When Ryan, Sulia, and their entourage arrived at the meeting hall in Helenchilde, nearly all the nobles participating in the defense of Montfort were already present.
Count Anselm, Sulia's uncle, and other prominent nobles were seated, totaling more than a dozen. As Ryan and Sulia entered, they greeted the assembled nobles, who responded in kind. After marrying Sulia, Ryan had finally integrated into the core of this duchy.
Many members of the Quinellis Champion Knights Brotherhood were present, including some of the most renowned legendary knights.
The most famous among them was undoubtedly Duke François of Winford and his son-in-law, Count Ryan of Glamorgan, "The Devout."
Other notable legendary knights, well-known throughout the kingdom and even the Old World, were also in attendance.
Grail Knight, Count Cuileux, Antelm of Ostheim.
Holy Knight of Azarix, Sir Gérard, François's cousin.
"Disputant" Sir Geoffrey of Angren, who once single-handedly slew a dragon named Scara.
"Rover" Tolan, a crusader knight who fought a ghoul king named Scotus for two days and nights at Tainhold Pass.
Sir Leon of Tula, who had once killed a powerful vampire baron.
Count Conde-Renault, who led a group of knights to crush an entire goblin tribe.
"Ghoul Slayer" Fastrek, a famous knight who commanded an entire Pegasus unit, the "Swift Pegasus Knights," to assist François and Ryan's armies in this war.
The meeting hall of Helenchilde Castle was filled with talent, the stars of Bretonnia, gathered in one place. These heroes, whose epic tales were sung throughout the land, came together to face this crisis.
"Ryan, Sulia, you're here?" Duke François of Winford was studying a map when he saw Ryan, Sulia, Armand, and Bellegar arrive. He gestured for them to sit. "Sit down."
"Hey, guys, interested in a story?" With so many legendary knights gathered, King Bellegar Ironhammer of the Angrund clan's eyes lit up. He thought if these knights joined the expedition to Eight Peaks Mountain, defeating Skarsnik and "Queek Headtaker" would be a matter of time!
"The story can wait, Bellegar… King," Count Cuileux Antelm said, addressing Bellegar as king, finding it awkward. This dwarf king didn't even have a fortress, yet called himself a king. But that wasn't the main point now. "Ryan, now that you're here, let's discuss the situation."
"What's the situation?" Ryan gestured for Bellegar to hold off on the story, prioritizing the urgent matter at hand. Bellegar shrugged, finding a small bench to sit on. François had anticipated Bellegar's arrival and had a raised bench prepared in the front row.
Everyone listened as Antelm began to explain the situation.
Ryan held Sulia's hand, who placed her small hand in his to show she was fine. The couple smiled at each other and began to listen.
"Two days ago, Duke Fulcard of Montfort sent a call for aid throughout Bretonnia. A massive undead army had poured out of the Blackstone stronghold in the Grey Mountains, aiming directly at Montfort Castle in the Axe-Biter Pass," Antelm explained, pointing to Montfort Castle on the large map of Bretonnia hanging on the wall. "At first, Duke Fulcard thought the enemy was launching a probing attack on his duchy. A veteran of many battles, he did not underestimate the threat and assembled an army of three thousand, led by two hundred knights, to counter the attack, ordering a retreat if the situation became unfavorable."
"On the plains near the town of Soden on the upper reaches of the Grisomori River, this army encountered the undead forces. They were immediately surrounded, with fewer than a hundred knights and two hundred peasants managing to retreat."
"Realizing the severity of the situation, Duke Fulcard ordered a scorched earth policy, commanding all serfs and nobles along the undead's path to retreat to Montfort Castle. He and his knights temporarily repelled a small vanguard of the undead at Pusay Town, covering the refugees' retreat. According to scouts, the undead army is massive, initially estimated at over fifty thousand. Knowing his forces could not withstand the undead horde, Duke Fulcard sent a call for aid to the king and all dukes!"
"Has there been any response from the king?" François asked, frowning.
"Regent Lauen received the call for aid. His response was for Duke Fulcard to hold out temporarily. The entire kingdom is currently in the midst of the harvest and cannot immediately organize a large knight army. He instructed the northern dukes to gather their forces, stating that any scattered support would only add to the undead army's numbers," Antelm replied.
"A correct judgment," Ryan nodded, agreeing with Lauen's pragmatic, albeit harsh, approach.
"Duke Berchmond of Bastogne just received the call for aid. Organizing his duchy's forces will take time, as we all know Bastogne's unique situation," Antelm continued. "So, we must wait until the harvest is over."
Most knightly lords in Bastogne were Grail Knights, steeped in the glory of the past. The people lived relatively well, and the nobles were less corrupt, but the duchy's internal governance was also relatively weak. Duke Berchmond often appointed stewards to manage the duchy while he and the Red Dragon Knights Brotherhood spent their days dueling and repelling various threats.
Under such circumstances, organizing an army in Bastogne would take considerable time.
"Carcassonne is out of the question. Its border is too long, and Duke Huebald's army is barely enough to defend the borders," Ryan continued. "Similarly, we can't rely on Brionne."
"That leaves Paravon and Bordeleaux… Will the Sea Guard Knights support us?" Gérard asked.
"Don't count on others, Gérard. We can only rely on ourselves," François interrupted, still frowning. "Can we confirm it's the necromancer Heinrich Kemmler and his ancient tomb army?"
"Yes, we can."
A murmur filled the hall. Heinrich Kemmler had returned with his ancient tomb army.
"So, what now? Should we halt the harvest and immediately support Montfort Castle?" Sir Geoffrey of Angren asked.
"Abandoning the harvest now would be a huge loss for our territory."
