"Charge!"
The enemy soldiers, disoriented and leaderless, gathered before the broken wall under the knights' commands.
Thud! Thud!
The breached wall was packed with mercenaries locked in a tight shield wall, bracing against the incoming enemy's relentless pressure. As the enemy pushed against the shields, the mercenaries gritted their teeth and held their ground.
Bang!
Each shove made the shield wall ripple like waves.
When the enemy soldiers' weapons tangled with the shield line, Ghislain shouted loudly.
"Attack!"
The mercenaries parted their shields slightly.
Before the enemy could react or defend, long spears shot out through the gaps between shields.
Stab! Thrust! Stab!
"Aaargh!"
The spears wielded by the second line of mercenaries struck down the front row of the enemy soldiers.
As soon as the frontline fell, Ghislain gave another order.
"Close ranks!"
Clang!
The shield wall tightened seamlessly again.
But the enemy still had overwhelming numbers.
"Advance! Keep advancing!"
"Archers, provide cover!"
"Don't stop! Keep moving forward!"
Under the command of their knights, the enemy soldiers pressed forward, weapons ready.
Bang! Bang!
The mercenaries managed to repel them a few more times with spears, but as the enemy soldiers pressed relentlessly, they could no longer afford to open the shield wall.
At this critical moment, help arrived from above.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ghislain climbed the wall and started hurling nearby rubble—and even stones launched from the catapults—down onto the enemy soldiers.
Each throw scattered the advancing front lines, killing many.
The soldiers struggled to get close and, disheartened, began to retreat.
With Ghislain's relentless attacks, the breached wall seemed safe for now.
Surveying the situation, Zwalter quickly made a decision.
"Leave only the minimum number of guards here. The rest, move to the other side!"
Perdium soldiers quickly shifted to reinforce the wall near the other siege tower.
"Charge!"
Although Perdium's forces were outnumbered, concentrating their soldiers allowed them to push back the attackers pouring from the siege tower.
Eventually, the enemy forces were forced back inside the siege tower. The difference in morale was palpable.
Even the enemy archers' support from the side was futile, as the increased number of Perdium soldiers raised their shields to block incoming arrows.
"Damn them!"
Viktor clenched his teeth, visibly shaking with rage.
His tactics had been flawless, textbook strategy. He had been certain that they could capture the castle by today or, at the latest, by tomorrow.
If it hadn't been for those sudden, unexpected soldiers from the gate, everything would have gone according to his plans.
'Where did such an elite force come from?'
The troops from the gate were remarkably swift and powerful, exploiting a split-second opportunity to disrupt his formation.
Though it was difficult to assess from a distance, judging by how they destroyed the siege tower, it seemed there were knights among them.
Whether their success was due to skill or sheer luck, Viktor knew he had been outmaneuvered.
'Should we attempt an all-out attack now?'
He clenched his shaking fist but ultimately abandoned the idea.
The enemy's morale had surged, while his soldiers were floundering in confusion, especially those near the fortress walls.
The remaining siege tower was also at risk of being overrun.
A full assault in these conditions would only result in more losses.
Viktor sighed and reluctantly ordered the retreat.
"Withdraw the troops."
Upon hearing the retreat order, the remaining shield-bearers moved forward to protect the retreating soldiers.
They crowded around the siege tower, forming a dense shield wall.
Once all the troops were out, even the knights used their mana to pull the siege tower back.
"Hey! Throw! Throw!"
Randolph started hurling rocks the size of human heads, packed with mana, at the retreating enemy. He was imitating Ghislain, whom he had been watching out of the corner of his eye.
Thud! Thud!
Each time a shield-bearer was struck by a rock and fell, arrows quickly flew in to finish them off.
Although they could only inflict minor damage, it did wonders for Perdium's morale.
Even the nearby knights joined in, tossing rocks with mana-infused throws.
"Enough! Conserve those rocks!"
