Chapter 307: The Decisive Military Council

In Bordeloux, within the council chamber, Duke Ryan of Glamorgan, Marquess Connolly of Ascot, Duke Francois of Winfort, Duke Bodrick of Boldro, and others were discussing plans for sending reinforcements.

"Currently, a storm rages at sea, preventing our fleet from departing," Duke Bodrick explained to Ryan and Francois. "The storm is too severe, we cannot defy Manann's will, and if we force the fleet out, it would be destroyed."

"Then we cannot support Leonath by sea," Ryan stated resignedly to Francois. "If—I mean if—Leonath truly requires reinforcements, we will have to go by land."

"Has Dalheid asked for our help?" Bodrick suddenly inquired of Ryan and Francois.

"...No," both Ryan and Francois shook their heads.

"If there's no request for help, no written plea, and we rashly send troops to support Dalheid, it might be fine if we win—it'll just be considered illegal entry. But if we lose... Hey, Ryan, Francois, do you believe that Dalheid would blame us for the defeat?" Bodrick asked with a mocking tone, highlighting the longstanding competition between the duchies of Boldro and Leonath, both having extensive coastlines and major ports.

Thus, Duke Bodrick was less interested in aiding the Duchy of Leonath. Out of knightly duty, he wasn't willing to disregard the greater good and refuse support outright.

He would contribute some troops and supplies, leaving the command to Ryan and washing his hands of further involvement. In the Empire, the Electors wouldn't bother with chivalric ideals in a strained relationship—they simply wouldn't support each other.

Bodrick's stance was logical, as if Leonath Castle couldn't hold, it was uncertain whether the barbarians would march east toward Couronne or continue south towards Mousilon and Boldro. He needed to prepare adequately.

"I agree with this approach, Ryan. Return and gather your forces, and wait for the Lady's oracle or a direct request from Duke Dalheid," Francois told Ryan. "I will send Gerard and Connolly with a force to protect Couronne, and also send some supplies there."

"Understood," Ryan nodded, his lands already gearing up for war.

...

Leonath, north, at Barimont Castle.

This castle, once used to watch over the nearby desolate hills and mountains, was garrisoned by several knights and hundreds of militia. Due to its location away from the coast and forests, it rarely saw combat, and its garrison was undermanned. Many knights had rushed to join Duke Casfan's forces in preparation for war, leaving the defense significantly weakened.

Seizing the opportunity, about a hundred rebel serfs came here, influenced by an unknown person. After receiving guidance, they disguised themselves as distressed serfs, claiming their villages had been plundered and seeking the knights' aid.

The knights readily agreed to help, but as they opened the castle gates, the unsuspecting knights were overrun and killed by the mob using dung forks, hay forks, and hoes. The serfs then took over the castle, electing a lead serf named Nero as their leader.

Nero proclaimed himself lord of Barimont Castle, rallying the serfs with promises of dividing the land fairly, sharing food and clothing, and establishing a truly equal, knight-free independent kingdom.

The rebel serfs flocked to Barimont Castle, pledging allegiance to Nero.

However, their good days were short-lived, and they soon sensed something was amiss.

Nero, now self-styled lord of the castle, did not produce anything himself. His close companions, who had initially risen with him, also shirked their duties, indulging in the castle's stores, living in the best rooms, drinking the knights' wine, sleeping in their beds, and mistreating their families. Leftovers were carelessly discarded while many serfs outside still starved.

Soon, Nero and his companions had squandered all the food in the storehouse. Facing hunger themselves, Nero ordered all serfs to "contribute" their rations to the "national treasury," claiming all excess funds and food for the state.

These "national" resources were squandered by Nero and his associates, with any dissenting serfs facing brutal retribution, either executed or assassinated. Nero even erected stakes outside the castle for executing any serfs who opposed him.

Many serfs realized that the knights, despite their flaws, adhered to rules, whereas their own were crueler and more brutal in dealing with their kind than any knight had been.

Just then, the barbarian invasion from the north reached them. Seeing the situation deteriorate, Nero and his close followers took the remaining money and food and fled, leaving the helpless rebel serfs to the barbarians.

Unarmed and untrained, the serfs had no chance against the barbarian army.

