Chapter 346

“Nertan Castle is definitely a bait.”

Before departing, Max shared his thoughts with Regina and Lobel.

“A bait? Didn’t the scout confirm tens of thousands of soldiers there? Are they using tens of thousands of soldiers as bait?”

Lobel asked, confused.

“Of course not. But what if it’s not tens of thousands?”

“What do you mean?”

“The scout couldn’t have entered the castle to confirm. He clearly said that he observed the castle from a nearby mountain.”

“So?”

“The further the distance, the harder it is to see clearly. He could only get a rough estimate. It means that they could have easily fooled him with a simple trick, like dressing up scarecrows as soldiers.”

“Dressing up scarecrows as soldiers? Would that really work…?”

“It would definitely work. Human perception is surprisingly flawed. If they placed some real soldiers among the scarecrows and made them move around, the scout wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference from afar.”

“Hmm…”

Lobel still looked skeptical.

Anyone would be, if they were asked to believe something based on such limited information.

The fact that he even half-believed Max was a testament to Max’s charisma.

“I believe him.”

Regina said, supporting Max.

Was it because he was her fiancé?

No.

That wasn’t Regina’s style.

She would have disagreed if she didn’t believe him, regardless of their relationship.

Her unwavering trust showed how much trust Max had built with her.

“Has he ever been wrong?”

She asked, her hand reaching out to hold Max’s.

It was a gesture that was different from before.

Their relationship had definitely grown closer during this civil war.

Max had proven himself to be a man she could trust and rely on.

Was it because he had become the man she had never thought she would meet?

Anyway, one thing was clear: they now had the aura of a couple who were truly engaged.

“Hmm, I believe you. I do, but…”

Lobel voiced his concern.

“Then why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

It was a sharp question.

But Max didn’t flinch.

He had already prepared an answer.

“To deceive the enemy, you have to deceive your allies as well.”

“Why are you saying that now?”

“Because I’m planning a major operation that requires me to deceive even my allies.”

Max’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

It was a deliberate act.

“Brother, Regina, I need your help again.”

* * *

Nertan Castle.

“Do you think the enemy will take the bait?”

Justino asked, his face slightly anxious.

“They will. The more advantageous your position, the more you want to crush even the smallest variable.”

Duke Henatus replied confidently.

It showed his remarkable insight.

“And our deception must have worked.”

“I hope so, but…”

Justino hesitated for a moment, and then he voiced his concern.

“But even if we manage to split the enemy’s forces, they’re still a formidable army. Do you have a plan?”

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“The Crown Prince didn’t tell me.”

“But…”

“But I’m sure he has a plan. I saw it in his eyes. His unwavering confidence. That told me everything.”

Unlike Justino, Duke Henatus didn’t seem to have any doubts.

He still believed in the Crown Prince, even though they were cornered.

Or rather, he believed in his own judgment.

He had known from the moment he first met the Crown Prince.

That he was a dragon.

A man who was destined to become emperor.

He wouldn’t be defeated here.

“Your Excellency!”

A knight rushed in.

“What is it?”

“The enemy is approaching!”

“Yes!”

Justino clenched his fist and let out a shout of excitement.

The enemy had taken the bait.

But Duke Henatus remained calm.

“What’s their size?”

“They have approximately eighty thousand soldiers!”

“Eighty thousand. Not bad.”

Eighty thousand out of one hundred and ninety thousand was a little less than half, but it was still a significant portion of their forces.

The operation was a success.

But there was one more thing he had to confirm.

“Are they marching towards us, or are they planning to block the road?”

All they had to do was cut off the enemy’s head.

And their head, the Crown Prince, was currently at Amar Castle.

So the enemy would prioritize conquering Amar Castle.

There was no need for them to fight a bloody battle here.

All they had to do was block the road and keep the enemy occupied.

That was what Duke Henatus thought the enemy would do.

But,

“It seems like… they’re marching directly towards us!”

His prediction was wrong.

“What?”

He frowned in disbelief.

The enemy must have thought that they only had tens of thousands of soldiers here.

Who would dare to attack a castle defended by tens of thousands of soldiers?

They could have easily fought a defensive battle if they had just blocked the road.

“They must have seen our banner. Tell me who they are.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. It’s the Celtrine-Erenbert army!”

“Them?”

Duke Henatus felt a sense of unease.

He had never fought them directly.

But he knew.

That it was the Celtrine allied forces who had driven the Crown Prince’s forces to this point.

Or rather, it was that damn Max Celtrine.

The undefeated Max.

Everyone had been defeated by his unpredictable strategies.

This was the first time he would be facing him in battle, and he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Justino also seemed to be feeling the same way.

“D-Did they see through our plan?”

He looked even more anxious than his father.

Unlike Duke Henatus, he had experienced a bitter defeat at Celtrine Castle.

“No, they couldn’t have. They wouldn’t have brought eighty thousand soldiers if they knew.”

Duke Henatus shook his head.

If they had known that Nertan Castle was just a bait with only ten thousand soldiers, they would have sent almost all their forces to Amar Castle.

