A thick, solid log was driven deep into a pit that had been dug out. Around it, a group of people worked, each handling different tasks, turning logs into wooden posts that would form a sturdy barricade.
Mike Bai and Genn were also among them, reinforcing the wood as best they could. Their craftsmanship was rough, but no one seemed to mind. The other mercenaries weren't much better, with some logs still covered in bark, and others roughly chopped and hastily placed. But this was just a temporary fortification, and no one expected it to last beyond this battle, win or lose.
As the wooden barrier gradually extended, they had just finished enclosing Mike Bai's section of the camp when a shrill blast of a horn rang out in the distance.
"Wooo!"
Everyone froze for a moment, then scrambled to the side, quickly putting on their weapons and armor.
"Damn it, these bastards picked the perfect time to show up!" Mike Bai muttered as he hastily threw on the leather vest that Gilna had helped him finish, grabbed his weapon, and ran toward his mercenary group's defensive line.
By the time he arrived, the mercenaries had mostly gathered. Captain Wolf stood on top of a large crate, staring toward the distant, shifting shadows with disdain. He spat on the ground.
"Alright, boys! Time to work!"
"Rooaaar~~!"
The fifty-odd mercenaries all let out wild, animalistic yells as they waved their weapons and shields, like a group of festival revelers gone mad. Under the leadership of their respective squad leaders, they quickly took positions behind their sections of the wooden fence.
Genn glanced nervously at the growing enemy ranks in the distance. His breath came a little faster, but after taking a deep breath, his body relaxed just a little.
Mike Bai passed him a water flask. "Gargle a bit. After the fighting starts, you won't have time."
Genn took the flask, but noticed that most of the mercenaries around them seemed calm. Captain Wolf himself was even casually taking a long swig of alcohol, a strange contrast to the tension in the air.
This laid-back attitude was contagious, and Genn couldn't help but feel less tense, his gaze steady as the enemy slowly approached.
The enemy's ragtag army—more like a group of conscripted beggars than soldiers—charged toward the mercenaries' barricade in several disorganized formations. Behind them, the banners of their nobles flapped in the wind, and the knights waited, conserving their strength for the right moment to charge.
"Rockets!" A sharp-eyed mercenary shouted.
Dozens of flaming arrows streaked through the air, heading straight for the camp. The mercenaries quickly raised their shields, hunching down behind them.
The arrows didn't pierce the shields, but they started setting the mercenaries' tents on fire.
One arrow struck a tent, and flames leapt up, rapidly consuming everything inside.
"Damn it!" a mercenary cursed, realizing it was his tent that had caught fire. But he didn't even consider running to put it out. Instead, he stood his ground, resolutely watching.
Two more waves of flaming arrows landed, setting fire to a few more tents. But after that, the arrows lost their effectiveness. There was no food or wood in these tents, just a few unlucky mercenaries cursing their fate.
Meanwhile, the enemy had drawn closer, almost within striking distance. Genn could now clearly see the fear on the faces of the young soldiers in the enemy's ranks.
A group of enemy soldiers, looking more like beggars than fighters, slammed into the wooden barricade. Under the pressure of their cruel officers, they began to hack away at it with crude sickles and axes, trying to tear it down.
"Kill them all!"
With the order given, Genn instinctively thrust his spear through the gap in the fence, the sharp tip driving deep into the chest of a middle-aged enemy soldier.
The man's fierce expression froze as he gasped, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something. But before he could, the tide of soldiers behind him surged forward, and his small body was swallowed by the crowd.
More enemies swarmed in, each wielding different weapons—some were hacking away at the barricade with frenzied effort, trying to breach the fragile defense, while others attacked through the gaps in the wood, aiming to take out the mercenaries.
Mike Bai gritted his teeth, shoving his shield into the fence with all his strength. The sound of metal against wood rang out with every hit. With his other hand, he wielded his spear, stabbing through the gaps in the fence as enemies pressed on.
He kept his body turned, crouched behind the shield, his movements almost mechanical. Each time the shield took a blow, Mike Bai shifted, and each time his spear found purchase, he drove it forward again.
He didn't know how many times his shield had been struck, nor how many enemies he'd pierced. He just kept going, mindlessly fighting. A few attacks broke through his shield's blind spots, but his makeshift leather vest held strong, absorbing the blows.
"Next team in!"
A dark figure suddenly appeared in front of Mike Bai. He recognized the mercenary, who grinned at him before pushing forward, raising his own shield to cover the gap in the barricade and launching his own counterattacks.
With reinforcements arriving, Mike Bai finally managed to catch his breath. He dropped back, using his shield to protect himself as he stepped back.
Gathering with the others near Captain Wolf, Mike Bai scanned the area. He relaxed when he saw a familiar face.
"Are you alright, Genn?"
"I'm fine. Just a scratch on my hand," Genn replied, showing Mike Bai a long cut across his palm. He smiled slightly and added, "Good thing you made that leather armor for me. Otherwise, I'd have a lot more cuts on me right now."
"Enno, you alright?"
Anna had just finished tending to one of the wounded and rushed over with a roll of bandages, eyeing Mike Bai up and down.
"I'm fine, I'm good!" Mike Bai smiled reassuringly.
"I'm the one with the problem! Can someone help me?" A mercenary, his head bleeding from a deep gash, shouted out to Anna.
But Gilna, already tending to another wound, snapped back, "Don't see you complaining when I'm busy, huh? Or are you just mocking my stitching skills?"
Anna, a little embarrassed by the teasing, turned to leave, but Mike Bai grabbed her hand gently.
With a serious look, Mike Bai said, "Be careful. If there's an arrowstorm, get out of the way."
Anna wiped the dust from her face and gave him a radiant smile. "You, on the other hand, should come to me for help if you get hurt!"