Chapter 879

【 BESIEGING WEI TO RESCUE ZHAO 】

The nobles exchanged glances, but no one seemed willing to answer the Duke’s question.

Joseph’s expression gradually darkened.

Turning toward the middle-aged noble standing nearby, he spoke with a hint of displeasure.

“Roland, didn’t you say that Wagner would arrive within three days at most? Well? It’s already the third day, and it’s almost over.”

The middle-aged noble looked equally troubled. He furrowed his brows and replied in a low voice:

“My lord, perhaps they encountered some difficulties along the way. As you know, their convoy is transporting a considerable amount of supplies, and the weather in the Western Territories hasn’t been particularly favorable over the past two days. Perhaps we should wait a little longer…”

“Wait? You want us to keep waiting? Time is our most precious resource right now! Maintaining an army of this size costs an astronomical amount every single day!”

Joseph snorted impatiently.

After all, war was an expensive business.

Although many nobles were responsible for providing their own logistical support during this Great Holy War, the Lawson House, as the leading house responsible for commanding this entire army, undoubtedly shouldered the greatest financial burden.

Thus, every additional day of delay translated into an enormous expense.

Just then, a knight riding at full speed approached from the rear of the formation, shouting as he galloped toward them:

“My lord! My lord!”

Hearing the urgent calls, Joseph raised his head and looked in the knight’s direction. He quickly recognized him as the messenger he had personally dispatched two days earlier to escort Wagner’s convoy.

Realizing that the messenger had finally returned, Joseph’s expression brightened slightly.

However, the moment he noticed the grim expression on the knight’s face, his heart sank, and an ominous feeling crept into his mind.

The knight hurriedly dismounted and rushed toward Joseph. Gasping for breath, he stood before him with a deathly pale expression.

“M-My lord… Something terrible has happened! Viscount Wagner’s convoy was ambushed! Everyone… Everyone has been completely annihilated!”

“…What did you say?!”

Joseph’s expression changed dramatically.

The surrounding nobles likewise widened their eyes in disbelief, momentarily unable to process what they had just heard.

Their reaction was entirely understandable.

The Wagner House was no insignificant noble family in the northern regions of the Empire. According to reports, they had committed more than five thousand soldiers to this campaign, and their ranks included no shortage of Gold-ranked experts.

Such a formidable force would have been powerful enough to dominate an entire region of the continent during peacetime. Even now, with mana gradually recovering throughout the world, they would still have been considered a powerful regional force capable of holding their own against almost any neighboring faction.

Yet such a force had been ambushed without anyone noticing, and its entire army had been wiped out?!

How was that even possible?

—No.

Even if the entire army had been annihilated, two days had already passed. How was it possible that not a single survivor had managed to escape and report what happened?

Had they really learned of the disaster only after sending out their own scouts to investigate?

The more the surrounding nobles considered the circumstances, the more absurd and horrifying the situation seemed.

“It’s true… It’s all true! I saw it with my own eyes in the hilly forest. I saw the wreckage of their supply wagons. The entire road was stained black with blood, and I even found the shattered banners of the Wagner House…”

“The battlefield was in complete disarray, with the wreckage stretching for several kilometers. They must have been caught in an ambush…”

“We couldn’t find any survivors, nor could we find any signs of defeated soldiers fleeing the area. The only thing we discovered were some elven footprints in the forest…”

“I-I’m afraid… Viscount Wagner’s entire army has been annihilated.”

The knight explained between gasps, struggling to catch his breath.

His report caused Joseph’s expression to darken further. The surrounding nobles, meanwhile, quickly went from astonishment to outright shock.

“El… Elves? No… How could the elves possibly have appeared behind our lines? And how could they have wiped out an entire army of five thousand? Are you absolutely certain?”

Having recovered somewhat from his initial shock, Joseph questioned the knight in disbelief.

The knight nodded and replied hoarsely:

“My lord, there is no doubt that it was the elves. There were almost no corpses left on the battlefield. Only the notoriously brutal elven Chosen Ones, who are said to take particular pleasure in making corpses disappear, could have done something like this!”

