As the floodgates opened, Claude shouted.
"Alpoi! Begin!"
Alpoi, who had been firing spells haphazardly to hold back the knights, nodded.
"Fog Cloud!"
Thick fog began spreading across the battlefield in front of the fortress, gradually expanding its range. Though it thinned slightly due to the vast area, it was enough to obscure the vision of the forward troops in the Rodrick army.
"Magic! The fog is spreading everywhere!"
Shouts erupted from the soldiers.
In war, obscured vision posed a significant danger. While defenders could blindly fire arrows, attackers, unable to see clearly, found it difficult to dodge or retaliate.
"Damn it! What are our mages doing?!"
The soldiers voiced their frustrations, unable to understand why their mages weren't acting.
To their eyes, these supposedly "great" people were merely throwing a few fireballs and lightning bolts in the sky without addressing the immediate problem.
Trickle, trickle...
As the Rodrick army grew increasingly disoriented, water began seeping out from the small floodgates, pooling around their feet.
But no one noticed. Despite the fog, the soldiers believed they were moments away from attaching their siege towers and ladders to the fortress walls.
Adding to the chaos was one more major distraction.
"Hey! Marquis Rodrick! You bastard so ugly even your mirror refuses to reflect you!"
From atop the fortress walls came a relentless barrage of insults. A mage had clearly cast a sound amplification spell because the voice rang thunderously, even cutting through the cacophony of the battlefield.
The constant string of expletives further enraged Rodrick's command. His officers, swept up in his fury, began barking orders.
"Push forward faster!"
"Capture that bastard and kill him first!"
"The enemy isn't attacking! Stop hesitating and move! The mages will clear the fog soon!"
While Marquis Rodrick raged, his commanders pressured the soldiers to advance, paying no attention to the surrounding situation.
Creaaaaak… creaaaak…
As time passed, the soldiers noticed something strange. Moving forward was becoming increasingly difficult. The siege towers and battering rams wouldn't budge, and even walking was arduous.
Squish, squish.
"What's this? The ground's wet?"
"When did this happen?"
"Damn... it's getting harder to walk."
The ground had become soggy, but the Rodrick army couldn't figure out why. The water flowing out from the base of the fortress walls was barely visible, and the fog further obscured their vision.
The advance of the 60,000-strong army slowed significantly. Growing impatient, Rodrick's commanders shouted orders, though an uneasy feeling lingered.
"Clear the fog now! Archers, provide suppressing fire!"
With their forward vision obscured, the troops in the rear were unable to progress. The Rodrick archers stepped forward and began firing at the barely visible fortress walls, hoping to suppress the defenders.
Thwack! Twang!
But the Fenris forces, already prepared, stood their ground with shields raised. They had no reason to move, and the arrows caused little damage.
Even the Rodrick archers positioned in the rear advanced to join the front lines, mingling with the foot soldiers.
A few mages stepped forward to dispel the fog. Since most of Fenris's spells were low-circle and posed little threat, the Rodrick army didn't bother dispelling them and simply took the hits.
Ssshhh...
As the fog gradually cleared, their vision expanded.
And at that moment, Claude shouted.
"Open the second floodgate!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Larger floodgates opened this time, and torrents of water poured out from the many openings at the base of Silverlight's walls.
WOOSH!
As the fog lifted, the Rodrick soldiers saw a torrent of water rushing toward them.
"What's this?"
"Why are they dumping water on us?"
"It's nothing! Keep moving forward!"
Though the volume of water was significant, it wasn't enough to pose a direct threat to the soldiers. It merely drenched them as it flowed downhill.
However, the water completely saturated the ground, turning it into a muddy quagmire. The terrain became nearly impossible to traverse.
Crrrk.
"Damn it! The siege towers won't move!"
"My feet are stuck in the mud!"
"Push harder!"
With their pants and boots sinking into the mire, walking became a struggle, and the heavy siege equipment refused to budge.
"They're trying to stop us from using siege weapons!"
Finally, the soldiers began to understand Fenris's strategy. In these conditions, moving the siege towers closer to the walls was virtually impossible.
Walking itself was difficult, let alone pushing the massive siege towers through the mud.
"They must have modified the floodgates specifically for this purpose!"
Most fortresses and strongholds are equipped with small floodgates and drainage systems to handle disasters like floods. Clearly, Silverlight's floodgates had been enlarged for this exact scenario.
As the soldiers floundered, unsure of what to do, the commanders shouted once again.
"Archers, keep firing suppressive shots! Knights, help push the siege towers—"
"HEY! Marquis Rodrick! You constipated idiot who sits but can't take a sh*t!"
"Kill that bastard first!"
