Chapter 368: Can Everyone Hold Out? (1)
“Lord, it seems the Marquisate’s forces have begun to move.”
“They’re closing in as if to surround this area.”
“As expected, it seems they intend to settle things here.”
Hearing the reports from the knights who had gone out scouting, Ghislain nodded.
Despite raiding as many as seven territories thus far, the enemy had neither pursued properly nor established a defensive line.
No matter how complacent the Marquisate might be, they couldn’t possibly be that foolish. If they were, they wouldn’t have managed to dominate the western region in the first place.
As expected, they appeared to have prepared thoroughly to capture him.
“What’s the current estimate of their numbers?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, the knights who had returned from their scouting missions answered Ghislain’s question.
“From the north, approximately 4,000 soldiers are approaching. All are infantry.”
“From the west, about 3,000 soldiers are advancing. Half are cavalry, and the other half are infantry.”
“From the south, another 3,000 soldiers are coming. They primarily consist of siege weapon units, archers, and infantry.”
The knights who had accompanied Ghislain until now showed a completely different demeanor than before. While they still acted casual and unruly, much like mercenaries or idlers, their demeanor transformed entirely in the face of battle.
Ghislain nodded and posed another question.
“This time, their numbers are significant. What about their speed?”
Gillian answered this time.
“They could have arrived already if they wanted to. It seems they’re deliberately slowing their march. They’re taking their time while keeping scouts monitoring this area.”
Ghislain narrowed his eyes at that statement.
If their intent was to rescue the estate, they wouldn’t be approaching this leisurely. The proper strategy would be to charge in as quickly as possible and coordinate with the castle’s forces for an assault.
The fact that they were intentionally slowing down meant only one thing.
“They intend to isolate us.”
He could see through the enemy’s intentions. Their plan was to lure them in, surround them, and trap them inside the castle to exhaust their strength.
Ghislain turned his gaze toward the distant castle.
“Hm, their numbers are considerable this time.”
Focusing his eyesight, he saw soldiers densely packed along the castle walls.
News about their exploits had already spread far and wide. Naturally, the castle’s defenses were on high alert.
Ghislain took out a ledger and flipped through its pages.
“Let’s see, Barony of Daiker… roughly 3,000 troops, it seems. Not many knights, though.”
The book contained information about the Roderick Marquisate and the surrounding territories.
Some of the data was collected locally, but the majority came from Dominic of the Drake Mercenary Corps. Being based in the western region and previously under the Marquisate’s employ for dirty deeds, they had an abundance of intelligence.
After tucking the book back into his coat, Ghislain continued.
“Not many knights, but they do have a lot of soldiers. Everyone will need to exert themselves today. We need to crush them here to secure our rear. We’ll strike as soon as night falls. Understood?”
Gordon glanced between the castle and Ghislain before asking.
“What about the enemies coming to capture us? If they’re trying to encircle us, wouldn’t it be dangerous if they attack while we’re engaged?”
The other knights showed signs of slight unease. If 10,000 enemies surrounded them mid-battle, even a Master like their lord would find it challenging.
Even if they somehow won, most of the knights would be dead or gravely wounded.
However, Ghislain simply laughed as if to dispel their worries.
“This place is bait. Their strategy is to trap us here. They won’t attack mid-fight, afraid we might flee. So, let’s play along and reap the benefits.”
“Oh….”
Having spent so much time with Ghislain, the knights quickly grasped his meaning.
“Indeed, if they truly want to capture you, they’d have to trap you first before striking.”
“In that case, it makes sense for them to encircle the castle fully before committing to an attack.”
“Yeah, there’s no way they’d mobilize this many troops just to catch a group of 400 raiders. You’re definitely their target, my lord.”
Unlike before, these knights were no longer naive when it came to warfare.
Though they hadn’t formally studied military strategy, their experiences with Ghislain had sharpened their intuition and insight. This practical knowledge would serve them well in future battles. In dire moments, knowing the best course of action was crucial for survival.
Of course, outside of warfare, they were still somewhat hapless. But Ghislain cared only about their ability to perform on the battlefield.
Smiling in satisfaction at their growth, Ghislain nodded.
“Exactly. Their goal isn’t you; it’s me. Capturing me isn’t something they can manage through ordinary means. At the very least, they’ve laid out this much bait for me. Hah, being popular is such a hassle.”
