CHAPTER 77: He's quite a capable one, after all (4)

Thud! Thud! Thud!

As dawn broke, the enemy began their assault once more.

Unlike before, they were now moving in unison, pulling along mobile siege ladders, clearly intending to finally breach the castle.

The soldiers of Perdium tensed up, seeing the enemy's coordinated advance.

They had endured two days of siege, boosting their morale, yet the sight of the entire enemy force moving together filled them with a crushing sense of pressure.

"Stay strong! We can hold them off today as well!"

Encouraged by Zwalter, the soldiers took their positions and fired arrows fiercely at the approaching foes.

Thunk! Thunk!

The arrows had little effect on the advancing enemy shield-bearers leading the charge. Still, a few arrows reached the infantry and archers in the rear, taking them down one by one.

A squad finally broke through the barrage of arrows and reached the base of the castle wall.

The breached sections of the wall had already been blocked with wood, dirt, and stone, so the enemy ignored that area and placed ladders against other parts of the wall.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The enemy soldiers began climbing up the ladders secured to the wall.

"Repel them! Knock them off!"

Following Zwalter's command, the soldiers hurled various weapons down onto the ladders. Spiked cylinders rolled down, and boiling water and molten metal poured relentlessly over the enemy.

"Arghhhh!"

The enemies climbing with shields up were unable to withstand the brutal countermeasures and fell one by one.

Perdium's soldiers had to fight hard, dodging the enemy's harassing shots from below the wall.

Fortunately, the enemy's offensive wasn't too intense, so the losses were minimal.

'What is this? Why isn't the siege tower moving?'

Zwalter's mind churned with confusion.

If the enemy was climbing up ladders instead of using a siege tower, they would suffer greater casualties. Yet the enemy kept using only ladders, while the siege tower remained stationary.

The cautious advance suggested the enemy wasn't fully committed to capturing the castle. It felt more like they were testing the defenses.

However, with the overwhelming numbers on the enemy's side, Perdium couldn't afford to relax.

Zwalter pondered the enemy's intentions.

'Are they trying to undermine the foundation of the walls? Or planning to dig a tunnel?'

He recalled other tactics often used in siege warfare, but none seemed to match.

There were no signs of activity at the base of the wall, nor did they have the time to dig a tunnel.

By dusk, the enemy retreated without breaching the walls.

"Waaaah! We held them off again!"

The soldiers cheered, though the victory felt just as uneasy as yesterday's.

Zwalter's thoughts didn't linger long. By nightfall, the enemy's intentions became clear.

"Charge!"

The enemy launched another attack that night, this time with only half of their force.

But even half of their numbers outmatched all of Perdium's soldiers.

"Damn it! They're trying to wear us out completely!"

Zwalter ground his teeth in frustration.

'If we pull back our forces, other areas will be left defenseless!'

Their numbers were too few to adopt the enemy's tactics.

The cautious attacks kept the casualties low, but fatigue was building up.

The following day, the rested half of the enemy's forces would attack again.

Zwalter tried pulling back half of his troops, mirroring the enemy's tactics.

But the enemy immediately noticed the reduced numbers and launched focused attacks on vulnerable areas.

'Impressive. Even as enemies, their commander's skill is remarkable!'

Had it not been for Ghislain and the mercenaries' efforts, they might have already lost a section of the wall.

"Big brother! The soldiers are exhausted."

Randolph carefully relayed the news, but there was no other solution.

Zwalter was giving the soldiers as much rest as possible, but their rotation was nowhere near as effective as the enemy's.

By the next day, the enemy troops, who had rested well, appeared fresh, while his own men were visibly fatigued.

"Oh, no… I'm exhausted…"

"Do we have to keep fighting like this?"

"When will this end? Didn't they say the enemy has no supplies?"

Perdium's soldiers were rapidly losing morale.

They hadn't slept properly for three days.

War brought overwhelming tension and exhaustion by its nature, but having to fight without rest each night was sapping the soldiers' strength.

Even though Ghislain took drastic measures by leaping down from the wall again, the enemy's strategy remained unchanged.

When the mercenaries in black armor appeared, the soldiers withdrew, while the enemy knights moved to block Ghislain.

In the end, Ghislain was unable to inflict significant damage and had to retreat.

Yet, a mysterious smile lingered on his lips.

'Yes, you're doing well, Viktor. Keep it up a bit longer.'

From then on, Ghislain and his mercenaries focused solely on defending the wall.

"Young Lord, at this rate, we'll face total defeat. We need a solution," Gillian whispered worriedly, but Ghislain nodded with a chilly smile.

"Yes, they're really going all out. But the time isn't right yet. Just wait a bit longer."

This kind of strategy wouldn't work if the defending side had ample supplies and manpower, as it only wasted time.

But against the strained Perdium forces, it was a highly effective approach.

Zwalter was growing increasingly suspicious about the true motives and masterminds behind this war.

'Just how long has this been in the making?'

It was no secret that Perdium lacked resources, but…

'Those ladders—they were clearly prepared in advance.'

Perdium's walls were relatively low compared to other places.

Even the siege tower's platform would form a downward slope when placed against the walls.

And yet, the enemy's ladders fit Perdium's wall height perfectly.

It meant they had been preparing to attack Perdium for months.

'So this wasn't planned when the traitors switched sides. Did they start as soon as the Rune Stone was discovered?'

It seemed spies had infiltrated the estate long ago.

'The Count Loges won't be coming.'

Any hope for reinforcements was likely in vain.

The reason for the communication cut-off with Count Loges was all too clear.

'The messengers must have been intercepted.'

Now, the only remaining hope was that the enemy would retreat due to their own supply issues.

