Chapter 398
Chapter 398: Show the Difference in Technique (2)
When it was difficult to directly seize the castle, a common method was to besiege it and starve the soldiers inside.
However, that was also challenging now. They were at risk of starving themselves. All the supplies meant for Roderick’s Army were within that castle.
The surrounding vassal lords had become beggars. There was nothing left to pillage. They had to regain that castle to ensure a steady supply line.
“Find a way! Find a way!”
“W-we need to acquire siege equipment first. If we attack the troops atop the castle walls and widen the already opened breach, we can leverage the advantages of a large army.”
“How do you intend to acquire it?!”
“If we scout the nearby territories, there’s bound to be something left. We can requisition it from there, and if that’s still insufficient, we’ll have to gather resources from here to craft some.”
“Grrr… Do you think that’s going to work on that castle?”
“What choice do we have? We have to try something.”
Reluctantly, Count Glasgow nodded. Whether it would work or not, they were in a situation where they had to attempt anything.
“First, scout the surrounding territories for siege equipment and supplies. I’ll ensure you’re sufficiently compensated later from the House of Marquis.”
Following Count Glasgow’s orders, some troops dispersed to nearby territories.
A few days later, they returned with only three catapults and a single ram.
Count Glasgow let out a frustrated breath and asked, “Is this all? What about the food?”
“Most of it has been destroyed by Penris’ army and bandits… The few intact supplies were requisitioned by us. The same goes for food. In fact, other territories are starving as well.”
“Ugh… Ughhh…”
Count Glasgow fell silent, unable to say anything. It was true that the House of Marquis had already requisitioned an enormous amount of troops and supplies.
It was expected, given that the Penris army had been raiding the western territories for some time. But it seemed the undestroyed bandit groups were still an issue.
“W-we’ll try attacking with the catapults we acquired.”
The ram wouldn’t be needed. It would surely be smashed apart by concentrated fire.
Roderick’s army attempted to attack with the few catapults they had salvaged.
Boom!
Kuuung! Kuuung! Kuuung!
The stones didn’t even reach the castle and fell short. Anything worth using had already been taken by the 1st Legion, leaving only old, degraded ones behind.
“Get a little closer and switch to lighter stones.”
With a tinge of hope, they tried again. By closing the distance and using lighter stones, they finally sent a stone flying toward the castle walls.
Yet just reaching the walls proved ineffective.
Kwah-BOOM!
The stone, aimed at the castle, was shattered into pieces by a spear that came flying from somewhere.
Even small, light stones could be crushed by the knights of Penris.
How could a mere three stones be a threat?
“Ughhh…”
While Count Glasgow was at a loss, Ghislaine chuckled and said, “Show the difference in technique.”
Kiiiiiing…
The soldiers of the Penris Mobile Army loaded light stones into their catapults and began firing.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The stones arced high in the air and landed right where Roderick’s army was stationed.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
“Uaaaagh!”
“They’ve begun their catapult attack!”
“You need to fall back even further!”
Caught off guard by the sudden catapult onslaught, the soldiers began to fall one by one.
Count Glasgow ground his teeth. They couldn’t attack, yet the enemy was attacking. It was enough to drive him mad.
“Fall back! Further back!”
Roderick’s army was thrown into disarray and fell back, completely unprepared. The three catapults they had salvaged were already wrecked.
It was then that Count Glasgow realized. War wasn’t just about superhumans and knights.
A gap in technique could produce such overwhelming results.
Count Glasgow bit down on his nails.
“What do I do? What am I supposed to do?”
He had never imagined a situation like this when they first set out. The pride and confidence in leading this grand army had soared high.
He had totally ignored Penris. His mind was filled with thoughts of achieving great merit in the fight against the Duke Faction and making his name known in the kingdom.
Yet, even after losing over ten thousand soldiers to the Penris army, victory still seemed out of reach.
He couldn’t give up. If they couldn’t reclaim this place, their main force would also face doom.
“No, that’s not right. I’ve heard Penris has plenty of food. The main force should be able to easily capture it.”
That was a small relief, but if that happened, he’d essentially be left as a pitiful fool who lost his troops to Penris. He could easily lose his honor and even his life.
He had to reclaim this place at all costs.
With a determined expression, Count Glasgow said, “Lead the cavalry and shield soldiers forward—charge toward the castle! The cavalry must wear shields as well.”
