Location: Muhe Fortress
The fortress walls, though thick, were already stained with blood, and the wasteland below was littered with corpses left unattended after the war.
Carrion-eating monsters emerging from the Black Mountain Range are devouring this feast.
The Holy Sword Legion's camp is encamped on a hilltop far from the fortress, and this is already the third general offensive.
Allen's adjutant, Welch, led the officers into the wartime command room, where he began calculating the next strategic move while looking at the map.
“Earl Allen ordered us to take Wood River Fortress within a month, and now half a month has passed, and the situation is not so optimistic,” Welch said.
"We've taken all the surrounding towns now. The key is Muhe Fortress. We've decimated so many legions, why can't we take it?"
"Sir, we had already breached the North Gate, but a group of rebels suddenly emerged from nearby towns and villages and recaptured it," an officer said.
"Rebels?" Welch frowned. "How did they get into the fortress?"
"From the south gate, sir, our troops at the south gate were just making a feint attack; they didn't have any real fighting power. We didn't expect those country bumpkins to be able to enter the city without being stopped," another officer explained.
"This rebel army has a leader... Ha, how interesting. What kind of fighting power can a group of peasants have?" Welch said with a contemptuous expression.
"Reinforcements from the rear will arrive tomorrow, and this time the reinforcements are three times the size of the previous ones!"
"The church funded this battle, and the legendary angels will protect us! Bullshit rebels! We are the righteous ones! We are approved by the Lord!"
Welch's words inspired the officers: victory was assured! This battle was divinely approved!
"Alright, guys!" Welch grinned cruelly. "Tomorrow, let's crush those thugs!"
...
Inside the walls of Muhe Fortress, many wounded soldiers leaned against a corner in despair, their eyes lifeless.
Some of the lightly wounded continued to stand guard on the city wall with their weapons.
On the streets, the insurgents who came to provide support established urban defenses for street fighting within the fortress.
At the heart of the fortress, thousands of heavily armored soldiers gathered, their armor already showing signs of damage. But the city's blacksmiths had all perished after the enemy's first breach of the city walls.
“Duke Yuri, there’s no need for this. This is our own choice.” A mercenary wielding a two-handed greatsword helped Yuri, who was bowing to him, to his feet.
“I…” the elderly Yuri said with tears in his eyes, “I never imagined that the people who would come to our aid in the end would be… a group of children who weren’t even soldiers.”
Yuri looked at the mercenaries and farmers who had been converted into warriors behind the other party.
Their numbers were enormous, and although their individual combat strength was low, they played a significant role in the previous battles.
Those traps and the communication within the troops were all handled by these mercenaries and soldiers.
The specific situation was too complicated. Not only was Yuri shocked, but the defeated Holy Sword Faction must have been even more bewildered.
“Siss, I think I’ve heard that name before,” Yuri said, looking at Siss.
Inside the conference room at the fortress's central headquarters, the two remained silent. A female scout standing next to Sith was about to say something, but Sith raised her hand to stop her.
"Ah, I remember now, you're the Peace Mercenary Group that you organized a while ago, right?" Yuri looked Sith up and down: "So you're the leader of the mercenary group?"
Sith nodded and said, "A lot happened during this time. The high-ranking mercenary groups joined forces with the city defense forces of various cities to form a volunteer army, while I gathered the people in the towns and villages."
"Now, we are also part of the Volunteer Army, and I, Sith, am also a commander of the Volunteer Army."
Yuri buttoned up his clothes and looked at the falling snowflakes outside. He didn't care about Sith's identity.
My opposition to the Holy Sword Faction stemmed from what my father had told me: the original purpose of the Muhe Fortress was to defend against the monsters in the area and to provide convenience for caravans; it should not be handed over to any force with ulterior motives.
Simply put, they are neutral, but now is the time for the Holy Sword Sect to unify the families, and their statement of neutrality has ignited the flames of war.
"It doesn't matter who it is, as long as we can hold this place... Oh right! Shouldn't we have reinforcements? Has the Volunteer Army sent anyone over?" Yuri excitedly grabbed Sith's hand.
Sith looked at Yuri's old, wrinkled hands and his excited expression, sighed, and shook his head: "There are no reinforcements, only us."
Yuri's expression was indifferent as he leaned back and slumped onto the sofa: "Then we won't be able to hold out here for much longer."
"I originally wanted to launch a counterattack with you and the Volunteer Army behind you, but now it seems that this group of allies is also a coward."
At this point, Sith reached out and grabbed her companions' hands, signaling them to be quiet.
Yuri noticed this scene and said with a wry smile, "I thought you could recognize the significance of Muhe Fortress. From a historical and strategic point of view, this was the turning point in the kingdom's counterattack against the Demon King's army."
"The fortress is like a nail; even with specialized tools, it takes considerable effort to pry it up."
"The fortress is an impenetrable shield when resources are plentiful. You can launch an attack at any time and return to the fortress to recover your strength at any time."
Yuri sighed: "You don't know that the Holy Sword Sect mobilized ten times our forces to take this place, and even under these circumstances, they cautiously destroyed the resource points around the fortress."
"Only by gathering troops here could they barely breach the city gate..."
Sith nodded. He had also raised this issue with the various commanders of the Allied Forces. However, while those guys claimed to be a united army against the Holy Sword Faction, they were not actually united.
They lack true leaders, and strategic decisions are passed down like water falling into stagnant water, receiving no response whatsoever!
"Run, Sith, even if the Allied Forces send reinforcements now, it's too late." Yuri picked up the half-empty bottle on the table, poured himself a small glass, and drank it all in one gulp.
"According to intelligence from my subordinates some time ago, the main force of the Holy Sword Faction has been withdrawn from the Saijing Royal Family front and should be on their way to purge the family's territory."
"Simply put, tomorrow, or perhaps a week from now, endless iron cavalry will crush all forces that oppose Ellen's will."
“Siss, leave this place. Take your men and leave while this calm before the storm is still present.” Yuri said, head bowed, “Tell the Allied commanders…”
"If there is any other way, let's try to salvage it. I hope they can see it as clearly as I can... Allen is no longer the Allen he used to be."
“The Tiran family…” Yuri suddenly raised his head, looking into Sith’s eyes: “They absolutely cannot be handed over to the Sanctuary!”
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