one day. Didn’t I say we should’ve taken care of him sooner?”
“Come on now, don’t make Young master Raul uneasy. Let’s listen to what he has to say!”
These elders were the retired previous-generation knights and central retainers. They were living witnesses to the succession struggle between Count Melvin and Viscount Jaden.
‘These people are the hidden strength of a noble family.’
Among the group, there were septuagenarians with completely white hair, but also relatively younger knights in their early fifties. What mattered was the formidable aura each one of them exuded.
‘Indeed, there is not a single one among them who should be underestimated.’
Despite the decline in their vitality and mana with age, each of them was at least mid-Expert level. With decades of accumulated experience, even the current members of the Golden Bear Knights would find them formidable opponents.
While eager to crush the traitors immediately, their seasoned discipline ensured they followed Raul’s orders with precision. As sufficient reinforcement gathered, Raul began to mobilize in earnest.
Excluding the thousand central troops defending the inner castle, the combined forces from various noble families and volunteers numbered two thousand.
Adding the First Knights, part of the Silver Bear Knights, each family’s personal guards, and the retired veteran knights, the total number of knights reached 150.
With part of the central troops joining them, a well-organized force of 2,500 soldiers and 150 knights stood assembled before the inner castle gate. Standing atop the rampart with a magical loudspeaker, Raul issued an ultimatum.
“I address the foolish rebel leaders. Disarm and surrender now, and I will show mercy to your families, sparing them severe punishment. However, if you resist, not only will you be held accountable, but so will your families and associates! I give you exactly ten minutes. If there is no response, you will no longer be considered part of the Count’s family, and I will proceed with forcible suppression.”
The atmosphere among the rebels shifted dramatically upon hearing Raul’s proclamation. Unlike their earlier confidence, seeing the assembly of forces before the inner castle caused visible unrest.
Raul, aiming to drive the point home, continued, “Furthermore, to the guard corps and the Chain Knights, I do not want to see innocent youths shedding blood. I understand you were merely fulfilling your duty to guard the walls. Therefore, as the highest authority of Conford Castle, I command you: Do not waver and maintain your posts. Do not waste your lives in this meaningless battle. Remain at your stations until the traitors are eliminated. I pledge on my honor that none of you will be punished unjustly.”
***
The ten minutes Raul had allotted were slipping away helplessly. The rebel leaders gathered at the central rampart of the First Outer Wall were in disarray.
“What do we do? Nearly half our forces have already deserted.”
“Can we trust the Chain Knights? What if they turn on us?”
“The punitive force outnumbers us. We’re outmatched in manpower.”
“Our knights are also outnumbered, and those in the center seem to be former knights and instructors….”
Every word spoken only added to the gloom. They had called in the forces dispersed at each gate in preparation for battle, yet less than half had arrived. That left them with 3,000 men. Out of these, 2,000 were from the guard corps, whose loyalty was questionable.
Moreover, many Chain Knights, who were supposed to be leading the troops, showed signs of joining the defectors. Raul had generously provided a way out, making it unlikely that they would stick around for a hopeless fight to the end.
‘How did it come to this?’
Baron Isaac sighed. Just two hours. The time they had held the gates and dreamt of a brilliant future had lasted a mere two hours. In another two or three hours, Viscount Jaden would arrive, but there was no certainty they could hold out until then.
‘No. We must hold out.’
With Raul branding them as traitors through the magical loudspeakers, there was no turning back. They had to hold the gates and buy time by any means necessary.
‘Even if we can’t, we must inflict as much damage as possible.’
Should they cause enough chaos, even if the gates remained closed, Viscount Jaden’s forces might have a better chance of taking the castle.
‘If Viscount Jaden seizes the castle, there will be another chance. He’ll need collaborators, after all.’
At that moment, a flash of inspiration struck Baron Isaac.
“Listen up.”
Isaac began, rallying the hesitant commanders around him.
“We have one last shot at this. We need to create enough chaos within the inner castle to weaken their defenses before Viscount Jaden arrives. Split the forces into smaller units and focus on sabotage and hit-and-run tactics. Distract them, confuse them, and make them think our numbers are larger than they are. This isn’t just a siege; it’s psychological warfare now.”
The commanders exchanged wary looks but nodded in agreement. They had to act fast.
“They may outnumber us in sheer force, but their morale is their strength. If we can break that, they might crumble.”
Isaac’s plan was a desperate gamble, but in their situation, it was the only card left to play. Outside, Raul stood calmly, watching the central rampart through his magical binoculars. He could feel the tension from the rebel leaders, and he knew they were scrambling.
Raul turned to his forces, his voice steady and commanding through the magical loudspeaker.
“Hold your positions and remain vigilant. They’re desperate, and desperate men are dangerous. But know this: we stand for justice, order, and the future of the Count’s domain. Together, we will prevail.”
His words instilled a sense of resolute calm in his troops. Raul knew that maintaining unity and morale was key. Back on the rampart, isaac’s mind raced as he formulated the details of his last-ditch effort. Time was running out, and the next few hours would determine the fate of Conford Castle.
“Baron Dwayne, a moment….”
“What is it?”
“At this stage, there’s no need to pick and choose our methods, right?”
“……?”
“Let’s break down the castle gate and set the city on fire!”
“What are you saying!”
“If we lose, we’re as good as dead anyway. If we destroy the gate and set the city ablaze, do you really think they can manage that in three hours? By then, Viscount Jaden will have arrived with reinforcements, and without the gates, he can join us directly.”
“But how will we fend off the returning central forces and Dylan? And if we burn the city, we’ll lose any support from neutral nobles!”
“What does it matter if we’re about to die! We can worry about the consequences later.”
At that moment, the ten minutes Raul had given them had expired.
Toot!
Trumpeters in the inner castle sounded their horns, and the waiting punitive forces finally began to advance.
“We have to decide now! There’s no time!”
“…….”
The movement of the punitive forces caused further unrest among their ranks. Some of the private soldiers waiting by the gates were trembling so much that they were dropping their weapons.
It seemed increasingly unlikely they could win against Raul’s forces.
‘Damn it.’
Baron Dwayne squeezed his eyes shut. Though a branch member of the Ashton household, the idea of burning the family’s stronghold wasn’t an easy decision for him to make.
But in the end, he opened his mouth.
“…Do it. Have the archers load fire arrows and select the swiftest men to set fires in the city around the Second Outer Wall.”
“Excellent decision. We’ll settle this debt with them soon enough.”
Just then, as Baron Isaac turned to issue orders to his subordinates, he bumped into someone.
“Ah, baron Lamar. Just in time. Could you have some members of the Chain Knights…”
“I’ve heard enough. My ears are rotting from this filth.”
“What’s the meaning of this? Are you insulting m—Aaargh!”
“Subdue them all!”
Hundreds of yellow mana blades suddenly sprang up within the rebel camp.
(To be continued)