Knight: Becoming King of the World

Chapter 143: Chapter 122: Isn’t This a Kind of Edging?

The celebration lasted late into the night, and the people gradually dispersed in a joyous and warm atmosphere.

Meanwhile, in the castle’s dungeon, hundreds of prisoners of war stood quietly in cramped cells, packed so tightly there wasn’t even room to sit.

With the end of the celebration, tranquility returned to Ximira Castle.

The soldiers on night watch returned to their posts. The castle’s lights gradually went out, leaving only the embers of the bonfires flickering in the night.

"Who’s the idiot? Leave some of the bonfires going! Are you trying to freeze us to death?!"

"Hahahaha!"

Inside the study, Henry drew the curtains. Leaning on the table, he said to Claude and Bain, "Starting tomorrow, arm the villagers and our serfs. Distribute the captured armor and weapons and give them the most basic combat training.

We don’t know when the enemy will arrive or in what numbers. Let’s arm as many soldiers as we can."

Bain and Claude exchanged a glance. Claude asked, "My lord, what if they revolt?"

"They won’t. After two consecutive victories, those who haven’t fought on the front lines don’t know the cruelty of war. They only know that killing an enemy earns them Dinars and that they’ll get to feast after a victory."

The two were skeptical, but when they gathered the villagers and serfs the next day to distribute armor and weapons, the excited expressions on their faces left Claude and Bain thoroughly convinced.

These people had been blinded by "victory." Time slipped through their fingers like the fine sands of Hobia, and two days passed in a flash.

In those two days, the lives of the villagers and serfs of Ximira Castle were turned upside down.

The armory was opened, and the captured armor and weapons were distributed to everyone.

Although the equipment was a hodgepodge, for these ordinary people who had never experienced war, it was certainly a novel experience.

The taller and stronger men received better armor, such as Cloth Armor over Chain Armor, or leather armor over Zha Armor. The shorter, skinnier ones only received Cotton Armor.

The strongest were even issued iron armor!

Sunlight shone on the villagers’ faces as they gathered in the castle courtyard and began their unfamiliar training.

They held their spears, swords, battle-axes, and shields, looking the part. From a distance, one might have even mistaken them for an elite army.

But on closer inspection, the men were standing askew, and some were already drenched in sweat from the weight of their armor.

’No one told us a sword would weigh five or six pounds! Just holding it for a while is exhausting. What if we have to swing it over and over again in a real fight...?’

Henry and Bain stood on a high platform, their gazes firm as they watched the undisciplined crowd below.

"Remember, the weapons in your hands are to protect yourselves, to defeat the enemy, and to win a better life!"

"Yes, Lord!"

Under the guidance of the Skilled Infantry, the villagers learned how to correctly hold a spear and how to thrust and retract it with stability.

Their movements were so clumsy it baffled the Skilled Infantry, and each thrust was accompanied by scattered, half-hearted shouts.

’Hmph, a minor issue.’

The serfs brandished their swords, learning how to slash and chop effectively under the instruction of the Senior Infantry.

Their arms trembled with each swing, their form beginning to falter. Though sweat soaked their clothes, they didn’t dare to stop or slacken their pace.

In this respect, the serfs learned a bit faster than the villagers.

While the villagers and serfs drilled, Henry and Bain were not idle. Henry personally conducted a "friendly" interrogation of some of the captured officers.

After a bit of conversation, Henry obtained some intelligence: Count John’s main army would arrive at Ximira Castle within two days.

If Count John’s army faced no delays, they would appear at Ximira Castle by noon the day after tomorrow.

Furthermore, since Gabriel’s scouts had failed to send back continuous reports, Count John’s army might even accelerate its march.

This news left Henry speechless. ’What is with this Count John? He’s feeding me his troops piecemeal. If his entire army had just descended on the castle at once, it would’ve fallen long ago.’ Even if I could fight my way out of an encirclement in my black armor, I’d be left all alone.

"Bain, increase the intensity of the training. Treat them like real soldiers! Even if we can’t guarantee their combat effectiveness, every extra blow they can absorb gives our veterans a chance to kill one more enemy."

Bain nodded. He took Selas, Roland, and a few others to supervise the now even more rigorous training, ensuring that every man could master the simplest combat skills in the shortest time possible.

Selas and Roland could both see Bain’s high standing within Henry’s retinue and were more than willing to follow his lead. Doing so increased their chances of being noticed by Henry.

After nightfall, the villagers and serfs of Ximira Castle finished their hard day’s training and finally earned a brief rest.

They lit bonfires in the castle courtyard and gathered around, sharing their experiences and feelings from the day.

The firelight flickered across their faces, casting long shadows behind them. They talked about the weapons in their hands and discussed how to protect themselves in battle.

At dinnertime, they were given a sumptuous meal of fresh meat and sweet fruit. These delicacies, a rare sight in ordinary times, made them feel the generosity of their Lord and the value he placed on them.

They ate with gusto, savoring the rare delicacies while also storing up energy for the next day’s training.

They didn’t understand the concept of "energy," but they knew they needed to eat their fill to have strength.

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, they quickly fell asleep. In their dreams, they might have seen themselves fighting bravely on the battlefield, or perhaps they dreamt of a peaceful life after the war’s end.

