Chapter 269: Sacrificing to the Flag

The minutes bled away, one by one, leaving the grand array of the coalition forces looking entirely neglected.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Marvin peered toward the entrance of the camp. "Even if that fellow Corryn dresses up like a woman before stepping out, he should have arrived by now!"

"Do not fret, Philip should be returning shortly."

No sooner had the words fallen than Philip burst into the pavilion, out of breath. "Disaster has struck! Corryn has barred the castle gates. Now, he refuses entry even to his own servants returning from their errands, and not a soul is permitted to leave!"

At this revelation, a stunned silence fell over the gathered company.

"Dammit, who leaked the word?"

Marvin roared, "Is there a traitor among us?"

With Corryn locked away inside, it was painfully clear he had caught wind of their designs; Marvin's suspicion was only natural.

For a moment, the men within the tent eyed one another, a subtle shroud of wariness settling between them.

Of those present the previous day, aside from Ronin and his retainers, there were only Toru, Marvin, Philip, and Thorstein; even Tarun had been kept in the dark.

If a turncoat existed, it had to be one of these four.

The coalition was already a fragile alliance; if the high command ceased to trust one another, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Ronin spoke up at the opportune moment. "There is no need to suspect each other. In my view, the one who carried word to Corryn was not one of our own. It is far more likely to have come from Amicus of Red Mountain Town. After all, the disappearance of a core figure is bound to rouse their suspicion."

Though he spoke to soothe them, he himself had not anticipated that the enemy would perceive the danger so swiftly, nor that they would communicate with Corryn with such speed. It spoke of a profound depth of mutual trust and intelligence sharing between the two factions.

Ronin could not help but sigh at the mercurial nature of the battlefield; his perfect plan to catch the turtle in the jar had completely fallen through.

"Ronin speaks sense."

The suffocating tension within the great tent dissipated considerably.

They found themselves admiring the young man's adaptability more and more; had it been Wiggins—no, had it been any of them in his stead, their minds could never have kept pace with the shifting tides.

"Ronin, what is our next move?"

Toru inquired. "With the usual provisions of a fortress, Corryn can comfortably ignore any worries of starvation for ten days or a fortnight even if he cowers inside Hearthstone Castle. But we cannot. For this campaign, Hearthstone Castle was meant to shoulder the rations for both the Wushan Castle knight squad and the North Territory knight squad."

To put it plainly: if Corryn withheld the grain, the coalition would starve.

An empty belly not only broke the will to fight, but it would inevitably breed panic.

"The matter of provisions is easily solved."

Before Ronin could answer, Marvin offered his counsel. "Hearthstone City is vast and teeming with commoners. If worst comes to worst, we shall simply requisition their grain."

Requisition was a polite term; in truth, it meant plunder.

"The camp's stores should suffice for four or five days," Ronin countered. "If that proves insufficient, we can have the other nobles pool and balance their rations, promising repayment once victory is secured. Our paramount concern now is how to deal with the enemy."

Ronin continued, "Hearthstone City is in league with the Portland Bandits. Since they have exchanged word, this Amicus surely knows of Corryn's plight. As a crucial ally whose own fate hangs in the balance, Amicus will undoubtedly dispatch forces to reinforce him. We must prevent ourselves from being pincered."

The men nodded in silent agreement.

Thorstein could not help but ask, "Must we divide our forces to resist them?"

Ronin fell into a long silence, but in the end, he shook his head.

To sit idle was out of the question, yet dividing their strength was no better a solution.

"Time was too short last night to launch an assault on Hearthstone Castle, but now we may make the attempt."

Ronin said, "If we can reduce Hearthstone Castle before the enemies from Red Mountain Town arrive, we will not only secure our provisions but also ensure we have only a single adversary to face."

Marvin’s face clouded with worry as he picked up where Ronin left off. "But the defenses of Hearthstone Castle are formidable."

"I have a way to breach them."

