Chapter 273

Chapter 273

The darkness faded, and the sun rose.

The soldiers on the wall squinted their eyes and watched the sunrise. The barbarian's warning was still etched in their minds. Urich's declaration of war tightened the soldiers' hearts.

"Don't worry. We can stop them."

An experienced senior tried to comfort the younger soldiers.

‘Unknown anxiety and fear.’

Even though they knew Hamel wouldn't be breached, their hearts still trembled. That was the kind of fear that the plunderers from the west brought: emotions that preceded logical understanding. If one gained emotional superiority, they could also gain an advantage on the battlefield.

‘Fear is gnawing at us.’

The garrison commander lifted his heavy eyes. He constantly encouraged his soldiers who stood guard in their armor.

"Is the attack coming soon?"

The leader of the plunderers, Urich, had declared his Alliance would attack this morning.

‘They’re probably planning to capture Hamel while His Majesty and the main force are absent. That’s decently clever.’

The garrison commander took a deep breath to maintain his composure.

‘But they won't get Hamel. We can hold out. How would they fill that wide and deep moat, and how would they attack walls they can't reach even with ladders? Each wall is well-stocked with oil and arrows as well. No matter where they attack, this city is impregnable.’

The garrison commander checked the walls several times. He meticulously inspected everything just in case there was any complacency, perhaps an open side door.

"There is no need to be anxious," the garrison commander told himself.

The sun, which had been peeking out the horizon, gradually rose higher. Even the extremely tense imperial soldiers slowly relaxed.

As the anticipated attack did not come, fatigue accumulated from the night-long tension set in. Soldiers leaning against the walls nodded off.

"Captain, It's almost noon, but there's no sign of an attack."

A sharp-eyed officer reported to the garrison commander.

The garrison commander observed the state of the soldiers and frowned.

"They’re waiting for us to put our guards down. When we do that, that’s when they will attack. They know we will become lax if they don't attack at the promised time. Don't fall for their deception. They will come!"

The garrison commander walked along the wall, kicking the dozing soldiers awake. The startled soldiers opened their eyes wide as they wiped the saliva off the corners of their mouths.

"These barbarians have no sense of honor or promises! And that Porcana, too! They are no different from them, as expected from a remote kingdom!"

The garrison commander pressed his fingers against his temples in frustration. He too was extremely tired from staying up all night.

‘Are they trying to engage us in a psychological battle? Is their army smart enough to pull off such a thing?’

Everything seemed suspicious. The Porcana-Alliance army was an army formidable enough to decisively defeat that of Carnius. When an army like that didn’t show itself for an extended period of time, it only made the anxiety worse.

‘Anxiety and fear.’

The emotions he had tried to suppress slowly crept up. The excessively heavy responsibility weighed down on his shoulders.

"Sir Sarvan, you should get some rest."

The adjutant urged the garrison commander to rest.

"If I sleep now, I won't wake up with a clear head."

The garrison commander said this as he sat down in a chair. But being human, he could no longer resist the drowsiness. He merely closed his eyes for a moment, but it only took a moment for his consciousness to slip into darkness.

A quiet time passed. The garrison commander did not wake until after noon. The adjutants took turns commanding and waiting for the attack without waking him.

"Kaaaah!"

The garrison commander opened his eyes with a screech. He had a terrible nightmare, perhaps due to the built-up anxiety. He dreamt of Hamel engulfed in flames.

"H-have the barbarians not come yet!" He shouted, looking at the sky.

The sun was already beginning to set. Having just woken up, he couldn’t even be sure about whether it was a dream or reality.

"Calm down, Sir Sarvan. The barbarians haven't come yet."

Thwip!

The light cavalry who managed to get close to the camp launched a surprise attack, firing crossbows at the outskirts.

‘They’re not coming out?’

Despite the cavalry's sudden attack, there seemed to be no retaliating enemy force.

The garrison commander approached closer as his pupils trembled.

‘Barbarians are supposed to be aggressive; the plunderers shouldn’t be any different. How can they not retaliate after being attacked like this?’

The garrison commander looked to the side and signaled his men with his hand. Some of the cavalry broke out of formation and moved deeper inside.

Crack!

The cavalry swung their maces to break the poles supporting the tents. One of the cavalry who checked the tents shouted with his eyes widened.

“Sir Sarvan! It's empty! There's no one here!”

Only then did they notice the fleeing plunderers. There were only a few hundred of them.

“Shiiiiiiiiit!”

The garrison commander shouted with wide eyes. He didn't even consider chasing the fleeing plunderers. That wasn't the important thing right now.

“It’s a trap! It was a trap! They already left the camp days ago! They were just pretending like they were surrounding Hamel!”

The Porcana-Alliance army had left only the bare minimum personnel required to maintain the camp. The main force had long since departed. The tents, which seemed intact, were actually empty inside.

The garrison commander was aghast and furious. He had wasted time due to unnecessary anxiety.

‘Where did these bastards go?’

The garrison commander chased the plunderers' tracks and looked north. Realizing something, he hurried back to the fortress.

“Scribe!”

He called for a scribe as soon as he entered Hamel. From this point on, every second mattered.

“His Majesty is in danger. Dammit! They went north, north!”

The garrison commander was almost frantic.

“Their declaration of war was a ruse!”

He pounded the wall and ground his teeth. They had completely fallen for the plunderers’ scheme. The barbarians had fully exploited the fear and anxiety of civilized people. The unknown and fear made people cautious and sometimes prevented action when boldness was needed.

“We must get to the northern front before them and warn His Majesty of their attack!”

The garrison commander grabbed the messenger’s cheek, spitting as he spoke. The messenger nodded with determined eyes.

“The fate of our empire rests on your shoulders! Now, go!”

The garrison commander slapped the horse’s behind and urged it forward. The messenger kicked up dust as he headed north.

‘Who would have thought they would make such a bold move...’

It was a massive gamble. The Porcana-Alliance army was going for the emperor's army without securing its rear.

‘If they can’t take down His Majesty’s army in time, then they’ll be the ones in danger.’

A new legion was already being formed in the emperor’s direct territory. It was only a matter of time before the Porcana-Alliance army got surrounded from both sides.

‘Does this mean that they are confident they can defeat the emperor’s army?’

The garrison commander ground his teeth. Bold strategies and tactics had their pros and cons, along with proportionally significant risks. But if successful, the rewards were great.

He wanted to lead the garrison to pursue the plunderers immediately, but he thought that even that might be another trap. If he hastily sent the garrison out, Hamel could be captured.

“That Urich... Is this his idea?”

The enemy suddenly seemed enormous. When suspicion took hold, nothing could be done.

‘I’ve lost before the fight even began.’

The garrison commander finally let out a bitter laugh.