The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations - Chapter 275
Chapter 275: I Will Buy Us Some Time (2)
Stonehaven Fortress.
The largest and most robust fortress guarding the southern border of the Fenris Estate.
Gillian was in charge of managing the southern recruits from this central location.
“Is everyone here?”
“Yes, they’re all gathered, just like you said,” replied Lucas, a self-proclaimed ‘genius of spear techniques,’ lounging nearby.
Thanks to his rapidly improving skills, Lucas was temporarily assigned as Gillian’s adjutant.
Gillian had sent all the recruits and crucial resources, such as iron ore, to Ghislain. He also gathered all the troops and food supplies scattered across the southern region into this fortress.
“Hmm.”
Looking over the soldiers and knights stationed atop the fortress walls, Gillian nodded in approval.
Now, the only forces remaining here were 1,000 soldiers who had completed their training and 100 knights.
The soldiers were clad in gleaming silver armor, making them look like knights at first glance.
These soldiers, forged through grueling training since the Cabaldi War, were elite among elites. They fully deserved their knightly appearance.
The 100 knights, meanwhile, donned newly designed black armor. Each of them held the rank of Decurion, responsible for leading 10 soldiers apiece.
Gillian knew these troops alone could crush most small to mid-sized territories in one fell swoop.
But…
Gillian’s gaze turned beyond the fortress walls.
Towards Desmond’s army.
The 30,000-strong army encamped outside was incomparable to their forces.
Desmond wasn’t called the strongest in the North for nothing. His estate boasted an abundance of elite soldiers and highly skilled knights.
Defeating them was an impossibility. Yet, Gillian couldn’t retreat.
In a firm voice, he addressed everyone.
“Our goal is not to defeat them. We are here to buy Lord Ghislain the time he needs to complete his final preparations.”
The knights responded with solemn nods. Gillian continued calmly.
“If this fortress falls, the enemy will march straight to the heart of the estate. No matter what, we must stake our lives to hold them back.”
The roads connecting the fortress to the estate’s central city were well-maintained. If the fortress were breached, Desmond’s massive army would swiftly advance to the lord’s castle.
Lucas, standing nearby, clicked his tongue before speaking.
“Wouldn’t it be better to retreat? Knowing the lord, he wouldn’t want us to die here. He might be harsh, but he does take care of his people. Couldn’t we just retake this place later?”
Gillian shook his head firmly.
“No. This place has developed too much while we’ve been here. If Count Desmond seizes it, the consequences will be severe.”
“Wouldn’t the Royal Faction come to help later?”
“They would, but only as an excuse to take it for themselves. We might not recover it. Worse, the ducal families could support Desmond with their armies.”
Lucas had no rebuttal and closed his mouth.
The Cabaldi region, already rich in iron ore, had become far more prosperous than before. Its people enjoyed a better standard of living, and the population had surged due to immigrants.
No lord would occupy this land only to relinquish it. On the contrary, once word of the estate’s wealth spread, it would draw the attention of opportunists, resulting in endless conflict.
With sharp eyes, Gillian swept his gaze over the knights and spoke.
“This fortress embodies the lord’s dream.”
“……”
“We’ve come this far with the lord. Remember how much effort we’ve invested in securing this place. If we lose it, all our struggles will be for nothing.”
A knight raised his hand and asked, “What if someone wants to flee?”
Gillian responded with a fierce smile.
“No, you’ll die here with me for the lord. Risk your lives and hold back the enemy.”
The knights chuckled and began to jest.
“Oh, you’re such an old-school commander.”
“His loyalty is off the charts. So outdated.”
“He must’ve been a contract-abiding mercenary back in the day. Such a man of integrity.”
“I’d rather run away and live well somewhere else.”
Though they mocked him, Gillian laughed along. None of them would actually flee.
These men were no longer mere subordinates. They were comrades who had grown together under Ghislain’s grace.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of drums echoed. The enemy was on the move.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
The sight of the twelve catapults surrounding the fortress caused the knights and soldiers to grimace slightly.
Raising his hand, Gillian issued an order.
“Prepare for battle. Spread out and brace for the catapult attack.”
The moment his words fell, massive boulders began to hurl through the air.
Boom! Boom! Crash!
The boulders relentlessly battered the fortress walls. Some crashed inside the fortress, destroying stockpiled supplies and buildings.
Faced with this merciless onslaught, the Fenris forces could do little. They were too busy frantically dodging the incoming projectiles.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fragments of stone scattered as the upper sections of the relatively weaker walls began to crumble bit by bit. However, thanks to extensive reinforcement, the walls held firm against the assault.
Watching the scene unfold, Harold called for the catapult attacks to halt and muttered.
“They say they’ve made a lot of money, and it shows. Reinforcing the fortress like this and equipping their soldiers with those fancy armors… Quite an impressive number.”
