The master and squire trained steadily in Kesh. During this time, Pharis continued improving her techniques and martial training with astra. She was close to breaking into the next level above steel. Sargon thought she would beak through into titanium after the battle with the horde. As for him, he was working on breaking through to malachite level by filling up a third of his astral sky with stars. Nothing big happened during the time before the horde's arrival. It was a time of preparation and gathering.
All adventurers and magic wielders were recalled back to Kesh from their quests and closed-door training. Help was requested by Kesh, but other lords and guild masters couldn't send much if any, reinforcements to aid Kesh. Sargon learned that a monster invasion happens every 1-2 decades. The invasion happens to every territory bordering the monster lands. The monster lands are lands that are ruled by monsters. No other races live in them and are extremely hostile environments. They are filled with merciless violence happening between various monsters and monster tribes. Regular animals only live in the outskirts since the monsters are all mostly deep within. The monster lands make up 40% of all the land he learned. While civilization makes up only 8% and the rest is wildland. Sargon was shocked that between the various races of humans, elves, dwarves, demons, spirits, and more that they all only make up 8%. This also made him excited.
With so many monsters throughout this new world, he would have no shortage of battles to raise his prestige. He would take delight in becoming the bane of monsters. He realized it would be difficult to claim land for civilization, but wanted to do it anyway. He had a lot of time to do so and had hope Pharis can extend her lifespan as he has. Looking at her astral body from time to time, he has seen small changes to her life force. By adding just a few stars in this period, her lifespan has increased by about a year already. She still gives off a human signature, making her gains in time, less than his as a real astral. He has hope she can eventually become an astral as she gets stronger.
The forces within Kesh were small despite all the preparation and calls for aid. Only around 367 defenders against a horde of a few thousand. With only 43 being steel-level and all the rest being weaker besides the Wizard Dexaril. With the orcs all being peak bronze to peak iron-level monsters, the sheer numbers would overwhelm them. "Of course, I won't this city fall to those ugly pig fuckers", Sargon mumbled to himself. He added, "I kill every single one of them my damn self if it takes a whole day." Sargon was sure that this battle will be his first major victory and patiently waited for the pigs to come to their slaughter.
Everyone else in Kesh wasn't so confident in their future. The civilians were all stressed out and jumpy from the impending threat. The defenders were getting more nervous as the day of arrival drew closer. Some entertained the thought of deserting the defense, but knew they would be branded as criminals and hunted down. The city lord viscount Ferhild Quisaman, is frankly a stupid man from what Sargon has heard. The territory may border the monster lands, but no monster invasion ever threatened this territory because there was a mountain range between it and the monster lands. Viscount Quisaman nor his advisor or vassals ever considered that monsters may be able to cross those mountains one day. Hence, The 20-foot city wall was in disrepair, no monster siege defenses were ever built. The armory barely had any weapons and supplies.
The entire city was in bad shape for any type of defense. Instead, Viscount Quisaman opted to increase trade, raise taxes, impose harsh tax punishments, and support the slave trade. You would think that all this gave him more than enough funds to build up the city and raise the quality of life. Instead, he spent it on his lavish mansion, super expensive things, a harem, and a slave harem, drugs, clothes, and everything that could bring him superficial happiness. Sargon soon became to despise this poor excuse for a noble lord. He would be sure to make his power known in the battle so he can dispose of him without too much trouble. He learned that a Knight Errant could dispose of a lord given proper cause, and proper cause becomes less strict the more prestigious the knight is in the area or nation.
A scout returned to Kesh one day and gave a grim report. The report read that the horde was 2 days away and that the 2 western villages near the mountains have been completely destroyed with everyone that didn't heed the evacuation dead. The news made a tense atmosphere. The city guard captain, adventurer guild master, and Dexaril ordered for the final preparations to be finished.
2 days went by slowly. On the second day as the sun was setting the horde arrived. They had come out of the forest and gathered on the large clearing before Kesh. They were far from the city. As soon as the last light of the setting sun retreated from the coming night, the horde's war drums rung. Pharis turned to her Master, "That is a lot of orcs, will we really be able to defeat them?" Sargon turned to his squire, "Little Pharis, a knight must always have complete confidence when going into battle. They will be defeated this night, they will never see the sun again. Just keep yourself behind the defense line with your bow. Be fluid in battle, do what you need to do and remember your training, do not hesitate, do not hold back, these orcs are here to be massacred by you." Pharis took on a determined expression and all her doubts flew out the window. All the defenders were on the walls and ready.
The war drums beat got faster and their roars followed. At the height of the beat, the horde charged. Their charge resounded through the ground like an earthquake. Their roars filling the air making a nightmarish scene unfold before the defenders. When the horde was halfway to the Kesh, Sargon jumped down. He stood in front of the old city gate and let loose his astra to empower his whole being. His figure took on the astral glow of astral colors mostly dominated by shades of blue. Twinkles of starlight all across his gothic armor, his sword, and his shield. He then started walking forward, banging his sword on his shield, attracting the attention of the whole horde. The horde then began to converge their charge on him.
Before they clashed, he shouted, "For Honor! For Glory!" His final shout was a line famously said by the disbanded order of Templar Knights, he has not forgotten that he still a Roman Catholic Knight of the Holy Roman Empire. He has been grateful to God ever since he helped him out when he first arrived in this world. He wasn't about to let monsters make mayhem in it on his watch. He roared his final shout in a language not native to Drasil and charged, "Deus Vult!!!"
Then the horde clashed with the starry knight.