Linderstein, one of the most massive and impregnable fortresses in the kingdom, was a source of immense pride for the western lords. Its grandeur was often compared to the capital, Cardenia, and its defenders held it in equally high esteem. Even as Marquis Rodrick had mobilized nearly every available soldier from the western territories, he had still left behind a garrison of 20,000 at Linderstein. This was to deter potential rebellions or bandit uprisings among his vassals. Tenant, confident in their position, continued speaking with an assured expression. “Linderstein is a colossal fortress. No matter how strong the Count of Fenris might be as a Master, it’s too vast for him to conquer alone. With a garrison of 20,000, it can easily hold out until reinforcements arrive. Additionally, the Count currently lacks a proper supply line.” Marquis Rodrick and his other retainers nodded in agreement. The outcome of this conflict would ultimately depend on how well each side’s stronghold could endure. After all, both sides were hindered by the length of their supply lines. The Fenris army, consisting of 10,000 cavalry, would struggle to sustain itself through plundering. The western territories had been ravaged by earlier raids, leaving the vassal lords with barely any remaining resources. Even those who had not been directly affected had sent most of their food supplies along with their troops to Rodrick’s main force. Marquis Rodrick narrowed his eyes as he questioned Tenant. “We sent 20,000 soldiers before, and yet the Count of Fenris escaped. Now he’s leading an army of 10,000 cavalry. What guarantee do we have that this time will be different?” Tenant nodded with a look of certainty. “There’s no need to worry, my lord. We have 40,000 soldiers in the second corps and 20,000 garrison troops in the Marquisate—a total of 60,000 men. With such numbers, defeat is simply impossible. We’ll crush him by attacking his forces from behind while he’s sieging Linderstein.” A military force’s strength increased exponentially with its numbers. With a ratio of six to one, even a Master would find it impossible to prevail. Tenant’s confident smile deepened. “However, the Count of Fenris will likely try to avoid direct combat to minimize his losses. His current objective is merely to disrupt us.” “Hm...” “If the Count retreats, we’ll use the second corps to secure our supply lines. With only 10,000 troops, the Count won’t be able to sever our supply routes effectively. Meanwhile, we’ll capture Fenris. Without his territory, the Count will have nowhere left to go.” Marquis Rodrick nodded approvingly, a satisfied glint in his eyes. “Very well. Send the second corps back to defend the Marquisate. This time, we’ll finally kill the Count of Fenris.” Sending the entire army to chase the Count would be a fool’s errand. It was far better to protect their stronghold while pressing on to seize Fenris. Once the Count of Fenris was eliminated, the war would essentially be over. Support for the royalist faction could be delayed until the campaign’s conclusion. With that, Rodrick’s second corps began their withdrawal, while the first corps quickened their pace toward Fenris. *** Thud, thud, thud, thud! The 10,000-strong mobile cavalry of Fenris surged forward at an incredible pace. In the western regions, already plundered and teeming with bandits, there was no one capable of stopping them. “Move faster! They’ll have heard the news by now!” Ghislain’s commanding shout spurred everyone on. The soldiers gritted their teeth and drove their mounts harder. By now, Fenris’ forces were skilled enough in horseback riding to be compared to nomadic warriors. They had initially learned these techniques with the help of the elves. Over time, they refined their skills through tasks like delivering arrows and rigorous training. In a short time, they had already breached several castles and fortresses, but they didn’t stop to rest. “We’ll take that one today!” A small fortress came into view in the distance, located along the path to the Marquis’s stronghold. Kaor, who had been doggedly trailing Ghislain, gasped for breath and called out. Even someone of Kaor’s skill felt the toll of the relentless march. “Can’t we take that and rest for a bit?” But Ghislain shook his head firmly. “No. We must seize the Marquis’s castle as quickly as possible to cut off their supply lines.” “Then why not bypass the smaller fortresses and head straight there?” “If we leave these fortresses behind, they’ll become a nuisance later. War must be waged thoroughly.” “Ugh... this is exhausting.” Grumbling wasn’t going to change anything. What the lord commands, the soldiers obey. “Attack immediately!” Thud, thud, thud, thud! The Fenris forces advanced straight to the fortress. Naturally, chaos erupted within the walls. “Enemy attack! We’re under attack!” The soldiers scrambled to form a defensive line, but the fortress’s commander turned pale at the sight of the approaching force. Reports of conquered territories had been flooding in. Each had fallen after only brief resistance. But all the commander had were 500 soldiers—barely enough to deal with bandits, let alone a full