Overwhelming Firepower

In the middle of the night, beneath a moon veiled by drifting clouds, Duke Vardon’s forces began to withdraw from the fortress they had carved out of stone and timber. They were now retreating to Ironhold.

The mana lamps were left there to make the other party think they were still within the walls.

Marquis Valeire, who was wary of a night attack, never expected the Iron Duke, who never takes a step back, to actually retreat.

So the focus was more on the Duke Vardon ambushing them rather than them leaving the battlefield entirely.

Of course, Duke Vardon’s side did not retreat all at the same time. They retreated bit by bit, and before leaving, the dwarves were forced to destroy the Roaring Thunder and the Gatling guns, removing a few parts and breaking a few more so that even if the other party gets them, they will find it difficult to replicate.

Duke Vardon waited for everyone to retreat properly before leaving as well. It took Marquis Valeire some time before realizing that the Duke and his men were no longer in the fortress.

This stunned not only the Marquis but even the people under him, from his own subordinates to the mercenaries he hired.

The battle they had before was obviously their defeat. Even with their former twenty thousand-strong army against Vardon’s five thousand, they had lost.

Now they were around sixteen to seventeen thousand, while Vardon’s side only lost a few hundred. Not to mention their strongest force, the Duke himself had not made a move while they had lost the Dragon’s Claw mercenary group.

So why in the world would they flee when they have the obvious advantage? This didn’t make much sense to any of them, especially the Marquis, who understood how much pride Vardon had.

Valeire replayed the battle in his mind. The Gatling guns that mowed down soldiers, and the Roaring Thunder, tearing through ranks. Those weapons gave the few the strength of many.

Even with those, the Iron Duke retreated? He had imagined Duke Vardon would rather have his body broken before he would take a step back, much less retreat.

Marquis Valeire stood outside his command tent, his cloak shifting in the cold night wind as he stared at the dark silhouette of the abandoned fortress in the distance.

One of his captains approached him cautiously. ”My Lord, our scouts have searched the entire area and confirmed it. The Iron Duke and his men are no longer in the fortress or anywhere nearby.”

Valeire did not respond immediately as he continued to silently look at the now abandoned fortress.

If it weren’t for the surprises he had today from the weapons Duke Vardon used to his guerrilla tactics, he would not have been this cautious.

The Iron Duke, he and everyone else knew, was someone who faced everything head-on just like his rival and equal, the Sword Duke, Kaelvar Runescar.

Yet today, the Iron Duke showed a different side of himself that no one ever knew. It was obvious to the Marquis who had influenced the stubborn Duke to change his ways.

’Lucen Thornehart...’ The name of the young man who seemed to have been getting in the way of his plans from the start.

’To think that young Thornehart would be so much more troublesome than his father... This retreat, as well, seems like something he would think of. Unlike his father, who was similar to a proud and noble lion, it would seem the son is more cunning, but not like a snake, more like a wolf. Someone who waits for the opportune time to strike.’

Marquis Valeire once again was assured that his decision to start the Styrhord was the right choice.

If he waited any longer, Lucen Thornehart might have created a weapon even stronger than the weapons shown now.

The Marquis finally looked at the Captain, who was standing behind him. ”Did you find any traps?”

”No, my lord, aside from the destroyed weapons, there was nothing of note.”

”I see...” Marquis Valeire looked up at the starry sky and closed his eyes. He then opened his eyes and looked around him.

Despite Duke Vardon being the one who fled, making it look like they had won this encounter, looking at his demoralized men who were startled by sudden noises, it felt like they had lost completely.

’... Hm, I might be able to use this to my advantage.’ Marquis Valeire suddenly had a thought.

”Captain, have a few men start spreading news to everyone in Norvaegard that we have entered Stellhart and won a grand victory. Tell them we have made the Iron Duke, the unbreakable shield to flee.”

The Captain quickly bowed his head. ”As you command, my lord.”

