Chapter 66: The Only Chance

Waldemar looked astonished. He instinctively reached for the longsword at his waist, only to remember that he had handed it over to the guards before entering. The kingdom knight immediately lunged at Albert, intending to take him hostage.

To his despair, Albert, who he remembered as having mediocre swordsmanship and rarely going to the battlefield, dodged with lightning speed and then slashed at Waldemar's thigh. The kingdom knight fell to the ground, wounded, and was then pinned down by two guards.

"How did you... how did you find out?" Waldemar knew the situation was hopeless. He was pinned to the floor by two guards, and more guards rushed in, tying him up and placing a halberd against his neck.

"Obviously, my knight betrayed me." Albert's face was flushed with rage, veins bulging on his forehead, making the forty-something count look ferocious. "He has already offered the people of this city to the northern barbarians as blood sacrifices. Am I right?"

The guards looked at the kingdom knight in disbelief. The guard captain, Emil, approached Albert and whispered, "Count?"

"This traitor has colluded with the barbarians! He has defected to the barbarian army outside the city. He plans to sacrifice my city and my people to Brig, making himself the only noble who resisted until the imperial reinforcements arrived, thus earning the king's reward." Albert walked up to Waldemar and whispered in his ear, "The best outcome would be for the great Bamboo Knight Waldemar, the hero of Midgaard Haven, to inherit the late Count Albert Baker's title and become the new lord of this city. Am I right? If I'm not mistaken, you have already placed your people on that passenger ship, correct?"

Waldemar's face turned pale, and the kingdom knight remained silent.

"Not talking, are we? Emil?" Albert gave his guard captain a look. The scar-faced guard captain rushed up and punched Waldemar hard in the face, leaving his handsome face bloodied.

"You never understood me, my knight!" Albert Baker sheathed his sword and said angrily, "You think I can't see that this is all your doing? In the entire city, fewer than ten people know about the gunpowder storage at the East Gate, and you are in charge of its defense. Only you could find the patrol gaps and send someone to ignite the gunpowder!"

"And you arrived too quickly. That's not normal. I know you too well; you would never be on duty at this time. You should be in a halfling's tavern, sleeping with a whore!" Albert kicked Waldemar in the face, causing the kingdom knight to bleed from his nose.

"So what?" Waldemar responded with a crazed voice, "Albert, do you think you can hold this city? With that broken gate? With those rabble you hastily assembled?"

"Wake up! You fool! Everyone is going to die! The entire city will be reduced to ashes under the barbarians' axes and torches! The more you resist, the worse your death will be. The end is inevitable; everything will be destroyed. Only those who know how to submit and obey can survive! I'm doing this for the people of this city! Brig promised me that if I surrendered, he would only kill half the people in this town! Just half! How many lives can I save? This is the right choice; you don't understand!"

"...You're insane." Albert didn't want to argue anymore. He signaled his guard captain to drag Waldemar away. "From today on, the kingdom knight Waldemar will be erased from this world. Your family history will be expunged, your relatives will be enslaved, and you... will be left to rot in the wild, never to rest in peace!"

"No! You can't do this to me! No! I've served Nord! I've bled for the old count! I demand to see the king! I demand to see the king!" Waldemar was dragged away, and the guard captain Emil stepped forward to ask, "Count, how should we deal with this traitor?"

"Behead him immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" The guard captain hurried away.

Albert turned and took a deep breath, then looked at the full set of plate armor in his room, speaking with a sense of sorrow to himself, "So, war has finally come."

"Waldemar never understood how I inherited this hereditary count title." Albert looked at the armor passed down by his ancestors, speaking as if to himself and to the portrait in his bedroom.

The portrait bore the name of his ancestor: Count Baker I, "the Stubborn" of Midgaard Haven.

"During the great holy war 150 years ago, when the evil army invaded, the Elector of Nord, the King of the North, Stead VIII, chose to submit to the second eternal chosen of Chaos, the 'Anointed' Isakaval. At that time, Nord was almost completely occupied, with only three counts refusing to surrender, fighting to the last moment. Finally, under the wise leadership of His Majesty Ludwig, Chaos was repelled."

