The Reinforcements Were About to Arrive

The north wind howled, the snowflakes swirled, and inside Red Waterwheel Fortress, the mood was even colder than the weather.

The remnants of the Rhine Alliance armies, driven into retreat, crowded the fortress alongside the Bayern Army troops who had been stationed there to begin with.

After a day of fierce fighting, the enemy had temporarily withdrawn.

The fortress mess hall reeked of canned food boiled into oatmeal, mixed with sour sweat.

Although the Bayern Army had stockpiled enough supplies to ensure no one went hungry, the despair of being hemmed in by three armies weighed on everyone like a massive stone.

A suffocating gloom hung over the mess hall. The soldiers' eyes were vacant, and even the officers could barely hide their anxiety.

At the Royal Knight Order's dining area, Sir Rathe held a bowl of oddly scented oatmeal. Along with the oats, it contained chopped vegetable leaves, carrots, horsemeat, slices of sausage, salted duck from a can, and beans. In short, the cook had chopped up whatever he could find and thrown it in.

The small nobles' dining area was nearby. To Rathe's surprise, he spotted Baron Vanke in a corner amid the crowded, noisy throng.

Vanke's face was smudged with gunpowder and dust, and his armor bore several fresh scratches.

"Vanke! You're alive!" Rathe's voice was hoarse with relief as he squeezed over and sat beside his friend.

Knights were members of the nobility too, so no one minded Rathe sitting with the barons.

"Rathe! Thank God you can still talk!"

Vanke managed a weary smile and clapped his old friend hard on the shoulder.

After the great rout, the army's ranks had fallen into disarray. Some men had been so terrified that they'd taken off their armor and hidden among the soldiers. Since the siege began,