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Volume 1 Chapter 5 Part 8

The forts and towers next to the castle gates, and the castle gates extending to the left and right from there are quite thick, but the enemy’s heavy crossbows have the power to destroy the fort along with the rocky mountain that was used as its foundation, which obviously meant that they were not going to last long.

 

Bullets of light pierced the castle walls and gates, and exploded with a roaring sound. The heavy crossbows installed on the towers fell silent as soon as the debris scattered and the dust cloud shot into the air three times in a row. After that, the enemy’s heavy crossbow attack was concentrated on the wooden castle gate, which was completely destroyed after a short while.

 

Then the infantry soldiers with spears jumped out from among the knights, trying to break their way inside.

 

Siluca orders the archers to attack through the gaps in the walls and gates. Enemy soldiers were hit by arrows and some of them even fell, but they were unable to stop the charge, and soon the enemy soldiers broke through the gate and entered inside the castle.

 

「Now! 」

When about twenty people passed through the gate, Siluca sent a signal. In addition to the normal gate, there is another iron portcullis on the castle gate, so she ordered it to be dropped so that the sturdy iron bars could divide the numbers of the enemy soldiers.

 

Because of that, the soldiers that have already entered the castle had lost their only way to retreat. That was the moment that the soldiers who were waiting inside of the castle were waiting for. Theo himself was leading them. Attacked from the left and right, the enemy soldiers were knocked down one after another. When about half of them were killed, the surviving soldiers dropped their weapons and surrendered.

 

「Take them all prisoner. 」

 

Siluca called out to Theo from the top of the fort.

 

Stones and boiling water were then dropped from the tower onto the soldiers outside the iron bars, and the battle over the main gate was managed to be stalled long enough to not end with their immediate failure. The heavy crossbow attacks from behind were frightening, but Siluca managed to minimize the damage by using her magic to create more walls and obstacles out of the earth. Before long, the heavy crossbow knights had used up the power of the power of the Crest given to their crossbows and were forced to retreat.

 

「We somehow pulled through, but…」

 

The fort protected by Aishela has fallen, the castle gates have been destroyed, and the castle walls and castle gate towers have been severely damaged. They managed to kill some of the enemy heavy knights, but the damage sustained by themselves and their allies was far greater.

 

「Aishela! 」

 

Remembering that she was among the victims, Siluca looked back to Aishela, who was still receiving treatment in a corner of the castle. Several injured people were lying there as well, and Priscilla was tending to them. Aishela was among them, with a cloth draped over her chest.

 

「How is it? 」

Siluca did not mention Aishela by name, but Priscilla knew who she was asking about.

 

「She’s fine. She’s unconscious now, but her condition is stable. 」

 

Sensing Siluca’s intentions, Priscilla replied. She looks really tired. She must have exhausted the power of her Crest by treating so many wounded soldiers one after another.

 

「Thank you… 」

 

She was so happy that she could cry, but Siluca feigned composure and bowed to Priscilla lightly.

 

「Bury the dead and bring the wounded to the castle… 」

Siluca instructed the soldiers who were still fine and could move to help with tending to the wounded and the dead. She left the defense of the castle’s front gate to captain Grak, and then she proceeded to go to the main castle structure on the top of the mountain together with Theo in order to get the full view of the situation on the battlefield. Then, they also received the status report about the situation of all the three gates and their respective battlefields.

 

Lassic managed to push the forces of the King of Selvis that attacked the west gate without any problems, but according to the report, the defenders of the east gate were clearly struggling, so Theo decided to go to the east gate with the rescue mission immediately, and Siluca accompanied him.

 

However, on the way to the east gate, the two of them heard the sad news: the east gate has been breached, and the entire garrison stationed there, including Neman, were all killed in action.

 

*          *          *

 

The first day of the battle ended without deciding any clear victor. After the first day of the siege was over, at the positions of Waldrind’s camp, a military council was being held around Marine Kraische. The main heavy knights of Waldrind, the King of Selvis, and even some mercenary captains were all lined up, made their reports and listened to the reports of others.

 

「So you broke through the east gate and dealt a big blow to the defenses of the main gate… 」

 

After hearing the report from the frontlines, Marine had a complicated expression on her face.

 

「I cannot say that it is the best possible result. 」

 

「Those were certainly good achievements, but the sacrifices made in order to achieve them were too great in Marine’s opinion. Fourteen heavy knights have died in battle today alone. Many of the regular soldiers also suffered heavy casualties. 」

 

Knight Commander Erich Koenen said with a grim expression.

「How can that be…?! 」

The heavy knights of Waldrind roared at the commander’s words.

 

「The enemy fought bravely without fear of death. There were also tough warriors among them. 」

 

「Are you talking about that black-haired woman who was dressed like a Valkyrie? 」

 

「Yes. Her approaching us under the guise of the rubble from the crumbling fort so that she could cut right into our ranks all by herself was certainly something that I was not expecting. 」

 

「Five people were severely injured by her, and four out of those five died. Well, in the end she also suffered a direct hit to the chest with a Crest-empowered crossbow bolt, so maybe she died as well, then the deaths of those four would not have been in vain…」

 

The knights who attacked the front gate exchanged excited conversations.

 

(That female warrior they are talking about must have been Aubest’s another adopted daughter…)

 

For a moment, Marne glanced to the side to see the look on the face of her contracted Mage, but he was as expressionless as usual.

 

「If that is the case, then we should be able to take the castle and the enemy down in about three days. 」

 

「If we continue to press on the attack and be even more forceful… 」

 

Erich read through the intentions of Waldrind’s Head Mage

 

「However, the castle is solid and well-prepared for a siege. The soldiers of the castle are also prepared to fight to the death. If we choose to brute-force the attack no matter what, then the casualties on our side are only going to increase. 」

 

「It was certainly abnormal that 10 of the Waldrind’s heavy knights died in a single day, but our squires are all well-trained, so as long as we enhance them with the power of the Crest, it should be possible for us to replenish the ranks of the heavy knights without too much trouble. 」

 

After listening to Aubest’s words, the complexion on the faces of the regular knights changed dramatically.

 

 

「You think we are nothing more but substitutes? Is that how you see us?! 」

 

「I was merely stating a fact. 」

 

Aubest was completely unmoved by the words of the knights.

 

「Then you might as well go and stand on the frontlines and die yourself. After all, even if you die, it is not going to be any loss to us, since the Mages Association will just have to send us another Mage to take your place. 」

 

Erich replied coldly.

 

「If that is what my orders are going to be, then I am willing to do it anytime. 」

 

Aubest answered and looked back at Marine.

 

「I have no intention of sending mages to the front lines blindly… 」

Marine replied to Aubest while also looking at the knights who were gathered around her and then added after shifting her gaze to Aubest yet again.

 

「… but I do advise that you should choose your words more carefully next time, Aubest. Although I know that in war there are some sacrifices that simply cannot be avoided, I do not intend to make any casualties that can otherwise be avoided. 」