On the plains ten miles away from Brettel City, four bandit groups were slowly making their way towards Brettel City.
Unlike the small bandit groups that roamed between Brettel City and Seamist City, the Bloodfang Bandits, with the smallest number of bandits, had more than two thousand people. The Greenfire Bandits, with the largest number, had more than six thousand people. Their numbers were double that of Brettel City's city guards.
These bandit groups were the same as the exterminated Redbeard Bandits of Troda. They were calamities that frequently roamed the cities and towns of the seven grand duchies. Wherever they went, the cities and towns of the seven grand duchies that had been looted would be swept clean. Since the seven grand duchies were constantly at war with each other and there were many mountains and hills between the seven grand duchies that they could hide in, these bandits were like fish in water. They had become vermin that the seven grand duchies abhorred.
Unlike ordinary bandit groups, these bandits were well-equipped. Some of them were originally military officers from the seven grand duchies. They'd brought their subordinates to join the bandits because they were at odds with the nobles of their duchies or had committed some serious crime.
These people were originally regular soldiers. Although they'd become bandits, their discipline and combat knowledge hadn't been neglected at all. After becoming bandits, the wealth they'd plundered was used to equip their soldiers and warhorses. Their equipment and combat strength weren't any weaker than the regular armies of the seven grand duchies.
The four bandit groups that had come to Brettel City this time were the Greenfire Bandits, the Tomahawk Bandits, the Wyvern Bandits, and the Bloodfang Bandits. The Tomahawk Bandits and the Wyvern Bandits had more than four thousand people and three thousand people respectively. They were bloodthirsty bandits that had been tempered for a long time.
At this time, the leaders of the four bandit groups were walking in the middle of the group, still discussing matters regarding the attack on Brettel City.
"Is Brettel City really as rich as you say it is? I just went there half a year ago. There didn't seem to be anything valuable there apart from stones. The brothers that went with me didn't get anything! "The leader of the Bloodfang Bandits, Riens, said with some skepticism.
This time, Riens had been invited by the other three. He had originally planned to take action against a small town in Helon Duchy. If it wasn't for the fact that he understood that the other three were even more greedy, Riens definitely wouldn't have been willing to participate in Brettel City's plundering operation.
"Brettel City is different from before. It's said that the new city lord is extremely wealthy. He even robbed that bitch Helen of Helon Duchy's magic crystal cannon. There are even rumors that Helen was raped by the new city lord. Damn it, that Helen is a famous beauty in the seven grand duchies, and she's also the grand duke of Helon Duchy. I didn't expect that the new city lord would actually steal her first prize. It's really inconceivable! " The leader of the Tomahawk Bandits, Bynum, was a boorish man who was over two meters tall. He carried a huge tomahawk that was 1.5 meters long on his back. His exposed skin and fur made him look like a half-orc.
"Lyans, I've received accurate information. Brettel City is definitely different from before. Just the six magic crystal cannons alone are worth six hundred thousand gold coins. Adding the gold coins from the city lord and the merchants, Brettel City now has at least a million gold coins. "The leader of the Greenfire Bandits, Fass, explained to Riens.
Fass had once been a high-ranking military officer in Forest Duchy, one of the seven grand duchies. He'd made a name for himself in the battles between the seven grand duchies, but he'd been dismissed because he'd wantonly slaughtered captives in battle. When he'd received the news, Fass had simply led his subordinates to do the robbing business. After switching from a high-ranking military officer to a bandit, Fass had become even more like a fish in water. He'd expanded the Greenfire Bandits to over six thousand members, no longer subject to anyone's restrictions.
Among the four bandit groups, Fass' Greenfire Bandits not only had the most members, but also the strongest combat strength. After all, Fass had once been a regular soldier and had a set of methods for leading troops into battle.
After hearing Fass' explanation, the other three bandits, including the sinister-looking leader of the Flying Dragon Bandits, Afie, all revealed greedy gazes. A million gold coins was a large sum in anyone's eyes. Not to mention these greedy bandits, even the dukes of the seven grand duchies would come to plunder the city if they found out, right?