The Captain departed at once to carry out the order. He got a few trusted subordinates to do the job as they took a few horses to tell the tale of how Marquis Valeire had done something that hadn’t been done since the creation of Norvaegard, to force a Thornehart to retreat.

The riders departed under the cover of darkness, their horses cutting across frozen fields and narrow woodland paths. By dawn, the first whispers began spreading through nearby villages.

”The Iron Duke has fled.”

”Stellhart has fallen.”

”The Marquis has broken the unbreakable shield.”

Rumors moved faster than armies. By midday, the tale had already grown exaggerated. Some claimed Duke Vardon had been gravely wounded. Others claimed Lucen had died in battle. In taverns and manor halls alike, the story twisted with every retelling.

The narrative would have been controlled by Marquis Valeire, if not for Lucen anticipating this action.

To a reincarnator like Lucen, who had watched, read, and played many things with such storylines, he anticipated the rather cunning Marquis Valeire would try to do something like this.

He too sent a few people to start a rumor that a monster wave had happened at the start of the Styrhord. Which forced Duke Vardon to split his forces and lowered the priority on the Styrhord, and he decided to do their job to protect Norvaegard from the monster wave.

Lucen also added a few other rumors, like the monster wave’s timing was too coincidental, as if they were able to know when a monster wave would occur.

The rumors did not spread evenly. In the lands closer to Valeire’s territory, the story of victory traveled first. Nobles allied with the Marquis were already celebrating their victory in advance.

However, in the northern regions, especially near Ironhold, a different story was being told. Travelers spoke of a massive monster wave emerging from the Northwest mountain range. They spoke of corrupted beasts that drove men mad.

They spoke of Duke Vardon abandoning the Styrhord not because he was losing, but to protect the heartland of Norvaegard.

Of course, a few people had sent people to see what was actually happening, and it was easy to learn that there truly was a monster wave happening at the same time as the Styrhord.

***

In the Runescar residence, the family learned of what was happening in Ironhold. Elyra spoke to her father.

”Have you heard, father? A monster wave is happening right now, and the wave is about to reach Ironhold. Even now, do you not plan to help Duke Vardon?”

Kaelvar Runescar did not answer his daughter immediately. The man known throughout Norvaegard as the Sword Duke was deep in thought and sighed before answering his daughter.

”I have heard.”

Elyra stepped closer as he spoke. ”Then will you continue to not take action?”

”I already contacted my best friend and rival Vardon. He told me that he will defend Norvaegard and win the Styrhord with the power of Stellhart. There was no need for others to intervene.”

Elyra looked at her father’s face and understood that he truly would not interfere in this battle.

***

In a tavern in a town a few days away from Ironhold, Eisen Terre, the strongest student in the Royal Academy, had heard the news about the monster wave.

He was eating a meal in a tavern when he heard the news. Still, unlike everyone else who was disturbed by the news, he was not that bothered.

To him, the idea of Lucen Thornehart losing to a monster wave was laughable. The image he had of Lucen was someone who would smile in a desperate situation and find the path to victory.

***

In a different part of Norvaegard, Lysette Crowlorne, who had been watching this Styrhord closely, had sent a few men to nearby towns to gather information.

She was one of the first to learn of the rumors both sides were spreading. Using her knowledge about both sides, she had seen a clearer picture of what was happening than most.

Despite understanding that things seem to be going the way Lucen wants, she still felt uncomfortable about the situation. She also did not like the narrative Marquis Valeire was trying to spread about the Thorneharts being cowards.

So the future spymaster decided to help Lucen by spreading a rumor of her own. She added to the rumor Lucen made about the Styrhord and the monster wave being too coincidental, and instead said that the monster wave this time was forced to happen.

That somehow, someone from the Marquis side was able to induce monsters to go out of control, making an artificial monster wave.

***

Many various rumors ignited within Norvaegard, even though it was the Marquis and Lucen who started the rumors, with the addition of Lysette, many others started to spread their own rumor about the situation of the Styrhord.

The battlefield had expanded beyond steel and blood. Now it was also being fought with whispers.