Dong dong dong~~
The resonant retreat drums echoed throughout the entire Grus battlefield.
Upon hearing the drumbeats, all the Frey Family soldiers desperately fled back towards their own formation.
And those Frey Family soldiers who were just on the siege towers or siege ladders immediately found themselves in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.
However, after a slight hesitation, even though they knew the chance of survival was slim if they turned and retreated, their instincts still drove them to turn and flee.
The defending archers on the Grus city walls certainly wouldn't miss such a good opportunity,
They directly beat down the drowning dogs, constantly harvesting the lives of the fleeing Frey Family soldiers and civilian attackers.
Before long, a small portion of the unlucky Frey Family soldiers all fell dead beneath the city walls while fleeing.
The majority of the other Frey Family soldiers took the opportunity to retreat beyond the range of the archers' attacks.
As for the Frey Family soldiers who had already climbed to the top of the Grus city walls, they were directly treated as abandoned pieces.
They didn't have the spirit to fight to the death; after a brief thought, they all dropped their weapons and knelt, shouting for mercy.
Oh!!!
On the left city wall, Gery looked at the enemy army successfully repelled under his command.
With a face full of excitement, he raised the blood-stained longsword in his hand and let out a shout signifying victory.
Led by their Commander, nearly a thousand defending soldiers on the left city wall collectively let out roars of victory, and then thousands more on the other two sections followed suit.
The Grus city walls, above and below, were littered with various gruesome corpses and severed limbs, and all the siege towers and siege ladders were abandoned beneath the city walls.
The emerald green Wildfire on the wheeled battering ram in front of the West City Gate had extinguished.
And the wheeled battering ram, completely burned, was reduced to a pile of black ashes still emitting black smoke.
At this time, the shouts of the victors on the city walls formed a stark contrast with the silence of the countless corpses below the city walls.
The Grus defenders, fearless of death, had held their city; they deserved to enjoy this victory, this joy.
But this was just a small victory, after all, most areas of the entire Disputed Lands had already fallen.
Overall, it was still these foreigners from Westeros who held the advantage.
However, compared to the thousands of ordinary soldiers who were happily cheering.
Gery had both the joy of victory and the anger towards Viller who had deserted in battle.
After instructing his soldiers to round up the prisoners of war on the city walls, Gery led his personal guards down the Grus city walls.
Upon arriving at the training ground inside Grus, he saw Viller from afar, who was talking to Lord Beoro.
If Gery had previously been unwilling to fall out with Viller because it didn't involve his direct interests.
Then the other party's act of deserting in battle today had already threatened the lives of him, Lord Beoro, and everyone in Grus.
Without any hesitation, Gery angrily walked straight over and shouted angrily, "Viller, you damn coward, scumbag, piece of shit.
Your elite deserted in battle, which almost killed all of us!"
"I deserted in battle?
Gery, are your eyes blind? Can't you see this arrowhead?
I came down for temporary treatment after being shot.
Originally, I planned to simply bandage it up and return to the city walls to continue fighting, but I didn't expect the enemy to retreat just then.
I know what you're thinking, but this is only the enemy's first attack.
It's far from the time to snatch credit!"
Gery's commotion naturally attracted the attention of everyone in this area.
Viller first glanced at Beoro, then, while pointing to his bandaged left arm with a broken arrowhead still in it, he replied loudly.
Viller's words, both deflecting and counter-attacking, directly dissolved the charge of deserting in battle and also slandered Gery for snatching credit now.
"What did you scumbag say? I'm snatching credit now?
Very well, I'll let you see how I snatch credit!"
Clang clang clang!
Gery, slandered, immediately became enraged, shouting at Viller and drawing his blood-stained longsword.
Seeing this, the personal guards behind the two also immediately drew their weapons, their eyes showing hostility as they stared at the other side.
The internal training ground was instantly filled with a tense atmosphere of swords drawn and bows bent.
"What are you doing, what are you doing!
Gery, the war has just ended, what exactly do you want to do?"
Beoro, who had been silently standing by, saw that both sides had actually drawn their weapons.
Knowing that this was absolutely not a joke, he immediately questioned Gery.
"Lord Beoro, Viller abandoned the left city wall he should have been defending and deserted in battle.
