Chapter 1018: Act 189 – The Battle of the White Lion XII
At the first moment, the fortress on the sea cliff path outside Fatan Port declared its fall. The guards atop the city wall were caught off guard and pinned to the wall by arrows made of underworld steel that flew from the darkness, their blood freezing before it could seep out. Under the command of the necromancers, skeletons broke through the gates with siege machinery, and it was only then that the soldiers in the barracks realized the gravity of the situation. However, they were already surrounded; the resistance within the fortress lasted only a moment before falling silent, with more than thirty soldiers of the harbor guard also declared dead.
Fatan Port was built as a fortress for the fleet, located between sea cliffs, with only two narrow mountain paths connecting the harbor to the outside world. The imperial navy constructed a cliff fortress on these two paths, facing the valley that led to the cliffs. One side was adjacent to a sheer cliff, while the other faced the sea, making it a formidable stronghold. Only five hundred meters behind the fortress lay the main city wall of Fatan Port. Between these five hundred meters were still paths and mudflats, but the terrain was much milder and flatter than the previous stretch.
At this moment, Baron Ludwig and Delphine were situated on the main city wall five hundred meters behind the cliff fortress. The wall was already filled with troops from the White Lion Guard and the harbor guard. Under the command of the Chancellor’s Daughter, they had extinguished all torches, holding their breath and making not a sound. The wall was shrouded in darkness, with a few wizards casting a magical barrier to mask the presence of the living, enveloping the entire section of the wall with magic.
Baron Ludwig watched the sounds of resistance from the fortress cease a few hundred meters away and then return to darkness, feeling enraged. He turned to Delphine, who remained indifferent, and said, “Since you knew about the undead’s ambush early on, why didn’t you let them prepare and avoid giving the fortress away? I know you have old grudges with those Erluinians, but you can’t take us down with you.”
His words were harsh, but no amount of harshness made Delphine frown. She could not tolerate his foolish noise, so she coldly replied, “As the military commander of this fortress, I ask you to demonstrate some basic military competence and not embarrass yourself in front of others. I initially did not want to remind you, but I fear you might bring disgrace to the Empire in front of our guests.”
“What are you saying?”
Baron Ludwig was about to explode when Earl Orkans hurriedly pulled him aside. He knew that while Ludwig was the lord of Fatan Port, it was the fleet commander stationed at the port who actually managed the port’s operations and fleet. Baron Ludwig did not possess much military knowledge; he was merely a local lord. He had already discerned the Chancellor’s Daughter’s intention—she wanted to let the undead in so that the priest could launch a fatal strike.
Once the narrow and rugged cliff path leading to the main city wall of Fatan Port was entered, there would be no easy way to retreat, ensuring that their ‘trump card’ could exert maximum effect.
However, the main wall of Fatan Port was not high, only a little over eight meters, which was insufficient in a fantasy world. This was primarily because the cliff fortress outside the port was too robust, and the original builders, taking into account the weight-bearing capacity of the mudflat within the port, did not raise the wall further. Earl Orkans regretted this greatly, inwardly cursing the designers for their shoddy work and insisting that an imperial fortress should spare no expense in fortifying the mudflat with magic to build walls over thirteen meters high. Otherwise, at the very least, the walls should meet the standard of ten meters typical of city walls, preventing such anxiety now.
Moreover, although the distance outside the main city wall of Fatan leading to the cliff fortress was mostly a narrow cliff path, near the main wall, particularly beneath the city gate, was an open mudflat landscape, highly conducive to the undead deploying their forces. The remaining military stationed at Fatan Port was not numerous, as there were only a little over a thousand harbor guard soldiers left and a few hundred royal guards from the Erluin embassy. If the ‘trump card’ did not prove effective, this small number of troops relying on the low main walls and unfavorable terrain could not defend the port. It was even possible that before the ‘trump card’ could be put into position, the defense line would already be in jeopardy.
However, he dared not voice his underlying worries. He only explained the situation to Baron Ludwig, who calmed down and ceased to speak. But beside them, Eynid, next to Oni, appeared a bit sympathetic, questioning, “Even so, you should have informed the people at the front to withdraw. Those are over forty lives; how can you let them remain oblivious and die for nothing?”
