Chapter 321 - 239: Siege the City! Siege the City

When all the officers and soldiers of the Northern Territory learned that the castle had only fifty thousand defenders and a handful of Casters, they all raised their glasses in celebration.

The Southern People were nothing to worry about; taking Black Stone Castle would be just a matter of time.

Although it was unclear where Damon and the main army had gone, all the higher-ups concluded that something must have gone wrong on the enemy’s side, which was advantageous for the Northern Territory.

"Does that mean we’ll be able to go back to Kolon soon?" Zat was off to the side, hunched over as he sharpened his War Axe. Once he was nearly done, he plucked a hair from Hog, and the moment it touched the blade, it split in two. Only then did he rise, satisfied. "Boss, we fled Kolon in such a hurry last time. It was so humiliating. When we fight our way back, we have to go strut in front of those old brothers."

"You simpleton, what do you mean, ’fled’?! That was a strategic retreat! It’s a highly advanced tactic."

’What was clearly a calm and composed retreat was being described by this simpleton as some hooligan’s desperate flight. It truly infuriated the Lord, whose life had been otherwise spotless. He feared that the historians who compiled the official records would write a great tome titled *The History of Emperor Levi’s Rise to Power Through Fleeing*, give him the title of Li PaoPao, and he would go down in history for it.’

Leiden’s eyes flashed. He felt he had learned another trick. ’Human language is truly profound,’ he thought. ’With a little embellishment, you can create a completely different concept.’

"In fact, it’s not that easy." Levi stomped his foot. Biefeng instantly shrank, and Levi jumped off, walking over to the campfire to poke at it with a branch.

"How are the sweet potatoes coming along?"

"My Lord, this one is ready." Leiden handed him a sweet potato that was glistening with roasted juices.

Levi plopped down on a log and, while peeling the fragrant sweet potato, prepared to give the brutes of High Cliff Castle a proper lesson on the art of the siege.

"Taking a castle isn’t something you can accomplish with individual valor alone. Before that, you have to build siege ladders, Siege Vehicles, Catapults, and so on."

For the past week, the Northern Army had been building siege engines, and they had only just now been completed.

"There are only two ways to get into the castle: one is to take the gate, and the other is to scale the walls."

"And no matter which method you choose, you’ll face intense resistance as you approach the walls. Bed Crossbows, thrown stones, and Arrows will all be aimed at you. Once you finally manage to reach the base of the wall, do you think you’re safe then?"

At this, Levi flashed a meaningful smile before continuing, "Next comes the boiling-hot shit, poured right over your head. It’s guaranteed to make you so nauseous you won’t be able to eat for days."

After speaking, he took a huge bite of his sweet potato, chewing a few times before swallowing it down.

Zat, looking thoughtful, also took a ferocious bite of his sweet potato, only to be instantly scalded, causing him to wince in pain.

Looking at the expressionless Levi, he couldn’t help but think his boss’s mouth must be made of iron.

"I’d rather be cut by a sword than be drenched head to toe in boiled shit." Zat shook his head. The mere thought of it made him shudder.

"We may have more Ice and Snow Mages on our side, but it will be very difficult to break through the castle walls with Magic. This means we’re destined to make a frontal assault." Levi clapped the dust from his hands and raised his spyglass again to observe the top of the wall.

The Casters’ Magic was certainly powerful, but the walls of Black Stone Castle weren’t like those built by some second-rate lord in the Wilderness. These weathered walls had certainly been built with attacks from Casters in mind; they were thick enough to withstand a heavy bombardment.

Not to mention, the enemy’s Casters and Bed Crossbows weren’t just for show; they wouldn’t stand by and watch their enemies bombard the walls at will.

Black Stone Castle was no small border town like Kalia. The metallic glint of Bed Crossbows could be faintly seen on the walls, and a rough estimate put their number in the dozens.

"Levi, you people really have a lot of free time, roasting sweet potatoes at a time like this." Liya’s voice came from behind. She had to admire the nerve of the High Cliff Castle group.

Everyone else was either worried to death or bursting with excitement, yet the people in front of her were acting like they were on a picnic, showing no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.

Her tone then grew serious. "The assault is about to begin."

"So what if it is? It’s not our turn anyway," Levi said, not moving a muscle.

High Cliff Castle had also been assigned a task, but it was merely to patrol a small area. Monvert, who had come as reinforcements, was also assigned to High Cliff Castle’s battalion.

The official excuse was that High Cliff Castle had already contributed a great deal and its soldiers were tired and deserved a good rest, letting others take their turn.

In reality, even a Goblin could understand that High Cliff Castle had stolen too much of the spotlight earlier. The Northern Group’s high command would certainly not let them continue to do so, and thus had started hoarding all the tasks that would yield the most military glory.

To be honest, though, Levi was happy to have the downtime. He had no desire to be in the spotlight. A siege was different from a field battle; it was a battle guaranteed to have heavy casualties. High Cliff Castle had just over a thousand of his simpletons, and he simply could not accept the losses a siege would bring.

’He remembered back when he played that horse-and-blade game; it would pain him to lose even a single High Level Soldier. He’d be a powerful Lord with several large cities to his name, but he would just run around the map with one or two hundred commoners in his party. As for his High Level Soldiers? He kept them all stashed in his cities like precious treasures. In reality, this had nothing to do with a collector’s mentality or a hoarder’s mindset. He just felt that using High Level Soldiers for a siege simply wasn’t worth it.’

"It’s all my fault," Liya sighed.

She seemed to be the very reason for this war, but paradoxically, she was also the one with the lowest status, completely unable to get a word in.