On the tenth day of the siege, the undead finally launched a ferocious attack. Led by several ghouls, numerous skeleton warrior regiments and zombie armies launched a fierce assault on the walls of Montfort Castle. The waves of the undead attack rose higher and higher, putting immense pressure on the defenders.
At this moment, Duke Fulcard himself was leading the knights of Montfort along the city walls. His shouts and exhortations, filled with fighting spirit and hope, greatly boosted the defenders' morale. After several personal battles at the front lines, the undead army, which had barely climbed the walls, was driven back by the defenders.
Especially remarkable was an expedition knight beside Fulcard, wearing a golden fire dragon cross helmet, who displayed extraordinary bravery. When a bloodthirsty ghoul descended from the sky to attack the garrison on the wall, this expedition knight killed it with a single spear thrust.
Fulcard's presence on the front line greatly inspired the entire castle's morale. He drew his longsword and shouted, "Fire the cannons! Soldiers, destroy the undead army! Victory belongs to Montfort, for the Lady and the King, for Bretonnia!"
Dozens of cannons on the castle fired in unison. The sound of fuses igniting and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. Amid the thunderous cannon fire, solid cannonballs fell into the undead ranks, causing chaos. Especially among the towering ghouls, who fell one after another, significantly reducing the pressure on the front lines.
"For Montfort! Soldiers, counterattack! Where are my trebuchets?" Duke Fulcard, a powerful kingdom knight, fought at the front lines. He swung his sword and cut a zombie that had just climbed the wall into two pieces. Covered in filthy blood and flesh, he ignored his knight's pleas to retreat and shouted, "That's a battering ram! Destroy it! Destroy it!"
"Adjust the angle!" Montfort's army was not fighting alone; many imperial settlers were eager to assist. Due to long-standing trade relations, Montfort had a good relationship with the Empire. Besides importing old cannons at great expense, imperial settlers also joined the battle with weapons. They mostly had scimitars and muskets, some with halberds, swords, and shields. They shouted and unleashed their power alongside Bretonnian peasant archers, militia, and infantry, repeatedly repelling the undead's assaults.
On the high walls, several giant trebuchets and cannons aimed at the advancing giant battering ram. Though the ram was crude, it was covered with many undead magic runes, fully reinforced by Kemmler.
Eight ghouls were pushing the battering ram forward. The rotten metal tip, blessed by green undead magic, made Fulcard's heart pound. He couldn't let the ram reach the castle gate. "Fire, soldiers, shoot the ghouls' legs!"
The soldiers on the walls loudly obeyed. The defenders' firepower focused on the ram, and even the peasant archers frantically shot their flaming arrows.
The ghouls' thick skin made them impervious to old muskets and peasant arrows. Even if one or two fell, others immediately took their place.
At this moment, a row of cannons on the wall fired. Except for one cannon that misfired, the others launched seven or eight solid shots at the battering ram.
"Huh!" The black cannonballs flew towards the ram, making faint sounds in the air. Watching from the center, Kemmler squinted his eyes and chanted loudly, "Day of the Dead, all things wither, by my command!"
"Fourth-level magic, Wall of Bones!"
A low wall made of countless bones rose before the ram. The cannonballs smashed into the wall, creating large holes. The magic bones shattered into countless pieces.
The battering ram, protected by Kemmler, remained intact. Just as he was about to signal the ram to continue, two stones from the castle's trebuchets came into his view.
The trebuchets' counterweights rotated, and the stones bypassed the wall, smashing into the battering ram. The ram's crude wooden structure shattered under the impact, and one ghoul was crushed into a disgusting pile of flesh.
"Humph! Lucky shot." Kemmler snorted, shaking his head as he left the center. Mashubad watched silently. Seeing Kemmler leave, he also turned away.
The high walls echoed with victory cries. Duke Fulcard and his knights mounted their horses and charged along the wall. With textbook knightly charges, the defenders finally repelled the skeleton warriors and zombies climbing the walls. With the last skeleton warrior defeated and thrown from the wall, the undead army retreated without the battering ram.
Montfort Castle held once again. After suffering hundreds of peasant infantry and a dozen knight casualties, the undead army slowly withdrew.
"Thank you, Karad. Without your help, the castle gates might have fallen." Watching the retreating undead army, Duke Fulcard spoke to the expedition knight beside him. "Your timely aid to Montfort is a debt the entire duchy will never forget."
"Fighting evil is a duty." Karad, who had been on the Grail Quest for over a year, rode his elf warhorse from Bretonnia. His notable achievements included fighting a four-armed minotaur and a cyclops in Reikland, slaying a goblin shaman in Wissenland, beheading a wyvern in Averland, defeating two greenskin warlords at Blackfire Pass, killing an undead wizard in Ostermark, and taking down a bile troll and a Nurgle champion. Karad then traveled north to Kislev, where he fought alongside the bear cavalry against Chaos marauders, defeating five tribal chiefs and stopping the raids. After heading west to Ostland and Nordland, he exterminated two beastmen tribes. Upon receiving a summons from Francois, he returned to Bretonnia to join the war at Blackstone Fortress.
