The Rodrick Army's command was deeply troubled by the realization that there were no villages left to plunder.
Even now, their food supplies were rapidly dwindling, and there was nowhere to resupply.
"Find a solution! Find it now!"
Marquis Rodrick constantly barked at his vassals, prompting one after another to cautiously present their ideas.
"How about capturing another fortress for now?"
"Hmm… and leave the enemy at our backs?"
"If we run out of food, this army will collapse entirely. Capturing even a small fortress to regroup and resupply might be our best option. Fortunately, Fenris territory has roads, so we can move quickly."
Leaving the enemy behind in a war was incredibly risky. Not only would supply lines be cut, but they could also be surrounded.
But their supply lines were already severed. Attacking another fortress while potentially luring the Fenris forces away from Silverlight might not be a bad strategy.
Another vassal, however, hesitated before voicing their opposition.
"Count Fenris is a warlord. If he's moved all his people into fortresses, you can bet those fortresses are prepared for war. We don't have siege equipment. Even capturing a small fortress with ladders alone won't be easy."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"We retreat and... retake Linderstein instead."
"..."
"Even though the surrounding vassals are in dire straits, they'll still have something we can requisition if we press them hard enough. With more siege weapons and supplies, we can reclaim Linderstein."
"You're telling me to admit defeat?"
"If we don't retreat now... we won't even have enough food to make it back to the west."
"..."
Marquis Rodrick bit his lip, consumed with inner conflict.
If they failed to capture another fortress, they truly wouldn't even be able to retreat. Leaving now would barely ensure they could return to the west.
But retreating would mean acknowledging his defeat, making him a laughingstock among the nobility. Worse, his vassals might seize the opportunity to distance themselves from the Marquis Rodrick, especially with his forces now diminished beyond recognition.
"If we retreat, can we truly retake Linderstein?"
Though the Fenris forces holding Linderstein were smaller, they were led by a Master: Count Fenris. They hadn't even managed to capture Silverlight; claiming the larger fortress of Linderstein seemed a long shot.
"If we gather every last soldier and resource from the surrounding vassal territories, we can make it happen. Didn't they say Linderstein was partially damaged by catapult fire? We can exploit that."
Despite having already squeezed his vassals dry, these advisors believed they could squeeze even more.
'At least we'll survive.'
'After losing 30,000 soldiers, what's the point of continuing this fight?'
'I just want to go home.'
Most of them had lost their fighting spirit after just one defeat; they had never faced such an opponent before.
As Marquis Rodrick agonized over the decision, a new arrival interrupted the discussion. A knight covered in dust, a member of Rodrick's collateral family stationed at Linderstein, appeared before them.
Marquis Rodrick was startled.
"You… you're alive?!"
Already reeling from the earlier reports, he eagerly sought clarification from someone who had been there.
The knight, his voice heavy with grief, reported, "Count Selverk has betrayed us!"
"What?!"
"And the other vassals are switching allegiances as well!"
"What do you mean?! Explain yourself!"
"When Linderstein fell to Count Fenris, I fled to nearby vassal territories… but..."
After being appointed to govern Linderstein, Count Selverk had used his forces to pressure the surrounding vassals, following Ghislain's orders to pacify the western region.
Count Selverk moved swiftly and decisively. Partly, it was to avoid being labeled a lone traitor, but primarily, it was to solidify his position under Fenris and secure his future.
He knew that if Fenris lost, he'd have to fight Marquis Rodrick anyway.
Western vassals, who lacked power, had no choice but to surrender. Scattered remnants of Rodrick's forces fled further into hiding.
"How dare they!"
Now even the vassals had turned against him. Marquis Rodrick was utterly cornered.
Even if he managed to retreat, the traitorous vassals would surely oppose him. Any attempt at reconciliation would undoubtedly be met with distrust.
"Damn you, Count Fenris! Damn you, you bastard!"
He had achieved nothing, only to suffer loss after loss. Splitting his forces had been a mistake; he should have marched all his troops directly against Fenris.
