Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
A bloody sun hung in the sky. The city of Blanc was completely scarred. A blazing flame had been extinguished between the inner and outer walls of the city, and black smoke drifted in the air.
The city interior and exterior were pockmarked by destruction. The city walls were dyed a dark brown by the dried blood of the orcs from the siege. After nine days, every corner of the city had been stained with blood.
Many city walls had been severely damaged. Several sieged cars were burning in raging fires outside the city, and the walls were littered with dead bodies. The stench was unbearable, and a large number of crows and vultures hovered in the sky, waiting.
Every soldier on the wall had blood on their face. They didn’t even have the strength left to wipe it off, as their mental states had reached the brink of collapse.
Almost all of them were wounded. They held their longswords and shields with dead eyes, as they watched the sun set. Its last bright red rays shone on their bodies, like a ray of doom.
Lanto walked along the wall. All of the soldiers were on the verge of collapsing in numbness, having suffered through nine days of intense fighting, watching bodies fall all around them. They had only barely been able to hold on through sheer will.
If the King’s reinforcements had not arrived the very next day, they would have quite possibly suffered defeat. What needed to be said had already been said. The morale boosting had also been done. By this point, any more attempts at easing their pain would be pointless.
As the defenders, Lanto’s men had sustained severe casualties and injuries, yet the number of deaths on the rebel side was even worse. They were even more distressed than Lanto and his men.
After Lanto patrolled the wall, he went down the stairs and returned to the inner city. Within the fortress, the people of Blanc trembled in fear. Many of them were crying. Some children were curled up in the arms of their mothers. Under the faint lights, cries of grief echoed throughout the city’s streets and halls.
The bodies that had burned in the city over the past few days were sons, husbands, and fathers. War was always a tragedy to the people. There would never be a so-called righteous party in war. Lanto could only harden his heart and armor up the farmers, blacksmiths, craftsmen, and slaves, encouraging them to take up their swords and shields as he sent them to replace their loved ones at the wall.
By now, the rebels outside the city had been attacking for nine days straight. Each day was more vicious than the last, as they became more and more agitated.
Once the city was taken, these soldiers were sure to vent their mounting frustrations by burning and pillaging the city. Inevitably, their actions would escalate into a massacre, and even the commander of the rebels wouldn’t be able to stop them. This fatal progression was something that an experienced commander like Lanto knew very well. As such, he couldn’t let them enter the city.
But, even in this situation with the rebels, where he and his men were surrounded and cut off from the outside world, Lanto knew that King Will had reversed many previous crises. He had the assurance that the king was rushing over. So, as long as Lanto could hold the city, the rebel forces outside the city could only await their deaths!
Lanto walked along, suddenly seeing a few generals gathered around. “Lord Commander, will the reinforcements really come tomorrow?” one general asked him.
Lanto turned to look at them. All of them had bloodshot eyes, which were tinged with fear and expectation. He nodded seriously. “The Lion King Will would never abandon his subjects. Tomorrow, the reinforcements will come.”
Lanto took a deep breath, then continued his assurances. “Early tomorrow morning, the rebels will form their strongest attack. They don’t have much time, since they must take Blanc. Only then would they have the ability to fight against the king. Thus, tomorrow will be the fiercest battle yet.”
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Inside the tents, which were set up outside the city, several orc generals were arguing endlessly. A young wolf-man stood in front of a middle-aged boar-man and shouted, “I said, we shouldn’t care about Blanc! If we had given up on Blanc and gone directly to Primonius, we would have captured the capital already!”
The leader of the boar-people, Earl Umos, was sick of placating the brainless former king, Mad King Lemegeton Narando. He spoke bluntly, “Then, we would have left a strong thorn in our rear, and once we showed any openings, it would have cut off our retreat, thus allowing the enemy to thwart our escape and take our lives!”
“Blanc is more important than Primonius. As long as we occupy this place, we have access to all the roads in the country. The supplies around us can then be transported continuously, and our contact to the other tribes will open up. With that, we would at least be able to divide the country with King Will.”
Lemegeton screamed in agitation. “But I don’t want to have only half of the land. The Engido Kingdom is mine, I am the king of the Engido Kingdom, and as your king, I want Will Eranbell’s head. I will make him suffer the shame that he has thrust upon me!”
Earl Umos patted Lemegeton’s shoulder, cooing, “Your Majesty, it will definitely happen. Don’t rush into anything. The victory will belong to us.”
After Lemegeton’s departure, Earl Umos’ eyes immediately revealed a sinister look.
What an idiot!
An emergency report rushed in. “Earl, the kingdom of Beira has been lost on the western border. Its army has been defeated. The prince of Beira and tens of thousands of his remaining troops are trapped inside Landen Castle. They have surrendered to Lion King Will. The King of the Beira Kingdom and Lion King Will have signed a treaty, with Beira ceding Lion King Will their eastern Redstone Province.”
Earl Umos’ expression changed greatly upon hearing this news. His alliance with the Beira Kingdom was one of his trump cards. The Beira Kingdom had also begun to invade the western part of the Engido Kingdom, while he was rebelling from the south. They had developed this strategy, since even King Will, who was a famed warrior, would not be able to fight them on both sides.
“When did this happen?”
“Three days ago.”
Earl Umos’ face suddenly paled. If the report was three days old, then the Lion King must be heading over with a large army right now! Before, some reports from the west had said that the Lion King had led 50,000-Knights with five of his Holy Knights against the 100,000-strong army of the Beira Kingdom. The fact that he had actually defeated the other army was enough to make Umos worried, but to think that the other party had lost so badly, and within such a short period of time, was completely terrifying!
That was why Earl Umos was so eager to take Blanc. As long as he took Blanc, the situation could still be reversed. Right now, Blanc was his only chance. By taking Blanc, he would secure his last chance to compete against Lion King Will.
Earl Umos stood up and looked at the other aristocrats and tribal leaders. They were a coalition army, so the forces were formed by various parties. There were various squabbles and conflicts between them, and occasionally, they would drag their feet. Earl Umos had had enough of such bickering and pettiness over the last few days.
“As you all have heard, three days ago, the Lion King defeated the Kingdom of Beira, then forced the King of Beira to sign a humiliating treaty. Thus, his actions show that he will never let us go. We have nowhere to retreat to. He will not sign any treaty with us. All of us will most likely be hung on the city wall.”
Earl Umos pointed to the great walls of Blanc to emphasize his words, then continued. “At the crack of dawn, we will either take the city or face our deaths!”
All of their eyes changed, igniting with inner fire, as they roared alongside Earl Umos.
“Take Blanc!”