But they had brought eighty thousand?

It meant that they hadn’t seen through their plan.

“Y-You’re right.”

Justino seemed relieved.

But his eyes were still filled with anxiety.

“T-Then why are they attacking the castle directly?”

“Hmm.”

Duke Henatus closed his eyes and opened them again.

“They crush everything that stands in their way. It seems like that’s his way of war.”

“Y-You’re right…”

Justino bit his lip.

It was a sharp observation.

If his father was right, it explained Max’s reckless actions in the past.

Crossing the river to conquer Odinel, engaging the larger eastern army in a decisive battle instead of a defensive one, attacking and conquering the Imperial City instead of rescuing Lambert Castle.

“Brace yourselves. We have to face eighty thousand enemies with only ten thousand soldiers.”

*Gulp.*

Justino gulped nervously.

“But it’s not a hopeless battle. As long as we hold out in the castle, we’ll be tying down eighty thousand enemy soldiers.”

The Duke continued, “And the Crown Prince will eventually come to our rescue.”

Yes, that was their hope.

The hope that the Crown Prince, who had defeated the enemy’s main force on the other battlefield, would eventually come to their rescue.

“Prepare for battle!”

“Yes, sir!”

The ten thousand southern soldiers moved with grim determination.

* * *

“Attack?”

“Yes, let’s attack them for three or four days.”

Max grinned.

“We’re not actually trying to conquer the castle, right?”

“Of course not. The goal is to confuse them.”

“You’re trying to make them lose track of our movements.”

“Exactly.”

As expected of Regina.

She understood immediately.

The path Max was planning to use to attack the Crown Prince’s forces from behind,

It happened to pass by Nertan Castle.

Of course, they could just ignore the castle and pass by it.

But the enemy inside the castle would definitely notice their movements.

And then they would report it to the Crown Prince, who would prepare for their attack.

Their surprise attack would be ruined.

They couldn’t let that happen.

“So that’s why you were in such a hurry.”

Regina’s eyes gleamed with understanding.

Max hadn’t been in a hurry just because the distance was long.

He had been in a hurry to buy time to attack the castle.

She couldn’t help but admire him.

Her fiancé.

“Yes.”

Max smiled mysteriously.

“We have to exhaust them, both physically and mentally. And to do that, we have to launch a real attack.”

A feint wouldn’t be enough.

They had to launch a real attack.

That was the only way to confuse the enemy in such a short period of time.

“I understand. I’ll tell my brother.”

Regina nodded.

“Thank you.”

Max smiled.

“So the decisive maneuver will be at midnight?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. I’ll be ready. We’ll be able to move immediately when the time comes.”

“Heh, you’re always so thorough.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Their eyes met.

A strange atmosphere filled the air.

Max’s heart skipped a beat.

He felt a primal urge.

He was only able to suppress it because of the situation.

He couldn’t afford to be distracted by such thoughts when they hadn’t even won the civil war yet.

“Then let’s launch the attack. Let’s move.”

He turned away.

Regina followed him, a faint smile on her lips.

* * *

“Defend the walls! Hold out until the end!”

Duke Henatus shouted with all his might.

His eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion.

He hadn’t had a moment’s rest.

The enemy had been attacking the castle relentlessly.

As the commander-in-chief, he had to constantly encourage and command his soldiers, fighting alongside them on all four walls.

If he didn’t, they wouldn’t be able to hold out.

“Damn it, stop coming, you bastards!”

“You think you can break through our defenses?!”

The southern soldiers fought back desperately, repelling the enemy who tried to scale the walls.

They were also exhausted.

But they were determined to defend the castle.

They were indeed elite soldiers.

“The enemy is faltering! They’ve been attacking for days, but they haven’t breached a single wall! They’re confused by our steadfast defense! Keep fighting! Victory will be ours!”

Duke Henatus roared, encouraging his soldiers.

“Woooooo!”

They roared back, their voices filled with determination.

They might be tired, but their morale was still high.

And they proved it by repelling the enemy once again.

* * *

“There won’t be a night attack tonight. So make sure all the soldiers, except for a few guards, get a good night’s sleep.”

“Yes, Father.”

The only time they could rest was at night, since they were bombarded with attacks during the day.

They wouldn’t be able to hold out if they didn’t rest at night.

That’s why Duke Henatus emphasized the importance of getting a good night’s sleep.

“You should get some sleep too, Father.”

Justino said, his face filled with concern.

“I will. Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself.”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to get some sleep as well.”

They returned to their rooms to sleep.

They were so exhausted that they fell asleep almost immediately.

The other soldiers were the same.

Only a handful of guards were staying awake, forcing their heavy eyelids open.

Their defenses were weak.

It was the perfect time to strike.

* * *

The Celtrine allied forces snuck out of their camp under the cover of darkness, like mice.

But the castle was silent.

No one noticed them.

Heh.

Max smiled, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

* * *

And so,

“W-Where did they go?! Those bastards?!”

As soon as dawn broke, Nertan Castle was in chaos.