Chapter 118: Counterattack

As time slowly passed, beneath the gaze of countless eyes, a year slipped by before anyone realized it had been a year since the battle beneath Adis City.

At dawn, as the sun gradually rose, yet another assault on the city began.

“Quickly! Bring the shields forward!”

A rough voice shattered the silence of the wilderness.

Across the open battlefield, officers supervised the fighting from the front, shouting orders as wave after wave of soldiers advanced.

As they drew closer and closer to the walls of Adis City, the sharp whistle of blades cutting through the air gradually reached them.

“Ah…”

One soldier after another was struck by arrows and cried out in agony. Yet the soldiers around them merely raised their shields with numb expressions, blocking the arrows raining down from above as though they had seen nothing.

It seemed that, over the course of the past year, the Royal Court’s forces had grown accustomed to this rhythm. Under the relentless strikes of the heavy crossbows mounted upon the walls, some marksmen even raised their bows and fired toward the battlements, inflicting countless casualties in turn.

All this was merely the prelude.

Once the true siege began and soldiers from both sides came into close contact, flesh and blood became intertwined with the magnificent walls, staining the newly built city with a touch of carnage.

The assault continued without pause. Only when a horn sounded from the rear did the knights commanding the front slowly turn around, gradually withdrawing the soldiers who had charged into battle.

“Alas… Have we failed again?”

The voice came from inside a great tent.

An aged king wearing a crown gazed at the walls that still stood before him. His eyes held helplessness, along with the faintest trace of exhaustion.

For an old man, this life on campaign was exceedingly difficult. Even in a world where battle aura granted extraordinary power, and where nobles possessed bodies far stronger than ordinary men, there were still limits.

He lifted his head and gazed at the distant walls, at the specks of blood staining them. Unable to restrain himself, he sighed.

“What a magnificent city. Its defenses are scarcely inferior to those of the imperial capital.”

He sighed softly, his voice filled with countless unspoken frustrations.

Over the past year, he had launched countless attacks against those walls. Yet every time, the towering ramparts ahead seemed utterly impregnable. Though they had shaken at times, there had never been any sign that they would truly fall.

After such a prolonged stalemate, the Royal Court, which had originally been the attacking side, had instead found itself in an extremely awkward position.

“Father, we received some news from the rear. Our provisions have once again been raided by the enemy’s knights. Every last grain has been burned.”

A familiar voice came from outside the great tent. Harlan then entered, his face worn by wind and dust, exhaustion evident in his eyes as well.

“How many times has that happened this month?” the king asked with a frown.

Harlan could only offer a bitter smile.

“Father, our food supplies are nearly exhausted.”

“If this stalemate continues, I fear we will be the first to collapse.”

There was hesitation in his expression as he looked at the king before him and spoke slowly, as though afraid of provoking his anger.

Yet the king did not rebuke him as Harlan had expected.

He merely walked out of the tent in silence. As he sighed, he seemed to grow older by several years.

The moment he stepped outside, the fresh air of the wilderness washed over him, jolting his spirits and seeming to clear his thoughts.

“Ancestors… Why have you still not given your descendants any guidance?”

He thought this inwardly, an ominous premonition taking shape within him.

“Could it be that the enemy is so powerful that even you cannot overcome them?”

His gaze fell upon the distant banners embroidered with divine emblems, and so he wondered.

Behind him, Harlan followed in silence, saying nothing.

“Harlan, do you think we can capture this city?”

The king suddenly spoke.

Harlan was taken aback. After a moment, he answered, “I fear our hopes are already slim.”

“They have concentrated almost all the forces of the Northern Region along several crucial defensive lines. Our own troops, meanwhile, have been scattered across the vast Northern Region to ensure the supply of provisions. We have been unable to gather enough strength to launch a decisive siege.”

“Within their own ranks, there are many nobles inclined toward our side. But after our repeated failures and the prolonged stalemate beneath Adis City, they no longer dare to step forward.”

With that, he abruptly fell to his knees before the king.

“Father, please withdraw the army!”

“After fighting this war for so long, our provisions are nearly gone. In the rear, the knights of the Duchy of Adis are using the terrain to launch constant attacks against our supply lines. In the Southern and Central Regions, our prolonged mobilization has placed an enormous burden upon the territories. It seems that rebels have already begun to rise.”

“If this continues, we will be the first to break!”

Listening to his plea, the king shook his head, appearing both helpless and unwilling to yield.

He understood that the enemy’s situation was hardly any better. Fires were breaking out throughout their rear as well. Yet compared with continuing to endure here, there was already little meaning left in their struggle.