The voice was so loud and clear that it drowned out the commanders' orders. The constant insults had everyone on edge.
Squish! Squish! Squish!
The soaked dirt and sand absorbed the water quickly, transforming into thick, sticky mud that clung to the soldiers' feet.
Even the knights, using mana to augment their strength, could barely push the siege towers. Soldiers were already worn out from just walking.
This was exactly what Claude had intended—to turn the battlefield into a complete mire.
"Pull it!"
At his command, knights stationed beneath the fortress walls began pulling on hundreds of iron chains.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The chains emerged from the ground.
Individually, the chains were harmless—simply lengths of metal buried beneath the earth and now yanked into view.
But for the exhausted Rodrick soldiers trudging through the mud, it was enough to make them trip and fall, breaking their ranks.
"Ugh!"
"What is this?!"
"It's a trap! They've set up traps!"
The Rodrick soldiers were utterly confused.
Those caught in the chains stumbled, collapsing into the mud and dragging down those around them. The resulting chaos disrupted the formations, making it even harder to move.
The chains caused little actual damage, but they effectively ruined the soldiers' momentum, scattering their formations and making lateral movement nearly impossible.
"They're just trying to block our path!"
"Keep moving! Get up, you fools!"
"Stop panicking and push forward! Knights, cut the chains!"
As the commanders desperately tried to regain control, Claude called out ahead of them.
"Alpoi! Start with the front!"
"Got it!"
For once, the two most disagreeable people in the territory worked together in a rare display of teamwork.
"Fire Burst!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Alpoi unleashed the last of his mana reserves, targeting the heavy infantry at the front lines.
"AAAAH!"
"The enemy is attacking!"
"Hold the line!"
Explosions of flame erupted, breaking the front-line formations. Most of the knights capable of defending against the magic were preoccupied with the siege towers.
Though the casualties weren't massive due to the sheer size of the army, the heavy infantry's formations were sufficiently disrupted.
But that was all they needed.
"Fire!" Claude shouted.
At last, the Fenris forces launched their attack.
Thwip!
Arrows rained down on the Rodrick forces. However, they targeted the middle and rear ranks rather than the front lines.
"AAAAH!"
"Retreat! Fall back!"
"Shields! Protect the soldiers!"
Behind the heavy infantry were light infantry and archers, who had moved closer to the fortress walls to provide support.
Caught in the rain of arrows, they scrambled to regroup. But trapped in the mud, they were too slow to move efficiently.
The chains and fallen comrades became obstacles, and the ankle-deep mud made every step a struggle.
The light infantry carried shields, but with arrows falling like a torrential downpour, soldiers began dropping everywhere.
"Defend! Hold the line! Return fire! Suppress them!"
The Rodrick archers retaliated with their own volley, but it was futile. Their arrows couldn't penetrate the Galbanium full armor worn by the Fenris soldiers.
Thunk! Thwack!
"AAAAH!"
The Rodrick army descended into complete chaos. Every time a soldier fell, those beside them ended up tumbling into the muddy mire as well.
Knights rushed to cut the chains, but by then, countless soldiers had already been ensnared.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Adding to the commotion were Alpoi's spells exploding sporadically across the battlefield, further unsettling the troops.
In an instant, the battlefield turned into a disorganized mess. Only then did Rodrick's soldiers begin to realize: in this ankle-deep mire, they had no choice but to endure every attack hurled at them.
From the rear, Rodrick's advisors cautiously approached him.
"We need to retreat for now."
"The soldiers can't move properly. It's nearly impossible to bring the siege towers closer."
"We'll need to pull back our mages and dry out that mire entirely with their spells."
If they remained in this state, the soldiers would continue to be slaughtered. A retreat to regroup and reorganize was the only option.
"Ughhhh…"
Marquis Rodrick trembled, his face flushed red with frustration.
Sixty thousand soldiers, unable to even touch the fortress walls, were floundering in a swamp. He'd read of battles won by luring enemies into bogs during open-field combat, but to deliberately create a mire for a siege was unprecedented.
"The Count Fenris is in the west! Who the hell thought of and prepared such a plan?!"
Rodrick roared in fury, but his advisors could only shake their heads—they had no answers.
"Order the retreat! We'll reorganize and come up with a new strategy!"
At last, the order to retreat was given, and the retreat horn sounded.
The soldiers let out sighs of relief as they began pulling back. Yet, even retreating wasn't easy.
Squish, squish, squish.
It took immense effort to move their legs. Bodies littered the mud, and countless soldiers tripped and fell as they hesitated, fearing they might be struck by a volley of arrows if they turned their backs completely.
Countless troops stumbled as they tried to move backward, their movements agonizingly slow.
Now, Claude's real plan began.