The day the currently idle siege tower finally moved would be the day of the last battle.

'Can we hold out until then?'

Zwalter gazed wearily at the distant siege tower.

***

Meanwhile, Viktor was also calculating the final battle.

Though he held the upper hand on the battlefield, he couldn't prevent the steady toll on his own forces.

Minimizing losses was crucial if he wanted his command abilities recognized.

But he couldn't simply wait around either, so he tread carefully.

"We're running low on supplies. Are you sure we're okay?" Tamos asked worriedly.

They had to secure the Rune Stone, or Digald would be unable to recover from the losses of this war.

If Perdium counter-attacked in the meantime, Digald would be finished.

"Don't worry. It'll be over soon."

Viktor's answer was firm.

The truth—that Perdium's end would also be Digald's end—was something he kept to himself.

'Can we hold for two days? They should start having issues soon.'

Pushing for another three or four days would be ideal, but they didn't have the supplies.

"Apply a little more pressure."

Viktor decided to extend the combat duration, accepting some casualties.

The soldiers of Perdium, running on minimal sleep, were struggling to hold out.

Meanwhile, Ghislain made sure half of the mercenaries rested while the other half fought.

The downside was that Ghislain had to work twice as hard in their absence.

"Young master! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Young Lord! You need to rest too!" Belinda and Gillian pleaded, but Ghislain was determined.

"It's fine. Better to push now than rest forever in death. We have to work hard now."

Seeing his firm yet nonchalant response, Belinda could only clutch her chest in frustration.

Two more days passed.

Perdium's soldiers faced an even more serious problem.

"We're out of arrows…"

"We're out of supplies for the defense."

Reports from the knights trickled in, and Zwalter eventually bowed his head.

With the constant onslaught day and night, their resources had finally run dry.

Homerne had desperately gathered supplies from the territory, but that, too, had its limits.

'They must have aimed for this.'

The enemy commander was exploiting their weaknesses to perfection.

Even Randolph, usually full of energy, now sat with dull, sunken eyes, while the soldiers were all weary and exhausted.

'It's over.'

Given the enemy's careful tactics, it was amazing they had held out this long.

Without Ghislain, they wouldn't have lasted nearly as long.

"You look somewhat better than the others," Zwalter noted.

Ghislain shrugged in response. "Because the battle isn't over yet."

While his face showed signs of fatigue, he didn't look as defeated as the others.

After a moment's hesitation, Zwalter spoke with a trembling voice.

"When the battle begins… take your mercenaries and leave this place."

"What are you saying?" Ghislain asked, taken aback by his father's unusual demeanor.

The man who always preached noble duty and honor was now telling him to flee.

"Seek refuge with Count Loges. His wife is your aunt; he won't turn you away. He'll protect you."

"Isn't it a noble's duty to stay?"

"I'm only human, after all. It's not as the lord—it's as a father. Take Elena with you."

"So, you're saying it's already over?"

"At this point, your forces won't change the outcome. If we're meant to win, we will, with or without you. If we're meant to lose, you being here won't change that."

"…"

"Be friendly with Kane. Don't cause trouble and don't live a life full of resentment."

"…Haha."

Seeing Zwalter make a rare attempt at humor, Ghislain chuckled.

Randolph also stepped forward, placing a warm hand on Ghislain's shoulder.

"Young Lord, let's drop the formalities and speak freely."

"When have you ever been formal with me?"

Randolph grinned, showing his teeth.

"It's been an honor. Let's never meet again. You were always unreliable, but you're truly worthy of the title of successor in these final moments. Go, and carry on our legacy."

"I'm not running away."

"Just go. If you live, you'll be able to avenge us later, right?"

Avenge…

Ghislain grinned. "The revenge has already begun."

"What?"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Before Randolph could ask, the enemy drums began to sound.

Rumble!

The remaining siege towers finally began to move.

Everyone felt it in their bones: the final battle had arrived.

Ghislain glanced at the approaching enemy, then turned to leave.

"I'll do things my way now."

Zwalter and Randolph watched him head toward the gate, saying nothing.

Moments later, Zwalter sighed.

"Yes, that one never listened, but he's acting like a noble in the end."

"Let's see it through. The siege towers moving means today's the last day. If we're out of weapons, we'll fight with our fists, right?"

Nodding at Randolph's renewed determination, Zwalter shouted to the soldiers.

"Hold your ground! This is our last battle!"

"Waaaaah!"

The soldiers raised their weapons and let out a battle cry.

Realistically, none of them believed Perdium would win. It was more of a scream born from fear of death than anything else.

Hearing the shout from Perdium's side, Viktor sneered.

"It's over, you stubborn fools."

Since yesterday, almost no arrows had been fired their way.

Proof that the enemy's supplies were nearly depleted.

Now it was time to press forward and claim victory.

"The central troops, advance to the gates!"

He placed a line of shield-bearers at the center.

"When they're desperate, they'll rush out of the gate. At that moment, unleash magic upon the frontlines."

The mages nodded, understanding the plan.

Viktor was sure that when the siege began, those in black armor would charge out.

They would view it as their final chance to break through.

'They'll think it's their last opportunity.'

But if the mages struck without warning, those mercenaries would fall.

'I've kept these mages hidden just for this moment.'

Even if there was some clever thinking on Perdium's side, it would end here.

"All forces, advance!"

At Viktor's command, all troops moved as one.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Perdium's soldiers trembled with despair.

They had held on as best they could, but survival seemed impossible today.

Only the mercenaries watched the enemy with sharp eyes, their fighting spirit undiminished.

Scanning the mercenaries, Ghislain's gaze stopped on the figure beside him.

"Vanessa, prepare yourself."

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