Battering Rams

Evening on the day after, Count Cobry's forces appeared nearby the camp as expected with the pike cavalry company leading the charge.

When they arrived at the camp entrance, the soldiers witnessed the display of severed heads that were impaled on stakes with the head of the brown-haired man placed at the foremost front.

The pike cavalry all started freaking out and cursed loudly towards the encampment. Some of them even tried to rush to the entrance directly, only to be shot down by the crossbowmen stationed at the walls, causing 10 casualties to their side in the opening volley.

When the garrison infantry arrived, they sent out four squads that were fully-armed with shields to protect them from the crossbow bolts while they retrieved the heads before setting up their camp in the distance.

Standing on the walls and nodding,LAllem commented, "The officer in command seems pretty level-headed and his troops are pretty disciplined. Hilter, you will make all deployment arrangements. Stroud you would help him. let's go. Seraphine, there won't be any more attacks tonight. The real show starts tomorrow."

Hilter and Stroud bowed their head but then Stroud said in a worried tone, "Lord, What if they don't use the main entrance and start attacking from the other parts of the walls of the camp? For the record, we have most of our forces stationed here at the entrance."

"They won't," said Hilter as he pointed towards the walls. "Look, Count Cobry didn't choose this place to build an outpost arbitrarily. First, the terrain around here is flat without any elevated lands around the area apart from a slight two-meter-high slope outside the camp that makes it easier for cavalry to gain momentum and charge downwards as well as make it hard for the enemy to observe the situation within the camp."

"Second, other than the three-meter-long road leading to the main entrance, there is no other way to enter the camp as it is surrounded by a two-meter-wide moat that has a depth of around two meters. Even if they manage to cross the moat, they will be met with a barricade that is two meters tall with a 1.5-meter-tall fence right up on the main walls. When defending the surrounding areas, one can hide behind those fences for extra protection."

"So, if they want to attack from the other sides, they will have to first fill up the moat before they remove the barricades to make some space for ladders, which in turn have to be at least 5 meters tall to overcome the fence. I'm sure they understand that attacking from the main entrance of the encampment is the optimal way as it they were originally stationed here anyway. And given the amount of time their supplies would last them, I doubt that they'll resort to such time-consuming methods by circumventing the main entrance. To be honest, the fortifications of this camp may actually be stronger and better than that of some castles. I bet the count didn't expect that his forces would have to siege the encampment that he had built to protect his forces from insurgent assaults. It's like they're digging their own graves by attacking this place."

"Apart from the main entrance, there is also a smaller one at the rear of the camp, but to get there, the drawbridge would have to be lowered so that soldiers would be able to cross the moat. I believe the most they would do would be to send a pike cavalry squad to secure that drawbridge from the other side so that we won't be able to escape. As for the main force, they would fare much better by attacking directly from the main entrance. I'm sure that they are under the impression that victory would be theirs the moment they breach the camp. Have some old men and children wear armor and patrol the walls tomorrow to make them think that we're short on personnel and lower their guard."

Stroud asked, "Then, what if they send a Gold rank expert to sneak into the camp at night?"

Allen laughed and said, "Let them come, with seraphine here. Hilter, Elrod are no less than Gold ranks. Combined by you, Bale and Serena and Josk we don't have to worry about Gold ranks. And don't forget me either."

"But even that is in worse case scenario, the prisoners said that there were 11 illegitimate sons leading the sweeping operation and only 3 of them are Gold ranks with the others being Silver ranks. We have already killed 1 Gold rank and two other of the Silver ranks, so I bet that they definitely wouldn't dare to sneak inside again. Know that one-on-one fights and all out battles are different: on the battlefield, you can swarm the enemy with your subordinates if you aren't able to take out your opponent. But if anyone dares to sneak in like you mentioned, that person would not be able to bring many people with him or he will risk being discovered by us. Being all alone, the odds of the person returning alive are slim, so they definitely wouldn't bother doing that."

...

The entire night passed without incident. The count's forces, having spent an exhausting day traveling, used the night to rest and recover. Allen's side didn't send out any forces to harass them, reinforcing the enemy's belief that the camp was heavily undermanned. The sight of elderly men and children in armor on the walls only deepened their assumption that Allen's forces were desperate, forced to conscript the weak.

