"Uraaaah!" The disoriented enemy troops, unsure where to go, gathered in front of the breached wall under the knight’s command. THUD! THUD! The hole in the wall was tightly packed with mercenaries holding their shields, standing firm. The enemy soldiers shoved with all their strength, but the mercenaries gritted their teeth and held the line. THUNK! With every shove, the mercenaries’ shields rippled like waves. The moment the enemy soldiers pushed their weapons against the shields, Ghislain shouted: "Attack!" The mercenaries slightly parted the gaps between their shields. Before the enemy could react, long spears shot out from between the shields. STAB! STAB! STAB! "Aaaargh!" The spears, thrust by the mercenaries waiting in the second line, pierced the front ranks of the enemy. As soon as the frontline soldiers collapsed, Ghislain gave another command: "Close the gap!" CLANG! The shields locked back together tightly. But the enemy’s numbers were still overwhelming. "Advance! Keep pushing forward!" "Archers! What are you doing? Provide cover!" "Don't stop, get inside!" Under the knights’ orders, the enemy soldiers rushed forward again, brandishing their weapons. BOOM! BOOM! The mercenaries managed to fend them off with their spears a few more times, but the relentless wave of enemies made it impossible to open the shields again. It was a precarious situation, teetering on the brink of collapse, until the attack from the wall came to their aid. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Ghislain climbed up to the wall, hurling debris and even rocks from the catapults down on the enemy below. Every time he threw something, the soldiers at the front lines crumpled, their bodies scattered like leaves. The enemy soldiers, now finding it difficult to advance, hesitated and pulled back. It seemed the area where Ghislain was stationed wouldn’t be breached anytime soon. Watching the situation unfold, Zebalter made a quick decision. "Leave only a minimal force here and move the rest to the other siege tower!" The Feridium soldiers on the wall swiftly shifted toward the next siege tower. "Uraaaah!" Though Feridium’s forces were smaller in number, their concentrated assault pushed the enemy soldiers back into the siege tower. The difference in morale was clear. Even the enemy archers, who were trying to support from the sides, were rendered ineffective, as the Feridium soldiers had raised their shields and held their ground. "Grrr! These bastards!" Victor gritted his teeth, trembling with rage. His strategy had been flawless—there had been no mistakes. He had believed that, whether today or tomorrow, the fortress would fall. Everything had gone as planned until these strange men appeared out of nowhere. "Where did such elite troops come from?" The soldiers that had charged out from the gates were astonishingly fast and strong, seizing upon a single moment of weakness to break his formation. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖 He couldn’t get a clear view from the distance, but from the way the siege tower had collapsed, there must have been knights among them. The sudden disruption had thrown the battlefield into chaos. Even after sending in the rest of his forces, he couldn’t regain control. Whether it was sheer luck or skill, he had taken a serious hit. "I could order a full assault now..." Victor’s hands trembled with indecision, but he ultimately gave up the idea. The enemy’s morale had soared, while his own troops were scattered and disorganized in front of the walls. Even the remaining siege tower was in danger of being overwhelmed. A full assault now would only lead to unnecessary losses. With a deep sigh, Victor reluctantly gave the order to retreat. "Pull back the troops." Upon receiving the retreat order, the remaining shield-bearers rushed forward to protect the retreating soldiers. They gathered around the siege tower, raising their shields to cover their allies as they withdrew. Once all the soldiers had pulled back, the knights used their mana to drag the siege tower back as well. "Throw them! Throw them!" Randolph, mimicking Ghislain, picked up stones the size of a human head, infused them with mana, and hurled them at the retreating enemy. THUNK! THUNK! As shield-bearers were struck by the stones and fell, arrows rained down through the gaps, further thinning their numbers. Although the damage wasn’t devastating, it significantly boosted the morale of the Feridium soldiers. The knights nearby also began hurling stones, their mana-infused throws knocking down several enemy soldiers. "Enough! Save the stones!" Zebalter quickly put a stop to it. Every stone was precious, and they couldn’t afford to waste them. They still didn’t know when the enemy might bring out ladders, so they had to conserve their stones and arrows for that moment. Despite the retreat, the enemy maintained their discipline, withdrawing in an orderly fashion. Once the enemy had fully retreated, Zebalter