968 Move Out
"Master." Dimitri looked at him with a serious expression. They were standing in front of the trench leading to the city's ditch, which would surround the city with water.
"Alright. Let's begin!" Noel nodded. Dimitri hurriedly raised his right hand, signaling for the workers to begin.
Without hesitation, the workers started scooping the ground out of the trench. After a few minutes, the trench finally connected the ditch with the river.
Water began flowing through this small channel, eroding the remaining dirt. The flow was quite stable due to it being not too deep, but the first thing that the water had to fill was the deep empty wall Noel had dug before.
The water was sucked completely. Noel and the others couldn't help but try to look at it, but because they couldn't get too close, they failed to see the bottom.
It would take time to fill it completely, but with this, the ditch would be completely filled with water. Noel planned a waterway that would link the water from the river into the city, but there was a water demon, so he had to abandon this plan for the time being.
"With this, everything is ready." Noel smiled. He looked at the wall, which had been covered with bricks.
Of course, he knew that if they prolonged the fight, they would be at a disadvantage, considering Layla would have exhausted her energy. Hence, he needed a battle plan to kill most of the demons within the first twelve hours.
If he couldn't do it, the city would be in danger. In fact, he believed Qiel would use attrition warfare to destroy the Ardagan Family.
"How is the situation inside?" Noel asked.
"The guests from the Demon Banner Army have arrived. The two elders coming from the Tower Association have also arrived, but one of them seems to be inspecting the mountain. The Moon Temple has been here for a long time, so there's no need to say anything about them. And we received the people from the Zaecuria Kingdom yesterday."
"What is our strength in total?"
"Including both of us and Andreas, we have thirteen grandmasters on our side. There are approximately twenty masters, most of them are new recruits. Knowing Howard, he should be able to command them perfectly."
"Our soldiers?"
"We have about 80 elite soldiers and 10 flying soldiers. Their strength ranges from Spirit Apprentice to Spirit Wielder. There are about five hundred normal soldiers. The people seem to be eager to help with other chores like bringing water and food to the wall, helping with injuries and other things."
"I'm sorry for them, but whether they are kids, women, or elderly, I have to work them to the bone in this battle."
"They have seen the greatness of the city, so of course, they will help." Dimitri nodded. "Are we going to create a separate unit for an ambush?"
"No need. As long as the wall remains intact, the Ardagan Family can't be destroyed." Noel thought for a moment. "What about the weapons?"
"The heavy weapons have been transported onto the wall. They are placed in their designated area, so there's nothing to worry about. Everything is ready to receive the enemies."
"Has Harley noticed a movement from the north?"
"Not yet. But it seems to be extremely quiet."
"I see." What he meant by quiet was that there were no demons. It was impossible for people outside the border not to have a demon unless they had been moved to a different place. Noel nodded. "Alright. Make sure that the water is ready and keep vigilant in all directions."
"Understood."
…
Outside the border.
Laufey and Qiel met up again.
"It seems that it's a success." Qiel looked at the numerous demons standing quietly like that of a soldier.
"Yeah. We have a lot of Superior Demons and almost a hundred thousand demons. This should be enough, right?"
"To think that we would need this much just to destroy a city with only a single wall." Qiel sighed. "If we fail, those kingdoms will definitely not let us off. They might even use this demon army as an excuse to attack us."
"How are the new Devil Saints?"
"They are currently watching the movement from the Greenwood Kingdom. We'll pick them up on the way."
"Well, we'll have to reorganize these demons later, but the journey from here to that city is about four days. Have the people been stationed?"
"They are on the way. We're going to delay it for another three days before departing. We have to place our people carefully to stop the Demon Banner Army."
"The Tower Association? We have our spies stopping them. But it seems that some of the elders are getting involved with the Ardagan Family."
"That doesn't matter. If they want to die, then they can die. How about the royal faction? Are they going to send reinforcement?"
"No. They are in no position to send them. Marquis Stargaze is using all his power and influence to stop them. Besides, the Sword Arbiter is also standing on the south side of that city. I heard there is another Paladin stationed in that city. The nobles are sitting quietly. Some were willing to help the Ardagan Family but were rejected."
