Chapter Seventy-Three: Breaking Through the Siege

As the battle beneath Brook City grew ever more intense, elsewhere, Adis gazed at the distant sky.

In the heavens, two streaks of crimson tinged with gold fate were entwined in fierce struggle, winding around each other. Countless other weaker threads of fortune rippled and fluctuated as their center. Among these, one somewhat weaker strand was suppressed by a thick, blood-black fate, yet with the support and convergence of surrounding threads, it stubbornly persisted, gathering its strength.

Even so, without external intervention, it would eventually be overwhelmed entirely.

Witnessing this, Adis silently withdrew his gaze.

"It is time to dispatch the troops," he thought to himself.

Seizing the right moment was crucial. If he acted too early, both sides would still possess reserves; too late, and victory would be decided outright. Far better to strike now, when the two forces were locked in opposition, their armies weary and ripe for conquest.

With this in mind, Adis looked up to the sky.

There, a faintly blue-violet thread of fate emerged, transforming into a pillar reaching heavenward. Within it, a tree took shape, its branches gently swaying, sending ripples that silently influenced the surroundings.

Upon the northern earth, flecks of fortune appeared—some red, some gold—streaming into the pillar above, enriching its power.

Seeing this, Adis felt reassured. "Our fate is sufficient to suppress the enemy. Now, success depends on human action."

Thus, that day, Adis gave the order for the campaign. Eight thousand soldiers surged forth in dense ranks, coalescing into a formidable wave of martial spirit.

Benefiting from the sparse population of this world, and, at that moment, the chaos within Brook Duchy, Adis, guided by the local priests, circumvented the territories of the lords, advancing through the wilds toward Brook City.

Upon arrival, Adis ceased all concealment; indeed, by now it was impossible to hide. After crossing the depopulated mountains into the heart of Brook Duchy, eight thousand troops marched across densely populated lands. Any lord not blind would surely notice their passage.

"But at this point, there's no need for subterfuge," Adis mused as he surveyed the broad plains ahead.

"Your Majesty, from here, Brook City is less than half a day's march," Bill, riding beside him, reported.

"Less than half a day?" Adis looked toward the distant sky, where the two threads of fate still struggled; yet the blood-black strand was surging, nearly extinguishing its rival.

"What is the current situation beneath Brook City?" he asked calmly, his face betraying no emotion.

"According to messages sent by the High Priest through divine imprints, the battle between the two princes beneath the city grows ever fiercer. The second prince has retreated into the inner city and is barely holding on against the first prince's assault."

"And the lords?" Adis inquired, puzzled. "Have none come to the second prince's aid?"

"A fortnight ago, the second prince's wife's family, Count Ayrlin, led three thousand men to reinforce him, but they were ambushed and defeated by Brook's knight captain, Coris. Afterwards, their entire family was slaughtered."

"Since then, all the lords have feared the first prince's power and the threat of annihilation, so none dared rescue the second prince," Bill replied with a bitter smile.

"Such ruthless slaughter of foes—a formidable tactic indeed," Adis sighed, then praised.

"But in this way, our plan to have them exhaust each other through mutual conflict cannot be realized," Bill lamented. "Now, the first prince still holds considerable strength, while the second prince can no longer resist."

"No matter," Adis replied with a relieved smile. "We cannot rely on others to follow our plan exactly. This situation is already sufficient."

"So long as we can seize Brook City, we can bear a little extra loss," he said, gazing ahead, a golden glint shining ever brighter in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, it seems the enemy has spotted us," Nadil approached.

"Our forward units have been attacked by the enemy, who appear to have mistaken us for the lords coming to reinforce them."

Adis nodded. "At this point, there's no need to hide."

He turned to Bill. "Have the priests invoke their divine arts."

"Yes!" Bill responded, then went to relay the order.

As the command spread, priests stepped forth, divine power flickering around them as they cast spells, blessing the soldiers in waves.

"Swift Strike!"

"Boiling Blood!"

"Armor Blessing!"

...

Witnessing this, Adis nodded in approval.