"Fass is indeed amazing. Haha, a million gold coins! Just based on Brettel City's defensive measures, we've really struck it rich this time." Battleaxe's Bynum laughed maniacally, as if he could see a sky full of gold coins raining down on him.
Afie of the Flying Dragon Bandits glanced at Bynum disdainfully, thinking, What an idiot. If Brettel City was so easy to attack, why didn't the equally cruel and greedy Fass swallow it all for himself? Why would he be so kind as to invite us to share the profits?
Among the four great bandits, although Fass was cruel and greedy, and had a way of leading troops into battle, his personality wasn't too sinister, nor was he that scheming. On the other hand, the leader of the Flying Dragon Bandits, Afie, was nicknamed the "Poison Dragon". This "poison" referred to how vicious and poisonous his heart was, and how he was extremely adept at using despicable and sinister tricks.
Afie's mind spun for a moment when he heard Fass mention the one million gold coins. He secretly made up his mind. When they arrived at Brettel City, he definitely couldn't be the main force. At the very least, he had to observe the situation first, lest he accidentally throw away the capital he'd painstakingly accumulated.
With the temptation and yearning for gold coins, the bandits of the four bandit bands wore clothes of different colors as they gradually made their way to Brettel City.
The tall and magnificent city walls towered in front of them. The newly renovated city walls no longer had a single hole in them. From the outside, Brettel City seemed to have the faint shadow of a firm defensive line.
"Oh, Brettel City has really changed a lot. I remember the last time I came here, there were some holes in front of the city gates. The walls weren't this tall either. We easily broke through and didn't meet any decent resistance. It looks like Brettel City is indeed different. "Lance couldn't help but exclaim in surprise as he raised his head to look at Brettel City.
"Eh? Fass, where are the magic crystal cannons you were talking about?" The leader of the Battleaxe Bandits, Bynum, firmly remembered that the magic crystal cannons were worth six hundred thousand gold coins. He didn't think too much about the terrifying might of the magic crystal cannons. He was only thinking about how to exchange the cannons for dazzling gold coins after obtaining them. Every time he imagined the scene of him drowning in gold coins, Bynum felt a sense of satisfaction.
Fass didn't immediately answer Bynum's question from atop his tall warhorse. Instead, he ordered the Greenfire bandits behind him to line up and prepare for battle at a moment's notice. When the Greenfire bandits were all ready, Fass gazed at the distant city walls. He discovered that there really didn't seem to be any magic crystal cannons on the tall city walls.
Fass furrowed his brows and thought for a moment before saying, "The magic crystal cannons are definitely in Brettel City. You only need to remember this. Brettel City has a total of four city gates. Each of our four groups will attack one gate each. According to our previous agreement, we will attack Brettel City together after seeing my signal.
Brettel City's city guard only has three thousand people. Each gate can only be defended by a thousand people at most. You've all heard of their combat strength. As long as you spread out your troops when attacking, the magic crystal cannons won't be able to cause much damage to you. In addition, the magic crystal cannons require magic crystal ores to fill them. There are still gaps between each shot. They may not have enough magic crystal ores, so you don't need to be afraid.
As long as any of our four groups break through the city walls, Brettel City will be finished with our strength. There may be some casualties this time, but think about the million gold coins. Those dazzling gold coins are piled up in the city lord's mansion. If we want them, how can we not shed some blood? "
Bynum rubbed his hands together and said excitedly, "I can't wait!"
"Alright, leave the main city gate to us. The three of you decide which gate to attack. I'll send out the signal in two hours and we'll attack together. Whoever breaks through the gate first will get forty percent of the gold coins. "Fass said in a low voice.
This was a plan they'd discussed long ago. No one had any objections. Therefore, the three bandits discussed for a while and then left. "Poison Dragon" Afie of the Flying Dragon Bandits instructed his subordinates as he walked towards the gate he'd chosen, "Pay attention to those three gates. Once they attack, immediately send me the signal of what you see."
"Don't worry, leader. We know what to do." One of the bandits nodded and left with the others in a wretched manner. They'd long since known that their leader was extremely treacherous and had long since gotten used to this kind of thing.