"It seems that we can fully commit to destroying the Ardagan Family."
"Yes. But there are two places that are forbidden to be attacked, the Moon Temple and the port of the Zaecuria Kingdom."
"Zaecuria Kingdom, huh… Even though they have gotten involved in this?"
"This is an order. We'll just focus on taking down the city. Spread our army in all directions and start attacking the barrier. The main attack will be on the north wall. All of us are going to focus our attack on that wall and clash with their main power. Even if we can't exhaust them, we will have to show our overwhelming strength to pummel their morale."
"Got it. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"No."
…
Zaecuria Kingdom.
"It's starting, isn't it, Marquis Benedict?" The king asked with a smile.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"If we take a look at their strength, I doubt that the Ardagan Family would fall without a fight. But we will be able to see how much the demon army can threaten us. If they exceed our expectations, I hope that Your Majesty will consider wiping the Supreme Devil Organization out before they grow even stronger." The minister of war opened his mouth.
"We can only wait for the result right now. For now, just ensure that the Atracaeca Kingdom beside us won't create any variables. That's the least we can do."
"Understood."
…
Greenwood Kingdom.
"Raincart. Are you sure you're not going?" The king asked.
"As much as I want to go, it's not a place for me to intervene. Damian is protecting the border, so we can only wait and see for now. Besides, I believe that my grandson is more than capable of repelling those armies."
"Hehe. If your grandson loses, I don't mind accepting him here in the Greenwood Kingdom."
"I thank you for your consideration, but it's fine. I believe in him." Raincart smiled.
…
North Border.
Luke and Leysha were looking at the map as Silvester knocked on the door. "Master, Madam. We have found their locations."
"Come in," Luke ordered.
"What should we do?" Silvester entered the room while asking.
"We won't do anything for now. But get ready, as we'll block their escape route later."
"Understood."
Leysha smiled. "It seems that the time for us to not remain as bystanders is going to come soon. You promise that we will be able to see our son openly in the future."
"Of course. I'm not planning to take back that promise."
"That's good then."
…
Supreme Devil Organization.
Alexander stood up and saw a few Devil Bishops and said, "Get ready into positions. We're going to play with the Demon Banner Army a bit. I hope that Oscar won't bore me."
"Yes, Sir."
"Remember. Our mission is to stall the Demon Banner Army and ensure that they can't send more reinforcement to the Ardagan Family. Use your life to ensure the success of the mission and don't forget to create an escape route in case the Ardagan Family surpasses our imagination once again. There's going to be a hell lot of trouble coming in our way after this, so I want our group to preserve as much strength as possible."
"Yes, Sir!"
…
Royal Family.
The king was accompanied by the marshal.
"What's the odds of the Ardagan Family surviving this attack?" The king asked.
"It's pretty low. But I don't know the strength of their runes, so if I have to predict, it's a 50-50 chance. That young Earl also has the influence to gather a lot of important people, so he should have gathered more than ten Spirit Grandmasters in that city."
"50-50…" The king gritted his teeth.
"Your Majesty. There is something I'd like to ask. The Supreme Devil Organization is an organization created by the Royal Family. Now that they have so much strength, what will we do if the dog bites its owner's hand?" The marshal asked.
"You don't have to think about it. The Ardagan Family is more important." The king snorted.
The marshal couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows. Unfortunately, he couldn't express his opinion here after seeing the king's expression.
He was a bit too fixated on the Ardagan Family. On the other hand, Duke Lorelei had been talking about him a lot. The marshal had a good relationship with Duke Lorelei, considering he was the strongest arbiter who could at least put up a fight whenever they were sparring. So, the marshal could only bury his opinions. Ultimately, he was the royal family's sword, so he would remain loyal no matter what happened.
…
Finally, three days passed by.
The promised time had arrived.
Qiel looked at Laufey, who was waving his hands toward the Superior Demons. "Move out!"
