Chapter 243: The Civil War in the Principality (8)

“There it is,” Lilliana uttered in a low voice as she stared ahead.

What kind of people are these...?

she wondered.

The journey, which was supposed to take a week, had only taken five days, and despite the grueling pace, the immigrant tribes showed no signs of fatigue. The only one who looked completely worn out was Fran, who could barely keep up with them.

“It’s even more massive than I thought.”

Before them lay a vast plain, and in the distance, the enormous fortress of Moon Aether, its perimeter shielded by dense forests that served as natural armor against enemy invasions.

“According to the scouts, it’s nearly impossible to bypass the fortress by circling through the forest behind it,” Lilliana reported.

“It’s like a scaled-down version of the White Bunker,” Kuntai observed. “You can see why it’s called the Royal Gate. The walls are easily over eighteen meters high.”

Given that the walls of Tatur, the fortified city that had withstood the assaults of three nations, were only twelve meters tall, the sheer size of Moon Aether’s walls made it seem like a towering monolith.

Even within the empire, such high walls were rare—only seen in the capital.

“Patun, can you really scale that wall with just a few daggers?” Karyl asked.

“Give me five, and I’ll be up there,” Patun replied without hesitation.

“This is a race against time. Thanks to our quick march, they haven’t noticed us yet,” Karyl noted.

“Most certainly... If we delay, the enemy forces could regroup, and the defenses of the White Bunker could be reinforced,” Kuntai added, nodding in agreement.

“That’s not what I meant,” Karyl corrected him.

“Huh?” Kuntai looked at Karyl in confusion.

“We need to scale the walls of Moon Aether before Yoman and Frau Hat are breached,” Karyl explained, a faint smile playing on his lips. “We can’t let our subordinates steal the glory, can we?”

The four warriors exchanged glances and slowly nodded in understanding.

“Hashir,” Karyl called out.

“Yes, my lord?” Hashir responded.

“Do you need my help?”

“Just watch us,” Hashir replied confidently. “We will open the gates of Moon Aether.”

***

The next day, as the sun rose, Moon Aether was plunged into chaos by the sudden appearance of the immigrant tribes.

“R-Reporting in, sir!! Enemy forces spotted outside the fortress!!”

“Their numbers are estimated to be around ten thousand!”

“What in the world is going on?! Where did all these immigrant tribes suddenly come from?!”

Viscount Jyles, the lord of Moon Aether, wiped the cold sweat from his brow as he yelled at his subordinates.

“We’re still trying to determine that, my lord...”

“So you haven’t figured it out yet... You useless morons! What were the sentries even doing?!”

“My lord, while the immigrant tribes moving south is unexpected, there’s no reason to worry. In fact, this could be an opportunity,” said the knight beside him, unexpectedly welcoming the sudden attack.

It was Jyles’ lieutenant, Giltian.

“...What?”

“This is a chance to gain favor with Lady Tuli,” Giltian elaborated.

Hearing that, Jyles’ eyes lit up.

“You are aware that most of the forces stationed at the White Bunker have been deployed to the front lines. The garrison has been depleted. Even if the immigrant tribes’ attack is reported, we won’t receive immediate reinforcements.”

“So what? Are you suggesting we delay reporting? You want me to break military law?”

“Not at all, my lord. You should report it, but... delay it by just one day.”

“One day?”

Jyles frowned slightly at the knight’s suggestion.

“If you submit a victory report instead of a distress call, Lady Tuli will undoubtedly summon you to the ducal estate after the civil war ends to commend your achievements.”

“I will... be summoned by Lady Tuli?”

Even though Moon Aether had been a peaceful border region, it was still a border. Despite the tempting proposal, Jyles couldn’t shake the uneasiness.

“You make a good point, but... delaying the report...”

“They’re just immigrant tribes, worthless scum without mana. And there are only ten thousand of them. A day will be more than enough. How much longer can you remain stuck in this backwater? We must eventually move into the political arena.”

Jyles’ reservations evaporated with that final comment.

“The political arena...”

It was something he had long aspired to, but opportunities had been scarce. Now, a sly smile crept onto his face, as if he could already see himself at the ducal estate.

Jyles nodded to his subordinate, about to give his approval.

“Alri—”

Boom!

But then, a soldier burst into his office, flinging the door open. He hastily kneeled and shouted, “Reporting!” The immigrant tribes are advancing toward the fortress!”

“Wh-What?!”

They hadn’t noticed it yet. Moon Aether had never been under siege before, and because of that, they had forgotten a very important fact.

The peace they had enjoyed had dulled their swords more than they realized.

***

[What a spectacular sight,] Ramine muttered under his breath, awe evident in his voice. [It’s a shame that Duaat isn’t here to witness this. He’d be the most excited about this.]

Ramine gazed over the plains of Moon Aether, lost in contemplation as he watched the immigrant tribes advancing toward the fortress. He closed his eyes, listening to their war cries.

[Nothing like this has happened since the Mythical Era.]

