Outside the Castle

It was exceedingly dark on this winter night, with not a single star visible in the sky, and even the moon had once again vanished.

Logan wiped his frost-reddened nose, his gaze fixed solemnly on the enemies advancing towards the city walls below.

These enemies were no longer the conscripted serfs, low in combat power and morale, that they had faced before. Instead, they were regular army soldiers, clad in leather armor, with a few even wearing chainmail hauberks.

While they weren't as well-equipped as Morland Castle's army, half of whom wore full chainmail, it was still impressive. After all, the Moreland Family's armaments were only possible because Reiner had ceased most iron sales.

In Baron Lobean's view, the type of armor soldiers wore wouldn't significantly impact their combat effectiveness; only brave and skilled knights truly needed iron armor for protection.

Deploying the regular army was a command Baron Lobean had issued through gritted teeth. He had spent a fortune equipping these soldiers, and losing even one caused him immense pain. At this point, he had completely given up on the spy inside the castle.

Logan bit his lower lip and squinted. He had to admit, he was feeling quite uncertain now. These were real regular army soldiers, far more formidable than the temporarily conscripted free men guarding the walls.

They were a world apart from the serf conscripts they had fought earlier. Against those serfs, the guards had only lost one man, and that was due to bad luck, being dragged off the wall by an enemy.

But now, heavy losses were almost inevitable. Logan only hoped the guards could hold out until Baron Lobean returned to the castle with the army.

"Please, don't let anything happen, Baron!" Logan silently prayed.

If Baron Lobean encountered trouble on the way and failed to deliver the letter to Reiner, then all their efforts to hold out would be in vain.

"Don't be afraid, soldiers! I will stand with you here! I will surely die before you do! Baron Lobean will surely treat your families well! Provided the castle doesn't fall!" Logan declared resolutely.

Meanwhile, Baron Lobean's regular army had begun scaling the long ladders. The guards, their bodies weary, stood ready. If they couldn't hold the castle, all of Morland Castle would suffer an inhumane plunder.

This was normal. Any noble would do the same after winning a war. Even if this was to become their territory, they would still allow their soldiers to indulge.

The regular soldiers, armed with shields, spears, or longswords, had already ascended the ladders. They climbed the wall, holding their shields over their heads to protect their entire bodies. They had no intention of dying here.

The guards nervously watched the ladders at the merlons. They were ready to kill any enemy that showed their head, just as they had before.

The atmosphere grew tense. They could only hear the creaking of the enemy's ladders and the pounding of their own hearts and the breathing of their comrades.

Suddenly, a soldier wearing a makeshift iron helmet appeared on the wall. Several soldiers thrust their spears and longswords forward, but unfortunately, just as they thought they had succeeded, a shield blocked the soldier's front.

Their attacks missed. Though the blows made the soldier unsteady, he desperately clung to the ladder with his other weapon-wielding hand to keep from falling.

He hunched over, climbed another step, then suddenly stood up, revealing half his body. He then leaped, holding his shield in front of him, and landed on the wall.

He blocked a spear thrusting towards him. Just as he was about to counterattack with his longsword, another spear brutally pierced his liver.

The intense pain elicited a piercing scream. As he screamed, two more spears plunged into his body. His head was then severed by a longsword, and the screaming stopped only after blood sprayed out.

The guards had killed an enemy soldier, but this was only the beginning. More enemies continued to pour onto the wall.

"Ahhh! Help me!"

A guard on the wall let out a piercing scream. He was now writhing on the ground, clutching his right arm. His right hand was gone, and blood flowed like a river, soaking the ground.

With such injuries, he wouldn't have survived long elsewhere, but the cold environment here slowed his bleeding. If he received timely treatment, there might still be hope for survival.

But at least for now, he was completely incapacitated. The already small number of wall guards had lost another man.

The guards on the wall all heard the scream. They were moved, but there was nothing they could do.

"Hold on! Baron Lobean will be back soon! You! Soldier! Get off the wall and seek help inside the castle! Don't get yourself killed!" Logan shouted.

He was helpless now. Though he had once been a formidable head of imperial colonial intelligence, he had no solution for this situation. He could only hope Reiner would return quickly.

As time passed, the battle grew more intense and brutal. Six guards on the wall had already fallen, nearly half their defensive force. Only six people, including Logan, remained capable of fighting on the wall.

Logan licked his lips and took a deep breath. His body was covered in blood. He had personally killed three enemies so far, and the intense exertion had significantly drained his stamina.

He found a moment to scan the distance, but the result was disappointing. He still saw no sign of reinforcements, and over two hours had passed since the battle began.

But he quickly cleared his mind, as enemies continued to appear relentlessly before him. The dangerous situation left him no room for other thoughts.

Raising his longsword, which now had several nicks, he plunged back into the fight against the enemies. The battle wasn't intense, but it was brutal and perilous. The remaining six guards were positioned near the enemy ladders. They had already lost control of the merlons, and enemies were continuously seizing those positions.

They could only retreat to the stairs near the wall, holding that position to prevent the enemy from advancing further into the castle.

After all, Morland Castle's main keep had virtually no defensive measures; even its door was just made of wood, offering little resistance to the enemy's advance.

At this moment, Reiner finally arrived near the castle with his army. Flashes of fire illuminated the profoundly dark night sky—torches on Morland Castle's walls and enemy torches below the castle.

Reiner stared at the scene, his heart pounding, but he knew his soldiers were not in good condition. A rash attack on the enemy could be dangerous.

He absolutely could not allow any mistakes. Any slight mishap would be fatal to him.

"Rest for five minutes! Get yourselves ready! After this war is won, I won't take a single coin of the spoils; it will all be yours! All you need to do is help me achieve victory!" Reiner said during the soldiers' rest.