Chapter 305

“Everyone, line up calmly and enter one by one! There’s no need to rush! We have plenty of time, and everything will be taken care of in order!”

The soldiers controlled the flow of residents at the gate.

They were the residents who were evacuating to the castle.

They had chosen to defend the castle, as they couldn’t possibly win in a field battle against the overwhelming enemy force.

It was only natural to evacuate the residents outside the castle walls to safety.

They couldn’t move their homes or their fields, so they were entering the castle in an orderly line, carrying only their most valuable possessions.

It was understandable for them to be anxious, but the residents were surprisingly calm.

It was a testament to the Celtrine territory’s stability.

They could remain calm in this situation because Count Celtrine, their lord, had ruled wisely.

And they also trusted me, the one who had led them to victory twice in this civil war.

They believed that I could protect them.

That I would protect them until the very end.

I had a duty to live up to their expectations.

“I’m worried that the patricide, frustrated by his consecutive defeats, will order his troops to raze everything outside the castle walls.”

Gwen said.

“It’s possible. The patricide I know is capable of such cruelty. But that would only damage his reputation and the reputation of his army.”

I replied calmly.

“It’s the innocent civilians who will suffer.”

“It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. We can’t protect everything. But I promise that all damages will be compensated after this civil war is over.”

It was an impossible promise for most territories.

But the Celtrine territory was different.

They had more money than they knew what to do with.

That was one of the reasons why the residents were so cooperative, despite the unsettling situation.

Their lord had promised to compensate them for all their losses.

“I’m grateful for your wise decision, my lord.”

Even Gwen, a former knight, seemed to find it unusual for a lord to promise full compensation.

I chuckled and changed the subject.

“Anyway, how are the preparations for the siege battle going?”

I couldn’t do everything by myself.

That’s why I was dividing the tasks among those I could trust.

“About half of it is done. We’ve deployed the ballistae on the walls, and we’ve almost finished moving the boulders into the castle.”

“Make sure the ballistae are covered with cloth so the enemy doesn’t realize what they are.”

It was our secret weapon against mages, a weapon we had been saving for this moment.

To maximize its effectiveness, we had to keep it hidden until the very last moment.

“Of course. We’ve already covered them with gray cloth.”

“Good work. I’m counting on you to finish the rest.”

* * *

“W-We’re finally done!”

“Haha, we did it!”

The blacksmiths cheered, unable to contain their joy.

They had finished producing the requested number of items on time, without a single defect.

“Alright, everyone, great work. You deserve a round of applause.”

*Clap, clap, clap!*

Ran smiled and clapped her hands.

The blacksmiths’ faces turned humble.

“No, no, it’s all thanks to you, Master.”

“We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Their words were sincere.

Ran’s teachings had been a great help to them.

But Ran shook her head.

“No, it’s not just me. Skills are useless without manpower.”

“What do you mean useless?”

Someone entered the workshop.

It was Max Celtrine.

“Oh, it’s Max.”

“Welcome, Young Master.”

The blacksmiths stood up and bowed.

Max gestured for them to relax and said, “How’s the work coming along?”

“Perfect timing. We just finished.”

“Oh, really? That’s great news.”

Max’s face brightened.

He had asked Ran and the blacksmiths to make arrows.

Because arrows were the most important weapon for the defenders in a siege battle, who had the advantage of height.

If they ran out of arrows, the defenders would be at a severe disadvantage.

Conversely, a sufficient supply of arrows could be a powerful weapon for the defenders.

That’s why Max had asked Ran to start producing arrows as soon as she opened her workshop.

And they had finally finished on time.

“Thank you for your hard work. After this battle is over, I’ll reward you all generously, with a bonus.”

Max said, expressing his gratitude to the blacksmiths.

“Thank you, Young Master.”

“It was our duty as citizens of the territory.”

“Haha, no. Your hard work will never be forgotten.”

It was a simple expression of gratitude, but it was unusual for nobles.

Many lords treated their people’s labor as their right.

So the blacksmiths were even more touched.

Max turned to Ran.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Sure.”

Max and Ran stepped outside the workshop.

“I wanted to check on something I asked you to do.”

“You’ve asked me to do so many things, I don’t know which one you’re talking about.”

“Sorry, sorry. I guess I’ve been pushing you too hard, with the situation being so urgent.”

“No, it’s fine. I enjoy working more than playing anyway. And you’re my benefactor, so it’s the least I can do.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Max winked and continued, “About the castle gate…”

“Yes.”

“How is it? Will it hold?”

A genius artisan’s eye was different from an ordinary person’s.

So he had asked Ran to check the castle gate and reinforce it if possible.

“Hmm, it’s average. Not bad, not good.”

“That’s not very reassuring.”

Max chuckled.

“But I’ve reinforced it, so it should hold for a while longer.”

“That’s very reassuring.”

Max smiled.

“But that doesn’t mean it’ll hold forever.”

“It doesn’t have to. The longer we hold out, the more anxious the patricide will become.”

The patricide, who was mobilizing a large army,

He would want to capture Celtrine Castle as quickly as possible to restore his damaged reputation.

If he was bogged down in a long siege, it would only worsen the situation.

Max understood that.

“Hmm, really? That’s strange. Are you saying the patricide’s army will retreat if we hold out for a while?”

Ran tilted her head, confused.

But this time, Max didn’t explain.

“There’s something like that. You’ll find out later.”

“Come on, don’t keep me in suspense.”

