Knight: Becoming King of the World

This would be a hard-fought battle, but the glory would be immense!

Originally, Henry had planned to just use the Cloud Ladders. He’d have the prisoners charge in a wave to intimidate John, and if they made it to the top of the walls, he would just go on a rampage himself.

Unfortunately, it was now noon, and the sun was scorching. The captured prisoners were hungry and thirsty. Forget charging to their deaths; they couldn’t even carry the Cloud Ladders.

Henry certainly couldn’t send his own soldiers to face the enemy’s first defensive wave when they had the most firepower, the highest morale, and peak physical condition.

The Auxiliary Soldiers and serfs were out of the question, too. They were his people, his population.

Henry frowned slightly as he looked at the glaring sun, then gave the order, "First, we make camp and rest the troops. We will attack the city tomorrow."

Forcing an attack under these conditions would only exhaust his soldiers in the heat, preventing them from fighting at their best. Henry would avoid such an unnecessary debuff whenever possible.

At Henry’s command, the army moved swiftly. Soldiers skillfully erected tents and set up defensive works, while the logistics staff busied themselves preparing and distributing food and water.

In no time, neat rows of tents appeared on the once-empty battlefield. Henry’s army was like a great beast, lying in wait outside Odoche, biding its time for the perfect moment to strike.

John stood on the city wall, watching Henry’s army make camp. The tension that had just eased in his chest coiled tight once more.

Henry’s move meant there would be no immediate attack, giving him a brief respite. However, he knew in his heart that this was merely the calm before the storm.

As the saying goes, you can’t guard against a thief for a thousand days. The constant vigilance was mentally exhausting.

’I can’t make any rash moves,’ John thought.

The enemy had no shortage of soldiers specifically posted to guard against a sneak attack. Sending the Cavalry out for a sortie would be a meaningless suicide run.

Henry was no ordinary commander. His army was renowned for its strict discipline; he wouldn’t give John any openings to exploit.

John decided to keep his Cavalry unit within the city walls. They were an elite force.

If the gates were breached, they could provide cover for a swift retreat, ensuring that important personnel and supplies could be evacuated safely.

After some thought, he secretly sent his wife by fast horse to join his son’s convoy. That would make it easier for him to flee as well.

And if, by some miracle, they managed to repel Henry... the Cavalry could pursue them and press the advantage, though he knew that was highly unlikely.

"Hold the city and wait for an opportunity," John ordered his officers once more.

As time passed, Henry’s other raiding parties began to arrive as well.

Squad after squad converged from all directions, carrying spoils of war and prisoners, pouring into the camp in a steady stream.

The camp grew larger and its population swelled, especially with the vast number of prisoners who were bound with ropes and escorted in groups to a corner of the encampment.

These prisoners came from the surrounding villages and towns. Their once-peaceful lives had been shattered by the war, and now they were nothing more than slaves to Henry’s army.

John’s heart sank as he watched the prisoners. This meant Henry could use them to exhaust the defenders’ arrows, rolling logs, stones, and other defensive supplies, not to mention the stamina of his soldiers.

This gave Henry a huge advantage. He could launch multiple attacks on Odoche without losing any of his main forces, wearing down the city’s defenses until they crumbled.

’How horrifying!’

Henry’s tactic would not only deplete the city’s defensive resources but would also exert immense psychological pressure on the defenders.

Each charge by the prisoners would be like the tolling of a funeral bell for the city, causing the defenders’ hearts to sink further and further.

John turned to the officers beside him and saw their faces had grown grim as well. They all knew this battle would be far more difficult than they had anticipated.

Henry’s army was not only numerous but also had extensive combat experience and ample supplies.

"Reinforce the defenses! Ready the rolling logs and stones! Archers on standby at all times!" John had no idea when Henry might attack.

Boman and Fass strode up to Henry, looking more like bandits than ever. It seemed their recent days of raiding and plundering had made them even rougher and more ferocious.

They were itching to throw themselves into the heat of battle.

"Henry, when are we attacking?" Boman’s hand unconsciously drifted to the hilt of his sword, as if he craved the clash of steel against his enemies.

Fass chimed in, "Yeah, all our soldiers are raring to go. And all these prisoners we’ve captured... feeding them every day is a serious drain on our resources."

Henry looked at the two men, so eager for a fight, but didn’t answer directly. He simply waved them over, motioning for them to follow him.

"Where are we going?"

"To eat."

He led them to a freshly lit bonfire where Ailia was serving up sizzling roasted meat. The rich aroma filled the air, making Boman and Fass’s stomachs RUMBLE in response.

"Eat first. There’s no rush to start the war," Henry said with a smile, handing a piece of roasted meat to Boman. "When the time is right, I promise you’ll get all the fighting you want."

Boman and Fass exchanged a look and didn’t press the matter. They took large bites of the roasted meat, which was mixed with the taste of lemon... ’Why is Henry’s head maid so fond of adding lemon to everything?’

Though their minds wandered, their eyes still darted toward the distant city of Odoche, as if hoping the horn for battle would sound soon.

The great moon rose. Both the defenders on the walls and Henry’s massive army camp lit torches and bonfires, pushing back the darkness and illuminating the battlefield.

Soldiers sat around the bonfires, some talking in low voices, others polishing their weapons.

The defenders, for their part, prayed for the changing of the guard to come quickly, eager for the day to be over. Just when they thought the day would pass peacefully, a series of whooshing sounds suddenly tore through the air.

The defenders, who had been watching Henry’s camp with caution, tensed up immediately at the sound.

The whistling grew louder and louder, as if some colossal object was hurtling toward them.

The defenders all looked up to see black shadows streaking across the sky, accompanied by a sharp whistling as they plummeted toward the city walls.

"It’s catapult stones!" someone shouted, and the defenders instantly fell into a panic.

Enormous stones rained down, smashing against the city walls and into the houses within, creating a deafening ROAR.

The projectiles slammed into the stonework of the walls, sending out showers of sparks and spraying debris everywhere. Some defenders couldn’t dodge in time and were crushed, falling to the ground with bloodcurdling screams.

Some of the stones flew deeper into the city, gouging massive craters in the streets or collapsing houses, which sent whole neighborhoods into a screaming panic.

The archers on the walls instinctively drew their bows and nocked arrows, but they quickly realized they were completely out of range to retaliate.

The barrage of stones continued unabated, wave after wave crashing against the city walls.

The defenders could only cower behind the battlements, dodging the assault. The frustration was unbearable. ’This is a completely one-sided beating! We can’t even fight back!’

Henry stood in his camp, eating roasted meat and drinking wine. He watched the chaos on the distant city wall and nodded with a smile.

He’d prepared plenty of surprises this time—more than enough to scare that old dog John to death.

This night raid wouldn’t cause significant damage to the walls, but it would be highly effective at crushing the defenders’ morale, paving the way for the battle to come.

Meanwhile, Boman and Fass were clapping excitedly at his side. This was a rich man’s siege! They felt as if they were Imperial Legion Commanders.

"Heh! Henry, you’ve really outdone yourself! Are you trying to smash the whole wall down? This is awesome!"

"Haha! Those bastards on the wall were probably sleepy, and now they’re all jumping out of their skins! Haha! Henry, just keep this up for a few days, and they’ll break on their own!"