Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 504: Chapter 477: Siege Plan

As Crown Prince Garrett’s orders reached the various nobles, they, like Ronin, all chose to advance the following day.

Along the roads leading from the various camps to Mist City, an army of over one hundred thousand men had gradually set up camp a kilometer from the city walls by noon.

Ronin’s warhorse stood atop a hill as he gazed out at the Oduin Kingdom’s Noble Alliance Army. It was the first time he had ever seen an army of this scale.

Looking toward Mist City, he saw its gates were tightly shut and the drawbridge was raised. They were clearly prepared to hold their ground.

However, looking at the tops of the enemy’s walls, there didn’t seem to be many men. ’I wonder how well-prepared they really are?’

Oduro came over to report, "My lord, someone from the Crown Prince has come to inform you that you are requested at the command tent to discuss the siege plan with the other nobles."

Ronin nodded slightly, gently nudged his horse’s flanks with his legs, and headed toward the Crown Prince’s command tent.

The atmosphere inside the command tent was boisterous. They weren’t discussing the afternoon’s battle, but were instead endlessly bragging about their exploits on the battlefield the day before.

Viscount Willis of Black Jade Bay was speaking while taking swigs of wine, his old face flushed red as his voice grew louder and louder.

As Ronin entered the command tent, the boisterous atmosphere came to a brief halt.

"Hahaha, so this is Ronin, the Marquis of Moonlight Valley?"

Willis rose and walked over to Ronin, looking him up and down with a chuckle. "Not bad. You look a bit like Lurans, but you’re much stronger than that old dog!"

Ronin chuckled and greeted him politely. "It seems you were quite familiar with my grandfather, Viscount Willis?"

’Black Jade Bay is rich in Black Jade, one of the materials used to forge Extraordinary Weapons. I’ll definitely be doing business with him in the future, so getting acquainted now is a good opportunity.’

Willis took a GULP of wine. "Back in the day, your grandfather was truly full of vigor, quite the imposing figure! A pity I only met him a few times at banquets and never shared a battlefield with him. Why, didn’t he come this time?"

Ronin shook his head.

Mist City was a painful memory for his grandfather. This time, with Melonika in Wushan Territory and Ridder and the others by Ronin’s side, he had not come.

Thirty years of torment had long since stripped Lurans of his former edge; now, he preferred to enjoy a quiet life in his old age.

"Ronin, sit over here."

Gushan also stood up and gestured to a seat to the right of the main one, which appeared to be specially reserved for a military advisor.

"I heard your casualties at West Wind Hill yesterday were extremely low. Come, tell us the details."

The Leader of the Griffin Knight Order, the Count of Double Peaks Ridge, also nodded at Ronin in acknowledgment.

"I’ve long heard of your reputation but never had the chance to meet you. After this battle for Mist City is over, you must give me some pointers if you have the chance."

"You’re too humble, Count Ibn!"

Ronin sat down. "If we’re talking about fame, I grew up hearing your name, Your Excellency. I’ve admired you for a long time."

Though his words were polite, they weren’t entirely baseless.

In the Oduin Kingdom, aside from the renowned Crown Prince Garrett, this Leader of the Griffin Knight Order was also highly distinguished.

As the four men chatted, the atmosphere in the command tent gradually returned to normal.

Ronin also learned about what had happened on the other fronts the previous day.

Garrett’s and Gushan’s forces had suffered the most significant losses.

Although Mist City’s outposts hadn’t been reinforced, the number of troops permanently stationed there was incomparable to Watchtower Castle. Heavy casualties were to be expected.

With so many garrisoned soldiers, the number of prisoners taken after the battle was also considerable.

It was worth noting that to alleviate the pressure of managing prisoners, Garrett had ordered the execution of several thousand men, including both soldiers of commoner origin and Honorary Knights from the noble class.

This act made the nobles present feel uneasy. After all, nobles were supposed to have a degree of immunity. Keeping them alive to be ransomed by their families for a sufficient amount of gold or resources would have been quite profitable.

More importantly, everyone in the command tent was a noble who enjoyed that same immunity.

Garrett’s actions would undoubtedly impact their own rights.

’After all, who can guarantee they will never be defeated?’

If they were captured and the enemy followed Garrett’s precedent by executing them on the spot, who could they turn to for justice?

However, with the assault on Mist City imminent, no one wanted to dwell on the issue.

In Ronin’s opinion, the issue of prisoners was indeed a troublesome one.

After all, this was the Extraordinary World.

Low-level prisoners could be restrained with hemp ropes and iron chains, but Golden Level and Meteor Level captives required specialized tools for confinement.

Fortunately, the number of Knights at these levels was limited. The problem could be solved by purchasing chains and locks forged from Black Jade from Black Jade Bay.

But if the number of prisoners grew too large, the number of personnel required to guard them would increase accordingly.

During a critical forced march, they would have to leave a contingent behind to guard the prisoners, which was certainly a difficult situation to manage.

To solve this problem, there were always organizations specializing in the slave trade operating behind the lines of every war.

