Chapter 405: Let the Hunt Begin. (1)
The Roderick army’s command was deeply troubled by the fact that there wasn’t even a village to plunder.
The food supply was rapidly depleting and there was no way to obtain more.
“Find a solution! A solution!”
As Marquis Roderick continuously urged them, his retainers began to propose ideas one by one.
“How about occupying another castle for now?”
“Hmm… With the enemy behind us?”
“If our food runs out, this army will collapse completely. What if we occupy a small castle, regroup, and then return? Fortunately, the roads within Fenris’ territory are well maintained, so we can move quickly.”
Leaving an enemy behind in a war was an extremely risky strategy. Not only could supply lines be cut, but they could also be surrounded.
However, the supply lines were already severed. Attacking another castle to draw out Fortress Silverlight’s forces didn’t seem like a terrible idea.
Another retainer, after hesitating, objected.
“Count Fenris is a warlord. If he has gathered everyone into his castles instead of the villages, then he must have prepared thoroughly for war there as well. We lack siege weapons. Taking even a small castle with just ladders would be difficult.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“Rather, why not retreat… and reclaim Linderstein?”
“……”
“The surrounding vassals are struggling, but if we push them hard enough, there should still be resources to requisition. If we secure siege weapons and food again, we can reclaim Linderstein.”
“Ugh… Are you telling me to admit defeat?”
“If we don’t retreat now… we won’t have enough food to return west.”
“……”
Marquis Roderick bit his lips hard, sinking deep into thought.
If they failed to capture another castle, they might truly be unable to return. Retreating now would be their only chance to reach the west at all.
But returning like this meant acknowledging defeat after losing troops. The nobles would surely ridicule him, and his vassals might even break away from the Roderick family’s influence. His current forces were nowhere near what they had once been.
“If we return, can we truly retake Linderstein?”
The Fenris forces stationed at Linderstein were smaller than his own, but Count Fenris himself, a master, was holding the fortress.
They had failed to take Fortress Silverlight, reclaiming the much larger Linderstein was far from certain.
“If we gather all remaining troops and supplies from the surrounding vassals’ estates, it’s possible. We can also replenish siege equipment. Wasn’t Linderstein already damaged by trebuchet strikes?”
Despite having already squeezed his vassals dry, these retainers believed they could extract even more.
They had no regard for the suffering of others. Their mindset was simply to take what they needed by force.
“We need to survive first.”
“Honestly, we’ve already lost 30,000 men. Why keep fighting?”
“I just want to go home.”
Having faced such a crushing defeat, their morale was shattered. They had never experienced such a loss before.
Now, they simply wanted to return home as soon as possible.
While Marquis Roderick was still deliberating, a knight covered in dust arrived. He was a distant relative of the marquis who had been stationed at Linderstein.
Marquis Roderick was shocked to see him.
“You! You’re alive?”
He had struggled to believe the previous reports. Seeing someone who had been at Linderstein in person, he was desperate for answers.
The knight cried out in anguish.
“Count Selverk has betrayed us!”
“What?”
“And the other vassals are changing their banners as we speak!”
“What nonsense is this? Explain yourself clearly!”
“Linderstein has been captured by Count Fenris! I fled to other vassal estates, but…”
After being entrusted with Linderstein, Count Selverk had used its forces to pressure the surrounding vassals.
This was because Ghislain had ordered him to pacify the western region.
Count Selverk acted aggressively, not wanting to be labeled a traitor alone. His goal was to ensure Fenris had a justified cause while securing his own safety.
If Fenris lost, Selverk would have to face Marquis Roderick anyway.
The western vassals, too weak to resist, had no choice but to surrender. The remaining defeated soldiers could do nothing but flee.
“Those bastards dare!”
Even the vassals had betrayed him. Marquis Roderick now had nowhere to turn.
Even if he returned west, the disloyal vassals would fight against him. Attempting to sway them back would be futile.
“Ugh! Count of Fenris! That bastard Count of Fenris!”
He had suffered without even putting up a proper fight. It was all because he had divided his forces. He should have led his entire army to strike Fenris from the beginning.
There was never a guarantee of victory even if they returned, but now that the vassals had betrayed him, it was truly over. There was no longer any way to secure even a small amount of food.
