Chapter 92
Chapter 92
"They've finally lost their minds."
Roger Vifros couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh when he first heard Pereta's communication.
The humiliation at the territory's party, followed by the disgrace in the capital.
Even the proposal he had offered as the faction's representative—swallowing his anger—had been mocked.
He had spent countless days and nights devising plans to crush them.
Had it not been for the Sword Duke's warning, MacLaine would have been annihilated before winter even began.
He had been biding his time, searching for a plausible pretext to act—and now, they had handed him the perfect justification.
"My lord, what are your orders?"
Even as his subordinate asked with concern, Roger's smile never faded.
How could he not laugh?
No matter how he analyzed it, Vifros' military strength was more than double that of MacLaine's.
The new crossbows were somewhat concerning, but the number of knights alone was over twice MacLaine's.
What good would superior weapons do for mere foot soldiers?
"Aslan. Flanz. Are you both prepared?"
"Of course, my lord."
His right and left hands—two High Knights.
And himself, a fully matured 5th-Circle wind mage.
Even if unforeseen variables arose, he was confident he could handle them. An overwhelming sense of assurance filled his chest.
"Let's depart slowly. Once Pereta is trampled and those fools are drunk on their petty victory, we'll drag them from heaven straight into hell."
A slow advance order, purely for his own psychological satisfaction.
But before they could even set out, Roger Vifros received unexpected news.
"Why... why aren't they coming?"
Inside Pereta's main hall.
Surrounded by his retainers, Max Pereta nervously bit his nails, unable to hide his anxiety.
Then, the scouts he had dispatched half a day earlier came rushing in.
"My lord! The MacLaine army—!"
"Wh-where are they now?!"
Tense gazes locked onto the knight.
"The MacLaine army... has vanished."
"......What?"
No one could answer his bewildered question. A heavy silence swallowed Pereta's hall.
One day earlier.
Thud thud thud thud.
"Young Master! At this pace, we'll reach Pereta Castle by midday!"
"The point?"
"We'll arrive soon."
"Good."
Ellen, riding close behind Logan at the vanguard of the knight order, tilted her head in confusion.
'The point?'
She thought she must have misheard, but barely ten minutes later—
"Change course! Northwest—follow the lead at full speed!"
"Yes!"
Only the veteran knights of the MacLaine order answered without hesitation.
Judging by the bewildered expressions of most knights, Ellen wasn't the only one confused.
But with the vanguard already turning, she had no choice but to follow.
Thus, leaving even most of the MacLaine troops dumbfounded, the army veered northwest.
For three straight days, they pushed forward with minimal rest, racing through desolate lands.
On the dawn of the third day, as the sun fully rose, they arrived at their destination—a lone fortress standing tall in the middle of a vast plain.
A flag bearing a rose wreathed in flames fluttered atop its central spire.
"My lord! Tomodo Castle! The MacLaine bastards have appeared at our Tomodo Castle!"
Roger Vifros' expression twisted instantly.
"Those damn rats—how dare they?!"
Tomodo Castle—the second stronghold of the Vifros County, overseeing the harvests of the Vifros Plains.
As emergency alerts spread through the Vifros forces at the sudden news of the attack—
The MacLaine army was already forming ranks before their unexpected target.
"That's the place."
"Yes."
Huff.
The horse Logan rode snorted, frothing slightly at the mouth.
Three days of forced march.
Every spare warhorse had been mobilized, and even infantrymen—still awkward on horseback—had been forced to ride at full speed.
Now, their true target—Tomodo Castle—finally came into view.
'Estimated forces: 50 knights, 500 soldiers.'
With harvest season over, the garrison at Vifros' second fortress was at its minimum.
A force that even MacLaine's current troops could easily crush.
But the problem was—Vifros wouldn't just sit still.
"The flags are moving frantically. Vifros must have been alerted by now."
"Most likely."
Even accounting for the slow movement of infantry, this was their home territory. At most, elite reinforcements would arrive within two days.
'Possibly even by noon tomorrow...'
The battle against time had begun.
And that wasn't the only obstacle.
'They won't come down from the walls.'
Crossbows were less effective than longbows when assaulting from below.
MacLaine's primary weapon was effectively neutralized.
Still, the difference in strength was clear.
Even if the knights launched a frontal assault, Tomodo Castle wouldn't hold—though casualties would be inevitable.
But in that case...
"The losses would be heavy."
"Indeed."
Logan nodded at Heinkel's blunt assessment.
After the Great Migration a thousand years ago, most of the races that had oppressed humanity vanished beyond the southern mountain range, ushering in mankind's golden age.
And for the past three hundred years, humanity's power had grown so dominant that becoming a Force User was the baseline for knighthood.
As a result, fortress walls no longer served as the impenetrable shields they once were.
Even walls over 10 meters high could be scaled in a few leaps by knights—the main force of war—diminishing the effectiveness of defense.
But if the goal wasn't outright victory, but simply buying time until reinforcements arrived—
Even if not as formidable as before, fortress walls remained a viable option.
Fewer defenders could narrow the battlefield's scope, and all else being equal, those holding the high ground always had the advantage.
"But that's why we prepared."
"......Will it work?"
"Well, we'll do everything we can."
At Logan's resolute answer, Heinkel nodded silently.
But then, as if recalling another concern, he reluctantly spoke again.
"What about Lady Ellen?"
"......Wasn't that already settled?"
"You truly intend to have her charge with the knights?"
Heinkel's question was grave, but Logan didn't waver.
"It's what she wants."
"Even so, she's your fiancée. If something happens, the Count's family will—no, more importantly, are you truly alright with this?"
Logan sighed and nodded.
"......Helping her achieve her dream. That's what I promised her. Don't even think about giving her special treatment."
"......Understood."