"To reward these three counts who fought to the end and their descendants, even though the Kingdom of Nord replaced the Electorate of Nord, the titles of these three counts were not replaced by the lord system of Nord. His Majesty Ludwig granted our three families the highest honor of hereditary titles!"

"This land was bought with the blood and lives of our ancestors! If I choose to surrender, how could I face my ancestors buried in the Moor Cemetery?!"

The guard captain soon returned, carrying an iron tray with Waldemar's head covered by a red cloth. "Count!"

The count closed his eyes.

"Now, only a bloody battle to the end!"

"However, Waldemar's suggestion is not without merit. Emil, send my family to the passenger ship. If something happens to me, ensure their safety!"

"Yes, sir!"

The next afternoon, when Ryan led the Nord army back to Midgaard Haven, they saw the collapsed city gate, the severely damaged moat, and the desperate, anxious civilians.

The joy of successfully intercepting the barbarians vanished.

As the army entered the city gate, Ryan and others were stopped by guards sent by the lord. "Mr. Ryan! Mr. Nikolai! The count has urgent military matters!"

Twenty minutes later, at Count Albert's castle.

Albert, fully armed, with his three-leaf family crest shining brightly, stood in a large room where his guards lined up in two rows. When Ryan and Nikolai entered, the forty-something count nodded, "How is the situation?"

"We have successfully blown up the Aarhus Bridge, which should delay Brig's troops until nightfall." Ryan and Nikolai hurried over, and from Albert's mouth, they learned about Waldemar's actions. "If Brig moves quickly, he will reach Carlzen Haven by noon tomorrow."

"My scouts tell me that the imperial reinforcements will arrive no earlier than noon the day after tomorrow." Albert nodded, then turned to his kingdom knight.

Nikolai, deeply affected by the betrayal, was the most impacted. He couldn't believe that his fellow knight Waldemar would do such a thing.

"Betraying the people! Betraying the country! Betraying our comrades! My God, what has Waldemar done? Is he sick?" Nikolai was distraught. He didn't care that his superior was standing in front of him and found a place to sit, covering his face with his hands. "I... I really... don't know what to say."

By the end, Nikolai's voice was choked with emotion.

"Now is not the time for you to grieve, my friend. Our immediate priority is to decide what to do next. Should we go out and fight? Or should we defend and engage in street fighting? Tell me, White Wolf Knight, what would you do?" Albert's face briefly showed pain as he walked to his long table and took out a bottle of wine. "Gentlemen, care for a drink? This is Winfort's finest wine, Lusalyus. I'm afraid if we don't drink it now, we won't have the chance later."

"Of course! A drink would be good." Ryan closed his eyes in resignation. The White Wolf Knight understood what the Lady of the Lake's prophecy meant.

He and Brig would inevitably face each other.

Once, he thought his plan was flawless, but reality had slapped him in the face. Now, he was in a dilemma, the true portrayal of the White Wolf Knight.

"No, I won't have any." Nikolai couldn't overcome the shock of his colleague and friend's betrayal. He leaned wearily against the back of his chair. "Give me a few minutes to be alone, please."

"Then let's start!" Albert shrugged. The blond, blue-eyed count had slightly dark circles under his eyes but was in high spirits. He took two goblets from his cabinet and removed the cork from the wine bottle.

The sweet wine, different from regular Winfort wines, had a faint grape fragrance, replaced by a peculiar sweetness.

Ryan took the goblet from Albert and swirled it under his nose. "Rich, full, lasting, delicate, and soft. Let me think, honey, apricot, lemon... and peach?"

"Unexpectedly, the 'Big Hammer' Ryan knows his wine? I thought you and your father Norman preferred Kislev vodka and would drink until your face turned red as a monkey's butt, then collapse like a brown bear." Seeing that Ryan knew his wine, Albert suddenly smiled.

