(Male protagonist's perspective)
The Ironborn began their attack, carrying shields in one hand and ladders in the other. Stark soldiers on the Wall fired arrows at them. We waited in the forest a kilometer away, and I watched the battle through the waves. Tawney had mobilized about a thousand men to make it seem like he was launching a real attack.
On the other hand, Jory, as agreed, began to line up all his soldiers on the north gate the Wall, making it look like he had fallen into Tawney's trap. Seeing this, Tawney also led the remaining thousand or so men to launch an attack, but the soldiers who could hold their ground against the stairs on the Wall under the rain of arrows had a hard time, because almost all the Stark soldiers were at the north gate, and they had a hard time gaining a foothold.
Since the start of the attack, Daryn Tawney has lost about 100 soldiers, but his troops are slowly moving toward the West Gate. This seems normal to those unaware of his plans.
But Daryn was unaware that an accidental arrow had killed Broddin, and another man had taken his place in command.
Who would have thought that if Stark soldier pushed an unsuspecting person to the Wall in the chaos of battle, enemy archers would shoot at that person?
After the war, we should punish those careless Stark soldiers who pushed their commander to the front lines.
Because Broddin believed himself to be safe, he positioned almost all his loyal soldiers around the city gates, thinking this would make it easier to open them.
On one side of the west gate, another change was taking place that the Ironborn were unaware of. Inside the Wall, all the carriages, wooden barrels, and various miscellaneous items were transported to both sides of the city gate, forming a corridor several meters long.
Soldiers on both sides have begun to deploy. At the end of the corridor, there are fewer soldiers on the north side because the soldiers who should have filled that area are still defending the northern the Wall. As the number of enemies on the north side decreases, the number of soldiers in the barricade area is also increasing.
We were ready almost simultaneously with the enemy, so we signaled Broddin to open the gates. Daryn led nearly half his soldiers to the west gate, and just then, the signal came from the Ironborn to order Broddin to open the gates. Thanks to the Crow's message, we knew exactly what the signal meant.
My soldiers and I slowly and stealthily approached the edge of the forest. I cast all the Buff on Sith, Berus, Lika, Caygan, Harrick, and myself, including Strength, Speed, Stamina, Oak Shield Wind Shield. I didn't use the Wind Shield Buff on Im because it would be underground. All these Buff consumed 160 mana points, and I reserved 50 mana points for emergencies.
When Harrick and Caygan felt the Buff and the power boost from the Oak Shield beneath their armor, they were clearly stunned. Caygan said, looking at the neck of her chainmail.
"My lord, I feel as light as a feather. It feels like I've started running; I could fly. This magical armor looks like tree bark, but it's as hard as iron."
Harrick interrupted him.
"I feel like I could break a tree in two with a single blow."
It's normal for them to feel this way. Thanks to the Buff, their naturally strong bodies have become even stronger; Caygan has 9 Strength and 11.9 Speed, Harrick has 11.5 Strength and 9 Speed. They've become elite soldiers, I said.
"Can you feel a refreshing breeze surrounding you?"
They all nodded in agreement.
I said, "As long as you have this feeling, you won't need to dodge projectiles smaller than javelins. It can deflect anything thrown at you."
Caygan held a short sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Harrick, clad in armor, was like an iron wall, nearly two meters tall. Unlike mine, his armor wasn't made of high-quality steel. Because it wasn't custom-made for him, it was bent in several places during the adjustment Harrick, but it was still functional.
He held a warhammer in one hand and a massive tower shield in the other. All of them cost me a fortune because they were urgent orders. Mikken and his apprentices worked day and night and finished them in a week.
As the west gate opened, all the Ironborn's troops began to pour in. With no one stopping them, about 500 soldiers entered the gate within minutes, and the corridor was already more than half full.
Some soldiers began to realize what was happening and tried to climb over the barricades, while others shouted for them to retreat. But the enraged soldiers continued to surge forward in a daze, as if everyone had been deafened by their own fighting spirit. The soldiers trying to climb over the barricades were met with a barrage of spears.
A few minutes later, the barricades were filled with soldiers, and the Ironborn continued to pour in, walking over the dead. Although nearly 200 Ironborn soldiers had died, the number of people inside the barricades had not decreased but increased. In some small areas, they were even able to break through the barricades and rush out. Seeing this, Jory took out a horn from his waist and blew it loudly, and the second phase of their plan began.
The soldiers surrounding the barricade began throwing smoke bombs one after another, and a thick fog four or five meters in diameter began to envelop the entire area. This threw the Ironborn soldiers, who were beginning to organize, into chaos, while the North archers stationed on the city the Wall above the city gates poured a rain of death upon the Ironborn soldiers in the middle of the barricade.