“My lord, the elves must have sent a force around our lines to launch a surprise attack from behind!”

Joseph fell silent.

His expression shifted several times before he finally stomped his foot down, shattering a large stone beneath his boot.

“Those damnable, cunning elves!”

“But… how did the elves learn about Wagner’s movements?”

The middle-aged noble couldn’t help asking.

The knight was left speechless, and the surrounding nobles exchanged uneasy glances.

No one could answer the question.

“What else could it be? Some commoner must have tipped them off!”

Joseph sneered.

His expression grew even more grim as he gritted his teeth and continued:

“We still haven’t completely rooted out the Church of Life’s informants. Those cunning bastards are like persistent cockroaches, constantly lurking in the shadows. Who knows when they managed to pass the information along? Judging by the outcome, they probably knew about Wagner’s movements from the very moment his convoy left his territory!”

That early?

The nobles were visibly shaken by this revelation.

After all, the Wagner House’s territory was at least fifteen days away from their current position. If the elves had already learned of their movements fifteen days ago…

The surrounding nobles couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath.

At that moment, they suddenly felt as though the entire Empire was riddled with the Church of Life’s eyes and ears.

At the same time, they couldn’t help feeling fortunate that they had departed early enough to join the main army. Otherwise, they might very well have suffered the same fate as the Wagner House.

“My lord, this situation is unacceptable. If an elven force powerful enough to annihilate an army of five thousand is operating behind our lines, it will seriously undermine our upcoming military operations. Both our reinforcements and supply lines will come under tremendous pressure…”

The middle-aged noble spoke in a solemn voice.

“I know.”

Joseph replied grimly.

He took a deep breath before continuing:

“The elves probably don’t have that many soldiers. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have needed to rely on an ambush to take out Wagner’s force.”

With that, he turned toward the nobles and issued several orders:

“Send out orders to establish watchposts and defensive fortifications along our route through the Western Territories. Deploy additional troops to protect our supply lines. Also, notify the forces following behind us to avoid the western roads and take the eastern routes whenever possible.”

“My lord, does this mean we’re still going to attack Ausburg City?”

One of the nobles couldn’t help asking.

“Of course we are! Ausburg City is the gateway to Maple Moon Free Territory and an important strategic junction connecting it to the Empire. Once we capture it, we’ll be able to project our military influence throughout the surrounding region. Even if the elves attempt to make a move, they’ll have to contend with us!”

“Furthermore, Ausburg City controls a trade route that connects directly to the central regions of the Empire. Capturing it will greatly ease our logistical difficulties.”

Joseph explained.

“B-But… we no longer have any Mana Crystal Cannons.”

The noble sounded deeply worried.

Joseph’s expression darkened further.

Ausburg City was naturally defensible and difficult to besiege. It was also protected by a Holy defensive city barrier. Without Mana Crystal Cannons, a direct assault would likely result in heavy casualties.

However, if they abandoned the attack, the army would have no way to continue its advance southward. After all, the Church of Life could simply use Ausburg City as a stronghold from which to continuously harass their forces.

In short, the city had to be captured no matter what!

Joseph glanced toward Ausburg City’s walls and gritted his teeth.

“Then we’ll attack without them! A frontal assault! Even if we have to storm the walls, we’ll take that city at all cost! I refuse to believe that a city with barely thirty thousand defenders can withstand an army of several hundred thousand! I refuse to believe that we can’t breach its walls simply because we no longer have heavy siege equipment!”

“Pass down the order! Have the entire army cut down trees and construct makeshift battering rams, siege towers, and light catapults!”

At Joseph’s command, the army surrounding Ausburg City immediately sprang into action.

Soldiers began felling trees outside the city and assembling makeshift siege equipment.

Constructing siege equipment on the spot was practically a traditional specialty of noble arMis. However, most noble houses could only produce relatively simple machines this way. More sophisticated heavy siege engines required materials and components that had to be prepared well in advance.

