<h4>Chapter 170</h4>


    Duke Langster led his remaining forces down below the mountain ridge to their escape. Going directly down to Yailrud viadders would have only meant certain annihtion from the barbarians'' pursuit. Even while fleeing, they cut thedders behind them to prevent the barbarians from descending directly into Yailrud.


    "Be careful!"


    A knight caught the stumbling Duke Langster. The retreat path was treacherous and caused many of the soldiers to sprain their ankles.


    "Are these barbarians truly worse than the northerners..."


    The course of the battle just didn’t make sense. They couldn’t seize the victory even with their knights in steel armor.


    "There was an experiencedmander among them."


    One of the knights spoke up. Duke Langster also recalled that barbarian. There was one particrlyrge barbarian who stood out on the battlefield.


    "You''re talking about that big barbarian."


    "Judging by his gestures and voice, it was clear he was inmand. I watched him kill Sir Skajan with my own eyes, and he was definitely fighting as if he knew the structure of our te armor. It almost resembled the imperial armorbat strategy."


    Fights between knights in full te armor were rare since the armor was a symbol of imperial knights. However, there have been cases ofbat between those in full te armor, and tactics for such fights have also been well-studied.


    When two knights in full te armor shed, normal attacks were mostly ineffective. Encounters between two well-armored knights often resulted in closebat, targeting the gaps in the armor or deciding the oue through grappling techniques.


    <i>''He targeted the joints; the openings unprotected by the armor.''</i>


    The image of Urich was engrained in the knights'' minds.


    "His Majesty will be disappointed when he receives the letter. Thepletion of Yailrud will be pushed back than our initial expectation."


    Duke Langster smiled bitterly.


    The retreating imperial forces went down to the midpoint of the constructed Yailrud. They descended thedder and returned to the outpost to request reinforcement troops.


    "If the reason why those barbarians came out so aggressively was to try to halt the construction of Yailrud... they must be smarter and have a bigger way of thinking than we expected."


    Duke Langster thought to himself as he soaked in a bathtub upon returning to the outpost.


    Duke Langster dispatched the remaining forces to Yailrud to prevent the barbarians from destroying the bridges. Except for the rearmost, they cut all thedders connecting Yailrud and the gorge above and sent crossbowmen to the front of Yailrud to keep the barbarians moving across the gorge in check.


    * * *


    "Are you telling us that humans built that bridge? No way!"


    The tribal warriors were astonished as they looked down at Yailrud from above the gorge. The Yailrud spanning the cliffs maintained a wide width, stretching far into the distance, with its further portions appearing as mere dots.


    "Hey, be careful."


    Urich pulled back a warrior by the shoulder.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow flew from Yailrud. The warrior barely managed to get his head out of the way.


    Crossbowmen from Yailrud were aiming at the top of the gorge. They had pre-emptively cut all thedders connecting the top of the gorge to Yailrud.


    <i>''There''s no way to destroy Yailrud from above the gorge.''</i>


    Urich pondered, looking down. Yailrud was being built far below. They tried rolling down rocks and shooting ming arrows, but it was difficult to destroy the bridge. All they could do was dy the construction.


    "They really are incredible."


    Urich let out a sincere exmation. A year had passed since he killed Regal Arten.


    The imperial army stubbornly built Yailrud without Regal Arten. It was a magnificent structure, almost hard to believe it was made by human hands.


    <i>''But I have to destroy this great Yailrud.''</i>


    Urich grinned bitterly. The imperial army had conquered the divine realm known as the Sky Mountains with the strength of humans. A sense of respect for the invaders welled up in his heart.


    "The invaders are only going to bring more troops ande up here again. This is not the end."


    Urich repaired the campsite of the imperial army. There were plenty of supplies left in the camp, enough for the warriors who came empty-handed to station themselves.


    "Look, it’s armor! I’m wearing an iron armor just like Urich!"


    The warriors chattered as they looted the gear. The supplies left by the imperial army were a great help to the warriors, particrly so because many warriors were able to shed their crude tribal gear. Even the equipment used by lower-ranked imperial soldiers was practically a treasure to the tribal warriors.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich assessed one of the modified crossbows. Even he struggled to load it by hand. The tension was strong enough to tear the skin and muscles of the fingers if one tried to load it without wearing leather gloves.


