The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 276: Chapter 275: I Will Buy Us Time (2)



Stonehaven Fortress.

The largest and sturdiest fortress protecting the southern region of Fenris.

Gillian was managing the southern recruits from this base.

"Is everyone here?"

"Yes, just like the instructor ordered, everyone's gathered."

The one answering with a cheeky tone was Lucas, a self-proclaimed "genius of spearmanship." His rapidly improving skills had earned him a temporary assignment as Gillian's adjutant.

Gillian had sent all the recruits, iron, and other critical resources to Ghislain. Meanwhile, he had consolidated all the scattered forces and supplies from the southern region into this fortress.

"Hm."

Standing atop the walls, Gillian nodded as he surveyed the gathered soldiers and knights. The remaining forces now consisted of 1,000 trained soldiers and 100 knights.

The soldiers, clad in sleek silver armor, looked almost indistinguishable from knights. These troops, having participated in the Cabaldi War and undergone rigorous training since then, were elite among elites. Their knight-like reputation was well-earned.

Meanwhile, the 100 knights wore new black armor. They had been granted the rank of Decurion, with each knight commanding ten soldiers.

Gillian knew this force alone could easily overrun any mid-sized territory.

But-

Gillian's gaze shifted beyond the fortress walls.

'Desmond....'

In the distance, the 30,000-strong army of Desmond had established its camp-a force far beyond their own.

There was a reason Desmond was called the strongest in the North. His territory boasted countless elite soldiers and high-ranking knights.

Though Gillian understood there was no way to win against them, retreat was not an option.

In a heavy tone, Gillian addressed his troops.

"Our goal is not to defeat them. It's to buy enough time for our lord to complete the final preparations."

The knights nodded silently. Gillian continued with resolve.

"If this fortress falls, the enemy will advance swiftly to the heart of the territory. No matter what, we must stake our lives to delay them."

A network of roads connected the fortress to the territory's cities and central stronghold. If this fortress were breached, the 30,000-strong army would quickly overrun the capital.

Lucas, smacking his lips, spoke up.

"Wouldn't retreat be a better option? Knowing the lord, he wouldn't want us to die here. He's got a nasty temper, but he does take care of his people. Couldn't we abandon this place and take it back later?"

Gillian firmly shook his head.

"No. This place has developed too much while we've been here. If Count Desmond takes it, it'll be hard to reclaim."

"The royalist faction could help us take it back later, right?"

"And then they'd use that as an excuse to take it for themselves. We might never get it back. Not to mention, the duke faction could support Desmond with additional forces."

Lucas had no response and fell silent.

Cabaldi, already rich in iron, had advanced far beyond its previous state. Living standards had risen, and an influx of migrants had swelled its population.

No lord would conquer such a territory only to give it up. Its prosperity would attract other contenders, leading to endless conflicts over the land.

With a sharp gaze, Gillian addressed the knights.

"This place carries our lord's dreams."

||

"We've come this far with him. Think about how much we've prepared to secure this land. If

we lose it, all our efforts will have been meaningless."

A knight raised his hand and asked, "Can those who want to flee leave?"

Gillian's lips curved into a fierce smile.

"No. You will stay here with me and die for our lord. Stake your lives to hold the enemy back."

The knights chuckled, throwing in their own quips.

"Wow, such a boomer."

"Loyalty much? How old-fashioned."

"Bet you were real diligent about contracts back in your mercenary days. So honorable, so honorable."

"I'd rather flee and live comfortably somewhere else."

Despite their sarcastic remarks, Gillian laughed along. None of them would run.

They were no longer mere subordinates-they were comrades who had grown and persevered together under Ghislain's leadership.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The deep sound of war drums echoed as the enemy began to move.

Drdrdrdrdr...

The first to move were the catapults-twelve of them.

The knights and soldiers glanced uneasily at the siege weapons surrounding the fortress.

Raising his hand, Gillian ordered, "Prepare for combat. Spread out and brace for the catapults'

assault."

The moment he finished speaking, massive boulders hurtled through the air.

Crash! Boom! Bang!

The stones struck the fortress walls relentlessly. Some even fell inside, destroying stockpiled supplies and buildings.

