Painful Beating

"Maintain order! Don't be afraid! We have the walls! The enemy has no advantage!" Delong drew his longsword and shouted loudly.

"The Father is with us, and we are with you! Those who die fighting will surely return to the Father's side!" Amon shouted as well.

Their shouts were effective. The Temple Knights held lofty positions, led by example, obeyed the commandments, and possessed formidable combat strength. With them present, the soldiers finally felt somewhat reassured.

News that the enemy was preparing to attack spread throughout the entire fortress almost instantly. The kings and lords resting in various rooms all gathered in the fortress hall to discuss countermeasures.

"Reinforce the walls immediately! We must hold them!"

Everyone reached the same conclusion: they had to oppose Reiner to the bitter end. They would immediately reinforce the walls and make the enemy retreat in the face of the difficulty.

Thus, teams of soldiers streamed toward the battlements like flowing water.

More than eight thousand soldiers had already assembled atop the walls. After all, Rukoin Fortress was a large castle, and it required a full eight thousand men to achieve a saturated defense.

Reiner rode a tall warhorse and gazed at the fortress amid the ranks of countless soldiers. Several hundred soldiers stood beside eighty catapults, ready to hurl stones at the fortress at any time.

The Siege Towers were also in position. The Golden Lion Guard had concealed themselves in the troop chambers beneath the Siege Towers, preparing to force their way onto the fortress and engage the enemy in close combat.

The archers and Crossbowmen sat against the upper platforms of the Siege Towers. They would rely on the towers' height to exchange fire with the enemy, suppressing the defenders' archers so that their comrades could safely climb onto the walls.