Naturally, lightweight siege equipment could never match the destructive power of its heavier counterparts. Nevertheless, with no other options available, they would simply have to make do with what they had.

Fortunately, the nearly seven hundred thousand soldiers under Joseph’s command gave him the confidence to launch a frontal assault. Although relying on lightweight siege equipment would inevitably result in heavy casualties, manpower was the one resource they had in abundance this time.

That was right. Joseph had already decided to overwhelm the defenders through sheer numbers.

༺⟐༻

Meanwhile, the defenders stationed inside Ausburg City had naturally witnessed the movements of the several hundred thousand enemy soldiers gathering outside their walls. The sudden mobilization of such a massive force had put the entire city on alert, and everyone could sense that an attack was drawing near.

At Folzer Fortress, the main defensive stronghold of Ausburg City, Arthur, the commander of Maple Moon Free Territory’s defensive forces, stood atop the ramparts and watched as the enemy army began mobilizing outside the city. His brows gradually knitted together as he observed the soldiers cutting down trees and assembling various pieces of siege equipment.

“They’ve started constructing siege equipment. I’m afraid it won’t be long before they launch their assault.”

He spoke in a solemn voice, his gaze fixed on the activity beyond the walls.

After saying this, he turned toward an elven warrior standing beside him, who was clad in gleaming armor, and asked respectfully:

“Sir Adai, are you certain that the Lawson House siege forces will no longer be able to participate in the battle?”

The player known as All-Star Adai was the commander appointed by the All-Star Guild to oversee the defense of Ausburg City. This time, he had brought ten thousand players with him to participate in the city’s defense.

However, there was one major limitation.

Ausburg City had no teleportation array connecting it to the Elven Forest. Consequently, once the players were killed in battle, there would be no way to replenish their numbers. Every casualty would permanently reduce the strength of the player forces defending the city.

Apart from the players, Ausburg City also had approximately twenty thousand human soldiers belonging to Maple Moon Free Territory.

Together, they formed a defensive force of thirty thousand soldiers, a relatively small number compared to the several hundred thousand enemy troops gathered outside.

Arthur was understandably concerned about the coming battle.

However, Adai merely smiled faintly, showing no trace of anxiety.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Arthur. They’ll never appear on the battlefield again.”

Hearing this, Arthur’s expression shifted slightly. The other nearby defenders also turned toward the player, their faces filled with curiosity.

Meeting the NPCs’ gazes, Adai chuckled before continuing his explanation.

“Our guerrilla force dispatched from the Elven Forest already ambushed them halfway along their route and completely annihilated their entire siege force. I imagine the reason the enemy army outside suddenly began preparing for an assault after all these days is that they’ve finally received the news and decided to launch a frontal attack instead.”

His explanation immediately brought delighted expressions to the human defenders of Ausburg City, Arthur included.

After all, the destruction of the enemy siege force meant that the defenders no longer had to worry about another army joining the attack. Although the several hundred thousand troops outside the city remained a formidable threat, at least one major threat to their defensive position had already been eliminated.

However, his expression soon turned serious again.

“A frontal assault…”

Arthur furrowed his brows, his gaze lingering on the massive enemy army outside the walls.

“Sir Adai, unfortunately, the Empire’s army is simply too large. Ausburg City has no teleportation array, and the energy reserves sustaining our defensive barrier are already running low. If they launch a full-scale assault, I’m afraid our fewer than thirty thousand defenders won’t be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive…”

He paused briefly before continuing, his expression growing even more troubled.

“We aren’t afraid of dying in battle. However, if we lose Ausburg City and this fortress, we will have failed Maple Moon Free Territory and become sinners in the eyes of the Church of Life…”

Arthur’s face was filled with concern. As the commander responsible for the city’s defense, he understood all too well how dire their situation could become if the enemy launched a determined assault.

However, All-Star Adai simply smiled.

He glanced at the enemy army gathering outside the city before chuckling and replying in a meaningful tone:

“Mr. Arthur, there’s no need to worry… Before long, they’ll be the ones falling into chaos.”

“Hmm?”

Arthur was momentarily taken aback.

