Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords.

Chapter 420 All-Out Charge
Howard's voice was deep but carried an air of complete control:

"The Debe people thought they had seen through our intentions and that we wanted to attack the supplies. That old fox Bernard was indeed clever, deploying troops to defend the warehouse and sending reinforcements to other battlefields, but... all of this was expected."

The old man smiled with childlike pride: "That's how war is. It makes the enemy think they've seen through your intentions, but in reality, they've only seen the first layer."

He tilted his head slightly, and the girl in the white veil behind him knowingly increased the pressure on her fingertips. The old man comfortably narrowed his eyes and continued:

“The mages are not ordinary soldiers; each one is as precious as our fire mages and is one of the greatest assets of this group of Debe people.”

"Forget losing half, even losing just one mage would be a huge blow to them. Our real objective is the fifty mages of the Debe people stationed in Mist-shrouded City!"

The officers in the study held their breath, the air thick with awe for the supreme wisdom of their commander.

“We feigned weakness, letting them bombard Mist-Covered City at will. Although many brave soldiers were sacrificed, the sacrifice was necessary. Every soldier who died under the magic consumed their precious magic power and lulled them into a false sense of security.” Howard’s voice suddenly turned icy cold. “We dispersed our main force, causing them to misjudge our troop distribution, allowing these precious mages to be scattered far from the enemy’s main army. We sent reinforcements to all sides, making them mistakenly believe that we were trying to attack their supply train. We lost Stone Ridge Fortress and a valiant general, but we successfully pinned their dragon knights down at Stone Ridge Fortress… All of this was to firmly pin these fifty enemy mages to the anvil of Mist-Covered City!”

He suddenly opened his eyes, a chilling glint flashing in his cloudy gaze: "Now, the time has come. There's no need to hide any longer. I want an army of 100,000 to gather around Mist-Covered City within three days! All the Gryphon Riders, in coordination with the Divine Wind Falcon Knights, keep a close watch on their griffins coming to their aid."

"Now tell the commander of Fog-shrouded City that it's time for him to counterattack." The old man smiled gently.

"Yes, General!" the officers responded in unison, their eyes burning with fervor.

Everyone deeply admired this veteran; he was far more than someone who thought three steps ahead.

Back when they were still in Whale Harbor, the old man's target was clearly that group of mages. That's why he devised such an intricate plan, making the people of Debe follow his plan step by step like pigs.

"As for that Dragon Knight..." Howard's lips curled into a slight smile, "Let him and his sick High Cliff Fortress soldiers rest peacefully in Stone Ridge Fortress. Our little gift will ensure they can't move. Without the Dragon Knight's interference, this group of mages is like rats in an oil pot."

"Tell the front lines," he gave his final order, his voice carrying an undeniable cruelty, "This time, I don't want to see a single Debeman still standing on our land in Fogvere. Especially those mages—not a single one of them can be spared! I want the Debemen to know that the consequence of opposing our Persian Gulf Empire is utter annihilation!"

The order, like invisible ripples, spread swiftly from Wirtz Castle. Beneath the tranquil surface of the southern province, it was as if countless slumbering beasts had been awakened, and hidden elite troops, shrouded in night, tens of thousands of men, marched at full speed toward the same destination.

……

At the front lines of Fogvere City, the position of the Tyrish Mage.

"We were fooled."

Some sleepy-eyed Muslims put down their communication magic stones, their voices dry but with a hint of barely perceptible relief.

Just now, a communication from the military terminal at Whale Harbor had startled him awake, and Bernard's words sent a chill down his spine.

The enemy's target wasn't Whale Harbor at all, but rather the group of mages in Fog City.

He finally understood why the enemy soldiers' morale was so high—it wasn't bravery, but hope. They already knew they were just bait, sacrifices to lure these "big fish"! The defenders knew reinforcements were coming, and a massive reinforcement force capable of crushing the enemy!

There was once an experiment conducted by a priest in Tyresh where a mouse was placed in a tank of water. If left unattended, the mouse would drown after only a hundred pulses.

However, if it is rescued when it is about to drown, and the rat is put back into the water tank after it recovers, the result is unexpected. This time, the rat lasts for four or five times longer before it succumbs.