Not that returning would guarantee victory. With his vassals betraying him, even that slim chance was now gone.
Without any way to secure more food, the situation was hopeless.
Consumed by rage, Marquis Rodrick bellowed, "Attack another fortress immediately! Fenris has plenty of food. Even the smaller fortresses must have stockpiles!"
This time, his vassals did not oppose him. At this point, they had no choice but to try resolving the situation within the northern region.
If they returned west now, they would only exhaust their remaining supplies and soldiers further.
After a moment of consideration, Tenant spoke up.
"We should capture another fortress, but before that, why not request provisions from Rayfold?"
"Rayfold? You mean that woman's territory?"
"Yes. It's said to be one of the wealthiest areas in the north. Though the Lord of Rayfold County is a woman, she's known for her generosity to her people, which means she must have plenty of food stocked. Surely she can provide some support."
"You want me to ask a woman for help? Do you have any idea how that would tarnish my honor?"
"It would be a legitimate trade. Offer her great rewards after the war. She won't refuse."
Surely Amelia wouldn't dare reject a request from the greatest power in the west. To refuse might invite catastrophic consequences later.
Even now, they clung to their belief in their supremacy as the western region's strongest force.
With 30,000 soldiers remaining, they still had reason for confidence. While their numbers had halved, they still outnumbered Fenris's forces.
If they could defeat Fenris, reclaiming the western region would be easy.
"Very well. Send envoys to Rayfold immediately. Promise her that, once the war is won, she will be granted her choice of northern or western lands as her reward."
Marquis Rodrick, his face filled with arrogance, issued his command. It was a bold offer: temporary provisions in exchange for a permanent fiefdom.
The envoys marched confidently to Amelia.
"If you provide us with provisions, we will reward you generously after the war with your choice of territory…"
Before they could finish, Amelia interrupted with a look of utter disbelief.
"Are you insane? You're losing the war, and you're asking me for food?"
"Countess! Mind your words! Do you not fear the consequences? We still have 30,000 soldiers—"
"Get out of my sight. If you keep pestering me, I'll attack Marquis Rodrick myself."
"..."
Amelia's fierce threat left the envoys no choice but to return empty-handed.
Amelia herself was already frustrated dealing with the Salvation Church, which had thrown her plans into chaos. She was in no mood to entertain losing fools making absurd demands.
Seeing the envoys return empty-handed, Marquis Rodrick's fury boiled over once more.
"Argh! That wench dares to defy me! The north is full of madmen!"
Instead of gaining supplies, he had been humiliated. Never before had he been treated this way.
"I will burn all of Fenris to the ground and raze the north! Mobilize the army at once!"
Marquis Rodrick swore vengeance. After Fenris, he vowed to crush Rayfold and any northern lord who refused to submit.
With no other options left, he ordered his forces to move toward a distant fortress.
Having lost all their siege equipment to the mud, Rodrick's army marched quickly along Fenris's well-maintained roads, determined to secure food and regroup.
Tenant, standing before the targeted fortress, addressed his troops.
"Silverlight might send reinforcements to this place! That would be better for us! Station 10,000 men in the rear to intercept any attackers. Once they engage, the rest of us will regroup and annihilate them!"
Without siege weapons, capturing the fortress would not be easy, but it was a small fortress. Its garrison was only around 2,000 soldiers.
If the Rodrick Army attacked all at once, the fortress would inevitably fall.
"Fenris has plenty of food! Once we take the fortress, we'll feast! Advance, all of you!"
"Waaaaah!"
The soldiers of Rodrick shouted and charged forward.
They had no other options anyway. The fortress was visibly smaller than Silverlight, so their chances of victory seemed much higher. The morale, which had been crushed by their previous defeat, was reignited.
Currently, the commander of the fortress was Max, a troubleshooter. Seeing the Rodrick Army swarming toward them like ants, his face turned grim.
"Why are they coming here? Couldn't they have gone somewhere else?"
He knew they had suffered a crushing defeat at Silverlight and lost their supply lines. But why, out of all the fortresses, did they have to come to the one under his command?
