95 Seron, the captain of the guards

Klek Klek Klek Klek

The sound of bones hitting the malleable ground resonated across the walls like a perfect musical piece. There were only two different cadences, ringing the tempo of the march of the undead. The only reason why it was made obvious that it was not the same group that produced this sound was the fact that one was slightly delayed compared to the other. Coupled with the knowledge of two different liches, it made sense that they were not facing just a single army but two, each controlled by one superior undead.

Nonetheless, thousands and thousands of bone feet crushing, stamping and trampling everything on its path was still a sight to behold. A terrifying one for sure, especially for the guards that were more used to fight against bandits and thugs, rarely patrolling the outskirts of the mountains. In that sense, they were most of the time used as bait, and whether the patrol was totally slaughtered or just partially indicated which group of adventurers would be qualified for the task.

Whether the Mayor remembered that a peculiar patrol in the area where the undead should have appeared had actually gone missing was a mystery. If he knew, it would be a certainty that he would be immensely regretful for not investigating more that disappearance. At the same time, since he was oblivious of the participation of the demon commandants, that wouldn't have produced any results, besides more death.

Directly under him, near the ramparts, some moats were barely dug, proof that they weren't expecting it at all. Centuries without any problems had made the city save the funds for all the external defenses, judged far too costly when not used. Even if they were relatively close geographically to the Kingdom of Massalia, they weren't considered as such in reality. The natural defenses that were the mountains and the underground mazes were far more efficient than all the fortresses in the world.

As for the three passages that were void of monsters, there was at least a city between those and Archet. Therefore, like all the city deep inside the territory of the Republic, its defenses and garrison were not really the best.It was a clear oversight to think that nothing will leave the mountains, but with all those years without any problems, it was human to relax and forget the threat. But the unsightly face of the Mayor clearly showed how deep was his regret. At best, the moats would be able to have a dozen skeletons to fill the hole, but what was that number in front of the gigantic army?

"Seron, prepare the scorpions and the balistas. And make this damn ramparts trafficable, how can someone bring any additional ammunition when they are as close to each other as that."

The Mayor angrily ordered the captain of the guards, Seron, to reinstate the order on the ramparts. At the same time, the numerous nobles and merchants felt that the time for sightseeing was done and that they should probably just hide in their manors during the crisis. For their own safety. Only the Guild Master of the adventurers stayed at the same place, not feeling concerned by the anger of the man next to him.

Right now was the only time where they could inflict any type of damage to that sea of white bones without having to suffer any casualties. Without any words, the numerous officers spread the word and everyone that carried any sort of bows or crossbows was quickly prompted to climb the stairs. Magicians were told to save their mana for later, especially to deal with the liches. At every meter, a barrel filled with iron arrows could be seen, surrounded by quivers filled to the brim.

Hundreds of machinery were brought from the other walls on the eastern one, and a few different types of siege weapons could be observed. Most were either balistas or scorpions, with a principle similar to the one of a crossbow. But instead of having a simple bolt that was the length of a forearm, the projectiles launched by those deadly devices were larger than the full arm of an adult. On such a plain environment, it could pierce a good amount of skeletons without any issue.

There was also a sort of small catapult, albeit with a smaller range. It could propel a stone at more than two hundred meters away, but with slightly less strength than a complete catapult. Compared to the rest, it seemed weirdly comic, but after looking at what would be launched, no one dared to laugh. In fact, if Ymir was present, he would have already started to run away, not wanting to deal with those bombs any time soon.

The products of the White Hand were renowned in the entire world, both for their power and their hefty price. Fortunately, the cuts of the budgets of the defense of Archet didn't touch the stock of bombs, reaching the impressive number of 2. Coupled with the catapult, it was the perfect weapon to behead a careless leader that approached too close the ramparts. Because of both the dangerousness of the bombs and the fact that every shot had to hit, only a few were able to get close and operate the mechanism. And in that case, the heavy charge ended up on the shoulders of the Guild Master.

Seron grabbed a magician nearby and ordered him to amplify the volume of his voice. Without caring at all about the fact that he slightly pushed the mage or his visibly angered face, the captain of the guard transmitted his last instructions.

"LISTEN UP EVERYONE! Every officer is responsible for his part of the walls. If you still haven't organized who will resupply the ammunition, do it now. I don't want any unwanted elements on this wall until the undead army is close, am I clear?For those that have served with me, you know what to do. As for the rookies and new recruits, if you think what your sergeant is telling is stupid, bash your own head on the wall first and then think again. Most of them are veterans of the war with the goblins or Massalia that sought a peaceful location.They have already met such a dire situation, trust them, trust the man on your left and the man on your right."

