"Stone-throwing scale ready, three hundred yards!"

"Three hundred yards!" the operator used a lever to pull the mechanism of the catapult to a range of three hundred yards.

"Ignition!"

Soldiers of the Order shuttled around the ten catapult scales with torches, igniting stone balls stained with asphalt. Deman rode his horse, patrolling from one to the other. More than 300 yards away from Deman is Fort Varina, which stands on a hill, with the red Fort of Varina flag flying high above the tower. The towers of Fort Varina were large enough that the defenders placed ballistas and catapults on the towers, but they were far inferior in number to the Knights.

"Launch!"

The Knights slammed their hammers against the mechanism under the stone throwing scales. There were a few loud rattles, the lever structure of the wood flipped under the huge weight, and the huge stone ball tied to the top of the rope, with the fury of the Knights, made ten trails with black smoke in the thin air of the cold morning and flew towards the castle.

From the distance of Deman, the defenders on the walls of the hill dodged one after another, and the soldiers in heraldic shirts were like small cards, scurrying around. A few seconds later, fireballs slammed into the walls, bricks flying, and the castle façade was filled with a cloud of gray smoke from which flames erupted from occasional times. After a few moments, a rumbling sound was heard down the mountain. The Knights cheered as they watched the castle defenders go into disarray.

But Deman knew that the catapult would not do much damage to the fortified Fort Varina. The castle is on a hill, and Count Varina values the castle much more than the defenders of Frost City. The ten stone balls did not kill or injure many defenders, but some of the wooden houses and thatched roofs of the city were set on fire. From a distance, there was a puff of gray smoke. The siege equipment team began the second round of shooting, and Deman slowly rode behind the position.

"Why doesn't the Grand Master bring up the cannons of the Poriis, hey. "Clamard sat on the stone. Said to Deman as he passed by.

"The artillery of the Poriis cannot hit the mountains. Besides, we didn't have a lot of gunpowder to use on the first castle we encountered. ”

"Hehe, it looks like we Raglan have to set up a ladder to go up. Clamard stroked his beard.

Six hundred yards from Fort Varina was the camp of the Order's army. In this expedition to West Virgia, the Grand Master left more than 1,000 defenders stationed in Frost City, taking 10,000 men with him. Thousands of tents were densely packed around the castle. Further away are the towns of the Lower Town, which have long been sacked by the Knights. Countless light smoke rose from the campfire, and the camp tent wafted with the smell of sweat and iron.

"Clamard, if the city is attacked. The Raglan Brigade was the vanguard. Deman said.

"The siege engines are almost ready, and in less than half an hour, we will be able to climb there and take off their colorful flags. Clamard pointed to almost a small dotted flag on the main fort.

"Hmm. I'm going to Grand Master. Deman turned his horse's head. With a squad of cavalry, cautiously passed through the camp of the grumpy Raglan.

The mud in the camp had long since become muddy from the hooves of horses and people, and both cavalry and infantry complained about the road conditions. Several washerwomen laughed as they walked past the Deman's line, one of them winking at Deman. Deman ignored them, and a few of the cavalry in the group laughed with them. Washerwomen and marching peddlers are the ones there is no shortage of in an army, like flies staring at carrion, they can always smell the benefits of war.

The Grand Master's headquarters was nothing more than a rudimentary tent. However, they were guarded by heavily armored Nord knights and fenced. Ordinary soldiers can't lean over. Deman entered the tent and found that someone was already talking to the Grand Master. The person who came was dressed like a western nobleman, but with a slightly hypocritical smile on his face, which had to make Deman guess.

"Hello, Deputy Head de Man. The contemptible is Campo from Bruz. The visitor interrupted the conversation and said with a courteous smile.

"Bruz?"

"Bruz's emissary, come and inform us of Bruz's neutrality in the war. Grand Master said.

"Neutral?" said De Man skeptically, "Didn't the Holy Noble League ask you to go to war?"

"Our gracious countess refused. This is the best way to think about the people of Bruz. Campo said.

Deman looked at the Grand Master, who motioned for him to sit down.

"Countess Bruz wants us not to interfere with each other, both territorially and commercially. Campo probably took off his hat and showed his bare head, probably because the tent was hot.

"Hmm...... We, the Knights, will not go to war against the nobles who are friendly to us. Potential allies are always unpredictable. Grand Master said.

"If the Knights want to borrow from Bruz, you promise?" asked Deman.

"As I said, my lord, we hope that there will be no interference with your Order. Campo still had a smile on his face, but Deman always felt that Campo was wearing a skin, a friendly human skin.

'The Order's procurement of supplies from Bruz does not affect your neutrality. Grand Master said.

"Of course, there are no boundaries to doing business. Campo said.

"Good. Grand Master said.

Campo continued to ramble on Bruz's position, but said nothing about how the Holy Noble Alliance had negotiated with Bruz. Deman could not trust him, nor could he trust any nobles from the west. He drank bitter, inferior wine alone and watched Campo say goodbye and leave.

"He only has one attendant with him?" said Deman, looking out of the tent.

"Cover people's eyes, after all, Countess Bruzz's disguised defection to the enemy will bear the condemnation of the Western Alliance. ”

"Speaking of defections, my lordship, what about the knights under Count Varina?"

"Moritsky always has a way of getting something out. ”

Before the Knights' army crossed the Stamford River, the three barons under the Earl of Varina, who had long since disobeyed their lordship, began to secretly contact the Knights. Count Varina's forces and dispositions had been sent to the Grand Master's table by the mutineers long before he could figure it out. The Count of Varina had only an army of fifteen hundred men, part of which was conscription, another mercenary, and the rest were castle defenders and knights.

Moriskey to the camp where the prisoners were held. The people who are locked up here are all defeated troops five days ago. Count Varina sent a team of three hundred men to ambush the Knights' vanguard in the woods, only to be spotted by the experienced Nord Knights, who led a team of renegade barons to defeat them. The people who are locked up here are all the men of Count Varina.

"Hey!" Moriskey clung to the cage's pole and shouted inside. The people in the prison were dirty, but their eyes looked like lions in a cage.

A man still wearing chainmail swayed slowly to Deman, grabbed the pole as well, and glared at Deman.

"Give you a chance, let you out. ”

There was silence, no one answered.

"Most of you have stood guard in the castle, and whoever comes up with it can explain the castle structure, tunnels, and gates clearly. You can't die for the sake of your lord. Moriskey continued.

The chainmail wearer turned around and roared, "Who dares to say that I will be the first to break his neck." ”

"Who are you?" Moriskey said.

"Sir Allen. Said the down-and-out knight. With that, Sir Allen spat at Moriskey.

Moritsky turned around and said to the soldiers: "Get him out." ”

The soldiers sneered and opened the door to the cage and dragged the struggling Sir Alan out.

Moriskey made a gesture around his neck, and the soldiers of the Order immediately understood, put a rope around the neck of Sir Allen, who had long since lost the strength to struggle, and carried him to the tree by the cage.

"Damn...... You can't kill me, the knight is going to pay for it!" shouted Sir Allen.

Moritsky watched indifferently as the soldier climbed the tree and roped, while the soldier below held Sir Allen in his arms and put a stool under his feet.

"You must be familiar with the castle, don't you have a knight who wanders around the castle a lot?" said Moriskey.

"Die!

Moriskey slowly walked under the tree and kicked the bench away. Sir Allen's eyes rolled and his mouth was wide open but he couldn't make a sound. White foam gradually came out of his throat, and he kicked his legs wildly, but after a few seconds he didn't move.

Moritsky turned to the terrified prisoners: "Okay, which of you is next?" (to be continued......