Most prisoners could be handed over to them, transported away, and sold into slavery.

Ronin had no Black Jade Chains, nor were there any men from a Slave House following his army. If Placido hadn’t surrendered voluntarily, he really wouldn’t have known the best way to handle the prisoners from Watchtower Castle.

Thinking of this, he sought out Willis, intending to purchase a few sets of professional Black Jade Chains.

Willis’s eyes narrowed into a cheerful smile. ’Well, look at that, business has come knocking.’

’First Black Jade Chains, and in the future, Black Jade Ore, Black Jade Weapons, and Black Jade Shields will all follow.’

’The Black Jade Clan has one more business partner.’

"Everyone is here!"

Garrett strode confidently into the command tent. His gaze fell upon Ronin, and he gave an uncharacteristically courteous nod.

"Excellent, Ronin is here as well. With him, I expect we’ll win this afternoon’s battle with ease."

Everyone secretly guessed that Bruno must have put pressure on Garrett, forcing him to change his attitude toward Ronin.

Ronin didn’t say much, merely giving a token nod in return to allow both sides to save face.

Garrett strode to the head seat and sat down, getting straight to the point.

"For more than thirty years, Mist City has been a stain on the honor of every great family present. Today is the day we wash away that disgrace!"

He announced loudly, "I won’t waste words. Mist City has four gates. Other than the south gate, the East, West, and North Gates all have major roads leading in our direction. Therefore, I plan to divide the Alliance Army into three forces and attack simultaneously! As for the south gate..."

At this, he looked toward Ronin.

"Ronin, you will take your Giant Dragon and attack the south gate. That is all."

Ronin frowned slightly. "Breaching all four gates at once... it certainly sounds impressive."

He paused in thought for a moment before speaking. "I agree with Your Highness’s proposal to attack the East, West, and North Gates simultaneously. However, I see no need to attack the south gate."

"Oh?"

A flicker of displeasure crossed Garrett’s face, but unlike before, he didn’t challenge Ronin. Instead, he asked, "Why?"

"What good would it do even if I breached the south gate with my Giant Dragon? Our army has no way to circle around to the south and enter the city. I suggest we choose a single main direction of attack, concentrate our forces, and deliver a fatal blow!"

Ronin’s words were clear and firm. He glanced around at the noble commanders present and continued,

"We are unfamiliar with the terrain around Mist City, and its walls are strong. If we divide our forces, we will only give the enemy an opportunity to exploit our weakness and defeat us piecemeal."

"As for the south gate, like I just said, it offers no real strategic advantage. Unless we can swiftly and effectively guide our main forces there, it would be nothing more than a pointless show of force."

Ronin continued, "I propose we use the Giant Dragon’s superior mobility and air supremacy to deliver a devastating blow to the enemy’s weakest point at a critical moment, creating an opening for the Alliance Army’s breakthrough."

Hearing Ronin’s analysis, the nobles and commanders present all secretly nodded in agreement.

A flash of appreciation appeared in Viscount Willis’s eyes. "Marquis Ronning’s insight is quite exceptional. Indeed, if we can maximize the Giant Dragon’s effectiveness, our odds of victory in this battle will increase dramatically."

Count Gushan also mulled it over for a moment before speaking. "I agree with Ronin’s assessment. Splitting our forces is quite risky. We should concentrate our superior numbers and focus our main attack on a single front."

Then, perhaps to help Garrett save face, he added,

"The Crown Prince’s proposal has its merits. Perhaps we can deploy some forces at the East and West Gates to divide the enemy’s main force. After all, Mist City’s army is smaller than ours."

Count Ibn was also in agreement. "That’s a good method. If the North Gate proves unusually difficult to breach or if an unexpected situation arises, Ronin can use the Giant Dragon’s mobility to switch his attack to one of those flanks, using it as a breakthrough point. He could enter the city and then attack the North Gate from the inside."

He added, "Though Mist City has a Dragon Eagle unit, my Griffin Knights will support you."

Dragon Eagles, said to have a trace of Giant Dragon blood, were the signature Flying Magical Beast of the Tricia Kingdom, holding the same status as the Griffins of the Oduin Clan.

As a Border Count, it was normal for Ural to have a small squad of Dragon Eagles.

’But without support from the Kingdom, just how many Dragon Eagles can Ural possibly have?’

Garrett listened as they all chimed in. Although he was fuming internally, he didn’t speak up to object.

’According to my plan, attacking all four gates simultaneously will sow chaos among the enemy, disrupt the deployment of their troops within Mist City, and give our attack a greater advantage.’

’At the same time, sending Ronin to attack the south gate would remove him from the main battlefield. Fewer people would witness his prowess and the awe-inspiring power of the Giant Dragon, which would, to some extent, diminish his presence and his military achievements.’

’But now, it seems the others aren’t thinking along those lines.’

"Then we’ll proceed as Gushan and Ibn suggested: the North Gate will be our main focus, with the flanks providing support."

Garrett took back control of the conversation. "Now, let’s discuss the troop deployment for the three fronts."