Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

Chapter 459 Big Counterattack

In the inner castle of the Earl's Castle, the night was like a huge black curtain, weighing heavily on every inch of space. The two children, Carl and Catherine, went to bed early in their respective bedrooms, and the surroundings were quiet and silent.

Tonight should have been a rare peaceful night for Carl, as the sound of artillery fire was unexpectedly silent.

He thought he could have a good sleep and make up for the fatigue of these days. However, fate did not seem to let him go. Just as he fell asleep, a burst of hurried and heavy footsteps broke the tranquility.

The footsteps echoed in the silent corridor, and every step seemed to step on Karl's heart, waking him up from his light sleep. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned. His sleepiness had not yet completely dissipated. He looked at the figure at the door and asked drowsily:

"Mother, what's wrong?"

As soon as the voice fell, Matilda walked in with heavy and silent steps. Her figure looked particularly thin in the dim candlelight, and her long black dress dragged on the ground without making a sound.

Her face was as pale as paper, her eyes were sunken, and her eyes showed deep fatigue and grief that could not be concealed. Although she tried her best to hide it, the two dried tear marks on her face still exposed her inner pain.

She had just learned from Spy Minister Wesker that her husband had died of illness on his way back. This news was like a heavy hammer that hit her heart so hard that she almost fainted. The grief in her heart was like a surging tide that could not be calmed down at all.

Karl rubbed his eyes, his eyes still showing a hint of confusion from just waking up. He looked at his mother with some worry, and asked:

"Mother, what's wrong with you? Did something happen?"

Matilda did not answer immediately, but quietly walked to Carl's bedside and slowly sat down. She stretched out her trembling hand and gently stroked Carl's head, her movements were so gentle as if she was afraid of hurting him. Carl felt that his mother's hand was unusually cold, and an ominous premonition came to his heart.

Matilda took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

Her eyes were fixed on Karl. Although she was extremely sad, she held back her tears and did not tell Karl the news of John's death. She did not know how much harm this news would do to Karl's heart.

Matilda just sighed softly, and this sigh seemed to contain all her helplessness and sorrow, and it sounded particularly heavy in the silent room.

After a long silence, Matilda said:

"Karl, get dressed and follow me."

Karl looked at his mother's unusual expression, and a strong sense of uneasiness surged in his heart, but he still nodded obediently, stood up silently, and followed his mother after putting on his clothes.

The two walked slowly along the narrow and deep corridor of the inner castle.

Matilda said as she walked:

"Karl, tonight, the Earl's Castle and the surrounding armies will launch a counterattack against Yoda's army. This is a crucial battle that concerns the fate of all of us."

Carl paused for a moment, raised his head and looked at his mother. Although he was just a child, he knew that the outcome of the war would determine their future lives.

Matilda continued:

"But today, the one giving the order is not General Hawke, but you, your father's successor, who will personally announce the counterattack."

When Karl heard this, he was excited, but more nervous. He had never thought that he would have such an opportunity. At that moment, he felt the heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

“This is a step you have to take in your life.”

Matilda's eyes showed determination and expectation.

"After you truly become a ruler who can stand on your own two feet, you must make everyone in the territory, including the army, willing to obey you. Now you need to witness how powerful the people you will rule in the future will be in this war."

Carl took a deep breath and nodded vigorously. Although he was young, he understood the great responsibility he shouldered.

He knew that he could not retreat in this war. He had to fight for his father, his mother, and the entire Earl's Castle.

The two soon arrived at the inner castle hall. The hall was brightly lit, and General Hawke and the ministers had been waiting for a long time.

When they saw Matilda and Carl coming in, they all stood up and saluted.

General Hawke stood tall, his armor shining coldly in the candlelight. He bowed slightly to Matilda, with a hint of respect and concern in his eyes.

"Madam, young lord."

Everyone saluted and spoke in unison, their voices echoing in the hall, solemn and serious.

Matilda raised her hand slightly to signal everyone to excuse themselves, and then walked straight to the center of the hall. She glanced at everyone, and finally landed on General Hawke, and asked seriously:

"General Hawke, are all the nearby troops ready to take positions?"

General Hawke straightened up and replied respectfully:

"My lady, everything is going according to plan. After seeing the fireworks, the defense line from Earl's Castle to Nilan City will immediately launch an attack. The commanders of each unit have conveyed their orders, and the soldiers are ready for battle. We have deployed troops at various key locations to ensure the smooth progress of the attack."

Carl listened to General Hawke's words, and a feeling of heroism surged in his heart. He looked at the generals around him who were wearing armor and had resolute expressions, and his heart was filled with admiration for them.

Matilda nodded with satisfaction, and then said to Karl:

"Karl, you should stand in the center of the hall now. You must let everyone see your courage and determination, and let them know that you are the future ruler of the Earl's Castle."

Carl took a deep breath and slowly walked to the center of the hall. He straightened his body and tried to make himself look more resolute.

