Chapter 189: Time to Show Our Strength (3)

Before launching the attack, Ghislain asked Vanessa,

"What's the enemy's troop deployment status?"

Vanessa, who had been sitting still with her eyes closed, opened them. Next to her, a mage had collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

"As you predicted, my lord, they've all gathered at the tunnel exit. Less than half of their troops remain near the gates and walls."

Thanks to reaching the 6th Circle, Vanessa could survey a much wider area than other mages.

She compensated for her lack of mana by siphoning it from other mages, many of whom had passed out as a result.

Despite the collapsing mages, Ghislain continued to have Vanessa use her detection magic.

Whether she could scan the entire battlefield, even briefly, was a critical factor in determining the outcome of the war. During the last battle, didn't they manage to catch spies thanks to mages?

Confirming that the enemy was moving as he expected, Ghislain nodded and said,

"Good. It's time to begin."

"Are you sure this is alright? If anything goes wrong, it could be very dangerous," Vanessa said with concern.

Ghislain chuckled softly at her worried tone.

"If we succeed, we'll capture the castle with minimal losses."

"Then what about me using the mages' mana to attack the troops on the walls?" Vanessa suggested.

"No, it's not the right time to reveal the presence of our mages yet. And that method might cause damage, but it won't secure an easy capture. The enemy will hold out until reinforcements arrive. You know we don't have time, right?"

"Still…"

"We'll go inside, take out the enemy, and open the gates. How simple and efficient is that? They're weak and starving—it won't be difficult to handle them."

At Ghislain's firm response, Vanessa bowed her head.

It was risky, but if successful, the reward was immense. Capturing the castle in a single day was a risk worth taking.

All she could do was hope it succeeded without significant losses.

"Understood. Please, take care of yourself…"

"Alright. Let's get started."

Leaving Vanessa's concerns behind, Ghislain summoned the knights.

"When night falls, we'll ride hot air balloons into the enemy castle, seize the walls, and open the gates."

"…"

The knights, who had been boasting just a while ago, now wore expressions that said the inevitable had finally arrived.

Among the recent supplies were dozens of hot air balloons—far too many to be for mere reconnaissance.

When the knights first saw them, they had remembered the fall training they had gone through but dismissed it as paranoia. To their dismay, those fears had now become reality.

Since the lord had spoken, the plan wouldn't change. Based on their experiences, the knights knew Ghislain's stubbornness well, so their hearts grew heavy.

One knight cautiously asked, his tone filled with curiosity,

"Then why did we dig the tunnel? Are we not planning to attack from there?"

"That's a decoy. The enemy's main forces are concentrated at the tunnel exit to counter us."

"You mean…"

"Yes, this allows us to enter the castle via the balloons and quickly take the gates."

The knights swallowed dryly, unable to respond.

Their lord was orchestrating the battlefield as if it were in the palm of his hand. It was chilling.

The real plan was the hot air balloons. The lack of siege weapons and the digging of the tunnel were all strategies to divert attention and lower the enemy's guard.

'So that's why we trained for controlled landings.'

'From the start, this was the plan.'

'Well… our lord wouldn't do anything without a reason.'

Looking back, Ghislain had always been like this. Not a single action he took was meaningless.

From the Forest of Demonic Beasts to the Battle of Perdium, he used every means necessary to achieve victory.

He was meticulous, deceiving not just his enemies but even his allies in his preparations.

Though his methods defied common sense, hindsight always revealed that Ghislain had a plan.

Watching the increasingly tense knights, Ghislain spoke.

"I understand your worries. No matter how much we prepare, jumping into the heart of enemy territory is no easy task. It's dangerous, and survival isn't guaranteed."

"…"

He was right. Even though they were knights, their combat time was limited, and they were still half-baked.

If they failed to subdue the enemy quickly or open the gates, they would inevitably be surrounded and annihilated by the enemy forces.

This was something Ghislain, the mastermind behind the plan, knew better than anyone.

Amid the oppressive tension, Ghislain spoke slowly.