Resources were precious, and Zwalter quickly ordered the knights to stop.
The enemy was well-trained; even their retreat was orderly.
Once the last of the enemy soldiers had withdrawn, Zwalter raised his sword and shouted.
"The enemy is retreating!"
"Hurraaaah!"
The Perdium soldiers raised their hands and cheered.
They had managed to repel the overwhelming enemy assault, something that had once seemed impossible.
Although the battle wasn't over, holding off one assault boosted their morale tremendously.
While the soldiers celebrated, Zwalter stole a glance at Ghislain.
'Who are you…?'
His son stood among the dazed mercenaries, patting their shoulders and grinning. He looked as he always did.
'Was it a gamble, or did you know? A thought-out plan, or a reckless instinct?'
Zwalter realized that Ghislain's quick thinking had led to an almost miraculous result.
Analyzing the enemy's forces, their formation, the siege weapons, the layout of the battlefield, and the overconfidence of the enemy general…
But this was a strategy that only worked when there was a chance of success.
If Ghislain had misjudged even slightly, his mercenaries and the soldiers of Perdium would have suffered devastating losses.
How could anyone be so certain in the rapidly changing flow of battle?
Neither he nor Randolph—nor any commander—could make such rapid decisions in the heat of battle.
And then to think of destroying a siege tower alone and actually doing it…
Even on the battlefield, you act entirely on your own whim.
Unknowingly, Zwalter shook his head in wonder.
'It fits you… but it's incredibly dangerous.'
Perhaps this reckless behavior suited Ghislain's nature, but it was risky beyond measure.
Zwalter called Ghislain over and asked him directly.
"…Why did you take such a dangerous course?"
"I believed they'd be overconfident in the initial attack. I didn't want to miss the opportunity."
"Instinct can create brilliance on the battlefield, but a beast that only relies on its ferocity will eventually fall into a trap. You only have one life, so act with caution."
"Yes, Father."
Unable to explain his life's worth of battle experience, Ghislain just nodded.
Randolph, who had joined them, struck a more severe expression.
"Hmm, I was impressed by the young lord's skills today, but this can't happen every time."
It was an awkward situation; Ghislain had defied orders but brought victory. It was hard to chastise or praise him.
Randolph never expected the young lord to possess such skill.
Could he actually be stronger than me?
A troubling thought crept in, though Randolph quickly dismissed it, convincing himself he could probably do the same, though with less certainty of success.
Ghislain bowed slightly to Randolph.
"The situation was urgent, so I had no other choice. But as long as we keep holding on as we did today, we'll be fine."
He refrained from promising not to repeat the tactic.
Randolph clicked his tongue disapprovingly, but Zwalter simply nodded.
"Very well. If only Count Loges could send reinforcements, we would be in an excellent position."
With help from Loges, Zwalter believed victory was within reach.
Though he was anxious due to the lack of news from the messenger, Ghislain's actions today had slightly eased his worries.
"Still… war is unpredictable. Move carefully."
Regardless of Ghislain's strength, trust was another matter.
Ghislain often took extreme risks and acted independently. Although he seemed skilled, one mistake could be fatal.
Zwalter couldn't hide his worry.
Of course, Ghislain thought differently.
A timid mindset can't win this.
The Duke Delphine was an enemy that would require every ounce of effort just to stand a chance of victory.
For Perdium's outnumbered forces to prevail, they would have to go beyond their limits at every turn.
But he knew no one else would understand this.
He simply nodded and began to walk away.
"Wait, Ghislain."
Zwalter stopped him, shifting awkwardly before clearing his throat.
"Ahem, we were able to achieve victory thanks to you. Keep up the good work. Well done."
It was a reluctant show of gratitude, coming from a father who wasn't used to giving praise, especially after the tension between them before the battle.
In the slightly awkward atmosphere, Randolph scratched his head, chuckling.
"I didn't expect the young lord to lead the mercenaries so well… and to take down a siege tower alone… You've clearly improved."
