Debuff Master

Chapter 729

While Siegfried was fighting alongside Lohengrin, Nanuqsa, and Beggarius to defend the O’Toul Fortress against the Zavala Forces, the Bayerische Kingdom was thrown into utter chaos.

In a matter of a few days, the former king was killed by the enemy, and his successor, King Deville, also perished after getting assassinated, leaving the throne vacant. Left leaderless, the kingdom was in disarray, unable to rally an army to retake the lands they had lost.

They were like a ship adrift in the wide ocean without a captain.

However, the high-ranking nobles of the kingdom acted swiftly and established a noble republic. This was a form of government where high-ranking nobles governed in the absence of a monarch.

However, nobody knew whether this form of government was just temporary or not.

Regardless, they wasted no time and set their sights on invading the Proatine Kingdom, which was currently locked in a fierce battle against the Zavala Forces on their northern front. For the Bayerische Kingdom, it was imperative to seize this opportunity and reclaim the territories they had lost while the Proatine Kingdom’s main army was fighting elsewhere.

While at it, they were also hoping to reclaim what rightfully belonged to them, the Bavarian Workshop. Thus, the Bayerische Kingdom’s noble council quickly approved the invasion, and their army took up arms to reclaim what rightfully belonged to them.

In response, the Proatine Kingdom appointed Carrell as the Supreme Commander of the southern front. He mobilized the defense forces to defend against the incoming invasion, and he had to defend with modest numbers.

However, the soldiers he had were no ordinary soldiers—they were elite soldiers.

The Weapon Maestros; the duo of Gringore and Lamborghini; Cesc Graham, the Descendant of Supreme King Braum; the veteran members of the Head Crusher Guild; Yong Seol-Hwa; and Gosran.

The elite squad of the Living Legend, Yong Tae-Pung, and his guild, the Mandate of Heaven Guild, had come to help as well.

Last but not least, the Four Legends residing in the Proatine Kingdom—Kim Gi-Tae, Han Sang-Gi, Kim Han-Yong, and Park Gi-Don were present as well.

They could not match the sheer firepower of Siegfried, Lohengrin, Nanuqsa, Beggarius, and Duke Decimato on the northern front; their collective might was formidable enough that they had a fighting chance against the invading Bayerische Forces.

“Prepare for battle!”

Carrell’s voice rang out as he fixed his gaze on the oncoming Bayerische Forces.

“We must hold this line! If we fall, the kingdom will be in danger! We are the last hope of our kingdom! Fight with everything you have! All we have to do is hold them back!”

The battle finally started.

The Bayerische Forces commenced bombardment of the Proatine Forces, causing the sounds of explosions to thunder across the battlefield.

“Aim the artillery! Return fire!” Carrell shouted.

The Proatine Kingdom’s artillery immediately retaliated, launching volley after volley toward the enemy lines.

While the two sides were exchanging artillery fire.

WAAAAAAHHH!

The Bayerische soldiers bravely charged forward like a tidal wave despite artillery shells flying over their heads.

North and South—the Proatine Kingdom were now embroiled in battles on two fronts against two different enemies.

***

The Proatine Alliance celebrated yet another victory in the second battle thanks to Duke Decimato’s remarkable defense. However, the enemy returned once again on the same night, launching yet another assault in a bid not to give the defenders any time to rest.

Against all odds, the alliance repelled them once again, managing to secure a third victory that others would call a miracle.

“Woooo!”

“We did it! We won again!”

“We’ve held them back!”

“Long live His Majesty the King!”

“Long live the Proatine Alliance!”

The Proatine soldiers were swept up in a wave of euphoria at their third victory. They embraced each other and celebrated, as it seemed that the end of the war was nearing with every victory they garnered.

However, Siegfried remained silent.

“No, it’s not enough... We’ll eventually fall if things continue like this,” Siegfried muttered under his breath, biting his lip to contain his frustration.