"But if we don't quickly support Montfort Castle, it might fall. We cannot allow Bretonnian lands blessed by the Lady to be defiled by the undead."
"Montfort Castle is a renowned fortress in the Old World. It won't fall easily! We must prepare thoroughly."
The hall erupted in debate, nobles arguing over whether to mobilize during the harvest. After all, the harvest was their livelihood. Montfort Castle, a legendary fortress, was considered nearly impregnable, leading many knights to believe Kemmler's army couldn't easily breach it.
Additionally, Winford's knights understood that fighting the undead required swift, decisive action. Prolonged conflict would only strengthen the undead, as fallen knights and soldiers would rise to join their ranks.
Ryan frowned, pondering their next move.
"Fulcard's swift call for aid is telling. His pride would normally prevent him from seeking help so quickly," Antelm continued. "But the economic blow from the Axe-Biter Pass's destruction earlier this year forced him to request aid from the entire nation and even the Empire. The Imperial court has yet to respond."
"Let's organize and assemble our forces. As soon as the harvest is over, we march!" François's decisive command settled the debate.
...
In the mountains of Montfort Duchy, Bretonnia.
A massive, seemingly endless undead army marched along the mountain paths. Thousands of zombies and skeleton warriors filled the trails, with black bat swarms and banshee units darkening the sky. In the center, Kemmler's elite two barrow guard units, crypt ghouls, and crypt horrors advanced slowly. Kemmler himself walked with a staff, not riding a horse.
Matthew Bard led two undead knight units and a unit of blood knights, following Kemmler. The Black Knight of Mousillon wore cursed black plate armor, walking behind Kemmler, serving as the cavalry's main provider in this war.
"Montfort Castle is now a crowded meat bucket. Most refugees have retreated into the castle under Fulcard's cover," Matthew Bard said to Kemmler. "Your slow advance gave Fulcard plenty of time to prepare."
"Are you questioning my decision?" Kemmler looked up, his tattered, frayed wizard hat lifting slightly.
"No, my task is to assist you. That was our alliance's condition," Matthew Bard replied nonchalantly.
"Hmph! Then follow my orders," Kemmler lowered his head again.
Kemmler and his ancient tomb army were not fully prepared for this premature attack. Attacking during the harvest would throw Bretonnia into chaos. They had launched their offensive three days ago, and no signs of assembled armies had appeared.
However, Kemmler's advance was not smooth. Montfort Duchy had few farmlands, with most serfs relying on grazing and mining. Without harvest tasks, serfs' first reaction upon seeing the undead army was to flee.
Kemmler ordered no pursuit. After initially massacring several villages, he slowed the advance, allowing Duke Fulcard time to gather refugees into the castle and strengthen its defenses.
Matthew Bard was puzzled by Kemmler's orders. If they intended to attack during the harvest, why slow the advance? If the plan was to create corpses to bolster their ranks, why let Fulcard escort the refugees?
Wasn't this contradictory?
Had the necromancer lost his mind after François nearly decapitated him?
Fine,
keep making mistakes, Kemmler, thought Matthew Bard, his hidden face contorting into a sinister smile. Once you're dead, I'll take over your forces.
Keep it up!
The undead army continued its march along the rugged mountain path. Kemmler, observing Matthew Bard out of the corner of his eye, chuckled inwardly.
He doesn't warn me because he hopes I'll fail, so he can take over.
If he did warn me, he'd want me to win.
Just as Matthew Bard had his plans, so did Kemmler.
Montfort Castle was incredibly sturdy, and the undead were not adept at siege warfare. His ancient tomb army lacked siege equipment. A quick capture of the castle was nearly impossible.
Kemmler allowed Duke Fulcard to evacuate refugees to the castle for this reason. How many mouths would those refugees need to feed? How much grain was stored in the castle? Without sufficient food, how long could the castle hold out?
His strategy was to besiege and destroy the relieving forces from the rest of Bretonnia.
Meanwhile, Kemmler recalled the Battle of La-Maison-Maïtar Abbey over twenty years ago, remembering François charging at him. In the Lady's wrath, the Unicorn Sword slashed dangerously close to decapitating him. The necromancer tightened his grip on his noisy skull staff.
François, I will repay you a hundredfold for what you did to me!
A week later, Montfort Castle, Bretonnia.
Montfort was a model fortress in Bretonnia, situated in the gorge of Axe-Biter Pass. It showcased the best defensive fortifications: five massive, sturdy walls segmenting the castle, towering stone walls starting from the westernmost end to the eastern gateway. The castle collected tolls from all passing through, forming a prosperous trade city within its walls.
It's said that Montfort was an ancient dwarven fortress, abandoned after the dwarven decline. The current Montfort Castle was built by Bretonnian tribes on the ruins to defend against greenskin tribes.
The main fortress was on the northern side of the pass, a massive citadel over twenty meters high. The five-story stone fortress was armed with retired cannons and fixed giant catapults from the Empire, each level an independent defensive structure. The lower three levels paralleled the cliff, with the top two levels forming high lookout towers.
Every wall was packed with Bretonnian defenders, numbering in the thousands. Yet, even behind such solid and towering defenses, their hearts were gripped by fear.
Now, the entire massive castle was surrounded by an ocean of undead.
Duke Fulcard stood in the watchtower, gazing at the endless undead horde with a stern expression. "By my Lady, this will be the greatest test Montfort Castle has faced in decades. Grant us victory."
"Against the undead, there is no peace, no surrender. People of Montfort Duchy, we must fight to the death!"
"United under the Lady's faith, we have but one battle. May the Lady protect us!"
"May the Lady protect us!" The castle echoed with a resounding response, reverberating through the valley.
As if in reply to Duke Fulcard's words, twisted, hateful horns sounded from the undead army.
The war had begun.
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