Being a knight is not easy

Chapter 318 Urgency
Fort Wilkes. The city appeared majestic and solemn under the sunlight, its high walls forming a solid barrier, protecting everything within. However, the atmosphere inside was extremely oppressive.

Viscount Wilke had summoned most of the troops on the ground, leaving only a small force to maintain basic order in the other cities.

The city's streets and alleys, once full of life and vitality, are now deserted and desolate due to the shadow of war.

Merchants kept their shops closed, residents stayed at home, and only soldiers bustled about the city, preparing for battle.

Looking at the nearly 20,000 troops inside Wilke Castle, Viscount Wilke had no confidence whatsoever.

He knew all too well the strength of the Gatekeeper Knights, a formidable force that was well-trained, well-equipped, and experienced in combat.

In contrast, although the 20,000 troops in Wilkeburg were also elite troops of their own territory, they had suffered considerable losses in the previous battles, and both their morale and combat effectiveness had declined.

“Twenty thousand troops may seem like a lot, but against the Gatekeeper Knights, our chances of victory remain slim,” Viscount Wilke said to Iton with concern.

Ito frowned as well: "Sir, we can strengthen the city's defenses and set up more traps and defensive structures. As long as we hold our ground and don't come out, we might be able to wear them down."

Viscount Wilke shook his head: "The Gatekeeper Knights won't give us much time. They will definitely try every means to attack the city, and our supplies are also limited. If we are besieged for a long time, the result will be the same."

The officers of Wilke's Army sat together, discussing countermeasures.

Some officers advocated taking the initiative and catching the Gatekeeper Knights off guard before they could completely surround Wilkeburg.
Other officers believed they should hold their ground and wait for reinforcements, hoping for the arrival of Young Master Allen or other friendly forces.

“The initiative is too risky; our current forces are insufficient to confront the Gatekeeper Knights head-on,” one officer said, opposing the plan to launch an attack.

“But if we only defend, it will be difficult for us to hold out,” the officer who advocated taking the initiative countered.

Just as the officers were arguing, Viscount Wilke stood up and said, "Stop arguing. Let's strengthen the city's defenses and send men out to scout the movements of the Gatekeeper Knights. At the same time, we must prepare for a long-term standoff, conserve resources as much as possible, and wait for a turning point."

The officers nodded in agreement with Viscount Wilke's words. And so, Wilke's troops began to bustle about Wilke Castle.

The soldiers carried stones to reinforce the city walls;
The craftsmen installed various defensive devices on the city walls, such as catapults and crossbows;

The archers stood ready behind the battlements, prepared to fire at any moment at the invading enemy.

Viscount Wilke's worries did not lessen.

He stood on the city wall, gazing into the distance, silently praying that Robin would return soon and save Wilkeland from its dire straits.

The Viscountess, heavily pregnant, walked up the city wall and looked at the Gatekeeper Knights who were building a camp outside the wall, her face grim.

Her eyes were filled with worry and fear, and the endless camp stretched out like a dark cloud over Wilkesburg.

She didn't want her child to be born as a fugitive nobleman.

"Are the Gatekeeper Knights that strong?" she asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.

Although she knew the cruelty of war, she had never faced such a powerful enemy at such close range. Viscount Wilke nodded and said, "Very strong. Their commander, Farman, and the four centurions are all legendary knights, the squad leader is a grand knight, and the rest are all knights."

His eyes revealed helplessness and heaviness, and every word he uttered seemed to express the immense pressure facing Wilke's army.

"Five legendary knights? We only have three? Can our army withstand them?" The Viscountess's face paled even more. She subconsciously touched her belly, her heart filled with worry for the future of the child in her womb.

“We will do our best to hold them off. Our soldiers are very brave, and we have strong walls and defenses,” Viscount Wilke tried to reassure his wife, though he knew it was only a weak consolation.

At this moment, the soldiers on the city wall also heard their conversation, and their expressions became even more serious.

Faced with such a powerful enemy, they were filled with unease, but they still gripped their weapons tightly and stood firmly at their posts.

“Viscount, we are not afraid of them! As long as we hold our ground, we will surely wait for Young Master Allen to return!” a young soldier shouted, his eyes filled with unwavering conviction.

His words resonated with the surrounding soldiers, who echoed, "Yes, we must hold our ground!"

Most of them were born as slave soldiers and slaves, or rather, more than half of the population of Wilke Territory were slaves who were converted into new citizens.

Therefore, for these newcomers, Wilke Territory was their homeland, and once it fell, they would only become slaves again.

Viscount Wilke looked at his spirited soldiers and felt a sense of relief: "Well done, soldiers! As long as we work together, there is always hope!"

However, outside the city walls, the camp of the Gatekeeper Knights had gradually taken shape.

Their flags fluttered in the wind, exuding a powerful sense of oppression.

Farman stood in the center of the camp, looking at the walls of Wilke Castle, his eyes full of confidence: "The Wilke army is already at its last gasp, and this castle will soon be breached by us."

His four centurions surrounded him, and one of them said, “My lord, we cannot underestimate them. Although they have suffered losses before, they still have 20,000 troops, and this castle looks heavily fortified.”

Farman smiled and said, "Don't worry, we have enough strength. Once the camp is built and we rest for three days, we will begin the siege."

Just as Robin and his party entered the Western Territory, Silva and his companions received a summons to go to Wilke Territory to assist the Farman tribe in attacking Wilke Territory and capturing this bridgehead at the border between Middle-earth and the Western Territory.

After receiving the order, Silva looked at Robin with a troubled expression, "Let's part ways here! We have orders from above, and we can't refuse."

Robin and Wind Chime exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with seriousness.

Robin shook his head and said very naturally, "It's alright, let's go back to our territory first, and we'll contact each other again later!"

Silva taught Robin and his team a special way to communicate on the way, so he didn't pay much attention to it. After exchanging a few polite words, he left with his team.

He never imagined that the next time they met, they would be enemies.

(End of this chapter)