"Shoot! Fire at will!"
At Max's command, the Fenris soldiers launched a barrage of arrows and ballista bolts.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
There were so many enemies that each shot found a target, and soldiers fell one after another. However, the attacks did not last long.
Boom! Crash!
Flames and lightning struck the fortress walls. Max's face turned pale as he shouted, "It's the mages! Fall back! Retreat!"
High-circle mages from the Rodrick Army unleashed devastating attacks on the walls.
The fortress had no means to counter these mages, and the siege weapons such as ballistae and catapults were all destroyed by their magic.
With the Rodrick mages neutralizing their siege weapons in an instant, there was no way to stop the advancing soldiers.
Tenant shouted with all his might, "Get close! Quickly! Once we're on the walls, the fortress is ours! Mages and archers, keep suppressing the walls until our soldiers climb up!"
Rodrick's soldiers charged forward with gritted teeth. The possibility of victory filled them with renewed strength.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Finally, the vanguard of the Rodrick Army reached the walls and set up ladders. The Fenris Army struggled to respond effectively until that moment.
"Waaaaah!"
Rodrick's soldiers swarmed up the walls like ants.
Even so, they were no match for Fenris's soldiers, who were fully armored in Galbanium. Once the Rodrick mages ceased their attacks to avoid hitting their own men, the Fenris Army began to fight back.
Rodrick's soldiers were struck down as quickly as they climbed. However, the Fenris soldiers began to be pushed back little by little.
Seeing this, Tenant clenched his fists tightly.
"There are hardly any knights here!"
Despite their superior equipment, only a handful of Fenris soldiers, including their commander, were using mana in battle.
With far fewer soldiers, the Fenris Army was gradually being overwhelmed.
"Send in the rest of the soldiers and knights now! Everyone, climb the walls! Knights, lead the charge and cut them down! Victory is ours!"
At Tenant's cry, the soldiers fought even harder, and the Rodrick knights were no different.
Taking this fortress would give them a glimmer of hope. They charged forward with more determination than ever.
"Out of the way!"
"We'll climb first!"
"Hurry up!"
Over 100 knights reached the ladders. With their mana unleashed, the Galbanium armor of Fenris soldiers wouldn't be able to withstand their assault.
The mages avoided areas where their allies were climbing and continued bombarding the surrounding walls. This alone was enough to restrict the Fenris soldiers' movements.
With victory within sight, the Rodrick soldiers climbed the ladders with triumphant expressions—
Dooooooong!
A deep horn echoed through the air.
Max, who was fighting alongside his men on the walls, looked up at the sky and smiled.
"They've arrived!"
Startled by the sound, the Rodrick soldiers all looked up as well.
"What is that...?"
"Is that… the rumored…?"
"Are there people riding on it?"
In the sky were dozens of hot air balloons, floating past the rear of the fortress and approaching the walls.
Tenant, seeing the balloons, shouted, "Ignore them! Just a little more, and we'll win! Mages and archers, attack those things!"
He had heard of the rumored hot air balloons before. While their appearance was intriguing, he saw no reason to worry.
All they had to do was shoot them down. Even if a few people were aboard, it wouldn't change the tide of battle.
However, the Rodrick mages' expressions turned grim.
"Our magic… it's been blocked?"
All the high-circle mages present suddenly found their spells neutralized.
They couldn't launch any attacks against the balloons.
Before Tenant could shout another command, someone leaped from the leading balloon.
Boom!
Max cut down Rodrick soldiers as he ran toward the new arrival.
"You're here!"
"Indeed. Head Butler said the timing would be perfect, and it seems he was right."
Clang! Clang!
Wielding two fierce axes and wearing a savage grin, the figure was none other than Gillian.
Behind him, 200 knights of Fenris descended from the balloons, sliding down ropes.
Finally, a thunderous voice boomed from the last balloon.
"Hey! Marquis Rodrick, you idiot moron!"
Even in this moment, Ascon hadn't forgotten his mission to enrage the enemy.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]