Chapter 325

Odinel, a prosperous agricultural city nestled along the upper reaches of the Lime River.

Despite serving as a vital supply base for the Crown Prince’s forces, Odinel exuded an air of tranquility, much like it always had.

The only difference was the presence of five thousand soldiers dispatched from the Imperial City.

Even these soldiers didn’t carry the tense, disciplined aura one might expect in wartime.

They understood that while their mission was to safeguard this crucial supply base against potential enemy attacks, the likelihood of actual combat was incredibly slim.

Therefore, it was no surprise that a relaxed atmosphere prevailed from the commanding officer down to the rank-and-file soldiers.

“A-Alcohol? A-Are we allowed to drink that?”

A newly recruited soldier, wide-eyed with surprise, questioned nervously.

“What’s the big deal? As long as we keep it to ourselves, no one will know.”

A veteran soldier replied nonchalantly, already taking a swig from a bottle.

“B-But we’re at war…”

“Ah, you talk too much. You’re ruining the mood.”

“…”

The new recruit fell silent as the veteran frowned.

“Hey, don’t you get it? Do you think even a rat could infiltrate Odinel?”

“It’s a vital supply base, so the chances of an attack are low, but it’s not impossible…”

“Ugh, you don’t know Odinel, do you? This place is deep in the heartland.”

The veteran poked the new recruit’s forehead.

“To get here, they’d have to get past the famous Iron Wall of the East. How do you think they’ll do that?”

The Iron Wall of the East.

Duke Cavern.

His eighty-thousand-strong eastern army was currently marching towards Baydeli to seize control of the central region.

To reach Odinel, the enemy would have to bypass those eighty thousand soldiers.

Bypass the eastern army, which was poised to conquer Baydeli, and march towards Odinel?

It was practically impossible.

“S-Still, there’s always a chance…”

“A chance? A chance?!”

“…”

“Alright, alright. Let’s say, hypothetically, that the rebels’ army somehow managed to reach here.”

The veteran gestured towards the Lime River, where the current flowed swiftly and turbulently.

“What do you see?”

“Huh? What do I see… It’s a river.”

“Heh, that’s right. It’s a river.”

“…”

The new recruit stared at him blankly.

The veteran said, his face full of self-importance, “And that river is Odinel’s true wall.”

“True wall…?”

“Yes, the rebels’ army will never be able to cross that true wall.”

The upper reaches of the river were narrow, but the current was strong.

It meant that crossing the river was difficult.

And yet, they were going to attempt it?

“They’ll only end up as fish food.”

The veteran grinned, baring his teeth.

It wasn’t just his opinion.

It was a belief shared by the entire garrison stationed at Odinel.

The belief that the princess’s forces wouldn’t come, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to cross the Lime River, Odinel’s true wall.

It explained the relaxed atmosphere in Odinel.

“So let’s just relax and enjoy our drinks. Who said we have to get drunk? Let’s just savor the taste.”

The veteran took another swig from his bottle.

It was then that,

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The alarm bells started ringing throughout Odinel.

“Cough! Cough! Cough?!”

The veteran choked on his drink, dropping his bottle on the ground.

“T-This bell! It’s the enemy! It’s the signal for an enemy attack!”

“Cough! Cough! Those bastards! They actually showed up? Fine, let’s turn them all into fish food!”

The veteran, who had been momentarily surprised, regained his composure.

The princess’s forces had appeared, contrary to their expectations, but the Lime River, Odinel’s true wall, was still there to protect them.

“W-We have to assemble…”

“Y-Yes, let’s go!”

The two soldiers hurried away.

It was the beginning of the battle for Odinel.

* * *

“W-What’s going on? You said the enemy would never come!”

Count Odinel shouted, his face pale with panic.

He was the lord of Odinel, a prosperous city, but he was completely inexperienced in warfare.

It was understandable, considering that Odinel was a peaceful place.

There were no foreign invaders, not even monsters, so the residents had never even held a weapon.

That’s why the Imperial City had dispatched a garrison to Odinel.

The commander of the garrison was Miles, the captain of the Iron Lion Knights, who had served as the Crown Prince’s right-hand man during the recent coup.

But the Iron Lion Knights were only the fourth-ranked knight order, after the Imperial Knights, the Gold Lion Knights, and the Silver Lion Knights.

It showed how the Crown Prince’s forces viewed Odinel.

It was an important supply base, but the likelihood of actual combat was extremely low.

And even if they were attacked, they could easily defend it using the Lime River as a natural barrier.

That’s why they had sent the Iron Lion Knights to Odinel, while the Gold Lion Knights and the Silver Lion Knights, their main forces, were mobilized for the Crown Prince’s personal campaign.

But they had still sent five thousand soldiers, enough to defend Odinel.

That’s why Miles was confident, even though the princess’s forces had appeared unexpectedly.

“Please calm down, my lord. I never said that there was absolutely no chance of an enemy attack.”

“A-Are you playing with words?”

