"Chase them!" Birrig raised his battle axe.
The line gradually pressed over Auhus Bridge.
Every barbarian frantically crowded onto the bridge, eager to drink more southern blood. Only by doing so could they hope to catch the Dark God's eye.
To become a Chaos Champion, to ascend in eternal glory, to become a true Demon Prince, they had to seize every tiny opportunity in the endless and bloody war, demonstrating their "usefulness" to the Chaos Gods. Only then could they receive the Dark God's favor and continuously climb the ladder of ascension.
According to the prior plan, Nord's army seemed oblivious to their worsening situation. They retreated while fighting, showing no intent to hold the bridge to the death. They simply ensured that every step they retreated cost the barbarians more lives.
Finally, Nord's army withdrew from Auhus Bridge. The entire bridge was filled with barbarians celebrating another victory, greedily searching the dead for weapons, armor, and coins.
They had no idea what awaited them.
As more barbarian warriors crowded onto Auhus Bridge, Knight Nickle judged it was time. He gently pulled out an arrow and lit its tip.
"Damn northerners! We Nordlings have a big surprise for you!" Nickle shouted with a laugh.
"Damn northerners! Taste our Nord surprise!" The Nord army echoed his shout.
"Don't crowd the bridge! Don't crowd the bridge! Charge across! Kill those lowly southerners! Don't crowd the bridge!" Birrig suddenly realized something and shouted, signaling his soldiers to chase the enemy.
Too late.
"Boom!"
The ground shook, and the river surged backward.
The earth-shattering explosion collapsed the thirty-meter stone bridge, killing all the barbarian raiders on it. Smoke and debris filled the air, and stones scattered everywhere.
Over a hundred barbarian soldiers and the stone bridge of Auhus became scattered fragments.
"Hahahahaha! Birrig, do you like our gift?" Lopes and Ike dealt with the few raiders who crossed the bridge, then stood on the other side, shouting. Nickle laughed loudly, signaling the soldiers to retreat. "If you don't, wait until Miyodenhaven. We have an even better gift—death!"
Ike's face was flushed with excitement. The wandering knight had taken six raider heads by himself.
"We could have done more," Ryan signaled some soldiers to retreat while others stayed to keep sniping the barbarians. The crossbowmen unleashed a rain of arrows, continuously bringing down barbarians. Facing the broken bridge, the barbarians became live targets for the crossbowmen.
But Ryan did not smile. According to his plan, they should have destroyed the trees and houses on the other side of the river to prevent the barbarians from quickly building a new bridge. These barbarians traveled light, and merely blowing up the bridge wouldn't delay them much.
The remaining two hundred archers and a dozen cavalrymen kept shooting from across the river, hindering the barbarians' bridge-building efforts. With few trees on the other side, and Ryan's team continuously sniping, the bear tribe's attempts to build a bridge were repeatedly thwarted. Those who tried to swim across were all killed, proving to Birrig that this route was futile. The barbarians had to repair the bridge, but luckily the bridge piers were still there, so Birrig judged it wouldn't take too long.
In the prolonged stalemate, the Nordlings cunningly stayed just out of range of javelins and throwing axes. These annoying snipers caused great trouble for the bridge repairs.
"Useless! Useless!" Barbarian Champion Kurorin cursed, urging his soldiers to hurry. Time flew, and the sun had risen high in the sky. They had already wasted half a day chopping trees and building bridges.
The sniping across the river gradually ceased as the archers ran out of arrows. Ryan signaled the archers to retreat, leaving only a few wandering knights and the two kingdom knights.
"Our plan was successful, Mr. Ryan. We've delayed the barbarians here for half a day," Nickle said joyfully. Nord's casualties were minimal, while the barbarians had lost over five hundred men.
"If we had managed to cut down more trees across the river, it would have been even better," Ryan nodded. This delay had effectively hindered the barbarians, making it unlikely they'd reach Miyodenhaven today.
Moreover, they had a few more surprises prepared for the barbarians.
As the bear tribe cobbled together the salvaged wood to make a bridge, a group of raiders hastily stepped onto it, eager to cross the river and annihilate the Nordlings.
"Three, two, one—down!" Nickle dropped his last finger. The tampered bridge piers collapsed under the weight, and the temporary wooden bridge fell apart. Another dozen barbarians fell into the river, their senses numbed by the icy water.
The half-day's work on the wooden bridge was wasted.
