Han Shuo was most concerned about the gates that Chester and Dick were in charge of. But when he reached the gates, he found the soldiers safe and sound. The traces of their battle didn't seem to be too obvious. The seven hundred bandit corpses indicated that the bandits' losses hadn't been too great either.
"Are you alright?" Han Shuo stepped down, an aura of victory swirling around him, and looked at the immensely self-satisfied Chester and the others, letting out a sigh of relief.
"We are well, my lord. Those cowardly bandits only attacked us once and then just stayed in the distance, watching the gate. They retreated suddenly just now." Chester gave a relaxed smile and pointed in the direction Afie had run.
Looking into the distance, Han Shuo nodded and said, "That's good. Leave three hundred to defend this gate; the rest of you go and help Dorcas."
"Alright, we'll leave immediately!" Dick and Chester responded in tandem, turning around to give spirited orders to the idle troops, urging them to get various appendages in order and head out to help the other two sides.
Rumble...
A deafening explosion rang out from the direction of the other two walls. Han Shuo flew directly to Faulke's defences. Dorcas had already demonstrated his military genius during the merchant kidnapping incident, and now he was doing so again by wiping out the bandits. Han Shuo trusted that he would be fine.
On the contrary, it was the high-born, stronger Faulke who needed help. Perhaps it was because of his status as a knight, but he was bound by a code of conduct that limited his effectiveness. On the battlefield, his formations weren't flexible enough, and Han Shuo was worried that he might get into trouble.
When Han Shuo arrived at the city wall under Faulke's command, he found the corpses of the bandits lying everywhere. Looking at the walls, it seemed that the bandits had taken their revenge in kind, leaving countless corpses of soldiers riddled with arrows. Han Shuo immediately understood that the battle here must have been very intense.
The bandit group that Faulke was fighting was the Battleaxe Mercenary Group. The towering leader of the Battleaxe Mercenary Group, Bynam, wasn't good at commanding troops like Faust, nor was his head filled with cunning plans like Alfie. This single-minded simpleton, blinded by the prospect of a million gold coins, had just committed all his troops to a frontal assault.
Faulke, defending the wall, fought the attack as if his life depended on it. As the battle turned into a war of attrition, the barbarian Bynam, who had suffered heavy casualties, didn't seem to know the definition of "retreat". He shouted madly at his soldiers to keep attacking the walls. Faulke's side had lost a hundred men, with another four hundred or so suffering various injuries. The remaining soldiers were all exhausted to the bone.
If it hadn't been for the citizens of Brettel City joining the fight against the bandits at the turning point, Faulke's side would have been in grave danger. By the time Han Shuo arrived, the battle had once again reached a critical juncture. Dozens of ferocious bandits had already stormed the city walls, engaging the soldiers in a fierce battle.
The exhausted soldiers used what little energy they had left to hack, slash and cut down their enemies. A few citizens, unafraid to die in the face of the bandit threat, had willingly joined the fray. Wielding spears and javelins, they stabbed and thrust furiously at the bandits as they scaled the city walls.
Like a bolt of lightning, Han Shuo slammed into the city wall like a tornado of death.
Whistling loudly, he alone attacked the bandits on the wall. Like an unstoppable boulder, he tore through the bandits with his bare hands, leaving a trail of what could only be described as vivisection specimens.
As these bandits died at his hands, there was nothing to stop Han Shuo from beginning his loud, long chant with his bone staff. A terrifying army of undead began to gather beneath the city walls.
With a single stroke of the evil knight's bone spear, imbued with his killing aura, several bandits were maimed and swept away. Flocks of gargoyles swooped down like ravens, unhorsing and carrying off the bandits who had come galloping in on horseback. The bandits that were carried off were torn to pieces by the gargoyles' claws long before they hit the ground.
This time, when the acid swamps appeared among the bandits, the sounds of screaming never stopped. Under the corrosion of the acid swamp, many of the bandits had turned into brand new, snow-white skeletons.
Han Shuo's actions had completely changed the situation. Every time the demon-like Han Shuo waved his bone staff, waves of magic rippled out. Groups of undead soldiers would rise up, or maddeningly destructive acid swamps would appear. From time to time, a few corpses would even explode. The casualties of the Battleaxe mercenaries increased exponentially with each passing second.