Against the relentless bombardment, the Fenris troops could do nothing but scramble for

cover.

Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!

Debris flew everywhere as the upper sections of the walls began to crumble. But the fortress, reinforced through painstaking work, held firm against the onslaught.

Observing the scene, Harold ordered the catapults to cease fire and remarked, "So, they spent their newfound wealth fortifying this place. Even dressed their soldiers in armor like knights. Impressive numbers, too."

Every enemy soldier appeared clad in knightly armor, though Harold doubted they were

actual knights.

Having so many knights would defy common sense.

But seeing the distinct black-armored troops, he recalled something he had momentarily

forgotten.

"Is that the so-called 'Black Unit' that distinguished itself during the Perdium siege? Their numbers have grown. n."

The initial reports had estimated about fifty of them, but now there seemed to be a hundred.

Though they couldn't use mana, their skill was said to be exceptional. It seemed the lord had used his wealth to expand the Black Unit's ranks.

These soldiers were likely playing the role of knights-though not actual mana-wielding knights, they were elite warriors superior to regular infantry.

"Resume the catapult attacks shortly. Mages and archers, prepare for battle."

From Harold's rear, an elderly white-bearded man stepped forward. It was Willow,

Desmond's personal mage, a 6th-circle mage.

"What are your orders?"

"We'll be advancing the siege towers soon. Before that, inflict as much damage as possible over a wide area. Also, check for traps in the ground as we move forward."

"Understood."

With a wave of his hand, Willow led twenty mages to follow him.

The distance was too great for effective spellcasting; the mages would need to get closer.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The drums sounded again as Desmond's heavy infantry advanced, shielding the mages and

archers.

The mages scanned the ground with magic, wary of potential traps. Having been caught off guard before, they were proceeding cautiously.

"No traps detected. Increase speed," Willow instructed, quickening the pace of the advancing

forces.

Gillian, watching the rapidly approaching enemy, gauged the distance and shouted, "Fire!"

Whoosh!

Thousands of arrows filled the sky in an instant, raining down on the enemy.

Every Fenris soldier was trained to wield any weapon, including bows. Naturally, even the

remaining troops in the fortress could shoot.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Caught off guard, the heavy infantry hurriedly raised their massive shields to block the

arrows. The sudden barrage briefly halted their advance.

Harold, too, was taken aback.

"Hmm? What's this? All of them are archers?"

It defied his understanding. Even an elite army couldn't be trained to wield all types of weapons-it required too much time and money. There was a reason other lords specialized

their troops.

"Good. If they're all archers, they'll be weak in close combat. Move the siege towers forward. Keep bombarding them until we engage. Give them no respite."

The eight siege towers began to roll forward, accompanied by relentless archer fire and spell

attacks.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fireballs erupted from between the advancing infantry, targeting the soldiers clustered on

the walls. The precision of the attacks far surpassed that of the catapults.

"Fall back!"

Fenris knights stepped forward with massive Galbanium shields, shielding the soldiers

behind them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With each fiery impact, the knights were forced back, their insides shaken. Yet they gritted their teeth and held their ground, their shields reinforced with mana.

The relentless assault was not limited to spells. The advancing archers unleashed a hail of

arrows, synchronized with the resumed catapult bombardment.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

"Take cover! Take cover!"

"Spread out! Hold your shields above your heads!"

"Damn it! Can we even hold out against this?"

The knights were nearing their breaking point. They were barely holding on, overwhelmed by

the need to dodge, block, and endure.

Though sheer numbers were a factor, the Desmond forces overwhelmed them not just in

strength but in coordination, leaving no room to retaliate.

At least the Galbanium shields offered some solace, allowing the soldiers to block the

relentless rain of arrows.

Whirr!

Then came a terrifying surge of magic in the air—a telltale sign of a high-circle spell being

prepared.

The knights, busy deflecting or evading attacks, glanced upward and muttered.

"Damn... this is no joke..."

"Our lord really expected us to fight against these monsters?"

"These guys are on a whole different level."

Their grumblings were cut short as clusters of magic power coalesced in the sky.

Willow, finishing his incantation, casually waved his hand.

"Fire Rain."

Fwoosh!

Hundreds of massive fireballs materialized above the fortress, raining down indiscriminately.