    "Is this how it''s done?"


    Urich ced a stick across the crossbow string and stepped on it. The parts clicked into ce.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    The power of the modified crossbow was formidable. The arrow prated a tribal shield with ease.


    Urich too was hit by one of these crossbows in the thigh during the battle. He walked around the camp with his thick thigh wrapped in bandages.


    "Gather the looted gear in a warehouse and only take out the weapons you need. Don''t fight over them like idiots."


    Urich gestured andmanded.


    "Are we supposed to eat this? It''s rock solid."


    "Soak it in meat soup before eating. If you eat it as is, you''ll break your teeth."


    Urich was all over the ce. The warriors'' questions were endless, and he was the only man who could answer them.


    "Keep watch of Yailrud in shifts and form groups of five and go out on guard duty."


    There was no resistance to Urich''s orders. The warriors followed Urich''s words without a single word of objection. Urich was once merely a young chief, but his authority among the warriors now had be absolute. These warriors were men who would even follow him into a fire if he asked.


    "Tell Samikan to bring the Blue Mist warriors. Same for Belrua."


    Urich sent a warrior to each of their chiefs.


    <i>''We have to stop them in the Sky Mountains. If they get through the mountains, it’ll be much harder for us to defend against them.''</i>


    Urich faced the wind blowing from the gorge.


    * * *


    It has been a fortnight since Urich seized the imperial army''s camp. The standoff between Yailrud and those on top of the gorge was still unchanged. Both sides were only able to gaze at their enemies due to the altitude difference even though they knew exactly where their enemy was.


    The warriors of the Stone Axe joined, and the number of warriors permanently stationed at the mountain camp increased to three hundred. Even this was hard to maintain. All the trees around the camp had been used for firewood, and the supplies left by the imperial army quickly showed the bottom of its barrel. There were also many warriors who descended the mountain, unable to endure the cold.


    The toes and fingers of tribal warriors turned ck with frostbite due to their inexperience and vulnerability in the cold. The camp was located in the mid-range of the mountain where they were directly facing the cold winds blowing from the gorge.


    "Dammit, how long do we have to stay here?"


    The warriors expressed their dissatisfaction. Due to theck of firewood, ten people had to huddle around a single fire. Unlike the imperial army, the warriors suffered from poor supplies as theycked a ground-connected supply route like Yailrud.


    "Shut your mouth. Even Urich stands guard every night."


    "What did you say? You’re only saying that because you''re from the Stone Axe Tribe! I''m from the Red Sand!"


    Even the joy of victory froze up in the cold. As the situation worsened, fights broke out among the warriors.


    "Enough. If you want to go back down, go. I won''t stop you."


    Urich walked over after seeing the fight break out. But even those who voiced theirints had high pride. They were all men who wouldn’t descend even if they were given permission to do so.


    "Why don''t we just go down to that Yailrud or whatever and attack them?"


    One of the warriors whoined said as he hugged himself in the cold.


    "The bridge is narrow. They’re probably well-prepared to face us and we’ll only end up dying meaningless deaths. If we’re going to attack them, we need to catch them off guard."


    Urich had also put a lot of effort into thinking of possible strategies, but no clear solution came to mind. Maintaining the standoff was the best course of action until Samikan arrived.


    <i>Ding! Ding!</i>


    The bells rang. The warriors cursed and grabbed their weapons.


    "Do those bastards never sleep?!"


    The imperial troops scouting the ridge in the darkness were always eyeing the camp. They, too, were avoiding a head-to-head battle as their reinforcements hadn’t arrived yet.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Arrows flew back and forth in the night. It was a simple threat.


    "Grab your weapons! Let''s just go after them!"


    The riled-up warriors shouted.


    "That''s exactly what they want. They’ve just lost their campsite. They’re just as anxious as we are."


    The mountains'' terrain was rugged, and ces suitable for setting up a camp were rare.


    <i>''Those soldiers came up the far Yailruddders. They must be exhausted from the trek along the ridge up to here.''</i>


    The standoff was only painful for both sides.


    <i>''Samikan, I need your help.''</i>


    Urich longed for his brother''s aid more than ever. To break the current stalemate, the strength of the Stone Axe Tribe alone was not enough. A strategic n looking at the bigger picture with Samikan, the great chief of the alliance, was necessary.