“…….”
The knights wore slightly awkward expressions.
‘What’s with this overblown self-esteem…’
‘But I can’t really argue with him…’
‘Being famous must be nice. I want to be famous too…’
“What’s with those faces? Anyway, let’s move as they want us to this time. Don’t worry, we can win easily.”
“Yes!”
The knights quickly cast aside their concerns and responded energetically. If their lord spoke with such confidence, it meant victory was certain.
All they needed to do was focus on the battle and pillaging, just as they had done until now.
“Let’s go all out again today.”
“Eating something tasty afterward is the best feeling.”
“This place is bigger, so there’ll be even more to take.”
Wicked smiles spread across their faces as they shifted in anticipation.
While they had often staged mock raids within their own domain, this was their first time conducting an actual raid. Even then, they had discovered that pillaging suited them perfectly.
Since they targeted small territories, there were hardly any knights or soldiers to defend them. It was so easy it felt impossible not to enjoy it.
As the knights chatted gleefully, ready for another fun assault, Ghislain issued a new order.
“This time, we’ll do things a bit differently. The assault team will open the castle gate. Fifty men will be selected.”
Kaor’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What? Why? We’ve always attacked together before! And they have 3,000 troops over there!”
“If we all go and occupy the castle, the enemy will quickly surround us. Then we’ll lose the horses. Once the assault team opens the gate, we’ll ride in.”
“Who cares if we lose the horses? There’ll be more inside! We can bring them back after we occupy the place!”
“No. I’m not leaving Kkoko behind.”
At that, the Black King snorted as if laughing, dramatically flicking his mane to the side.
“…”
Kaor stared at the Black King for a moment before asking again.
“So… you’re telling me to take 50 men, open the gate, and let the rest in?”
“Exactly. Think of it as training. This is what the assault team does. Don’t like it? Then Gillian can go instead.”
Without missing a beat, Gillian bowed his head and replied, “I’ll head in and open the gate immediately.”
Kaor hastily changed his tune.
“No, no! I’ll go! Something like this will be a piece of cake! Hey, you lot, you’re up for it, right?”
The fifty knights, all former members of the Mad Dogs and now part of the assault team, collectively sighed.
‘Should’ve just sent the old man.’
‘Today’s gonna be exhausting.’
‘If we’re unlucky, we might end up injured or dead.’
No matter how strong they were, fighting against 3,000 soldiers was no easy feat. They had to kill as many as possible early on and open the gate quickly.
If they failed, they would collapse from exhaustion and be mercilessly trampled.
While it was possible to leave only a few behind to bring the horses in after opening the gate, Ghislain deliberately rotated a small number of personnel to toughen them through training.
As dusk settled, Ghislain rose from his rest and gave the command.
“The sun’s down. Go and open the gate.”
The knights all pulled the hoods of their robes over their heads.
From the start, Ghislain had planned to conduct a nighttime raid and plunder, ensuring their attire was prepared accordingly.
—
Rustle, rustle…
Kaor and the assault team silently approached the castle.
The knights had all been trained by Belinda in techniques to conceal their presence and move quietly. While not on par with assassins, they were skilled enough to evade detection by ordinary soldiers.
Kaor, however, still ground his teeth in frustration, recalling the countless times Belinda had kicked him in the shins during training. He vowed to repay her someday.
As they neared the castle, Kaor muttered under his breath.
“Ugh… this time, they’re really on high alert.”
Their previous methods had already been exposed, so the guards were exceptionally vigilant.
Soldiers patrolled the walls meticulously, and torches had been installed everywhere to illuminate the area in front of the castle.
While experts like Ghislain, Gillian, or Kaor could move within the shadows cast by the torches, most knights lacked such skill.
Inevitably, one of the sharp-eyed guards on the wall noticed faint, shifting shadows.
“W-Wait! There’s something! Something’s approaching!”
The other soldiers immediately tensed. They raised their spears and prepared a variety of defensive weapons to repel anyone climbing the walls.
However, before they could deploy any of these weapons, a grappling hook latched onto the wall.
Thunk.
“Huh? Huh?!”
The nearest soldier froze, his mind blank, unable to decide what to do.
“You idiot! Get rid of it!”