"We are still weaker than our enemies. The opponents we'll face in the future will be far stronger than Count Cabaldi."

Count Desmond was one of the most powerful figures in the North. The Duchy was unmatched as a singular force.

Everyone already knew they would have to fight such formidable enemies in the future.

"That's why this war must end so swiftly that the enemy can't even fathom what happened. If we can't easily crush opponents like these, we have no hope. Let me ask you: are we unprepared?"

At those words, the knights straightened their backs and exhaled deeply.

They had risked their lives to master mana. They had trained with the resolve to break their bodies.

They had worked harder than anyone and grown at a pace no one could have imagined.

This was a fact no one could deny. Their pride and confidence had grown immensely compared to before.

The knights roared in unison,

"We are not unprepared!"

Their preparation wasn't lacking. They were simply cautious because their enemy wasn't to be underestimated.

"Even if they're starving, the Cabaldi troops boast the best equipment in the North. We're about to drop into their midst. Are you afraid?"

At Ghislain's subtle provocation, the knights snorted and laughed.

"We've already defeated Desmond's army once."

"We even took down those monstrous beasts in the Forest of Demonic Beasts."

"So why should we fear such insignificant foes?"

The fire in the knights' eyes began to burn brightly. Ghislain grinned.

"Exactly. Fear belongs to the unprepared. We've done everything we can."

The enemy was utterly unprepared. Now it was time to unleash all they had built up.

Ghislain lightly tapped his chest with his fist and laughed.

"I demand a flawless victory."

This was a victory ritual performed by mercenaries who worshiped the goddess of war.

Most of the knights, being former mercenaries, mimicked Ghislain, tapping their chests with the same gesture.

Even those who weren't mercenaries knew its meaning and joined in.

Before long, the fear and tension vanished entirely from the knights' faces.

With overflowing confidence, Ghislain continued.

"As always, I'll lead from the front."

In the Forest of Demonic Beasts, during the last war—Ghislain had always done so.

Arriving at the most dangerous places first and turning the impossible into possible.

That was the source of his leadership and the faith he inspired.

"Follow me with all your strength, just as you have until now."

If they did, they could seize victory once again.

The knights mirrored Ghislain's expression, placing their fists over their hearts in a salute.

Moments ago, they had prayed for victory as mercenaries. Now, as knights, they pledged their lives to follow their lord.

After surveying the knights, Ghislain turned with a ruthless smile.

"Let's go. It's time to show our strength."

***

The tunnel workers rejoined the main force under the cover of night.

Though it would have been ideal if everyone could enter the castle via the balloons, there weren't enough to accommodate all 400 soldiers, even when fully packed.

Each balloon also required a mage to control altitude and direction, so they couldn't increase the number of balloons beyond the mages available.

The knights argued over who would go, each vying for the chance out of pride. In the end, they had to be forcibly selected.

"Damn, I wanted to go."

"I'm stronger. Why didn't I make the cut?"

"Ugh, I don't want to listen to those who went bragging later."

About 100 knights were chosen, while the remaining knights, clicking their tongues, prepared to march with the infantry.

Though their mission was less risky, their role was no less significant. The moment the gates opened, they had to rush in and rescue their comrades.

Their task was to distract the enemy and storm the gates once they were opened.

Soon, dozens of hot air balloons rose into the sky. Using wind magic, the mages guided them toward Cabaldi Castle.

Throughout the approach, those aboard the balloons remained tense. Regular arrows wouldn't reach them, but skilled knights or mages could easily intercept them at this height.

However, the Cabaldi troops failed to notice the balloons in time.

It was a dark night, and their attention was focused on the advancing Fenris army on the ground, leaving no room to look to the skies.

"Huh? What's that?"

A Cabaldi soldier stationed in an outer watchtower finally noticed the balloons as they crossed over the castle walls.

At his signal, the soldiers and commanders stationed along the walls spotted the balloons.

"What's that? There's something in the sky!"

"It doesn't look like a monster…"

"Why is it heading toward our castle?"

The soldiers, forgetting the Fenris army in front of them, stared at the balloons in a daze.