This almost caused the entire Grus defense line to fall.
Lord Beoro, we should punish him according to military law!"
Gery turned to look at Beoro and loudly spoke his thoughts.
Viller saw Beoro thinking, seemingly a little convinced.
He quickly displayed his wounded left arm and said loudly with some grievance.
Beoro glanced at his blood-stained left arm and turned to Gery, saying, "Gery, Viller was injured, received treatment, and then returned to participate in the battle. This cannot be considered unauthorized escape.
Do you have any evidence for slandering him like this?"
"I..."
Gery was momentarily speechless upon hearing this, not knowing what to say.
After all, what kind of concrete evidence could there be for such a thing?
Gery's gaze suddenly focused on Viller's left arm.
His eyes darted around, and he immediately asked, "Viller, you just said your left arm was injured.
Then you must remember deeply what happened when you were injured, right?
So, did the arrow in your arm come from below the city wall, or from the siege tower?"
"Where did it come from? Below the city wall... I think!"
Upon hearing Gery's words, Viller hesitated for a moment and then stammered his reply.
Viller heard this and immediately said loudly in a very surprised tone, "That's strange. An arrow shot up from below the city wall must be a high-arcing shot.
Then it would pierce the body at an angle.
This arrow in your left arm is so straight, it should have been a flat shot from a siege tower."
"Yes, yes, it was a flat shot from a siege tower, I might have remembered it wrong!"
Viller heard his analysis and quickly nodded, indicating that he had remembered incorrectly.
"Heh, if it was an arrow shot flat from a siege tower, at such a close distance it didn't pierce your left arm directly, but only created such a wound.
I think the strength of that enemy archer must be so weak that they can't even draw a bow!
Viller, I think this arrow was completely inserted by hand!"
Seeing Viller's performance, Gery sneered and directly spoke his final judgment loudly.
"The wound is shallow? That might be because something was blocking it!
Inserted by hand? Are you trying to imply that I faked my injury in this way?"
How could Viller not understand that he had been tricked by Gery? He shouted in exasperation.
"I'm not suspecting, I'm certain!"
"Alright, alright! We won today, everyone go back and rest for a while, we'll have a celebration party tonight, everyone can drink to their heart's content!"
Beoro seemed to have understood something; he seized the opportunity to mediate and tried to change the subject.
"No, if those who faked injuries to escape are not punished, and those who fought bloody battles to reclaim the city walls are not rewarded.
How can everyone be convinced? How can we drink happily?"
If it were other matters, Gery would definitely give face to Beoro who had spoken.
But this matter, which concerned everyone's lives today, was absolutely not allowed.
Since his Lord Beoro still wanted to mediate, Gery simply tore off the pretense.
"Gery, what you said is just speculation, not solid evidence.
If I were to punish Viller based on just a few words from you, I believe everyone would not be convinced either, right?"
But just as Beoro was mediating, a soldier who had previously been responsible for defending the left city wall spoke up from the side.
"Lord Beoro, I... I saw Lord Viller insert the arrow into his left arm himself.
That arrow had originally hit one of his personal guards, and the body of that personal guard is still on the city wall, we can compare the arrow marks."
"Viller, is what he said true?"
Beoro heard this and turned to question Viller.
"I..."
"Alas, you disappoint me greatly!"
Seeing his speechless appearance, Beoro shook his head and sighed, then said loudly,
"Viller faked his injury and deserted without cause during battle. Guards, take him to the dungeon to await trial!"
"Lord Beoro, wise!"
"Lord Beoro, long live!"
Hearing Beoro's words, smiles appeared on the faces of all the soldiers present, and they cheered in unison.
Naturally, Viller's face was ashen, his eyes darting around, not knowing what he was thinking.
Then several soldiers stepped forward to escort him to the Grus dungeon.
When he was confined to a relatively decent cell in the dungeon, he suddenly called out to the few soldiers who were about to leave.
"Brothers, I happen to have some money on me.
Consider it me buying you drinks.
Can you help me take a few words to my brother?"
Viller's words immediately made the few soldiers look at each other.
Although he was now imprisoned in the dungeon, his previous authority had been long-standing, and Lord Beoro had always trusted him greatly.
