Knight: Becoming King of the World

Chapter 133: Chapter 112: It’s Raining Arrows

While the captives discussed in low voices, Henry was in the castle’s council chamber, pondering the same question.

These captives were people too; they had families and lives of their own. Many of the villagers were their relatives. He couldn’t treat these prisoners of war the same way he would Mercenaries from all over, condemning them to be mine slaves.

To put it bluntly, Henry had even forgotten these prisoners of war existed.

"Relay my orders. All prisoners of war with relatives inside the castle will be given a chance. They are to join our defensive forces.

If they survive, I will restore their freedom. They can return to their homes, pick up their hoes again, and till the land."

When the prisoners of war in the corner of the castle heard this news, some of them embraced each other in excitement. This was a chance at a new life, given to them by Baron Henry.

As for those without relatives, they watched their released comrades, unsure of what their own future held.

Early the next morning, the sun broke through the heavy clouds, casting its first rays on the walls of Ximira Castle. On the banner of the Bro Clan, the lion seemed ready to leap forth.

The soldiers inside the castle had risen early. Baron Henry stood on the ramparts, staring at the dust clouds gradually rising in the distance—a sign of the enemy’s approaching reinforcements.

He turned to Bain and Philip beside him and said, "The enemy may have numbers, but we have the advantage of the castle."

Bain and Philip nodded. It was their first time standing on the castle walls and directly feeling the oppressive presence of several thousand men.

In all their previous battles, no matter how many were involved, their own side had always held the numerical advantage.

"My lord, we’ve checked all the defenses. The archers and Catapults are in position."

Henry nodded. He could always count on Bain to get things done.

Just then, a soldier hurried over to report, "My lord, the prisoners of war have put on the captured armor. They’ve been broken up and assigned to our various units."

"Good."

As the sun climbed higher, the enemy reinforcements drew closer. Their banners snapped sharply in the wind, and their armor glinted in the sunlight.

The castle gates were shut tight, and the soldiers on the walls stood in stern formation. The enemy army approached and halted at the site of Henry’s former encampment from when he besieged Ximira Castle.

On the walls, the soldiers’ gazes were all fixed on several conspicuous nobles.

Three Barons and two Knights on tall warhorses, their Attendants carrying the noble families’ banners, slowly rode up to the base of the castle.

Henry stood on the ramparts, watching these nobles. ’They’re probably here to try and shake my resolve, to persuade me to surrender.’

The leading Baron, dressed in magnificent armor with a helmet adorned with golden feathers, looked up and shouted, "Baron Henry, we don’t want needless bloodshed! If you surrender now, we can guarantee the safety of you and your army. Leave Ximira Castle!"

Henry sneered. ’Just as I thought. These fools actually think they can persuade me to leave.’

Henry fought the urge to have the Crossbow Mechanisms kill the nobles on the spot. His voice carried over the walls. "I advise you to leave immediately. Don’t make a foolish attack, or I’ll personally take your heads on the battlefield!

Remember your place—you are Vassals of a Vassal to the great Emperor! I spared the Baron of Ximira Castle, but that doesn’t mean I’ll spare you!"

Another Baron, a burly man with a voice like thunder, roared, "Henry! You’re courting death. Our army is far stronger than yours. You stand no chance of resisting."

A flash of anger lit up Henry’s eyes. "My army has fought in two campaigns against the Alien Races! And you? You’re nothing but a pathetic, cowardly fool!"

The last Baron appeared younger and tried a gentler approach. "Mighty Baron Henry, you are a man of Wisdom.

War brings great losses to both sides. Are you truly willing to subject your fief to such suffering? Count John’s armies are innumerable. Even if you can hold this castle, his other forces will simply bypass it and march on your lands."

Henry fell silent for a moment, then replied, "You’re right. But Count John’s armies cannot pass here while I still live."

The two Knights also joined the attempt to persuade him, their words laced with temptation and threats.

However, Henry completely ignored them, simply standing high on the ramparts, looking down at them with a mocking expression.

Seeing their attempts at persuasion fail, the nobles’ faces filled with disappointment and anger. The only way to resolve this now was through force.

Henry turned and drew Bain’s knightly sword, shouting, "To battle!"

The soldiers roared in response, their voices echoing across the walls.

The enemy army made camp outside the castle. Tents spread out like stars in the sky as soldiers bustled about, preparing siege engines.

’It seems these nobles intend to occupy this place themselves,’ Henry thought as Cloud Ladders and battering rams gradually took shape amidst the hammering of the army’s craftsmen.

