Chapter 499 The Siege
This particular unit fought with a fearlessness akin to recklessness, capable of delivering a substantial blow to the enemy's morale.
It was known that Ferald had put considerable thought into constructing this unit, harboring high expectations for them.
Mibo currently commanded an army of 1200 conscripted soldiers, consisting of 600 light infantry, 300 heavy infantry, 200 archers, 70 light cavalry, and 30 heavy cavalry.
Indeed, Mibo's numbers had exceeded the typical garrison of a castle, which was around 1000, a clear indication that his objective of hoarding excessive knightly titles had been achieved.
However, there lay a critical flaw within his ranks – the disproportionately low number of archers.
This issue would become glaringly evident once Mibo transitioned into a defensive stance during the siege.
Howard, on the other hand, had amassed an army of 2570 troops, with 1250 light infantry, 500 heavy infantry, 200 archers, 300 light cavalry, and 320 heavy cavalry.
One particularly fortunate outcome for Howard's forces was the balance in troop types.
The percentage of basic light infantry had significantly decreased, while the numbers of heavy infantry and archers had seen steady growth.
More notably, the count of both light and heavy cavalry had substantially increased, especially the heavy cavalry, which had reached an impressively high proportion within the army.
Resarite had invested a great deal of effort in training this force, transforming several light cavalry into heavy cavalry.
Vettel, too, had played a vital role.
To fund the equipment needed by Resarite, Vettel had worked tirelessly to increase the overall economic output.
The number of heavy cavalry under Howard's command had now even surpassed that of Duke Ferald.
As they prepared to enter the decisive phase of the conflict, these details were of utmost importance.
As the campaign commenced, Mibo's forces held their position, abandoning the outskirts of their villages.
Mibo's strategy was clear: he only needed to delay, waiting for his brother's larger army to arrive and sweep through the battlefield.
The critical question was whether Gokasu Castle could withstand until Ferald reached Nok.
Given that the war was unfolding within Nok itself, Howard's army did not need to worry about regrouping and reorganizing.
They easily converged within less than two days and swiftly took control of the villages in the Gokasu region.
Since most of these villages were practically abandoned, they encountered little resistance.
The villagers continued their daily lives, largely unaffected by the conflict.
Then came the village of Mambaton, which was not one of Mibo's excessively held titles but was under someone's control.
Mambaton, leading a small force of just over a hundred soldiers, attempted a nocturnal assault on Howard's army.
However, outnumbered, they were quickly surrounded by the forces of Resarite and Anna on one flank and decisively defeated by Howard's troops.
Only Mambaton managed to escape under cover of darkness.
The following day, the village of Mambaton also fell under Howard's control, and his forces rapidly advanced towards Gokasu Castle.
By the afternoon, Howard's army had surrounded the castle, but there was no immediate way to breach its defenses.
Ivan, from atop the castle walls, mocked Howard, "Ha ha, you fool! Just wait for my uncle to arrive, and you'll all be running scared! Ha ha ha. Go on, surround us! Isn't a castle inherently a strategic structure for defense and delay? Keep your siege! Let's see how many days you can last, waiting for my uncle to show up!"
Howard glanced at Anna, who said, "Unlike last time, Mibo's forces haven't suffered any losses. A direct assault might not be successful. Plus, with Ferald's threat looming, we don't have much time."
She suggested, "How about hiring mercenaries now? We maintain our siege, cutting off Gokasu Castle's food and water supply, inducing panic among the defenders. Then, from the south, we can choose either the Swiss Brothers Alliance or the Aragon Shield Brigade, which we previously discussed. Once the down payment is made and they start fulfilling the contract, they can join us in the siege. If we can take the castle before Duke Ferald's troops arrive, that would be ideal."
Howard, gritting his teeth, inquired about the details of the Swiss Brothers Alliance and Aragon Shield Brigade.
The Swiss Brothers Alliance was a mix of light and heavy infantry mercenaries, supplemented by a small number of archers and a very limited cavalry force.
The Aragon Shield Brigade was similar, a blend of light and heavy infantry, but with no cavalry at all.
