Linderstein was one of the largest and most fortified castles in the kingdom, rivaling even Cardenia, the royal capital, as the pride of the West.
Moreover, despite gathering all of the western forces, Marquis Rodrick had left behind a garrison of 20,000 troops in Linderstein to guard against vassal rebellions and bandits.
Confidently, Tenant continued, "Linderstein is a massive castle. No matter how powerful Count Fenris may be as a Master, he cannot take it alone. With a garrison of 20,000, it will hold out until reinforcements arrive. Besides, Count Fenris currently lacks a proper supply line."
Marquis Rodrick and his vassals all nodded in agreement. The outcome would depend on how long their main bases could endure.
After all, both sides had equally lengthy supply lines. With Fenris leading an army of 10,000, it would be difficult for them to replenish their supplies through pillaging alone.
Many of the western territories had already been looted, leaving their vassals with little to offer. Even the lords who hadn't been raided had sent most of their resources and soldiers to support the Marquis.
Marquis Rodrick narrowed his eyes and asked, "We sent 20,000 before and still failed to capture Count Fenris. Now he's leading an army of 10,000. What guarantee do we have that we won't fail again?"
Tenant, looking entirely unconcerned, nodded. "Rest assured, our forces consist of 40,000 in the 2nd Corps and 20,000 in the garrison, a total of 60,000. With these numbers, we cannot lose, even if we wanted to. All we need to do is strike at Count Fenris' rear while he's laying siege."
The strength of an army grows with its size. With a six-to-one numerical advantage, even a Master could not prevail.
Tenant smiled.
"However, to minimize his losses, Count Fenris will likely avoid a fight. For now, his goal is to disrupt us."
"Hmm..."
"If Count Fenris retreats, we can assign the 2nd Corps to protect the supply line. His army of 10,000 won't be able to sever the supply line and will have no choice but to turn back. Meanwhile, we'll occupy Fenris territory, leaving him with no place to return."
Marquis Rodrick nodded approvingly.
"Good. Redirect the 2nd Corps to our territory. This time, we'll kill Count Fenris for good."
Charging recklessly after Count Fenris would be the worst move. Defending their base while occupying Fenris territory was the best strategy.
Once they captured Count Fenris, the war would effectively be over. Military aid to the royalist faction could wait a little longer.
With that, the 2nd Corps began retreating, and the 1st Corps quickened its march.
***
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The 10,000-strong Fenris Mobile Army moved with incredible speed. In the war-torn West, already ravaged by bandits and looting, no one could stop them.
"Faster! The news must have reached them by now!"
At Ghislain's command, the soldiers gritted their teeth and pushed their horses harder. The Fenris army had become adept at cavalry combat, almost resembling a nomadic tribe.
Initially, they had learned their techniques with the help of elves. Over time, their skill was honed through missions like arrow deliveries and rigorous training.
In a short span, they had already breached several castles and fortresses. Yet they pressed on without rest.
"Today is the day!"
In the distance, a small fortress came into view, one located along the path to the Marquis territory.
Kaor, gasping for breath, asked, "Can we capture that and take a break for once?"
Even a skilled warrior like Kaor was starting to feel fatigued from the relentless march.
But Ghislain shook his head firmly.
"No. We need to capture the Marquis territory quickly to sever their supply lines."
"Then why not bypass it and head straight there?"
"If we leave the fortresses behind, they'll become a nuisance later. War must be fought decisively."
"Ugh... This is exhausting."
Grumbling wasn't an option. When the lord says attack, you attack.
"Charge!"
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The Fenris army approached the fortress at full speed. Naturally, the fortress erupted in chaos.
"Enemies! The enemy is attacking!"
Soldiers scrambled to prepare for battle. However, the fortress commander's face turned pale as he observed the approaching Fenris forces.
Reports from other territories that had been captured were already pouring in. Every account told of swift, overwhelming defeats.
Around him were only 500 soldiers, barely enough to fend off bandits.
Clenching his trembling hands into fists, the commander raised his voice.
"Prepare for battle, all of you..."
Before he could finish speaking, someone suddenly appeared atop the fortress walls.
"W-who are you?"
"Count Fenris."
"Eek!"
Before the infamous Count Fenris, the commander could do nothing. A Master was far beyond their capability.
"S-surren—"
Slash!
