The Bandit Knights' Fortress (4)
***
Boom!
The cannon roared to life.
The battle had resumed.
In the midst of the chaos, Owen mounted his horse and began circling wide around the fortress.
He pushed through the forest, descending toward the base of the mountain. About an hour later, he arrived at the foot of a sheer rock face.
This was the rear of the fortress.
A cliff loomed before him like a massive wall, dropping away precipitously.
"Quite the height..."
The fortress had been built with this treacherous terrain at its back, which was why Drun Count's forces—despite outnumbering them—could only hold them off with just over thirty men.
Even at a glance, the cliff looked to be at least two hundred meters tall.
A height no one would dare attempt, but for Owen, it was nothing.
Grenville was a Tokay dragon, a master of cliff-climbing.
"Alright, time for the star of the show."
As he unfurled the Dragon Scroll, a ten-meter-long red dragon emerged from within.
"Eung!"
The moment it spotted Owen, it opened its mouth wide in delight.
Rows of saw-like teeth lined the inside, a terrifying sight at first glance, but Owen just smiled and stroked the bridge of its nose.
Thankfully, Grenville seemed in high spirits.
"Grenville, we're climbing up there. Think you can manage?"
"Euung!"
As if to say what kind of question is that?, Grenville dipped its body slightly.
A signal to hop on quick.
Owen swung into the saddle, and Grenville pressed itself against the cliff face. It began ascending as smoothly as if strolling across flat ground.
"Incredible. Truly."
Owen knew well enough, but each time, he marveled at the Tokay dragon's prowess.
Their footpads appeared merely wrinkled at first glance, but they were actually composed of countless rigid bristles that provided incredible adhesion.
Of course, no knight or scholar in the Empire truly understood the principle.
That was why it always felt like magic to Owen.
"Et eu!"
Grenville expressed its mood with a slightly different cry each time, nimbly scaling the wall.
Whoooosh!
Cold wind whipped at his cheeks, and sunlight stabbed at his eyes.
Owen shielded his face and looked up.
The fortress was approaching fast.
Naturally, in the heat of battle, no one bothered peering over the rear cliff.
Thanks to that, they scaled the two-hundred-meter drop undetected in moments.
"From the enemy's perspective, this is straight-up cheating."
As they reached the stone wall of the fortress itself, Owen slowed their ascent. Near the top, he brought them to a halt.
"Grenville, sniff around. See if anyone's on the battlements above."
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"Eung."
Grenville stuck out its pink tongue.
Lick lick.
Owen focused, activating his Sense Sharing ability.
But he couldn't get a clear read on the situation atop the battlements.
"Ah."
The strong winds battering the cliff were the issue.
The scent particles were scattering, making detection impossible.
"Tch. No helping it. Hold still."
Without his convenient ability, he'd have to rely on his own eyes.
Owen unfastened the saddle straps and clambered up Grenville's body.
Stepping on its head drew a dissatisfied whine.
"Eung..."
"Sorry, just a sec."
Using Grenville's head as a perch, Owen cautiously peered over the battlements.
"Ah."
There was one man.
Good thing he hadn't charged up blindly.
But he didn't seem to be guarding the rear.
Probably posted there for some other reason, bow in hand.
Owen rapped on the stone with his gauntleted fist.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The sound drew the bowman's head around.
Owen ducked out of sight in a flash.
"Hm?"
Thud thud.
Footsteps approached the battlements.
"What the—?"
As the man leaned out curiously, Owen lunged, grabbing him and yanking him over the edge with all his might.
"Farewell."
"Aaaah!"
With a dying scream, he dropped his bow and plummeted to his doom.
Splat.
It sounded like a sack of dirt hitting the ground.
"Let's climb up."
"Eung!"
They hopped lightly onto the battlements.
No one else was at the fortress's rear.
Looking down, he saw a large building inside, surrounded by a narrow courtyard.
The yard had been further cramped by earthen barricades reinforcing the walls.
The bandit knights and their men were scurrying about, firing crossbows every which way.
"Hold the line!"
"Shoot that side!"
But there were more of them than expected.
Over fifty, not the reported thirty-odd.
"Hm..."
Owen had initially thought to sweep them all with Grenville's might alone.
But with numbers like these, better not to push it when allies were at hand.
He targeted the gate's winch instead.
"Let's go!"
He spurred Grenville into a leap down into the courtyard, smashing into a cart loaded with arrows and weapons.
Boom! Crash!
The cart exploded, weapons scattering everywhere, startling the men.
"Gah!"
"D-Dragon!"
"Uwaaah!"
Those in the yard had no time to react.
Owen drove Grenville straight into them.
No need to bite—just colliding was lethal.
"Uwaaak!"
"Aak!"
Every charge sent three or four tumbling with screams.
Even a bull could crush a man, and Grenville weighed over 2.5 tons.
Broken limbs were commonplace; many twitched once and went still.
"Eeeuk!"
Grenville, roaring in fury, was like a lion pouncing on sheep.
A few brave souls drew weapons and charged, only to meet grisly ends.
Thud!
Their swords and halberds barely scratched Grenville's hide, leaving only faint white lines.
"Eung!"
Instead, they enraged it fully.
Grenville snapped mercilessly with its massive jaws.
Crunch!
"Kaaaak!"