Unsurprisingly, his instincts were spot on. The Zavala Forces were rotating their soldiers on a three-shift system, whereas the Proatine Alliance didn't have that luxury. The Proatine Alliance had limited numbers, so every single able-bodied soldier had to participate in every battle.

What did this mean?

Eventually, exhaustion would overtake them all.

Sooner or later, they would be too tired to even lift their weapons.

Each passing battle would drain their stamina, and the Zavala Forces' strategy would pay off in spades by then.

The Zavala Forces suffered staggering losses, as more than one hundred thousand soldiers had perished in the siege of the O’Toul Fortress. However, these losses were inevitable when attempting to conquer a fortress guarded by the likes of Siegfried, Lohengrin, Nanuqsa, Beggarius, and Duke Decimato.

Despite that, the Zavala Kingdom remained undeterred and unfazed by the staggering losses. They had the financial capability and population to run their training camps to continuously churn out new recruits, training them into fully-fledged soldiers.

“Distribute all of the supplies we have to the men. Give each soldier the potions they need,” Siegfried ordered, gritting his teeth.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Damn it...” Siegfried cursed under his breath.

“Kyu? What’s wrong, owner punk?” Hamchi asked, looking at him with concern.

“Are you really asking that right now?”

“Kyu?”

“Our men are left with low and mid-grade potions while those bastards are still chugging the best stuff available. Their recovery rate is now double ours.”

Even the lowest-ranking soldiers of the Zavala Kingdom were provided top-tier potions thanks to the kingdom’s access to the Acacia Flower of Life, which was the key ingredient of potions.

On the other hand, the Proatine Kingdom could no longer afford to keep providing top-tier potions to their men, as they were fighting on two fronts.

Thus, the Proatine Alliance had a slower recovery rate on top of having fewer troops, which proved to be a huge disadvantage.

“I need to do something...” Siegfried muttered. He knew that something had to change, or the enemy would wear them down.

The best-case scenario was to pull back the troops stationed on the southern front and enlist the Guardians into his ranks.

Unfortunately, the Bayerische Forces were currently preparing for an invasion of the Proatine Kingdom’s vulnerable southern front while the Guardians were busy monitoring the Zavala Kingdom for any signs of the Church of Osric as well as any activity from the soul fragment.

“There must be something I can do...” Siegfried muttered, mulling over his options.

It was then.

“Hmm? Wait a minute...”

A thought struck him, causing him to hastily spread a map on the table.

“Lieutenant!”

“Yes, sire!”

“Request a report from the Intelligence Department at once! Tell them to list down the Zavala Kingdom’s diplomatic relations with its neighboring states!”

“Yes, sire!”

Ten minutes later...

“Hmm... Let’s see...”

Siegfried reviewed the report on the Zavala Kingdom’s diplomatic relations, and he made sure to pay attention to every single piece of information as detailed as possible.

The report showed that things were worse than what Siegfried hoped.

The Zavala Kingdom’s dominance as a great power caused plenty of grievances with its neighbors. The report revealed that there was a long-standing pattern of coercion and exploitation toward the neighboring states.

The only reason they did not go overboard with it was that they made sure not to cause any reason for the Marchioni Empire to intervene.

“This... just might work...”

Siegfried realized that he could turn the tide of this war if he rallied the neighbors of the Zavala Kingdom to his side.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If we can bring a few of their neighbors into the alliance and form a coalition to pressure the Zavala Kingdom...”

Just as he was mulling over this idea, a soldier entered the room.

“Sir Michele is on the line, Your Majesty.”

“Alright, tell him I’m on my way.”

Siegfried headed straight for the communications room to discuss his new plan with Michele.

***

— It seems things are quite difficult over there, Your Majesty.

“What’s up?”

— I have a suggestion I would like to make.

“Oh? Let’s hear it.”

— I believe... We should persuade the Zavala Kingdom’s neighboring states to join our cause.

“What? I was literally thinking the same thing just now.”

— Ah, so you indeed were. I had a feeling we would be on the same page when I heard that you requested for a report of their diplomatic relations.

Siegfried and Michele were often on the same page when it came to coming up with these kinds of strategies.