After glancing at Viller's money pouch, these few soldiers discussed it and then took it.
In their opinion, it was just relaying a few words anyway, nothing major.
Night gradually fell, and the Grus castle was filled with singing and dancing, bustling with a celebration party.
Bang bang bang!
Viller, who was sitting quietly in the dungeon cell, suddenly heard a commotion and immediately stood up from the cold ground.
Before long, more than ten unidentified individuals in black hooded robes came over, pressing a soldier guarding the dungeon.
Clank!
Under the threat of a longsword at his neck, the soldier obediently opened the cell door for Viller.
Rip!
The leader of the men in black slit the throat of the guarding soldier with a sword and killed him, then rushed to Viller's front and said in a low voice, "Big brother, has it really come to this?"
"Yes, you also know how many people we've offended over the years by making money.
Although I seem to be only temporarily detained this time, it already indicates that Lord Beoro's trust in me has significantly decreased.
Those enemies naturally understand this point, and they are probably already organizing to move against my allies!"
Viller nodded and then explained to his brother.
"Then let's hurry, it just so happens that a celebration feast is being held today, let's quickly leave this city!"
"Heh heh, I didn't call you here just to escape.
I'm preparing to pull off something big!"
Looking at his impatient brother, Viller smiled and teased.
When the moon rose to the center of the sky, the soldiers on duty at the Grus West City Gate suddenly saw several carriages slowly approaching them.
Hmm? What are these carriages for?
Bringing us the delicacies and fine wines from the banquet hall?
Just as this group of on-duty soldiers was lost in thought, they suddenly realized that something seemed a little off.
They saw that when they were still a dozen meters away from the West City Gate, the coachmen driving the carriages suddenly took out a short dagger from their sleeves.
Then, without a word, they plunged it fiercely into the thick hindquarters of the horses pulling the carriages.
Neigh~~
The horses pulling the carriages, in pain, let out a mournful cry and charged madly towards the West City Gate directly in front of them.
And the few coachmen then leaped down from the carriages at this time, rolling several times on the ground to dissipate the force.
If this were a movie now, there would definitely be a perspective from inside the carriage.
Because inside the speeding carriages that were now galloping, there were sealed oak barrels stored one by one.
And an oak barrel near the carriage door was placed horizontally, and a finger-thick stream of emerald green liquid was constantly flowing onto the ground as the horses ran.
Viller, who was waiting in the shadows near the West City Gate in advance, saw this and directly had his brother light an arrow wrapped in oilcloth.
Then, before shooting this fire arrow, he muttered, "That guy Gery said I was a coward. Hmph, little does he know that all I pursue is profit.
Now, let me see if you can bring me huge profits!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Viller took the burning fire arrow and aimed at the very obvious green trail left on the ground after the carriages had passed.
Whoosh!
This green liquid ignited upon seeing fire, and a stream of emerald green flames rose like a winding venomous snake, chasing after the several carriages that were about to reach the West City Gate at extreme speed.
Boom!
When this emerald green fire snake caught up with the carriages along the green trail on the ground, a violent explosion occurred.
An emerald green mushroom cloud, as bright as a star in the night, rose at the West City Gate, and the explosion's shockwave instantly spread rapidly outwards from the center of the carriages that were blown to smithereens.
And those who bore the brunt, the defenders who had been holding fast at the West City Gate, suffered terribly.
Their flesh and blood, and most of their bones, melted in the extremely high temperature of the green flames in a very short time.
This emerald green flame was naturally wildfire.
Previously, it was Viller who led people to Lanak Island to collect wildfire for the combined forces of Lys and Volantis.
Under his hand, even a single copper coin had to leave half.
So these wildfire were all what Viller had held back each time, and now they were just right to use.
The entire Grus was awakened by this violent explosion, including the Frey Family army stationed outside the city.
At this moment, the thick gate of the West City Gate, which had just withstood tens of thousands of civilian attackers, was first blown into pieces, and then burned to ashes by the emerald green flames.
Thus, Grus lost its proud barrier advantage!
It's ironic, tens of thousands of people couldn't take this city during the day.
But merely because of an internal conflict, the sturdy Grus was opened wide like this!