Soldiers empowered by divine arts were entirely different from their former selves; even ordinary men, under the weight of these blessings, could contend with a knight's retainer for a time—let alone these warriors, already imbued with divine arts and battle energy.

Once preparations were complete, a cold light flashed in Adis' eyes, and he led his warriors swiftly toward the front.

...

Meanwhile, within the city, the sounds of slaughter rose on all sides.

"Charge!"

"Kill the traitors!"

Beneath a narrow, sturdy wall, knights threw themselves forward recklessly, plunging the scene into chaos and confusion.

Compared to the previous walls, the inner city's fortifications were even stronger and, crucially, spanned a much smaller area.

After all, the larger and broader the wall, the more men required to defend it.

The first prince had tried to drive the commoners to storm the walls, but seeing it was futile, he immediately dispatched his elite knights, giving the defenders no respite.

Under such ferocious assaults, the inner city was on the verge of collapse. News of the distant reinforcements being routed by Coris only added to the atmosphere of despair within the palace.

"Your Highness, the inner city can no longer be held!" An elder knelt suddenly before Kezel.

"Alas..." Kezel sighed.

Compared to a month ago, he now appeared utterly exhausted. The once bright and deep eyes bore dark circles, and his formerly graceful, composed demeanor was gone. Hearing the summons, he seemed bewildered.

"If the inner city cannot be held, where else can we go?" he replied bitterly, gazing at the elder before him, his eyes filled with helplessness.

"Gedil, is there still no word from the High Priest?" he asked.

"None!" Gedil, below, looked weak as he answered Kezel's question, his voice tinged with bitterness. "The High Priest says the Ancestral God does not interfere in the struggles of descendants, so he refused us."

"That old fox," someone muttered under their breath.

Kezel shook his head in resignation. "How many men do we have left?"

"Counting the forces supported by the major nobles, we still have nearly a thousand, about half of whom are knights."

"Only so few remain..." Kezel sighed.

"Hmph! If it weren't for Gedil's urging Your Highness to retreat into the inner city, we wouldn't be in this predicament," a voice suddenly rang out below, thick with sarcasm.

Gedil flared in anger. "What did you say!"

"Is it not so?" The man sneered, staring at Gedil. "Your Highness, I request that Gedil be executed! If not for his proposal, we wouldn't be so passive now!"

His words immediately sparked a response below. The nobles clamored against Gedil, turning the scene chaotic.

"Enough!" Kezel suddenly roared.

"Let us not dwell on past decisions now. We must focus on how to face the enemy armies outside!" He looked down at the assembly, his voice hoarse.

He understood that retreating to the inner city had been dictated by the situation, but it had also violated the interests and will of a large faction of nobles.

Yet, at this stage, to still bicker over such matters was deeply disappointing.

Gedil sighed softly, then addressed the assembled nobles, helpless: "Your Highness, at this point, Brook City can no longer be defended. We must break out..."

Seeing this, Kezel nodded in resignation. "Very well."

"In that case, I ask Your Highness to order the army to break out from two directions," Gedil knelt on one knee.

"Two?" Kezel's eyes flashed with understanding.

"Indeed," Gedil continued. "First, break out from the west, where the encirclement is thinnest. The first prince will surely not suspect and will gather forces to block it. Then, when his attention is drawn, Your Highness should break out to the east!"

"Once the first prince's attention is diverted, the east's defenses will inevitably slacken. At that moment, Your Highness leading the knights stands a good chance of success."

After finishing, Gedil's face grew solemn. "I am willing to lead men in the western breakout. Your Highness, do not hesitate!"

"Gedil..." Kezel looked at the steadfast Gedil below, his lips bitter.

He knew full well that breaking out to the west to draw attention was perilous in the extreme, especially given Gedil's grave injuries—it was a near-certain death.

His lips moved slightly, wishing to say something, yet he could not.

In that moment, he thought of his wife and children in the palace, and if he perished here, what horrors they would face were unimaginable.

"Gedil... your wife and children, I will care for them in your stead," he said, gazing at the kneeling Gedil, his voice bitter.

Gedil's kneeling figure stiffened, then relaxed, offering a smile of relief. "Thank you!"