Chapter 108
"Charge!"
Kukuukung.
The gate was lowered and hung over the moat, and nearly 2,000 troops began to pass over it.
98 knights, 730 crossbowmen, and 922 infantry.
It was a force that no one could ignore, but it was certainly smaller than when they attacked Tomodo Castle just two months ago.
Attacking the Bifrost main camp with this force would have been tantamount to suicide, if it had been before.
'Yeah. If it had been before.'
Logan was the only one smiling among the leaders who were generally tense.
"Are you not worried at all? Really?"
"How many troops are left in the Bifrost main camp? If Duke Jordan has issued a general mobilization order, none of his subordinates will be able to refuse, even if they are afraid."
"And we are ignoring that fearsome man's warning head-on."
Patrick said with a stern face, but Logan still looked confident.
"Hey, our situation is different. I told you, didn't I? Even my father agreed."
"......"
"Father. Look on the bright side. This is our chance to reclaim our ancestral lands after two hundred years. And the transcendent, who is about to face a great battle for the throne with his rival, cannot move easily. At least not to the extent of eating up this land on the outskirts. And if he does move... ..."
"Then it will be after Baltimaim is ruined, so there is no need to worry."
"Yes. That's right."
Patrick nodded slightly, but his face was still full of worry.
"What if the 2nd Prince's faction wins the civil war?"
"We have to side with the 1st Prince before that."
"In the opposite case, they will reach out to us?"
"That's right. Either way, the civil war will come to an end, and in any case, Duke Jordan will not be able to carry out his warning. That is, if we can eat up Bifrost Castle and become the key card for both factions. Didn't you understand and agree?"
Logan shrugged, but Patrick continued in a more serious voice than ever.
"You know there is a big flaw in your story, right?"
"......Yes?"
"The assumption that the civil war will not end while we eat up Bifrost Castle and grow. You are sure that this civil war will last a very long time, aren't you?"
Logan's face hardened slightly at those words.
Looking back through history, there were few cases where a civil war within a country had lasted for more than a year.
The Grandia Civil War, which lasted for a full three years, was a very special case.
His father's question was natural, but it was a fact that Logan had overlooked.
"Ah... that's... isn't it not easy to end just by looking at the current situation?"
"It doesn't seem like you're just saying that based on the current situation."
"It's still just a feeling, but isn't it possible? I think it's enough to bet my fate on."
"Is it really just a feeling?"
"......What do you mean?"
"No, no. It's nothing. Since you've already decided, let's just go through with it."
Patrick looked up and saw the clear sky.
The cold air filled his lungs and made him feel the deepening winter.
When he closed his eyes, he could feel the sharp coldness all the way to the depths of his head, and he remembered the sight of his son at the palace not long ago.
The sight of him smiling coldly as he watched Larry Clet die.
'Surely not... No way.'
No, it didn't matter if it was true.
It didn't matter whether his son had instigated the civil war or not.
Either way, the boy would have done what was best for the family.
Not only this time, but there had been many times when he felt that his son was hiding something, but he had always believed in him.
So he would support him, but there was no need to create unnecessary confusion.
Now there was only one thing to think about.
The land of his ancestors.
The lost glory.
The opportunity to find all of that was right before him.
And when that time comes...
"Sigh... . . Yeah. I don't know if I'm crazy, or if you're crazy. Or if the world is crazy. But since it's come to this, let's give it a try."
He couldn't know what his father was thinking deep down, but he could see that the anxiety had disappeared from his eyes as he looked at him.
So Logan was able to answer with a cheerful heart.
"Yes!"
--------------
Open the gate quietly and surrender. Then we will spare your lives.
"Damn it. What the hell are those crazy guys thinking?!"
The current commander of the Bifrost garrison, Senior Knight Rentor, cursed as he looked at the enemy troops approaching the wall.
There were only 22 knights and 500 soldiers left in Bifrost.
It was safe to say that there was no chance of stopping the enemy army of nearly 2,000.
If the enemy had even declared war, they would have at least gathered the minimum number of troops sent to other castles.
No, they would have even conscripted people to use as cannon fodder.
'What's the point of that now.'
But he couldn't retreat either.
