Wolves of Hader

Chapter 63

"Commander."

Russell, the knight order commander of the Hader marquis's house, went up the fortress wall with a stern face. The knights all saluted him in unison.

"Is anyone hurt?"

"Six have been seriously injured, but they are expected to recover in a few days. Fortunately, there are no fatalities."

"That is truly a relief."

On top of the fortress wall, there were about seventy knights belonging to the Hader marquis's house.

The rest, barely ten, were below the wall.

This force of the Hader marquis's house did not have any regular soldiers.

All were knights, and the few men who looked like soldiers were ordinary residents of this fortress.

Without any regular soldiers, only eighty knights from the Hader marquis's order were blocking an unknown army.

Commander Russell looked across the fortress wall.

In front of the gate, at the moat, the corpses of enemy soldiers were scattered, and traces of fierce battle and explosions remained everywhere.

Such traces continued from the castle gate all the way to the field beyond.

The scorched buildings visible in that field had once been the Hader family's barracks and training ground.

"Is there any news from Young Master Roger?"

"No, sir. Since he departed for the west, the information group in the capital has received no communication."

"Has something happened to him?"

"If something had happened, he would have let us know."

Russell looked back at the field.

About five hundred paces from the outer fence of the barracks, the enemy camp was positioned.

Their numbers were about a thousand.

Commander Russell had received word from Roger Hader to prepare against a surprise attack from the Syren family.

But he did not expect that the enemy would bring such a large force from a single house.

It took just two weeks for a house to decide on war, prepare, and move their troops.

That was unthinkable in ordinary circumstances.

"Is it certain that they are Urada forces?"

Russell's adjutant replied.

"According to the confession of a prisoner. The knights are mixed from the Syren family and the Urada house. There are also quite a few soldiers we have never seen before."

"People you've never seen?"

"Yes. It seems that forces from other territories have been mobilized."

"What reason did they give for attacking?"

"They called it an expedition to punish traitors. The conscripted soldiers were told they would be given farmland."

"The Urada count must be desperate. He wouldn't have done this unless he was deceived by Grand Duke Syren."

The knights gazed at the field with grim faces.

The place that used to be barracks had turned into a gruesome battlefield.

Buildings could be rebuilt, but this was the knights' first experience of such a thing, and the shock was significant.

The battle had started at dawn three days ago.

As soon as Commander Russell received the message from the west, he locked the castle gate.

After a few days, the head of the Ross family and his party arrived and began preparing for battle as well.

Then, unknown knights first set up camp outside the barracks, and as time passed, more and more troops began to gather.

On the night when the number reached two thousand and they even brought a battering ram to break down the gate.

Russell judged that defending with only eighty knights was impossible, so he launched a surprise attack.

Russell and the strike squad managed to take down about twenty knights and burned the battering ram.

Russell and the strike squad tried to withdraw immediately, but they were surrounded as the Syren family's elite stepped in.

At that moment, fierce fighting broke out at the barracks, but it did not last long.

The Syren family's elite were helplessly struck down by Lok the Elin's light arrow.

In addition, with concentrated shelling, Russell and the strike squad were able to return safely to the fortress.

After that, commander Russell and the Hader family's knights climbed the fortress wall and focused on defense.

Then, just yesterday, the Urada count's house launched a massive assault.

In this battle, the Urada count's forces, which had numbered over two thousand, were reduced by half.

There were more deserters than casualties, but the Hader family's fortress had clearly proven its solidity.

Nevertheless, the Urada count's troops did not retreat.

They were gathering again, and all around the signs of preparing for a siege could be seen.

While Russell was watching the Urada camp.

Ross Hader came up to the fortress wall.

"Is it quiet?"

"The Urada count seems to have staked everything on this battle. Their troops are increasing again."

"What sort of deal has Grand Duke Syren made that caused the count's house to do something so reckless? I know their situation is quite dire."

"He must have threatened him to step down as lord, and then promised one last chance."

"I've heard that the drought of the last twenty years left the count's house heavily in debt."

"The Urada count must see war as the only way to save the territory. When the grand duke offered the deal, he must have accepted right away."

"So the count prepared for war?"

"So it seems. Whether the target was always us, or another territory, I don't know."

Ross Hader gave a bitter laugh.

"In the end, whether we die this way or that, it's the same, so he made his move. They were already preparing for war after all."

The knights lined up along the wall silently stared at the enemy camp. Most were thinking the same thing.

'What crime do these soldiers have, that they must be dragged into this reckless war?'

But a thought was only that—a thought. Even if those men could become the Hader house's troops someday, for now, they were the enemy to defeat.

Ross Hader said,

"Count Urke sent a letter promising reinforcements, but I've delayed replying. There'll probably be an issue about compensation for deaths afterward."

"I agree. We can defend well enough on our own. Otherwise, we'll just lose more innocent soldiers."

"The problem is the Sword of Light."

Russell was worried about what other hand the grand duke might play. He had no way of predicting what it was.

"It doesn't look like they'll move right away, so try to get some rest. You haven't slept for three days."

"I suppose I should."

Ross Hader left the wall.

Soon after, Russell spoke up.

"By the end of today, they'll have reinforcements. The next assault is likely to be at dawn tomorrow. Everyone hold your positions for the defense. And as we discussed this morning, the strike squad will execute another surprise attack."

"Understood."

"That's all."

Commander Russell also went down from the wall. The Dran Urald and the Elin brother and sister, were waiting.

Urald asked,

"I just heard from the head of house. Isn't there any sign they'll retreat?"

"They'll attack again. We can defend the fortress, so please tell Young Lady Rozie not to worry."

Urald spoke again,

"I trust you'll handle things, commander, but something bothers me."

"What is it?"