When faced with something completely unexpected, people lose their ability to think clearly. The bizarre sight left them stunned.

Ordinary people couldn't fly, and the idea of humans riding in large baskets was beyond their imagination.

"It seems to have stopped."

"Wait? It's coming down. Is that really not a monster? It's fat and has something attached underneath."

As confusion and murmurs spread, the wall commander frowned.

They needed to confirm what the balloons were. If they were monsters, fighting a two-front battle would be extremely dangerous.

"The Fenris army has halted. They must have spotted it and are being cautious as well. Send out a reconnaissance team to investigate."

The Fenris army had stopped to raise their shields against potential arrows, but the wall commander misinterpreted it.

A small reconnaissance team cautiously moved toward the balloons.

While the Cabaldi soldiers proceeded cautiously, chaos reigned aboard the balloons.

"Hey! You need to get down! Don't you see the torches? The enemy's coming to check us out!"

The mages urged the knights. They needed the knights to disembark so they could retreat.

The mages had already expended a significant amount of mana moving the balloons and couldn't contribute to the ensuing chaos.

Unable to support from the air, they had to escape as soon as the knights landed to avoid losing valuable balloons or mages to enemy fire.

But the knights had their grievances too.

"Ugh! Shut up! It's too high right now! We need to descend more!"

"What? No way! We can't go lower!"

The balloons couldn't descend too far, as it would be harder to relaunch them quickly. The knights needed to jump from the current altitude for the mages to make their escape.

"If you don't jump, I'll cut the ropes myself!"

"Wow, these guys… Just you wait until the war's over."

Despite the bickering, the knights prepared to jump.

Though they growled at each other, the knights and mages actually had a surprisingly good rapport.

In the past, haughty mages and mercenary knights would never have interacted like this. Their dynamics were often filled with disdain and arrogance.

However, Ghislain's influence had fostered a camaraderie among them, breaking down barriers and creating a neighborhood-friend-like atmosphere.

Taking deep breaths, the knights performed the "one-arm-breaking landing technique" they had trained for.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Ugh! Didn't break anything!"

"I'm alive! It worked! Training paid off!"

"Damn, I nearly died before the fight even started."

They groaned as they hit the ground but were otherwise unharmed, thanks to their training and mana skills.

Amidst the noise, one balloon remained silent.

It was the one carrying Kaor and Alpoi.

Since the "hot air balloon crash incident," the two had barely spoken to each other, maintaining a distant and awkward relationship.

Their embarrassment from trying to save each other had made things uncomfortable.

As Kaor was climbing down, he broke the silence.

"Hey, don't mess around and fall again. Get away safely."

Alpoi, hands behind his back, awkwardly looked away and replied.

"Hmph… Make it back in one piece."

"Look at this guy, acting shy."

Kaor let out a soft chuckle before jumping stylishly off the balloon.

Splat!

"Ow, dammit! That hurts!"

With Kaor's landing, all the knights had disembarked, and the balloons began ascending. The mages' sole remaining task was to leave the battlefield quickly.

From a rising balloon, one mage looked down and said,

"Hey, come back alive, so I can fix your rude habits."

A knight, massaging his arm, smirked and replied,

"Make sure you wash your neck clean. I'll send you off nicely."

"Haha, you'd piss yourself from a single Fireball."

Laughing, the mage heated the air pocket with his spell.

Meanwhile, the Cabaldi soldiers hesitantly approached.

For the Fenris knights who had landed in the heart of enemy territory, there was no escape.

Their only options were success or death.

Standing at the front, Ghislain turned back to look at his men.

"No one fled or failed to land, right? No one's injured either, I assume."

"None, sir!"

The knights, despite their aching arms, rotated them while laughing.

A chilling bloodlust began to rise among them.

Ghislain drew his sword with a grin. The scent of battle—it had been a long time.

"Ready to cough up some blood?"

"We're ready, sir!"

Schwing! Schwing!

The knights, wearing the same cruel smile as Ghislain, drew their swords.

Every single blade was encased in a brilliant blue glow of mana.

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