[The army of Ferret will join us. Hold out for as long as possible! You must!]
In fact, there was no mention of the main force returning in the lord's communication.
And yet he was told to hold on.
Was he saying that because he really thought it was possible, or was he being abandoned?
He couldn't even figure out the truth anymore.
However.
"We can hold out! Reinforcements will be here soon! Hold out at all costs!"
He had to be hopeful in his words to the soldiers.
After all, he was the only senior knight left now that all the elites had gone to the central front, and he was the only hope for the Bifrost army.
"It seems that they have no intention of surrendering peacefully."
"There's no need to drag this out. Let's take it down right away."
"Yes!"
As soon as Patrick's words fell, the McLean army began to march.
The high walls, which were more than 20 meters high, were also that large and wide.
However, the magnificent walls acted as a complete weakness this time.
With an圧倒的に劣勢な兵力で (With an overwhelmingly inferior military force), they had to defend all of the wide walls.
Although the McLean knights split into three groups and scattered along the east and west walls from the south gate where they had advanced, even one of those groups outnumbered the total number of knights stationed in Bifrost.
Unless ancient magic was hidden in Bifrost Castle, this absolute inferiority would not be overcome.
That's why there was no hesitation in the movements of the McLean knights.
"Take down the castle!"
At the sound of the lord's roar, the knights charged from three sides at once.
From one side alone, more than 30 knights scattered and ran up the walls.
And the Bifrost knights who had to stop them were gathered only on the front of the castle, the south gate.
Only soldiers were stationed at the east and west gates.
"Form a formation and hold out! If we hold out, an opportunity will come!"
Instead of stopping the enemies invading from other directions, Rentor decided to concentrate his knightly force on the walls of the south gate and hold out for as long as possible.
'Even if the knights are scattered, they will only be defeated individually. Hold out here!'
It would take a considerable amount of time to deal with all the soldiers on the east and west walls.
If only the knightly force could be completely preserved, a counterattack could be launched when the reinforcements arrived.
It was a really poor strategy, no, it was a shameless act of betrayal that could not even be called a strategy.
And there.
Hiiing.
The north gate, which the enemy had not even come to, opened and a华丽な馬車was seen leaving.
The sight of six knights escorting the carriage was clearly seen in the eyes of the soldiers.
Seeing the sight that demoralized everyone, Rentor shouted instead.
"Look! The lords and the young prince have escaped safely! There is nothing to worry about now! We will fight the enemy here and fight to the last!"
What the hell are you worried about? Our lives?
Unable to feel the absurd glances around him, Rentor continued to passionately rant about the words that only demoralized the troops.
"Ha!"
Logan climbed up the wall with just two jumps.
The path he chose was the east gate, where there was no trace of knights.
Swooosh!
"Eeeek!"
As soon as he climbed up the wall, a scream erupted from the sword he swung.
The soldiers who were cut down in a single blow didn't even scream, but the soldiers next to them screamed in terror.
And that scream spread throughout the wall along with the attack of the knights who followed Logan up the wall.
There was not a single Bifrost knight who had to encourage the panicked soldiers and make them fight.
In the end, it was too natural.
"Everyone kneel down! Those who surrender will be spared!"
At the roar that erupted in the midst of the indiscriminate slaughter of the knights, who possessed圧倒的な武力that ordinary soldiers could not resist, most of the soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt down on the spot.
"P-please spare me!"
Soldiers surrendering in vain.
It would be an inevitable choice for them.
In fact, that alone meant the end of the east gate.
It was so easy to proceed that it was even surprising.
However, Logan did not hesitate and immediately gave the order.
"First unit, go down and open the gate! The rest of you, follow me and kill the knights in the south!"
Looking at the other side, his father was already taking control of the west wall in a similar way.
'If the difference in power is this much, there is no need for any strategy, but isn't this too much?'
Well, the more stupid the enemy, the better it is for the ally.
"Let's finish it here!"
Logan shouted and rushed towards the south wall like a wind.
Bifrost was much larger than Tomodo Castle, but that only made the opponent's small number of troops stand out even more.
And in the midst of all this, a breathtaking voice was heard.