A sudden idea struck Henry. He had no intention of fighting a passive defense. He ordered his soldiers to make noise during the night—sometimes banging on their shields, sometimes letting out war cries, and even deliberately moving torches quickly along the ramparts to create the illusion of an impending breakout.

This tactic was uncommon on the battlefield. Usually, only the attacking side would use night raids or harassment to disrupt the defenders.

But Henry’s reverse psychology left the enemy feeling confused and uneasy. They didn’t know his true intentions or when he might actually launch an attack.

The goal wasn’t to attack the enemy, but to create chaos and prevent them from getting a peaceful night’s rest.

Standing on the ramparts and watching the chaos in the enemy camp, Henry allowed a slight smile to touch his lips. This psychological torment was more effective at draining the enemy’s morale and stamina than an actual battle.

Every night, Henry’s soldiers carried out their tasks, periodically making noise to keep the enemy from resting easy.

And so, the attackers, despite their numerical advantage, spent four days preparing their siege engines in a state of constant fear and anxiety.

Henry’s prior reputation was simply too terrifying. He was known for slaying hundreds of Half-Beastmen on the battlefield—a horrifying feat.

By the time Henry and his soldiers were fully prepared for a defensive battle, the enemy army finally began to organize for an assault on the castle.

The mournful call of siege horns echoed.

At the signal, the enemy soldiers, under the command of their officers, began to advance on the castle.

Shield Carriers were deployed, and battering rams were pushed toward the castle gates.

Henry’s archers and Crossbow Mechanisms fired relentlessly. In an instant, the sky was filled with arrows. Henry’s army was nothing like the ragtag band of Scouts and stragglers that had served the previous Baron of Ximira Castle!

The newly armed former prisoners of war watched, their breath catching in their throats, as volley after volley of arrows blotted out the sun.

’So this is what a real castle defense is supposed to be like?’

The castle walls were suddenly lined with the Empire’s skilled archers and Veteran Shooters. These men were the elite of Henry’s army, their archery honed in countless battles.

If anyone thought these archers would be cut down like grass once engaged in close quarters, the Imperial Heavy Swords at their waists would make those fools regret their assumption.

The enemy archers tried to return fire, but against Henry’s bowmen, they quickly discovered it was suicide.

Henry’s archers were not only fast, but also incredibly accurate. The enemy bowmen fell one after another under the dense rain of arrows from the walls. They were riddled with shafts before they could even loose a second arrow.

The archers immediately fell back, not daring to advance further. The nobles didn’t berate them for it, either; archers were valuable assets, and there was no need to send them to their deaths.

The enemy infantry, holding their shields in a tight formation, followed the battering rams and Shield Carriers, attempting to approach the walls to attack.

But they soon discovered that their shields seemed pathetically fragile under the storm of arrows from Henry’s archers.

Arrows fell like rain, studding the shields. The impact of each one sent a numbing shock through the infantrymen’s arms.

The moment an arrow pierced a soldier’s arm, he would instinctively drop his shield. On the battlefield, even a moment’s lapse could be fatal.

A soldier who dropped his shield was instantly exposed to the arrow storm, and in the next second, he was mercilessly shot down.

The bodies piled up higher and higher at the base of the wall, forming a gruesome barrier of corpses and shields.

Henry stood on the ramparts, watching it all with cold detachment.

He knew that while the enemy had the advantage in numbers, their quality was far inferior to his archers.

Philip loudly commanded the archers to adjust their firing angles and rhythm to maintain pressure on the enemy.

"Maintain your rhythm! Don’t waste arrows! Aim for their legs, give them nowhere to hide!"

The three Barons and two Knights stood behind their lines, their expressions impassive, as if the slaughter before them had nothing to do with them.

These soldiers, many of them hastily conscripted peasants and serfs, were nothing more than expendable pawns in the eyes of the nobles—their lives and families merely fuel for their ambitions.

"Look, our soldiers are advancing bravely. How majestic."

One Baron tried to mask his indifference with encouraging words, but his voice held no genuine warmth.

"Yes, their sacrifice will pave the way for us," another Baron replied, his eyes fixed on the Shield Carriers. That was his real concern.

Behind them, the nobles’ Attendants readied signal flags and horns to issue commands at the critical moment.

Once the four Shield Carriers—two on each side of the gate—reached the wall, the real battle would begin.

The Shield Carriers moved forward slowly. They were vital pieces of siege equipment, providing a degree of protection for the soldiers so they could get close enough to the walls to set up the Cloud Ladders. These vehicles also became the primary targets for Henry’s archers and Crossbow Mechanisms.

Arrows rained down on the Shield Carriers. Although many were blocked by the shields and wooden planks, a good number of arcing volleys flew over the defenses, inflicting casualties on the enemy.