This experiment demonstrates that any living being possesses unimaginable willpower once it has hope.

The Muslims arrived outside the tents, where it was still barely dawn, but soldiers began to pour out of the mushroom-shaped tents nestled in the woods, like a giant beast awakening.

Now that you know the other party's real target is you, you should naturally make preparations early.

Thinking of this, the Muslim looked at a young man yawning who had just come out of the tent next to him: "Lord Liwei, I'll leave it to you then."

"These damned little bastards, can't they let me sleep a little longer?" The lord, who had just emerged from the embrace of soft, fragrant beauties, stretched and grumbled.

Ten days ago, High Cliff Fort received Bernard's secret message, and then, under the cover of the legendary magical equipment "Peruvian Hidden Barrier," they began their journey day and night.

To avoid being discovered by the Persian Gulf people, the marching speed was inevitably slowed down, and it wasn't until last night that they finally arrived at the front line of Fogwall City and joined up with the group of mages from Tylersey.

"But that old man Bernard, he had such a good thing and didn't bring it out sooner." The lord kept tossing a magical device that looked like a music box in his hand: "Hiding it won't produce offspring, so he had to do this."

This magical equipment has a single function: it can conceal the movement of troops, and its range is large enough to accommodate 50,000 people.

It might be useless to a strong person, but it's an absolute godsend for a lord who leads troops into battle.

"How long until their reinforcements arrive?" Li Wei asked as he put the magical equipment back into his inventory.

“It should be around the afternoon.” Muslim sighed. “Lord Levi, we can use this time to make more preparations and wait for their arrival. As long as we don’t make any mistakes, we can hold out until General Bernard’s reinforcements arrive.”

This is a very safe approach. As long as defensive fortifications are set up here, with the assistance of the Gaoyabao Brigade, it will be impossible for the enemy to take them down in a short time.

"No need for all that trouble." The lord cracked his neck, producing a series of popping sounds, and his authoritative voice echoed throughout the camp: "All High Cliff Fortress personnel, prepare for battle!"

The Muslim was instantly stunned.

"With you and our High Cliff Fortress, there are nearly eighty or ninety mages, plus the assistance of dragons. You've practically brought dragons right up to our faces, yet you still can't take down a small Mist-shrouded City?" The lord offered no explanation, only asking in return.

A fitted, classic aristocratic coat gently landed on Lord Li's shoulder. As Li Wei put it on, he turned around and saw that it was Heather.

The lord, now dressed, patted the bishop on the shoulder: "The battlefield is a contest of raw strength. No matter how ingenious the scheme, it cannot change that fact. If you can simply push forward and win, why waste time on troublesome things?"

Taylor's lineup was undeniably formidable, yet they failed to capture Mistveil City solely due to the castle's treacherous terrain, making it difficult for lowly soldiers to scale, while their noble mages were unable to engage in direct combat, thus leading to this stalemate. However, for the High Cliff Fortress contingent, their forte was precisely charging into battle.

"Just you wait and see."

The lord walked alone toward his troops who were lined up and waiting for him.

At the very front was none other than the Black Dragon Queen Sersni, who was yawning.

The flags of Gaoyabao fluttered in the morning breeze.

"I'll have the magic swordsmen prepare too!" Muslim hurriedly ran off again.

Although the most important task of the magic swordsmen is to protect them, since Lord Levi is already prepared to risk the dragon, keeping these magic swordsmen around would make it seem like the Tylers are incompetent.

With this dragon knight present, no one on the other side could threaten their spellcasting.

"Boss, everyone's here." Zart stood tall and proud, with Worebel and Kemish standing beside him, and behind him were the towering Blood Boiling Legion, five hundred Pier Bear Warriors, and Kemish's contingent of black slaves.

“Darling, our magic guild and the Medusa priests are all ready.” Heather smiled sweetly, with two drow priests standing behind her, as well as Ashe, Masha, Sam, and several dozen beautiful snake priestesses.

"Charge the entire army!"

The lord pointed his longsword, and the clanging of armor and the sound of orderly footsteps converged into a torrent, sweeping towards the mist-shrouded city that was faintly visible in the morning mist.