Afie didn't want his Flying Dragon Bandits to test just how strong Brettel City's defenses really were. In addition, Afie was afraid that Fass was purposely using them as cannon fodder. He carefully guarded against Fass in case Brettel City possessed any powerful firepower. If that was the case, Afie would consider whether or not he should follow Fass' orders.
The temptation of a million gold coins was indeed very great. However, if he didn't have the life to enjoy it, Afie would naturally escape without hesitation. He definitely wouldn't care about Fass' prior arrangements. Only by preserving his strength would he have more opportunities to make a fortune in the future. Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth it if he lost all his capital.
* * *
Within Brettel City, Han Shuo, Dorcas, Faulke, Dick, and the others had just left the city lord's mansion after a secret discussion. Han Shuo, Dorcas, and Faulke each headed for one of the city gates, while Dickchester, Fabian, and the others headed for another.
The remaining yin demon floated around, clearly hearing the conversation of the four bandit groups. The large firepower tools on the tall city walls were temporarily put away. The sparse soldiers on the city walls only raised their bows and crossbows, vigilantly watching the bandit groups in the distance.
Of the four gates, the one Han Shuo guarded had the least number of soldiers and weapons. There were only a mere three hundred soldiers, and not a single magic crystal cannon. However, he had to face the six thousand men of the Greenfire Bandits. The Greenfire Bandits were the strongest, and also the main force this time.
"Brian, are you confident?" Little fatty Jack's voice trembled a bit as he looked at the dense mass of bandits in front of him. It wasn't as smooth as usual.
Jack had come under Han Shuo's request. Han Shuo had Jack say this before he came over, "Watch this battle with me. If you're willing to stay after this battle, I'll agree to let you become my Brettel City's financial officer."
When Jack heard Han Shuo's words, he agreed without the slightest hesitation. But now that he was truly standing on top of the tall city walls and looking at the well-equipped and fierce looking bandits, his heart still trembled a bit.
"What, scared?" Han Shuo laughed lightly and teased Jack.
Suddenly puffing out his chest, Jack shouted as if trying to convince himself, "What's there to be afraid of, I'm just a bit nervous for the first time. Besides, I'll only be a financial officer in Brettel City. It's not like I need to fight on the battlefield. What's there to be afraid of?"
"Very good. If you can persevere until the end of this battle and remain as strong as you are now, I guarantee that you'll be able to obtain that noble lady Jessica." Han Shuo chuckled.
When he heard Han Shuo mention Jessica, Little fatty Jack's eyes first dimmed, but it was immediately replaced with determination. He nodded heavily and clenched his chubby hands, looking at Han Shuo, "Brian, although I can't become a knight, I will definitely become a noble!"
Han Shuo smiled without saying a word. He gazed at the Greenfire Bandits in the distance. They were using some simple wooden frames to erect a tall wooden tower. With the help of the bandits, a dozen or so magi of various elements gradually walked up to the top of the tower.
The strongest among these magicians was a lightning archmage. The rest were minor magicians of various elements. Magicians were rare and could be put in important positions by any country on the continent. The degree to which they were put in important positions depended on the level of their strength. It was said that the reason the Greenfire Bandits had a lightning archmage was because they had kidnapped the archmage's family to threaten him. Otherwise, an archmage naturally wouldn't be willing to be an accomplice of a lowly bandit.
The mages on the wooden tower were equipped with extraordinary equipment. Not only were their magic robes exceptionally exquisite, but each of them was also equipped with an expensive magic staff. It seemed that Fass had invested quite a bit in them. Thinking about it, it made sense. Mages were extremely useful in battle. A bandit band with mages would naturally greatly increase their strength. In addition, for a bandit leader, having an archmage in his band was also a symbol of status.
The wooden tower was six hundred meters away from Han Shuo, and there were pulleys at the bottom of the tower that could be pushed. A few bandits also climbed up the wooden tower with shields in hand, protecting the precious mages in the center so that they could cast their magic without worry. When the battle really started, they could use the wheels under the tower to push it closer to the city walls, allowing the mages to better cast their magic on Brettel City.