Seron paused for a bit, and then looked at the nearby adventurers that were already displaying the difference between them and the guards. Their nonchalance, their carelessness, their freedom.

"As for the adventurers, the moment you step on this wall was the moment you gave me control over your life. Those brave men I talked about previously, they are all me for you. Their orders are my orders. No personal initiatives, no breaking out of the line. I will not let a single one of you endanger this city."

The more he spoke, the bigger he seemed for those that listened to him. Contrarily to the Mayor that was capable of manipulating nobles and merchants alike, Seron would only be able to create a bigger conflict, and as such, he never implicated himself more. But since the moment he stood on those walls, the roles were reversed. He was now the highest authority in the entire city and anyone daring to confront him will be dealt with appropriately. All the holes and marks on his armor didn't destroy his image, it only improved his aura.

"Citizens of Archet, this is the moment of truth. You will not fear; you will not falter. You will not give a single step to the enemy. They have come for us, but the only thing they will receive is their new tombs!"

He raised his sword as many soldiers were roaring. Seeing the state of the surroundings getting more fervent and enraged than worried and fearful made both the Mayor and the Guild Master smiled for a brief moment. If it was them speaking like that, it wouldn't have made the same effect.The latter could have motivated the adventurers, but it will be the guards that will make the hardest sacrifice.And even if they respected his strength, he was not one of them, and that barrier couldn't be overcome by just a few words.

The last traces of confusion were quickly solved and soon, the first line of defense was finally armed and ready. Numerous scouts were constantly rushing toward Seron, easily dodging the careless soldiers that were still filling their quivers. Even if Archet was large enough to spread on several kilometers, the incoming army was not small either. Reports from both the northern and southern officers were talking about the fact that the sea of skeletons still reached them.

The only saving grace was the fact that not a single undead could be seen near the West wall. But many quickly realized that there was a particularly huge issue when everything was resumed. The undead were spreading on many fronts, but even as they watched them, they couldn't do a single thing. They were staying put at a very safe distance, slightly less than a kilometer away. Their hope of facing either two arrogant or two moronic liches was immediately crushed.

If it had been the case, all those skeletons would have only received a single order, being to kill every living being in sight. Based on that, the humans could have used their brains and abuse the simple order to its best. Looking at his right hand that was shaking his head, the face of Seron was getting more and more impassive. The officer right next to him had participated in many campaigns near the frontier of Pankow and was probably the more knowledgeable when facing an undead army.

Looking at the tall walls under his feet, that was the only advantage they still had. But the damages will be a lot more than first expected. At that point, even the entire city could fall, they were vastly outnumbered and even if those undead were of the lowest quality, the difference was far too wide. Approaching the mayor, he had to acknowledge the issue.

"Mayor, it will be an uphill fight. I can no longer guarantee that the citizens of Archet will be safe as long as they don't get near the walls. Maybe it would be best to open the gates and order the evacuate…"

"Enough!" The Mayor raised his hand and several guards nearby looked at the two, wondering what they were talking about. Feeling that his voice was a bit too loud, he lowered it, only allowing a few to hear its content.

"No one will leave this city before the walls fall. The moment an evacuation is ordered, we will lose both the support of those families and the adventurers. If the fight has a chance of being lost with them, imagine what will happen without them?No, this will not happen. I trust you for defending Archet, but let me handle the rest."

"Yes, I understand." The minds of the two were working differently, but even Seron could pick up the hint that the Mayor gave. His only disappointment was the fact that innocents will be harmed to save the rest because by the time the retreat will be ordered, it will be too late for some. The Mayor could only sight about it. Looking at those surrounding him ready to protect their families and friends, he should have least try a bit more.

"I guess I will have to personally make a move. Seron, hold the wall until I come back. Your request for reinforcements has been accepted." Without waiting any additional second, he left the wall, leaving the captain of the guard slightly stunned. He looked around, not knowing who else could come. There were already several personal mercenaries and warriors from many noble and wealthy families reassembled near the ramparts.

But he couldn't look around anymore, because two skeletons were approaching quickly the city. He could only shake his head because even right now, the liches were not taking any risks. As for what those two will speak of, he would allow it only if it was not detrimental. Actually, he was considering more and more at just destroying those two the moment they entered the range of a crossbowman.