Although he was still a little nervous, he tried to calm himself down. He looked at the generals and ministers around him and said loudly:

“Dear generals and ministers, tonight, we will launch a counterattack against Yoda’s army. This is our last chance to defend our homeland. We cannot retreat any further. I believe that with everyone’s joint efforts, we will surely win!”

As soon as Karl finished speaking, there was a burst of warm applause and cheers in the hall. The faces of the generals and ministers showed a determined look, and they shouted slogans one after another, expressing their determination to fight the enemy to the end.

General Hawke stepped forward and said to Carl:

"You have done well, young lord. Now, please come with us to the walls of the inner castle and witness our army's counterattack against Yoda's army."

Carl nodded and followed everyone to the inner castle wall. At this moment, since the residents of the Earl's Castle had already evacuated, the entire residential area fell into darkness and silence.

Carl stood on the wall, looking at the firelight flickering in the darkness in the distance, and a complex emotion surged in his heart. He thought of his father, the tranquility and beauty of his homeland, and the innocent people who lost their lives in the war. His eyes gradually became firm, and he knew that he had to shoulder this responsibility and lead everyone to victory.

Matilda walked up to Karl, patted him on the shoulder, and handed him a horn. The horn had an ancient shape and exuded a majestic atmosphere. Matilda said:

"Karl, blow it. Let the sound of the horn break the silence around you, let everyone hear your voice, and make the enemy tremble."

Carl took the horn with both hands, felt its weight, and felt an unprecedented sense of mission in his heart. He took a deep breath and blew the horn with all his strength. The sound of the horn was high and loud, like a sharp arrow piercing the dark night sky, breaking the tranquility around.

Then, a louder horn sounded from the tower, as if the horn of war was responding to Carl's call. Then, dozens of fireworks rose into the sky from the tower of the outer city wall.

In an instant, the night sky was illuminated by brilliant colors. Clusters of colorful lights bloomed in the darkness like flowers, illuminating the entire night sky as if it were daytime.

In the Yoda camp outside the Earl's Castle, Adam, who had just become the marshal, was sleeping soundly in his bed.

His big face was wrinkled in sleep, and saliva was flowing from the corner of his mouth, spreading a small patch on the pillow.

Ever since he took over the position of marshal, he has been thinking about making great achievements in the war and using various family tactics to attack the Earl's Castle.

However, every attack ended in failure. Adam watched as batch after batch of soldiers fell, and his anxiety grew day by day.

But he really couldn't think of a better way, so he could only wait helplessly for spring, and then ask the emperor to send troops, which might help reverse this passive situation.

Just as Adam was immersed in his dream, a burst of fireworks woke him up without warning. He opened his eyes dazedly and muttered:

"Who is so bold as to disturb this Marshal's sleep?"

Adam sat up with an unhappy look on his face, looked outside the tent, and saw fireworks over the Earl's Castle.

"What day is today that is worthy of Midlanders setting off fireworks to celebrate? Is it the 100th day of the siege?"

Adam was full of doubts and even a little disdain. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, stretched himself, and prepared to lie down and sleep again.

At this moment, a soldier ran into the tent in a panic and shouted:

"My lord, the Mitlans are attacking us!"

The soldier's voice trembled with nervousness and excitement, breaking the silence in the tent. Adam's eyes widened instantly, with a look of disbelief on his face:

"What! The Mitlan people actually dared to launch a counterattack against me when they were outnumbered?"

He stood up suddenly, walked to the entrance of the tent in two steps, and looked into the distance with a telescope. In the distance, the silhouettes of cavalry appeared in the smoke and dust. Adam's face turned pale, but he quickly regained his composure. He took a deep breath and said loudly:

"Let the artillery fire at them and send them all into the sky, and notify the soldiers in the barracks to get up quickly!"

In front of the camp, the Yoda artillerymen immediately got busy after hearing the order.

They loaded the shells into the gun barrels skillfully. Although they could not see the situation ahead clearly in the dark, they relied on their rich experience and learned from the sounds that the number of cavalry attacking this time was large.

"ignition!"

With a roar, flames ignited at the muzzle of the gun, followed by a deafening roar.

The shells rushed straight into the cavalry like a meteor. Some cavalry were hit by the shells and fell to the ground with their horses, raising a cloud of dust.

However, this did not hinder the charge of the Midlan cavalry. The cavalry in the rear did not hesitate to fill the gap left by the dead cavalry in the front and continued to charge towards the Yoda artillery position.

The sound of their horses' hooves was like thunder, getting closer and louder. It was too late for the Yoda artillerymen to reload, and the cavalrymen rushed directly into the artillery position. For a moment, shouts and screams filled the air.

Balden's King's Knights, Grant's Fire Dragon Knights and John's White Wolf Knights immediately rushed into the camp.

The Yoda soldiers in the camp were caught off guard by the sudden attack, and many of them didn't even put on their armor.

