The Exiled Lord: My Maid is a Battle Goddess

Chapter 354: The Calm Before Ruin

At seven in the evening, the sky was still shrouded in darkness.

The garrison stationed at the border fortress soon noticed countless flickering lights appearing along the horizon.

Within moments, waves of roars and chaotic shouting filled the night sky. Cavalry carrying torches poured out from every road like flowing rivers.

Hundreds, then thousands.

Vast numbers of riders raced across the open ground before the fortress gates. They pointed at the defenders on the walls, hurling insults and taunts. Some soldiers on the battlements tried to shoot arrows at them, but all they could see were rapidly retreating silhouettes disappearing into the distance.

Then came endless formations of infantry.

If the cavalry had been rivers, the force that followed was a raging sea.

Tens of thousands of soldiers advanced in formation, their torches merging into a vast ocean of light that looked like stars hanging upside down across the darkened earth.

Spears stood like forests. The banners of the Shadow World Sect snapped violently in the wind, mixed with the low growls of the undead horde.

Every animal and magical beast in the vicinity trembled instinctively. Even the birds circling overhead fled in panic, driven away by the overwhelming killing intent.

"The enemy keeps increasing. When will the Empire’s reinforcements arrive?"

Gherlos stared into the distance. The battlefield was already packed with Shadow World Sect forces, yet more banners continued moving toward them from afar.

"A siege takes time. Don’t panic. Never place your hopes on the mercy or sense of responsibility of nobles." Ophelia patted Gherlos on the shoulder.

"Then is there anything I can do?"

"You’ve got guts. Even after your divine artifact disintegrated, you’re still willing to stay on the front lines." Ophelia nodded approvingly. "Still, go stay inside the fortress. I’ll handle things here."

"Heh heh." Gherlos leaned close to Ophelia’s ear with a ridiculous grin. "Actually, I’m just worried you’ll run away without telling me. If I stay with you, it’ll be easier to flee together."

"Get lost!"

Ophelia kicked him flying into the distance.

"Go make tea for that trash-tier lord."

Meanwhile, after getting some rest, Phield felt considerably better, though his head still throbbed painfully.

"At least I’m not as dizzy anymore."

Supporting his forehead, Phield blinked hard and pulled a letter from his coat.

"Ashina, you’re fast. I need you to deliver something to Richard."

Ashina suppressed the anxiety in her heart.

"Yes. I’ll leave immediately."

"Take the heads of Richard’s men along with this letter. Leave them somewhere along his route, or throw them over from a distance. The moment you’re sure he receives them, come back immediately. We shouldn’t be the only ones worrying. If we’re anxious, he should be anxious too."

"Also, I’ve already instructed Tisiana to reorganize our forces. Two hundred soldiers from the First Army and Gogris are ready to depart at any time. When the time comes, bring them here. Gogris isn’t suited to command troops."

"What about this place..."

"Don’t worry. The enemy hasn’t even finished transporting their siege equipment yet. Nothing serious will happen for now."

After receiving her orders, Ashina immediately departed.

Putting on his mana armor, Phield drew his third tier longsword, inspected it carefully, then returned it to its sheath before striding toward the fortress wall.

"Ben, give me a report on our military strength and defensive capabilities."

"Yes, my lord!"

Ben stood ramrod straight, his expression resolute.

"The First Army infantry, including one hundred demi-human soldiers, totals three hundred and seven men. Your elite guards number fifty-five. We have one hundred heavy cavalry and one hundred raider cavalry. Since this is a defensive battle, the cavalry will likely have to fight as infantry."

A core force of five hundred and fifty men would be considered formidable for most barons.

Yet at this moment, it felt terribly inadequate.

"In addition, we have two groups of troops absorbed from Annie Rui’s forces, totaling one hundred and twenty men."

"The troops recruited from Ram City, now designated as the Second Army, can contribute approximately two hundred and fifty combat-capable soldiers."

"The defensive puppets can only operate inside the fortress. There are roughly one thousand of them, though most are unranked."

"Has the equipment been distributed?" Phield nodded.

"Everything is in place. All of our core troops have been equipped with mana core staffs. Only a small portion of the other units have received them. Plate armor has been fully distributed. Even the crossbowmen assigned to combat duty have been issued half plate iron armor."

Phield quickly calculated the numbers.

Adding Rosalia’s Corrupted Greatsword Warriors and Ophelia’s undead legion, they had a total defensive force of roughly two thousand men.

That did not include the logistics personnel. The absorbed civilians had been assigned transportation and supply duties.

"We’ve inspected the defensive weapons. Most remain operational. The side of the fortress facing Bull Territory has weaker defenses, so we’ve dismantled some ballistae from the opposite side and moved them over. We currently possess thirty Flame Magic Towers, sixty defensive ballistae, and twelve small catapults."

"Excellent. That’s more than enough. The fortress already has a very narrow engagement front, less than three hundred meters in total. We can defend it for a long time."

Phield smiled and nodded.

"Pull my guards out and assign them as supervisory troops. Divide the remaining soldiers into three groups and rotate them through combat."

Human soldiers had limited stamina and could not fight continuously. Rotating them in three shifts would allow them to rest, recover morale, and maintain combat effectiveness.

"Blood sacrifice to the True God!"

"Blood sacrifice to the True God!"

"ROOOAAAR!"

Listening to the chaotic chants of the rebels and the growls of the undead outside the walls, Phield walked to the edge of the battlements.

The sect’s believers knelt in prayer, raising both hands toward the sky. Under the guidance of their priests, they shouted slogans in unison while muttering all sorts of nonsensical chants.

The armies under their control were busy cutting timber, constructing camps, cooking meals, and building siege weapons. The rebel undead stood nearby, growling quietly.

The enemy commander had judged the distance perfectly.

The rebel forces remained just beyond the range of the fortress defenses.

"Before anything else, there’s one more thing we need to do."

Pressing a hand against his uneasy chest, Phield took a deep breath.

"We must make our soldiers accept the existence of the undead legion before the enemy launches its assault. At the very least, they can’t be frightened into collapse."

The human heart was unpredictable.

If undead and humans were allowed to mix freely without preparation, disorder would spread quickly, just as it had among the previous defenders.

Even though the undead under Ophelia’s command were one hundred percent reliable.

After considering the matter carefully, Phield called Ben over.

"Without affecting the defenses, gather as many people as possible around me. I have something to say."

Soon, most of the soldiers assembled in the fortress courtyard.

The First Army maintained perfect discipline and waited silently.

The newly absorbed troops, however, whispered among themselves, exchanging nervous glances and repeatedly looking back toward the fortress gates, terrified that countless enemies might suddenly appear.

Phield stepped onto a raised platform in the center of the gathering.

He raised both hands.

At once, the eyes of every soldier focused on him.