Chapter 402: Waging War Like Hell (2)
The trebuchets prepared by Roderick’s army were as many as twenty, all of them large-scale siege weapons.
Each stone hurled from those massive trebuchets possessed immense destructive power.
However, none of those stones reached the walls of Fortress Silverlight.
Crash!
Kaaaaa-boom!
Lightning from the sky struck down, shattering all the incoming stones.
“The enemy mage has moved!”
“Deploy the mana barrier!”
Roderick’s mages scrambled into action. They needed to block the mages of Fenris and counterattack.
Dranesh, the leader of the mages and a 6th-circle master, shouted.
“Fenris’ top mage is a 6th-circle mage! The others are lower circles, so we can seal them off. Neutralize their mages first, then resume the trebuchet assault and attack the walls with magic!”
In war, the basic principle was to weaken the enemy’s morale with long-range attacks. The more mages available, the easier that task became.
The magical battle between the two forces resumed.
Fenris also had nearly a hundred mages in their ranks.
However, Roderick’s army had not one, but three 6th-circle mages. Just one of them could hold back Fenris’ top mage alone.
And with the remaining two 6th-circle mages, they could easily suppress the lower-circle mages.
That would allow their 5th-circle and remaining mages to unleash a relentless barrage of spells on the Fenris forces.
“We’ll attack first!”
Roderick’s mages confidently cast their spells. Attacking first would force the enemy to focus more on defense.
Fwoooosh!
A barrage of spells erupted from Roderick’s side. This level of magic could not only wipe out the soldiers on the walls but also shatter the fortress itself.
The opposing mages would be too busy dispelling the magic to counterattack.
Dranesh extended his hand forward and shouted with confidence once more.
“Don’t hold back your mana! They won’t be able to dispel all of it!”
If Fenris’ 6th-circle mage exhausted their mana for defense, the combined assault from Roderick’s two remaining 6th-circle mages would break through.
No matter how hard the lower-circle mages tried, they wouldn’t be able to stop the remaining attacks.
Dranesh truly believed this until a woman stepped forward atop the walls of Fortress Silverlight.
“Vanish.”
Vanessa calmly whispered while tracing her hand through the air.
At that moment, hundreds of spells hurtling toward Silverlight dissolved like a mirage and disappeared.
“Huh?”
Dranesh blinked in disbelief.
This kind of phenomenon was impossible.
Even if all the Fenris mages had pooled their power to focus solely on dispelling, the magic should have been dispelled gradually, starting with the weaker spells.
The mages of Roderick were so shocked that their barrage momentarily ceased.
“W-What was that?”
“Do they have more mages than us?”
“That makes no sense!”
They knew Fenris had around a hundred mages, information that was already verified.
However, most of those were low-circle mages. They couldn’t possibly dispel such high-circle magic in an instant like this.
While Roderick’s mages were frozen in confusion, Vanessa elegantly raised her hand once again.
“Fire Pillar.”
It was only a 5th-circle spell but cast by a 7th-circle mage. And it wasn’t just a single spell, but a multi-casting technique far beyond ordinary reach.
Massive pillars of fire erupted simultaneously across Roderick’s ranks.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Aaaah!”
Before Roderick’s army could recover, the blazing flames surged through their trebuchets and siege towers.
Kaaa-boom!
The massive siege weapons were consumed by the flames, reduced to ash.
Finally, Dranesh snapped out of his stupor and shouted.
“Dispel it now! I’ll launch a counterattack!”
The 6th-circle mage beside him gathered mana and cast Dispel. A few of the fire pillars wavered before vanishing.
But only a few.
The inferno continued to rage across the battlefield.
Kraaash! Boom!
“What are you waiting for?! Dispel it now!”
“My mana isn’t enough!”
Another 6th-circle mage cried out in desperation. The sheer magical force was overwhelming his spells.
Dranesh turned to another mage.
“Help him now!”
Kaa-boom!
The flames diminished slightly as more mages joined forces, yet the fire pillars still towered.
“It’s no use! The mana resistance is too strong!”
“What nonsense!”
Grinding his teeth, Dranesh joined in the dispelling of the enemy spells himself.
And immediately, he felt the crushing weight of overwhelming power pressing against him.
Rumble…
Even with three 6th-circle mages pouring in all their strength, the enemy’s magic was overpowering them completely.
The mana that had surged into the space was rearranging itself, materializing into magic.
Kwoooom! Kwoooom! Kwoom!
“Uaaaagh!”