army. Clenching his trembling hands, the commander raised his voice. “E-Everyone, prepare for battle—” Before he could finish, someone had already climbed the walls. “W-Who are you?” “Ghislain of Fenris.” “Hiiik!” Before the commander could even surrender, his head was severed with a single stroke. Immediately afterward, 200 knights from Fenris scaled the walls at terrifying speed. The soldiers, seeing the sudden arrival of these knights, froze in terror. “R-run for your lives!” “Spare us!” “We surrender!” Some soldiers threw down their weapons and fled; others collapsed to the ground in submission. Ghislain’s fearsome reputation had spread far and wide, especially in the western regions, where he was regarded as nothing short of a demon. “Hmph.” Ghislain observed the fleeing and groveling soldiers and bellowed: “Leave this fortress and run, and I will spare your lives. Go and become noble bandits elsewhere!” To the soldiers, his words were a lifeline in their despair. Those lying prostrate sprang to their feet. “Thank you!” “Bless you!” “Conquer the west, my lord!” The Marquis of Rodrick was notorious for his tyranny, and his soldiers had no loyalty to him. Overjoyed to be spared, they gathered their weapons and fled as fast as they could. Ghislain saw no need to kill them or leave them in the fortress. They were potential recruits for his army in the future, so killing them would be wasteful. Leaving them behind risked them falling into the hands of Rodrick’s pursuing forces. Driving them out was the most practical choice. With a faint smile, Ghislain addressed his knights. “Too easy. Take a short rest, and then we’ll move to the next target.” It took almost no time to capture the fortress. The disparity in numbers was so overwhelming that the enemy didn’t even consider putting up a fight. Of course, those who resisted to the end were mercilessly slaughtered. This only amplified Ghislain’s already fearsome reputation, making others even more reluctant to face him. The Fenris forces were more exhausted from constant movement than actual combat. After securing the fortress, they rested briefly and consumed all the supplies stored within. Naturally, the food in the fortress wasn’t enough to feed an army of 10,000. They devoured the supplies they had looted along the way and even resorted to powdered rations when needed. During the brief respite, Dark returned from reconnaissance. In his crow form, he perched on Ghislain’s shoulder, chattering away. “Master, master! The pursuing forces are on the move!” “Where are they now?” “They haven’t even reached the western outskirts yet, but there are a lot of them. Like, really a lot.” “How many exactly?” “Um... several tens of thousands, I think? Anyway, way more than us. Like, way more.” Dark still struggled to estimate troop sizes. He could gauge small numbers at a glance, but with large armies, he tended to count them painstakingly one by one. Despite repeated lessons, he hadn’t improved. Clicking his tongue, Ghislain scolded the crow. “How do you still not know how to estimate properly?” “I’m bad with numbers!” “Ugh... Fine. What about their speed? When will they reach the western region?” “They’re slower than us.” “...Alright.” Though Dark’s reconnaissance lacked precision, it was still incredibly convenient for tracking and communication. Ghislain infused a bit of mana into Dark’s clone and gave him new instructions. “Keep tracking their position, and let me know when they reach the fortresses we’ve taken. That’ll give me an idea of their speed.” “Got it!” Dark flapped his wings and soared into the sky, resuming his surveillance of the pursuing forces. Ghislain turned to his troops and shouted: “Move out!” Thud, thud, thud, thud! Fenris’ forces, unrivaled in speed, swept through castles and fortresses with astonishing efficiency, using similar tactics each time. No one dared to stand in their way. Within days, they reached their destination: Rodrick’s stronghold and the west’s greatest fortress, Lindestein. Ghislain gazed at the towering fortress and smirked. “Once we take that, their supplies will be cut off, and they’ll starve to death.” “Wow...” The knights and soldiers gawked as they laid eyes on the fortress of Linderstein. It was a truly massive structure, rivaling even the grandeur of Cardinia, the kingdom’s capital. This was no fortress they could simply bypass and conquer as they had done before. Such an imposing stronghold was imbued with layer upon layer of defensive magic. Over generations, every expansion of the fortress had come with costly additions of magical wards and protections. And being the seat of Marquis Rodrick, the wealthiest lord in the west, it was no surprise that Linderstein was fortified to such an extraordinary degree. “There’s no way we’re bringing that down with magic alone,” Ghislain muttered. The magical defenses were strong enough to withstand spells up to the 6th Circle. Even Vanessa, a 7th Circle mage, would find her attacks significantly diminished against the fortress’s layers of wards. It was for this reason that Ghislain had left Vanessa behind at his domain, bringing only a few mages for support roles. Her presence