Six hundred meters wasn't an unreachable distance for Han Shuo with the Demonslayer Edge. Once the Demonslayer Edge flew out, the mages within six hundred meters would definitely be caught off guard and suffer disastrous casualties. However, the battle had yet to start. It wouldn't be wise for Han Shuo to release the Demonslayer Edge at this time. Therefore, he could only watch helplessly as they finished setting up the wooden tower.
When the wooden tower was set up, the bandits also pushed out four ballistae that could fire six bolts in a row. These ballistae had a range of around five hundred meters and could fire six bolts with astonishing penetrative power. Han Shuo had also purchased twenty of these from the Boozt Merchant Guild this time. Currently, there were five hidden on the city walls. Han Shuo was well aware of the penetrative power of these ballistae.
"Jack, when the battle starts, don't leave my side no matter what. I can guarantee your safety within ten meters of me. Once you're ten meters away from me, immediately get down on the ground and climb into the city walls. Do you understand?" When he saw that the bandits actually had ballistae, Han Shuo immediately turned to look at little fatty Jack and cautiously instructed him.
Jack became a bit nervous after hearing Han Shuo's words. He hastily moved a bit closer to Han Shuo, almost touching Han Shuo's body. He said in a dry voice, "Don't worry, I'll follow you wherever you go."
After the wooden tower and the ballistae were pushed out, the leader of the Greenfire Bandits, Fass, stood out with an arrogant expression on his face. He raised his head and shouted at Han Shuo, "Brettel City Lord Brian, you know why we brothers have come. Our living conditions aren't good and we've been starving recently. As long as you take out a million gold coins, we brothers will turn around and leave. We won't touch a single hair of Brettel City."
"Pitiful Mister Fass, I deeply sympathize with your group's misfortune. However, Brettel City is famous for its barrenness. The commoners in my territory don't even have enough to eat. I really can't take out a million gold coins." Han Shuo sighed with a distressed expression.
His voice wasn't loud or soft, but the bandits in the distance and the soldiers on the city walls all heard him clearly. Even some of the nearby citizens of Brettel City heard him. Many of the more courageous citizens even came out of their houses to listen carefully. Some even tried to go to the city gates to see what was going on.
"Then how many gold coins can you take out?" Fass froze for a moment when he heard that Han Shuo's words seemed to leave room for negotiation.
There wasn't a single hole in Brettel City right now. Although there weren't many soldiers on the tall city walls, they were all equipped with shiny weapons. He'd heard that Brettel City Lord Brian was also a necromancer. If they really attacked, Greenfire Bandits would definitely suffer losses. If they could obtain a generous amount of gold coins without wasting a single soldier, anyone would know what to do as long as they weren't an idiot. Therefore, when he heard Han Shuo's tone, Fass thought for a moment before asking Han Shuo what his bottom line was.
"Eh, Mister Fass, how about one gold coin?" Han Shuo thought seriously from atop the city wall and asked Fass in a loud, serious voice.
"Wahaha …"
The soldiers guarding the city had been a bit nervous at first, but they couldn't help but burst into laughter when they heard Han Shuo's words. Even some of the citizens within Brettel City who'd heard the laughter had an amused smile on their faces. They thought that this new city lord had quite a sense of humor.
"You're f * cking messing with me!" Fass was enraged. He hadn't been this angry in a long time. The bandits under him all had ugly expressions on their faces. They wanted nothing more than to rush over and tear Han Shuo's group to pieces.
"Haha, so what if I messed with you? You'll get a gold coin today. Heh heh, maybe you'll even leave some for this city lord to use. You trash dared to rob me, you're clearly tired of living. I'll tell you the truth. I've already robbed all of Redbeard Troda's treasures. Add that to Helen Tina's four hundred thousand gold coins and my own gold coins. Brettel City now has far more than a million gold coins. If you want to take it, you'll have to see if you have the ability. Stupid pig, come! " Han Shuo laughed maniacally from atop the city walls. He pointed at Fass in the distance as if he was mocking an idiot.