As the barrage of spells continued, the soldiers who had been desperately trying to dodge while maintaining formation began to fall into chaos, one by one.
Seeing this, Dranesh broke into a cold sweat and shouted urgently.
“E-Everyone! Focus your strength! Dispel the magic, now!”
Eventually, even the 5th-circle mages and the lower-circle mages joined in the effort to dispel the magic.
With nearly half of their mages working together and pouring out their mana, the enemy’s magic was finally neutralized.
Yet, the opposing magic kept pressing into the space, trying to break through. The sheer force made Roderick’s mages feel genuine fear.
Their leader, Dranesh, stammered, his teeth chattering.
“W-What… Who could possibly be over there…?”
It made no sense. The highest-ranked mage in Fenris was known to be a 6th-circle mage.
While a 6th-circle mage was undoubtedly powerful, there was no way they could hold off this many mages alone.
To accomplish such a feat, one would have to reach the transcendent level of a 7th-circle mage. But the only 7th-circle mage in the north, Delmud, was already dead.
“Who… who in the world is it?!”
Vanessa who had only recently reached the 7th circle, a fact kept hidden by Ghislain. It was no surprise they were struggling to comprehend the situation.
There was no time for them to figure out their opponent’s identity. If they faltered now, the mana barrier would be breached.
“This power… it’s impossible. No single person could do this…”
All of Roderick’s high-circle mages were tied up. Counting the lower-circle mages as well, their magical strength was equivalent to two or three magic towers combined yet their strength has been completely blocked.
Though Vanessa, a 7th-circle mage, was also occupied, Fenris, with its smaller numbers, was at a greater advantage.
Dranesh refused to accept the situation.
“Damn it! Attack the fortress with the remaining mages! Fenris has no more mages left to resist! They must be using some kind of trick!”
The existence of a 7th-circle mage was unthinkable. Dranesh clung to the belief that Fenris’ entire force had combined their strength using some complex technique.
Roderick’s remaining mages numbered around fifty. Most were 4th-circle or lower, but if Fenris truly had no more mages, they could still overwhelm them.
Fwoooosh! Fwoosh!
Another wave of spells surged from Roderick’s ranks.
Though they were low-circle spells, they were still deadly enough to inflict serious damage on ordinary soldiers.
Whoooosh…
Yet the spells vanished before they could even reach the walls.
Instead, low-circle spells were now being cast from Fenris’ side in retaliation.
“There are still mages left?!”
Dranesh screamed in disbelief.
Blocking the attacks of fifty mages meant the opposing side still had a comparable number of spellcasters.
However, the mages remaining on Fenris’ side were clearly of a lower level.
Roderick’s surviving mages could block their attacks as well.
Flick! Swish! Zap!
With all high-circle mages engaged against each other, the remaining low-circle spells from both sides fizzled out harmlessly, exchanged without effect.
Ascon muttered while watching the back-and-forth.
“This fight’s a joke… I feel embarrassed just watching it.”
The so-called battle between the strongest armies of the north and west looked more like a village festival fireworks display than a magical duel.
Claude smirked and added, “Well, we’ve still got one more card to play.”
The enemy forces were still in disarray, unable to regroup properly. Most of their trebuchets had been destroyed thanks to Vanessa. Their siege towers had also been largely dismantled.
Claude extended his hand forward, signaling a figure to step out.
“Hah… Finally, my turn, huh?”
Though all the high-circle mages were locked in magical combat, Fenris still had one more powerful mage remaining, Alfoi, who had just recently advanced to the 5th circle.
He hadn’t yet mastered 5th-circle spells, but thanks to the Dragon Heart, his mana capacity had already surpassed the standard for a 5th-circle mage.
Claude looked at him and asked, “Think you can handle it?”
“My 4th-circle spells hit like a 6th-circle’s.”
Alfoi’s boast made everyone chuckle. Despite all the training time he had been given, he still hadn’t fully learned 5th-circle magic.
Yet, even with just 4th-circle spells, he was powerful enough to face knights head-on. His skills were more than sufficient to handle enemy soldiers.
“Fire Lance! Fire Lance! Fire Lance!”
Years of practical experience had made Alfoi one of the most efficient mana manipulators in the territory. Alfoi then rapidly casts fire lances shot out toward Roderick’s ranks.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Argh! They still have mages left!”
Alfoi continued his relentless spellcasting, launching fire lances uncontested.
With no mages left to stop Alfoi, Roderick’s army had no choice but to suffer under the rain of flames.
