Mount and Blade

Under the cover of friendly forces, Hickel quickly checked Gulenberudo's injuries.

"How are you?" she asked anxiously.

Gulenberudo shook his head, indicating that he was fine, but stared at Edward closely, as if he was unwilling to do so.

"You are seriously injured. Get on the chariot quickly and let's retreat!!" Hickel quickly dismounted and used his shoulders to lift up the huge Gulumberudo.

Gulenberudo stubbornly refused to move, his eyes burning with anger, as if he still wanted to end things with Edward. But Hickel knew that the situation was critical at this time, so he immediately called a few more helpers and forcibly pulled him towards the direction of the chariot.

The already exhausted Gulumberudo slumped down on the chariot, and the eight horses immediately raised their hooves under the spur of the groom and galloped away in the direction of the "Fire Dragon's Lair".

Even though Gurung Berudo could only move his upper body and right arm freely, no one could stop the fire dragon who wanted to break through.

What's more, the troops under the Archduke's command are suffering from low morale due to the accidental artillery damage to their own troops. Now no one dares to stop Gulumberudo. After all, no one knows whether the cannonball will fall on them in the next second.

Hickel got on his horse and led the elite cavalry to take over the rear of Gulumbeldo and the Flame Dragon Knights. Those subordinates who had been trained by Edward all looked at Edward with disappointment.

The loose battle formation was quickly torn open by Hickel. Before the troops under the Archduke's command could reorganize and deploy, they destroyed six more artillery pieces before walking away.

Edward looked at their backs with mixed feelings in his heart. He wanted to organize the soldiers to raise their hands to stop them, but found that his arms seemed to weigh a thousand pounds and he could not lift them up no matter what.

...He couldn't lay a hand on Hickel.

...Those subordinates who had played and joked with him in the military tent and fought with him through life and death on the battlefield...were extremely disappointed in him.

At this time, He Kun rode over angrily and shouted at Edward: "What are you doing? Why didn't you stop them?"

Edward just remained silent, his heart full of guilt and regret, as well as helplessness about the current situation.

However, He Kun shouted at this moment: "Edward, if you don't take action, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Edward clenched his spear, struggling internally. Finally, he sighed but did nothing.

When He Kun saw this, his face turned red with anger. He swung his horse forward and shouted, "What a waste! You can't even stop a cavalry regiment led by a mere woman!"

"Sea Bear Super Heavy Armored Knights!!"

Rows of knights in silver armor rode out into battle, waiting for Grand Duke He Kun's order to pursue Sikel and others.

Edward was shocked when he saw this, and hurriedly drove his horse to block He Kun's way, and shouted loudly: "Are you crazy? If you pursue him at this time, you will only fall into their trap and lose your troops in vain! What's more, how can the heavy cavalry catch up? On the light cavalry?"

He Kun snorted coldly and said with disdain: "Huh, what you said is not unreasonable."

Immediately afterwards, Grand Duke He Kun turned the horse's head and changed the subject: "Artillery unit! Turn the muzzle of the guns immediately and bombard the enemy!!"

Edward, who was originally relieved for Hickel, was shocked and shouted anxiously: "Absolutely not!

When He Kun heard this, his eyes widened with anger. He pulled out the riding crop from his waist and threw it hard at Edward's left cheek, roaring: "Then do you just have to watch them escape? Or is it because of that woman again!?"

A red mark instantly appeared on Edward's cheek, and even the leather eyepatch that was usually used to cover the horrific scar on his left eye was cut off. The burning pain made his mind go blank.

"Don't forget that your mother is still in my hands!" He Kun's anger remained unabated, and he was about to continue giving orders, but Edward, who had come back to his senses, grabbed the arm he was trying to raise.

"...You!" The Justice was overcome with desire, but he saw the hideous scars exposed under Edward's broken eyepatch. The scratches on his left eye where a beast tore off a large piece of flesh were crisscrossed with new whip marks.