"Hahahahahahaha!" The remaining Nordlings laughed loudly. Ryan nodded slightly. The collapsed bridge meant the barbarians would have to spend even more time crossing the river, delaying them by at least another half day. This meant the barbarian army had been delayed a full day by Ryan's group.
The imperial army would arrive the day after tomorrow. The barbarians had only one day left to breach the city. If they couldn't do it in a day, they'd face the threat of being encircled by the imperial forces—a force far superior in both quality and quantity to these defenders.
Whether the barbarians lost their minds and launched a full-scale attack or hesitated to retreat, Ryan was confident he could hold the walls.
"Haha, foolish Nord pigs, do you think this will delay me?" Birrig laughed. "Let me guess, you think this will buy you time until the imperial reinforcements arrive?"
"Look at your city. See what has happened?" A black crow flew to the barbarian chieftain's hand, symbolizing evil and wisdom. It whispered in his ear, and he nodded in satisfaction.
"??!!" The smile on Nickle's face gradually disappeared, and the remaining Nordlings lost their joy from winning and delaying the barbarians.
"Enough, Birrig. You traded five hundred lives for less than a hundred of ours. What will your dark gods think of you? A foolish coward or a pathetic leader? Is your laughable tactic just to send your men to die? If so, you'll never earn the dark gods' favor." Ryan taunted. Ignoring Birrig's livid expression, he ordered the others to retreat. "Mission accomplished. Let's go!"
"Yes!" The group's horses were adorned with barbarian heads, and they had gained much more. Everyone was satisfied and more convinced by Ryan's command.
The Nord army retreated before the barbarians' eyes. Before leaving, Nickle fired all his remaining arrows, killing another dozen barbarians.
Riding, Ryan advised Nickle, "My plan is to delay Birrig here until dark. Before reaching the harbor, we must hold him for at least a day. Then, we can retreat to the harbor and hold out for one night and half a day. The imperial reinforcements will arrive, and with the walls, we can repel the assault. Once the reinforcements arrive, we can crush this tribe."
"Miyodenhaven's high walls should hold for a day if nothing goes wrong. Your plan is excellent, Mr. Ryan," Nickle praised. "Though we didn't hold until dark, Birrig won't reach the city until tomorrow noon. We just need to hold out for a day."
"Let's hope so," Ryan said. "As long as nothing unexpected happens."
"Fools! Weaklings! Scum!" Birrig finally exploded when the Nordlings disappeared into the distance. He beheaded two incompetents with his axe and roared, "Kurorin! Take your men and make rafts! We must cross the Aufre River quickly! The imperial reinforcements are coming!"
"But chieftain, there's not much wood here. We'll need time to get everyone across!"
"Then hurry! We must cross before dark!"
"Yes!"
—Two days earlier—
The Blood Axe Mercenary Group was resting in Miyodenhaven. The once-strong mercenary group was now down to a few men. Deputy leader Vert's face was filled with deep sorrow, but he still put on a brave smile, encouraging his mercenaries to persevere.
The barbarian invasion was another heavy blow. As mercenaries, they were subject to forced conscription. Though Albert offered a large sum to hire them, Vert knew the Blood Axe needed rest and new recruits, not income.
Refusing the lord's order was not an option. Now, Albert's officials had come. Refusal would mean the next visit would be from his soldiers.
So, the mercenaries were scattered and integrated into the city's defense. Under the count's orders, the soldiers collectively burned houses and felled trees outside the city. Only Emilia was spared—unexpectedly taken by Garland Councilwoman Teresa Trovik, who claimed she needed an "assistant."
Banda was assigned to guard the east gate of Miyodenhaven. This port city had only two gates: the east gate and the south gate.
"What should I do? What should I do?" The young mercenary's eyes glowed strangely. His steps were uneven, especially his left leg, which was awkward. Even after being assigned to the garrison, he wore a long cloak, hiding his appearance.
His nails grew longer, and his fingers too. More importantly, he received more visions in his dreams, gradually coming up with a plan to attract Lady Trovik's attention.
Banda became more talkative,
his words as delightful as winter wine and warm sunshine. The soldiers quickly fell for his stories. After one day, Banda had gained everyone's trust.
The next day, seeing Ryan lead a troop out of the city, Banda knew his chance had come.
That night.
Banda and another soldier were on duty, watching the gate's winch.
The cold moonlight shone on the two guards. Unease filled the garrison. Banda's partner shivered in the cold wind, cursing the barbarians until he ran out of words.
