Chapter 404

The knight who had arrived belonged to the second corps under Earl Glasgow. Recognizing him, Marquis Rodrick stammered as he asked, disbelief etched across his face.

“My... my castle has been captured? Linderstein fell this quickly?”

Rodrick repeated himself, as if trying to convince himself that what he was hearing wasn’t true. The knight, looking somber, confirmed the devastating news.

“Yes, Linderstein has been captured by the Count of Fenris. The defending forces have been annihilated.”

“But I left twenty thousand troops there! What about the second corps? Earl Glasgow’s forces should have arrived, shouldn’t they?”

“Our second corps...” the knight hesitated, his voice laced with defeat, “...has also been annihilated by the Count of Fenris. Earl Glasgow was captured and executed.”

“Wha—what!?”

Marquis Rodrick let out an inhuman wail and collapsed in his seat.

“Marquis!”

Tenant rushed to his side, helping him back to his feet. The Marquis’s face contorted with rage as he screamed.

“How! How could an army of sixty thousand be destroyed by just ten thousand cavalry? And so quickly! What did they do to take Linderstein this fast?”

His eyes burned with fury as he glared at the messenger.

“Tell me! Who betrayed us? Who opened the gates for them?”

“They... used trebuchets to breach the walls...”

“Trebuchets? That’s absurd! They’re a cavalry force! How could they have trebuchets? It’s impossible to move siege engines that fast to the western front!”

The speed was incomprehensible. If Fenris could truly mobilize siege weapons at such a pace, no stronghold in the region would be safe from their assaults.

“It’s true,” the knight insisted, his voice trembling. “They used trebuchets to breach the walls and overpowered us. We were also struck by the same trebuchets after the castle fell.”

Despite his earnest explanation, the gathered commanders and staff remained skeptical. Even witnessing such events firsthand would have been hard to believe—hearing it secondhand was almost impossible.

Yet, the state of the knight himself—exhausted and battered—lent credence to his story. It was undeniable: Linderstein had fallen, and the second corps had been obliterated.

Marquis Rodrick’s Rage

Marquis Rodrick took a shaky breath and asked, “Then... is the Count of Fenris still at Linderstein?”

“Most likely. They’ve captured a large number of prisoners, so it’s unlikely they’ll leave them behind to move immediately.”

The knight had fled to the north immediately after the defeat and didn’t know the current state of the western front.

Rodrick turned his wrathful gaze to Tenant.

“Tenant! Sixty thousand troops, destroyed by the Count of Fenris! And our main base, occupied! How do you explain this?”

“...”

Tenant had no words. He had been the one to propose the diversionary strategy, after all.

But the outcome was so far beyond reason that even he felt a sense of injustice.

Who could have predicted an army that moved this fast while carrying siege weapons? The situation defied logic, leaving Tenant at a loss for answers.

The Aftermath

“Ugh... useless fools!” Rodrick finally bellowed, venting his frustration.

Including the garrison, they had started with an army of 120,000. Now, only 30,000 soldiers remained.

They had been decimated without even putting up a proper fight.

“And this is supposed to be the strongest army in the west?!”

Rodrick’s outburst silenced everyone.

“Dranesh! What about the mages? Why were they useless in this battle?”

The blame shifted to the mages. Despite having three 6th-circle mages and six 5th-circle mages, they had failed to achieve anything meaningful.

Dranesh, sweating profusely, tried to explain.

“The Fenris forces... they seem to have an exceptionally skilled mage. We were occupied just trying to hold them off...”

“And who exactly is this mage? Are you telling me Fenris has a 7th-circle mage?”

“....”

No one could answer. A 7th-circle mage was akin to a living legend. If Fenris had one, their reputation would have already spread across the entire kingdom.

The Marquis’s retainers were at their wit’s end. Everything felt shrouded in fog—nothing made sense.

“Definitely better than Alfoy,” Wendy mused.

Though Claude and Alfoy were often lumped together and underestimated, Wendy saw the difference. And now that she thought about it, even Claude’s sly appearance was less annoying than Alfoy’s smug demeanor.

