Chapter 44: The Battle for Fort Joseph

  After annihilating two thousand-man squads and one five-hundred-man squad, the effect of the surprise attack was greatly discounted. After all, General Red Fox was not a scarecrow waiting to be hit, his reaction speed was very fast, and his transmission speed was even faster. After the garrison in Blue Water Village was annihilated, all the scattered squads outside began to quickly gather towards the location of the main force.

  It's already very difficult to intercept at this time, and there is also a risk of encountering multiple enemy support troops.

  However, Midei never intended to continue the lightning war.

  The surprise attack was just a transition, a buffer, when facing the enemy's pre-emptive strike, it was a play in favor of the trend. More accurately, it was a psychological restraint conducted by Mide, the strategic mastermind. Its purpose was to make the opponent wary, forcing them to withdraw troops and give up control over large areas of territory.

  The territory is undefended, and for a 2,000-strong elven army, it has the space to maneuver, without having to advance and fight all the way, making a truly high-speed march possible.

  The situation has now opened up, and the enemy's momentum to cover the whole country has not only been contained but also severely countered. Naturally, Mi Di would no longer continue to fight a war of attrition or seek to gain any more laurels.

  It's time for a real showdown, and first step, Middy's goal is to take down the castle of the Joseph family.

  The fall of Lord Asriel's citadel means the end of the war.

  But wouldn't the fall of Joseph's stronghold also bring about a similarly huge shock?

  If a viscount-level member of the Parliament faction were to be killed by Medici, it would be an unbearable blow not only to the Parliament faction itself but also to the reputation of the Seth family as the dominant force. Moreover, as a noble family already influenced by the Delos Empire, Medici's actions will also bring about deeper and more far-reaching struggles and influences in secret.

  When fully armed, pale-faced and agile elves appeared under the main castle of the Joseph family, the entire castle was suddenly **.

  The defenders could hardly believe their eyes - wasn't that proud and arrogant young Master Quin just leading his troops to depart? How did the enemy end up right under the city walls now?

  The steward and the servants, or those branch family members living in the castle, soon fell into a state of panic.

  However, the old general who was defending the city calmed down quickly after the initial shock.

  Lanster? Joseph, the younger brother of Count Joseph and uncle of Quinlan? Joseph. He was able to become the highest person in charge of the garrison on the one hand because he had brought up Quinlan with his own hands and was considered loyal and devoted, and on the other hand, because he was indeed quite capable in defensive warfare and could be counted as a veteran general with some reputation in the Kingdom of Bellmare.

  And so, Quinlan, who rose to power through intrigue, would entrust the most important stronghold of the nobles to Lannister's Joseph.

  "Is that little rabbit, Meddi, giving up on defense and trying to go all out in a desperate bid? Looking at the endless stream of elven troops appearing in the distance and starting to set up camp on the high ground, Lanster snorted coldly. "But who do you think you are? With me holding down the fort here and 1,500 defenders, what can you possibly do with those scrawny little elves?"

  Facing the suddenly appearing fairy army, Lanster showed the demeanor of a veteran general.

  He personally led the team to patrol on the city wall, letting everyone see his figure wearing armor and holding a long sword. Soon, he stabilized the unrest and commotion among the people in the castle. Then, he meticulously arranged various orders, quickly putting one thousand regular soldiers and five hundred reserve soldiers into high alert status, while preparing rolling stones, black oil and other defensive equipment.

  Finally, he quietly ordered his trusted men to strengthen the guard on the currently unconscious Count Joseph, lest Midy send out a high-level elite squad for a surprise attack and snatch away the count. That would shake Quin's position.

  Everything is well arranged and very cautious.

  Lanster fully demonstrated the wisdom and experience that an old general should have, he did not underestimate Midei because of his age and past as a young master, on the contrary, he handled every detail perfectly.

  Moreover, the castle was originally a noble's accumulation of dozens or even hundreds of years, with thick city walls, towering city towers, large numbers of heavy catapults and ballistae, as well as protective magic arrays guarding key positions, the defending army naturally had an absolute geographical advantage.

  On the side of the Aslex family, it's not easy for an army of 10,000 to attack a castle with only 3,000 people. On Joseph's side, can he possibly defend against more than 2,000 elite spirit warriors with just 1,500 people?

  "Of course it's impossible!" Lancaster asserted.

  It's not just a week, a month, or even half a year, he has the confidence and perseverance to stick to it. He has made up his mind, refusing to accept any provocation or sabotage, and will steadily guard this city until the Scarlet Flame Legion defeats the Asrecks family!

  But this old general waited with full confidence, and ended up being disappointed.

  Medi did not launch an attack.

  Those elves did not approach the castle, but instead set up camp on a high ground about one kilometer away.

  That high ground has a good view, Lanster still remembers that in the past when Count Joseph rode horses to clear his mind, he also liked to stand there and gaze into the distance, with the nobility's unique elegance and romance. When young Master Quin was still a spoiled brat, he even set up a telescope there, saying it was to sneak a peek at the spring scenery of women bathing in the castle.