Amidst the ten thousand immigrant warriors, Ramine’s focus was unwaveringly fixed on one group.

[That the Black Eyes are on the charge.]

Waaaaaaa—!!

Haaaaaa!!

“Shoot! Fire!!”

“Don’t let them get close to the walls!”

Despite the sudden attack, the morale of the soldiers defending Moon Aether remained surprisingly high.

“Only ten thousand? Come on then, we’ll wash these walls with your blood!” shouted the commander atop the wall, raising his sword.

“Prepare to fire!!”

Creaaaak...!

Thousands of archers simultaneously drew their bows.

“Fire!! Exterminate these filthy immigrants!!”

With a roar, countless arrows filled the sky, descending like a dark cloud.

Watching the arrows rain down upon them, Kuntai, the one leading the charge, shouted a command as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Tortoise!”

Thump...! Thump-thump-thump...!

Rumble...!!

“Unite!!”

At Kuntai’s command, the Tiger Shield warriors raised their massive square shields overhead, locking them together to form a tight, impenetrable barrier. The sound of arrows clattering against the shields echoed across the battlefield like a heavy downpour.

“Wha... What the...?”

The commander who had given the order to fire stood dumbstruck, unable to give the command to reload as he stared in disbelief.

Rumble...!!

Typically, when using shield formations to block arrows or magic, soldiers used large shields that covered their entire body. Shields of that size were incredibly heavy, so most shield-bearers, except for knights, were forced to remain stationary, protecting the archers behind them.

“Don’t slow down.”

But the shield formation of the Tiger Shield tribe was entirely different. Despite wielding massive shields with one hand, the warriors didn’t slow down. Forming a dome-like structure, they charged toward the fortress like a massive chariot.

Only those with immense physical strength—regardless of mana—could wield such heavy shields with one hand while maintaining a steady charge.

“Shoot... Shoot!!”

The commander, witnessing the oncoming wall of shields, finally shouted in panic.

“Too slow, they’re too slow. Compared to the mountainous terrain of the north, running across this flatland is child’s play,” Kuntai commented briefly as he watched the second volley of arrows.

Thud...! Thud-thud-thud...!

Unlike the initial barrage that had echoed off the shields, the second hail of arrows was so weak that it was drowned out by the clatter of hooves thundering across the plain.

“Charge!!”

As the Tiger Shield warriors quickened their pace, they began to outrun the barrage of arrows raining down from Moon Aether, evading the onslaught as they sped across the plain.

“Well done,” a low voice murmured from behind Kuntai.

Surprisingly, concealed by the large figures of the Tiger Shield warriors, another person had been riding on Kuntai’s horse. In fact, all the Tiger Shields had been hiding Red Moon warriors riding behind them.

“Deploy!” shouted Patun as he climbed up onto Kuntai’s shoulder.

At his command, the warriors quickly turned their shields with precision, creating gaps through which the Red Moon warriors swiftly leaped.

With a quick step onto Kuntai’s shoulder, Patun launched himself into the air, followed by the other warriors.

“What... what is this?!"

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Arrows suddenly rained down on Moon Aether. Trying to react to the surprise attack, the commander shouted, “Enemy attack! Activate the shields immediately!”

However, he was silenced before he could finish issuing orders, an arrow piercing his neck. Utterly shocked, the commander turned around.

“Ghrr... Cough!”

As he turned his head, he saw the arrow lodged in the ground. His neck throbbed, blood pouring from the wound.

“Commander!!” the lieutenant screamed as he saw the commander collapse. But before he could react, an arrow pierced through his helmet.

“Ugh...!!”

The impact snapped his head back, causing him to fall to the ground. It was an embarrassing sight in the midst of battle, but it was the least of his concerns. He didn’t even know where the arrows were coming from.

Swoosh...!

Before the lieutenant could regain his composure, another arrow pierced his forehead.

Thud! Crack!

With a dull sound, the arrow shattered the back of the lieutenant’s skull, driving through and embedding itself into the ground. Unlike the arrow that had killed the commander, the arrow in the lieutenant’s head spun in a spiral, gouging the ground as if crying out in anguish.

Blood dripped down, sizzling against the searing hot arrowhead.

“...”

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Hashir pulled the bowstring taut once again, wasting no time with further orders. Hundreds of cloaked Wolf-Fox archers aimed their bows at the fortress walls, their arrowheads glowing with a blue light.

Although the enemy had belatedly activated their defenses, the Wolf-Fox archers shot without hesitation. The arrows, made of Clear Distilled Water, pierced through Moon Aether’s feeble shields and landed true.

“Are the immigrants... really this powerful?” Fran muttered in disbelief as he watched the assault on Moon Aether.

It was a battle that defied conventional strategy and tactics, a chaotic fight that seemed driven by instinct alone.

But Fran couldn’t criticize them. Amidst the chaos, the single most important goal—the siege of the fortress—was being executed perfectly.

“Looks like they won’t need a full day after all,” Karyl murmured as he observed the battle.