Triumph

Mist City took an exceedingly firm stance against the Longrock Empire. Regardless of what the empire ultimately decided, the day the news arrived, Mist City enacted an emergency draft and swiftly armed itself. Martial law was declared around the city. Gazing upon the giant ballistae lined up atop the walls, the fully-armored berserkers radiating murderous intent, and the elusive elven archers, it was clear that the Longrock Empire’s current forces could not hope to take Mist City in the short term. Moreover, Mist City had once routed forty thousand troops of the Magic Arms Empire with only ten thousand soldiers; their strength was not something Longrock Empire could afford to provoke.

Mo Fei was stationed at a border town when word of the imperial council’s proceedings reached him. Mist City’s rapid mobilization of nearly forty thousand troops and the assassination of several imperial ministers elicited only a wry smile from him. What had to happen had already happened; what use was there in discussing it further? Besides, hadn’t they instigated this themselves? He fought for the empire on foreign fields, won the battle, and yet they sought to eliminate him—what purpose could such people serve?

“Report!”

A scout knelt before Mo Fei. “General, sixty thousand troops of the Magic Arms Empire have departed from their military stronghold, Lori. They are advancing on the empire’s border, and are less than forty li away from us.”

“Scout again!”

“Men!” Mo Fei called, “Order the ballista units and archers to man the walls immediately and prepare for defense. One thousand berserkers will remain in reserve; the rest will assist the city’s original guard in holding the fort.”

How swift they’ve come—last time they lost forty thousand, now they bring sixty thousand; this will not be so easily dealt with. Mo Fei stood before the map, his pen ceaselessly marking and sketching as he pondered his strategy.

Night fell, yet no report arrived regarding the enemy’s progress. Judging by their pace, they would likely attack at dawn. Indeed, the people of this continent were peculiar, never working at night. Mo Fei, half-awake and half-asleep, could not allow himself to rest fully, unaware that night battles were simply unsuitable for these lands.

“General, they are just three li from the city walls,” the scout reported, anxiety in his voice.

“Good. Inform the soldiers to be vigilant—today, we’ll show them what we’re made of.” With that, Mo Fei strode towards the city wall.

“City Lord, they’ve brought many mages this time!” A dwarven captain of the archers pointed to the robed figures at the rear of the Magic Arms Empire’s formation.

“Tell the ballista crews to check if they’re within range. If so, aim and await orders to fire. Let them know Mist City’s troops are not to be trifled with,” Mo Fei growled.

“Rest assured, City Lord, they are well within our range. As you instructed, we’ll target the mages first, then their archers, and finally their infantry.”

“Excellent! Wait—what are those?” Mo Fei noticed two massive magical beasts pacing before the enemy lines.

“They’re siege beasts, meant to break down the gates,” the dwarf captain explained. “City Lord, these beasts have thick hides; ordinary arrows are useless against them.”

“That’s ordinary arrows. I don’t believe our ballistae can’t bring them down,” Mo Fei retorted. “Order the four ballistae above the gate: two each to target one beast, no—target the armored knights riding the beasts first. Let’s see if those beasts can break the gate on their own without a rider to direct them.”

The four ballistae atop the gate were already aimed at the armored knights astride the magical beasts. Perhaps the Longrock Empire’s arrows had never wounded them before, for these two riders, upon the commander’s signal, began to leisurely drive the beasts towards the city gate.

“Once the ballistae fire at the armored knights, the other units will target their mages. Take them out.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Brothers, aim well—don’t embarrass us,” said a berserker and a dwarf to the dwarf manning the ballista, urging him as he focused on the knight atop the beast.

“No rush, relax. One shot and it’s done,” the dwarf assured them. “Don’t think I don’t know you’re betting on my aim. Let’s agree: if I hit, I get half the winnings.”

“Fire!” Mo Fei shouted as the beasts drew near. Four arrows whistled toward the two armored knights atop the beasts.

Unquestionably, two arrows struck each knight, piercing through their heavy armor and protruding from their backs. The two knights fell with a crash, dead before they could even cry out. The now uncontrolled beasts halted in place.

Seeing the knights fall, the other ballistae unleashed a rain of arrows upon the rear ranks of the Magic Arms Empire. In only two volleys, more than two hundred mages responsible for ranged attacks were slain before they could even cast their protective spells. The infantry, still stunned, scrambled for cover, only to realize the arrows were not meant for them. Looking again, not a single mage remained standing among the heavily guarded ranks. Each mage bore multiple bloody wounds, blood gushing forth. Few arrows remained lodged in their bodies; most passed clean through, even killing soldiers standing behind them. Fear spread through the ranks. Gazing at the massive arrows, far thicker than ordinary bolts, and the bloodied mages, the soldiers of the Magic Arms Empire—rarely defeated—finally understood terror.