“It’s dangerous!”
“We just need to break through the range of the catapults. The leading cavalry and shield soldiers will block the arrow attacks. In the meantime, the rest of the troops can push in!”
“The damage will be enormous.”
“Is there any other way?! We can just charge with the entire army! Even if we suffer ten thousand losses, if twenty thousand get in, we can win!”
The staff officer swallowed nervously. There was no guarantee they would win even if twenty thousand entered. After all, a single Count could face off against thousands of soldiers.
But it was also true that there were no other options.
“Since they’ve been hit once, the soldiers won’t be as panicked this time. Don’t hesitate like before; run with all your power. With this many people charging, even a hundred catapults won’t be able to stop us. Understand?”
“Y-yes, I understand!”
Booooooom!
The battle trumpet sounded, and Roderick’s army reformed.
The soldiers who received the orders trembled in fear. They had to charge into that terrifying onslaught of arrows, prepared to die.
To survive, they had to get inside the castle as quickly as possible. That was their best chance of survival.
As Roderick’s army formed up and prepared to charge, Ghislaine clicked his tongue.
“Tsk tsk… Wasting soldiers unnecessarily.”
In his view, it was the worst method. They should have retreated to seek another way.
He understood their mindset. As time passed, they would suffer more from supply issues, making them increasingly anxious.
“Since it’s come to this, I need to push them harder. Open the castle gates.”
Kiiiiiik…
At Ghislaine’s command, the huge gates of Linderstein opened.
The solid gates were so large that hundreds could pass through simultaneously.
With the sudden opening of the gates, Count Glasgow was taken aback.
“What the? Why are they opening that? Could it be they want to come out and fight?”
That would be fine. If they fought directly, they believed they could win. No matter how strong their opponent was, with this many troops, they were confident of victory.
But the Penris soldiers atop the walls remained still. Instead, Ghislaine fired an arrow that landed right in Roderick’s camp.
Count Glasgow blinked, unsure of what was happening.
“What the…? What’s that?”
“There’s a note tied to the arrow.”
“Bring it here.”
Wondering if it was an offer to negotiate, he opened the note with a hint of expectation.
[We’ll leave the gates open and fight. If you have confidence, come in.]
“W-wait! This guy dared…!”
It was a mockery born out of an incredible amount of confidence. Count Glasgow felt his face flush red with anger.
“How dare! This country bumpkin from the North dares to…!”
In reality, Count Glasgow was outmatched by Count Penris both in reputation and skill. But having long underestimated the North, he couldn’t stand such ridicule.
“Charge now! We can definitely take them! Shield soldiers, do your best to block the arrows!”
“Waahhh!”
The soldiers let out a loud roar as they charged forward, as if trying to cast away their fears.
Thud thud thud thud!
The cavalry rushed out first, followed closely by the shield soldiers. They had to find a way to set up and block the arrow attacks.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
The catapult attacks resumed from the castle. Soldiers rushing in were blown apart left and right.
Still, they managed to press on without faltering like before. Many soldiers were still able to survive and advance.
Besides, the entire army was charging resolutely now. A catapult alone couldn’t stop nearly thirty thousand soldiers.
As the soldiers attempted to cling to the castle like ants, the archer attacks resumed.
Pwaaah!
“Uaaaagh!”
More soldiers were falling to arrows, close to a thousand already.
Barely making it, the galloping cavalry and shield soldiers gathered and raised their shields.
Bang! Tatatataang! Bang!
Though their horses fell, those who raised their shields survived. The infantry that came in afterward paired up, progressing two or three at a time under their protection.
Seeing this, Count Glasgow smiled through bloodshot eyes.
“Look! It’s possible! We can get in like this!”
As the arrow attacks were dispersed, the number of surviving soldiers visibly increased. However, the expressions of the staff officers were grim.
‘We’ve already lost thousands.’
‘Even if we get in, can we win?’
‘Count Penris hasn’t made a move yet.’
Perhaps if there were no master on the opposing side, they could win. But Count Penris had previously fought off twenty thousand soldiers with only a few thousand mercenaries.
It didn’t mean that simply pushing more soldiers in secured victory.
As if to fulfill the grim predictions of the staff officers, movements on the castle walls began to change from before.
Ghislaine waved his spear, directing the knights, “Follow my lead. The arrow attacks are only directed at the back.”
