Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 281 - 281 141 Changes in the Situation_2

281: Chapter 141: Changes in the Situation_2 281: Chapter 141: Changes in the Situation_2 The enemy had never imagined they would be attacked so suddenly—without warning or any signs—by an immense army that seemed to have descended from the sky.

All of Farolis’ plans for a siege were rendered unnecessary; it only took a tentative move to capture the gates, and then the expansive city fell.

Having sealed off all of Archers’ city gates, Eriv only dispatched three hundred-man units to surround the last high ground stronghold held by the enemy, without intending to launch a direct assault.

Rather than wasting his precious warriors, he needed his forces to swiftly capture the key villages and strongholds in the surrounding areas.

As for the enemy huddled in the Lord’s castle, time would defeat them once he solidified his hold on the Glade County territory.

Once the stronghold ran out of food, the former Lord’s family would desperately come begging for surrender.

Having quelled the brief chaos within Archers Castle, the Farolis Army restored order.

It took several days for the logistical support teams to move from the forest encampment into the city.

Now in possession of the massive supplies and wealth stored within the city, Eriv’s burden lightened considerably.

He divided his 4,000 troops into two groups: one to maintain stability within the city and the blockade of the inner fortress; the other spread out swiftly to occupy the entire Glade County.

Without significant resistance, the ferocious army easily swept through most of the surrounding villages, which were bereft of manpower.

In the short time before the Glade lords could learn of and respond to this invasion, the land had in essence changed hands.

…The great feat was accomplished.

Eriv knew it was time to come clean with the inside, to seek allies quickly.

Once the Glade Army, which had been deprived of its territory, received the news and gathered reinforcements to return, Farolis alone could not retain such victories.

Fortunately, the plan went unexpectedly smoothly, leaving plenty of time for the Thorny Flower Family.

Eriv couldn’t help fantasizing for a moment—if only his father had been so lucky as to have the Cursed Land disappear, providing a retreat to the South.

His family could have sought refuge with the Kantadar Kingdom and would not have fallen to their current plight.

With a self-mocking smile, he set aside these treasonous thoughts and recalled the letters he had received from the Thorny Flower Territory over the past few days.

There was a military dispatch from the Selva supply camp officer, reporting that Knight Leon, on March 22nd, led two hundred troops in Longka to a resounding victory against a thousand troops from the Wolf Domain, capturing the eldest son of Baron Gunnar.

There was also a report from Tagas Knight that on the evening of March 24th, Adelina had endured another assassination attempt.

Luckily, they were well-prepared, and a so-called foreign Ranger Knight thwarted the assassin’s scheme without alarming his wife.

Finally, there was a letter from Leon himself, with a more detailed description of both incidents.

Thinking of the intent to assassinate his wife and the clearer speculation in Leon’s letter, Baron Thorny Flower grew contemplative.

“The Atiyas people…

what exactly are you trying to accomplish?”

He knew little of this strange and unheard-of land and could not yet deduce the motives for foreign forces to travel vast distances to the Western Continent.

Why assist Kantadar and meddle with nobles like himself from Orland?

What could the Kantadar people offer that Orland could not?

With sparse intelligence, Eriv could only speculate.

He set aside the issue for the moment and reflected on the battle at Longka as described by Leon, feeling proud of the boy’s honesty.

The army, counting seven hundred troops including the forces stationed with Aiken, even if inflated to a defeat of a thousand, what harm would there be in exaggerating military achievements?

But whether it was seven hundred or a thousand, the boy had exceeded his duty, not only protecting the Thorny Flower Territory but also teaching the Wolf Family a harsh lesson.

Thinking of his arch-enemy’s son, who had shone so brightly on the Mamor frontline, now captured by his own vassal, Eriv’s face couldn’t hide his smug pride.

He sincerely hoped that Gunnar would personally come to redeem Canis.

Then, he would relish the chance to see the wonderful expression on his face.

But soon after, Eriv became somewhat troubled—he was increasingly uncertain about how best to reward the young Square Banner Knight.