Before the commander could finish shouting his surrender, his head was severed. In an instant, 200 Fenris knights scaled the walls.
Seeing them, the fortress soldiers turned pale and began trembling.
"Ahhh! Run for your lives!"
"Spare us!"
"We surrender!"
Some soldiers shouted as they fled, while others threw down their weapons and prostrated themselves.
Ghislain's reputation had spread far and wide. In the West, he was practically regarded as a demon.
"Hmph."
Looking at the fleeing or prostrating soldiers, Ghislain shouted, "If you flee this fortress, I'll spare your lives. Become noble bandits instead!"
To the despairing soldiers, his words were like a ray of hope. They quickly got up.
"Thank you!"
"Bless you!"
"Please conquer the West!"
Marquis Rodrick was infamous as a tyrannical lord. His soldiers felt no loyalty toward him.
Overjoyed at having their lives spared, the soldiers hastily gathered their weapons and fled.
Ghislain neither killed nor left them in the fortress.
Killing them would waste potential future soldiers, while leaving them in the fortress risked them falling into Rodrick's hands. Forcing them to leave was the optimal choice.
Smiling faintly, Ghislain turned to his knights and said, "Easy, wasn't it? Take a short break, then we'll move to the next location."
Capturing the fortress hadn't taken much time at all. The difference in numbers was so stark that the enemy couldn't even muster the will to fight.
Of course, those who resisted to the end were utterly annihilated. As a result, Ghislain's infamy grew, and fewer were willing to face him in battle.
The Fenris army was more fatigued from marching than fighting.
Those stationed in the captured fortress rested briefly while consuming all the provisions stored within.
Naturally, the provisions in the fortress weren't enough to feed 10,000 troops. They also consumed supplies gathered along the way and resorted to powdered rations when needed.
While they rested, Dark, who had been out scouting, approached Ghislain.
In the form of a raven, Dark perched on Ghislain's shoulder and chattered away.
"Master, master. The pursuit force is on the move."
"Their position?"
"They haven't even reached the western vicinity yet. But there's a lot of them."
"How many do you think?"
"Um... Seems like tens of thousands. A lot. Way more than us, I'd say."
Dark still struggled to accurately gauge large numbers. He could estimate smaller groups by sight, but larger forces were beyond him, requiring him to count them individually.
Despite numerous attempts to teach him, he never seemed to learn.
Clicking his tongue, Ghislain scolded Dark.
"Why can't you figure that out by now?"
"I'm bad with numbers."
"Sigh... Fine. What about their march speed? When will they reach the West?"
"They're slower than us."
"...I see."
The means for scouting and communication were certainly convenient, but their precision left much to be desired.
Still, it was better than having nothing, so Ghislain decided to let it go.
As he infused a little mana back into Dark's clone, Ghislain said, "Keep tracking their position, and let me know when they reach the places we've already destroyed. From that, I can estimate their speed."
"Got it!"
Dark took to the sky again to monitor the pursuing forces.
Ghislain looked around at everyone and shouted, "Alright, move out again!"
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The Fenris army's speed was unmatched, a claim no one in the kingdom could dispute. Using similar tactics, they swiftly swept through castles and fortresses along the way.
Not long ago, Ghislain had already caused havoc in the region, and with Marquis Rodrick having recruited all available forces, there was no one left to stop them.
Occasionally, bandits sent out scouts, only to panic at the sight of the Fenris flag.
"The demon of the North is back!"
"And this time, he's brought an army!"
"Run for your lives!"
Most of these bandits were those who had suffered heavily at Ghislain's hands during a previous skirmish. At the sight of his flag, they either hid or fled as fast as they could.
With no opposition in their path, the Fenris army reached their target in just a few days.
Marquis Rodrick's stronghold, the greatest castle in the West: Linderstein.
Ghislain looked at the castle and smiled.
"If we take that fortress, their supply line will be cut, and they'll starve to death."
"Wow..."
The knights and soldiers stared at Linderstein with their mouths agape.
It was truly a massive castle, comparable to the capital, Cardenia. This fortress wouldn't be as easy to take as the others they had encountered so far.
Such a massive castle was undoubtedly inscribed with intricate defensive magic. Every time it was expanded over generations, large sums would have been invested in reinforcing the magic circles.
Given that this was the seat of Marquis Rodrick, the wealthiest noble in the West, it was certain to be exceptionally fortified.