However, their rest did not last long.

At dawn the next day, before the first rays of sunlight had fully illuminated the land, soldiers woke the slumbering villagers and serfs, reminding them that a new day of training was about to begin.

And how were they woken? By being hauled out of their beds, of course!

The villagers and serfs rubbed their sleepy eyes and crawled from their warm bedding, their bodies still aching from the previous day’s training.

As quickly as they could, they donned their armor, grabbed their weapons, and once again gathered on the castle’s training grounds.

On the training field, they practiced the basic combat skills over and over. Spear thrusts, sword slashes, shield blocks... every movement was a mixture of their sweat and hope.

Their movements became less clumsy. ’Maybe they could actually kill an enemy now?’

At noon on the third day of Baron Gabriel’s captivity, the tranquility of Ximira Castle was shattered by the distant sound of hooves and marching feet.

A vast army appeared on the horizon, approaching the castle like a great, winding serpent.

Count John’s army stretched to the horizon as it began to completely encircle Ximira Castle.

Wagons, tents, and banners flickered in and out of view, like a moving forest.

Based on the number of wagons, the scale of the encampment, and the style of the banners, the army numbered at least seven thousand strong, including serfs and Auxiliary Soldiers.

This was likely the limit of the forces Count John could field for an expedition; he had more soldiers that couldn’t be mobilized, as they were needed to garrison his various settlements.

Ximira Castle occupied a critical strategic position. It was the chokepoint through which Odoche could cross the mountains and access the vaster plains to the east.

Controlling it meant controlling the future flow of wealth and power.

Everyone knew of Henry’s intent to aggressively develop the unknown lands and border regions. As long as a region had a large enough population, it was a land of milk and honey, even if it produced no special resources.

Count John was clearly unwilling to easily give up a strategic point like Ximira Castle. He never imagined that the man who had been borrowing money from him just a year ago would have grown strong enough to seize one of his castles.

Faced with such a massive enemy force, Henry’s troops remained unfazed.

The enemy had greater numbers, superior equipment, and more elite soldiers, yet Henry’s men still felt no fear.

The villagers carrying arrows and stones on the walls, however, were nervous. It was their first time standing so high, looking down and truly understanding the meaning of a vast, endless sea of people.

The pressure made their hearts pound and their palms sweat.

Henry was different. He stood at the highest point of the castle wall, gazing down at the enemy army, his eyes glinting with excitement.

’After a few consecutive battles, the New Recruit Team is practically indistinguishable from the Skilled Infantry of an Imperial Legion. I can ease up on their training for now.’ ’There are so many of them this time. I’m going to have to go down there myself and have some fun, cutting a bloody swath through them!’

"Soldiers, prepare for battle!"

The villagers and serfs scrambled into action, hauling defensive supplies like arrows, stones, and hot oil up to the walls, their hands trembling.

"For Ximira Castle! For the Bro Clan! For our Lord!" Bain shouted, drawing his sword.

"For Ximira Castle! For our Lord!" the soldiers roared in response, their confidence helping the villagers to relax slightly.

Standing on an arrow tower, Henry could see the enemy preparing Shield Carriers and long ladders. ’Looks like they’re planning to assault the city today?’

Henry’s gaze fixed on the noble banner flying high. ’That’s the banner of the Hoyland Clan! Count John actually came in person.’

Just then, a troop of knights bearing the imperial banner of the royal family galloped toward them from the distance, kicking up clouds of dust.

They were clad in gleaming armor, their banners fluttering as they rode on powerful steeds.

NEIGH~

Seeing the imperial banner, Count John’s army dared not intercept them. Even Count John himself, clad in armor, emerged from his camp, wanting to see what this troop of knights was up to.

The lead Knight reined in his horse in the open ground between the two armies, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the walls of Ximira Castle and Count John’s forces.

The Knight pulled two sealed letters from within his tunic and handed them to two of his soldiers. One soldier spurred his horse toward the walls of Ximira Castle, while the other galloped toward Count John’s camp.

Henry on the wall and Count John in his camp both witnessed this, their gazes locked tightly onto the letters in the soldiers’ hands.

The letters were quickly delivered. Henry tore open the envelope to find a short letter inside, written in an elegant script:

’Baron Henry, my student.

Given the current tense situation, I hope you can agree to a temporary truce and set aside your dispute. Upon receiving this letter, cease all military action immediately. I will dispatch a special envoy to assist both parties in peace negotiations.

A problem has arisen in the southern desert. Those damned Lizardmen are too powerful. I need you to lead your army south as reinforcements. I will give you one month to prepare. By October, you are to lead your army to Hubia City and report for duty with the Thirty-Fifth Legion.

Your Lord, your Dean, Anikovarest XIII.’

Henry lowered the letter and looked at Count John’s equally silent camp, unable to process what he had just read for a moment.

’What does the Emperor mean by this? Is he afraid I’ll lose? Is he mediating on my behalf? Or have the Second Prince’s actions angered him?’

’Wait a minute... In other words, I’ve been preparing for so long, I finally have Count John’s main army right where I want them, and now you’re telling me we’re not fighting?!’