Chapter 51: Chapter 51: War Starlight Calendar Year 1250. Early in the month of Winter Harp. Soon after the New Year, Flash City accused Black Stone City’s City Lord, Kei Yanest, of colluding with the Starfire Sect, demanding he come to Flash City alone to confess and receive punishment. After Kei Yanest refused, they boldly dispatched troops to attack Black Stone City. ... Snap! Snap! The sound of metal armor plates rubbing together echoed. Kei ascended the city wall with his men, took a brass telescope from Brad, and gazed into the distance. Under the evening dark, the plain outside the city was dotted with the glow of campfires. Silhouettes flickered around the campfires, and dense tents formed a continuous stretch, sprawling across the plain. "Owen has really gone all out this time, not only deploying his own troops but also those belonging to Davin, Zolf, and Norwood, the three traitors. In addition, they’ve recruited over a thousand mercenaries!" Brad looked at the distant army, his expression heavy. Owen’s troops alone numbered nearly four thousand. Coupled with the mercenaries, the army had already surpassed five thousand, almost four times that of Black Stone City, making this war a daunting challenge. "Mercenaries are not a concern. These guys lack discipline; they’re just a haphazard bunch suitable for direct battles in plain terrain. In a siege, they’ll be a hindrance." Kei put down the brass telescope, speaking with a slightly furrowed brow, revealing his inner unrest contrary to his outward calm. Although he knew well that after the assassination attempt failed, Owen would likely abandon all hesitation and directly attack Black Stone City, Kei still felt the immense pressure when it actually happened. Especially seeing the overwhelming army outside the city, it added weight to his burden. Black Stone City had been expanding its military efforts during this period, but until now, it barely had around thirteen hundred troops. Three hundred of them were still basic-trained, bloodless militia, and their battlefield effectiveness was questionable. The rest thousand included eight hundred city guards, with decent combat power. The remaining two hundred belonged to the Black Rock Cavalry Legion. This was Kei’s true trump card! "It’s a pity the time is too short. Given another one or two years, I could turn the Black Rock Cavalry Legion into a genuine all-Knight army. Even just two to three hundred could flatten the entire Flashing Territory!" Kei sighed inwardly. Training a Black Rock Cavalry costs about fifty gold coins. Even with Black Stone Mine being a monetary tree, the expansion of the Black Rock Cavalry Legion has been exceedingly slow. It has only reached a size of two hundred so far. "Have all the personnel from Black Stone Mine been withdrawn?" Kei asked, turning his head. Jordon nodded and said, "They’ve all been safely withdrawn. According to scout reports, the enemy has now occupied it." Kei nodded slightly, looking at the distant army in contemplative silence, pondering the next strategy. Defending the city poses more advantages for them. Owen’s Elite Cavalry Legion suits plain terrain combat better, and their combat effectiveness would be halved in a siege. After all, horses can’t fight atop city walls. But the Black Rock Cavalry Legion is different; the Black Rock Leopard has no problem defending the city. If anything, the fearless puppet creations can exhibit stronger combat power in a siege. This change favors Black Stone City more. However, just defending won’t work. If the war drags on too long, supplies will become a critical issue. Moreover, Black Stone Mine is still in the enemy’s hands, and Kei doesn’t want it to become their monetary tree. The best method is to hold the city for a period, wearing down the enemy’s strength. Once they’re slack, then dispatch the Black Rock Cavalry Legion to directly hit the enemy’s camp core. If they can take out the enemy command post directly, the victory would be theirs. Since the Black Rock Cavalry Legion’s formation, related intelligence has been entirely locked, outsiders have no way of knowing how powerful this army is. The rebels are completely unprepared, increasing the success potential of the plan! Thoughts raced in his mind, and Kei quickly devised a plan in his heart. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖 Turning around, seeing the stern expressions of the commanders, Kei calmly said, "The enemy comes fiercely, but we’re not to be trifled with. We’ve been accumulating strength for these two years for today’s moment. Let’s show those rebels our might next!" "Indeed, sir is right!" "Let those rebels witness the power of Black Stone City!" "I can’t wait anymore!" Inspired by Kei, the commanders’ battle spirit quickly burned bright. Brad and Jordon exchanged glances, simultaneously smiling. Outsiders might not be aware, but as members of Black Stone City, they understand how drastically it has changed over these two years. In terms of Knights alone, Black Stone City already has over 160. Many Viscount territories don’t even have such numbers of Knights! Let alone Black Stone City having 200 Knight-level Black Rock Leopards! Overall, Black Stone City’s Knight-level combat power exceeds 300. Truthfully, if not for Black Stone City being limited to one territory, lacking foundational military strength except for the Black Rock Cavalry Legion, Owen would simply not be enough for them to tackle. All thanks go to His Excellency Sunan. "I wonder where His Excellency Sunan is now?" Jordon patted the longsword at his waist, grinning: "If His Excellency Sunan were here, we wouldn’t even need to defend the city, we’d directly go out and hit those bastards!" Around him, numerous Knights nodded in agreement. Even the usually composed Brad was no exception. With anyone else, even a Peak Grand Knight, they wouldn’t believe one person could determine the outcome of a battle with five to six thousand troops. But Sunan is different. They’ve witnessed the mysterious and unpredictable powers of a Wizard, giving them extremely strong confidence. If it’s him, perhaps he really could create a stunning miracle! Not staying too long, Kei observed for a while atop the city wall, then turned away. The pre-war preparations are incredibly tedious, and many things await his arrangement. The next day. Not long after dawn, a deep and resonant horn sound echoed outside the city. Kei led the commanders to ascend the city wall, looking out. He saw the distant dense army beginning to form formations. Soon, thousands of soldiers pushed siege equipment, slowly advancing towards the city wall. "They’re really impatient." Cold light flashed in Kei’s eyes. He raised his hand and shouted heavily: "Prepare to fight!" "Yes, sir!" The commanders responded in unison, then turned around, loudly instructing the soldiers to prepare for battle. The defending army quickly swung into action.