Count Varina looked out through the narrow windows of the main castle, and all he could see down the hill was the camp of the Knights, and the damned catapult. Count Varina rubbed his shoulders as he left the window, after all, he hadn't broken through armor in more than a decade.

The castle was cluttered with all kinds of equipment, the warehouse of the main fort was full of food that had been stored for a long time, and the armory was full of weapons. Count Varina patrolled the narrow aisles, occasionally shouting orders to his soldiers. The soldiers carried their things and walked out of the castle.

Count Matt stood on the tower farthest from the main castle and directed the fire of the catapult scales. The tower and the main fort were connected by a passage through the ramparts, and Count Varina walked to the tower under the shields of the guards. From time to time, the stone bullets of the Knights fell on the castle with the smell of smoke, and from time to time they were accompanied by whizzing crossbow bolts. The siege party had already gone up the mountain, Count Varina thought.

"How's the battle going?" asked his son.

"Not very well, the siege team is pushing the siege wagons up under the cover of artillery fire and crossbowmen. There were casualties on our side, but not much. Baron Matt replied.

A stone projectile struck the wall in the middle of the tower with smoke. Count Varina felt a jolt and was helped up by Matt. Then, the catapult was fired, and the projectile fell down the hill in an arc, hitting the ground in the enemy's position, and a puff of dust was raised.

"The lords who are still loyal to us have brought their troops to the castle. Those traitors are on the other side......"

"Damn. Count Varina scolded that without help, Fort Varina would eventually be breached, even if it persisted for a long time. Let alone. Castles have always been dismantled from within. At this moment, with a loud bang, a woman's scream came from the main fort.

Baron Matt hurried back to the castle. He pushed away the maids and servants who stood in the way. Straight upstairs. The last thing he wanted was to see it, as the stone bullet struck Margaret's room in the main fort, shattering the windows and part of the brick walls. There was a gray mist everywhere. Miss Margaret was fortunate not to be hurt, and she hid behind the curtain of her bed. Matt lifted her out of the ruined room, trembling with fear.

"Ahem...... We...... Are you going to die?" asked Margaret in horror.

"No!" Matt replied dryly.

"Where's my father?" asked Margaret.

"On the ramparts. ”

Matt handed Margaret over to the servants and drove back to the city wall with a few men himself. On the road up the hill under the city walls, the Knights' infantry braved a rain of arrows to hide under siege wagons covered in cowhides. The siege trucks couldn't turn around and shoot at them.

"Archers. With rockets!"

Rockets shoot black smoke at the siege engine. The Knights' infantry slowly approached the wall fifty yards away, thirty yards away...... The crossbowmen, hiding behind the shield wall, aimed at the archers on the wall, and fired a flurry. The archers with the arrows fell clumsily from the walls like soft barrels. Up and down the city, cursing and wailing continued.

The bells of the siege engines struck the gates with a dull thumping sound. Baron Matt could see the look of disappointment and fear on the faces of the Varina soldiers.

"Steady, steady!"

Boom. Boom. Accompanied by the chorus of the soldiers under the siege vehicle, it sounded like a heart-rending prayer of death.

"Matt, put the asphalt from the killing hole, it's now!" shouted Count Varina from the tower.

"Asphalt!!"

The scrambled Varina soldiers poured hot asphalt from the city gates. The black, viscous liquid rolled on the top of the siege engine's hide, and then spurted white smoke onto the Order's infantry. The heart-rending screams rang from under the city gates to the main castle of Varina, and Margaret and her servants shivered as they hid in the hall. Soldiers carrying cauldrons in thick gloves ran from one end of the wall to the other, and the guards poured asphalt under the city. An entire wall became a living hell under the walls.

"Retreat!" shouted the officer of the Order, holding his shield against the arrows. While slowly retreating down the mountain. Dozens of shields were held up towards the city, like black and white demon faces. Hundreds of more knight soldiers threw down their shields, spears, and even swords and threw them down the mountain.

When the sun set, there were only the wreckage of siege engines and more than 200 corpses in front of Varina Fort, which were either unrecognizable or struck by arrows.

Chad de Vilta played with the intricately carved glass in his hand and listened to Cecilia's words with a playful smile. As Duke Wickwood's emissary and trusted relative, Baron Chad was greeted with pomp and hospitality in Molus. However, despite the fact that two days had passed, the Countess of Cecilia was still at odds with the Duke of Wakewood's visit.

Sitting opposite Crichard was the half-bald Baron Concha, Cecilia's loyal confidant. For two days, Chad could not help but be disgusted by the shrewdness and dog-like acumen of this man, even though he supported Brutz in the war.

"Pretty mug, huh?" said Cecilia, turning her head from the window and smiling at Chad . Although she was a widow of the noble clan, she was still charming, especially her green eyes, and the smile in her eyes made Chad unable to calm down many times during negotiations.

"Indeed, only the court of the Countess of Brutz could afford such an instrument. "The cup is hollowed out with an eagle. Chad drank the blood-red wine from his glass and put it down.

"I bought it from Polyis. Although the port of Morus is located in the North Pole of Calradia, tens of thousands of southern merchants come to us every year. Cecilia said. She ruffled her hair like a girl and sat back down at the table.