However, they had more archers than the Swiss Brothers Alliance.
Unsatisfied, Howard asked Anna, "Is there a cheaper yet more powerful mercenary group available for hire?"
Anna negated the possibility, "There are none left. With the funds we have, these two are the only mercenary groups near Nok that we can afford."
Howard expressed his regret, "If only I had known, I would have continued to save for a larger mercenary force."
Anna pointed out that discussing this now was pointless as the war had already started, and they needed to give it their all.
Resignedly, Howard handed over his pouch of gold coins to Bosiden, instructing him, "Hire the Swiss Brothers Alliance. They have a slight cavalry presence, which could offer greater flexibility in the battlefield."
Bosiden took the money, bowed, and galloped away on his horse.
That afternoon, Bosiden met with the commander of the Swiss Brothers Alliance in Kenfa Village.
A straightforward mercenary contract was quickly established, and Bosiden handed over the deposit.
At midnight, the Swiss Brothers Alliance began to assemble, and by dawn, they were fully gathered, marching towards Gokasu Castle.
Meanwhile, a part of Ferald's troops had already entered the territory of Nok.
Being an advance party, this unit consisted of just over a thousand soldiers, acting on orders directly from Ferald himself.
Portia's spies learned of this movement and relayed the intelligence to Portia, who in turn informed Howard.
After careful consideration, Howard decided to seize the opportunity that presented itself.
He ordered the Swiss Brothers Alliance to alter their destination and head towards Ferald's advance troops.
Anna refrained from commenting on this decision, while Resarite considered it an aggressive move but one that could yield significant rewards.
Inside the besieging camp, there was a constant flow of activity.
Knights in armor strutted around with a proud, imposing air.
Their armor, reflecting the sunlight, dazzled onlookers.
The heavy cavalry were also well-cared for, with ample food supplies contributing to their high morale.
A group of light infantry, under Resarite's command, was busy constructing defensive fortifications.
Resarite aimed to prevent a surprise attack by the defending forces, which could inflict severe casualties on Howard's army.
Meanwhile, a contingent of heavy infantry, led by Anna, patrolled around the siege camp in five rotating squads, enhancing the order and tidying the environment of the camp.
The knights' warhorses neighed and pranced, their shiny barding a testament to the knights' ample war resources.
In addition to these, there were two large troops of horses.
One troop belonged to the heavy cavalry.
Unlike the usual disarray of heavy cavalry equipment, Howard's unit, thanks to the unified procurement and ordering by Resarite and Vettel, achieved a near-standardization in their gear.
At a glance, Howard's heavy cavalry stood out with their neatly arranged, gleaming horses, their iron stirrups the envy of the light cavalry.
The light cavalry's horses lacked such protection.
They were covered with a leather piece that extended over the horse's back and other parts.
Even with this protection, these horses were not as strong or robust as those of the heavy cavalry and knights.
This discrepancy was a matter of troop classification, akin to the difference between light and heavy infantry.
It wasn't that the lords intentionally neglected the light cavalry or infantry; rather, they preferred to invest more resources in heavy cavalry and heavy infantry.
Howard had excelled in addressing this issue.
He had many light cavalry riders undergo training to become heavy cavalry, and then personally allocated funds to upgrade the equipment of their horses.
Some horses, originally part of the light cavalry but of decent quality, received additional feed to fatten and strengthen them, enhancing the overall combat power of the heavy cavalry.
For those horses that still didn't meet the standard even after the extra feed, Resarite procured warhorses that met the heavy cavalry standards and provided them to the heavy cavalry at no cost.
It can be said that for these seemingly few 320 heavy cavalry, Howard had invested a considerable amount of money and resources!
The horses for the light cavalry had no special requirements; as long as they could run, they were suitable.
Many frail and slender horses, considered wasteful to discard but not meeting the standards for heavy cavalry or knights' steeds, were assigned to the light cavalry units.
A well-equipped light cavalry could potentially reach the battlefield faster than heavy cavalry during strategic maneuvers.
However, the average light cavalry, in reality, often had even slower movement speed than the heavily armored warhorses.
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