"I am the senior knight of Bifrost, Rentor. I challenge you to a knight duel! If you are a knight, answer without shame!"
No, it's too embarrassing.
Why is my face flushed at what the enemy knight babbled about?
Logan stopped in his tracks, a chuckle escaping his lips.
He wasn't interested in wasting his time on such a fool. It was just then that the east and west gates, now under their control, burst open, spewing forth a wave of McLean soldiers.
Seeing the reinforcements, Logan pointed his sword at the ridiculous knight.
"Shoot!"
There was no cover on the inner side of the wall, just a wide, exposed walkway. A hail of quarrel bolts rained down on the 22 enemy knights gathered there.
"Ta-ta-tang!"
"C-Cowardly..."
"Ugh. You're just a..."
Swooosh!
After the surrounding knights fell like hedgehogs, Rentor lost his life to Logan's single blade.
Logan held up the fallen enemy's head high and shouted.
"We are victorious!"
The ancestral land they were driven out from two hundred years ago. McLean had reclaimed it with disturbing ease.
---------
"Everyone has done well."
Patrick's voice resonated through the hall, a quiet intensity simmering beneath the surface. However, the tremor in his hand as he stroked the armrest of his lordly seat betrayed his hidden emotions.
The retainers, sensing their lord's complex feelings, allowed a soft silence to envelop the hall for a moment.
Within that silence, Patrick's gaze swept across the chamber, now adorned with the McLean sigil – a rose transformed entirely into flames, replacing the previous emblem that combined a rose and flames.
This wasn't a regular victory. Even with the enemy's main force still out there, for now, they had won. They had reclaimed their ancestral land.
Patrick, trying to suppress the surge of emotions, turned his gaze back to the assembled knights.
"We, McLean, have finally recovered the land of our forefathers. This is all thanks to your efforts, and it is my fortune to have you as my retainers."
His voice, still trembling slightly, echoed softly throughout the hall.
"This gathering serves not only to celebrate this glorious moment you have created, but also to mourn the comrades who fell during this process. I will not forget. The knights who paved the way for this moment..."
One by one, the names of the fallen knights spilled from Patrick's lips. With each name called, the assembled knights slowly bowed their heads.
Among them were those who had been McLean knights for a long time, some who had defected from Terran or Sylvan, but the camaraderie forged through numerous battles transcended their origins, binding them together as knights.
"...I will forever etch their names into my heart and remember them. I will remember their loyalty and dedication, and I will compensate their remaining families with a bright future."
Finally, when all the fallen knights had been named, a resounding cry filled the hall.
"Loyalty!"
Thump.
"Glory to McLean!"
Thump.
"We dedicate the rest of our lives to become the unwavering sword of fire!"
Thump.
The vibration created by the stomping of feet resonated through everyone present, leaving a powerful echo in their hearts.
Before the aftertaste of that deep resonance could fade, Patrick spoke again.
"I will cherish and remember the sacrifices made to achieve this glory. Therefore, it would be best to discuss the future with the future of McLean."
Patrick's gaze shifted to his eldest son standing directly below him.
"Father, I believe it would be best for you to simply speak your mind."
Despite hoping his father could enjoy this moment of pure joy, Logan gestured for him to continue.
"When you drove out Terran, I thought you were simply impressive. When you established McLean Town, I considered it truly remarkable. It was then I realized you had already slipped from my grasp. It was a delightful delusion."
"Father..."
"And from driving out Sylvan to finally capturing Bifrost, it has been you, not I, who has led the house. Above all, the crisis is not over yet. As the focal point of the house, you must encourage the knights."
There was no point in refusing further.
Logan let out a long sigh and looked at the kneeling knights. Then, he stepped forward.
"...As you can all guess, a turbulent age is upon us. McLean will not settle here. I want you all to become the wings of the house that will soar even higher, riding the winds of this turbulent age!"
"Loyalty!"
"All rewards will be postponed until this temporary victory solidifies into a permanent one. Don't let your guard down yet!"
"Yes! Understood!"
"We have won! And we will continue to win in the future! And I will share all that glory with you!"
Logan's hope-filled ambition echoed through the hall.
"Glory to McLean!!"
The sound filled the hall with even greater fervor.