Stahl's Royal Palace couldn't be considered grand or imposing when compared to the castles and palaces of the Kingdoms and Empires back on Earth. In fact, it could even be deemed insignificant or negligible. The walls and ceilings, built from wood and stones appeared fragile, but they managed to remain standing throughout hundreds of years, fighting against the unrelenting climate of the North.
The castle's interior barely had any gold and silver to display, giving it a somewhat humble appearance. Only a few paintings of previous kings and queens adorned its walls, a testament to the limited funds available to hire painters or even their inexistence. Furthermore, due to the war, the front wood gates of the palace were only guarded by a single soldier, holding a rough spear in his hand.
However, despite all of this, Stahl's Palace still stood as the most prominent and majestic structure in the kingdom. The four round towers that surrounded the palace were wonders in the eyes of the kingdom's inhabitants, rising imposingly amidst the poorly built wooden houses and roads, occupying the center of the capital, Eisenburg.
At the top floor of one of the four towers, within a spacious and unfurnished room, Henry, Luther, and two other Generals gathered around a massive map drawn on the floor. This map portrayed the surrounding territory of the capital. Simple wooden markers were carefully positioned on its surface. Although the chart had been crafted at least a century ago, they had no choice but to rely on it for their current strategy, despite potential changes in the geography over such a long time.
"According to our scouts, the barbarians have established camps in these positions, blocking all routes." - Iosif, the General of the City's Command, a black-haired middle-aged man with a messy beard, a short ponytail, and a ghastly injury on his cheek, explained while pointing at a wooden marker- "They've also obstructed all hidden paths. We can't seek help from our forces beyond the capital and we probably wouldn't be able to do it, since most nobles have deserted."
Iosif was responsible for the capital's internal security and possessed an intimate knowledge of the surrounding territory. He could even spot a misplaced pebble on the road. He had been appointed as the General of the City's Command after the previous General and his family fled Stahl following Henry's father's death.
"The Barbarians number over three thousand and are growing" - Olaro, the General of Borders, a tall, bald man with a long beard that reached his chest, added - "Since yesterday, they've been chopping down the Torch Trees in the forest and building some makeshift tents and ladders"
The Torch Trees emitted a gentle glow during the cold, dark nights of the North and were primarily used as a source of light by the people, eliminating the need for year-round fires to brighten their homes and paths. The roads and streets of the capital were filled with them. These unique trees could only be cultivated in the inhospitable North's climate and terrain.
Upon hearing of the Barbarians' preparations to resist and keep up the siege, the room's mood grew even graver. They all recognized that it wouldn't be long before the Barbarians exhausted Eisenburg's food resources and killed everyone from starvation.
"What's the status of our army? How many soldiers can we mobilize?" - Luther, the Grand General, inquired with a stern expression, crossing his arms. He was the one responsible for leading all armies, he had the last word after Henry.
Iosif and Olaro directed a concealed but intense fury at the quiet Henry, who was looking silently at the map, his finger rhythmically tapping his lips. This situation was entirely the result of this incompetent and ignorant individual who disregarded the counsel of others. He had killed a huge number of soldiers.
Henry was aware of the anger directed at him, but he was currently powerless to change their perceptions of him. It would need time and a huge accomplishment to wash away all dumb actions of the previous owner of this body.
"The recent battle resulted in the loss of five hundred soldiers, with a hundred more severely wounded and unfit for further combat" - Iosif responded, his gaze fixed on the young king -"Currently, we have fifteen hundred soldiers. When we factor in the Royal Guards and city guards, we can mobilize two thousand and two hundred troops."
"It's a challenge, but it's possible" - Henry muttered to himself, forming a plan in his mind.
The difficulty lay in the fact that the Northern region and the capital lacked the necessary resources to ignite the climbing enemies on fire, a potent weapon against a siege. Furthermore, there were insufficient arrows to shoot down the Barbarians. Their defense tools were severely lacking, leaving them with one option: reduce the enemy's numbers in a single decisive strike to instill fear in their hears. It was a difficult feat, since the barbarians had no fear of death.
