The Exiled Lord: My Maid is a Battle Goddess

Chapter 355: The Border Defense(1)

"I, Phield Ross, lord of Nightfall Domain under the enfeoffment of the Ross family, guardian of the Empire’s frontier, pioneer under Her Majesty the Empress, and a knight whose loyalty to the Empire is absolute."

"For the sake of protecting the countless people of the Empire, we have fought the undead of the Northern Frontier for half a year. Throughout that time, we received no subsidies, no reinforcements from a single noble, yet we never once retreated."

"But soldiers, look around you. What is happening within the Empire’s borders? Those lunatics from the sect are slaughtering everyone in their path. Bull Territory, Ramhorn Territory, and countless cities have become living hells. Sooner or later, their butcher’s blade will fall upon your own necks!"

A solemn silence spread through the crowd. Even the soldiers whose minds had been wandering instinctively straightened, their expressions turning grave.

"Are the rebels trying to kill me? No. I have wealth, a noble title, and Divine Chosen. If I defected to them, I could still live in luxury and might even gain more land and riches. Even if the Imperial Army captured me, as a descendant of the Ross family, I would not suffer the slightest punishment."

"The ones they are truly killing are you. This is slaughter. The sect has struck a bargain with the undead, feeding your flesh and blood to their hordes. But I, Phield, have received guidance from the Goddess, and I will stand firm against those madmen who butcher Her flock."

"My lord..."

The soldiers’ eyes reddened with emotion.

Everyone knew the truth.

Wherever the sect appeared, the land became a living hell. Only nobles and the wealthy had any hope of survival.

Phield gave Ophelia a slight nod.

"If those fanatics can command the undead in battle, there’s no reason I can’t."

He casually unfastened his plate armor and tossed it aside.

"Bring me an undead."

"Huh? That can’t be right."

The crowd stared at him in confusion.

Before long, more than a dozen hideous undead were dragged over, including three First Tier undead.

Phield let out a silent sigh.

He despised this sort of anti-intellectual spectacle of "displaying miracles."

Unfortunately, the situation was too urgent.

He had no choice but to put on a show.

For the first time, Phield performed a sincere prayer.

Looking steadfastly toward the pillar of light piercing the heavens, he declared,

"O Goddess, if You truly wish to protect Your flock, then grant me Your divine power and bless us with the strength to defend this fortress."

With that, he walked toward the undead.

"Release those monsters."

The guards holding the creatures were horrified.

"My lord, you can’t! The undead have no minds!"

"I said, release them."

Phield’s voice carried unquestionable authority.

"Release them. I have heard the Goddess’s call."

The captain of the guards, Ironhammer, turned deathly pale and dropped to his knees.

"My lord, we will fight until the very last drop of blood. There’s no need for you to risk your life for us!"

"That’s right! We’ll fight the Shadow World Sect to the death!"

"With a lord like you leading us, dying would be worth it!"

The soldiers were deeply moved.

"Very good."

Phield nodded with satisfaction, maintaining his solemn expression.

"But I never joke when it comes to matters of importance."

He drew his longsword.

A flash of steel sliced through the air.

Taking several decisive strides forward, he cut through the ropes binding the undead.

"ROOOAR!"

Freed at last, the undead tore open their own cheeks, stretching their gaping mouths as wide as possible before charging straight at Phield.

Phield merely raised an open hand.

The soldiers were stunned.

None of them had imagined their lord would truly face the undead head-on.

Without even wearing armor.

Just as many soldiers drew their weapons, preparing to rush forward and cut the monsters down...

Ophelia’s thoughts shifted ever so slightly.

The savage undead stopped instantly.

Standing obediently before Phield, they became as docile as children.

"What the hell?!"

The soldiers froze.

Every one of them stood dumbfounded.

Phield calmly stepped forward and placed his hand directly inside one undead’s mouth.

It remained completely motionless.

"A miracle!"

"A true miracle!"

The crowd first erupted into chaos.

Then their expressions transformed into fervent devotion.

Fanatical worship ignited within their eyes.

"W... What? That’s actually a miracle?"

Even Annie Rui was left speechless, staring at the unbelievable scene before her.

"Praise the Goddess for Her blessing."

With a mysterious smile, Phield calmly straightened his clothes.

"You may try it yourselves. The Goddess has revealed Her miracle and sent Her messengers to aid us in battle."

Quite a few soldiers boldly followed Phield’s example, personally testing the undead’s aggression.

"I’ll prepare identifying marks for the messengers. Any undead bearing our banners and insignia will be considered allies. Of course, I won’t assign you to fight alongside undead soldiers. If you ever see an undead charging at you, continue attacking without hesitation."

Phield raised both hands high.

"By the will of the Goddess, soldiers, return to your posts! Slay every enemy soldier and every undead! The dawn of victory will shine upon us!"

Countless warriors roared as one.

"By the will of the Goddess! We fight to the death and never retreat!"

"By the will of the Goddess! We fight to the death and never retreat!"

"By the will of the Goddess! We fight to the death and never retreat!"

News of the miracle spread through the fortress like wildfire.

Countless voices joined together in thunderous chants.

The frontier soldiers, once unreliable and uncertain, now stood with unwavering determination.

The scattered factions rapidly united into an unbreakable force.

Many soldiers even volunteered to leave the fortress and engage the enemy head-on.

By then, darkness had completely engulfed the sky.

To facilitate the siege, the Shadow World Sect dispatched mages to cast illumination spells.

Just as Baron Larson was about to sit down for dinner, he suddenly heard deafening cries erupting from the direction of the fortress.

"What’s going on over there?"

Larson frowned.

"They’re probably rallying their troops. I think they’re shouting something about a god..."

Before the priest beside him could finish speaking, the thunderous voices from inside the fortress drowned out every chant and prayer coming from the rebel army.

Across the entire plain echoed a single earth-shaking cry.

"We fight to the death and never retreat!"

"Their morale is that high?"

Larson lowered his head in astonishment, rubbing his forehead as the names of numerous great nobles flashed through his mind.

"Who’s commanding that army? Surely it can’t be one of the great nobles leading them personally."

"Impossible."

"What important figure would risk coming to a place like this?"

Veronica rested her spiral lance on her shoulder and curled her lips with disdain.

"If that’s the case, I’ll teach them a lesson."

Another high-ranking commander beside her shook his head.

"The siege towers and battering rams are still being built. Charging with ladders alone would only send men to their deaths."

"Then send the peasants we captured."

"Give them scraps of rusted metal and let them die for us. They can scout the terrain while they’re at it."

As was customary, hidden tunnels, spike traps, and boiling asphalt often lay beneath the walls.

Disposable cannon fodder had to trigger them first.

Larson immediately gave the order.

"Pass down my command. The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Light Cavalry Companies will each drive eight hundred peasants forward. Keep proper spacing between the groups and use them to scout the approach."

"Woooooo..."

A deep war horn echoed across the battlefield.

Amid cries and sobs, more than sixteen hundred commoners were herded like livestock, driven toward the fortress by two cavalry companies in complete disorder.

"Don’t stop moving!"

"Advance! Move faster!"

Mounted knights galloped back and forth through the crowd.

The moment anyone slowed their pace, the cavalrymen drew their sabers and cut them down without the slightest mercy.