Delphine coldly glanced at her, “Womanly kindness.”
“You—”
Delphine pondered for a moment and realized her current stance still aligned with those Erluinians. Sighing, she explained, “Even if I sent someone to notify them, the order would be to hold their ground until the end. But I know they wouldn’t do that either—returning would only mean death at the hands of the military officer. Why not let them act like heroes unawares? This outcome at least seems better for their families.”
Eynid’s eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to QiYala, asking, “Is that right?”
The young girl nodded helplessly, “More or less.” But she quickly focused intently on Delphine, pressing, “But more importantly, you want them to die more convincingly, right?”
“More or less,” Delphine replied ambiguously, “They are soldiers. I have the right to choose how they die, as long as it leads to victory. In war, there are only foolish and wise orders; there is no distinction between cruel and kind commands.”
Snowmixed rain fell from the sky, lightly landing on the faces of the several girls present. Eynid and Oni frowned, while the sprite and her pseudodragon crouched atop the city wall to observe the situation outside—however, because she was too short, even straining to tiptoe, she could only poke her forehead out from the battlement. QiYala appeared indifferent, while Delphine maintained a calm, composed expression, raindrops running down her smooth and lovely face, sliding along the ugly, uneven scars.
It was Earl Orkans beside them who resonated more with her words, thinking it fitting that she was known as the Empire’s flower; certainly, a lady of such renown could not be without merit.
At that moment, a slight rustling sound came from the darkness in the distance; everyone present knew that the undead had opened another door of the fortress, preparing to launch an attack on Fatan Port. Delphine halted the argument and turned to the harbor guard officer, giving orders: “Knight Shulu!”
“Present!”
“I command you to lead your subordinates out of the city immediately and engage in a counterattack against the undead; launch an offensive against the cliff fortress and ensure the reclaiming of the southern wall!”
“What!” Baron Ludwig gasped and jumped up, almost letting out a growl from his throat, “Malicious woman, you cannot issue such crazy commands! How dare you send my men out to engage an undead force that outnumbers them by hundreds or thousands? Are you insane? We only have this few personnel; do you truly wish to hand Fatan Port to them?”
Earl Orkans also frowned, advising, “Miss Delphine, our forces are severely lacking. If it were at the cliff fortress, it would be manageable, but here, we are attacking uphill; both in terms of manpower and terrain, it would be very unfavorable for us.”
Delphine remained unaffected, coldly responding, “Am I the commander, or are you? I must remind you, my command is sanctioned by both the Crown Prince and the Earl of Toniger. I hold the highest command here, and you must obey my orders unconditionally. What, do you wish to defy military orders or betray in the midst of battle?”
“You—” Baron Ludwig’s face turned pale. “Are you telling us that if you send us to death, we must obey unconditionally?”
“First, I must correct your misconception. I would never send my soldiers to die in vain. Secondly, you are correct. Even if I wish to send you to death, you must obey unconditionally—” Delphine sat in her wheelchair amid the rain, responding deliberately, “Of course, you can express opposition. I welcome you to report to the Crown Prince to remove me from command; it only takes a quarter of an hour to go from here to the Crown Prince’s quarters. I expect this will take about as long as until the battle begins. Your time is limited.”
Baron Ludwig’s lips trembled with anger. Marjory, standing beside them, frowned and stepped forward, saying, “Miss Delphine, let us go first; the White Lion Guard is already prepared.”
However, the Chancellor’s Daughter cast him a cold glance, “Silence! Did I ask for your opinion? Get back! Knight Marjory, I believe I shouldn’t have to instruct you on what a proper soldier ought to do; my orders are non-negotiable!”
A bolt of lightning struck down from the dark clouds, illuminating the faces of those present in a ghostly white—some shocked, some angry, others intrigued—yet Delphine remained unchanged throughout.
She then looked to Shulu beside her, asking, “Knight, is it your knightly honor that makes you hesitate at this moment?”
Shulu’s expression shifted. Looking toward the dark cliff fortress beyond, he finally nodded heavily, “Understood, Commander.”
