CH239 Kellerman Attacks!

***

"As expected of the vassals of the arrogant Fury family." Josiah Kellerman sneered, then raised his voice toward the soldiers lining the battlements. "You lot would do well to think for yourselves and surrender now. Why should thousands of you die simply because your cruel and arrogant masters refuse to hand over one man?"

The Fury archers, bows already drawn taut, pulled their strings back even further. The threat of a volley was palpable.

Josiah Kellerman ignored them, his chin held high. "Very well. Since you choose resistance, then we will crush this fort and march all the way to Greenville. By then, I will reclaim my family's honour and show you the error of your ways!"

Twack! Twing!!

An arrow slipped loose from a Fury archer's bow, whistling straight toward Josiah Kellerman's chest.

Clang!

General Vance's sword flashed, deflecting the shaft before it struck his young lord. His aura surged, and his blade angled upward as if ready to return the attack.

But before he could strike back, Jared—who had stood with arms folded the entire time—merely raised one hand.

Boom!

The weight of a mountain pressed down upon the courtyard.

General Vance froze mid-motion, he took back his killing intent, and stopped his motion to attack.

"What are you doing? Kill him! Kill him!!" Josiah Kellerman shrieked, his face twisting red with fury.

General Vance leaned close and whispered firmly, "We should withdraw for now, Young Master. Whether we kill them today or tomorrow, the result will be the same. But I cannot guarantee your safety standing this close to their walls—especially with Jared Rivia above us."

Josiah Kellerman's rage faltered. His eyes cleared as cold reason reminded him that even General Vance could not shield him if a battle between the two Saint-ranked Generals erupted here. He would become mere collateral close to such a clash.

Grinding his teeth, he forced himself to rein in his anger. With a sharp tug on his reins, he turned his horse around.

'Enjoy your fleeting breaths, Jared Rivia,' General Vance seethed silently as he followed. 'Soon, I will plunge my blade into your heart… before going on to take from Drake Fury as he once took from me.'

The Kellerman unit retreated back toward their camp. Jared's expression never changed as he silently watched them disappear from sight.

Just as he turned to address the Fort Commander, a soldier rushed over with a new report.

"Sir! The mage unit says they don't have anyone capable of activating Young Master Alex's Array Circle on their own!"

"What?" The Fort Commander frowned. "Young Master Alex assured the mages would be able to handle the formations."

Jared's brows knit slightly, his eyes narrowing.

"The mage unit's leader says the arrays are far more complex than expected. The few who could manage them were transferred away with Lord Marshall Lawson."

"So, none of the Fort's array formations can be used?"

"No, General. Only the ones specially modified by Young Master Alex are affected. The normal formations still function. But according to the mage unit leader, Young Master Alex's modified arrays require multiple casters working in concert to activate and use. That will affect the Mage unit's preparations, so the leader couldn't make that decision without approval."

"It seems our young master overestimated the Fort's mages." Jared's eyes narrowed. "Forget the arrays. If they cannot activate them as intended, then forcing it would be worse than useless even in a group."

"The mages might as well stick to what they know best," he added with finality.

"Understood." The messenger saluted and sprinted back to deliver the order.

The Fort Commander stepped forward. "General, without those formations, should I lead a sortie before the enemy fully organizes? Our soldiers are stronger man-to-man. If we strike now, we may bring back victory."

Jared shook his head. "No. They outnumber us nearly three to one on a battlefield of thousands. Their morale is also high. Even if we win, it would be a hollow victory built on the corpses of too many of our own." His tone was cold, calculated. "Prepare for a defensive battle as planned. Young Master Alex will strike their supply units. Our role is to hold the walls and grind them down."

"Yes, General." The Fort Commander bowed deeply and hurried off.

--

Hours later, both sides braced for the storm to come.

"Sir! The siege weapons are assembled," a soldier reported to Josiah Kellerman and General Vance.

The Kellerman engineers had worked swiftly. With prefabricated wooden parts cut from the Dankrot Forest and metallic pieces transported with the army, they quickly raised an arsenal siege weapons—ballistae, onager catapults, battering rams, and elevated platforms for archers and mages.

There were also siege towers under construction, but as they had yet to get the height of the Fort walls, the towers were not yet complete.

Josiah Kellerman's lips curled into a hungry smile. "Excellent. Begin the assault immediately! I want the Kellerman banner flying over that fort without delay. One gold coin for every Fury soldier slain—and a landed title for whoever brings me Jared Rivia's head!"

"You heard the Young Lord," General Vance barked. "Pass the order to the men!"

The officer rushed off to spread the command.

But before the orders could spread through the camp, another soldier came sprinting in, collapsing to one knee before them. His chest heaved as he forced the report.

"This is bad, Young Lord! Our supply units have been wiped out… our entire supply line has been destroyed!"

"What?!" Both Josiah Kellerman and General Vance's eyes went wide with shock.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Speak clearly!" Josiah Kellerman roared at the soldier, who was still gasping for air.

"The groups sent to retrieve supplies… none have returned, Young Lord. Something must have happened to them."

Josiah Kellerman's face twisted in denial. "Ridiculous! Don't jump to conclusions! How could anyone, especially those arrogant fools of the Fury family, even know about our surprise attack? Much less discover our supply units' location and strike them without us realizing? Impossible!"

But General Vance's expression hardened as he stared toward the distant forest where the supply line had been established. A cold premonition clawed at his chest.

"How many groups did you send?" he demanded.

"Two groups for each supply unit, sir. None of them came back."

That single report shattered Josiah Kellerman's last excuse.

"Tch… seems the Furies aren't quite as stupid as we believed," General Vance muttered darkly.

"General Vance, what do we do? We can't fight a war without supplies!" Josiah Kellerman's voice trembled, the weight of reality crashing down on him.

General Vance's eyes gleamed with ruthless resolve. "We cannot turn back now. We have to finish what we started. The plan cannot be abandoned here."

He spoke with iron conviction. "Drake Fury is locked down at Werth, deep inside Kellerman territory. The rest of Fury lands are preoccupied with the Wildkin raids. Even if they've guessed our plan, there is little they can do. This is our chance—our only chance. Either we strike down this territory now, or we sit and wait for Drake Fury's return and inevitable retaliation. Which do you prefer?"

Josiah Kellerman opened his mouth but no words came. The choice crushed him silent.

Clang—

General Vance pulled down his helm, his voice resounding like steel. "The siege weapons are ready. Morale is high. And as for supplies… we won't need them."

"No need for supplies?" Josiah Kellerman repeated in disbelief.

For a moment, General Vance nearly sighed at his young master's ignorance, but he forced his patience. He had waited too many years for this moment to let Josiah Kellerman's panic ruin it.

"The Fort," General Vance declared coldly. "We must seize it before this day ends. Once it falls, whatever supplies we need, we will find them inside.

"I will personally lead the charge."

He turned toward the battlefield, his presence radiating grim determination. "Our march forward will not stop here."

**

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