 Those who could flee did so; the rest, hoping for mercy, scraped together some food and knelt by the roadside, begging.

The barbarians' response was a battle axe: "Die, wretched southerners."

The northern barbarians took no prisoners, except for a few used as fodder for the chaos hell cannons. All Bretonnians met with slaughter, their heads piled into altars.

When Eigel's main forces marched into Barimont Castle, the stakes outside the castle were numerous, each piercing the headless bodies of hundreds of surrendered serfs.

Eigel, accompanied by chaos wizard Chakoy, chaos champions Cowind, Yarl, Haldon, and chaos dwarf lord Zumarla, strode into Barimont Castle.

"These southerners may not be as weak as we thought," Eigel remarked, looking at the map with some surprise.

Yules had received news that Tour Castle had fallen, which was not the case.

Grail Knight Eisen, leading three thousand vanguards at Tour Castle, had repelled two waves of barbarian attacks, killing three tribal chiefs and several barbarian champions, ensuring the civilians' evacuation. Upon hearing that the chaos mammoths and hell cannons were nearing, Eisen knew his mission was complete. He ordered a retreat, escorting all civilians to Leonath Castle and leaving an empty castle for Eigel.

Enraged, Eigel executed several tribal chiefs. He now realized that the southerners were not as weak as imagined, especially the Grail Knights, who piqued his intense interest.

"Our previous plan is void. I had planned to reach Leonath Castle before the southerners could assemble, but that now seems nearly impossible; we've spent too much time at Tour Castle," Eigel pointed at the map from Tour Castle to Leonath Castle, some kilometers to the south: "Now, the southerners have surely gathered a significant force."

"Indeed, the scouts reported the same," Cowind confirmed, his face twisted with rage, clad in a horned dragon helm and black armor with blood-red patterns. "I'm eager to kill all these despicable southerners!"

"It won't be that easy, Father," the calm chaos wizard Chakoy interjected. "The knights of Brittany are known as the strongest in the Old World. We must be cautious, or we could suffer severe losses, given our few cavalry."

Eigel nodded. The steeds from the northern wastelands, known as Norscan warhorses, were carrion eaters, cold-resistant but with poor endurance and burst strength. Among the thirty thousand strong barbarian army, there were only five hundred cavalrymen, mostly light cavalry.

After Chakoy's detailed explanation, Eigel understood that Brittany's knights valued honor. The Leonath knights were not fully aware of his army's capabilities, but under such hatred, they were bound to clash head-on. Duke Dalheid would not likely stay within his castle walls and watch the barbarian army rampage through his duchy; he was also desperate to destroy the barbarian forces or at least drive them out of his lands.

Therefore, a field battle was inevitable.

The terror-chosen champion, having dominated the northern realms for centuries, quickly realized that luring the Bretonnian knight army out for a decisive battle was feasible.

"Form up on the Niz Plains; let all troops obey this command!" Eigel concluded, issuing his orders: "Here, we will face the Bretonnian knight army in a decisive battle!"

The Niz Plains, located eighty kilometers north of Leonath Castle and twenty kilometers south of Barimont Castle, was a narrow plain dotted with hills and scattered with rocks and forests, which could effectively hamper heavy cavalry.

"Yes!" The chaos champions received their orders and left the tent. Eigel, his aura tinged with blood red, turned his attention to a corner of the tent.

A woman named Hangest, formerly known as Elizabeth, sat there, her belly noticeably rounder after just two weeks, nurturing a life under the blessing of terror. The tiny life grew at an extraordinary rate due to the countless sacrifices along the way. Eigel not only revered the Blood God Terror but satisfied him with countless southern heads, while also significantly honoring the other three deities, thus the little life grew doubly under the watchful eyes of all four gods.

This was the son Eigel had long desired.

Hangest looked pale, her gaze shifting away from Eigel, not daring to meet the eyes of the great chosen champion of terror.

Eigel snorted coldly and exited the tent.

Once the child is born, you will be useless.

Wait, my son, wait. Your father will greet your birth with the greatest victory, with the greatest sacrifice, and you will become the heir to my great kingdom, growing under Terror's favor to become the most glorious child of chaos.

Watch, my son!

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