By the time Han Shuo was finished, the battlefield was a complete mess. The angry leader of the Battleaxe Mercenary Group, Bynam, roared incessantly. In his rage, he completely overestimated himself, jumping onto a hose and boldly charging at Han Shuo. However, a shake of the bone staff sent a burst of magic towards him. The blast turned into rows of bone lances flying through the air, a dense rain that blotted out the sun.
There were no flukes. Every part of Bynam and his horse that wasn't covered by armour was pierced by bone lances. Two bone lances found his eye sockets. Bynam died instantly, without uttering a sound.
"Boss! The boss is dead!" Han Shuo's arrival caused panic among the bandits. Shocked and frightened, the bandits began to scream loudly as they discovered that their leader was dead.
The rest of the Battleaxe bandits took this as an excuse to flee the area recklessly. One bold but cautious bandit pretended to retrieve Bynam's corpse, secretly removing Bynam's space ring and pocketing it.
Han Shuo loved to loot the dead and spotted the bandit's actions with a glance. Laughing lightly, he flew from the city walls like a ghost, silently catching up with the ecstatic bandit as he hurriedly ran away. He said, "Sometimes the riches of the dead will cost you your life!
The bandit who had taken Bynam's space ring thought he was a greedy compatriot who wanted a share of the wealth when he heard those words coming from behind him. He turned and, with an ominous glint in his eye, swung out a battleaxe.
The battleaxe flying towards him flew away with a "Ding! " when it struck Han Shuo's right index finger. The reverberation travelled down the bandit's arm, sending him staggering backwards. . He turned around to finally see who the person behind him was.
When he saw who was behind him, the bandit didn't dare hold back. He threw himself into a roll and tried to crawl through the undergrowth to get away. Unfortunately, in front of the airborne Han Shuo, the bandit's actions were as transparent as a clear spring. Han Shuo easily speared the bandit from behind, stripping him of Bynam's space ring and laughing as he flew back to Faulke.
"Another unexpected income!" Han Shuo said laughing to the panting Faulke.
Faulke understood that the danger he faced was gone with Han Shuo's arrival. Faulke was also fully aware of the extent of Han Shuo's astonishing power, and that the battle would be over the moment Han Shuo appeared. The facts proved that Faulke was right.
The bandits did not dare to linger after Bynam's death, especially in the face of the undead army's terrifying fighting prowess. They retreated from the city like a flood, leaving behind a thousand corpses.
The rumbling of the magical cannons from the other side of the city gradually subsided as well.
No longer hearing the sound of the cannons, Han Shuo understood that Dorcas' battle must also be coming to an end. This was the first test that Brettel City had faced, and they had managed to get through it with everyone's cooperation.
After witnessing Han Shuo's terrifying strength, all the citizens who'd participated in the battle looked at Han Shuo with awe. As the last bandit disappeared over the horizon, this awe gradually turned to trust. Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted around the city walls.
"Today, all citizens who participated in the battle will be rewarded with five gold coins. Faulke, you're in charge of distributing the rewards." Han Shuo instructed, smiling slightly as he looked at the citizens who were reveling in the joy of their survival.
The cheering citizens let out even more excited cheers as soon as the words left Han Shuo's mouth. The look in their eyes as they looked at Han Shuo became even more fervent. How magnificent the Mayor of Brettel City seemed!
"Rest assured, my lord. I will not treat the civilians who helped us unfairly." Faulke bowed respectfully and looked at the corpses of the bandits outside the city. The armour and weapons the bandits left behind will surely be worth a pretty penny. And their purses will probably contain a lot of gold coins?
"Yes, the bandits are really gone. You clean up the battlefield, I'll go check on Dorcas!" Han Shuo gave instructions to Faulke and then flew across the sky to the part of the wall that Dorcas had left.
The cannon fire gradually subsided and Han Shuo peered through the distant thick smoke of the magic cannons. In the distance, the bandits were making a hasty retreat. The battlefield was littered with corpses, and the numerous pockmarks were a direct indication of a battle just as fierce as the other two. Dorcas had not let Han Shuo down.