“Anyway, are you sure you’ll be alright? We might need your skills during the battle.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s nothing compared to those who are risking their lives.”

Max smiled warmly at her thoughtful words.

“Hey, save that look for your girlfriend.”

“Cough, cough.”

“Anyway, good luck, Max. I’ll be cheering for you while I work hard at the forge.”

“Thanks.”

And so, the preparations for the decisive battle were underway.

* * *

Adolf wanted to personally lead the army and crush the Celtrine territory, but he couldn’t.

He couldn’t leave the Imperial Capital at the moment.

He had to stay behind, as the figurehead and with the minimum number of troops to defend the capital.

So Vinchel, the Sword Saint, was the one leading the thirty thousand soldiers.

His name was practically a legend.

He was the only one qualified to lead such a large army, with the Dukes of the east and south absent.

“I’m entrusting this to you.”

“I will return with victory.”

Vinchel replied calmly to the Crown Prince’s words.

He wasn’t excited or nervous.

That’s why he was so trustworthy.

Vinchel turned and walked away.

Towards the thirty thousand soldiers assembled before him.

The sight was awe-inspiring.

Their overwhelming presence seemed capable of crushing a castle with ease.

Vinchel roared, his voice booming across the field, “We march to the Celtrine territory to claim our rightful victory!”

“Woohoo!”

“For our rightful victory!”

“Long live the Crown Prince!”

“For the glory of the Hyas Empire!”

The soldiers roared in response, their voices shaking the ground.

There was no thought of defeat in their minds.

“Then let’s go!”

And so, the thirty thousand strong army, their morale sky-high, began their march towards the Celtrine territory.

* * *

“T-They’re coming!”

They didn’t need to look multiple times.

The ground trembled beneath their feet, shaking the castle walls.

A cloud of dust rose from the plains, obscuring the horizon.

It was an overwhelming sight.

The soldiers gulped nervously.

Thankfully, their commanders remained calm.

*Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!*

The thirty thousand strong army marched towards the castle, their steps heavy and imposing.

“They won’t attack immediately.”

Milia said, her sharp eyes fixed on the approaching army.

“Yes, they’ll surround the castle first.”

Attacking from one direction meant that the defenders only had to defend one side.

But attacking from all sides meant that the defenders had to defend all sides.

So it was standard procedure to surround a castle before attacking.

And it was the defenders’ job to prevent that.

“Are we really just going to let them surround us without doing anything?”

Duncan asked, sounding dissatisfied.

He thought they could gain an advantage by launching a cavalry charge while the enemy was still spreading out and their formation was disorganized.

But Max shook his head.

“No, that’s exactly what they want us to do. We don’t need to play into their hands.”

“Well, if you say so…”

Duncan acquiesced.

He knew Max’s skills, so even a veteran like him, a legend among soldiers, obeyed without question.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince’s army stopped their advance and began surrounding the castle.

*Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!*

Their movements were swift and organized, faster than they had expected.

They were a well-trained army.

“Hmm… That was close.”

Even Duncan thought it was a good thing they hadn’t launched a cavalry charge.

“Don’t worry about anything else for now. Focus on identifying the mages’ locations.”

Max ordered.

Mages were the key to a siege battle, their firepower unmatched.

Max’s plan was to eliminate them first.

“Understood.”

“Yes, sir.”

The residents, who were stationed on the walls, scanned the enemy ranks with sharp eyes.

They were the most qualified for this task.

No one was better at operating the large ballistae than them, and no one was more accurate.

Their skills, honed in the underground, couldn’t be matched by mere training.

So all the ballistae, currently covered with cloth, were manned by residents.

“Haha, look at them. They’re practically wearing signs that say ‘Mage.’”

“They’re not even trying to hide.”

It was understandable.

They thought that we didn’t have the weapons or the means to harm their mages from this distance.

It was a display of their overwhelming confidence.

“Mages are proud creatures. They don’t like to hide.”

Gwen, a veteran of countless battles, said.

“Well, that will be their downfall.”

Max smiled, a glint in his eyes.

* * *

“The encirclement is complete.”

“Good.”

Vinchel nodded at Justino’s report.

“Should we attack now?”

Marius asked.

“We have to maintain our momentum. But…”

Vinchel continued, his gaze sharp, “First, draw out their arrows.”

Draw out their arrows.

It meant figuring out the enemy’s attack range.

Arrows were the weapons with the longest range, so that’s how he phrased it.

Once they knew the enemy’s attack range, it would be much easier to attack the castle.

Because they could respond accordingly.

“Understood, Captain.”

* * *

“Charge!”

“Woohoo!”

*Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!*

The Crown Prince’s army charged towards the castle from all directions.

The tension among the Celtrine soldiers reached its peak, but Max remained calm.

He was even cold-blooded.

“They’re testing us.”

When a large enemy force charged towards a castle, the defenders would often panic and fire their arrows prematurely.

It was a common occurrence.

But Max was different.

He knew Vinchel’s tactics better than anyone.

He had experienced them countless times.

“Testing us?”

“They’re pretending to attack to figure out our arrow range and waste our arrows.”

“I see…”

Gwen’s eyes widened in realization.

“Then how do we respond?”

Milia asked.

“Hmm, this should work. Tell the soldiers to fire their arrows as if they’re panicking. But…”

We had more than enough arrows, thanks to Ran and the blacksmiths’ hard work.

The enemy might be hoping to deplete our arrows, but that wouldn’t happen.

And,

“Tell them to fire short. Not too short, just a little bit.”

Max smiled, a glint in his eyes.