The Return

Reiner had truly gone all out. The primary way nobles profited from war was through plunder and spoils, especially for minor nobles like them who had no wealthy cities to raid. How much money could one even get from pillaging a village? So, the main gains still came from war spoils and ransoms.

Reiner's willingness to give up the ransoms and spoils greatly boosted the soldiers' morale. Their spirits gradually recovered. He then took the time while the soldiers rested on the ground to carefully observe the enemy.

He saw that all the enemy soldiers had been deployed below the city walls for the siege, while the knights remained on horseback behind them, supervising the battle. Baron Lobean had only two guards by his side.

"A good opportunity!" Reiner thought to himself. Baron Lobean probably hadn't expected him to return so suddenly. His plan was to launch a surprise attack on Morland Castle while Reiner was away.

Once Reiner "defeated" the Krad People and returned to his territory, all he would see was Morland Castle bearing the Gwen Family's green maple leaf crest. Without supplies and having lost his property, Reiner's army would inevitably mutiny and flee, leaving him powerless to fight.

He had to admit, his plan was well-conceived, but he hadn't accounted for the presence of a top-tier spymaster among Reiner's subordinates. His spy was caught just as he was about to act, and his entire scheme was thus exposed to Reiner.

Observing Baron Lobean's army, which was completely off guard, and knowing that this opportunity was too good to miss, Reiner immediately drew the longsword from his waist and declared, "Stand up! Soldiers, stand up!"

He pointed to the castle ahead and said, "Do you see it? There! Our comrades are fighting the enemy to defend the castle! They are also protecting our families and friends! We absolutely cannot let them die in despair under the enemy's siege! Charge with me! Come with me to help them! Rescue them from despair!"

The soldiers rose from the ground, gripping their spears and shields. The knights, with the help of their squires, mounted their charging horses. The five squires also donned their gear and mounted their draft horses.

With weapons clutched in their hands, the five Crimson Gryphon Knights formed a wedge formation at the very front. The remaining knights formed the main body of the charge behind them, with the squires protecting their masters by their side.

Though the draft horses they rode were not as good as the knights' warhorses, they were not as burdened. Not only did they not need to carry barding, but the squires' equipment was also much lighter than the knights'.

Reiner was in the very center of the formation. This time, he held the red, iris-emblazoned banner symbolizing the Moreland Family. He would lead the knights in the charge.

The knights would be the main force in this battle. Their sole task was to follow Reiner and first assault Baron Lobean's position. Although Reiner knew that killing a noble in this era was a very serious matter, battlefield accidental deaths were not included in this.

If Baron Lobean could be sent to his maker immediately, it would be extremely advantageous for the subsequent battle.

It could be said that the scales of war were now tipping in Reiner's favor. Or rather, the advantage had already shifted to Reiner the moment he received the letter from Logan, and when the enemy failed to breach the castle for so long.

Although Reiner's army was smaller than Baron Lobean's and very fatigued, they still held a huge advantage: the enemy did not know that he had led his army to their rear.

While Baron Lobean still had a considerable number of conscripted serfs, their fighting spirit had been greatly eroded by the defenders on the city walls. It was already difficult enough just to keep them from scattering; expecting them to have any combat effectiveness was out of the question.

The warhorses beneath the knights were very cooperative, making no sound at this moment. Baron Lobean's attention was fully focused on the city walls, so he did not notice a large group of enemies had appeared behind him.

Reiner raised the banner high in his hand. After seeing that all the knights were ready, he raised the banner again.

"Charge!"

As the command was given, the Crimson Gryphon Knights at the very front of the wedge formation immediately surged forward. Even their warhorses, clad in excellent barding, lowered their steel lances and charged towards their enemies ahead.

The knights followed closely behind. At first, they merely trotted, but after running over a hundred meters, their speed gradually increased. The warhorses galloped forward with immense momentum.

At this point, there was no turning back. If they couldn't completely break the enemy, then defeat awaited them.

The enormous inertia prevented them from stopping. Even powerful warhorses couldn't overcome the strong inertia on them. Anyone who stopped at this moment would face the sole fate of being pushed forward by the warhorses behind them, or being thrown off and becoming a bloody mess beneath the hooves of their comrades' warhorses.

The sound of hooves gradually rose. They were not far from the enemy to begin with, and now their speed had picked up, charging towards the enemy with great might. The biting cold wind whistled past their bodies, but their charging posture remained unwavering, unyielding as a rock in the bone-chilling wind.

The sound of hooves was very distinctive. Even when running through thick snow, it would create a huge commotion, like summer thunder rumbling in one's chest.

"It's the sound of hooves!" Baron Lobean's knights, who were supervising the battle at the front, had already heard this loud noise. As knights who rode warhorses every day, they were very familiar with this sound.

And such a sound was clearly coming from charging warhorses. They immediately instinctively turned to look.

When they saw the knights charging behind the Crimson Gryphon Knights, they immediately turned their horses and charged forward.

Of course, some chose to immediately spur their horses away. These were all their instinctive reactions. This series of reactions wouldn't take more than two seconds.

The Gryphon Feathers on the Crimson Gryphon Knights' helmets fluttered up and down, making them appear both heroic and quite magnificent. The pennants embroidered with the Crimson Gryphon on their steel lances flapped fiercely in the wind, looking even more ferocious.

A distance of over two hundred meters was only five or six seconds for warhorses that were already at a gallop. Baron Lobean had just reacted and wanted to spur his horse away, but his warhorse also needed to build up speed.

Reiner and his men's target was none other than Baron Lobean on his warhorse. In just two seconds, they had charged to Baron Lobean's side, while his warhorse was only just starting to move.

Without hesitation, the Crimson Gryphon Knights all aimed their steel lances at him.

Having not fought for a long time, he only had a longsword at his waist and wasn't even equipped with a shield. Facing lances over four meters long, he had no means of resistance.

In an instant, two pure steel lances pierced through his body, lifting him from his warhorse. When the two Crimson Gryphon Knights separated their lances, his body was torn into two halves.

Blood instantly splattered, and in the cold air, almost immediately, it transformed from drops of liquid into blood-red ice crystals, falling to the ground like blooming flowers, exquisitely beautiful.

The pristine white snow seemed to be stained with defilement, and the blood-red ice crystals, like captivating spider lilies, took root and blossomed on the ground, adding a new hue to the snowy landscape.