The knights cried out in alarm.

"Everyone, gather together!"

The attacks from the front could be managed, but nothing could shield them from the sky.

Even with Galbanium shields, the soldiers couldn't hope to withstand a high-circle spell.

The knights poured mana into their armor.

Bzzz!

From the gaps in their black armor, radiant energy surged forth, forming semi-transparent

shields around them.

Boom! Boom! BOOM!

The fireballs rained down, destroying everything they touched. Solid stone shattered

instantly under their impact.

The sheer destructive force was a testament to the power of high-circle magic.

Yet, the knights and soldiers within the protective shields remained unharmed. The fireballs dissipated upon contact with the shields, leaving those within unscathed. Though the walls and towers were left in ruins, the Fenris troops emerged unscathed. Willow, observing the phenomenon, muttered, "Dispel? Could they have a 6th-circle mage?"

He could feel his spell being disrupted by scattered pulses of mana. For this to happen, there would have to be a mage of equal rank-or at least a similarly powerful enchantment-in

play.

But something felt off. A true 6th-circle mage would have dispelled his magic before it could

even take shape.

And the mana pulses were far weaker than his own.

"Did they use rune stones to set up a magic circle? How much money do they have to waste

like this? And where did they find a 6th-circle mage to design it?"

Clicking his tongue, Willow began preparing another spell. If it was merely a magic artifact, it

would break eventually under sustained pressure.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Once again, fireballs rained down, only to be nullified by the knights' shields.

"Hmm... whatever it is, it's impressively crafted."

Frustrated, he started casting yet another spell. Although the mana drain was significant, he

could afford it as long as he remained safe.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Before he could finish, the siege towers began moving again. Annoyed, Willow withdrew,

irritated by his lack of success.

Harold watched the scene with indifference.

He could continue bombarding them from a distance, wearing the Fenris forces down over

several days. But that wasn't an option.

The kingdom's army will be mobilizing.

Having annihilated the 2nd Corps, Harold knew Marquis Branford would have dispatched

reinforcements.

And... Ghislain wasn't here.

"He's the type to pull something unexpected while we're distracted."

With both the royalists and Ghislain's machinations to consider, Harold couldn't afford to

drag this out.

He needed to crush the Fenris forces and seize their territory quickly to set the stage for his

plans.

Like Ghislain, Harold was racing against time.

Drdrdrdrdr.

So, he committed everything to the assault, aiming to capture the fortress by day's end.

The approaching siege towers filled the knights with dread.

Their mana reserves were already half-depleted from activating their armor's defensive

capabilities and withstanding the magical assault.

"...Hehe."

The knights chuckled bitterly. They knew the battle ahead would be even more grueling.

Still, without the dwarves' and mages' craftsmanship, they would have suffered catastrophic

losses by now.

Drdrdrdrdr!

The siege towers drew closer, their archers peppering the walls with arrows. From atop the towers, additional archers fired at the defenders.

"Instructor! What's the plan? There are so many siege towers!" Lucas shouted. "Wait. Let them come closer. It's better for us if they reach the walls." Long-range exchanges offered no chance of victory. At this rate, they would exhaust

themselves without achieving anything.

But Gillian understood that the enemy, too, was under pressure to act quickly. The Fenris

troops steadied their breathing, waiting for the enemy to approach. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The eight siege towers reached the walls, and Desmond's soldiers began swarming out like

ants.

Gillian, his gaze murderous, barked out an order.

"Prepare yourselves."

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The knights and soldiers lowered their visors, fully enclosing themselves in their armor. Until

now, they had kept their faceplates open for better visibility, but that was no longer

necessary.

Seeing no resistance from the Fenris troops, Desmond's soldiers grew bolder, pouring into

the siege towers.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The drawbridges of the towers fell, slamming onto the walls. Inside the towers, Desmond's

soldiers, brimming with killing intent, surged forward.

Bzzzz-!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Bright light radiated once again from the gaps in the knights' armor as they activated their

defenses.

Their eyes, too, burned with murderous resolve.

Gillian discarded his shield and drew two massive axes.

With a voice dripping with hostility, he growled, "You've come far enough. Let's settle this

properly."

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