The Lord's Rescue

Fortunately, this section of the city wall is relatively low, and the soil below it is relatively soft after days of rain.

Wearing heavy full plate armor, Roderick landed heavily on his back with a dull thud.

The immense impact felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and a sharp pain and dizziness instantly overwhelmed him, almost causing him to faint.

But the sturdy armor did play a crucial protective role, absorbing most of the impact. Apart from excruciating pain and a temporary feeling of suffocation, he did not suffer any fractures or serious internal injuries.

The goblin wrapped around his head was thrown off during the fall and landed on the ground several meters away.

Because it was very light and landed nimbly, it rolled over and quickly got up, seemingly without any serious injury.

The ferocious goblin shook its head, its scarlet eyes immediately locking onto the clumsy Roderick was lying on the ground struggling to get up.

It let out a sharp hiss, bared its fangs again, and pounced forward, its target the vulnerable neck where Roderick's helmet and breastplate connected!

Roderick watched helplessly as the goblin pounced on him. He tried to roll over and dodge, but the heavy armor and the excruciating pain in his body made his movements incredibly slow. He could only watch in despair as the goblin attacked him!

At this critical moment!

A flash of cold light, like lightning, struck from the side!

"Pfft!"

A sharp longsword, precise and ruthless, pierced through the goblin's thin body from top to bottom, pinning it firmly to the ground!

The goblin let out a short, piercing scream, its limbs twitched a few times, and then it stopped moving.

Still shaken, Roderick struggled to lift his head and looked up at the blood-stained longsword.

Lord Karl had arrived unnoticed. He stood to the side, his face grim, stepping on the goblin's corpse and forcefully pulling his longsword from it.

"Can you still move?" Karl's voice was short and forceful.

"Yes... yes, sir!" Roderick gritted his teeth and answered, enduring the excruciating pain and dizziness that felt like his body was falling apart.

The relief of surviving the ordeal and the gratitude for the Lord's personal rescue brought a lump to the throat of this tough man.

Without saying a word, Karl immediately bent down and used both hands to support Roderick at the junction of his armpits and arm armor, helping Roderick up from the muddy ground and letting him sit against a section of broken wall foundation.

The full plate armor was extremely heavy; even for Karl, lifting up a wounded strongman was quite a struggle.

"Thank you, sir!" Roderick gasped for breath, feeling a bit better.

He instinctively tried to struggle to his feet, his gaze anxiously fixed on the city walls where the sounds of battle raged. "I... I have to go back! My place can't be empty!"

"No need!" Karl pressed down on his shoulder, his tone resolute.

He raised his hand and pointed towards the stone steps leading to the top of the city wall.

There, a squad of soldiers, already fully armed and carrying shields and longswords, silently and swiftly filed up the steps!

They moved nimbly and had sharp eyes; they were Carnford's most elite veteran reserve!

They had clearly been waiting below for a long time, and now, like precise gears, they immediately filled the gap in the defenses created by Roderick's fall, and once again engaged in fierce combat with the monsters at the ramparts!

After a brief period of turbulence, the defensive line on the city wall quickly regained its stability.

"Look, the defenses are very solid." Karl turned to look at Roderick, his tone softening. "Roderick, you've completed your mission, and done it very well. Now, your task is to recover your strength and prepare for the next battle."

He reached out and helped Roderick unfasten the buckle, removing the helmet that Gobli had scratched and bruised.

Fresh air rushed in, and Roderick took a few greedy breaths before his wildly beating heart calmed down a little.

Karl didn't say anything more, just patted Roderick's shoulder armor hard, then turned and left. Behind him came Roderick's hoarse voice of thanks, but he had no time to respond.

He strode through the chaotic area beneath the city walls and arrived at a relatively secluded gathering place at the foot of the inner city wall.

Lyon was waiting there, his fifty cavalrymen were all ready, men and horses fully armed, their hooves pawing restlessly, puffing out puffs of white steam, the air thick with the tension and grim atmosphere before the great battle.

Karl's gaze swept over the sluggish, will-bound defenders on the city wall, and he said to Lyon in a grave tone, "The soldiers are under too much pressure, their strength is nearing its limit! Lyon, your cavalry must be deployed! We need to relieve the pressure on our brothers on the wall and buy time for a rotation!"

He quickly issued the order, "Listen, the city gates will open soon. I'll have the Musketeers fire a volley at the gate to clear the area and create space for your cavalry to charge. Then you all rush out immediately and fight your way along the outer walls to disrupt the monsters' attack rhythm!"

"Remember, this is harassment, not a decisive battle! After one round of attacks, immediately retreat back into the city. Do not linger! Understand?"

Lyon's eyes sharpened, and he nodded emphatically. "Understood, sir!"

Without any hesitation, he immediately turned around and rushed towards the area where the cavalry were gathered inside the city wall, shouting orders to prepare for the attack.

Karl took a deep breath, put the whistle in his mouth again, and blew out a series of specific rhythms.

This is the signal to call in the reserve forces.

Soon, about one hundred Musketeers who had just retreated to the city wall to rest and were busy loading ammunition, along with two militia platoons, totaling sixty men, arrived.

Although they looked tired and a little flustered, the well-trained men quickly assembled behind the city gate.

Without needing many orders, the Musketeers, led by their officers, quickly formed a classic three-row formation: the First Platoon kneeling, the Second Platoon crouching, and the Third Platoon standing, their guns all pointed at the tightly closed city gate.

Two militia platoons, under Karl's command, quickly lined up on both sides of the inner side of the city gate.

Although these militiamen were not as well-equipped as the regular army, they had undergone rigorous training, and although their faces showed tension, their eyes revealed a resolute determination.

Karl stood in front of the two groups of men, his voice clear and stern, piercing through the shouts of battle outside the city gate, "Listen up! You have only one task: once Captain Lyon's cavalry has charged out, immediately form a defensive formation and block the city gate!"

"Swordsmen and Shieldbearers in front, hold your shields tight! Spearmen behind, stab through the gaps in the shields! Seal the breach! Don't let a single monster get in during the chaos!"

Karl's sharp gaze swept across each face, his tone becoming more emphasizing. "But listen up! When I give the order again, you must immediately spread out to the sides, clearing a path for our cavalry to return home! Anyone who is even a step too slow, delaying the cavalry's return to the city, or letting in monsters, will be court-martialed! Understand?"

"Understood, sir!" sixty voices roared in unison.

Karl immediately walked to the Musketeers and roared in a hoarse but exceptionally clear voice, "Listen up! The moment the city gates open and I sound the whistle, fire a volley at the gates! Then, regardless of the outcome, immediately spread out to the sides and clear the central passage! Be quick! The cavalry is right behind you! If you die in a collision, it's for nothing! Do you understand?"

"Understood, sir!" the Musketeers shouted in unison, gripping their muskets tightly and staring intently at the city gate.

"Action!" Karl commanded.