“Harlan, do you know something?”

At last, the king spoke calmly.

“If we retreat this time, we will lose the best opportunity to eliminate the Duchy of Adis. After that, our two nations will inevitably become locked in a prolonged struggle of attrition.”

“I am already old. I fear I will not live to see the end. From then on, everything will depend on you.”

This was almost a last entrustment before death.

Harlan immediately fell to his knees. Grief surged within him, but at the same time, he could not suppress a trace of joy.

After all, as the ruler of the Royal Court, the old king naturally had more than one child. Among them were countless heirs of outstanding talent and powerful backgrounds. Until the very end, Harlan had never dared assume that he would be chosen as his father’s successor.

“Withdraw.”

In the end, the king sighed softly and issued the order.

They had entered the region with ease, but withdrawing would not be nearly so simple.

The Northern Region was vast and sparsely inhabited. Most areas were rugged and treacherous, making passage nearly impossible. Moreover, the Duchy of Adis would never allow them to leave so easily.

Thus, that night, under cover of darkness, the king led the main force away first, leaving a number of men behind to create the illusion that the siege was continuing.

What they did not know was that the moment they departed, the countless beasts lurking throughout the surrounding wilderness detected their movement.

To nature priests, who could communicate with the natural world, every beast in the vicinity was a potential companion. Their concealment was therefore utterly meaningless.

“They have begun their retreat?”

Adis spoke softly as he read the intelligence delivered by his subordinate, though he was not surprised in the slightest.

After all, at this stage of the war, if the Royal Court continued to waste away here, it would ultimately be dragged into ruin. A decisive withdrawal was only natural.

“Still, they probably never imagined that their movements would be exposed so quickly.”

He shook his head.

After such a long confrontation, the enemy had vaguely guessed that Adis possessed some means of reconnaissance.

But even if they had suspicions, without confirmation they could never have imagined that their retreat would be discovered so swiftly—on the very day it began.

“Send word. Have Nadir and the others make preparations. We march out of the city tonight.”

Adis gave the order. A faint chill gradually appeared in his eyes, carrying a hint of bloodlust.

At the same time, the crimson strands of slaughter divinity within his body began to boil, as though yearning for bloodshed.

…

That night, it seemed even the heavens favored them. The moon was obscured by thick black clouds.

Amid the profound silence, countless armored knights moved forward soundlessly, leading their mounts by the reins.

In the distance, a brightly lit military camp gradually emerged.

Seen from afar, the camp was ablaze with lanterns. Figures moved constantly within it, making everything appear exactly as it had before—a convincing deception.

Yet when Nadir saw it, he merely gave a cold laugh.

“They’ve made it look rather convincing.”

Carter hurried up beside him.

“Nadir, we can’t get any closer.”

“If we advance further, we’ll easily be discovered.”

Nadir turned back, surveyed the surroundings, and nodded.

“This is far enough.”

“Have our knights mount up. We charge from here.”

At his command, the silent warriors mounted their steeds and began to accelerate gradually.

As they crossed the distance that had kept them concealed, the enemy began to detect their presence.

Strictly speaking, however, by then it was usually too late.

Knights moved swiftly, especially after receiving the blessings of priestly divine arts. The brief interval gained by discovering them in advance was of little use; there was simply no time to organize an effective response.

“What was that sound?”

At the front of the camp, a soldier asked in confusion, turning to his companion.

His companion frowned and listened carefully.

“Not good! It’s the knights!”

The two men cried out simultaneously as the enormous formation of cavalry gradually emerged in the distance. Terror filled their eyes.

A storm of arrows, imbued with priestly divine arts, flew through the air.

Fireballs shot in every direction, trailing sparks as they ignited the surroundings.

Flames spread in all directions.

Amid the chaos, several officers awoke and brought their own tribesmen forward to resist. Yet all of them fell beneath the charge of the knights.

Nadir watched the scene calmly.

Strictly speaking, the commander of this camp had performed rather well. Even when confronted by a sudden assault, countless fully armed soldiers still poured forth, resisting the knights without fear of death.

This proved that preparations had been made in advance. They had anticipated the possibility of a surprise attack.

But no matter how well prepared they were, defenses were always far weaker at night than in daylight. They could not withstand the knights led by Nadir. After several charges, their lines collapsed completely.

“As expected, the main camp has already been emptied.”

Nadir gazed at the vacant interior of the camp.

That night, as the battle continued, flames engulfed the military encampment. The enemy collapsed completely, and Nadir seized the camp in a single assault, leaving countless dead and wounded.