From what Harold could see, all the enemy troops appeared to be clad in knightly armor. But he didn’t believe they were actual knights.
It was simply absurd for there to be so many knights.
However, as he observed the black-armored soldiers, something he had forgotten suddenly came to mind.
“Are those the Black Unit troops that distinguished themselves in the Ferdium Siege? Their numbers seem to have increased.”
His intelligence had reported them to number around fifty. Now, they appeared closer to one hundred.
Though they couldn’t wield mana, their skills were reputed to be exceptional. It seemed they had used their newfound wealth to expand the size of the Black Unit.
Most likely, these troops were fulfilling the role of knights for the estate—not actual mana-wielding knights, but elite soldiers superior to ordinary infantry.
“Pause the catapult attack for now. Have the mages and archers prepare.”
An elderly man with a white beard stepped forward from Harold’s rear. This was Willow, Desmond’s personal mage, a master who had reached the 6th Circle.
“What are your orders?” asked Willow.
“We’ll be deploying the siege towers eventually. In the meantime, cause as much widespread damage as possible. Also, check the ground for traps as we advance.”
“Understood.”
With a wave of his hand, Willow led about twenty mages to follow him.
Due to the distance, the mages needed to move closer to effectively cast their spells.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Drums beat once more as Desmond’s heavy infantry began advancing slowly, protecting the mages and archers as they moved forward.
The mages carefully scanned the ground with their mana, searching for rune traps. Having been caught off guard by them once before, their movements were exceedingly cautious.
“There don’t seem to be any traps. Increase your speed,” ordered Willow.
At his command, Desmond’s forces began to move faster.
Gillian, watching the enemy approach at an accelerating pace, estimated the distance and shouted.
“Release your arrows!!”
Swoosh!
In an instant, thousands of arrows blanketed the sky, streaking toward the advancing troops.
The Fenris soldiers had been trained to wield a variety of weapons. Naturally, the soldiers left behind at the fortress were all proficient with bows.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Caught off guard, the heavy infantry hurriedly raised their large shields to block the arrows. Momentarily surprised, their advance faltered.
Harold, too, was taken aback.
“What’s this? Are they all archers?”
In his experience, even elite troops couldn’t master every weapon.
The time required for training was one issue, but the cost of such extensive training skyrocketed exponentially. This was why other lords divided their forces into specialized units.
“Well, that’s fortunate. They’re probably weak in close combat. Push the siege towers forward quickly. Move now! Resume the catapult attacks and keep the pressure on.”
Eight massive siege towers began to roll forward slowly. Simultaneously, mages protected by the heavy infantry unleashed their magic on the fortress.
Fwoosh!
Between the gaps in the heavy infantry, enormous fireballs shot forth.
The fireballs homed in precisely on the clusters of Fenris soldiers, far more accurate than the chaotic bombardment of the catapults.
“Fall back!”
The Fenris knights stepped forward, raising massive shields crafted from Galvaniium to protect the soldiers behind them.
The soldiers assigned under the knights quickly took cover behind their Decurion leaders or sought shelter entirely.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Ugh!”
Each time a fireball collided with a shield, the impact rattled the knights to their core, pushing them backward. Still, they gritted their teeth and endured, wrapping their shields with mana for reinforcement.
Desmond’s forces didn’t stop at just that. Archers advancing with the heavy infantry unleashed a barrage of arrows, while the catapults resumed their relentless assault.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
“Dodge! Dodge!”
“Scatter! Hold your shields up to block the arrows overhead!”
“Damn it! Can we really hold out against this?”
The knights were nearly at their wits’ end. The battle hadn’t even reached melee combat, and they were already overwhelmed just trying to evade and block the onslaught.
Though they prided themselves on being a formidable force, they found themselves utterly powerless before Desmond’s army.
While sheer numbers certainly played a role, their disadvantage wasn’t purely a matter of quantity. Desmond’s forces executed a precise and relentless strategy, leaving the defenders no room to breathe.
There wasn’t a moment to spare. The soldiers barely found solace in their Galvaniium shields, which at least allowed them to block the hail of arrows.
Whoooosh!
The relentless attacks were maddening enough, but now an immense surge of mana gathered in the sky above. It was the unmistakable sign of a high-circle spell.
The knights, who had been frantically defending against or dodging the Desmond army’s attacks, raised their heads and muttered.
“Damn… this is no joke…”
“Our lord really wanted us to fight bastards like these?”
“They’re on a whole other level compared to the ones we’ve faced before.”
The knights’ complaints didn’t last long. All around them, mana coalesced in the sky.
Willow, who had completed his casting, nonchalantly waved a hand and murmured.
“Fire Rain.”
Fwoooosh!
Hundreds of massive fireballs erupted in the air above the fortress and began to pour down like a torrential storm.