……

In a simple house at the foot of the city wall of Fog-Covered City, Lord Maren, the commander of the Fog-Covered City Guard Corps, stepped onto the wall as usual.

Every time Eternal Heaven opens its eyes and the sky turns blood red, those damned Debe soldiers will attack Fog City at the sound of horns.

But all of this will end in the next few days.

He sneered inwardly. These two-legged sheep wouldn't be able to keep jumping around for long. As long as the teacher's plan succeeded, these guys would be lambs to the slaughter.

I just don't know how long it will take Harry and the others to get here.

He had no time to think about it, because the horizon in the distance had already changed.

A forest of spears, a tide of soldiers!
They slowly revealed their full form in the morning mist, like a group of ghosts.

As expected, the Debe people attacked Fog City as usual. Maren suddenly felt a pang of pity for these Debe people, who were clearly facing their demise yet remained completely unaware.

Just like...

and many more! ! !

Suddenly, Mar and Eng's eyes widened.

In the sky, besides the familiar griffin rider Na's imposing and agile figure, there appeared a larger, unfamiliar rider covered in dark scales, whose wingspan blotted out the sky!
The sense of oppression was even stronger, like the god of death hovering overhead.

"Damn it! It's a dragon! And... the equipment and flags of those infantrymen... it's the heavy infantry regiment of High Cliff Fortress!" Maren exclaimed in shock, his face turning deathly pale.

All information about the dragon knight Debe had long been presented to every officer of the Persian Gulf Empire, so Marne naturally knew about his flag and army structure.

A heavily armored infantry regiment composed of green-skinned orcs, and a group of bear-men capable of transforming into beasts...

But there was absolutely no trace of them in the previous intelligence! Shouldn't they still be at Stone Ridge Fortress? Where did they come from?!
"Quickly, order all fire mages! Abandon the attack on the area below the city walls, immediately concentrate your magic to construct a defensive barrier, covering the entire area of ​​the walls!" Maren roared, his voice slightly distorted with extreme tension. "Have the warriors form a tighter formation! Quickly! We don't have time!"

Almost at the same time he gave the order, a dull and terrifying tremor seemed to come from the city wall. It was the sound of the enemy's heavily armored infantry advancing in perfect unison. The heavy steel shields formed a moving steel wall, and giant spears gleaming with cold light protruded from the gaps in the shields, like a metal behemoth ready to devour its prey.

Behind the enemy lines, clusters of multicolored elemental fluctuations shot into the sky, far exceeding the number of the fifty Taylor mages in the city, clearly indicating that the magic corps of High Cliff Fortress had also joined in.

"Roar!"

Even more terrifying, a massive black dragon, capable of blotting out the sky, was sweeping across the heavens, its snout gleaming with an eerie light that seemed to be preparing its breath. A fierce gale made everyone's faces contort.

“It’s over…” A young fire mage who was chanting a spell looked at the overwhelming torrent of magic and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

Dozens of fire-elemental mages from the temple were indeed powerful, but how long could their magical defensive barrier hold under the pressure of mages several times their number and the breath of the sky dragon? An ounce of time? Half an ounce of time? Or even less?

Marx and Engels forcibly suppressed their fear and despair. At this moment, all strategy and tactics were a joke. Their only thought was: Survive! Hold on! Hold on until reinforcements arrive!
A dazzling magical shield lit up layer upon layer on the walls of Mist-shrouded City, like a fragile crystal wall rising before a raging torrent.

These "Fire Enchanted Elemental Barriers," blessed by fire mages, have shielded them from countless raging magical attacks from their enemies.

They were extremely confident in their family's special skills, but at this moment, all the fire mages were extremely apprehensive.

Because they were about to face an attack from mages many times their size and a legendary dragon!

The next moment, the first wave of colorful magic from the Tyrsey mages and the High Cliff Fortress magic corps, carrying an aura of destruction, slammed heavily onto the shield!
The deafening explosion and the shrill scream of the shattering magic barrier instantly tore the sky outside the mist-shrouded city.

Before the Persian Gulf soldiers on the city walls could even be shocked by the shattering of the elemental barrier, a dragon's breath swept down from the sky...

(End of this chapter)