"Start."
At his command, the previously idle Fenris catapults sprang into action.
THUD! WHOOSH!
Enormous stones were launched at the mired Rodrick soldiers.
Fenris had amassed a significant number of catapults, seized from previous battles. These had been modified by the dwarves to increase their destructive power.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"AAAAH!"
"The enemy is launching catapults!"
"Take cover! Take cover now!"
Large stones couldn't be blocked with shields alone. Soldiers turned their backs, trying to flee from the bombardment.
Though the frontline troops were relatively safer due to the catapult range, the middle and rear lines were devastated as they couldn't evade quickly enough.
BOOOOOM!
"Run! Move faster!"
No matter how much the commanders yelled, it was nearly impossible to comply. Soldiers already bogged down by the mud couldn't retreat from the battlefield quickly enough.
The fallen soldiers posed an even bigger problem. They were crushed beneath every stone launched by Fenris.
And those who turned their backs to flee found themselves riddled with arrows.
"This… this is madness…"
The frontline troops froze, too terrified to run and too scared to stay.
Staying meant risking the stones falling from above, but running meant facing arrows from the rear.
Worse yet, the Fenris knights began targeting the heavily armored soldiers at the front, hurling mana-infused spears that pierced through their defenses.
Knight Commander Tenant clenched his teeth as he watched the carnage unfold.
"We've been had."
The initial taunts and provocations directed at Marquis Rodrick had worked all too well. They had marched their entire army forward without properly gauging the enemy's capabilities.
On top of that, Fenris had refrained from attacking while they advanced, not firing a single catapult or arrow.
If Fenris had attacked earlier, the Rodrick forces might have responded more cautiously, altering their tactics to mitigate losses. But Fenris's confidence in their ability to annihilate their enemy at close range allowed them to bait as many soldiers forward as possible.
"Retreat! Retreat now! Abandon the siege weapons!"
There was no longer any way to salvage the situation. Without the mages regaining control, the soldiers would have to withdraw on their own. Dragging siege weapons along during the retreat was no longer feasible.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"AAAAAHHH!"
Screams echoed endlessly across the battlefield as the Rodrick army crumbled. Claude, watching the chaos unfold, smirked arrogantly.
"See? Everything's going according to plan. That's why it's crucial to piss off the enemy first."
"...."
Those around him remained silent, unable to find any words.
Preparing for this plan hadn't been difficult for Fenris. With their expertise in engineering and the abundance of resources they had from previous projects, they had created this swamp in no time. The dwarves had further enhanced their siege weapons for maximum efficiency.
What amazed everyone was how perfectly their plan was working—how thoroughly the enemy was falling into their trap.
Claude's approach mirrored Ghislain's in some ways.
While Ghislain relied on overwhelming individual prowess and masterful troop movements to seize victory, Claude was more inclined to execute meticulously prepared strategies with calm precision.
"Whew… War is easier than gambling. This will be over soon. I mean, they're falling for every trick I throw at them."
Claude's smug remark prompted hesitant nods from those around him. Even seasoned fighters like Gillian found themselves with little to do.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Rodrick army, still unable to fully retreat, continued to be bombarded by stones and arrows. Some soldiers, too exhausted to stand, resorted to crawling through the mud.
Claude, having lured the enemy deep into the trap to maximize their losses, leaned back in satisfaction.
Ascon, who had stopped hurling insults for a moment, turned to Claude.
"This bastard… really makes war look like a goddamn joke."
Coming from Ascon, it was the highest form of praise.
After what felt like an eternity, the Rodrick army finally managed to escape the swamp. The moment they crossed the mire, it felt as if they had entered an entirely different world.
"Pull the troops back! Pull back further!"
Tenant's desperate orders prompted the Rodrick soldiers to withdraw even further. Finally, their mages broke off their stalemates and returned to regroup.
"WAAAHHH!"
The Fenris soldiers erupted into triumphant cheers that echoed across the battlefield.
The surviving Rodrick troops could do nothing but watch in bitter silence.
Once the situation had calmed somewhat, Marquis Rodrick turned to Tenant, his face twisted in rage.
"How many casualties?"
"…About half, my lord."
At Tenant's grim report, everyone closed their eyes in despair. Losing half their forces to an unexpected strategy was unthinkable.
It had been a devastatingly effective plan—immobilizing their troops and then bombarding them with arrows and stones.
"Ughhhh…"
Marquis Rodrick trembled with rage, about to erupt again, when he was interrupted by a dust-covered knight stumbling into his presence.
The knight, disheveled and frantic, cried out desperately.
"Linderstein has been captured by Count Fenris!"
The announcement left everyone affiliated with the Rodrick family staring in disbelief.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]