"Ah! Robson, I'm so happy to see you're okay."
The moment Robson arrived at the camp, Knight Ed rushed over and gave him a hug.
It made Robson shudder a little.
After breaking free, Robson looked at Ed. The guy had been in the military camp all day, which was very in character for him.
"What's up? Did you need me for something?" Robson asked.
"Hey! Us buddies... well, actually, my father told me to come over. It seems the situation at the fortress isn't great. They've already started using the Magic Crystal Cannons on the northern main gate today," Ed said.
'Magic Crystal Cannons? Weren't they just using human wave tactics?'
"Okay. We can't delay. Let's go now."
Things on the battlefield could change in an instant; Robson couldn't afford to waste a single moment.
They mounted swift horses and soon arrived at the inner city.
It was obvious that without someone like Robson, the other city gates were struggling to cope, even against the waves of attacks.
The sides of the road were lined with the bodies of peasants awaiting cremation. Priests, weary to the bone, walked back and forth with their heads bowed.
The scene in the main hall at the center of the inner city was even more grim. It wasn't just peasants here; there were nobles, missing limbs and breathing their last.
There were no wails, no clamor. The wounded from the battlefield already knew their fate.
The medical conditions at Sunset Fortress were poor. Everyone was just quietly waiting for death.
Seeing this, Robson's heart grew heavy. The sorrow of war was laid bare before him in all its crushing weight.
Robson went upstairs and entered the main hall's conference room. A few people were standing inside, all individuals of considerable prestige in their respective defense sectors.
'It seems that in the end, I was the one who shouldered everything for the West City.'
"So you're saying we might not even last two more days? After just one day of fighting, our Magic Crystal reserves have already hit rock bottom…"
"What about the kingdom? Why is there still no news of reinforcements?"
"The central front is under immense pressure. The kingdom doesn't have enough resources to spare…"
The officers in the hall argued amongst themselves.
Count Offman stood alone at the head of the room, staring blankly at a map of the city's defenses.
'Where is Earl Leo?' Robson found it rather strange.
Logically, Earl Leo should have been co-chairing a meeting like this.
"Robson, you're here." Count Offman looked up and smiled at him.
"Earl." Robson greeted him, also nodding to the others present.
The officers looked at him, gave a curt nod in response, and went right back to their own arguments.
"Why is a mere knight allowed to participate?"
One of them even voiced his objection directly.
Robson looked over and saw a man staring daggers at him. It was Viscount Leo.
Robson understood. The man's obsession with rank was notorious throughout Sunset Fortress; it was no surprise he had a problem with Robson.
"Gentlemen, have you argued enough?" Count Offman demanded.
Seeing that the Count was genuinely angry, everyone in the room tacitly fell silent.
"If you're done arguing, then allow me to say a few words," Count Offman said.
"You are all aware of the current situation. Vanguard Fortress couldn't even hold for a week, let alone us.
Sunset Fortress doesn't even have a basic City Defense Array. We are completely incapable of fighting to the death. We should break out and retreat to Shirel Fortress," Count Offman said.
The moment he finished speaking, an uproar erupted.
Aside from Robson, everyone else at this meeting held the rank of Viscount. These men held posts in the fortress, and they knew coming in that their fates were tied to its survival.
Lower-ranking nobles, like Baron Knights, would attract little attention. As long as they didn't go around calling themselves deserters, no one would bother them.
But it was different for them. If they dared to flee, their families back home would surely face retribution.
"Break out? This fortress is my coffin!"
"A Frank stands with his defensive line!"
"Quiet!" Count Offman slammed his hand on the table.
"Gentlemen, now is not the time to be precious about our honor. The Siriel Defense Line has only two Knight Orders. If we remain here, we will just be picked off by the enemy one by one.
Marquis Oscillate of the Siriel Defense Line will come to our aid. This is a secret order from His Majesty the King," Count Offman said.
Once this was said, the objections indeed ceased. But everyone fell into a unanimous silence.
'A secret order from the King? Sunset Fortress has no Teleportation Magic Array. Where would a secret order come from?'
They were all intelligent men. They understood the situation; making a last stand at Sunset Fortress would certainly be detrimental to the war's bigger picture.
If they could preserve the Knight Orders of Sunset Fortress and the elite troops of the several Viscounts, it would undoubtedly be beneficial for the battles to come.
'But why would Count Offman do this? It couldn't really be for some noble cause, could it?'
Of course, no one was foolish enough to actually ask that question.
"Alright, everyone. The notice has been given. Let's dismiss for now," Count Offman said.
"Sir Robson, please stay behind."
Robson stopped in his tracks, turning back to look at Count Offman in confusion.
After the others had left, Count Offman seemed to relax completely.
"You don't understand, do you? This was just another stage play for the clowns," Count Offman said with a laugh.
Robson understood at once. Count Offman had likely struck a deal with other high-ranking nobles. 'Marquis Oscillate?' Robson didn't know, nor did he want to guess.
But one thing was certain: Count Offman was finished.
No matter what, the crime of forging a royal decree was enough to condemn Count Offman to Hell. Even in death, his reputation would almost certainly be destroyed.
If Count Offman's back-up plan was truly insufficient, even the Deriman Family would be made an example of by the King of France. The current king would not easily pass up an opportunity to weaken a major noble house.
"You stay in West City and get everything ready. Don't go anywhere else. Just wait for my signal," said Count Offman.
"I've been watching you for several months. I'm entrusting you with Ed. Get him to Marquis Oscillate's side. You don't need to worry about the rest."
Robson looked at Count Offman. Here was a man as good as dead, yet Robson sensed not a trace of gloom about him. Instead, he radiated an air of freedom and ease.
"Goodbye, Earl." Robson saluted.
Even at the final hour, Count Offman was still thinking of how to look after Robson. He truly saw him as one of his own.
Had this been his past life, Count Offman would have been the mentor who discovered his talent.
Although it was highly likely Count Offman was doing all this to protect his son, it didn't diminish Robson's gratitude toward him.
"Heh, go on. Fuman has the last Northern Horse. Tell him I sent you to get it," Count Offman said with a smile.
Robson nodded and gave a final military salute.
"As you command, Earl."
He watched as Robson closed the hall door.
Count Offman was filled with emotion. He had indeed made a deal with a general of the kingdom. But it wasn't with Marquis Oscillate; it was with Marshal Grantham of the central command.
If the Siriel Defense Line fell, it would be a devastating blow to the central front. The Marshal, along with several other Counts, had jointly guaranteed they would protect his family and his son.
He was going to die anyway. Count Offman was content to die a meaningful death.
'A pity the Marshal's message came a little too late,' Count Offman thought.
A moment later, the Count bent over the city defense map again, his eyes lost in its layouts.