Karad's journey was filled with glory and honor.
He received a dream from the Lady of the Lake, informing him of the undead siege on Montfort Castle. Karad rushed to aid Duke Fulcard.
"The siege has lasted ten days, and we still haven't heard of any reinforcements." Duke Fulcard, a fifty-something-year-old kingdom knight, watched the retreating undead from the wall, looking at a damaged section of the wall caused by Kemmler's magic.
Fulcard didn't call for the Sisters of the Grail or the Prophetess of the Lady to aid him. Instead, he hired wizards from the Empire's Royal Academy of Magic. A light wizard and his apprentices cast spells to repair the wall, driving away the undead magic. Montfort craftsmen immediately began repairs.
"Reinforcements will come," Karad said quietly, walking beside Fulcard. "Understand, my Duke, last year's Chaos invasion severely depleted the northern duchies' armies. It's not easy to gather a large army. You know, Duke Hagen of Gisoreaux spends most of his time in Couronne; just returning to gather his troops takes time."
"I know. We can't count on the north, but what about the arrogant southerners? Berchmond and his Red Dragon Brotherhood? Francois and his Quenelles Champion Knights? Why do I see only you? And the Lady's Champion? Ryan-Macado? I've asked them for help, but they haven't come. If they don't, the castle will fall." Duke Fulcard's initial irritation turned into a sigh. "Rations have been halved, Karad my friend, but even so, feeding tens of thousands is a struggle. With my private stores, the food will last twenty days to a month at best, and that's optimistic. I can wait, but my people cannot."
Montfort relies heavily on pastoral farming and imports grain from the Empire and other Bretonnian duchies. With the Axe Bite Pass destroyed, trade routes are cut off, and the castle's supplies are low. The influx of refugees has worsened the situation.
After inspecting the defenses, Duke Fulcard and Karad stood on a lookout, gazing over Montfort and the Grey Mountains. Surprisingly, the defenders and refugees remained spirited, believing the Lady of the Lake watched over them. Refugees took up arms to fight the undead, determined to defend their home.
Montfortians are unique. Watching the steadfast Duke Fulcard, Karad thought.
Montfort, nestled in the Grey Mountains, is home to skilled climbers. After years of greenskin threats and harsh conditions, Montfortians have grown tough and resilient. They welcome all human and foreign friends but are hostile to non-human races, including elves, halflings, and dwarves. This is reflected in Duke Fulcard's staunch human supremacist views. He believes only humans are destined to rule and has expelled dwarves and burned elves as Chaos mutants. His disdain for Ryan's acceptance of dwarves and elves led him to urge King Richard to punish Ryan, insisting the Lady's champion maintain "purity."
Fulcard's complex nature includes his strong humanity but kindness to his people. He established welfare systems, reduced taxes for hardworking peasants, and collaborated with the Temple of Mercy to provide free healthcare for common diseases. He welcomed all humans to settle in Montfort and tolerated the spread of the Justice Church, building Bretonnia's largest Justice Church temple. He frequently led troops to protect his people, making him beloved by the people and even imperial settlers.
Humans are complex beings.
Just then, Fulcard's steward arrived, wearing a beret. "My Duke, there's a change among the refugees."
"What change?" Fulcard turned abruptly, and Karad was equally alarmed.
Montfort Castle's lower areas were crowded with refugees, relying on the military to maintain order. Any unrest would be disastrous for the castle's defense.
"A rumor has spread among the
refugees, boosting their morale," the steward said. "They say the Lady's champion Ryan-Macado and Duke Francois of Winford are gathering an unprecedented army to eliminate the undead. The rumor has spread from the lower to the upper levels, and even many knights believe it."
Montfort has about 2,300 registered knights, with about 1,500 in the castle.
Fulcard initially wanted to dismiss the rumor but realized its necessity. Even if it were false, he needed it.
"Understood. Let it be."
"Yes." The steward withdrew.
Fulcard, still worried, hesitated before asking, as if clutching at a last hope, "Will Lord Ryan come to our aid?"
"He will," Karad said confidently. "He's saved the kingdom from peril several times."
"Hope so." Fulcard forced a smile. "Thankfully, I attended his wedding and toasted him, so I didn't offend him too much."
"Lord Ryan isn't that type," Karad said, not elaborating.
"Go rest. This was just a test. The undead will attack more fiercely."
"Yes."
...
Early morning, Jean Town, County of Glamorgan.
Ryan and Belgar stood on a high platform, looking at the gray sky.
The army was assembled.
The undead, Kemmler, Mashubad, Mousilon, Montfort—Ryan went over it in his mind. He turned to Belgar, who nodded, signaling him to give the order.
"Move out!"
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