"Countess," Chad coughed, signaling that he wanted to get down to business, "Duke Wickwood certainly wouldn't force such a prosperous port to be involved in war, but ......"

Cecilia held up her well-maintained hand and motioned for Chad to say no more, and Chad had a disappointed look on his face.

"Brutz has decided not to let the Knights troops cross the border. ”

Chad looked at Cecilia in surprise. Yesterday, the Countess of Brutz remained vague, mentioning neither conditions nor demands. Chad was puzzled. Baron Concha glanced at Cecilia quietly, and only he knew that the messenger of Brutz had returned from the camp of the Knights.

Cecilia looked at Chad . A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Still, just like we exchanged the furs of the north for the exquisite glass of the Polyis, do you have anything to exchange?"

Chad's smile faded in an instant. The Duke of Wykewood had left the negotiations to him, and it was now he who represented Wykewood in his dealings with Brutz.

"Let me warn you," Cecilia held up a finger and shook it in front of him, "Brutz is not short of money or people. ”

Chad took another sip of wine. Moistened dry throat. He knew that Cecilia was as cunning as a fox and had an appetite like Vizcia's wolf.

"Baron Seri died in battle in Frost City, leaving him childless. The Duke of Wickwood should be happy to give his domain to you, as long as Brutz stands with Wickwood forever. ”

Cecilia didn't answer, leaning on the table with one hand and fiddling with the pearl around her neck with the other. Unemotional. Chad was in this awkward silence. Turning to look at Baron Concha. The half-bald baron closed his eyes and slowly picked up his glass. Chad couldn't help but curse Concha in his heart, both to get Brutz into the war for his own benefit and to please the hostess. Chad felt that he was in a hurry, and he miscalculated by asking for an alliance after Cecilia had promised neutrality.

"You know what, Baron Chad?" Cecilia's green eyes glared at Chad, "this pearl necklace." It is made from pearls harvested in five ports of Bruzz. I suppose that if the title of Serry is added to the title of the Countess of Brutz. How many pearls do you count?"

Chadmer was silent. After a while, he said: "The town of Groz borders Bruz, and although it is not big, the beer in Groz is also very good. The Duke of Wickwood will transfer the lordship's power, as long as the Countess can join the Duke of Wickwood in the fight against the Knights for the sake of Vizkia......"

Chad couldn't go on, and he was running out of confidence in himself. I don't know how the Duke of Wickwood will feel about Chad's negotiations, because in a matter of minutes he has deprived the Duke of a vassal and a town, in exchange for an illusory promise.

"Haha!" Cecilia laughed, "Duke Wickwood is generous. As she spoke, she glanced at Baron Concha, who nodded slightly. "So be it, Baron Chard, and I hope you will rest soon. It is also good to bring Brutz's greetings to the Duke of Wickwood as soon as possible. Oh, by the way, please visit the shipyards of Morus tomorrow, Your Excellency Baron Chard. ”

Chad let out a sigh of relief, only to realize that the hand holding the cup was already sweating. Cecilia clapped her hands gently, and the servant immediately came to pack her things. Chad returned to his room in the castle, and what he didn't know was that the owner of Brutz had sold a promise twice. The next morning, Chad was woken up by the neighing of horses downstairs at the castle. It had been a long time since he had slept in such a comfortable bed, and it was furniture that Cecilia had bought from Polyis. Chad hurriedly got up, sheathed his sword, and ran down the castle. Cecilia's team was already waiting.

"What's the matter, Brutz is too good to leave?" Cecilia said with a laugh. She wore a fox skin around her neck, wore the robes of the lady of the Guiyu clan, and sat in a carriage.

The group set out, the iron gates of the castle slowly rose with the sound of chains and kerala, and the knights slowly walked out of the castle with the countess's carriage in their arms. Compared to the wealthy Brutz lords, the ranks of the Wickwood Emissaries were rudimentary and even shabby, looking like a group of knights following Cecilia.

The port of Morlus awoke in the morning sun, and the sea breeze blew in from afar, carrying with it the smell of fish in the harbor. The procession walked along the road near the coast, from the hill where the castle is located, to the city. There were dozens of sailing ships large and small, some fishing boats that went out early to sea, and some merchant ships that came from the west coast of Vickia. It was these ships, which could only see small white sails on the surface of the sea, day after day, bringing gold and silver from the south to Brutz, and taking away the furs, amber and timber of the north after a few days of trading. According to ancient regulations, the five major ports along the coast of Brutz were the personal domains of the lord of Brutz, directly under the governorship of the count.

A procession of hundreds of people drove into the city. The lack of walls in Port Morus surprised Chad as a city without the protection of tall walls would not be reassuring to its inhabitants.

"Actually, Morus was originally just a small fishing village under the castle, and when the Eastern Vizcians attacked the castle, the inhabitants took refuge in the castle. Cecilia gestured to Molubourg, a small dot on the hill in the distance.

"After a few hundred years, the castle seems to be attached to the port?" said Chad with a smile to Cecilia in the carriage.

"That's right. Cecilia said with a smile, waving her hand, and a fragrant breeze made Chad feel intoxicated.

"As long as the Bruts have the strength to defend themselves, they don't need walls. ”

The streets of Morus are paved with stone bricks, and there are even sewers on both sides, unlike most towns in the west, which are left with bare dust (to be continued......