So, at this critical moment, the White Wolf Knight and the lord count each held a glass of sweet wine, standing on the room's balcony, overlooking the entire city.

In the

 reflection of the white snow, this largest and most prosperous port city in Nord did not fall into chaos despite the war and the influx of refugees. Under the count's quick response and command, the remaining guards swiftly controlled the situation. The paladins and priests of the Justice Church and the Life Church also mobilized, quickly bringing the situation under control.

However, the fear among them lingered. Groups of people lay in the streets, especially many civilians and refugees near the East Gate moving into the city. People crowded together, many gathering under the count's castle, the last fortress in the city, seeking a sense of safety.

The balcony was specially designed, making it impossible for those below to see those above.

"Winfort... truly a fertile land. Its wines are famous nationwide, and its scenery is said to outshine paradise." Savoring the wine in his mouth, Ryan could taste the sweet aroma spreading through his throat and lungs.

"But I still love my land, my people." The count raised his goblet, gesturing for Ryan to look at his city. "To me, no place is more beautiful than Midgaard Haven. Look at those houses, that park, all built after I inherited this position."

"I carefully adjusted the city's tax rates. I hoped that any young man willing to work hard could find enough opportunities in my city. I wanted my docks to be as prosperous as Marienburg."

"To you, Count." Ryan raised his goblet. "Let's toast to Midgaard Haven's prosperity."

"Hahaha, cheers!" Albert laughed. The goblets clinked, the wine splashed, and the count and the White Wolf Knight downed their drinks.

For some, the importance medieval nobles placed on defending their territory and people might seem insignificant. Many nobles would fight to the death to protect their land without any benefits.

But the nobles of this world are like that. Their territory is their foundation, the symbol of their honor and status. Abandoning their land means giving up everything, not just losing their honor but also their title and the king's support. Money will eventually be spent, and their end will be tragic.

Look at the old empire's nobles who fled their land due to Chaos invasions. Even serfs could insult and ridicule them at will.

After drinking, Albert looked at his city and laughed, "Unfortunately, this scene may never be seen again. My city will turn to ashes, my people will die under the barbarians' blades, and I will shed my last drop of blood. Tell me, White Wolf Knight, will you follow me to fight to the death for this city, for that glimmer of hope?"

Ryan did not answer.

The White Wolf Knight knew well that agreeing meant staying to fight the barbarians. As a kingdom knight and member of the White Wolf Knights, Ryan had the right to refuse this invitation since he was not Count Albert's vassal.

My vassal's vassal is not my vassal. This battle had nothing to do with Ryan. He had a reason to refuse and leave by ship.

However... this city had only two legendary powerhouses: him and Theresa. If he chose to leave, the sorceress had no reason to stay.

Without legendary powerhouses to oppose Brig, the city's fall was only a matter of time. Ryan knew too well the role of a legendary powerhouse in a war. The Midgaard Haven's garrison was already at a numerical disadvantage. Without the protection of the city walls, defeat was their only outcome.

Then, the entire city would turn to ashes. The barbarians would destroy the bright pearl of Nord's west coast before the imperial army arrived and then retreat. Even if the imperial army could wipe them out, it would be futile because the city and its people would be gone.

He remembered the Lady of the Lake's prophecy: You and Brig will inevitably face each other. At that time, you will understand what true knightly virtue is.

True... virtue?

Seeing Ryan remain silent, Albert's eyes showed disappointment, but he didn't insist. "Never mind, I can arrange for a ship to take you out of Midgaard Haven..."

"Go out and face the enemy head-on."

"What?"

"I said gather all the troops and face the enemy head-on at the city gate." Ryan's gaze grew firmer, something seemed to have left him, yet something else seemed to have been gained. "Only a champion duel can save this city and turn the tide."

In the void, hearing Ryan's suggestion, a beautiful figure nodded approvingly, her golden hair shimmering with a captivating glow.

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