"There's no way magic alone will bring it down."
It would likely withstand up to 6th-circle magic, and even Vanessa, a 7th-circle mage, would see her spells significantly weakened.
That's why Ghislain had left Vanessa behind in the territory, bringing only a few supporting mages for auxiliary roles.
While having Vanessa here would have made things easier, Ghislain wasn't ready to reveal the existence of another superhuman in his territory just yet.
Besides, even without Vanessa, this fortress was something he could destroy on his own.
Linderstein's commander, Reynan, observed the Fenris army setting up camp from afar.
"Station mages at key points! Fenris has a 6th-circle mage! Our defensive magic should hold, but just in case, prepare dispel spells!"
He was a skilled and capable leader, entrusted with the defense of this formidable fortress.
Having heard of the Fenris army's approach, he had thoroughly prepared the castle for a siege.
"Their leader is a Master, but there's no need to fear! They don't have siege weapons! Just focus on keeping them from scaling the walls alongside the knights!"
To prevent grappling hooks or ladders from easily being used, sloped structures were added to the battlements.
Additionally, knights, not soldiers, were stationed behind openings where arrows could be shot or spears thrust out, ready to target the fast-moving Fenris knights.
Large ballistae capable of attacking the approaching enemies were also deployed.
"Hold out for just a little while longer! Once reinforcements arrive, they'll hit the enemy from behind! Until then, we only need to defend and wait. Bring out the remaining catapults!"
Most of the catapults had been taken by the main force, but two had been left behind for defense.
With this setup, even Count Fenris would be unable to capture the fortress. All they had to do was hold their ground and wait.
In fact, they wouldn't even need to hold their ground for long. Without siege weapons, the enemy wouldn't be able to approach the castle easily.
"Stay vigilant! They might try to scale the walls under the cover of night!"
Reynan spared no effort in his preparations. He continuously encouraged his troops, keeping them alert and motivated.
He was, without a doubt, a rare and capable commander in the West.
The Fenris army, unable to find a way, seemed to be simply waiting in the distance.
Ghislain looked at the fortress and remarked, "Wow, they've really prepared well. You can practically feel their determination to stop us from scaling the walls."
If they charged like this, they'd be caught by catapults and ballista. If they tried using magic to suppress the enemy, most of it would be blocked by the defensive mages and the fortress's magic barriers.
With a chuckle, Ghislain gave a new order.
"Gather some stones. Let's just smash it."
At his command, all 200 knights and 2,000 soldiers dispersed in all directions.
Seeing this, Reynan sneered.
"Are they foraging for food? Seems like they didn't even prepare proper supplies."
It was clear that all of them were combat troops. There was no way they had been moving at a speed that would allow supply units to keep up.
"They'll retreat after a bit of pondering."
Even with a Master among them, this fortress wouldn't fall to a mere 10,000 troops, especially without siege weapons.
All they needed to do was stay vigilant against any attempts to climb the walls. The enemy would eventually have no choice but to withdraw.
As a full day passed, and the next morning arrived, the soldiers in the castle began to relax slightly.
It seemed that even Count Fenris had no choice here, without any siege equipment.
"Even he can't do anything about this."
"Of course, they'd be killed just for approaching."
"Charging this fortress with no equipment would be sheer lunacy."
Though somewhat reassured, they continued to keep a close watch on the Fenris army, knowing they'd be quick to scale the walls if given the chance.
Suddenly, one of the soldiers muttered, "What... what are they doing?"
The others turned to look, tilting their heads. The Fenris army was stacking massive stones into large piles.
"What are they doing without siege weapons?"
"Are they building a stone fortress or something?"
"What's the point of that?"
As they watched curiously, the Fenris soldiers began forming teams and working busily.
The soldiers, who had been observing blankly, gradually widened their eyes.
"What... what are they making?"
Strange structures were taking shape. It looked as if they were connecting long poles to increase height and size.
Even Reynan, watching from the highest vantage point, was filled with confusion.
A moment later, the sight of what the Fenris army had created left the soldiers of Rodrick's castle in shock.
"Th-that..."
"Is that a... catapult? Is that really a catapult?"
"H-how did they suddenly build catapults...?"
In the Fenris camp, ten massive, bizarre-looking structures had been erected in no time.
And they were unmistakably catapults.
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