Chapter 165: The Long Night (Part 2)
The chilly night breeze swept through the city, while columns of black smoke from burned corpses ascended into the sky, the stench of d*ath wafting around.
After midnight, the cacophony of street fighting had nearly subsided. Baihao City was gradually enveloped in a gray pallor of d*ath, with only the distant shouts from the north occasionally piercing the silence. Meanwhile, the craftsmen and hunter warriors holed up in the ironworks had managed to slash their way through the chaos and successfully regroup with the Northern Army, turning back to tackle the church knights who were still stubbornly attempting a last stand.
As the night dragged on, a new wave of reinforcements from the Fourth Knights Order arrived outside the city. Firebird Annie leaned against the city wall, directing over a thousand soldiers from Erin Castle with an air of calm, deftly maneuvering as they clashed with the enemy. Soon, the sound of the Holy Lance whizzed through the air from the north and west. Meanwhile, the southern wall, previously decimated by gigantic ice shards, was now fortified with an even thicker ice barrier, turning it into a veritable impenetrable fortress. The piercing cold combined with the freezing night air made the south the most unassailable position.
The boisterous offense from the Church Army lasted less than three hours. By the time the dawn broke with the first hint of light, they discovered that a massive force of over five thousand Northern reinforcements had surged in from the western snowfields.
This represented a military gathering from at least half of the western outposts, well-equipped and well-fed. Despite the grueling overnight march that had left the Northern warriors looking a bit weary, they were still not something the knights outside the city could match. With the subsequent support now uncertain, the reinforcements promptly retreated after a feint attack to avoid being caught in a pincer move, prompting the Northern Army to launch a pursuit upon realizing their intent.
Naturally, the chase was more about intimidation than reality. The Northern warriors didn’t venture far; they were tired. They dispersed the fleeing troops a few kilometers away and began covering the supply convoy as it made its way into the city. This process continued until daylight broke, with no new contingents from the Fourth Knights Order showing up nearby.
…………
West of Baihao City, Grain Depot Camp.
Soldiers Taku, Sanks, and a few others stumbled out from near the barracks. The distant dawn light was bright, and from here, they could clearly hear the thunderous hoofbeats outside the city. Meanwhile, along one side of the grain depot fence, a convoy was unloading carts full of supplies into the storeroom. Among the workers, they spotted the dirty Ral and waved at him from afar. Though he ignored them, no one seemed to mind.
“The food supply in the city is running low… I was really quite shocked just now,” one of them said as they walked and chatted.
Handsome Uncle Taku rubbed his tired, bloodshot eyes, exhaustion etched across his face. “I heard that before the city fell, the grain depot wasn’t in this state. Those knights must have carted away a huge portion… I doubt their lot could eat all our rations in just two days.”
“Those damned bastards!” Sanks couldn’t help but curse. “What, did they anticipate we’d storm back? Knowing they couldn’t win, did they just sneak off with all the food back to Chielis City? Seriously, they have some foresight…”
“Guess the Royal City must be in dire need!” someone replied.
“Well, at least the brothers outside the city are slowly making their way back. Who knows how much they’ve got left? Surely they’ve snagged more than us in this godforsaken land?”
“Otherwise, given the current situation and if we don’t consider the starving citizens in the city, this food would be enough for us for about half a month. But if Lady Catherine insists on continuing her humanitarian efforts… which she likely will, then we might not even last ten days…”
Someone mentioned this with a rather gloomy tone.
“I’d wager that most of that food’s already been shipped off to Moon Mountain Gorge. Those damned knights held the city for at most two days. Even if the convoy set off the first day, how far can they really get by now? We might as well report the situation to Lady Annie and see if she can come up with something to snatch it back, whatever we can grab, we grab.”
“That’s a plan, but it hinges on whether we can spare enough manpower…”
“Alright, let’s not worry ourselves silly here. Let’s report the situation first; I wouldn’t be surprised if Captain Hoover from the Shanter Army has already snagged a good deal of food from the Fourth Knights Order…”
“Let’s hope for the best…”
“Is it over there now? I haven’t heard much noise for a while.”
“…Seems like it.”
With that, a brief silence enveloped the group.
Then Sanks suddenly sighed, “We really did beat those knights, huh?”
“Ha ha ha, indeed,” someone chuckled.
“Just one battle won,” another chimed in, “Look at you all puffed up with pride, as if you guys were the ones hurling ice at walls yesterday! Sanks, have you ever faced a knight? Had a chance to charge up to their face?”
“Never, but we won!”
“Yeah, we won!”
They bantered as they walked out onto the platform outside the grain depot, gazing longingly at the west of the city, where the reinforcements from the morning were marching in a majestic wave through the city gates and into Black Fort.
“We really won…”
They stared at the scene, murmuring softly, their eyes glinting with a frenzied spark.
…………
Black Fort, Fourth Floor.
Lady Catherine stood at the window, gazing silently into the bright dawn light. The female hunter stepped forward, bringing her a simple breakfast of hot soup and yam, setting it down on the desk. It took a moment for the lady to register the steaming dish, her eyes reddened, and a weariness etched across her face.
Below the fortress, the sounds of wildebeest’s whinnies and the clanging of well-armored soldiers could be faintly heard.
The female hunter spoke up, “News from Hoover — the ironworks have fallen. He’s regrouped with Pagos and the others… Lady, we won this battle.”
“Won…”
Listening to those words, Lady Catherine slowly sat down at the desk, her eyes still fixed on the plate of food, seemingly in a trance, with no intention of eating. Inside, she felt that the victory was too surreal. It didn’t feel real, as if she were still trapped in a dream, much like her daughter.
But she also understood this was all very real.
“The next problem is the knights who’ve scattered in the city,” the female hunter continued. “Some have already removed their armor, blending in among the civilians, making them quite a hassle to find. Furthermore, the citizens of Baihao City have been notably uncooperative; many are even sheltering those knights and actively helping them escape…”
She paused, gauging the lady’s expression, her tone softening slightly. “But these matters have already been tasked to Lady Annie. Earlier this morning, half of the Lion Hunting Army stationed in the west returned to the city, along with two thousand soldiers from Erin Castle. Baihao City won’t see any more trouble, Lady, you should eat something warm and rest a bit.”
“Rest?”
Lady Catherine rubbed her forehead, finally pulling her dazed gaze away. “Now isn’t the time to rest… Where is my daughter, Peilo?”
Meanwhile, in the main hall on the first floor of Black Fort.
In a quietly tucked-away side room, a little girl named Peilo was sitting at a small square dining table beside her bed, having dragged over a stool. She was devouring a plate of sweets with absolutely no grace, oblivious to her surroundings.
Across from her, a blonde woman who looked as if she had just rolled out of bed rested her chin on her hand, watching the unrefined eating habits of the girl with great interest.