Heinkel still looked unconvinced but didn't press further.
Logan watched him retreat, maintaining his stern expression.
He had no intention of leaving Ellen in danger either.
Of course, it wasn't just because she was his fiancée.
'Ronian, Victor, Ellen. Those with the potential to become Transcendents in the future—I must protect them at all costs.'
To him, that was the second most important task after victory itself.
Which was why he had secretly arranged for his father to watch over Ronian, while he would protect Ellen. Victor would be handled by whoever had more leeway.
Naturally, this wasn't something the individuals involved knew—nor could it be openly discussed without lowering morale.
'Of course, this only matters if we win this battle.'
Logan gritted his teeth.
A battle where the side with clear numerical superiority was the one feeling anxious—
That was the siege of Tomodo Castle from MacLaine's perspective.
However.
No matter how tense they were, they couldn't possibly match the panic of Tomodo's defenders, who had suddenly found themselves facing an army far larger than their own.
"Damn it all! Where the hell did they come from?!"
Jerome, Tomodo's garrison commander and a High Knight of Vifros, fell into a panic the moment he saw the thousands of troops appearing outside the western walls.
He became jittery, reacting nervously to everything.
In contrast, his deputy and younger brother, Jerix, remained remarkably composed.
"Calm down, brother. The main castle has already been alerted. We just need to hold out for a day!"
Despite being brothers, their temperaments were polar opposites—though both had reached the level of High Knight.
This was why they were often paired on missions.
Jerome, though strong, was impulsive—a flaw Jerix compensated for with his calmness. And Jerome, aware of his own shortcomings, usually listened to his brother.
But this time was different.
"Nearly 3,000 troops... Even estimating conservatively, close to 200 knights. How... how are we supposed to hold out?"
Jerome knew he wasn't the brightest.
But could even a genius bridge this gap?
From their formation alone, it was clear this was a well-trained army.
Compared to Vifros' main forces, perhaps not—but the quality of these soldiers was undeniably superior to Tomodo's garrison.
"Just hold the walls. If we combine our strength, we can last a day, right? Right? Gale, Teres, Typhon—those bastards are High Knights too. They'll pull their weight."
"Right. That's how it should be."
Though not entirely convinced, Jerome couldn't think of any other option.
And the moment he voiced that thought—
"All forces—CHARGE!"
Without even a formal declaration, the enemy began their assault.
"Hold them! Hold them back!"
At Jerome's shout, every soldier on the walls drew their bows.
Tense-faced, they aimed at the approaching enemy—
"FIRE!"
A roar echoed from the enemy ranks—and a volley of small, sharp bolts rained toward the walls.
'So fast!'
Faster and stronger than arrows from ordinary longbows.
Those with any experience froze in shock—
Clang clang clang!
The bolts struck the walls point-blank—only to bounce off harmlessly.
An anticlimactic end to such a startling display.
As the Tomodo soldiers stood dumbfounded, Jerome screamed again.
"Counterattack! Counterattack!"
Reflexively, the soldiers drew their longbows.
And loosed a volley high into the sky.
Not as fast or powerful as the earlier bolts, but the descending rain of arrows more than compensated with sheer force.
Of course—
Thud thud thud!
Their arrows fared no better—falling short of the enemy, who had halted well beyond 400 meters.
"As expected, longbows are the answer."
"Without magical support, this is the best we can do."
"The problem is, neither do we have a solution."
Logan smirked as he raised his repeating crossbow.
Twang!
Clang!
His bolt struck the wall with a sharp spark before ricocheting off.
Even reinforcing the bowstring with Force, this was the limit.
At this angle, crossbows—incapable of arced shots—were useless.
Unless someone was foolish enough to peek over the walls, it was just a waste of bolts.
But.
Logan still gave the order to fire.
"FIRE!"
Thud thud thud!
Clang!
"Argh!"
This time, a few unlucky souls were hit.
The soldiers on the walls visibly flinched further.
'Good.'
The crossbow cavalry and infantry took turns peppering the walls.
Their ammunition was plentiful, and even sporadic fire kept the enemy cowed.
Meanwhile—
Their secret weapon began to move.
"I leave it to you, Master Clayton."
At the rear of the MacLaine camp, Logan turned to the group of mages—their expressions far from pleased.
"Hah... I truly thought you were a man who cared for the people. And yet, here you are, starting a war."
"This war will ultimately serve the people."
"......I hope that's not just empty words to hired hands."
"Of course not."
Ahem. "Alright, let's go, everyone."
The mages of the Golem Tower—whose debut battle at Tomodo Castle would be recounted for generations in the kingdom's military history.
From the moment he planned the siege, Logan had factored in the Golem Tower—specifically, Clayton's participation.
Originally, he had envisioned Clayton's massive golems advancing toward the walls, shielding the knights from arrow volleys while they climbed over.
But Clayton shattered that fantasy with a single sentence.
"Are you trying to kill me?"
"Huh?"
"Arrows are one thing, but if mages or knights target the golems, there's no way to block them. Golems are just lumps of earth!"
"Even just drawing enemy fire and luring out their knights or mages would be valuable—"
Logan tried to persuade him, but there was another critical flaw in golem magic he hadn't considered.
"And even with magic stones, part of the impact sustained by the golems transfers to me. I wouldn't survive."
"......"
"Ahem. Of course, we're constantly improving, so someday—"
It was the moment Logan's dream of battlefield-dominating war golems crumbled to dust.
For a brief, disrespectful instant, he couldn't help but think—
'Ah. Useless.'
"......I'm getting a very unpleasant vibe from you right now."
"Ah, my apologies. I've kept you from your busy schedule with pointless talk."
As Logan shifted his thoughts to alternative strategies—
"If you're determined to use our magic in war, there's a better way."
"Huh?"
Clayton made a counterproposal.