Alfoy had certainly performed well in the recent battle, but it was Claude’s overall strategy that turned the tide.

A Boastful Alfoy

As if reading Wendy’s thoughts, Alfoy began to brag.

“Well, what do you think? You saw my skills, right? I’m that good. Imagine how terrifying I’d be if I advanced to the 6th circle. Honestly, it’s so scary I might just stop at 5th circle for everyone’s sake. Should I?”

“Idio—uh, I mean, great job. I always believed in you, bro. After all, we’re the brightest minds in the territory.”

Claude grinned and bumped fists with Alfoy, sharing a rare moment of camaraderie.

Those watching from the sidelines couldn’t hide their incredulous expressions.

“Even these two can succeed sometimes, huh?”

“Living long enough, you see everything.”

“Guess we’ll have to put up with their bragging for a while now.”

Unlike the others, Wendy and Vanessa seemed genuinely pleased. Having taken care of these two troublemakers for so long, seeing them shine brought a unique sense of satisfaction.

The Aftermath

Belinda, wearing an expression like she’d bitten into rotten ginger, coughed awkwardly before addressing Claude.

“Ahem. I didn’t realize you had such talent, Commander.”

“Can you feel the difference in intelligence?” Claude replied smugly.

“...In any case, we’ve won this round...”

“No,” Claude interrupted, crossing his legs with a self-satisfied smirk. “I won this round.”

Why was he so infuriating? Belinda clenched her fists, itching to smack him, but she couldn’t very well punch the commander in front of everyone.

“Fine. So, what now? The enemy’s numbers have been significantly reduced, and it seems likely they’ll retreat since they have no way to breach the fortress.”

The Rodrick army’s siege engines had been abandoned in the mud, unusable. With just 30,000 troops remaining, an attack on the well-fortified Fenris position would be a suicide mission.

Claude’s Next Move

Claude leaned back, thoughtful. “Their next move depends on whether our lord has succeeded in the west or not...”

He ordered the Fenris forces to remain on standby. Their strategy would depend on whether the lord had managed to secure Linderstein.

As they waited, movement began among the Rodrick forces. Some troops split off and scattered in various directions. Seeing this, Claude smiled knowingly.

“So, the lord succeeded, huh?”

One of the other officers, puzzled, asked, “What’s going on? What are they doing?”

“They’re desperate for supplies,” Claude replied nonchalantly. “That kind of urgency means our lord must have taken Linderstein.”

The scattered Rodrick troops were likely attempting to pillage the surrounding area for food and supplies, hoping to force the Fenris forces out of the fortress.

But Fenris had long been prepared for such tactics. The entire population of the region had been relocated to fortresses and strongholds well in advance, leaving no villages to pillage. The land was barren, devoid of targets.

Claude smirked again. “It’s only a matter of time before we hear confirmation. That raven... or whatever it calls itself, should be here soon.”

A Messenger Arrives

Sure enough, a raven landed in front of Claude shortly after.

“Claude, you idiot!”

“....”

“Sorry I’m late! Got lost on the way here. Not my fault, okay? Do I look like a map? Do I just magically know every road?”

“...Fine.”

Everyone was well aware of how insufferable Dark could be. Being a summoned entity, there was no point in punishing him, so they had all learned to tolerate his antics.

After shaking his head in exasperation, Claude asked, “What’s the news from the lord?”

“The Count has taken Linderstein and left someone in charge there. He’ll be returning to the north soon. Oh, and... you killed a lot of them, huh?”

Dark had seen the battlefield littered with bodies. Even without a detailed report, it was obvious Fenris had achieved a decisive victory.

Claude nodded smugly. “Nothing special. Time to finish this. Dark, notify the mercenaries to prepare for the next phase.”

Final Moves

The Rodrick forces were out of options. With their supply lines cut, they had only two choices: find new sources of food and attempt a prolonged campaign, or retreat west to retake Linderstein.

Claude, however, had no intention of letting them succeed in either. His plan was simple: annihilate them entirely in the north.