He praised Ghislain for the first time, then laughed sheepishly.
Ghislain nodded with a slight smile.
"Thank you."
Leaving the two behind, he returned to the mercenaries, who were still blinking in confusion.
They were glad to have won, but they had no idea how.
They understood that destroying the siege tower had been advantageous, but the enemy forces had been utterly broken—why?
Everything was over before they could fully grasp the situation.
"What did we just do? How did we win? Did the captain really take down that tower alone?"
"We just followed him around and did what he told us, and it worked."
"Remember what he always said during training?"
"'By the time you think and understand, so will the enemy. Just follow my orders without question.'"
"That was today, wasn't it?"
The mercenaries, lacking strategic insight, concluded they simply needed to follow orders to achieve victory.
Teaching tactics and strategy was possible, and it could make soldiers more coordinated in a prepared battle.
But in the chaos of combat, explaining every move was impossible.
Especially since Ghislain's tactics were often spontaneous, based on his experience and instincts as a mercenary king.
Trying to explain them would mean missing the right moment.
Instead, he taught his mercenaries to simply move in sync with him, no questions asked.
The veteran mercenaries from the forest were less surprised, but the newer ones were still in shock.
"In the heat of the moment, it's actually easier to just keep fighting."
"Yeah, the more you think, the more you freeze up. When that happens, just focus on killing whoever's in front of you."
The unease they'd felt at the start had vanished.
Well, more accurately, they hadn't had time to feel scared.
They'd fought briefly and found themselves victorious.
"If we keep going like this, we'll need to stay sharp. Dying without understanding why would be annoying."
"And the captain is seriously strong! He's better than most knights!"
Ghislain encouraged his men.
"Good work. Keep up this momentum. Stick to the training, and we'll be fine. Keep following my lead."
Kaor grinned, giving Ghislain a thumbs-up.
"That was exhilarating. If the missions are always this thrilling, count me in."
The Cerberus Mercenaries had defended the retreat path, fighting like rabid dogs. For those who never thought too deeply, fighting was exactly what they wanted.
Ghislain chuckled, nodding.
"Don't worry. There's more excitement ahead."
Kaor laughed, clearly excited, but Belinda was exasperated.
"More excitement? What exactly is 'more'? It's going to get us killed! Do we really have to do this, young master?"
The sight of the siege tower collapsing had nearly given her a heart attack.
She followed orders out of necessity, but it didn't sit well with her.
No matter how strong he was, everyone had limits. How could he keep pushing himself so recklessly?
She briefly considered just carrying him off—runes in tow.
"I'm being careful. Trust me," Ghislain replied.
"Careful? If this is 'careful,' I don't even want to know what's next!" she shouted.
Ghislain just laughed, changing the subject.
"Get some rest, everyone. We'll need it."
At that, the mercenaries shouted back.
"You're the one who needs rest, captain! You were the craziest one out there!"
"Bet Gordon was so scared he almost wet himself. Did you, Gordon?"
"You idiot! I was holding the front line!"
"Captain, is your knee okay? Heard you took an arrow to it once, yet you were flying all over the place!"
"I don't get it, but I'm following you to hell and back, captain!"
They had no idea what was going on, but it didn't matter.
All they needed was the confidence that they could win by following orders.
Watching the banter between his mercenaries, Ghislain turned, a cold look momentarily crossing his face.
'They haven't made their real move yet.'
It had only been two days.
The first day had been all preparation, and even today's assault wasn't their full force.
'They were testing us. Now that their plan failed, they'll come at us differently.'
Having seen the mercenaries in action, the enemy would factor them into their next move.
'If they go all out with everything they have, it'll be tough to stop them.'
They still had three siege towers and thousands of soldiers.
And with their supply issues, they'd want a quick resolution.
This was precisely the situation Ghislain had aimed for.
'We'll have just one chance.'
The battle was only beginning.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]