Chapter 300 - 228: The Abandoned Baron Regulo

What was worse, the enemy’s army had already surrounded Kalia City.

He had sent out cavalry to scout, but every single one had vanished. He knew in his heart that the caliber of the enemy’s cavalry must be exceptional.

Most of his soldiers were infantry. If he forced a retreat, they would just be hunted down from behind. The best-case scenario was that he might escape with his life, but he would be a baron without an army. Even worse, he might face Damon’s wrath.

Therefore, the best option was to hold Kalia City and wait for Damon’s reinforcements.

He was completely in the dark about the situation outside the walls. He had no idea of the enemy’s numbers, nor how far away Damon’s main army was.

And he had no idea how long he could hold out.

"What’s the situation?" he asked irritably, taking a rough swig of ale.

"The Barbarians from the Northern Territory are preparing to storm the walls."

Baron Regulo was surrounded by his most elite apprentice knights. Faced with the coming battle, these greenhorns were all flushed with excitement, eager to win glory, become true Knights, and possess manors of their own.

"Let’s go take a look." He drained the last of the ale from his cup, wiped the drops from his beard, buckled on his Sword, and donned his helmet. Then, he led his contingent of apprentice knights, all clad in Iron Armor, up to the city wall.

Kalia City was a typical farming town, surrounded almost entirely by cultivated land. From the top of the wall, the view was completely unobstructed.

The enemy was still deciding who would lead the assault, so they had merely spread out their formations without yet beginning the attack.

"Quick, look! Centaurs!"

"That Centaur at the front must be the Chieftain of the Centaur Tribe! He’s absolutely massive!"

"Good heavens! His arms are as thick as my grandmother’s whole body."

The Knights cried out in constant surprise.

Stationed in the Southern Territory, it was rare for them to see these powerful warrior Races in person. For the most part, their only exposure was at the Kolon Arena.

They had assumed it was all for show, but seeing them in the flesh proved otherwise.

Baron Regulo had to admit, the Centaurs, each one the size of a small hill, were so terrifying it was hard to look at them. This was especially true since they were clad in fine Cavalry Armor.

In an open field, they could rout his men in a single charge.

Thankfully, he was on the defending side. That meant these four-legged creatures could hardly bring their full might to bear in a siege.

"Look, they have Beastmen, too."

"These Beastmen are unbelievably burly! The ones at the Kolon Arena look like malformed runts in comparison!"

The more closely the Knights looked, the more their arrogance evaporated, replaced by a growing sense of unease.

Baron Regulo’s heart grew heavy as well, but it was absurd to think he was frightened enough to simply open the gates and surrender.

Even the surrounding Knights, though they were gasping in awe and had lost their earlier swagger, were not yet so frightened that they wouldn’t fight.

Their confidence, of course, stemmed from the three individuals who had been their only reinforcement.

...

"So, shall we discuss how we’re going to take this city?"

Below the walls of Kalia City, Count Tess pulled on his gloves and adjusted his Armor.

"Is there anything to discuss?" Levi asked, looking puzzled. "Just use a battering ram to break down the gate, have the Heavy Armored Infantry push in, with Archers providing cover. Then the cavalry can run down anyone who flees to press our advantage. Simple, right?"

"In broad strokes, yes, that’s the procedure," Count Tess said, glancing at Levi. "But, Knight, have you ever actually fought in a siege before?"

"Well..." The Lord, an honest man, simply shook his head.

’In the Wilderness, you couldn’t find a proper wall, let alone a city. How would he have any experience with sieges?’

"Tess, if you have something to say, just say it," Count Andao said, seeing where this was going.

Tess smiled and looked toward the distant ramparts. "My meaning is this: why not entrust the siege to me? After all, I have yet to make any tangible contribution to Duke Fulina."

’The Lord hadn’t expected this middle-aged noble, with his honest-looking face of thick brows and wide eyes, to be so calculating.’

’All this talk about contributing to the Duke was just lip service. His real goal was to claim the glory for himself.’

Still, if someone was willing to test the waters, the Lord was more than happy to let them. He chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. "Since Count Tess is so eager, then by all means, the honor is yours."

’To be honest, while the town looked unremarkable on the surface, there was no guarantee it wasn’t some kind of deception.’

’So, if Tess was willing to be the one to check for traps, Levi was all for it.’

’Even if the town really was defended by a ragtag force and fell easily, he wouldn’t mind. He wasn’t one of Fulina’s Vassals, so these so-called battle honors meant little to him.’

’He just needed to ensure Liya became a Duke, and his own rewards would be plentiful.’

"Then be careful. If things look wrong, pull back immediately."

Andao had no intention of competing with him for the glory, either.

After all, his best troops were cavalry; siege work wasn’t his specialty.

Tess nodded, fastened his Iron Helmet, and brandished his Longsword.

Five hundred infantrymen in Iron Armor raised their shields and began to advance, followed by a crowd of Archers in padded jackets.

In all honesty, the forces on both sides were a bit pathetic. That didn’t stop the Lord from watching with great interest, however. It was, after all, the first time he had ever seen for himself how humans conducted a siege.

’As for having Heather and the others lend a hand to blast open the walls?’

’Levi had no intention of doing so. He may have reached a reluctant truce with Tess, but that didn’t mean he would actively help him.’

’They might seem like allies now, but who knew what would happen once the Southern Territory was conquered.’

’He was more than happy to take any opportunity that would openly wear down his supposed ally’s forces.’

The defenders on the walls began to loose volleys of Arrows, but they were mostly harmless against the heavily armed infantry. The shafts were easily deflected by their iron shields, leaving nothing more than small dents.