The large army and its spoils marched slowly toward Northwind's Flower Fortress, while straight black smoke rose behind them, piercing the sky and blending into the clouds.
Though the troops were utterly exhausted, Ryan knew all too well that neglecting the dead after battle would bring far greater disaster. So while the slaves cleaned the battlefield, he ordered the corpses to be gathered into pits and burned.
As for burial—that was Baron Barnes's responsibility. After all, this was his territory.
Though... this land would likely become far more fertile in the future.
The army advanced in silence. War and fatigue had drained the strength from soldiers and captives alike. The joy of survival could wait—only after rest would they be able to celebrate.
"Lord Ryan."
Leon approached Ryan, speaking with hesitation. After enduring the war, the young man had matured significantly—and now held deep respect for Ryan.
"We're heading back to Northwind's Flower. It hasn't… already been breached, has it?"
Ryan shook his head.
"Northwind's Flower is an ancient fortress. It's not so easily taken. As long as Baron Barnes isn't foolish enough to open the gates and let the enemy in, there shouldn't be any problem."
In truth, Ryan had still overestimated Baron Barnes.
A noble heir may be a fool, but that fool would still inherit his family's wealth—no outsider could squander it for him.
Now, Baron Barnes gave Ryan exactly that impression.
Perhaps Barnes had ambition and some degree of intelligence. He understood the games of nobility and had made his barony one of the strongest military powers in Zero Crossing County, second only to the two viscounts. Compared to the wasteful Baron Hutton, he was a hundred times more competent.
But still—he made a stupid decision.
When returning with his force of over a thousand men, and spotting the approaching troops of Count Weiss and Viscount Miles just outside Northwind's Flower, he panicked. Faced with more than double his numbers, he ordered the castle gates opened.
Even that might've been salvaged—if his army had managed to retreat inside, they could've defended the castle effectively.
But here lay the problem.
After running for an hour and a half at full speed to reinforce the fortress, his troops were exhausted and uphill—while the enemy came from the easier side.
By the time Barnes reached the castle gates, the rear of his force had already been caught by the pursuing enemy.
Had he closed the gates and fought with his back to the wall, he might have won. But in his panic, he charged into the castle—and his panicked soldiers surged after him, shoving and scrambling in fear, desperate to get inside.
In their minds: Stay outside and die. Get inside, and the towering fortress will shield us from everything.
The soldiers in the rear especially panicked, creating chaos.
There was only one gate. With over a thousand men, it was impossible to pass through quickly. The battle began right there—and it became a slaughter.
Such is the nature of slave-based armies. When they're winning, all looks well. But once a one-sided slaughter begins, defeat becomes inevitable.
Eventually, only the Barnes family's personal knights managed to rally, taking a stand at the gates. With bloodied swords and the soldiers who'd made it inside, they held the line and finally repelled the invaders.
So yes, there was a reason Baron Barnes had been seen as the strongest baron in Zero Crossing County. And of course, the geography helped—Northwind's Flower was built halfway up a mountain, and the slope and narrow roads worked in their favor.
Even so, Barnes's army left over 500 corpses right at his doorstep.
When Ryan arrived at the fortress, what he saw were the enemy nobles' troops pillaging the village just a kilometer below Northwind's Flower.
Ryan's arrival brought the looting to a halt. But many houses had already been burned. The streets—already muddy—were now littered with naked corpses. Cries and wailing echoed from every direction.
For slave soldiers, clothing was precious. After a campaign, clothes were often the only loot their lords didn't confiscate—because nobles saw no value in them.
But for these slaves, a shirt could mean surviving a cold winter.
Ryan's forces now made everyone tense. His mithril armor gleamed in the light, and as his troops formed ranks, the coalition of enemy nobles began withdrawing.
On the opposite side, Barnes's soldiers gathered atop the fortress walls.
Harlington rode into the open space between both sides and shouted at the coalition:
"Your army has already been defeated. Are you trying to start a second war here?!"
From within the coalition ranks, a young nobleman in ornate armor rode forth. At his side was a towering figure, and his eyes locked on Ryan.
"Baron Ryan…"
The young man stared coldly at Ryan. He had never imagined that his uncle had once again been defeated—and by the same man.
Now, he held Ryan in deep dread.
If before he hadn't paid attention, now he saw Ryan as his equal—both the sons of powerful counts, both high nobles of noble birth.
This defeat, in his eyes, was his own defeat in the face of Ryan.
"My name is Castor Weiss. You will remember it—for it will be your life's nightmare."
With those words, Castor turned and rode off. But the towering figure beside him paused, his gaze landing on Brand beside Ryan.
"I will offer your head… to mourn my brother."
He raised his foot and kicked a massive boulder beside him.
CRACK!
The rock split apart with a thunderous roar.
"A Gold Knight, huh…"
Ryan and Brand's faces both darkened.
"Count Weiss likely doesn't have many Gold Knights under him," Ryan muttered. "But one just showed up here in Zero Crossing County."
"Can we take him?"
Ryan asked Brand. The latter fell silent for a moment, then replied:
"I'll need a bit more time."
He was on the verge of breaking through. Since receiving his blessing, less than a year had passed—and yet Brand was already close to becoming a Silver Knight. Ryan couldn't help but admire that kind of talent.
"Even if you break through, you'll barely be able to match the lower end of a Gold Knight. Let's just hope Castor isn't one of the favored ones."
Ryan knew that Castor wasn't Count Weiss's eldest son, so he remained uncertain about the man's true standing.
Ryan then ordered the captured soldiers to be confined in the former military camp and led several hundred troops into Northwind's Flower.
And when he saw Baron Barnes again, the man was absolutely seething with rage.