The soldiers' iron boots scraped uneasily against the flagstones, the clatter of armor mingling with their stifled breathing.
Some repeatedly rubbed the family crests on their breastplates with soot-stained fingers, while others nervously gnawed their cracked nails.
Moonlight streamed through the clouds and over Kebi's armor. His knuckles whitened around his sword, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke.
"We have no way out. We can only hold this place to the death.
"Though I am a noble, I will never flee alone.
"I will defend Odinburg with all of you and protect our home. We live and die together, and we will never retreat!"
As Kebi swept his blade through the night air with a ringing sound, its cold gleam lit his taut jawline.
"Brothers! I swear on my family's honor: for every day you hold out, each of you will receive twenty Kelang;
"Should anyone fall in battle, his family will receive two hundred Kelang as a settlement!"
"Twenty Kelang!"
A veteran in a corner suddenly scoffed, exposing the gap where his front teeth were missing.
But when he saw Kebi's bloodshot eyes, his laughter stopped abruptly.
The young squires nudged one another with their elbows, their chilblained fingers loosening and tightening around their sword hilts. Only when they heard "swear on my family's honor" did several recruits suddenly straighten their hunched backs.
"Two hundred Kelang! That's enough to give my family a good life!"
"Is Young Master Kebi telling the truth?"
"Of course he is. He's a member of the Order of the Falcon!"
"That's right. The Order of the Falcon is the pride of the Northern Kingdoms. Kebi certainly won't break his word."
"Long live Kebi! I'll follow you to the death!"
When the first cry of "Long live Kebi" broke the silence, the wave of sound spread like a boulder dropped into a deep pool.
The soldiers banged their sword hilts against their shields, the clash of iron and wood shaking loose the snow lodged in the cracks of the walls.
A freckle-faced boy was so excited that he failed to notice his helmet had slipped sideways and covered his right eye.
Dick could clearly feel the soldiers' morale rising, and he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief:
Even if their fighting ability was average, high morale would allow them to put up a decent fight.
Kebi smiled in satisfaction and turned to Fisher.
"Go command the defense of the wall west of the main gate. I'll hold the east side.
"Once you've assigned the men, we'll meet on the battlements.
"Make sure you post men to guard those three catapults properly."
He added quietly, "I've only encouraged them for now. Many haven't fought in years, and some have never even been on a battlefield. I'll be relying on you from here."
"Young Master Kebi, the catapults have already been positioned on the platforms above the corner towers. Rest assured, I'll see it done."
Fisher accepted his orders and led several dozen soldiers toward the western wall.
Seeing Dick approach, Kebi nodded to him and continued issuing orders steadily.
Only when there were no soldiers left around him did he let out a breath.
"Dick, I actually planted the soldier who shouted first. I'm under a lot of pressure right now.
"The Jatu have brought over three hundred men to attack the city, but even counting everyone, we have barely over a hundred soldiers defending it. Most are recruits who have never seen battle. Only twenty or so can really fight.
"I honestly don't know whether we can hold.
"If the city falls, you're a capable fighter. Find a chance to get Miss Xiya out."
"Sometimes pressure can be motivation too. You need to toughen up. You're the commander, after all. I'll do everything I can to help you defend the city. I'm not someone who backs down easily," Dick said with a smile.
"Then I'm sorry for the trouble," Kebi said gratefully. "I really never expected you to be the one I could count on most in the end."
"Fisher's pretty good too, actually. We're only defending the front wall. Will the left and right flanks be all right?" Dick asked.
"They'll be fine. The Black Forest is on one side, and the river is on the other. The Jatu are formidable on land, but they aren't good at attacking by water. Besides, a small hill blocks the rear of the city. They can only launch a frontal assault.
"Come on. Let's take a look from the wall."
The two reached the wall walkway.
Looking down from the battlements, Dick saw that the Jatu outside the city had already made camp but had not attacked immediately.
Under the direction of a man who looked like a general, hundreds of men were carrying trees and using tools to build things.
"They're making siege equipment," Dick said.
"That's right. Blowing the horn earlier was meant to keep us on edge before a surprise attack. The Jatu are too cunning," Kebi replied.
"Kebi, look over by their commander..." Dick pointed ahead.
Dick had already noticed two very unusual figures standing on either side of the Jatu commander.
One had disheveled hair and strange paint on his face-a Jatu priest;
The other was a stooped old woman holding a broom, probably the eldest of the Three Witches.
Beside the old woman stood two enormous Rock Trolls, pale blue all over, with strange rocks growing out of their backs.
"What are you looking at, Dick? There's moonlight now, but it isn't dawn yet. My eyesight isn't as good as yours. I can't make out people a hundred meters away," Kebi said with a wry smile.
"They have a priest."
"The Jatu often bring priests when they besiege a city. I know that."
"There's also a Broom Witch, like the one who attacked me last night. Every Broom Witch has her own unique spells. They're extremely dangerous!"
Kebi drew a deep breath. Last night, he had witnessed the gruesome aftermath of Dick's battle with the monsters, and he knew how dangerous a Broom Witch was.
"Dick," he paused, "just tell me everything at once. My heart can't quite take this."
"...Uh, there are also two Rock Trolls. They're good at throwing boulders, with about as much force as a catapult. That's all."
"At least there aren't any other monsters... Right, aren't you a professional monster hunter? Can you find a chance to take those monsters out?"
"They're too far away. A Broom Witch alone is hard enough to deal with, let alone with trolls there too. I'll look for an opening. Don't worry."
"Then let's prepare for a fight to the death!" Kebi's jaw tightened like the string of a powerful bow. He secured his visor, his voice deep and muffled. "I'll patrol the wall first. Help me guard this spot."
"Go ahead. Leave it to me."
Dick found a corner of the wall to lean against and quietly waited for the battle to come.
Five meters away, a freckle-faced soldier of eleven or twelve was trembling as he peered down through a gap in the battlements.
The collar of the young soldier's linen shirt exposed bruises around his collarbone. When he swallowed, his protruding Adam's apple moved like a restless walnut.
His muddy fingers nervously twisted the strap of his quiver. Dick noticed bits of dry grass lodged beneath the boy's fingernails-he had clearly still been working in the stables that morning.
In his previous life, children this age were still acting spoiled around their parents.
This damned war had actually sent children onto the battlefield.
If they would not be slaughtered after the city fell, who would be willing to risk their lives defending it?
The soldier noticed Dick looking at him, and his eyes blinked uneasily.
"Master Dick, aren't you afraid?
"The commander's promise really excited me, but it's actually no use to me. I'm an orphan. There's no one to collect the settlement.
"My hands are still shaking. I want to be as brave as you too. How do you do it?"
Dick smiled calmly.
"I get scared too. Everyone does.
"But if fear robs you of the courage to fight, you might die even faster.
"Be brave. I'm here the whole time."