  It's all in the past now, Lancaster couldn't help but feel a little sentimental, and then continued to wonder - what were they stationed there for?

  This high ground is meaningless for a siege, let alone the elves' bows and arrows and magic. Even if it were Belmar's largest and most advanced catapults at present, the stone balls launched from there would definitely not reach the city walls.

  The surrounding forests were also not dense enough to find sufficiently tall tree trunks to make the best siege engines.

  In fact, the elves didn't make any preparations for attacking the city at all. After setting up camp, they dispersed into many groups of a hundred people and cleared out all the scouts hiding from the Joseph family, after which there was no further movement.

  There must be some conspiracy behind this!

  Every minute and every second is precious for the Aslex family, they can't afford to waste time, there must be a big move behind this soul array. Is it finding an underground water source and poisoning? Digging tunnels in secret? Sending out high-ranking officials to infiltrate the castle and respond from within? Or are they still on their way with a new reinforcement?

  Lanster was constantly speculating in his heart, but he never got a clue. The enemy that can't be seen through is always the most terrifying, however, this old general, although anxious in his heart, did not show it and would not waver from his decision because of it.

  What if that little devil Midee is just playing a psychological war?

  He is still waiting.

  The next day, there was no movement on Middy's side either.

  Until the third day at dawn, the elf army, which had been silent for two whole days, finally began to move.

  Great Swordsmen, Holy Knights, Mages, Wandering Archers, and Night Blade Leopard Cavalry, different troops marched out of the camp in an orderly manner like flowing water, with as many as eighteen hundred-man squads, leaving only over three hundred people in the camp to respond, almost emptying the entire camp.

  These hundred-man teams arrived under the city, accurately and skillfully stopping at the farthest shooting range of the bed crossbow, and then quickly formed an array. In an instant, the flowing water-like formation turned into a thick square array. The holy knights holding heavy tower shields were in the front, followed by the great swordsmen with double-handed swords as the main force, the holy clerics and mages were at the back, the wandering archers were on the side of the magic square array, and the most elite night blade leopard cavalrymen were like two sharp long blades, steadily stopping on both wings to press the formation.

  Tier upon tier of shields formed an iron wall, with long spears and sharp swords protruding from the gaps like the fangs of a death god, gleaming with a cold light. The surging magic swirled around, the raging holy light accumulated at the fingertips, stirring up waves of awe-inspiring death tides.

  A standard and impenetrable... defensive formation!

  "What do they want?" Lanster finally couldn't help but ask out loud the doubts that had been in his mind for several days.

  The next moment, he got the answer.

  The sunlight at dawn seemed to dim for a moment, the gentle breeze stopped moving, and on the high ground one kilometer away from the castle, suddenly like ripples spreading across the water's surface, layer upon layer of azure light emerged, like blooming roses.

  In an instant, a sharp and fine light suddenly shot out from the high ground where the flower core was located.

  This light is brighter than the reflection of a long sword, making the morning sun lose its color. It's faster than lightning, leaving no time for even a blink of an eye. In just a brief moment, this light was on the high ground, and in the next instant, it had already struck the castle wall!

  It was as if an invisible giant iron hammer had struck, and a huge crater suddenly burst open on the city wall, with countless spider web-like cracks spreading from its edges. In the midst of the earthquake-like shaking, several soldiers standing on the battlements were unable to react in time, and they actually fell directly from the tens of meters high city wall, smashing into pulp!

  Rumble...

  It wasn't until all this had happened that the rumble of thunder finally reached people's ears, followed by a fierce gust of wind that cut through the air like a knife, causing the flags on the city walls to flutter and the soldiers' faces to ache.

  The wind began to flow once more, but in the midst of it, there seemed to be an invisible line that all air currents had to bypass.

  That was the mark left behind after the light pierced through, like a vacuum.

  Staring blankly at the deep pits on the thick city walls that could accommodate eight horses abreast, Lancaster's mind was a complete blank, until this moment, he finally understood why Middy occupied the high ground but hesitated to attack.

  There's no need for an all-out attack, with such powerful long-range attacks, it won't take long before the entire Joseph Fortress is reduced to rubble!

  He also understood why Midy had arranged his troops in a defensive formation at this moment.

  That was defending himself with his back against the wall, taking 1,500 people and charging out for a final battle.

  Everything, caution, calculation, experience, the advantage of defense, abundance of time, everything was shattered by that one attack just now. Compared to the city walls that had not yet collapsed, the first to feel despair was Lanster Joseph himself standing on the city head.

  At the same time, on the high ground above, the red-haired girl standing in the center of a huge magic circle seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

  "As expected, the first shot was a bit off." Fina pouted.

  She wasn't very good at showing off this kind of girly coquettishness, but in front of Middy, Feena was always unguarded and easily showed her age-appropriate cuteness.

  "It doesn't matter, we have plenty of time." Midy smiled and replied beside him.