Breaking the Door (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Davis Territory.

The two ships did not dare to dock at the harbor, instead finding a random spot to moor along the shore.

"Tie up all the captives!"

Aaron gave the order, then stood with Roan and a few captives, gazing up at the sky.

After a night of turmoil, the time had reached the pre-dawn hours, the darkest moment of the night.

This was when people felt most exhausted and their vigilance was at its weakest.

"My lord, what a perfect opportunity."

Looking at the dark, silent buildings, Eight-Fingers licked his lips.

Roan, however, could only offer a bitter smile.

His desire to survive had ultimately won out, leading him to surrender, but seeing his home in such an undefended state, he couldn't help but feel secretly alarmed.

"Indeed, such a golden opportunity—it would be a pity to merely plunder the civilian houses..."

Aaron shook his head, looked at Roan, and smiled slightly. "Lord Roan, I will have to trouble you to call for the castle gates to be opened in a moment... I shall be right behind you."

"I am at your service!"

The bitterness on Roan's face deepened as he continued, "Are you not worried about the defensive forces within the castle, or that someone might have tipped them off, making this a trap?"

"That, I shall naturally confirm beforehand."

Aaron Sothoth replied with a smile.

In an ordinary world devoid of supernatural power, possessing even a sliver of mystery was practically like using a cheat code.

Once they neared the castle, he would naturally use dream-entry to confirm whether this operation held any danger.

If his Danger Perception issued a strong warning, he would naturally retreat; he was not foolish enough to throw his life away.

The morning light was faint.

Atop the castle, the guard Abel yawned out of boredom.

In the Davis Territory, those capable of fighting had mostly gone to the front lines, and those with even a modicum of skill had largely been taken away by Roan.

What remained now were merely the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled.

He had stood watch all night, and as usual, nothing had happened; he was utterly exhausted.

He was impatiently waiting for his relief so he could head to the kitchen to enjoy oat soup and salted meat—a special privilege reserved for those on night watch.

Suddenly, he saw a group of people approaching the base of the castle.

At the head of the group was none other than Roan Davis.

"Lord Roan?"

Abel called out in surprise.

"It is I. Open the gate quickly! Damn it, our plan has gone awry, and I must report to the Lady immediately!" Roan Davis shouted loudly.

Had one been closer, they would have noticed sweat dripping from the lord's forehead, while behind him, Aaron smiled broadly, pressing a dagger against his waist.

"Ye... yes, sir."

Abel did not harbor the slightest suspicion; he went down to call the others, opened the gate, and welcomed Roan and his party inside.

Creak, clack...

Accompanied by the teeth-grinding sound of gears and ropes engaging, the drawbridge slowly lowered, and the aged wooden gate creaked open.

After entering the castle, Abel stepped forward to greet them: "My lord, is there anything I can do for you... Ah!"

In the next instant, a longsword pierced directly through his chest.

Following Aaron's lead, Eight-Fingers and the few men he had selected immediately drew their weapons, scattering the guards at the castle entrance.

Having seized the gate so easily, even Aaron felt it had gone too smoothly.

Though, his dream divination had indeed indicated there was no danger.

"My lord, let's charge!"

Eight-Fingers howled, using a scimitar to sever the head of a guard, his eyes bloodshot.

Clearly, the wealth a lord had accumulated within the castle over many years had completely robbed this man of his senses.

"Pass the order: attack."

Aaron nodded, letting Eight-Fingers charge to the front.

Clang! Clang!

A group of guards surged out from the castle hall; though they appeared to be a mix of the old and the young, their numbers were surprisingly high.

"Are these... knight squires?"

Aaron recognized them at a glance. Just as Theodore liked to keep the sons of his stewards and knights by his side as squires, the Davis Family held the same tradition.

At the same time, these children, raised from a young age, also served as a form of hostage.

Their fathers and brothers might still be fighting on the front lines for the Davis Family, so they, in the rear, were supposedly being well-protected.

That they were out fighting now clearly meant they had been pushed to the brink.

"Damn bastard, I'm going to chop your head off!"

A scream erupted from Baker up ahead; having been careless, he had been stabbed by a half-grown child, and although the wound was not deep, it was bleeding profusely.

"The enemy's will to resist is tenacious... there is a possibility of failure."

Aaron watched all of this, his expression as gloomy as water: "Light the signal fires!"

This was his second contingency plan: once the city gate was occupied, the signal fires would be lit immediately, while several eloquent fellows outside would work to incite the commoners! They would release the captives, encouraging them to join in the looting as well!

Never underestimate the baser instincts of humanity!

Having been neighbors for so many years, Aaron knew exactly what kind of people the Davis Family were; it was a miracle they hadn't squeezed the commoners to death already.

Now, facing disaster and seeing the castle breached, those subjects would certainly not come to their aid.

On the contrary, they would be very interested in turning into a mob and grabbing a share of the spoils.

Once the castle is taken, the best strategic choice would be to hold it at all costs, coordinate with the main army at the front, and completely annihilate the Davis Family... but it is too dangerous. Defending a castle with a few dozen men against an army of a thousand might hold for a while, but one mistake could lead to total annihilation!

Aaron certainly did not possess the noble quality of sacrificing himself for the sake of his family's grand cause, not even if there was only a slight possibility of it.

Therefore, using the enemy's own subjects to leave the castle in ruins, thereby reducing the difficulty of subsequent attacks, became the optimal choice.

And he would inevitably retreat before the Davis army returned!

"You lot! Do you still intend to resist? You have already failed... the Davis Family is destined to fall, and your loyalty will receive no reward!"

Holding his cruciform longsword, Aaron looked at an elderly knight with white hair charging toward him and said coldly: "Even if you don't surrender outright, taking the wealth from the castle would be enough for you to live well on the outside."

"You do not understand..."

The old knight let out a roar and swung his sword.

It was clear he was experienced, but his physical strength was failing him.

In the end, Aaron ran him through the chest with a single strike.

He continued to struggle, spitting out blood: "Do not understand... the way of the knight... is loyalty!"

Pfft!

Aaron pulled back his sword, his expression indifferent: "Indeed... I am no knight, I do not understand loyalty, I am a beast driven by desire!"

"But I have won, I have survived, and you are dead... that is reality!"

"No matter how noble the slogan, it cannot compare to tangible benefits!"