Rodrick’s army had prepared a staggering twenty trebuchets, all of them large-scale weapons. The stones thrown by these massive trebuchets were each capable of immense destruction. However, these stones never reached the walls of Silverlight. CRACK! BOOM! Thunder struck from the sky, destroying all the incoming stones mid-flight. “The enemy mage is moving!” “Deploy the mana shields!” Rodrick’s mages scrambled into action. They needed to block Fenris’s mages and counterattack. The leader of their mages, the sixth-circle master Dnessi, shouted, “The highest-level mage from Fenris is a sixth-circle mage! The others are lower-circle mages, so we can easily contain them. First, seal the enemy mages, then continue the trebuchet assault and use magic to attack the walls!” In war, the goal was often to break the enemy’s momentum with ranged attacks, and the more mages one had, the easier it became. The magical battle between the two sides began anew. Fenris also had nearly one hundred mages on their side. But Rodrick’s army had three sixth-circle mages. With just one of them, they could easily deal with Fenris's sixth-circle mage. The other two sixth-circle mages were enough to suppress the lower-circle mages from Fenris. This would allow the fifth-circle mages and the rest of the mages to unleash their attacks on Fenris’s forces. “We’ll attack first!” Rodrick’s mages cast their spells confidently. By attacking first, they forced the enemy to focus on defense. FWOOSH! A barrage of magic erupted from Rodrick’s camp. The attack was so powerful it could not only wipe out the soldiers on the walls but also potentially bring down the entire castle. Fenris’s mages, overwhelmed, would be too busy countering the spells to mount any proper retaliation. Dnessi stretched out his hand and shouted again, more confidently, “Don’t hold back! They can’t counter all of this!” If Fenris’s sixth-circle mage poured all their mana into defense, they could block the two sixth-circle mages from Rodrick’s army. However, even if the lower-circle mages combined their efforts, they could never stop the rest of Rodrick’s attack. Dnessi truly believed this. That was until a woman stepped forward from the walls of Silverlight. “Disappear.” Vanessa murmured softly, drawing her hand through the air. Simultaneously, hundreds of incoming spells from Rodrick’s forces dispersed into thin air, like a mirage. “Huh?” Dnessi looked dumbfounded. Such an occurrence was impossible. Even if all of Fenris’s mages combined their power to cancel the spells, the lower-level spells should have disappeared first. Rodrick’s mages, caught off guard, halted their attack in confusion. “What’s going on?” “Do they have more mages than us?” “That’s impossible, isn’t it?” Fenris’s mages, having grown to nearly a hundred in number, was common knowledge to Rodrick’s forces. But most of Fenris’s mages were lower-circle. There was no way they could counter high-level mages’ spells like this in an instant. Just as Rodrick’s mages were stunned, Vanessa elegantly waved her hand again. “Fire Pillar.” It was a fifth-circle spell, but one that could only be cast by a seventh-circle mage. Additionally, it involved a multi-casting technique that no one else dared attempt. Suddenly, huge pillars of fire erupted simultaneously across Rodrick’s camp. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! “Ahhh!” Before Rodrick’s forces could regain their composure, the intense columns of flame tore through their trebuchets and siege towers. BOOM! The massive trebuchets and siege towers were engulfed in flames, crumbling into destruction. It was only then that Dnessi regained his senses and shouted in alarm, “Quick, dispel the magic! I’ll counterattack!” A sixth-circle mage beside him gathered mana and cast Dispel. Some of the fire pillars flickered and vanished. But that was all. The flames continued to rise in multiple places. BOOM! BOOM! “What’s happening! Dispel the magic now!” “My mana can’t handle it!” Another sixth-circle mage cried out, his face pale. The immense mana from the enemy was overwhelming his spells, rendering them mostly ineffective. Dnessi shouted desperately to another mage. “Help me!” BOOM! The flames subsided slightly, but still, they surged upwards in different parts of the battlefield. “It’s impossible! The mana resistance is too strong!” “What is going on!” Dnessi gritted his teeth and focused on the Dispel spell. And then, the overwhelming difference in power became apparent. THUD THUD THUD THUD! Despite three sixth-circle mages pouring all their mana into the effort, the opposing mana broke through. The mana flowed in, rearranging itself within the space, continuing to fuel the magic. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! “Ahhh!” As the magic continued, soldiers, who had been doing their best to maintain order, started to lose focus and panic one by one. Seeing this, Dnessi began to sweat profusely and urgently called out, “Everyone! Lend your strength! We need to dispel this magic!” Finally, the fifth-circle mages and other lower-circle mages joined in, pouring their mana into the effort. Even with the combined forces of high-circle mages and nearly half of the mages from Rodrick’s army, they managed to stop the opposing mana from breaking through entirely. But still, the enemy’s magic attempted to force its way through. Rodrick’s mages began to feel a creeping sense of fear. Their leader, Dnessi, clenched his teeth, clearly terrified as he said, “This... this doesn’t make sense... Who the hell is doing this?” It was impossible. The highest-circle mage from Fenris was known to be a sixth-circle mage. Sixth-circle was a significant level, but no one could face this many opponents alone. To accomplish this, someone would need to be at the level of a seventh-circle mage. But the North’s only seventh-circle mage, Delmuth, had already died. “Who... who the hell is this!” Vanessa’s rise to the seventh-circle had only recently occurred. Thanks to Ghislain deliberately keeping it a secret, the information hadn’t reached Rodrick’s forces, and it was no surprise they were caught off guard. They didn’t have the time to figure out who was behind this. One more mistake and the mana shield would be breached. “This power... it doesn’t make sense... It can’t be the work of one person.” Rodrick’s high-circle mages were all powerless to stop it. When you added in the lower-circle mages, the collective force from Fenris was overwhelming. Vanessa, even though a seventh-circle mage herself, was still at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. But with Fenris’s forces so vastly outnumbered, this was a much more advantageous position. Dnessi could not accept the situation. “Damn it! Have the remaining mages attack the castle! There can’t be any more powerful mages left in Fenris! They must have used some trick!” He could not accept that a seventh-circle mage existed. He firmly believed that all of Fenris’s mages must have combined their efforts to use some trickery. Rodrick’s remaining mages numbered about fifty, most of them fourth-circle or lower. But without any countering mages on the enemy side, they could show overwhelming power. BOOM! BOOM! Once again, a barrage of spells shot out from Rodrick’s forces. Though these were low-level spells, they could still deal significant damage to regular soldiers. WHOOSH... But those spells vanished before they even reached the walls. In return, lower-circle magic from Fenris began to be cast. “There are still mages left?!” Dnessi cried out in shock. The fact that they had blocked fifty of Rodrick’s mages meant the enemy had that many mages of their own. The high-circle mages were stuck fighting each other, while the lower-circle mages cast trivial spells on both sides, causing them to dissipate repeatedly. Ascon muttered under his breath, watching this unfold. “Are these idiots serious? This is making me anxious.” The magical showdown between the strongest forces of the North and the West felt more like a village festival’s fireworks display. Claude smirked and spoke up. “But we still have one more trump card left.” The enemy was still in disarray, unable to properly regroup. Thanks to Vanessa, most of their trebuchets had been destroyed, and many of their siege towers were heavily damaged. Claude extended his hand, and a man stepped forward. “Phew... Finally, it’s my turn.” Although all the mages were blocked, Fenris still had one high-circle mage left: Alfoy, who had recently advanced to the fifth circle. Though he still didn’t know how to use fifth-circle magic, thanks to the Dragon Heart, his mana had exceeded even the fifth circle. Claude glanced at him and asked, “You can do this, right?” “My fourth-circle magic is equivalent to a sixth-circle mage’s,” Alfoy said with confidence. Everyone chuckled at Alfoy’s boast. Despite all the time he’d been given for study, he still hadn’t learned fifth-circle magic. However, with just his fourth-circle magic, he could still handle knights in combat. He had picked it up quickly, and it would definitely be effective against soldiers. “Fire Lance! Fire Lance! Fire Lance!” Thanks to his vast experience with construction, Alfoy’s control over mana was among the best in the territory. The fire lances he cast flew toward Rodrick’s forces. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! “Ahhhh! The enemy mage is still here!” Since there were no mages left to stop Alfoy, Rodrick’s forces were completely vulnerable to the fire lances. Alfoy, empowered by the Dragon Heart’s immense mana, recklessly cast spell after spell. “This is it! This is really it!” Alfoy was elated, even more so as he unleashed his magic. He had never had the chance to actively use magic in war before. His role had always been to act as a living mana battery, providing power to Vanessa. For the first time, he was using magic in battle, and he couldn’t be happier. “My name will be known far and wide!” Driven by an insatiable thirst for fame, Alfoy gave everything he had. In fact, it might have been better to use fourth-circle magic instead of fifth-circle magic to deal with the enemy army. His mana had continued to overflow, even after casting dozens of spells. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Though the enemy’s army numbered sixty thousand, the soldiers didn’t fall all at once. Still, Alfoy’s attacks caused significant damage and confusion. “Knights, block it!” Once Rodrick’s forces couldn’t rely on magic, their knights rushed out to block the spells with their shields. Alfoy was effectively facing dozens of knights on his own. While it was an impressive feat, he was growing frustrated as his magic was being blocked. “What the hell! Why are they blocking everything now? I should be wiping them all out with my magic!” He still didn’t fully realize how important his role was. He was just angry that his magic was being stopped. The first priority in a war should be to block the enemy’s magical power. As the magical attacks from both sides slowed down, Rodrick’s army began to make its move. “Kill those bastards now!” Rodrick, already fuming, became even angrier when his magical forces didn’t yield any results. At his command, the officers shouted. “Get the ranks back in formation and march forward!” “Throw away the trebuchets! Bring the siege towers!” “We must take the castle at once!” As sixty thousand troops began to move, the sheer momentum was overwhelming. There were still ten siege towers remaining, and even one of them was enough to capture a small castle. RUMBLE! The soldiers began dragging the siege towers forward. If these ten siege towers reached the walls, Fenris would have no way to stop them. “Shield-bearers, clear the path!” The heavy infantry, carrying wide shields, formed up and carefully advanced. They had to protect the siege towers from the enemy’s arrows. Silverlight was situated slightly higher than the surrounding area. The difference was so small that it was barely noticeable from a distance, but the soldiers could feel the difference as they moved the siege towers. “Damn it, is this a slope? This is harder than during training.” “Just a little more, and we’ll have them. Once we’re close, it’s over for them.” “Push harder! The slope is steep!” Even with a shallow incline, the massive weight of the siege towers made the difference quickly apparent. As they cautiously approached, there was still no movement from Fenris’s side. Not even an arrow flew. “Hey! Rodrick! You damn fool!” All that could be heard was Ascon’s curses. Naturally, the command staff, caught up in Rodrick’s fury, urged the soldiers forward. “Move faster!” “We’ll be able to attack once we get closer! The closer we get, the better it will be for us!” At the urging of the officers, the soldiers picked up the pace. But the closer they got, the more they realized just how uncomfortable their movements had become. Squish. Squish. Squish. By this point, the ground was covered in dirt and sand, rising up to the soldiers’ ankles. “Damn it, is this the North? This ground is shit.” “Ugh, look at all this dust.” “It’s hard to walk through the sand.” Naturally, the movement of the siege towers slowed down as well. The incline, combined with the dirt and sand, made it even harder to push them forward. Squish! Squish! Squish! The soldiers struggled through the dirt and sand as they advanced. Coming from the vast plains, this environment drained them with every step they took. They were so close now, only a little further to bring the siege towers to the walls. Yet, no arrow attack had begun. Rodrick’s forces, not wanting to miss this opportunity, pushed their speed to the limit. It wasn’t until they were within clear sight that Claude finally spoke. “War, really, it’s just like a card game. It’s all about taking turns and seeing what cards the other player has. Of course, in the end, the one with the better hand wins.” He smiled and waved his hand. “Open the first floodgate.” At Claude’s command, soldiers moved into position. Soon, hundreds of small holes at the bottom of Silverlight’s walls opened, and water began to pour out. WHOOSH!