By noon, the count's forces sent several loud-mouthed garrison troops forward to demand surrender. They shouted threats and promises of certain death should Allen's group resist. Serena, visibly annoyed, ordered the crossbowmen to silence them. A flurry of bolts turned the messengers into human porcupines. As their bodies hit the ground, Serena swiftly ordered the old men and children off the walls—battle was about to begin.

The deaths of their comrades enraged the rebel-sweeping troops. Waves of soldiers poured from their camp, swordsmen leading while bowmen followed behind. Allen's crossbowmen fired immediately from the cover of the walls, their bolts striking with deadly precision. Unlike the enemy's archers, who had to fire at an arc, the crossbowmen could aim directly, their bolts cutting down enemies with brutal efficiency.

The enemy bowmen quickly realized their predicament. Advancing meant walking into a massacre, yet staying back rendered them useless. They loosed a few volleys, but most arrows either missed or lodged harmlessly in the wooden fences. Not a single crossbowman had fallen.

Realizing their losses, the enemy commander changed tactics. Shielded swordsmen marched forward, hoping to draw fire and exhaust the crossbowmen's ammunition. However, Allen ordered his men to hold fire. The enemy infantry advanced cautiously, step by step, until they reached the main gate.

Then, the gates swung open.

Frederick's knight brigade charged out like wolves unleashed upon sheep. Their heavy cavalry crashed into the enemy ranks, swords slashing through armor, trampling bodies beneath iron hooves. Chaos erupted. The enemy troops panicked, scattering in every direction. By the time the knights withdrew, only fifty of the two hundred infantrymen had managed to flee back to camp.

The enemy's pike cavalry tried to intercept the knights, but the crossbowmen's constant fire forced them to retreat. By the time the count's forces attempted to reorganize and counterattack, Frederick's knights had already returned behind the walls, unharmed.

The battle's outcome left the enemy shaken. Over 150 men lost, while Allen's forces suffered no casualties. However, their commander believed the losses weren't in vain. Based on scouting reports, he estimated Allen's forces to be around 100 crossbowmen, 40 knights, and a few hundred pikemen. Seeing old men and children on the walls earlier, he assumed that Allen's army had suffered heavy losses while seizing the camp.

By afternoon, the enemy halted their attacks, instead focusing on preparations. Pike cavalry scouted from a distance while infantrymen felled trees, dragging logs back to camp. From atop the walls, Allen and his officers watched as the enemy fashioned large wooden shields and battering rams.

"They're preparing for a full-scale assault tomorrow," Hilter observed, adjusting his monocle.

"Are the fuel jars ready?" he asked Stroud.

"We've got 55," Stroud replied, a hint of concern in his voice. "I hope that's enough."

Hilter smirked. "It'll be more than enough. Tomorrow, we burn their siege engines to the ground."

Dawn of the Next Day

Allen had just finished his morning training, wiping sweat from his brow, when Seraphine approached.

"The enemy has begun their assault."

Allen frowned. "Already? The sun's not even out yet."

Stepping outside, he looked up at the dark, overcast sky. Snow was coming, likely by afternoon or evening. The enemy must have realized that waiting would only trap them in worsening conditions. They had no choice but to attack now.

Turning to Seraphine, Allen ordered, "Send Eman to check on the soldiers' families. Make sure they have enough warm clothing. I don't want any of them falling sick and causing trouble. I'll handle the battle."

Standing atop the walls, Allen observed the enemy's advance. Rows of soldiers marched behind large wooden raft-like shields, forming a moving barricade. Behind them, three crude battering rams were pushed forward by teams of men. The slow, methodical march made it clear—they intended to break through the gates.

Beside Allen, Hilter and Elrod watched with amusement.

"They look desperate," Hilter chuckled.

Elrod nodded. "The weather's against them. If they don't take the camp today, they'll be trapped in the snow with dwindling supplies. They're forced to attack, no matter the cost."

Allen's eyes narrowed. "Then let's make this their final mistake."

Turning to Hilter, he said, "When they commit fully to the assault, open the gates and lure them inside. We won't need to wait for tomorrow to spring our trap."

Hilter grinned. "Understood. I'll notify the men."

As the enemy siege force inched closer, unaware of what awaited them, Allen felt a cold gust of wind against his face. Snow was coming. And with it, the battle that would decide the fate of the camp.