raised his sword and shouted: "The enemy has withdrawn!" "Uraaaah!" The Feridium soldiers raised their hands and let out a victorious roar. Though the battle wasn’t over, repelling this wave had been a significant morale boost. The seemingly unstoppable assault had been held off, and the soldiers’ spirits soared with the taste of victory. As the soldiers celebrated, Zebalter turned his gaze toward Ghislain. "Just who are you...?" His son stood among the mercenaries, patting their shoulders and laughing with them. He looked no different from his usual self. "Was it a gamble? Or were you sure? Did you think this through, or were you just acting on instinct?" Looking at the results, Zebalter couldn’t help but marvel at how perfect Ghislain's decision had been. He had calculated the enemy’s forces, their advance, the placement of their siege equipment, the intentions of their commanders, and their overconfidence. But such strategies only worked if there was a reasonable chance of success. Had Ghislain miscalculated even slightly, both he, the mercenaries, and the Feridium soldiers would have suffered enormous losses. How could anyone, in the heat of a constantly shifting battlefield, make such confident decisions? Not even he, nor Randolph, nor any experienced commander could have made such instant judgment calls. And to think that Ghislain had marched up to the siege tower alone and destroyed it by himself... "Even on the battlefield, he’s reckless." Zebalter unconsciously shook his head. "It suits him, I suppose... but it’s too dangerous." Perhaps Ghislain’s actions were perfectly aligned with his personality, but it was still far too risky. He called Ghislain over. "...Why did you act so recklessly?" "I thought the enemy would be overconfident during the initial attack. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity." "Moving on instinct works well sometimes, but a beast that relies solely on its instincts will eventually fall into a trap. You only have one life, so be more cautious." "I understand." Though Ghislain had far more experience in war and life than his father, he couldn’t say that out loud. He simply nodded. Randolph, who had been quietly approaching, cleared his throat and put on a stern face. "Ahem, I must admit, I was impressed by the Grand Duke’s performance. But we can’t afford to do things like this every time." It was a tricky situation. Ghislain had disobeyed orders but had succeeded in achieving a remarkable feat. Randolph couldn’t tell whether to scold or praise him. He had never expected the Grand Duke, whom he usually ignored, to have such skill. "Could he be stronger than me?" The thought crept into Randolph’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Surely, if push came to shove, he could pull off something similar—though he couldn’t guarantee success. Ghislain slightly bowed his head to Randolph and replied, "The situation was urgent, and I had no choice. But if we can keep defending like this, we’ll manage." Of course, he didn’t say that he wouldn’t do it again. Randolph clicked his tongue in disapproval, but Zebalter simply nodded. "Right. If Count Roges sends reinforcements, we’ll be in even better shape." If Roges sent troops, they would have a real chance at victory. Though Zebalter was still anxious due to the lack of news from the messenger, Ghislain’s efforts today had somewhat eased his mind. "In any case... war is unpredictable. Always be cautious." No matter how skilled, trust was another issue. Ghislain had a tendency to act on his own, taking extreme risks. Although his talent and judgment had proven themselves today, one mistake in war could still cost him his life. Zebalter’s expression remained one of concern. But Ghislain’s thoughts were entirely different. ‘You can’t win with a half-hearted attitude.’ The Duke of Delphine was an opponent that even at full strength would be nearly impossible to defeat. For the outnumbered Feridium forces to stand a chance, they would need to push themselves beyond their limits. But such thoughts were not something others would understand. Ghislain simply nodded and turned to leave. "Wait, Ghislain." Zebalter called him back, his tone awkward, as if struggling to find the right words. "Ahem... thanks to you, we were able to win today. Keep up the good work. Well done." It was clear he wanted to praise his son, but the words didn’t come easily. Just days ago, they had been at each other’s throats. In this strange atmosphere, Randolph scratched his head and added: "I didn’t think the Grand Duke could command the mercenaries so effectively. And to take down the siege tower alone... Well, you’ve really improved." For the first time, Randolph praised Ghislain, albeit with a slightly awkward laugh. Ghislain responded with a faint smile, bowing slightly. "You’re too kind." Leaving the two behind, Ghislain returned to the mercenaries, who were still blinking in disbelief. They were glad to have won, but they weren’t quite sure how. They knew that destroying the siege tower had tipped the battle in their favor, but they still couldn’t understand why the enemy forces had seemed so powerless. Before they could even process what had happened, the battle was already over. "What exactly did we do? How did we win? Did the commander really destroy the siege tower on his own?" "We just followed the commander’s orders and did what he said, that’s all." "Remember what he always says during training?" ‘By the time you think and understand, the enemy will already know. So stop talking and just do what you’re told.’ "That’s what today was like, huh?" In the end, the conclusion among the mercenaries was simple—just do as they were told. Strategy wasn’t their strong suit. Teaching them a battle plan in advance would have been easy, but in the heat of battle, there wasn’t time to explain everything. Ghislain’s strategy came from his experience as a mercenary king, driven by sharp instincts that allowed him to improvise on the fly. Trying to explain everything would waste precious time, so he trained the mercenaries to follow him without question. The older mercenaries, with their experience in the Forest of Beasts, were less shocked by the battle, but the newer recruits were still dazed. "It was chaotic, but once we started moving, it wasn’t so bad." "Yeah, overthinking only makes you nervous. When that happens, it’s best to just focus on killing whatever’s in front of you." Any fear they had felt at the sight of the enemy’s massive army had vanished at some point. Or rather, they hadn’t had time to feel fear. Before they could process it, the battle was over, and they had somehow played a part in it. "If we keep going like this, I need to stay sharp. It’d be pretty embarrassing to die because I wasn’t paying attention." "But seriously, the commander is really strong. He could put most knights to shame." Ghislain encouraged the murmuring mercenaries: "Good. Let’s keep up this momentum. Just follow the training, and we’ll be fine. Stay with me, and we’ll win." Kaor gave Ghislain a thumbs-up, grinning widely. "That was pretty exciting. If all our missions are this thrilling, I’m all in." The Cerberus mercenaries had fought like madmen, defending the retreat path tooth and nail. For a group that didn’t overthink things, being thrown into the heat of battle was exactly what they wanted. Ghislain smirked and nodded. "Don’t worry. There’s even more excitement to come." Kaor laughed heartily, but Belinda groaned in frustration. "What? More excitement? What could be more thrilling than this? At this rate, we’ll all end up dead! Master, do we really have to go this far?" She had nearly had a heart attack when the siege tower collapsed. Though she had followed orders in the heat of battle, she wasn’t happy about it. No matter how strong Ghislain was, there were limits. Why was he so reckless, charging headfirst into danger without a second thought? She even briefly considered throwing him over her shoulder and fleeing, Rune Stone in hand. "It’s fine. I’m being careful. Don’t worry so much." "Careful? If this is being careful, what next? Charging into the enemy all by yourself?" "Hahaha." "Why aren’t you denying it?" Belinda’s voice rose in exasperation, but Ghislain simply laughed it off and changed the subject. "Rest up while you can. We’ll be busier soon." "Commander, you’re the one who needs to rest! You went all out today!" "Yeah, Gordon here probably wet his pants from fear. Did you, Gordon?" "You bastard! I was holding the front line, idiot!" "Commander, how’s your knee? You took an arrow to it before, but today you were flying all over the place." "I don’t know what’s going on, but as long as we follow the commander, we’ll be fine!" By now, the mercenaries were ready to follow Ghislain into hell itself. They didn’t fully grasp the situation, but they didn’t need to. They had one simple belief: as long as they followed his orders, they would win. Ghislain smiled at the joking mercenaries, then turned away. His expression immediately turned cold and calculating. "The enemy hasn’t made their real move yet." It had only been two days since the siege began. On the first day, they had only been preparing, and today’s attack wasn’t their full strength either. "They were testing the waters. Now that their plan has failed, they’ll change tactics." There was no way the enemy would continue using the same strategy after Ghislain’s surprise attack. They had seen the strength of his mercenaries, and they would adjust their plans accordingly. "If they go all out and use everything they’ve got, it’ll be hard to stop them." The enemy still had three siege towers and thousands of troops left. They were likely reluctant to drag the siege out due to supply issues, so they would want to end things quickly. This was exactly the situation Ghislain had been aiming for, one he had created himself. "There will only be one chance." The battle had just begun.