"If they know capturing this castle is difficult and don't retreat, it means they have another move."

"Is there something you're worrying about?"

"The Syren family."

"If the Sword of Light arrives, it will be very dangerous, but the odds are low. If it's something else, we can stop it."

At that, Bellen spoke.

"There's a knight in the Syren family who fought Young Master Roger to a draw. Lok and I witnessed him."

"I've heard too. They have a guest warrior."

"What do we do if such a man comes?"

"We'll have no choice. The strike squad and I will have to stop him."

"But that's too dangerous..."

Russell did not think there would be another such guest warrior in the Syren family.

The grand duke wouldn't send his captain of the guard, so whatever move he made would rival the Sword of Light.

"You two help us a bit. Hide in the watchtower, Bellen sends out position signals, and Lok fires arrows. That will give us a chance to win."

"Of course, commander."

Lok smiled energetically.

Urald still looked at Russell with a worried expression.

"Keep every possibility in mind. Something unexpected could appear."

Russell nodded silently and walked on.

He had received a detailed report on what had happened in the capital and on the Syren family's true power.

According to the report: this war was the Syren house's retaliation, and all the strategies they could deploy were already in play except the Sword of Light.

The only thing left was the empire's special force. But there was no justification to mobilize regulars in this war.

Commander Russell's worries grew deeper.

If he could not predict it, he could not prepare.

Time passed, and night fell.

Russell and the strike squad held their final strategy meeting.

"We attack the Syren family's knights' barracks and retreat immediately. No matter how strong they are, they can't cut through our armor with a single blow. So, if Buffers boosts our combat power and no one is fatally wounded, we can win."

"Of course we'll win!"

"Are you ready?"

The strike squad nodded.

Just as Commander Russell was about to steel himself—

Someone rushed in urgently.

"A strange phenomenon has occurred!"

"A strange phenomenon?"

"I don't know what it is!"

Russell rushed out of the meeting room, the strike squad close behind.

For a strange phenomenon to occur just as he was about to launch a surprise attack—this was poor timing.

Russell dashed up to the fortress wall and looked out at the field.

Over the enemy's camp, aglow with bonfires, a mysterious light was shimmering in the air.

It looked as if light rising from the ground coalesced into a small orb in the sky.

The knights waited only for Commander Russell's reaction.

He didn't recognize it at first either, but soon understood when he saw the robes of those under the light cluster.

"Order everyone to take the bombs down."

"Move the bombs!"

"Everyone, get down! Hurry!"

"What on earth is that!"

Russell muttered,

"Mage."

"Excuse me?"

"All knights, get below the wall and prepare for a flame explosion! A huge fireball will strike the wall!"

The knights hurriedly began moving the bombs away.

Russell remained, watching the wall.

At the same time, he activated a large light shield—a defensive barrier formed by elementals, the Defender's shield, famed for its high magic resistance.

"Commander! Come down!"

"I have to confirm something!"

Russell looked with grim determination at the opposite side of the barracks.

The crimson sphere was burning fiercely, as if about to engulf everything around it.

'Please, hold out!'

Commander Russell knew that regular arrows could not penetrate his shield's magic resistance.

But he also knew the shield could not last long due to the high mana cost.

There were ten mages summoning fireballs.

They belonged to the imperial special force—ones who should never have been deployed here.

Then, at some moment.

The fiery mass started to tremble.

Then shot forth like a comet.

"Get away from the gate!"

"Commander!"

KWAEEEEEE—

A huge fireball flew at the fortress wall with terrifying speed.

At the same time, Russell gritted his teeth and amplified the shield of light to its utmost.

KRASH-BOOOOM—

With a tremendous explosion, Russell was flung backwards.

The impact was great, but since he didn't lose consciousness, he immediately looked up at the sky.

Flames shot into the air, and a rain of overwhelming fire fell.

Russell leapt over the wall that had become a sea of flames in an instant.

"Is the castle gate all right!"

"Fire has caught on the outside!"

"Put it out! Move, quickly!"

The fire atop the wall was soon extinguished, but flames were spreading at the gate. Thanks to the falling fire, blazes had begun to break out inside the fortress as well.

SWOOOSH—

Russell looked back at the enemy camp.

This time, ten small fireballs were flying in.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—

Russell quickly deployed his shield and blocked the fireballs flying toward him.

Flames burst and spread, but their power was far less than before.

The problem was the continued fire magic attacks. Unlike flaming arrows, fireballs exploded and could set off the bombs below the wall all at once.

"They're rushing us!"

UOOOOOH—

Urada's forces began their charge. The mages lined up at the rear relentlessly fired off waves of fireballs.

Russell quickly assessed the situation.

If they couldn't stop them with cannon fire, the enemy would eventually climb the wall.

Rather than being pushed into close combat inside the fortress, it would be better to scatter the enemy outside.

"Knights' order, stand by at the main gate!"

"Form up at the main gate!"

"Form into squads!"

"Move quickly! Quickly!"

Russell hurried down from the fortress wall.

The Hader family's knights were already waiting at the gate. All wore faces resolved to die.

Ross Hader and four guardian knights. Urald and Wundbark also rushed to the gate with weapons in hand.

Ross Hader said,

"Leave the castle to us."

"Yes, my lord."

Then Russell called out to the men.

"No one is to die! If everyone does their part, we will surely win!"

"Of course!"

"Open the gate!"

CLAAAANG—

The second gate, built of iron bars, rose quickly. The burning main gate also began to rise.

Russell stood in front of the knights.

The Urada house's forces had already rushed to within a mere hundred paces.

As the gate opened, they ran even faster.

"Let's go!"

"Let's have at it!"

"Close the gate!"

Russell and the Hader knight order charged out through the gate. At the same time, Urada's forces surged in from all directions like a tide.