Every time he felt that he had granted enough favors to the other party, it seemed that after a while, they would once again provide a service that surpassed the rewards given.

It seemed his original idea still had to change; relying solely on a baron title and that land was still too slight, unable to match the help this child had provided him.

His future was immeasurable, and if he wanted him to serve Thorny Flower for a long time, he could not be stingy.

The so-called oath of loyalty only had binding power when sufficient return was provided, whether dealing with sincere individuals or despicable scoundrels, this applied equally.

He returned to the barracks, ordered Balfe to lead the troops to garrison Archers Castle, and then selected a hundred-man squad from both the heavy cavalry and the light cavalry to accompany him as he set off back to Orland Territory.

Whether it was making public the situation in Nightmare Forest or quickly resolving the dispute with the Wolf Family, in the end, he had to go back and deal with it himself, his reliable little knight had already done his best.

…

Central Mamor County.

The reinforcement troops from Kantadar still could not break through the Orland Army’s hold on the strategic passes and come to the aid of the city under siege.

Having endured until this point, the city could hold out no longer; otherwise, the defensive army, depleted of ammunition and food, would only be left with the option of resorting to cannibalism.

The soldiers were one matter, but sensing no hope of reinforcement, the nobles within the city ultimately still had to maintain their dignity.

General Trosa and the envoys of the enemy nobility formally signed the document promising the basic conditions, immediately accepting their offer to open the gates and surrender.

A siege that lasted four to five months came to an end, declaring Mamor as a new county under the Northern Kingdom.

And the Orland Army hardly wasted many lives against its towering and solid walls.

If Leon were here, he might wonder why there was no grand siege warfare from start to finish like in the films and television of his previous life.

During the months, the most intense battles were just occasional launches of siege engines against the city walls and neighborhoods, as well as small-scale attempts by the city’s troops to break out.

Bloodbaths like Rolannar, where nearly a hundred thousand warriors fought and tens of thousands of residents suffered casualties, were ultimately not the norm for wars in this era.

After accommodating the surrendered troops, the Kingmaker led the mighty Orland Army into the city, which had suffered from the siege.

Because the surrender was timely, the city was not overwhelmed with starved corpses.

With the army stationed within, Trosa and his generals began to survey the map before them.

Being able to capture the territory of a county at such a small cost would likely please both King Lydwen and the Gray Robe Valley lords summoned to the campaign.

And with this southern campaign, the Northern Kingdom also fulfilled its friendship with Seryan.

Since nearly half a year ago, when the Capital received news that the King of Kantadar had amassed a large army with its spearhead pointing directly at Seryan, in order to apply pressure to the significant mobilization of Kantadar, there came the order for him to lead the troops in a southern campaign.

It was just unexpected that Rolannar City, standing unbroken for a millennium, would fall so swiftly.

If it wasn’t for recent news that the eastward invading army of Kantadar had suffered an unexpected setback, with the King of Aviut apparently retreating from Seryan territory, he almost believed that the ancient kingdom enshrining the Holy Prophet would be lost…

Was it the Holy Court Kingdom Dinexion that extended a helping hand to Seryan?

Trosa knew that unlike the Northern Kingdom, which was involved due to kinship with Ferlu, as a kingdom under the rule of the Holy Sun Church, they were actual allies; perhaps it was their troops who had repelled the Kantadar offensive.

For the moment putting aside his confusion over the distant situation in Seryan, Trosa turned his attention back to Orland’s lands.

The recent sudden dispute between those two noble houses in Kosos County puzzled him, but now, he finally had the time to handle this baffling conflict.

As the largest lord of Gray Robe Valley and a senior minister to the King, only he could arbitrate and mediate the matter.

During his contemplation, Earl Trosa looked up with interest at the Northern Wizard who had volunteered to investigate the accusations: “What exactly sparked the clash between the two houses?

Master Meit, since you witnessed the process, tell me in detail how the fully-grown wolf of the Gunnar Family ended up in the hands of the Little Griffin of the Thorny Flower Family?”