Arriving at the wall next to Dorcas, Han Shuo found him making a list of their casualties. Looking over, Han Shuo found the bodies of dozens of soldiers neatly arranged off to the side. Dorcas and the rest of the soldiers were standing in front of the bodies, solemnly saluting the fallen after they had finished their count.
End of part 1 of the chapter.
Han Shuo walked over to Dorcas without saying anything. The bodies of the young soldiers lying before them were all riddled with arrows. There were more who had been killed by flying battleaxes, some even missing limbs. They must have suffered greatly before they died.
A mournful aura emanated from the saluting Dorcas and the soldiers. Han Shuo copied them and saluted to pay his respects to the deceased. After a while, Dorcas opened his mouth and said, "There will always be casualties in war. No one has the power to change that. The only thing I can do is make sure that our casualties are as few as possible and that the enemy suffers as many of these tragedies as possible."
Nodding his head in agreement, Han Shuo said, "That is true. Sometimes being cruel to your enemy is being kind to yourself. I think we need to upgrade our soldiers' equipment with stronger armour and weapons. This will make it easier for our soldiers to survive."
"My Lord, what are the conditions of the other three walls?" Dorcas took a deep breath, finally looking away from the dead soldiers.
"Apart from Dick's section, the others are more or less the same as yours; though we have all held out." Han Shuo gave a satisfied smile as he answered Dorcas' question.
Nodding his head, Dorcas breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good!"
Clop, clop, clop.
By this time, Dick, Chester and the others had finally made it all the way across town. When they saw Han Shuo standing there, they understood that the battle must have already ended.
At some point it had turned to dusk. The last ray of sunlight gave birth to a fiery sunset. Under the glow of the setting sun, the wafting smoke painted the world in blood, adding a touch of desolate beauty to the battlefield that looked like hell on earth.
Flocks of crows cawed as they flew, swooping down on the corpses of the bandits. They gleefully tore and devoured the beautiful flesh, emitting screams that disgusted the humans. As the sun set, the dense mass of crows grew more numerous, their grim screeches a bitter end to the unbearable scene.
"It's over. It's finally over!" Han Shuo muttered to himself as he returned to the governor's mansion.
For three days in a row, the smoke outside Brettel City continued to billow. The citizens living near the city gates could all smell the strong, pungent odour of burnt flesh.
In all, fifteen thousand bandits had attacked the city. In the end, they'd left behind eight thousand corpses, four hundred thousand gold worth of armour and weapons, and around two hundred thousand gold in loot. The Battleaxe leader's space ring also contained three hundred thousand gold.
The four large groups of bandits had arrived greedy for gold. Unfortunately, not only did they not receive a single gold coin from Brettel City, but they also received a large amount of gold as a gift. Just as Han Shuo had predicted.
In this battle, the death toll of the Brettel City City Guard was three hundred and twenty-seven. The injured numbered seven hundred and sixty-nine. Those who had survived had essentially all suffered some form of injury. In addition, the magic crystals for the six magic crystal cannons had all been used up.
The goblin explosives and the tens of thousands of crossbow bolts that the merchants had brought over had also been almost completely used up. There was not a drop left in the dozens of barrels of burning oil, and the giant rocks used by the catapults had run out.
The few bandits who'd managed to scale the walls had managed to destroy two war chariots, four ballistae and a lumbering catapult. The bandits also knew the astronomical prices of the magic crystal cannons and the specially refined magic ores from which they were made. However, the six magic crystal cannons were left untouched.
After this battle, Han Shou finally gained the respect of all the citizens of Brettel City, and army recruitment reached an all-time high as enthusiastic young citizens flocked to the recruitment centres. Han Shuo's god-like power and influence had spread throughout Brettel City. In the span of just three days, these residents, who were initially full of doubts about Han Shuo, had come to deify him.
For the younger generation, Han Shuo had become an unattainable myth and legend. There were a few pretty girls and beautiful women who had lightly powdered up and dressed up beautifully in the past three days, making up excuses to hang around the main door of the city lord's mansion. Each one of them looked flirtatiously in every direction, with who knows what thoughts in their heads.
Even the previously despised Brettel City guards seemed to have become a hot commodity. Some of the townspeople were excitedly showing off their beautiful daughters to the shiny armour-clad soldiers. Brettel City had changed dramatically overnight.