    "Lower your heads. They''ll tire themselves out soon and go back."


    Urich told the warriors. They watched the dwindling campfire.


    * * *


    Duke Langster maintained the standoff until the empire’s response arrived. He didn’t make any attempts to take back the camp from the barbarians, but he did not give up any more territory either. The barbarians also rarely ventured beyond the camp.


    The empire had a courier system involving several horses. Thanks to this, the empire''s response was significantly fasterpared to the tribal society. A reply from the empire arrived in just a week.


    "Is His Majesty serious..."


    Duke Langster massaged his forehead upon receiving the reply. He had sent detailed reports of the situation, including drawings, across more than ten pages. He had meticulously informed the emperor of the dire situation.


    "He wants to take control beyond the mountains no matter what sacrifice it’s going to take..."


    Duke Langster felt the emperor''s desire in the letter. The handwriting that looked as if he swung his pen conveyed a strong force.


    <i>''A force of three thousand conscripts and ve soldiers.''</i>


    Conscripts and ve soldiers were extremely low-quality forces. They were men who would normally be used in disputes among local lords. The imperial army, proud of its volunteer soldiers, rarely employed such inferior forces.


    "That’s that, but even if they’re ves and conscripts, where did he find three thousand soldiers so quickly..."


    Duke Langster muttered as he read the letter, then frowned. The forces were noting from the imperial capital but were conscripted from kingdoms around the mountains and were being sent to the Arten outpost. No kingdom dared to ignore the emperor''s decree, at least for now.


    <i>''Even if they are vassal states... These are kingdoms with guaranteed autonomy, unlike the barbarians. To demand forces in such a manner, especially ones to be sacrificed... This tyranny will surely turn to poisonter.''</i>


    Duke Langster frowned. The emperor''s order was rather extreme. He looked at the map included in the letter, which outlined the emperor''s strategic tactics.


    "So we’re to send up ve soldiers and conscripts armed in tattered leather armor. He’s saying that they are forces meant to die in the mountains anyway—whether by stabbing or freezing. Dammit.”


    The emperor''s order was a tactic of human waves. The difficulty in fighting in the mountains was due to the need to conserve forces. Without preparation against the cold, nonbat losses would be significant, thus only small forces could be sent.


    <i>‘Troops that are disposable.''</i>


    Duke Langster sighed deeply. It was a distastefulmand. But the emperor''s will was firm, and the troops to be sacrificed were already on their way to the outpost.


    "Oh Lou, please forgive us..."


    Duke Langster touched his sun pendant. Workers and ves were already dying for the construction of Yailrud, but this time, the scale was going to be massively different.


    A weekter, troops gathered at the Arten outpost. They were poorly armed conscripts and ve soldiers. Even the so-called conscripts were no different from vagrants or beggars. The ves were mostly emaciated and sick. The vassal states, unable to refuse the emperor''s order, had somehow managed to fill the demanded numbers and sent them to the outpost.


    <i>‘They''vee all this way not knowing that they’re only going to be sacrificed.''</i>


    Duke Langster looked at the three thousand troops with a heavy heart. By no means were they proper troops. They had been lured by promises of ''a lot of money'' and ''freedom after one battle.'' They likely weren’t even told that they would have to cross the mountains.


    "It is the emperor''smand."


    That was all Duke Langster could say. The imperial army urged the ves and conscripts on. They were sent up the gorge using the reardders of Yailrud. Since they climbed from the reardders, they had to march a long distance along the ridge to reach the camp.


    The ves and conscripts climbed the ridge, which was a task even the well-prepared imperial army found challenging.


    "Ughhh."


    Groans broke out in all directions. Screams echoed whenever the wind blew fiercely. It felt like their bones were freezing up from the inside.


    Even if the ves’ legs and hands turned ck with frostbite, as long as they could move, they had to march on. Only death awaited those who couldn’t walk anymore. The Sky Mountains voraciously gnawed on the lives of the humans who crossed into its territory.


    "If you safely cross the mountains, you will enjoy wealth and freedom! His Majesty has promised!"


    The imperial army encouraged the conscripts and ves. What they were saying was true. Surviving the crossing would grant them freedom and a purse full of gold coins. The question was how many would survive.