Marquis Roderick, seething with rage, shouted in a voice full of fury.
“Attack another castle immediately! Fenris is said to have plenty of food, so even the smaller castles must have stockpiles!”
This time, his retainers could no longer object. In this situation, they had to resolve matters here in the north.
Returning west would only deplete their supplies further and leave the soldiers exhausted.
After a moment of thought, Tennant spoke up.
“You’re right about taking another castle. But before that, what if we try to acquire some food from Raypold?”
“Raypold? You mean the estate that woman controls?”
“Yes. Isn’t it known as one of the wealthiest areas in the north? Countess Raypold may be a woman, but she’s known for her generosity toward her people, which means she must have secured plenty of food. Surely, there would be enough to support us.”
“Ugh, and you expect me to beg a woman for aid? Wouldn’t that tarnish my honor?”
“It’s merely a fair trade. If you promise a grand reward later, she will provide it without complaint.”
Surely, Amelia wouldn’t dare refuse the request of the most powerful force in the west. If she rejected them, she would face severe consequences later.
Even in their desperate situation, these men clung to their pride as the strongest force in the west.
They still had 30,000 soldiers though half their original numbers, it was still more than the Fenris forces.
If they could just crush Fenris, the western traitors would be easy to handle afterward.
“I will allow it. Send an envoy to Raypold at once. Tell her to provide food support and promise that, after the war, she will receive any northern or western territory of her choice as a reward.”
Marquis Roderick spoke with a smug expression, though the reward he offered was indeed substantial.
In exchange for temporary food support during the war, he was offering permanent control over a noble estate.
With the same arrogance as their master, Roderick’s envoys marched proudly to Amelia.
“If you provide food for us, we will reward you with any estate you desire once we emerge victorious…”
Before the envoy could finish, Amelia cut him off with a look of sheer disbelief.
“Are you insane? You’re losing this war, and you dare ask me for food?”
“Countess! What are you saying? Do you not fear the consequences? We still have 30,000 troops”
“Get out of my sight. If you keep bothering me, I’ll personally march against your marquis.”
“…….”
Intimidated by Amelia’s terrifying threat, the envoy had no choice but to return empty-handed.
She was already furious due to the chaos caused by the Salvation Church. A previously unknown faction had surfaced, throwing her entire strategy into disarray.
Because Ghislain and the royal faction had been stirring up conflict using the Salvation Church as an excuse, all her carefully laid plans had to be redrawn from scratch.
Already frustrated, Amelia had no patience for fools losing a war and still demanding food with such arrogance.
When the envoy returned empty-handed, Marquis Roderick erupted once more.
“Argh! That woman dares to mock me! The north is filled with nothing but lunatics!”
Not only had he failed to secure food, but he had also been thoroughly humiliated. Never before had he been treated this way in his life.
“I will conquer Fenris and burn the entire north to ashes! Move the army immediately!”
Fenris would fall next. Then, he would execute every noble who refused to submit.
Marquis Roderick steeled his resolve and began to march his troops.
There was no other option now. They had to capture another castle, secure food, and reorganize.
Their target was a fortress far from Silverlight.
With no path of retreat left, Roderick’s army moved swiftly along the roads.
At the fortress gates, Tennant addressed the soldiers.
“Silverlight may send reinforcements to defend this place! But that would be to our advantage! Detach 10,000 men to guard the rear against any counterattack! If the enemy appears, the rest will regroup and annihilate them!”
Without siege weapons, it wouldn’t be easy to capture the fortress. However, it was a small one with only about 2,000 defenders.
If the Roderick army attacked in full force, the castle would surely fall.
“Fenris is rich in food! If we take this castle, we will feast! Advance!”
“Yaaaaah!”
Roderick’s soldiers let out a thunderous cheer as they charged forward.
They had no other choice anyway. And since this fortress was visibly smaller than Silverlight, their chances of victory seemed high. The crushing defeat they had suffered before now felt like a thing of the past, and their fighting spirit reignited.
The current commander of the fortress was Max, a former troubleshooter. Watching the Roderick soldiers swarm like ants, he grimaced.
