Dragon Knight Chronicles ~ From a mere mercenary, rise to success through tactics! A small harem with the princess and the lord's daughter!? I'll also develop my territory! ~

Chapter 119 The Second Battle of Leroy Castle

Unified Calendar 568, May—

The Cade Alliance once again raised its army to capture Leroy Castle.

Their forces numbered around six thousand.

They leisurely marched northward and entered Gregory Castle.

“Lord Barkworth, we have a summons from Lord Gilmore!”

“Understood.”

Gilmore resided in Saizeria Castle and was the leader of the powerful clans in the northern Roland region, which valued independence.

Barkworth was a powerful noble near Leroy Castle, under Gilmore’s rule, and one of Gilmore’s key allies.

“However, Lord Gilmore does not seem to reward his men generously.”

“Say no more, it’s pointless.”

“Yes, sir.”

Barkworth silenced his complaining aide and began to muster troops from the nearby villages.

He gathered an army of about two thousand men.

Though he wasn’t particularly known for his wisdom or bravery, he was a man of virtue, trusted by the villagers.

“Enter the castle!”

“Yes, sir!”

He and his forces entered Leroy Castle, which stood tall on a rugged cliff.

He proceeded to greet Gilmore, who had arrived at the castle earlier.

“I am relieved to see that our leader is in good health. It is a joy for me.”

“Indeed, your reinforcements are most reassuring.”

“I am honored!”

“Now then, Lord Barkworth.”

“What is it?”

“It seems you’ve given your subordinate the anti-demon sword of mithril. I don’t recall ever bestowing that sword upon you. Where did you acquire it?”

This statement drew the doubtful gazes of the regional lords present, all focused on Barkworth.

A cold sweat trickled down Barkworth’s back.

“…No, that was something I purchased from a merchant.”

“Is that so? …Very well. Let’s leave it at that this time, but refrain from actions that may further raise doubts among everyone.”

“Yes, sir.”

Afterward, the meeting turned into a strategy session.

However, the deployment for the defense left Barkworth’s units assigned to the most dangerous locations.

This meant a significant increase in the casualty rate for his subordinates.

It was clear to everyone that this was likely related to the earlier incident.

…After all, it was probably because the leader is stingy with rewards.

Barkworth gritted his teeth as he looked over the deployment map.

◇◇◇◇◇

Six days later—

A light rain fell from a cloudy sky.

The stream surrounding Leroy Castle had risen significantly.

The Cade Alliance appointed Domel as the overall commander and surged toward Leroy Castle all at once.

Moreover, Domel chose not to engage the town of Leroy, likely considering post-occupation policies.

“Charge!”

The sound of drums and gongs echoed from the Cade forces.

The advancing soldiers hid behind large wooden shields as they moved forward.

“Fire!”

“Return fire!”

Arrows rained down like a storm from the walls of Leroy.

In response, the Cade forces judged that their arrows would be ineffective against the high-positioned defenders.

Instead, to support their allies, the Cade mages unleashed fireballs made of magic.

The exchange between both sides was fierce; countless arrows lodged into the attackers’ shields, while fireballs exploded against the castle’s defenses.

“Don’t falter! Charge!”

“Yes!”

The heavy infantry of the Cade approached the castle, but the moat was replaced by a swollen stream.

Due to the recent rains, the river had turned into a muddy torrent.

“Don’t let them cross! Fire arrows!”

The soldiers attempting to cross the river were submerged up to their waists.

Though they desperately tried to move forward, arrows rained down from above.

Moreover, the riverbed was slippery with moss, posing a threat to many soldiers’ footing.

“Help me!”

Many soldiers attempting to cross became targets for arrows or were swept away by the muddy waters.

“Don’t falter! Push forward!”

Truly, the soldiers of Cade, feared by neighboring nations, continued to cross the torrent one after another.

However, even after crossing the river, Leroy Castle loomed high atop a cliff.

“Let’s go! Climb!”

“The first one to the top gets 100 gold coins!”

Veteran non-commissioned officers rallied the soldiers.

The mercenaries, blinded by the promise of reward, simultaneously clung to the cliff.

“Don’t let them return alive!”

“Drop the rocks!”

The defenders above the cliff fought back by hurling stones down.

They even dumped boiling waste on the enemy soldiers below.

“Ahhh!”

“Retreat! Retreat!”

Cade soldiers fell from the cliff one after another.

The base of the cliff became a grim pile of Cade corpses.

Due to the heavy losses, the Cade commanders had no choice but to decide on a retreat.

Afterward, the Cade forces lacked an effective offense, and the frontline became stalemated.

“It seems there will be more rainy days ahead, making attacks even more difficult…”

“Indeed.”

Accepting the advice of the attacking force’s deputy commander, Domel ordered a retreat for the entire army.

Thus, Leroy Castle successfully repelled Cade’s attacks twice.

◇◇◇◇◇

In the lord’s chamber of Leroy Castle—

To celebrate their victory, many local nobles were treated to wine and exquisite meat dishes.

“To our victory, cheers!”

“Cheers!”

The castle was alive with the celebration, as wine was distributed not only to the ruling class but also to mercenaries and farmers, all enjoying the victorious atmosphere.

…However,

“Urgent news! Urgent news!”

A messenger burst into the lord’s chamber.

He handed a parchment to Lord Gilmore.

Removing the wax seal, Gilmore examined the contents.

It stated that Barkworth’s wife and children, who were hostages, had escaped from Saizeria Castle.

“Lord Barkworth! What is the meaning of this?!”

Faced with the parchment, Barkworth’s face turned pale.

“…I have no idea what this is about!”

“Don’t lie! You traitor!”

Gilmore drew his sword and lunged at Barkworth.

“What are you doing?!”