The tents were easily blown open by the cavalry with their lances, and the soldiers were awakened from their sleep and fled in panic.

The nearby cavalrymen immediately used their sabers to kill the fleeing Yoda soldiers. The sabers flashed a cold light in the dark night, and every swing brought a splash of blood. The Yoda soldiers were like lambs to be slaughtered, without any ability to fight back. Some soldiers tried to resist, but their resistance seemed so fragile in front of the well-trained knights.

The camp suddenly fell into chaos, with screams and shouts one after another.

The Yoda soldiers began to flee in all directions, looking for a place to hide.

But the knights chased closely, not giving the enemy any chance to breathe. Seeing this, Adam showed a trace of fear on his face, and he quickly commanded the soldiers around him to resist.

"Quick, organize a defense line, don't let them rush in!"

Adam shouted loudly, his voice trembling. Although the soldiers were afraid, they still gathered together under Adam's command and tried to form a line of defense. However, the attack of the Midland cavalry was too fierce, and even with the support of the Blue Whale heavy knights, the line of defense soon became shaky.

At this moment, the infantry from the rear also arrived late. The infantrymen wearing various types of armor came forward and engaged in close combat with the Yoda soldiers who were panicked after just being charged by the cavalry. Within a few minutes, the formation of the Yoda army was broken up.

The cavalrymen rushed into the camp as if they were in an empty space. They killed the Yoda soldiers and destroyed the supplies and weapons in the camp. The Yoda soldiers were beaten back step by step, with heavy casualties. Adam looked at this tragic scene, and his heart was filled with despair.

"How could this happen? Haven't most of the Mitlan people been killed these days?"

Adam roared in his heart. He looked at the soldiers falling around him, and there was a hint of fear in his eyes. He began to regret not asking the emperor to send troops earlier. If he had asked earlier, maybe he wouldn't be in such a predicament.

The battle situation became increasingly critical, and the defense of the Yoda camp collapsed completely. Adam, along with the remaining trusted soldiers around him, desperately tried to find a way out. He knew that if he didn't break out of the siege, he and his people would be wiped out.

"Sir, there are Mitlan cavalry blocking our way ahead. We can't get through at all!"

A confidant ran to Adam with a horrified face to report. Adam was already extremely anxious at the moment, but his instinct for survival drove him to find a way to break out of the encirclement. He gritted his teeth and said with all his might:

"Then break out separately. I don't believe they can stop everyone!"

At this moment, a sound of horse hooves suddenly came from one side of the camp. A general wearing strange armor was seen riding a warhorse. The armor looked extremely strange, resembling the head of a sea lion, emitting a cold luster, which was completely different from ordinary armor.

This man was Dougal. Although Dougal had a grudge against Adam, as a soldier, he needed to rescue Adam, the marshal. Otherwise, the capture of the marshal would be too much of a blow to the army.

He led his sea beasts to attack the knights like a black whirlwind, rushing towards the infantry on the opposite side. They waved their weapons in their hands, and the shouts of killing shook the earth.

Dougal was the first to rush into the enemy camp, swinging the sword in his hand like lightning, and each swing accurately hit the enemy's vital points.

When seeing Adam and others rushing over with difficulty, Dougal immediately commanded his cavalry troops to rush towards the weaker area of ​​the Midland army, opening a passage for Adam and others.

"Hurry up and mount!"

Dougal shouted loudly, his voice still clearly audible amid the neighing of the warhorse that Heger was riding and the noise on the battlefield.

Adam rushed towards a warhorse without hesitation, and his trusted soldiers followed closely behind him.

They climbed onto their horses with great effort, and just as they had settled into the saddles, a group of knights rushed over.

The knights swung their swords and slashed at Heiger and the others. Dougal immediately stepped forward and swung his sword like lightning, accurately blocking the knights' attacks with every swing.

The warhorse he was riding also raised its front hooves and kicked a knight away, then stabbed a knight next to him in the throat with a sword, then quickly turned around and slashed at another knight's mount with another sword. The warhorse fell to the ground with a bang, and the knight was also thrown away.

However, the intensity of the battle was far beyond imagination. The knights of Midlan continued to come forward, and their attacks became more and more fierce.

Dougal's troops were gradually unable to resist. At this time, Adam looked at the chaotic battlefield around him and the Yoda soldiers who kept falling around him, and a strong fear surged in his heart.

The desire to survive instantly took over his heart. He glanced at Dougal who was still fighting bravely beside him, then looked in the distance in the direction where there seemed to be a glimmer of hope. He gritted his teeth and made a cruel decision in his heart.

"drive!"

Adam threw the reins suddenly, and the horse felt the pain and immediately galloped in the direction he was looking. He did not look at Dougal again, nor did he pay attention to his confidants and Yoda soldiers who were still fighting behind him.

He had only one thought in his mind: he must survive, and as for others, he would survive first.