"What do you mean?" - Olaro asked, his tone laced with ridicule - "We are under siege with a demoralized and diminished force, while the Barbarians' numbers might continue to rise. There seems to be no feasible solution."
Olaro and Iosif were itching to expel Henry from the room and develop a plan with the other General, Luther. They believed him to be a useless king who had never experienced warfare, who was now attempting to comment on it.
In response to Olaro's contemptuous tone, Henry stepped forward and stood atop the lines that represented the capital on the map, fixing his gaze on the three Generals.
"According to Luther, both of you are in the Fourth Warrior Stage, while Luther himself is in the Sixth" - Henry stated, pointing at the representation of the capital beneath his feet- "This means that the Barbarians won't be able to act recklessly, and their great warriors will be occupied fighting against you. This will afford our army the time to react."
As Henry delved into the original Henry's memories, he understood that the division of strength in Stahl and the surrounding kingdoms were divided into Nine Stages. The first three stages could be described as the levels of ordinary soldiers, individuals capable of holding enough strength to break a small rock in their hands, using Mana inside their bodies.
Moving from the Fourth to the Sixth Stage, the warriors entered the realm of superhumans, where Henry thought that it might be possible to easily lift a car from Earth and those in the Sixth Stage could even lift a loaded truck. It was also from the fourth stage onward that warriors gained the ability to materialize their Mana to the outside. However, they could still be killed with numbers. There was no such thing as invincibility and if Luther was surrounded by at least ten Fifth Stages Warriors or a hundred Fourth Stages, he could be killed.
Beyond the Seventh Stage and into the higher stages, Henry had little to no knowledge on their strength. Supposedly, Garret von Stahl, the kingdom's founder, had transcended all these stages and achieved a God-like strength, but it might only be a myth. The cap on Stahl and the surrounding lands was only the Sixth Stage and Luther was the only one who achieved that in recent decades.
"Furthermore, if I'm not mistaken, the Barbarians possess little knowledge of warfare strategy and tactics. They tend to charge their enemies with sheer brute force, much like wild animals. It's a miracle by itself that they learned how to build ladders." - Henry asserted - "They are animals. We must treat them accordingly."
"We will hunt them down, like beasts." - The king declared with a cold smile, his grey eyes slightly taking a red hue.
At these words, the Generals, including Luther, displayed unmistakable doubt and skepticism. The Barbarians boasted great physiques and were strong enough to engage two soldiers at once, not caring about injures or death. Even though they were ignorant and would probably run at them like beasts, they were far from easy prey.
"How do you propose we do that?"- Olaro asked, his arms crossed, anticipating a foolish plan while almost pulling out his beard. He wanted nothing more but to drive Henry out of this room.
"Due to our limited resources and lack of preparation, the capital won't be able to withstand their assaults, and our walls will soon be swarmed by Barbarians." - Henry explained - "Hence, we must deliver a swift, devastating blow to their numbers."
"How do you suggest we accomplish that?" - Iosif mockingly inquired, lacking confidence in Henry's words.
"We will require pickaxes and a group of miners accustomed to cold conditions underneath the ground"- Henry said, stopping the rhythmically tap on his lips as he walked around the room, a grin visible on his face.
-x-
After hearing the plan, the Generals left the room hurriedly, brushing past the spearmen guarding the entrance as if he weren't even there. They needed to locate the miners and set Henry's plan in motion. They now possessed a possible way out of this dire situation.
"Very well... let's begin"- Henry said with an exhilarated smile as he gazed out of the small windows of the tower, which provided him a great view of the whole city. He could even see the attentive archers on the capital's walls.
Unconsciously, the red aura enveloped his body, resembling a flame ready to incinerate its enemies - "This world is really welcoming. I love this."
(Edited)