The man crumpled, armor and all, into a bloody pulp.
In the chaos, Owen dismounted swiftly and seized the winch.
Clang!
He released the lock and heaved.
"Nngh!"
In his past life, he'd been a powerhouse, but this boy's body made it tough.
"Block him!"
"He's opening the gate!"
The crossbowmen on the walls panicked, firing at Owen—but Grenville shielded him.
"Damn it! Shoot the dragon!"
"Fire!"
Excited, they turned on Grenville.
Bad move.
Its tough hide shrugged off anything short of a ballista.
A dozen bolts flew, all bouncing harmlessly.
In that moment, Owen cranked the gate open.
Rattle!
The chains whirred, and the gate dropped.
Cheers erupted from outside.
"Waaaaah!"
Drun Count's soldiers charged in.
They jostled to be first, rowdy as could be.
The defenders panicked, dropping weapons and fleeing to the central building.
"Run!"
"Fuck! This sucks!"
"Move it!"
They poured into the main hall like rats, over a dozen in seconds.
They slammed the doors, trapping their comrades outside.
Bang!
The stragglers pounded on the doors, yelling.
"You crazy bastards! Open up!"
"Open it!"
Especially as Grenville bore down on them from behind.
"Grenville, bite!"
Owen drew his sword and commanded.
"Euk!"
Grenville barreled forward, scattering and chomping the men at the door.
Owen dashed alongside, slashing down several more.
Slash!
His blade flashed, and one bandit's throat sprayed blood as he rolled.
Drun's troops would handle the rest.
They were already flooding in, chasing the runners.
"Grenville! Can you smash the door?"
"Eung!"
Grenville rammed the main doors.
Thud!
Screams burst from inside.
"Block it!"
"Push the table! Reinforce the bar with halberds!"
"Hold with your bodies! If it breaks, we're dead!"
They braced desperately; it didn't give on the first hit.
Boom!
The second shattered part of the door, punching a hole.
Without a glance, Owen yanked the igniter and torch from Grenville's flank, lit it, and thrust it into the gap.
"Breathe!"
Grenville exhaled, unleashing a torrent of flame inside.
Whoosh!
The men inside screamed as fire engulfed them.
"Aaaak!"
"Kaaak!"
The blaze was so fierce it splintered the wooden windows on the first floor, flames licking outward.
"That should do it."
The fight was won.
With merit earned, time to claim the spoils.
Plunder went to the swiftest.
Land and buildings belonged to the lord, but gold and gems were finders keepers.
The main hall was five stories; Owen figured the lord's quarters were at the top.
"Up we go."
He rode Grenville straight up the building's wall.
Entering from below meant navigating flames and foes—too slow.
Straight to the roof it was.
"Eung!"
At the fifth floor, he spotted a man pacing anxiously beyond a wooden window.
Likely the commander holding the fort in Malton's stead.
"Wait on the roof."
Owen dismounted and leaped through the window.
He rolled across the carpet into the room; the man startled, drawing his sword.
"Who the hell are you!"
Tensed up, he swung wildly.
Pathetic.
In his past life, Owen had been a famed swordmaster as well as a Dragon Knight.
Even in this boy's body, panicked flailing was child's play.
Clang!
The frenzied swing was parried effortlessly.
"What!"
No time to gape.
Owen flat-struck his temple with the sword's flat.
Thud!
The impact dazed him; he crumpled forward, out cold.
Owen caught him, propped him in a chair, and bound him tight with rope. He smashed the neck off a wine bottle on the desk and doused the man's head.
Splash splash.
The wine revived him; he thrashed in shock.
"Hngh! Heuk!"
A few slaps from Owen brought him around fully.
"P-Please, spare me!"
"Answer calmly, and I'll consider it."
"Ask away!"
Quick on the uptake—good.
"Who are you?"
"Audric, sir. Malton Knight's adjutant. I'm in command here in his absence!"
"Dragon Knight?"
"N-No, just a knight."
The boss, as expected.
He'd have the intel Owen wanted.
"Where's Malton's gold and valuables? Now."
"Ah... if I tell you, you'll... Aaaak!"
Owen sliced off a finger with his dagger.
"I said I'll consider it. More bullshit, and it's another finger."
"Kaaaak! You bastard!"
Audric screamed, veins bulging, sweat pouring.
But as Owen advanced with the dagger, he cracked.
"I-I'll talk! Turn that candelabra—secret door opens!"
"Yeah?"
"Safe inside. Needs two keys—one under the carpet, the other in that cabinet's back compartment! P-Please!"
Owen found both keys swiftly.
Valuable info.
He'd have wasted time hunting otherwise—and Drun's men would've shown up to split the take.
Sure enough, combat noises rose from below; they'd breached the doors.
"Candelabra?"
"Y-Yes! Right!"
Twisting it revealed a hidden panel in the wall.
A safe inside.
"This is it."
Both keys in sequence: jackpot.
"Whoa!"
He couldn't help but gape.
A heavy pouch brimming with gold coins and gems.
A fine dagger inset with jewels, and sealed documents.
"What's this?"
But the prize was in a small box beside them.
Owen opened it and gawked.
"Here, of all places?"
A crystalline orb, gleaming iridescently.
To those who knew, priceless.
A Dragon Core.
The key to evolving a dragon.
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