…
The process of taking the cliff fortress went far more smoothly than expected. The plan seemed to achieve its intended effect; the residents of Fatan Port and the Erluinians stationed there were indeed caught completely off guard. They must have been flustered by the sudden eclipse, unaware that the Empire would launch an attack at that moment. Sok was ascending the southern wall of the cliff fortress along a set of stairs, lifting his gaze toward the harbor, where pinpricks of light flickered. It appeared that due to the unexpected eclipse, many people had gathered on the streets, shrouded in shadow.
He was part of the White Legion’s Raven Cavalry under Knight Harden, who always acted as the legion’s vanguard, and this occasion was no different. Sok and a few other knights mainly coordinated and observed the situation of the undead’s attack at the front: as anticipated, the undead would form the first wave of this ambush. Under the conditions of an eclipse, their capabilities would be maximized, while the human forces would suffer severe reductions. Taking advantage of this advantage, the undead would breach the cliff fortress and the outer walls of Fatan Port, engaging in urban warfare; even if it devolved into a meat grinder, it was acceptable since they could afford the attrition.
The primary adversary of the White Legion was the Buja fleet docked in Fatan Port — from the very beginning, Duke Ambronner had maintained that the fleet anchored in Fatan Port was manipulated by the Buja people, while the Erluinians were merely a front. How could the Erluinians possibly command such a powerful fleet?
So far, Sok observed that the front lines were in excellent condition. He saw the skeletal frames beginning to open the southern city gate of the cliff fortress under the necromancer’s command, releasing a small squad of testing attackers consisting of skeletons. These skeletal frames shone with a ghastly white light reflected from the distant glimmers, arranged in tight formation, their underworld steel swords giving off no glow, perfectly suited for nocturnal raids.
The skeletons advanced down the mountain path, and farther away, the main wall of Fatan Port was utterly dark, with not a flicker of light or any sign of life. The reports from their necromancer ahead indicated that there were only a few traces of the living on the wall, which matched expectations; it indeed seemed to be an unguarded harbor—at least for the moment.
However, for some reason, a sense of unease lurked in Sok’s heart. He previously shared this unease with several colleagues, only to be mocked for being overly cautious—in the eyes of the cavalry under the wild bull Harden, caution often meant cowardice, which he could not accept. He had come to the southern wall of the cliff fortress intending to validate his feelings.
But for now, it indeed seemed that he had been overly paranoid.
Sok could not help but scoff at himself, thinking that perhaps the ease of this battle was simply too incredible to believe. However, the thirty or so harbor guard soldiers killed earlier did not seem to indicate they were aware of what was happening; clearly, there was no trap involved. He stood atop the wall, casting one last glance toward Fatan Port, ready to descend, feeling the cold outside too intense. His few colleagues, unwilling to endure the harsh weather, had already sought refuge in the barracks, finding a spot that appeared warmer.
At that very moment, Knight Shulu, leading a small squad of his subordinates, approached not far from the southern wall of the cliff fortress, per Delphine’s instructions. They had brought a wizard along—this wizard was a Toniger and not well-acquainted with the others, merely maintaining a spell to sense the undead’s breath.
Leading the way, Shulu gestured for the whole squad to stop. Not far ahead was a ‘small squad’ of undead emerging from the fortress, glimmering in cold light, resembling a forest of bones, numbering well over a hundred—unfortunately, to the undead, that constituted a ‘small squad’ of skeletons.
Shulu frowned at the sight. The harbor guard was not the frontline force of the Crusian; he and his subordinates barely reached silver standard. Facing over a hundred skeletal frames was somewhat daunting, not to mention how many more were behind the fortress. He lifted his head and spotted an impending shadow on the southern wall of the cliff fortress, hastily turning back to his subordinates, whispering instructions:
“Do you see that? That’s a necromancer. These low-level skeletal frames are actually commanded by the necromancer; if we take out the one directing them, they will pose little threat. David, take out the holy water and douse the arrowheads; we will take him down with a single shot!”
“As long as we take him down, I will commend you for it!”