Terrified by the indiscriminate rain of fire, the knights shouted urgently.
“Everyone, gather together!”
They could block what came from the front. But they couldn’t stop what fell from above.
Even with Galvaniium shields, the soldiers couldn’t possibly withstand a high-circle spell unscathed.
The knights poured mana into their armor.
Zzzzzing!
Light began to seep through the gaps in their black armor as the magic circles engraved upon them activated, forming translucent barriers.
Boom! Boom! BOOOOM!
The fireballs crashed down everywhere, obliterating everything in their wake. The powerful attack was enough to shatter even solid stone flooring in an instant.
It was a fearsome display of destructive power befitting a high-circle spell.
Yet, the knights, surrounded by the mana barriers from their activated armor, and the soldiers near them emerged unscathed.
The fireballs that neared the knights dispersed before even touching the barriers.
Though the fortress walls and towers were left in ruins, the knights and soldiers had survived unscathed.
Willow, observing the scene closely, murmured.
“Dispel? Could it be… there’s a 6th-circle mage here?”
He could feel mana waves scattering his magic throughout the battlefield. For someone to dispel his spell, they would need to be at least as powerful as himself, a 6th-circle mage.
But something seemed off. If a 6th-circle mage was present, they should have dispelled his magic before it activated.
Moreover, the mana he sensed around the battlefield was minuscule compared to his own.
“Did they use a runestone to install a magic circle? They must be swimming in money. But where did they hire a 6th-circle mage for this?”
Clicking his tongue, Willow began preparing another spell. If the resistance came from a magic device, he could simply overwhelm it with repeated attacks until it broke.
Fwoosh!
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Another spell rained down, but the same phenomenon occurred.
“Hmph… whatever it is, it’s quite well made.”
Irritated, he prepared to cast yet again. While the consumption of mana from repeated 6th-circle spells was immense, he was in no danger and could afford to keep trying until his mana was exhausted.
Thoom! Thoom! Thoom!
Before he could cast again, siege towers began moving forward. Clicking his tongue in frustration, Willow retreated. It stung his pride to have achieved so little damage.
Harold watched the events unfold indifferently.
He could simply continue with ranged attacks to exhaust the Fenris forces over the course of a few days. He wanted to, but he didn’t have that luxury.
‘The Kingdom’s army must be mobilizing by now.’
He had already annihilated the Second Legion. Surely Marquis Branford would have dispatched reinforcements.
And… Ghislain wasn’t here.
‘He’s the kind of bastard who would pull something while I’m wasting time.’
With the Royalist faction pressuring him and Ghislain’s unpredictable schemes, Harold couldn’t afford to delay.
He needed to crush Fenris with overwhelming force as quickly as possible to secure his desired position.
Harold, like Ghislain, was also racing against time.
Rumble!
So, he poured his forces all at once. His goal: to seize the fortress by the end of the day.
The approaching siege towers made the knights gasp for air.
Having activated their armor and shielded themselves against magical attacks, they had already spent nearly half their mana.
“Hah… we haven’t even clashed yet, and I’m already drained.”
The knights let out self-deprecating laughs. With so much mana used already, the battles ahead would undoubtedly be grueling.
Still, without the armor crafted by the dwarves and mages, the damage would have been far worse.
Rumble!
The siege towers closed in. Desmond’s archers unleashed a continuous barrage of arrows to suppress the defenders. Archers stationed on the towers fired at the fortress walls.
Lucas, who had been holding his shield, shouted loudly.
“Sergeant! What are we going to do? There’s too damn many siege towers coming at us!”
“Hold your ground. It’s better for us if the towers get close.”
There was no way to respond effectively with ranged attacks. At this rate, they’d exhaust themselves without accomplishing anything.
But Gillian knew the enemy was equally pressed for time. Fenris forces steadied their breath with cold silence, waiting for the towers to approach.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
Eight siege towers connected to the walls, and Desmond’s soldiers began swarming up like ants.
Gillian, his eyes filled with bloodlust, addressed the defenders.
“Prepare yourselves.”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Knights and soldiers lowered their visors, fully enclosing themselves in their armor. Until now, they had left their faceguards open for better visibility, but that was no longer necessary.
Seeing no arrows fired from Fenris, Desmond’s soldiers grew bolder, marching en masse into the siege towers.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The bridges of the siege towers lowered onto the fortress walls. Fenris soldiers glared at the towers, seeing the swarming Desmond troops within, their expressions fierce.
Zzzzzing!
Bright light surged again from the gaps in the knights’ armor as they activated their magic circles.
Their eyes glinted with the same murderous intent as their foes.
Gillian threw aside his shield and pulled out two massive axes.
With a voice laden with deadly intent, he declared:
“You’ve come far enough. Let’s have a proper fight.”