He turned to look at Adai, only to find the player still wearing a faint smile. The latter offered no further explanation, deliberately maintaining an air of mystery.

༺⟐༻

Western Territories, Morningstar City.

This was the regional capital of the Western Territories and the headquarters of the powerful noble house that ruled the region, the Mies Family.

After the outbreak of the Great Holy War against the Church of Life, Count Mies, the current head of the family, had likewise chosen to join the war. He had enlisted in the Northern Army Group and placed his forces under the command of Duke Joseph von Lawson.

As the rulers of the Western Territories, the Mies Family possessed considerable wealth and resources. They had committed nearly everything at their disposal to this Great Holy War, even conscripting close to seventy thousand soldiers.

Count Mies had personally led his troops into battle, vowing not only to reclaim Ausburg City and the other territories that had once belonged to the Western Territories, but also to expand his family’s holdings deeper into Maple Moon Free Territory.

Of course, committing nearly all their available resources to the war had come at a price. The forces left behind to defend Morningstar City had been reduced considerably.

In fact, Morningstar City was probably in its most vulnerable state in the entire history of the Mies House.

Outside Morningstar City, atop a watchtower overlooking the surrounding area…

An elderly veteran lazily yawned as he played cards with a fellow guard, looking thoroughly bored.

This was the heartland of the Western Territories. Even after the outbreak of war, the region had faced absolutely no military threat.

Although the lord had ordered them to remain vigilant, everyone knew it was little more than a routine formality.

The weather was pleasant that day.

It had rained two days earlier, and the temperature throughout the Western Territories had risen slightly. The sun hung high in the sky, while the air carried the faint warmth of approaching summer.

The afternoon sunlight made it difficult to stay alert. As the guards continued their card game, drowsiness gradually began to overtake them.

However, just then, a tremendous explosion suddenly erupted from the south, followed by a series of thunderous rumbles that sounded like the charge of ten thousand horses.

The deafening noise instantly jolted the guards out of their drowsiness.

“What was that sound?”

“Was that a Mana Crystal Cannon?”

“No… It sounds like something else, too…”

The guards exchanged bewildered glances.

They hurriedly got to their feet and looked out from the watchtower. The moment they saw what was happening, their eyes widened in shock.

At some point, an enormous army of elves had appeared outside Morningstar City.

Fully armed and mounted on all kinds of magical beasts, they poured out of the surrounding forests in dense formations, advancing toward the city in an seemingly endless stream.

The sheer number of elves was so overwhelming that the guards were left completely dumbfounded.

“El… Elves? Where did so many elves come from?!”

The guards cried out in disbelief.

Meanwhile, the number of elves outside the city continued to grow.

At first, they appeared scattered and disorganized, as though they had arrived from every direction. However, they soon began assembling into proper ranks, gradually forming orderly and imposing battle formations before the city.

One after another, Mana Crystal Cannons with dark, imposing barrels were brought forward and positioned directly toward Morningstar City’s relatively weak walls.

The guards’ expressions changed dramatically. They immediately rang the watchtower’s alarm bell and shouted at the top of their lungs:

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

༺⟐༻

Outside the city.

Demacia sat atop his Dragon-Scaled Warhorse, gazing at the familiar city before him with an unmistakably smug expression.

Beside him, All-Star Achan, commander of the All-Star army, was carefully observing the scene. A faint glimmer flickered in his eyes as he studied the city and the surrounding battlefield, seemingly contemplating the implications of their current position.

Demacia glanced at him before letting out a smug chuckle.

“Hehehe! Captain Achan, see that?”

He raised a hand and gestured toward the city ahead, his expression growing even more self-satisfied.

“Now, this right here is the proper execution of ‘Besieging Wei to Rescue Zhao’!”

“Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao.” is one of the most famous Chinese military stratagems, originating from the Warring States Period.

The underlying principle is:

Rather than confronting a powerful enemy head-on, attack something strategically important that the enemy cannot afford to lose. This forces the enemy to abandon its original offensive and redirect its forces to defend the threatened territory.

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