The horrific scars left on Edward's face in the old days are still extremely scary even now. It is common for them to become breathless and fester due to long-term battles.

In comparison, He Kun's equally ugly face was slightly startled, but was filled with anger in an instant.

"...How did that romantic slut Furda give birth to a lover like you!?" He Kun cursed angrily.

But who exactly did he inherit this from? Perhaps only He Kun himself knew clearly. The more he looked at Edward's appearance, which was similar to his own, the more indignant he felt.

Edward gritted his teeth, stared at He Kun with eyes full of anger but strong self-control, and said in a deep voice: "Our army is in chaos now, and the top priority is to regroup, not to act on impulse."

He Kun was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Edward and cursed: "Don't be alarmist here. I think you are deliberately protecting them. Edward, I still advise you not to forget your position!!"

Edward took a deep breath, trying to calm down his emotions, and released his hold on He Kun's arm. He looked directly into He Kun's eyes and said calmly: "...I will not forget my position."

He Kun glared at Edward, snorted coldly, threw off the reins, turned around, reorganized his troops, and personally prepared for the siege.

Edward looked at his back, feeling helpless. Looking at the "Dragon's Nest" which was already full of smoke, Gulenberudo was now seriously injured. It seemed that this fortress, which had been defended for fourteen years, was destined to fall into the hands of its own people.

......

Hickel led Gulenberudo and the Flame Dragon Knights back to the Dragon's Nest smoothly. However, the situation in the Dragon's Nest was not optimistic at this time. When Abecasis heard the sound of artillery in the north, he ordered the army to use extended simple ladders to launch a strong attack.

The six artillery on the Dragon's Nest bastion started working immediately, constantly bombarding the ladders of the Joda people, and rolling logs and asphalt fell continuously on the densely packed Joda soldiers.

The archers on both sides shouted at each other without giving in, and the sound of arrows leaving the strings came one after another.

For a time, arrows rained down and people were like locusts.

The final battle that would end the 14-year battle had begun.

The military doctor removed Gurenberudo's deformed armor. His condition was not good, with multiple fractures all over his body. His left arm was completely numb, and his internal organs were injured by the bombardment, so he needed to rest.

Although his injuries gradually stabilized after treatment, his unwillingness to fight this battle was still burning in his heart.

Shikel knew that this conflict with Grand Duke Hekun was just the beginning. The southern wall was blocked by Tino at this time, and she urgently summoned the centurions in the legion to start planning the next move.

"We can't just sit there and wait for death. We must take the initiative to attack." Hickel said with a firm look, "But now our troops are damaged and supplies are in short supply. We have to think of a foolproof plan."

A centurion frowned and said, "The enemy is coming fiercely. Can we consider asking for help from our allies around us?"

Hickel shook his head: "Distant water can't save nearby fires. We must rely on ourselves."

Another centurion suggested: "The most urgent thing now is to deal with the Grand Duke's troops in the north of the city. Now we haven't destroyed all the artillery. It's better to take advantage of the terrain, lead the Grand Duke's deployment into various bastions, and set traps and obstacles in various bastions in the city to besiege the enemy and defeat them one by one."

The one who made the suggestion was the cavalry centurion Waston who had followed Edward for some years. Unexpectedly, the experience accumulated over the years of following Edward came in handy at this time.

Hickel pondered for a moment and nodded: "This is a way, but it still needs detailed planning."

At this time, the shouting and killing outside became more and more intense, and the battle became more and more tense.

Xikel took a deep breath and said, "Everyone, go and prepare first. We must defend the Fire Dragon's Nest!"

"Yes!!" Everyone took the order and left, ready to live and die with the Fire Dragon's Nest.

Xikel walked to the city wall and stood on the top of the tower, looking at the tide of enemies outside the city. When had the three of them stood here side by side, chatting and laughing together, and they were not afraid even when facing enemies that were several times their number.