“Seriously? Why here? Go attack somewhere else, damn it.”
He knew they had suffered a crushing defeat at Silverlight and that their supply lines had been cut. But of all the castles, why did they have to come here, the one under his command?
“Shoot! Shoot at will!”
At Max’s command, the Fenris soldiers unleashed a volley of arrows and stones.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
There were so many enemies that every shot found its mark, and soldiers fell one after another. However, the barrage didn’t last long.
BOOOOM!
Fire and lightning crashed down onto the fortress walls. Max’s face went pale as he shouted.
“Magic! Take cover! Fall back!”
High-circle mages from Roderick’s forces were relentlessly bombarding the walls.
The fortress had no means to counter such powerful mages. Eventually, all siege defenses catapults and ballistae were destroyed under the magical assault.
With Roderick’s mages neutralizing the defenses, there was no way to stop the advancing soldiers.
Tennant, desperate, shouted with all his might.
“Close the distance! Get in close! Once we’re on the walls, we win! Mages and archers, keep suppressing the defenders until our troops are up there!”
The Roderick soldiers charged with gritted teeth. This time, it felt winnable, and their morale surged.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
At last, the first ladders hit the walls. Until then, the Fenris defenders had been unable to respond effectively.
“Charge!”
Like a swarm of ants, Roderick’s soldiers began climbing the walls.
But they were met with the heavily armored Fenris troops, clad head to toe in Galvaniium plate armor. As the mages ceased their attacks to avoid friendly fire, the Fenris soldiers finally retaliated.
The Roderick soldiers were cut down one after another as they climbed. Yet, as time passed, the Fenris forces began to falter slightly.
Tennant clenched his fists, watching the scene.
“There are barely any knights here!”
Despite their superior armor, only a handful of Fenris soldiers were using mana in combat, mainly the commander and a few elite troops.
With their vastly inferior numbers, the Fenris defenders were slowly being pushed back.
“Send in the rest of the soldiers and knights! Everyone, up the walls! Knights, take the lead and cut them down! Victory is ours!”
At Tennant’s cry, the soldiers surged with renewed vigor. The Roderick knights followed suit.
Capturing the fortress was their last hope. They charged forward with greater determination than ever.
“Out of my way!”
“We’ll be the first up!”
“Move, now!”
Over a hundred knights reached the base of the ladders. Once they climbed and unleashed their mana, not even the heavily armored Fenris troops would be able to hold out.
The mages continued bombarding the areas around the fortress, careful not to hit their own men. This was enough to keep the Fenris forces suppressed.
Everyone wore expressions of triumph as they gripped the ladders, ready to climb.
DOOOOONG!
A deep horn blasted and echoed across the battlefield.
Max, still fighting atop the walls, looked skyward and grinned.
“They’re here!”
The sudden sound made the entire Roderick army look up.
“What… is that?”
“Isn’t that… from the rumors…?”
“There are people riding in those things?”
Dozens of hot air balloons hovered above them, drifting over the fortress and drawing near the walls.
Tennant stared at the balloons and roared.
“Ignore them! We’re already winning! Just a little more! Mages and archers, shoot those things down!”
He had heard the rumors about the airships. Though the sight was strange, it didn’t seem threatening. After all, they were just floating targets.
If they shot them down, the problem would be solved. A few people descending from the balloons wouldn’t change the tide of battle.
But the expressions of Roderick’s mages turned grim.
“Our magic… it’s been sealed?”
Suddenly, the high-circle mages on their side found their spells completely suppressed.
They couldn’t even cast basic attacks against the balloons.
Before Tennant could issue another order, a figure leapt from the lead balloon.
THUD!
Max, slicing through Roderick’s soldiers, rushed to meet the figure.
“You’re here!”
“Yeah. The Chief Overseer said I’d make it just in time.”
Clang! Clang!
The man who landed drew two massive axes, grinning savagely.
It was Gillian.
Behind him, two hundred Fenris knights, clad in gleaming armor, descended from the balloons, gripping ropes as they dropped onto the battlefield.
Lastly, from one of the balloons came a loud, taunting voice.
“Hey, Roderick! You fucking fatass!”
It was Ascon, never one to miss an opportunity to provoke the enemy.