Han Shuo, Jack, Chester and the rest chatted with the merchants led by Fabian at the city gate leading to Seamist City. Of those merchants who had dared to come to Brettel City, every one of them was a true merchant, willing to take risks in order to make a fortune. They had gained a new understanding of the city after experiencing Brettel City's defensive battle.
The siege ammunition the merchants had brought with them this time had been completely depleted. However, the greater threat of the Seven Duchies still existed. Therefore, as soon as the corpses were cleared and the roads slightly repaired, Han Shuo immediately spent large amounts of gold to purchase even more ammunition. In addition to the never-ending arsenal of war weapons, he purchased even larger quantities of food and daily necessities.
Merchants would never rest as long as there was money. When the large deposit was handed over, the merchants were equally anxious to leave the city to attend to their affairs, encouraged by the trust that Brettel City and Han Shuo had placed in them. Fabian also held a letter that Han Shuo had given him. The letter contained a list of special ingredients that Han Shuo needed, as well as some warm and sweet words for Phoebe.
"Jack, have you really decided to stay?" Fabian looked at his distant nephew and asked once more.
Little fatty Jack nodded his head, followed by a surprisingly firm answer: "Yes, I think this town needs me more. Besides, Bryan is going to give me the position of Minister of Finance."
"Don't worry old Fabian, I'll take good care of Jack. Let him stay and try, since this fellow is so stubborn." Han Shuo laughed as he talked to Fabian.
When Han Shuo found Jack two days ago, he was still hiding in his room, vomiting incessantly. Having witnessed the defence of the city from start to finish, Jack's appetite for meat had diminished drastically, and he vomited constantly as he replayed the experience over the past few days. At that time, Han Shuo thought that Jack would leave in a state of shock after witnessing such a horrific battle. Surprisingly, this fellow had an amazing stamina, insisting on his continued presence in Brettel City.
Han Shuo had learned from Fabian that Jack was talented in resource management and finance. Under the guidance of some Boozt experts experienced in trade, Jack showed a level of financial management that even moved Phoebe. The reason Phoebe had such regard for Jack, apart from the relationship between Jack and Han Shuo, was because of his management skills.
Knowing this, and seeing that Jack insisted on staying in Brettel City, Han Shuo stopped trying to persuade him and instead gave Jack the position of Finance Minister. He did this in front of Faulke, Dorcas and the others. The gold that had previously been taken from Red Beard Tuoba, the four hundred thousand from Helen Tina, and all the gold from the battle were all given to Jack, and he was put in charge of managing this large amount of wealth.
Han Shuo would not dare to give such a large amount of gold to anyone else. He only trusted Jack, someone who had grown up with him at the Babylon Academy.
After all, Han Shuo was the true master of Brettel City. He could appoint any staff for any department without any further approval. Faulke, Dorcas and the others had no authority to interfere.
Jack was silent for a long time as he struggled between excitement and panic at being in possession of such a large sum of wealth. It was only with Han Shuo's constant reassurance that he began to adjust to the role of Finance Minister.
Fabian's words to Han Shuo were indeed true.
With such a large amount of wealth in Jack's possession, once he'd gotten over his initial panic, Jack systematically began to clearly allocate the use and distribution of the gold. Each amount was carefully recorded, which caused Han Shuo to have a whole new level of respect for Jack.
Faulke and the others initially doubted Jack, but were all shocked when they received their stipend from Jack and heard him clearly state the price of each armour and weapon. When Jack contacted several merchants to help Faulke and Dorcas buy some of the much sought-after war equipment, they both gradually relaxed as Jack bought the equipment at a much lower price than they'd imagined.
Busy Jack showed the brains of a qualified finance minister in three short days. Young Jack was gradually accepted by Faulke and the others.
The few of them felt in their hearts that such a young finance minister might not be a bad thing.
"Well then, take care of yourselves!" Fabian looked at the two youthful faces in front of him, as if he could see Brettel City regaining its vitality under their care, shining brightly on the chaotic stage that was the Eastern Region.
The merchants were escorted towards Seamist City by guards led by Chester amidst the farewells of Han Shuo and the others, gradually disappearing from Han Shuo's view.
Han Shuo knew that Brettel City would definitely be even more powerful and prosperous the next time they came.