It was certain that victory was assured if they merely stayed still. But he could hardly resist the urge to participate.
Without hesitation, Ghislaine jumped down from the castle wall.
Kwah-BOOM!
“Uaaaagh!”
As Ghislaine planted his spear into the ground and unleashed his mana, the gathered Roderick soldiers were sent flying in all directions.
With a flash!
Every time he moved his spear, a red line would flicker.
The soldiers who had only intended to block the arrow attacks and enter through the castle gates were caught off guard by the sudden onslaught.
Crash! Kwah-BOOM!
Ghislaine swiftly eliminated the surrounding foes. The Roderick army was caught completely by surprise by his sudden incursion.
“Uaaagh!”
“The enemy’s out!”
“Fight! Fight now!”
For some reason, the catapult and arrow attacks were now aimed toward the back.
Desperately trying to fight back, they recklessly threw down their shields and charged, but they had no chance against Ghislaine.
As Ghislaine mercilessly slaughtered the enemies, new opponents began to approach.
“There’s only one enemy! Everyone, charge!”
Roderick’s knights shouted loudly and charged towards Ghislaine. They dodged the catapult attacks and deflected arrows like true knights.
Yet they couldn’t hold back Ghislaine’s attacks and fell one after another as they rushed in.
Meanwhile, atop the walls, two hundred knights hurriedly lined up and leaped down.
Kuuung! Kuuung! Kuuung!
“Ouch ouch ouch!”
“That was too hasty!”
“Damn it! I think I broke my arm!”
The height of the walls was too great, leaving the knights unable to leap like Ghislaine. Most had to roll to avoid injury.
It was certainly too high. They cried out from the pain.
Roderick’s soldiers, approaching to stop Ghislaine, yelled out at the knights.
“Everyone’s down!”
“Take those guys out first!”
“Now’s our chance!”
From their perspective, this was indeed a great opportunity to reduce the enemy numbers.
Leaping from that high wall was madness. The impact would surely be great enough to kill them.
Squeak! Squeak!
But it wasn’t as easy as they thought. At that moment, Kaor sprang up like a mad dog.
“Hurry up! You fools! Are you going to lie around and die?!”
Each time Kaor swung his sword, approaching soldiers fell one after another. His skill sharpened as he faced real battles.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the knights swiftly charged at Roderick’s army.
“Uaaagh! Those guys are still fine!”
Roderick’s army screamed as they were attacked by the Penris knights.
They had barely made it this far, avoiding catapult and arrow attacks. That alone had left them utterly exhausted.
Behind them, their allies were still falling to ranged attacks. Therefore, they couldn’t gather reinforcements quickly.
Suddenly, with two hundred Penris knights attacking wildly, they had no way to resist.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
“Uaaaagh!”
Screams erupted from everywhere in Roderick’s army. They had rushed and rushed, only to arrive and find themselves dying right away.
The staff members, unable to watch any longer, shouted at Count Glasgow.
“You must retreat! Count Penris is blocking our way! We can’t get through!”
“Ughhh… We’ve made it this far! We’ve closed the distance! If we can just break through that guy, we can all get in!”
“No! It’s impossible with this approach! Unless we surround them with our big army, we’ll continue to die at the hands of Count Penris!”
“Uaaaah! Count Penris!”
Count Glasgow was at his wits’ end. Just glancing at it showed that over ten thousand soldiers had already been lost in the blink of an eye. And their forces were quickly dwindling.
Unless they somehow brought several siege towers, capturing that castle was impossible.
“Fall back! Retreat!”
He screamed out a retreat command.
Boooooom!
The retreat trumpet sounded, and Roderick’s army turned around, wearing expressions of relief at their survival.
Though they had to flee through the onslaught of catapults and arrows, it was better than charging forward.
As the Penris knights prepared to chase the retreating enemies, Ghislaine shouted, “Stop!”
At his simple command, the knights halted their steps. The catapult and arrow attacks from atop the castle wall also ceased.
Covered in blood, Ghislaine took a deep breath and shouted, “Penris!”
Extending his spear forward, he spotted Roderick’s army, scattered and in retreat.
“Charge, everyone!”
His shout reverberated across the battlefield louder than ever before. At once, the soldiers atop the walls vanished from sight.
And moments later.
Thud thud thud thud!
The cavalry of Penris burst forth through the open castle gates and breached walls.