Ronin replied, "The Marquis bestowed upon me a Tier 6 Magic Cannon. With it, we may just be able to blast open the gates of Hearthstone Castle."

"A Magic Cannon? The Marquis was willing to part with such a relic for you?"

Marvin’s eyes widened. He had begged and pleaded, trying to buy a Magic Cannon at a slight discount, and Rulance had stubbornly refused him.

Yet here it was, given directly to Ronin as a gift.

As expected, when comparing a disciple to a grandson, blood ran far thicker.

The eyes of the others ignited with renewed hope; with the aid of a Magic Cannon, storming the castle would be a far less daunting feat.

"We are closer to Hearthstone Castle. Even if the bandit syndicate from Red Mountain Town rushes here, it will take them a full day."

A forced march at full speed would not take so long, of course, but with battle looming at any moment, they needed to conserve their strength and could not afford to exhaust themselves on the road.

"Within that single day, we shall attempt to shatter the gates of Hearthstone Castle. Even if we fail to break through, we must pin them inside so they cannot step foot beyond the walls."

"Simultaneously, along the route where the Portland Bandits must travel to reinforce Hearthstone Castle, we shall utilize the surrounding structures and favorable terrain to lay traps and orchestrate an ambush."

Since drawing the snake from its hole and catching the turtle in the jar were no longer options, they would besiege the stronghold to strike at the relief force. Facing only a single enemy at a time, the noble coalition still held the upper hand.

Under his deliberate arrangement, what had seemed a chaotic mess suddenly became crystal clear to everyone.

"Good! Then that is exactly what we shall do!"

Marvin clapped his hands together, looking eager for a grand fray. "I shall first have Tarun lead his men to deal with Corryn’s detachment remaining in the camp. We will use their blood to consecrate our war banners."

There were bound to be innocents among those Corryn had left behind in the camp, but given the circumstances, it would be highly problematic to leave them alive.

Furthermore, on the eve of a great battle, a sudden announcement that a key figure of the coalition was a traitor would surely incite instability among the ranks. Broadly proclaiming Corryn’s heinous crimes while publicly executing his subordinates would serve as an excellent deterrent.

"Toru, Ridal, go and handle the matter of the traitors as well. Ensure the coalition understands the full extent of Corryn’s crimes and how this treachery came to pass."

Ronin commanded further, "Philip, Thorstein, do not reduce the scouts watching Red Mountain Town. Divide them into shifts, and have them send continuous, unbroken updates regarding the latest movements of the Portland Bandits in groups of multiple riders."

"Understood!" the two vice-commanders responded in deep, resonant voices.

With the orders distributed, the rest of the council departed.

"Macken, go and gather Joffrey, Rogner, and the other ten extraordinaries. I have a special task to entrust to you all."

"Yes, my Lord!"

Macken had already witnessed his lord’s brilliant command firsthand, and his heart swelled with anticipation for this singular mission.

Meanwhile, as Tarun and Marvin led their knights to surround Corryn’s men, a tempest of shock erupted across the camp.

Barons, knights, and the leaders of the various houses could scarcely believe their ears: the Baron of the Hearthstone Domain had actually betrayed Wushan Castle.

They could not comprehend it. He was already a baron, highly esteemed by the Marquis—what could he possibly gain by turning traitor?

Yet, as Toru offered his explanations and the interrogation of those few knights commenced, the tragic massacre of Red Mountain Town and the grim truth of Hahn’s death in battle finally came to light.

The noble coalition broke into fierce condemnation of the traitors, raining stones upon them and even drawing their broadswords.

Amidst the rising roar of voices demanding the deaths of the turncoats and vengeance for Sir Hahn, every single member of the knight squad Corryn had left behind was put to the sword.

The coalition's hostility toward Hearthstone Castle reached its absolute zenith. At the command of Toru and the others, the reorganized noble forces, led by their newly appointed captains, marched out of the camp and advanced toward Hearthstone Castle.