Proofread by Thomas F
Baron Harrods
"They have arrived," I said, putting down the binoculars and standing on the wall. "They will be at the wall in ten minutes," replied Baron Husk.
The wall.
It hadn't been long since it had been built. Now, we will see whether it would be able to bear the assault of thirty thousand.
The entire wall is heavily armed. From cannons to ballista, everything we could place is on it.
There are soldiers everywhere, looking nervous, but resolute. There are twenty thousand of them. They will fight against people whom they fought alongside not long ago.
The army got closer and closer, entering the range of cannons.
We didn't fire a shot; we should have, but we didn't. I still have a hope that we could resolve this amicably. However, the chances of it are small.
Finally, Lockridge stepped forward, with Baron Schafer and Ardo at his left and right.
Husk had also moved forward on the wall, with me to his left and Nightingale at his right.
"We do not have to fight, Baron Lockridge," said Husk, and Lockridge smiled.
"You are absolutely right, Baron Husk. We do not. Just open the gates and let us in, and it will all end peacefully," he replied.
"That, I can't do," Husk declined.
"You have betrayed the baronies, cast your lot with Dane. You have lost the confidence of the council, Baron Lockridge, and thereby will be stripped of your position once the council convenes," he stated
I have to give it to Husk; he is a good talker. He gained the edge with a calm voice.
Lockridge glared, but soon controlled his expression.
"You are doing the same, Baron Husk. You cast your lot with Silver, sold the baronies to him," he replied, and Hus shook his head.
"It was just a response of you allying yourself with Dane and Grimvale, while our own people are fighting against the monsters in the north," he replied calmly.
Lockridge kept calm, but I could see his anger rising.
"Since you are not willing to see the right path, then don't blame me for using force," he said, and aura blasted off his body, spreading far and wide.
We knew he awakened an aura, but the next moment. He took out something, a sword with a grey blade.
It's an artifact; he had never revealed that before.
…
Baron Lockridge
"Attack!"
I ordered, activated Furious Charge, and immediately the cannons roared behind me, and spells and arrows began to streak through the sky.
"General Fairholm, forward."
Immediately, the man with a goatee moved forward, leading thousands of men toward the wall.
The spells and cannons boomed from the walls, and my mages reacted immediately. Defensive spells appeared, stopping them, providing cover for our men.
Soon, my men reached the wall, and the siege support spells began to form.
We didn't have siege engines. So we are using the spells. It costs a lot of mana, but we have to breach the wall quickly before Silver's reinforcements arrive.
I barely have two hours, which is far from enough, but it is what I have to achieve.
I watched for a minute before moving forward as the people around me continued to move. Spells, arrows, cannons, and ballista targeted me, but the shield appeared in front of me, defending me from all.
I didn't have to swing my blade even once, which is kind of regrettable.
It is the first time the blade has been used openly in the past ninety years.
Our family had been serving the House of Ravenheart for centuries. As assassins, we do the work that should never see the light of day.
We are paid handsomely for our service and even received a barony here for our loyalty, but they could never give us an artifact.
They are precious. If they knew we had it, they would have demanded it.
This artifact was found by my grandfather on one of the missions. He never informed Ravenhearts and kept it secret. Even within the family, it was only known to two people at a time.
Even my elder brother didn't know.
If he had known and had this, those filthy orc bandits wouldn't have been able to kill him.
I pushed those thoughts aside and kept moving, keeping a close eye on everything.
I reached near the wall, and a moment later, the earth shifted beneath my feet, taking me high, while the defensive spells surrounded me from all sides.
There is no one here who is at my level. I am the only Lv. 40 in Barony.
Only one person could fight me, Baroness, due to her spells. The spell blades are frustrating enemies, but she is currently fighting the monsters.
I plan to cut my way through everything on the wall, clear the path for my men to take the wall.
I reached high and was about to take a step into the wall, when I saw a man appearing in front of me—a man in his mid-thirties, with only one hand.