A senior soldier quickly ran toward the grappling hook, but it was too late. Kaor had already climbed the rope and leapt onto the wall.
With a wicked grin, he brandished his greatsword.
“Behold, my grand entrance.”
“Enemy on the wall!”
Seeing Kaor’s smirking face, the soldiers shouted and thrust their spears at him.
Boom!
Kaor dodged the incoming spears and immediately swung his greatsword.
Boom!
“Argh!”
The soldiers blocking his way were instantly cut down. Watching them collapse, Kaor grinned.
“Big weapons really are the best for taking down weaklings.”
As he chuckled, shouts echoed from all directions.
“Get him!”
“There’s only one enemy!”
The soldiers on guard all rushed to the spot where Kaor had climbed the wall.
The sight of thousands of troops converging was indeed impressive. But Kaor wasn’t alone.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
Dozens of grappling hooks latched onto the wall. Knights, still finding it challenging to vault the wall directly, climbed up swiftly using the ropes.
“Charge!”
“Kill them!”
“There aren’t many! We can stop them!”
The soldiers of the Barony of Daiker, confident in their superior numbers, pressed forward. At a glance, it was clear that the attackers numbered only about fifty. With thousands of their own troops present, the soldiers were certain they could repel them.
Even Kaor, seeing the wave of approaching soldiers, shouted urgently.
“Get down quickly! Move now!”
To descend, they first needed to clear the soldiers blocking their way. Kaor and the knights immediately sprang into action.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Fenris knights swiftly cut down dozens of enemies. However, the distance they advanced remained minimal.
Kaor clenched his teeth. Though the wall wasn’t particularly wide, he had assumed they’d be able to descend quickly. Yet, the sheer number of soldiers was impossible to ignore.
In fact, the narrowness of the wall allowed the soldiers to fill the space more rapidly.
Kaor muttered under his breath without realizing it.
“Damn it… What now?”
More soldiers climbed up from below, but the frontline was so packed that they couldn’t even approach Kaor and his group.
The density of soldiers pressing toward them was overwhelming.
‘Think, think…’
No matter how hard he tried, all Kaor could envision was charging forward.
Despite racking his brain, he couldn’t think of a faster way to descend. Frustrated, he eventually gave up on thinking and considered something else.
‘Should I just kill all 3,000 of them?’
The idea was undeniably flashy but seemed impossible, no matter how strong he was.
Of course, if he and the fifty knights poured everything they had into it, they might be able to take out close to 2,000 enemies.
But then they’d all meet a glorious death.
Kaor had no desire to die so recklessly. Breaking through the soldiers blocking their path was the better option.
“Hey! Block the flanks! The rest of you, follow me and push through!”
When it came to combat, the Fenris knights were well-trained. Half the group quickly held their positions, fending off the soldiers attacking from the sides.
Kaor hurled his greatsword forward.
Boom!
“Argh!”
Several soldiers fell in a single sweep. Kaor exhaled deeply as he observed the opening he had created.
“Hah… Looks like we really have no choice but to fight seriously now.”
He had to admit, the battles so far had been far too easy. He understood why Ghislain had thrust them into this situation.
Sometimes, a dose of real tension was necessary to keep their instincts sharp—a notion Kaor agreed with.
He drew the two swords hanging from his waist.
Clang!
Ghislain had ordered all Fenris knights to master the use of multiple weapons. Kaor had focused on dual-sword techniques.
That had been Ghislain’s suggestion.
—
“You hardly ever use a shield anyway. Why not train with two swords?”
“Two swords? But I’m not good with my left hand.”
“That’s why you need to practice. If you lose your right hand in a fight, do you just plan to die?”
“…”
“Plus, using two swords doubles your attack power. What do you think?”
“Oh…”
At the time, Kaor had nodded, finding the argument surprisingly convincing.
After all, even Gillian used two axes when dealing with weaker enemies. If Kaor mastered dual-sword techniques, he wouldn’t feel inferior to Gillian.
—
Thanks to his serious approach to training, Kaor had become quite adept with two swords.
“Charge! Kill them all!”
The soldiers rushed in, filling the empty spaces as they charged toward him.
Kaor grinned as he twirled the swords in his hands.
“Double the attack power. Here we go.”
Swish! Swish!
Kaor’s body moved like lightning, and the two swords danced through the air like flowing water.