For many years, there have been numerous strongholds along the border between Hungary and the Empire. When war breaks out, these strongholds become centers and starting points for both sides to engage in tug-of-war battles.
After all, war is rampant between the Empire and Hungary, and both sides are preparing for a rainy day.
Nilo is one of dozens of border strongholds established by the Kingdom of Hungary near this vital pass leading to the Empire. This stronghold was built on the ruins of an ancient castle, and Nilo itself is located directly on the road.
Due to the importance of this location, naturally, a larger number of troops would be concentrated here, with better defenses, normally enough to withstand a large army's siege for a period of time.
The construction of this stronghold was also very good and complete, with sturdy wooden walls, deep moats, and towering wooden watchtowers. Furthermore, the only entrance to the camp was the main gate, connected by a retractable wooden bridge, but currently, the wooden bridge is drawn up.
Beside the main gate were two simple wooden watchtowers, also equipped with parapets and deflectors. In peacetime, archers stood on them at all times, observing all directions with keen eyes.
The designer of the stronghold also incorporated parts of the remaining structures of the ancient castle into the defense. It is said that this castle was built by the Romans and then abandoned for a long time, but now these defensive facilities have been revitalized.
However, now, the wooden watchtowers have been destroyed by stones, lying on the ground like broken dolls, shattered into pieces.
Several sections of the sturdy wooden walls have also been smashed by boulders, and a few corpses hang from the wooden walls, while a small trebuchet not far outside the stronghold indicates that it was responsible for all this.
The most intense fighting occurred at the main gate, which is now piled high with the bodies of those from both sides of the Hungarian civil war. Beyond these corpses, the stronghold is littered with various burnt-out buildings and more bodies.
Originally, there were also some residents who had been relocated to guard the border nearby, but now these residents have disappeared, and God knows where they went to escape the war.
After the Battle of the Meadow, King Andrew's remnants were leaderless for a time, but Edward, who protected Andrew's wife and children, quickly consolidated them. Edward raised the banner of King Solomon—Andrew's son—and gathered everyone around him. Then, under Edward's leadership, they retreated into the Empire.
However, Edward did not abandon these fortresses on the border between the Empire and Hungary. These were the stepping stones for their future return to Hungary and must be kept under control.
Even in future negotiations, these strongholds are a card they can use as leverage. If Edward were to hand over these strongholds to the Empire, then King Bela's future situation would be very unpleasant, as the Empire could march straight in, and he would still need to capture those strongholds one by one.
And similarly, for King Bela, this place must be eliminated.
Initially, the King intended to persuade these strongholds to surrender, but no matter what, these people refused to surrender. After all, those who still stood here were basically Andrew's loyalists, so the King could only resort to swift and decisive measures.
The Kingdom dispatched many troops, and some important strongholds received special attention.
For example, to quickly capture Nilo, King Bela sent a crack team. They first secretly set up small trebuchets in the nearby forest, then used the trebuchets to smash the already dilapidated watchtowers, and then, taking advantage of the chaos, swarmed in to defeat the stubborn defenders and capture the stronghold.
It was a short and fierce battle. Although the stronghold was captured quickly, King Bela's army suffered significant casualties. After all, such an important stronghold would certainly be guarded by Andrew's loyalists, which greatly pained the governor who led the assault.
However, thinking that the King would compensate him for his losses, the governor's mood was not so bad anymore.
Now, many looters are running through the piles of dead bodies, plundering the wealth of the deceased. This is a sight that is never absent after a battle.
As for the other Hungarian soldiers, they were scattered around, either resting or chatting. The wounded were gathered in a few relatively intact tents within the stronghold.
From these tents, the howls of the wounded could be heard from time to time, but everyone regarded it as normal. This is how battles are, and whether these people live or die is entirely up to God's will.
Such scenes were occurring throughout the border. Faced with King Bela's attacks, most of these unprepared, relatively weak, and isolated strongholds were quickly breached.
King Andrew's authority was trampled underfoot, and the soldiers who once fought for that banner were either killed or captured. For a time, there was failure everywhere, no success.
King Bela was displaying his power and deterring traitors. The governors were very willing to serve the King, as Bela had now firmly secured the throne and dispatched a large army to carry out this task.
However, at Nilo, it was different. Support and counterattacks from Andrew's forces arrived quickly, but they were too late when they arrived. Nevertheless, this did not prevent them from attacking the rebels.
With a burst of frenzied war cries, groups of German warriors wielding great cutlasses surged out of the forest. They let out terrifying shouts and, led by their respective officers, charged at the Magyars.
Following these German warriors were countless Rus warriors wearing pointed iron helmets, running at top speed with their long spears, aiming to reach the enemy.
And Edward's cavalry charged out beside them, outflanking these enemies.
All of Edward's strength is here now, totaling only about a thousand men. This is the result of Edward's efforts to gather his troops, with most of them being his own core forces.
This includes the German swordsmen, Rus spearmen, and Magyar knights. Gathering these troops was his limit.
The sudden attack caught the Magyars, who thought the battle was over, off guard. Many had not even reacted before they were either cut in half by cutlasses, then stabbed to the ground by spears, or shot down, or knocked over.
The Hungarian soldiers scattered throughout the stronghold had no time to gather before they were defeated one by one by the enemy. The enemy's offensive was extremely swift, giving them no chance to react or regroup.
These Magyars had not even had a chance to properly plunder and celebrate their victory before they suffered such a devastating blow. Their morale plummeted like a punctured ball.
After leaving a field of corpses, and with their commanding governor's head severed, these Magyars threw away their armor and fled in disarray, but such lucky individuals were few.
As for the wounded they left behind, they were ruthlessly executed in despair.
And those unfortunate enough to be captured were directly executed by the victors—just as they had done before.
"Everyone, hurry up! We don't have much time. Next, we need to attack in other directions."
After the battle ended, the leader of this force, Edward Wessex, shouted this, and everyone responded with a unified cheer, whether they were Magyars, Germans, or Rus. This shows that Edward had already won the hearts of these remnants.
Edward's face was much more weathered than before. He was now standing next to the trebuchet that had destroyed the watchtower and wooden wall, followed by a group of knights. Earlier, this general had charged at the front of the formation, killing several knights with cross insignias on their bodies, greatly boosting morale.
But he did not pride himself on this, for he knew there were still many, many enemies; this was merely a small victory.
The trebuchet in front of them was a portable small trebuchet, likely acquired from the Roman Empire to the south. It was unclear whether it belonged to the governor he personally killed or to the usurping King.
King Bela wanted to eliminate the strongholds on the border, but Edward would not let him have his way. There have been many battles on the border these days, and Edward has been the victor most of the time. Bela's pressure has been resisted by him.
In addition, he intends to move this thing away. This is a good item for siege warfare, and he might as well pick it up for himself.
"Quickly clear the entire battlefield. We still have to move to other places. Since Bela wants to defeat us one by one, we will seize the opportunity and make him pay the price."
Edward's voice was firm and powerful, carrying unquestionable confidence. And it was these words that maintained everyone's morale, enabling them to persevere and continue fighting.
The enemy's strategy of dispersing their forces to attack was indeed clever, but it also dispersed their strength, giving him the opportunity to defeat them one by one.
This strategy of Bela's army assumed that Andrew's remnants would all stay in the strongholds waiting to die, which is usually the state of an army that has lost its commander. However, unfortunately, there was an Edward here.
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