Chapter 51: Chapter 51: War
In the year 1250 of the Starlight Calendar, at the beginning of the month of Winter Harp.
Not long after the New Year, Flashing City accused Blackstone City's lord, Kyi Yanest, of colluding with the Starfire Church, demanding that he come to Flashing City to confess and accept punishment. After Kyi refused, they brazenly mobilized troops to attack Blackstone City.
Crack! Crack!
The sound of metal armor clanking echoed.
Kyi climbed the city wall, taking a brass telescope from Braid and scanning the distance.
Under the night sky, the entire plain outside the city was dotted with the glow of campfires.
Shadows flitted around the campfires, and dense rows of tents spread across the plain.
"Owen has truly committed everything this time. It's not just his troops; the armies of the traitors Devon, Zolf, and Norwood are also involved, and on top of that, they've recruited over a thousand mercenaries!"
Braid observed the enemy forces with a heavy expression.
Owen's contingent alone numbered nearly four thousand, and with the mercenaries, their total exceeded five thousand—almost four times that of Blackstone City, making this war a daunting challenge.
"Mercenaries are not a significant concern. Those undisciplined folks are merely a mob. They might hold some value in a direct confrontation on the plains, but their impact will diminish in a siege," Kyi replied, lowering the brass telescope. Yet, the slight furrow of his brow revealed he wasn't as calm as he pretended.
Though he had anticipated that Owen would tear off the façade of diplomacy following the failed assassination, the reality of the situation still bore down heavily on him.
Seeing the dense army outside only added to the weight on his shoulders.
Blackstone City had been expanding its military resources recently but could barely muster around thirteen hundred soldiers.
Of those, three hundred were minimally trained militia who had never seen battle; how much they could contribute on the battlefield was uncertain.
Among the remaining thousand, eight hundred were city guards, whose combat effectiveness was reasonably decent.
The other two hundred belonged to the Blackstone Cavalry, Kyi's true ace!
"It's a shame about the timing. If I had another year or two, I could turn the Blackstone Cavalry into a true knightly army. Even with just two to three hundred knights, we could easily sweep through the entire Flashing Territory!"
Kyi sighed inwardly.
Training a single Blackstone Cavalry member cost around fifty gold coins.
Even with the Blackstone mine as a financial resource, the expansion of the Blackstone Cavalry had been painfully slow.
They had only reached two hundred members so far.
"Have the personnel from the Blackstone mine returned?" Kyi turned to ask.
Jotun nodded. "They have all returned safely. According to scouts, the enemy has now occupied that area."
Kyi nodded slightly, contemplating the enemy forces ahead as he strategized for the upcoming battle.
For them, defending the city would provide a strategic advantage.
Owen's elite cavalry was better suited for open-field combat; their effectiveness would be significantly reduced in a siege.
After all, horses couldn't fight on the walls.
In contrast, the Blackstone Panthers were perfectly capable of defending the city.
In fact, the reckless puppets could display even greater combat prowess in a siege.
This trade-off would benefit Blackstone City.
However, merely defending was not enough.
If the war dragged on too long, resupply would become a critical weakness.
Moreover, with the Blackstone mine in enemy hands, Kyi didn't want it to turn into a financial resource for them.
The best course of action was to hold the city for a while, wearing down the enemy's strength. Once they grew complacent, he could then deploy the Blackstone Cavalry to strike directly at the heart of the enemy camp.
If they could eliminate the enemy's command structure, the war would be theirs to win.
Since its formation, the Blackstone Cavalry's details had been tightly controlled; outsiders knew nothing of how powerful this force had become.
The rebels were entirely unprepared, making the chances of a successful plan high!
With thoughts racing in his mind, Kyi quickly devised a plan.
Turning around, he saw the gathered officers' serious expressions. Kyi spoke confidently, "The enemy is formidable, but we are no pushovers. We have worked hard over the past two years to build our strength for this very moment! Let's show those traitors what Blackstone City is truly capable of!"
"Indeed! You are right, my lord!"
"Let those traitors see the might of Blackstone City!"
"I can't wait to get started!"
Under Kyi's encouragement, the officers quickly rallied their spirits.
Braid and Jotun exchanged glances, both smiling.
Outsiders might not understand the nuances, but as members of Blackstone City, they knew just how dramatic the changes had been over the past two years.
In terms of knights alone, Blackstone City had over one hundred sixty members.
Many baronies didn't even have that many knights!
Not to mention Blackstone City had two hundred cavalry-level Blackstone Panthers!
Counting all of that, the total knight-level combat power exceeded three hundred.
To be honest, if it weren't for Blackstone City being constrained by its limited territory and lacking foundational military strength—aside from the Blackstone Cavalry, they had no other elite forces—Owen would hardly be a match for them.
All of this was thanks to Sir Ang.
"I wonder where Sir Ang is now?"
Jotun said, patting the longsword at his waist with a grin. "If Sir Ang were here, we wouldn't even need to defend the city; we'd just charge out and take those bastards down!"
Many knights nodded in agreement.
Even the usually stoic Braid couldn't help but show his enthusiasm.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't believe that a single person could sway the outcome of a war involving five to six thousand people.
But Sunan was different.
They had witnessed the incredible and unfathomable powers of a wizard, and as a result, they held immense confidence.
If it were him, perhaps he could indeed create miracles that left everyone speechless!
Not lingering too long, Kyi observed the situation from the city wall for a while before turning away.
The preparations for war were intricate, and there were many tasks awaiting his attention.
The next day.
Not long after dawn, the sound of a low, resonant horn echoed from outside the city.
Kyi and his officers climbed the city wall, gazing out to see the enemy forces beginning to array themselves in formation.
Before long, thousands of soldiers pushed siege equipment toward the city walls at a slow but steady pace.
"They're truly eager," Kyi thought, a cold glint in his eyes. He raised his hand and commanded in a deep voice, "Prepare for battle!"
"Yes, my lord!"
The officers responded in unison, swiftly turning to instruct the soldiers to prepare for combat.
The defending forces sprang into action.
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