Before they could recover, the ballistae turned their sights on them. Each powerful shot claimed several lives.

Then, Mist City’s gates swung open. Berserkers, their bodies glowing with a faint crimson light and wielding enormous axes, charged forth at incredible speed. In moments, a thousand berserkers plunged into the enemy formation. Empowered by Mo Fei’s augmentation magic, their attacks were devastating; not a single Magic Arms Empire soldier could withstand a blow. The berserkers, their killing intent palpable, their monstrous axes gleaming, and the ballistae on the walls aiming with uncanny accuracy, caused chaos. Even the rear was unsafe. The sixty-thousand-strong force collapsed instantly, trampling over each other in their frantic bid to escape.

The berserkers did not pursue, only slaughtering those too slow to flee. The ballistae ceased fire; such demoralized foes weren’t worth wasting arrows on.

Because there was no pursuit, only about sixteen thousand of the sixty thousand perished, ending this campaign. After these two battles, the Magic Arms Empire was greatly weakened; their beasts and mages had failed. They sent an envoy to the capital of the Longrock Empire, Longrock City, requesting a ceasefire and peace negotiations.

This greatly inflated the vanity of the imperial court. Mist City’s status soared to unprecedented heights. However, Mo Fei’s delight stemmed solely from the empire’s recognition of Mist City’s valor and contributions: Emperor Tyren awarded Mist City two hundred million in military funds to maintain its armed forces.

At the request of the Magic Arms Empire, Emperor Tyren recalled Mo Fei and his army. The Magic Arms Empire’s peace terms were simple: this army could never be stationed at the border, and they would accept any other conditions posed by the Longrock Empire—since there were no territorial demands.

The imperial decree arrived a month later. Mo Fei handed defense back to the original garrison. He departed with ten thousand men, and returned with the same number; such achievements solidified his reputation as a masterful general.

When Mo Fei returned to Mist City with his troops, the city was fully prepared to welcome their victorious lord home. Standing before the city gates to receive congratulations, he noticed imperial officials mingling among the crowd. Glancing at the vigilant ballistae atop the walls, Mo Fei could not help but smile wryly. The silent formation of a hundred-thousand-strong army would be difficult for the empire to explain. Though he had no intention of seizing power, he feared some officials might slander him before Emperor Tyren. Well, these matters could wait. With Mist City’s current strength, no one could challenge them.

Mo Fei raised his arms, accepting the cheers of Mist City’s citizens. The guards atop the walls gazed at their hero with fervent eyes. Though they longed to join the celebrations, their foremost duty was vigilance, ensuring no hidden enemy could exploit the moment.

Mo Fei and his ten thousand berserkers found themselves pressed tightly by the throng. At last, as night fell, the crowds dispersed, and Mo Fei and his soldiers could finally rest. Upon entering Mist City, Mo Fei ordered the troops dismissed.

At that moment, the three elders who had remained behind came to Mo Fei’s residence, intent on briefing him about the recent situation.

“You’re saying the cities near Mist City have all increased their garrisons?” Mo Fei asked, surprised.

“Yes, City Lord! Since we armed forty thousand troops again and assassinated the finance minister and others, the empire hasn’t publicly reacted to their deaths, but they’ve secretly reinforced the cities around Mist City. Clearly, their actions are aimed at us!”

“What are they planning?” Mo Fei inquired.

“They must be waiting for the opportunity to wipe us out in one stroke,” said Elder Cain.

“There’s some truth in that, but it’s not the whole story,” Mo Fei mused after a pause. “I believe they’re preparing against us, not trying to destroy us.”

“City Lord…”

“Our combat strength is not something the soldiers of Longrock Empire can withstand. We fought at the border, defeating the Magic Arms Empire—who had always dominated them—without losing a single man. Even Magic Arms Empire couldn’t stand against us; why wouldn’t they be afraid? I think you’ve noticed the increased garrisons, but not the deployment of siege weapons. Mist City’s walls aren’t especially high, but without siege engines, how could they attack?”

“Hearing you say this, it all makes sense,” Elder Orf sighed in relief. “Still, we mustn’t relax our guard. Better to be safe than sorry. Our entire clan is gathered here, and besides, letting these new recruits train in such an environment may not be a bad thing.”

“Absolutely,” Mo Fei replied. “No matter what, daily vigilance must be maintained. Scouts should be sent out at all times, soldiers in the city must intensify their training—if we grow stronger, we need fear no one!”

“But living in such an atmosphere every day isn’t ideal, is it?” Cain remarked.

“Of course not,” Mo Fei laughed. “This must be resolved quickly; it seems I’ll have to pay my future father-in-law a visit for a frank discussion!” Thinking of Vivienne, Mo Fei felt a pang of longing. He certainly did not want Emperor Tyren’s suspicion of Mist City to affect their relationship!