Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 44: The Army
"What?!" Knight Barto was shocked. He shoved aside the militiamen and rushed up the stone steps of the castle's main building. He flung open a narrow shooting window and looked out.

With just one glance, the color drained from his face instantly, and his pupils contracted sharply in shock!
Outside the castle, on the open ground where troops usually assemble, an army was lined up!
They were lined up in neat square formations. At a glance, each row had about twenty people, and there were at least five columns in total!

This means that at least one hundred soldiers with fairly good equipment have gathered outside the city!

This number was an insurmountable behemoth for Langhao Commandery, whose remaining forces numbered less than twenty and were mostly serf soldiers!
"They...they're going to attack the castle head-on?!" Knight Barto's voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of fear that even he himself didn't realize.

His mind was instantly occupied by the terrifying sight of the "army pressing in," and he had no time to carefully discern whether the "faces" under the soldiers' armor were too stiff or whether the formation was slightly uncoordinated when it moved.

Kruse's "seeing enemies everywhere" strategy has already succeeded more than halfway through, thanks to the opponent's preconceived fear and psychological suggestion!

The garrison of Langhaoling had imprisoned themselves in a cage of fear.

Outside the castle, the "well-disciplined" army stood silently like a sculpture on an open ground about three hundred meters from the city wall.

This distance was carefully calculated, just beyond the maximum effective range of the archers' bows in Wolfhair Territory, creating a delicate balance that both demonstrated deterrence and ensured their own safety.

At Wilstone's whispered command, dozens of "scarecrow soldiers," held aloft by militia and serfs, were firmly anchored to the ground, maintaining a tight formation and imposing presence from a distance. Wilstone himself, accompanied by several truly elite militiamen, stood like a rock at the forefront of the "formation," his cold gaze fixed on any movement in the direction of the castle, further reinforcing the illusion of an impending army.

Meanwhile, the real operation is in full swing on the other side!

Kruze personally led the team, and Rezal, like a tiger unleashed from its cage, excitedly directed the twenty reserve militiamen and the temporarily mobilized Lion Tooth Territory serfs who were full of enthusiasm for "picking up bargains".

Like a highly efficient torrent, they swiftly rushed into the fields of Langhaoling, where the harvest had been completed and the fields were piled high with bundles of wheat straw and sacks of grain.

"Quick! Quick! Empty them! Fill the wagons! Carry as many people as you can carry!" Kruse's voice echoed deep and powerfully across the fields.

The entire "looting" process was incredibly fast. The serfs knew that time was precious, and they were so excited by the massive amount of grain in front of them that their eyes turned red and their hands and feet moved with extreme speed.

They carried heavy sacks of grain and pushed fully loaded carts, frantically transferring the harvest that Langhaoling had worked so hard for all season, like ants carrying food.

In less than half an hour, the mountains of grain piled up in the makeshift grain sheds in the fields had been looted, and even most of the bundles of wheat that had not yet been moved from the fields were taken away.

Throughout this entire process, the Knight of Barto and his pitiful garrison on the castle simply watched with grim faces, and not a single one of them dared to open the city gates and attack.

Barto's fingers, gripping the sword hilt tightly, turned white with effort. He stared intently at the "inactive" army outside the city, his mind racing, and finally arrived at what he considered the most reasonable explanation:
This army is highly disciplined, and its troops are arrayed here but not ready to attack. Its leader must be a nobleman of high status, possibly a baron or even a viscount who has suffered from famine!
They came out in full force, with a very clear purpose: to collect grain, not to capture the castle or destroy Wolfhair Territory.

Their current defensive formation is meant to deter us from interfering with their grain-grabbing efforts. If I were to lead a charge now, I would give them an excuse to launch a full-scale attack. With our limited forces, that would be suicidal. It's better to remain patient and focus on preserving the castle and the lives of the remaining men…

Having grasped this, Barto's fear lessened slightly, but humiliation and anger burned fiercely within him. He gripped the windowsill tightly, and with all his might, roared at the "bandits" frantically carrying away grain outside the city—a roar that was both a protest and a desperate attempt to salvage his last shred of dignity:

"Your Excellency! You have plundered all the grain today, cutting off the lifeline of hundreds of people in my Wolfhair Territory! This matter will not be left unresolved! When my Lord Hains returns from the front lines, he will surely investigate the truth and demand justice from you!"

His voice echoed across the empty plains, carrying a hint of fierce yet indignant grief.

Kruse, who was directing the transport of the last batch of grain, heard the shout from the castle and a barely perceptible sneer appeared on his lips. He raised his hand, gesturing for a stop.

"That's enough. Let the rest live." He ordered in a low voice. One shouldn't go too far; pushing someone to the brink of destruction would be counterproductive.

This little bit of food is meant to leave Wolf Hair Territory with a last glimmer of hope, and also to lull the enemy into a false sense of security.

Although the serfs who received the order were somewhat reluctant to stop, they quickly ceased their actions and began to retreat in an orderly manner.

Wilstone, who had been closely monitoring the castle from the front, immediately understood the signal from Kruze's side. He took a deep breath, gathered his fighting spirit, and, mimicking the tone of a haughty noble retainer, responded loudly towards the castle, his voice carrying clearly to the top of the walls:
"Hmph! My master is merciful. Considering how hard you have worked to survive, he has given you the little food he has left! Take care of yourselves!"

After saying that, he waved his hand. The silent "army" began to slowly turn around, maintaining a seemingly disciplined formation, covering the grain-laden troops and personnel behind them, and retreated like a tide in the direction they had come from.

The entire process was orderly and without any panic, more like a calm retreat after a successful military operation.

The Knights of Barto and the garrison on the castle could only watch helplessly as this mysterious army, carrying away their harvest of the past six months, disappeared into the twilight horizon. Apart from endless humiliation, anger, and a sliver of relief at surviving, they had no clue where the enemy came from or who was behind it.

Kruse's "Ghost Army" plan was a great success!

【Ding! 】

[Complete the side quest: If the enemy can go, so can I (combat)]

[Quest Reward: Energy Crystal x10]

On the way back, Kruse's eyes lit up.

(End of this chapter)