Wearing a belt with a fang on it. The artifact of House Haverleigh, they somehow got their hands on.
"I heard you are here," I said to him. Grimvale had informed me that he might be here. He was coming for the fort when he suddenly disappeared.
"I am," he replied.
"Then step away, General. I don't want to kill the man who had fought alongside my brother," I said. Looking at his hand, which he lost fighting in my keep against the bandits.
"I don't want to kill you, too, Baron Lockridge," he replied. Hearing that, I sighed.
"I gave you your only chance, General," I said and attacked. Since he isn't accepting the chance to live, I am not going to force it on him. I need to conquer the city, and for it, I will destroy everyone who stands in my path.
I activated Nobles Fury, Silent Slash, and Baron's Strike while grey fog, released from the blade, formed a misty sphere ten meters around us.
The grey fog is a sensory suppressor; it suppresses vision, hearing, smell, and even touch.
It is a very good tool for me. Seeing that I am a warrior, but raised in a household specializing in stealth. My fighting style is a mix of both.
Clang!
He defended, and the next moment, I activated Silent Steps, appearing to his left and launching an attack.
Clang!
To my surprise, he defended once more. 'That damn artifact!' I cursed. I read about it in detail when I heard Silver's men using it in battle against the undead.
It is a strengthening artifact that enhances strength, speed, agility, and senses.
Still, he shouldn't be able to defend so well, but he is doing it despite my advantage. We might both be Lv. 40, but I'm in the ruling class.
General is a powerful class, but still weaker than the Ruling Classes.
Every attack I made, he defended. Seeing that, I pushed for more power from the artifact, and its blade glistened. It provides enhancements, but its true strength will be revealed when I make a cut.
With the enhanced strength I attacked, even activating Ghost Blade, making my blade nearly invisible. The skill didn't just make the blade invisible to the eyes, but to other senses as well.
Clang!
He defended once more. I felt a little shake from the clash, but aside from it, there was nothing.
Still, I didn't stop, I attacked again and again. If I want to capture the wall, I will have to deal with him quickly. I do not have enough edge in the army to batter our way through them.
There is only a difference of ten thousand. It might be a big difference in a direct clash, but not a significant advantage in a siege war.
I only have less than two hours before Silver's army comes.
There are only ten thousand people in it, but there are two Lv. 40's coming with them. I may be powerful, but that is a problematic number of powerhouses, and I could not deal with three Lv. 40.
One of them is a shaman —a Great Shaman. I had never fought them, but I had learned about them enough not to underestimate them.
So, I need to breach the city; otherwise, there is no way I'll be able to fight them.
It is frustrating that I want to curse Silver. He had gotten the fortress; he should have been satisfied with it, but no, the greedy bastard also wanted the baronies.
Well, he will not; I will breach the walls before they come.
Either with my own force or with the help, which will arrive before Silver. It's not an army, but his prowess would enable him to turn the tide here; however, I don't want to seek help.
If I get help, I would be even more suppressed by Grimvale. It is why I have to win here and take the wall before he arrives, but this bastard is tricky.
"You have left me with no choice," I said with gritted teeth, and a moment later, an aura came out of me.
I pushed it into my skills and the artifact.
It hadn't been long since I had awakened the aura—just eight months ago, in the extreme magic region. I would have been killed if I hadn't awakened the aura.
It also happened when I had advanced to Lv. 40. I may not have found what I went there to find, but I came out with the massive benefits.
I launched an attack immediately, more powerful than ever, and felt the aura from him.
He, too, had awakened and did that against the monsters as well in Blackwell's Fort.
Clang!
Our weapons clashed, creating a shockwave powerful enough to drive back the soldiers near us. There is a shockwave in my heart as well.
I had awakened the aura long before him and had been practicing my family's aura control methods, but I just saw this bastard with a level of aura control equal to mine.
'These bastards!' I cursed.
Grimvale had warned me about their aura earlier. Silver is not the only one in his domain who knows aura methods. His whore is another one.
