Battle of Jianmen Fortress

Ronan's first night in the forest passed uneventfully. When he woke, the campfire had long since died down, leaving only a pile of ashes. He stood up, stretched, and moved his stiff limbs, stiff from sleeping in his armor.

Ronan packed up his tent and continued his journey. He didn't know the way, so he relied on his compass, heading due north. Ravenwood Forest's northern border was the Holy Cross Kingdom, and by heading north, he was sure to eventually find his way out.

The forest was dim even during the day, as the canopy of the towering trees mostly blocked out the sky. Only scattered rays of sunlight managed to filter through the gaps in the leaves. Ronan walked cautiously, compass in one hand and his other resting on the hilt of the knife at his waist. His hunting bow was slung across his back.

"Whoosh!" An arrow struck a running rabbit, the powerful impact pinning it to the ground. Ronan walked over, pulled out the arrow, and picked up the rabbit. He casually put the arrow back in his backpack and prepared to start a fire on the spot to roast the rabbit.

This was the third wild animal Ronan had killed. For some reason, there weren't many wild animals here. After walking for half the day, Ronan had only encountered this rabbit and two unidentified birds earlier. Those two birds were about the size of ducks and had flown over his head. Ronan hadn't hesitated, drawing his bow and shooting them down. After a quick preparation, he'd tossed them into his backpack to be his dinner. Ronan had also discovered that items in his backpack wouldn't spoil, but he couldn't put live creatures in it.

Just as Ronan was happily roasting the rabbit, Amuda's pursuit team had also reached the edge of Ravenwood Forest. They frowned as they looked at the dense bushes surrounding the forest, forcing them to tie up their horses nearby. Like Ronan, they began hacking their way through branches with their knives, struggling to follow his tracks.

Meanwhile, about a kilometer in front of Jianmen Fortress in Rocky Valley, the Eagle Kingdom's army had set up camp. Smoke rose from the cooking fires. Inside the main hall of Jianmen Fortress, five nobles dressed in luxurious silk robes were holding a meeting around a long conference table.

"According to scouts, the Eagle Kingdom's contingent is led by the Wolf Clan's chieftain, Mukai Wolf. Accompanying him are several smaller tribes, including the Furious Dragon Orcs, Bloodfang Orcs, and the Brown Bear Clan.

The enemy has a total of about fifteen thousand troops. While most are hastily conscripted herders, the Eagle people are nomadic and fierce. Furthermore, the orcs are physically strong and wild. The Berserkers of the Furious Dragon Orcs are warriors who can fight ten men at once.

And they are still sending reinforcements. Our side, including the defeated nobles who fled here, numbers less than eight thousand, with fewer than three thousand professional soldiers. The situation is not optimistic," said a noble in a purple robe, sitting to the left of the main seat.

"Baron Bowen is correct. The enemy numbers roughly double our own. Although we have the advantage of terrain and dozens of powerful knights stationed within the castle, we cannot afford to be careless.

Jianmen Fortress is our country's most important barrier against the Eagle Kingdom. Beyond the fortress lies a vast plain. Once the city falls, the Eagle Kingdom will march straight into our heartland. We must hold it.

Baron Bowen, continue to monitor the enemy's movements. Viscount John, gather the soldiers and prepare for defense. The enemy is likely to attack tonight or at dawn tomorrow. Baron Holly, take a few guards and quickly head to Grand Duke Tali's territory in the rear to seek assistance. Baron Borg, return directly to the capital to report to His Majesty. Meeting adjourned!" Count Zack Blackthorn, seated at the main seat, declared.

As the nobles departed to carry out their tasks, the hall fell silent once more.

Contrary to Count Zack's expectations, Mukai did not wait. About an hour after they finished eating, he ordered his troops to move. The strong orcs donned simple armor, picked up wooden shields, and dozens of them carried siege ladders. Behind them were mixed groups of humans and orcs for scaling the walls and archers.

The Eagle Kingdom has scarce iron ore, so most of their soldiers' armor is made of leather. Only some elite soldiers and officers can wear iron chainmail. This is why they are so eager for the mineral-rich Gaoling region and attack it almost every few years. However, Jianmen Fortress has never been breached.

On the city walls, the defenders of Jianmen Fortress had alsoarrayed themselves and were ready for battle. Leading them was Viscount John, clad in full plate armor, and an extremely tall knight, who stood nearly seven and a half feet tall, half a head taller than the soldiers around him. He wore a cylindrical helmet with a lowered visor full of holes. His upper body was covered in heavy silver plate armor, while his lower body had a silver tassets and greaves, with chainmail protecting the joints. Fully armored, he looked like a walking tin can. A deep red cloak, emblazoned with a pattern of two crossed battle axes, was draped behind him, and his armor was covered with a cloth shirt bearing the same crest, likely his family emblem.

In his hands, he held a poleaxe longer than his own height. The end of the axe handle had a large counterweight ball with spikes, and the axe head featured a large blade on one side, a spike on the other, and a spear tip on top. He stood leaning on his weapon, like a mountain, exuding an oppressive aura, embodying the spirit of "one man against ten thousand."

The Eagle Kingdom's siege force had assembled and stopped about three hundred meters in front of Jianmen Fortress. Leading them was Mukai Wolf. At his command, the army began to move slowly, then started to jog, their speed increasing. The defending troops' arrow volleys descended upon them.

Gaoling primarily relied on cavalry supporting infantry, with no specialized archer units. These archers were mostly auxiliary troops and hastily conscripted farmers, whose aim was rather poor. They had a negligible impact on the Eagle Kingdom's siege force. Instead, as the Eagle siege force closed in, their archers inflicted some casualties on the defenders.

Seeing that the archers were not very effective, John immediately ordered them to retreat and replace them with long spears and shields at the battlements to prepare for defense. John also led over a dozen knights, clad in full armor and wielding various weapons, scattered across the city walls to direct the battle.

As the siege ladders were placed against the city walls, the brutal wall-scaling battle began. The leading orc soldiers, shield in one hand and the other climbing the ladder, were met by soldiers below who held the ladder steady, preventing the defenders from pushing it over.

Soldiers on the ladders were constantly hit by stones and other heavy objects thrown from above, falling off. Those who miraculously survived landed on the ground, groaning in pain. Other soldiers dragged them to the rear before continuing their ascent. Although most soldiers were speared off the walls by the defenders just as they were about to reach the top, some of the Furious Dragon Orc Berserkers among them managed to charge onto the walls and engage the surrounding soldiers in fierce combat.

They let out earth-shattering roars, their skin flushed crimson, their eyes bloodshot. They wore simple leather armor that only protected their torsos and wielded crude spiked clubs, great axes, and other weapons. With a single blow, they sent soldiers flying, shield and all, with some wooden shields shattering completely, killing the soldiers behind them instantly.