“Of course not. Anyway, there’s no need to panic. His Highness sent me and these soldiers here to prepare for this kind of situation.”

“W-Well, that’s true, but…”

Count Odinel was still anxious, perhaps because he had been living in peace for so long.

Miles clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘He’s so timid. This is the easiest place to defend. What’s there to worry about?’

Odinel had a natural barrier.

The Lime River.

As long as they had the Lime River, Miles was confident that he could defend against even an army of one hundred thousand.

“Don’t worry, my lord. Just relax and take a nap in your chambers. I won’t let the rebels’ army take a single step into Odinel.”

“A-Are you sure I don’t have to worry?”

“Of course. All we have to do is prevent them from crossing the river. Then they’ll be trapped on the other side. Duke Cavern will surely conquer Baydeli, cut off their rear, and advance like a storm.”

Miles’s judgment was accurate, as befitting the captain of the fourth-ranked knight order.

Things would most likely go according to his plan.

But he didn’t know,

That the enemy had planned this operation precisely to break the seemingly unbreakable advantage of the Lime River.

“Oh, if Duke Cavern comes, then surely…”

Count Odinel seemed relieved by Miles’s explanation.

It was the power of a big name.

Duke Cavern’s reputation was known throughout the empire.

“Yes, so please rest assured. I’ll go now and make sure to repel the rebels’ army.”

“Yes! I’m counting on you, Captain Miles!”

Count Odinel’s voice was no longer filled with anxiety.

* * *

“Their discipline is terrible.”

Regina muttered, observing the defenders across the river with a critical eye.

“It means they’ve been slacking off. They never expected us to come to Odinel.”

Max said.

“Even so, it’ll be difficult to cross the river. Especially with that in the way.”

Lobel said, referring to the Lime River.

The Lime River, with its swift and turbulent current.

Even if they had ships, it wouldn’t be easy to cross.

And the defenders were there to stop them.

“Indeed. I don’t have the confidence to cross the river. So we have to make them come to us.”

“Heh, your plan, you mean. Honestly, I’ve never seen it in action, so I’m not sure if ‘it’ can reach that far.”

“You’ll see for yourself.”

Max grinned mysteriously.

He turned to Ran and asked, “Everything ready?”

“Of course.”

Ran replied, shrugging.

“It was quite a bit of work, though.”

As soon as the siege of Celtrine Castle ended, Max had given her a new task.

It was a task that required a lot of manpower from Ran and the artisans.

Thanks to Ran’s skills and her ability to motivate (?) the artisans, they had managed to complete the preparations on time.

But transporting it to the other side of Odinel, through a secret path, had been another challenge.

Fortunately, the resident unit had taken care of that, and they had arrived safely.

They had also brought enough boulders for the catapult, loaded on wagons.

Everything was ready.

Max smiled.

“I told you, didn’t I? Odinel can’t move.”

“Yes.”

Regina nodded, her eyes gleaming.

“It means that if we attack Odinel, they’ll have no choice but to come to us.”

Max’s strategy.

It was definitely something that shattered conventional thinking.

No one would even imagine that they could conquer Odinel without crossing the river.

But it wasn’t an empty boast.

He had the tools and the means to make it happen.

That’s why Regina and Lobel had agreed to his plan.

“Then let’s go.”

Max’s gaze, filled with confidence, was fixed on Odinel Castle across the river.

* * *

“This is ridiculous. What are they planning to do without any ships?”

Miles scoffed.

To cross a river, you needed ships.

But the enemy didn’t have a single ship in sight.

It was like showing up to a battlefield without any weapons.

“They might be planning to build a bridge.”

His lieutenant said.

A bridge.

It was another way to cross a river.

It was a viable option, especially for narrow rivers.

However,

“Yes, that must be their plan. But do they really think it’s possible?”

Even though it was narrow in the upper reaches, the Lime River was still the Lime River.

It wasn’t some insignificant stream.

It meant that they would have to build a very long bridge.

And who would just stand by and let them do that?

No, they didn’t even have to actively prevent them from building a bridge.

They could just let them build a few bridges and then attack them when they were halfway across, bombarding them with arrows from the land and ships from the river. They would all drown.

“Still, we should prepare for…”

“Heh, of course. I’m going to achieve a great victory this time.”

Miles was already dreaming of glory.

If he could defeat the troublesome Celtrine army and the elite Erenbert army, it would be the greatest victory since the civil war began.

But his sweet dream was short-lived.

*Whoosh!*

He saw a giant boulder flying through the air.

“Huh?”

“W-What is that…?”

Miles and his lieutenant stared blankly at the unexpected sight.

The boulder, the size of a house, flew over the Lime River and headed towards Odinel Castle.

They didn’t think it would reach the castle, but it kept flying.

And then,

*BOOOOOM!*

*CRASH!*

The boulder crashed into Odinel Castle, destroying a section of the wall.

“W-What… What is that?!”

“Aaaaaargh?!”

Miles’s scream of terror and his lieutenant’s cry of despair echoed across the Lime River.