She had used aura methods earlier, stopping both Dane and Martas from acting against traitors.
Clang Clang Clang!
He matched my every attack, seeing that I pushed more aura into my skills and artifact, but the bastard did the same.
He is like an unmovable wall, no matter what I do. I cannot seem to move him from his place, and I have to destroy him.
Time passed, and I used every move I had, but the bastard kept defending.
Seeing that, I activated Baron's Presence and pushed it on him to suppress him, but the presence skill burst out of him to resist the suppression.
I wanted to pull my hair, but remained calm and kept attacking. He may have an aura, but how long will he be able to use it?
Soon, an hour passed, and we were fighting, but he was still using the aura. I have Aura active as well, but I am drained, and I want to turn it off, but I can't.
Without aura, I will have a hard time managing my edge.
'Lord Baron, he is only twenty minutes away,' informed Nolam. I didn't want his help, but now I couldn't wait for him to come to help me.
…
Knight Martas
'Fifteen minutes more,' I thought, and pushed the Knight's Ride harder.
I am alone, coming to Lockridge's aid. Vesbeil and Dane are coming with the army. Grimvale thought that Lockridge might not be enough to conquer the city with Silver's meddling.
He was right.
He had sent one of his generals, and in less than an hour, his army would reach the city as well.
Lockridge is still fighting despite all his advantages, but not for long. Once I reach there, it wouldn't take me long to lead the army into the city.
Hun!
I was lost in thought when suddenly my sensory skill caught something, and my Dangersense spiked.
I stopped the beast and turned to my left.
"I know you are there, come out," I called. A moment passed, and a man came out. A mercenary, I could tell at a single glance, they are easy to recognize.
Though I had read about this one. "You are as good as I heard," he praised, grinning as he stopped in front of me.
The man is older than me, with a saber at his waist and a carefree smile on his lips. His hair is long and black, his eyes are deep blue, with a cut running across his face.
"Vandal," I said. "Ah, you have heard about me," he replied with lips curving in a smile.
"You are the only, Lv. 40 mercenary, Silver has," I said, and the smile on his face brightened. "Yes, currently, but the way they are improving, it won't be long before others join.
"Though I will still be the strongest," he replied with a grin.
I just looked at him, before a small smile appeared on my face. A moment later, a blue aura blade appeared in front of me. Seeing that his eyes sharpened, but he didn't lose his smile.
"You are not my match. I would advise you to surrender, or I would not hesitate to kill you," I said.
He made things easier with him dead or incapacitated. Handling Silver's army would become much easier.
"You are right, I am not, at least for a while, until I learn the method, but that doesn't mean you can kill me," he replied, grinning.
I offered him a chance to live, but if he wants to die so badly. I will kill him.
I was about to release the blade and charge toward him when all the hair on my body raised, and my Dangersense blared to a threatening level.
"If I were you, I wouldn't do that, young Knight," said an old accented voice, and a moment later, an old orc with a staff came out of the trees.
'Trik of Burning Stone!' I recognized and became cautious.
When I was a page, I had gone with the Knights to Mayhurst Island. There was some conflict, and Knight Marshal got involved, and the Great Shaman on the other side.
What I saw there taught me that I never want to face these bastards.
I calmed down and looked at them. If they attacked, I would need to use it all: skills, moves, and even the aura method. It is a source of pride for me, but right now, it is not giving me the confidence it usually does.
"You think you can kill me?" I asked, reading myself. To that, both of them laughed.
"Our orders are not to kill you, Knight Martas," Vandal replied with a smile, and I looked at him suspiciously.
"Oh, if you don't believe us, you can contact your lord. I am sure he will fill you in on what you have to do." He said and grinned once more.
Immediately, my ring flash and all, I could not let the shock show on my face.
They had blocked the communication around me, without me noticing.
I am powerful, one of the youngest to reach this level in my order in this century, but I was not able to sense the blockade at all.
It made me even more cautious of them. Especially that shaman, whose eyes never left me.