would have been convenient, but revealing that another transcendent existed under his command wasn’t part of his plan yet. Besides, even without Vanessa, he was confident that this fortress could be destroyed. On the walls of Linderstein, the fortress commander, Raynon, observed the Fenris forces setting up their positions in the distance. “Prepare the mages! The Fenris Count has a 6th Circle mage in his ranks! While the wards should hold, have dispel magic ready just in case!” Raynon was a commander of exceptional capability, entrusted with the defense of the fortress. Having received word of the approaching Fenris army, he had ensured that Linderstein was well-prepared for a siege. “The enemy’s leader may be a Master, but there’s no need to fear! They don’t have siege weapons! All we need to do is stop them from scaling the walls!” To further bolster the defense, Raynon had added sloped structures to the walls to make it difficult for the enemy to secure grappling hooks and ladders. Additionally, the narrow gaps for shooting arrows and thrusting spears were staffed not by regular soldiers but by knights, ready to counter the swift-moving Fenris cavalry. Large ballistae were positioned to strike at the attackers as they approached. “Hold the line until reinforcements arrive! Once they strike the enemy from behind, we’ll join the attack. Bring up the remaining trebuchets!” Although most of the trebuchets had been sent to the main army, two had been left behind for Linderstein’s defense. With all this preparation, Raynon was certain the Fenris Count couldn’t possibly capture the fortress. Their orders were simple: endure and wait. Not that they would need to. Without siege weapons, the Fenris forces would struggle to even approach the walls. “Maintain vigilance! They may try to scale the walls under the cover of night!” Raynon did his utmost to ensure the soldiers remained alert, tirelessly boosting morale and keeping them on edge. Such dedication was rare among commanders in the western territories. Despite their efforts, however, the Fenris forces simply remained encamped in the distance, seemingly biding their time. From his vantage point, Ghislain surveyed the fortress and smirked. “They’ve certainly put in a lot of effort. You can practically feel their determination to keep us from scaling those walls.” A direct assault would only end in heavy casualties from trebuchets and ballistae. Attempts to suppress the defenses with magic would be thwarted by the fortress mages and the layered wards. With a small chuckle, Ghislain gave his next order. “Go gather some rocks. We’re going to bring it down.” The command sent 200 knights and 2,000 soldiers scurrying in all directions. Raynon, observing the movement from the fortress, sneered. “Scavenging for supplies? They must not have brought enough provisions.” It was clear that all the Fenris troops were combatants. Their speed meant supply trains couldn’t keep up. “They’ll withdraw once they realize they’ve hit a wall.” Even with a Master among them, 10,000 soldiers without siege weapons stood no chance against Linderstein. So long as they stayed vigilant and prevented any stealth attempts over the walls, the Fenris forces would eventually retreat. A day passed without incident, and by the next morning, the fortress soldiers began to relax. There had been no signs of siege weapons or any serious movements, just soldiers moving to and fro. Confidence began to build. “Looks like even the Fenris Count has met his match here.” “Of course. He wouldn’t dare come close without getting annihilated.” “Assaulting these walls without proper equipment would be suicidal.” Though they remained watchful, the soldiers couldn’t help but feel a sense of reassurance. The Fenris forces seemed to pose no immediate threat. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚 But then, one soldier muttered under his breath. “What... are they doing?” The others followed his gaze, their faces filled with confusion. The Fenris soldiers appeared to be piling up enormous rocks, an activity that made no sense. “No siege engines, and they’re just stacking stones? What’s the plan here?” “Are they building a stone fort or something? What good would that do?” The odd scene drew their curious stares. Then, all at once, the Fenris troops began organizing into teams, their movements becoming more focused and coordinated. The bewilderment of the fortress soldiers turned to wide-eyed shock as they realized what was happening. “What... What are they building?” The strange structures grew taller and larger as the Fenris troops worked tirelessly. Even Raynon, watching from the highest point, furrowed his brow in confusion. Moments later, the soldiers of Linderstein froze in terror as they finally grasped the truth of what the Fenris troops had created. “Th-that... That’s...” “Is that a catapult? It’s a catapult, isn’t it?” “How... How did they build catapults so fast?” Before their eyes, the Fenris forces had erected ten enormous, crude but undeniably functional catapults. The soldiers stared in disbelief. There was no mistaking it now—Linderstein was about to face a siege unlike any other.