The soldier sniffed hard and asked the motionless Banda, "What's wrong, brother? Do you think we'll survive this war?"
"I don't know. I only know my chance has come!" Banda walked behind the soldier, looking at the city wall below. "Oh my God, what is that?"
"What?" The soldier curiously ran to the parapet and looked down, seeing nothing. "What did you see, Banda?"
A cold dagger pierced his chest. The soldier's mouth was covered. After a few twitches, his thin body went limp. "I saw death."
"Next..." Banda muttered, positioning the soldier's body against the wall, fixing him with a spear to ensure he could be seen by many.
"That's good." Banda had already learned enough from the trusting soldiers. Timing the guard change, he quietly slipped away.
Banda had talent. Deputy leader Vert had good reason to take him as a disciple. If not for his obsession with the Garland Councilwoman, his future would be promising.
"Wait for me, Lady Trovik!" Banda hid in the dark tower stairwell, muttering.
"I'll show you the most beautiful..."
"The most beautiful fireworks."
"Boom!" Early in the morning, an explosion at the east gate woke the entire city.
"What happened? What happened?"
"What's going on?"
"Not good! The gate is breached!"
"Are the barbarians inside?"
Citizens and refugees panicked, running and trampling each other. The docks were crowded with people trying to escape by boat. Amid the crying and crowding, many fell into the water. Inside the city, people trampled each other in despair.
The lord's castle.
The explosion woke Albert abruptly. He instinctively reached for the sword by his bed and shouted, "Guards!"
"Your Lordship!" Several attendants rushed in.
"What happened? Tell me quickly! Are the barbarians inside?" Albert quickly grasped the situation, shouting frantically.
"We don't know! We just woke up," the attendants replied nervously, equally confused.
Loyal soldiers soon brought the news.
The armory at the east gate had exploded. The room storing the siege cannons had been blown up, with over twenty night guards or mercenaries killed or injured. Several were missing.
The worst part wasn't the loss of troops but... the east gate was blown up!
"My Lord, the gate is destroyed! The drawbridge's hinges are damaged!" Knight Waldemar rushed to the count's castle, lamenting. "The east gate is a ruin. We've lost the wall's protection and are facing a direct assault from the barbarians!"
"Who did this?! Who did this?!" Albert's eyes turned red. Ignoring his thin nightgown, he grabbed Waldemar's collar and shouted, "Tell me, who did this?!"
"I don't know, my Lord. Over twenty people died in the explosion, and several are missing. We can't determine the suspect quickly." Waldemar nearly wept. "My Lord, we're finished. Without the walls, how can we resist Birrig's four-thousand-strong army?"
"Damn! Damn! Damn!" The forty-something count paced frantically in his bedroom.
"Count, flee! Let's flee south!" Waldemar cautiously suggested, "There are still some passenger ships at the dock. The barbarians won't arrive until the day after tomorrow. We can board the ships."
"And then? As the count of Miyodenhaven, I'm a coward who abandons my territory?" Albert sneered, looking at his knight. "Can't imagine, Waldemar, my knight, you could only come up with such a lowly idea of fleeing?"
"I didn't mean that, my Lord. I mean... we could do this," Waldemar, who really didn't want to fight, was only a kingdom knight due to inheritance. He was in his thirties, enjoying the noble life. "We could entrust the city defense to Nickle and Ryan. Then we can wait on the ships. If they hold the city, great..."
"And if they can't?" Albert sneered.
"If they can't... I mean if, then we can sail away. The imperial reinforcements will soon arrive. We can hide at sea for a day or two, then land when the reinforcements come, attacking from both sides... I mean, coordinating from inside and out. This way, no one would think we fled. It's strategy, a tactic!" Waldemar, seeing Albert's lack of objection, felt hopeful and lightened his tone. "What do you think of this idea?"
"You're smart, Waldemar. Coming up with such a strategy isn't easy. I should reward you." Albert clapped, the sarcasm never leaving his lips. "Emil? Bring your men in. I have orders!"
"No need for that. I'm just suggesting. The decision is still yours, my Lord!" Waldemar hesitated, his gaze flickering.
"Count!" Fully armed guards rushed in, wearing full armor and wielding halberds, swords at their waists.
"Seize him!" Albert suddenly drew his sword, pointing at Waldemar.
"What?"
Thieves broke in; hehe, hehe.
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