Empowered by the vast mana reserve from the Dragon Heart, Alfoi unleashed magic wildly.
‘Yes! This is it! This is me!’
Consumed with excitement, he cast his spells with even greater enthusiasm.
He had never truly played an active role in battle before. His primary task had always been acting as a living mana reservoir for Vanessa, supplying her with magical energy.
Now, for the first time, he was casting spells directly on the battlefield and he was overjoyed.
‘My name will be known far and wide after this!’
Fueled by a thirst for fame, Alfoi gave his all.
In fact, against such a massive army, using rapid 4th-circle spells seemed more effective than slow 5th-circle ones. He had already cast dozens of spells, yet, his mana reserves felt endless.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The massive army of 60,000 wasn’t wiped out in a single strike, but the damage and confusion among their ranks were undeniable.
“Knights, intercept him!”
With their magical forces tied up, Roderick’s knights surged forward, using their shields to block the incoming spells.
It was as if Alfoi alone were holding off dozens of knights, an extraordinary feat. Yet he grew visibly frustrated when his spells started getting blocked.
‘What the hell?! Why are they blocking my spells now? I should be wiping them out completely!’
He had no idea how crucial his actions were at the moment. He was so fixated on his spells being blocked that he failed to grasp his own massive contribution to the battle.
In warfare, neutralizing the opponent’s magical forces was always a priority. With both sides’ mages locked in magical combat, Roderick’s army began moving aggressively.
“Kill those bastards already!”
Marquis Roderick, his face flushed with rage, could barely contain his fury. His magical forces had been neutralized with minimal results.
Commanders across the battlefield echoed his orders.
“Reform the ranks and advance!”
“Abandon the trebuchets! Bring forward the remaining siege towers!”
“We’ll take the fortress in one charge!”
The sheer momentum of the advancing 60,000 soldiers was staggering. Their march alone was overwhelming to witness.
Even more concerning, ten massive siege towers remained operational. Just one could be enough to capture a small fortress, and here they had ten.
Rumble…
The soldiers began pushing the siege towers forward.
If those ten towers reached the fortress walls, Fenris’ forces would have no way to stop them.
“Infantry, clear the path!”
The heavy infantry, shields raised high, formed a defensive formation as they moved forward cautiously. Their role was to shield the siege towers from enemy archers.
Fortress Silverlight was slightly elevated compared to the surrounding terrain. The difference was barely noticeable from afar, but the soldiers pushing the siege towers could feel the incline.
“Damn it, it’s sloped? This is harder than training!”
“Keep pushing! Once we get close enough, they’re finished.”
“Push harder! The ground’s sloped!”
Even a slight incline made pushing the massive siege towers incredibly difficult due to their immense weight.
Despite the struggle, Fenris’ forces remained silent. No arrows were fired. No counterattacks.
Only Ascon’s voice echoed faintly, cursing.
“Hey, Marquis Roderick, you dumb bastard!”
Fueled by frustration and rage, Roderick’s commanders barked louder.
“Move faster!”
“The closer we get, the easier it will be to strike back! Keep advancing!”
Urged on by their commanders, the soldiers pushed harder.
But the closer they came, the harder it became to move.
Squish… Squish… Squish…
The ground beneath them had turned to a thick, muddy mixture of dirt and sand, reaching up to their ankles.
“Damn it! Is the soil in the north really this bad?”
“Look at all this sand! It’s a nightmare!”
“The sand’s making it impossible to walk!”
Naturally, the siege towers slowed even further. The incline combined with the muddy terrain made pushing them nearly impossible.
Squish! Squish! Squish!
The soldiers trudged through the mire, their boots sinking deeper with each step.
For soldiers accustomed to fighting on solid plains, this marshy terrain was exhausting.
They were almost at the walls. Just a bit closer and the siege towers would be in position.
Yet, Fenris still hadn’t launched a single arrow.
Roderick’s forces took it as a sign of hesitation and surged forward with renewed determination.
They were now close enough to see the defenders clearly when Claude finally spoke.
“You know… war really isn’t much different from a card game. It’s about taking turns, revealing your hand, and seeing who has the better cards. And in the end, the one with the strongest cards wins.”
He smirked, gesturing with his hand.
“Open the first floodgate.”
At Claude’s command, Fenris’ soldiers moved swiftly. Small openings near the base of Fortress Silverlight’s walls suddenly burst open.
WHOOSH!
Water came gushing out, flooding the already unstable terrain.