Fass was truly enraged! It'd been many years since Fass had been looked down upon like this since he'd left Narsen Duchy. Looking at the incomparably arrogant young city lord on the opposite city wall, Fass had the urge to eat him alive. The bandits under him also felt the same way. Their faces were ashen as they charged towards Brettel City's city gates.
"Attack! Massacre the city for me!" Fass roared furiously, giving the order to attack Brettel City in front of them.
"Massacre … massacre the city!" Jack's knees went soft, almost collapsing onto the ice-cold marble floor.
When the citizens of Brettel City heard the two words "massacre the city", they'd previously relaxed because of Han Shuo's humor. Now, they were instantly thrown into a bottomless abyss. Everyone's eyes were clouded with gray. They were at a loss as to how to respond.
Although Brettel City had experienced the cruelty of war, it had never faced the bloody slaughter of an entire city. Otherwise, Brettel City would've long since become a city of the dead. They wouldn't have just been robbed of their belongings and food, they wouldn't have been able to preserve their lives.
Unless one was a bloodthirsty demon or possessed boundless hatred, no one would easily give the order to massacre a city, regardless of whether it was a bandit raid or a war between two countries. This was because doing so would mean the destruction of all life in a city. This was a true bloodbath, not sparing even a chicken or a dog.
Such a person would generally receive the condemnation of all countries. Those who dared to massacre a city would be despised and criticized by their own country. The party whose city had been massacred would spare no expense in retaliation. Although the seven grand duchies were constantly at war, the act of massacring a city was extremely rare. Most people wouldn't dare do such a thing.
Fass, the leader of the Greenfire Bandits, was no longer bound by any country's restrictions. Faced with Han Shuo's arrogant provocation and insults, he couldn't hold back the rage in his heart any longer. Only by slaughtering all life in Brettel City would he be able to wash away the humiliation Han Shuo had given him.
"Hmph, you think you're worthy?" Han Shuo snorted coldly from atop the high wall. He turned his head and said to the soldiers beside him, "Bring out the chariots and catapults. I want to see how they die!"
After the order to massacre the city was given, the green flame flag of the Greenfire Bandits was smeared with a layer of fresh blood, turning it into a blood-red flame. The mages on the wooden frame were slowly pushed towards Brettel City. The four ballistae were also pushed forward, loaded with arrows. Two thousand furious bandits were already charging towards Han Shuo with ladders, ropes, and iron hooks used to scale the walls.
Chariots, ballistae, catapults, kerosene, boulders, and other necessary equipment for defending a city were pushed out from their hiding places under the busy hands of several hundred soldiers. They were divided into different directions and mounted on the wide city wall. However, the number of soldiers was just as small as the number of chariots and ballistae. There were only a few hundred soldiers on the city wall that could accommodate seven to eight thousand people. It was indeed a bit sparse and shabby.
"Kill!" The bandits had already charged over. They felt humiliated and had steeled their hearts to kill everyone in Brettel City. Their leader Fass' face was ashen as he roared somewhat hysterically, "The first brother to reach the city wall will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins!"
An enormous magical flame shot from Fass' hand into the sky. This was the signal that the four bandit groups had agreed upon beforehand. As the flaming signal shone brilliantly in the sky, the curtains of this siege officially began.
The bandits, who'd fainted from the light and fragrance of the gold coins, charged forward with no fear of death, mixed with the rage in their hearts. Han Shuo watched them calmly without a word. He waited until they were within firing range before giving the order to the soldiers whose palms were already sweating from nervousness, "Attack!"
Rumble rumble rumble …
The roar of the war chariots resounded throughout the entire city, spewing out tongues of fire. The ballistae and crossbow bolts whizzed through the air, landing on the bandits together with the catapults' boulders. In an instant, an unbearable and tragic scene was created. The places that were sprayed by the war chariots exploded, and severed limbs and heads flew out amidst the billowing dust and blood.
The bandits who'd been smashed into meat paste were all smashed into meat paste. The ballistae whizzed past, the powerful impact piercing through several bandits before stopping. Blood flowed like a river in front of Brettel City, and corpses littered the ground.
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