— I've also been analyzing the geopolitical landscape surrounding the Savala Kingdom.

“What do you think, Michele?”

— Based on what I gathered, I agree with Your Majesty. We should entice the Zavala Kingdom’s neighbors to ally with us. I believe it is feasible.

“Really?”

— Yes, many of them feel deeply threatened by the Zavala Kingdom’s expansionist ideology and constant encroachment on their territories. Negotiations could prove easier than we expect it to be.

“It would be great if things happen as we expect them to.”

— Please hold on for a bit longer, sire. The Zavala Kingdom will have no choice but to retreat if their neighbors enter into a coalition against them. I will do everything in my power to rally them and make them mobilize their forces.

“I’ll be counting on you. I’m glad we were thinking of the same thing.”

— But it will take some time. Even if I am successful, it will take a minimum of three days for them to mobilize their armies and pressure the Zavala Kingdom into retreating. Your Majesty will need to hold out for at least three more days.

“Three days? We’re barely holding on as it is. How are we supposed to survive three more days?”

— It has to be done, sire.

“Is there any other option?”

— I am afraid there are none. Your Majesty must hold on for three days.

“Damn it...”

Siegfried grimaced in agony. He was not in physical pain, but the thought of having to hold on for three full days was already painful enough to agonize him.

“Fine... I guess I have no other choice than to endure it. I’ll do my best.”

— I will move as swiftly as I can, sire.

“Three days. That’s all I can do. I don’t know if we can last beyond that.”

— Understood, Your Majesty.

Siegfried gritted his teeth after the call ended. He clenched his fist and swore under his breath.

“Three days. I somehow have to make it—no, I will make it through it.”

***

However, Siegfried knew that simply waiting for Michele to rally the Zavala Kingdom’s neighbors was not enough. He needed to do something no matter how small it was for the Proatine Alliance to have a chance of winning this war.

‘I have to do something... anything will do...’

With that, he requested to meet Lionbreath, the Chieftain of the Nordic Tribes, as well as the newly-recruited pilot, Cork.

“Hello, brother,” Siegfried greeted.

“Ah, my brother. What can I do for you?” Lionbreath greeted in response.

He had a bandage wrapped around his chest in what seemed to be a wound he suffered from the last battle.

“How is your wound? Is it healing?”

“This? Hah! It’s barely a scratch!”

“Still...”

“A wound like this is nothing to us Nordic people! Hahaha! Enough about me, what do you need, brother?”

“There is something only you and your people can do.”

“What is it?” Lionbreath asked, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.

Siegfried knew that they had to cut off the enemy’s reinforcements and supplies. The Zavala Forces that loomed at their doorsteps were only dangerous thanks to the endless waves of fresh troops and resources their kingdom was sending them.

Thus, he knew that their supply line had to be disrupted to put off pressure from the fortress.

“Patrol the Piaro River with our marines and disrupt their supply lines,” Siegfried said.

The Piaro River linked the Proatine Kingdom and the Zavala Kingdom, and this river served as the main supply route for the enemy. Transporting troops and supplies by water with the Piaro River was the fastest and most efficient route due to the mountainous terrain of the Proatine Kingdom.

“Perfect! My tribesmen excel in naval warfare. Leave it to us!”

“I will be counting on you, brother.”

“Worry not! We will leave at once!”

Siegfried turned to Cork after Lionbreath departed with his tribesmen.

“Do you think you can cut off their air supply routes?” Siegfried asked.

Cork was recently promoted to three stars in recognition of his contributions, and he was now a general in the Proatine Kingdom’s air forces.

“As you command, sire!” Cork replied promptly before gathering the kingdom’s air forces and taking flight.

‘I did all I could do. All that’s left is to defend the fortress,’ Siegfried thought while standing atop the fortress walls and gazing over the Zavala Forces camped in the distance. His keen vision spotted a cartload of bodies being hauled back toward the enemy’s main camp.

“Well, I guess they’re always quick to collect the remains of their soldiers—huh?” Siegfried grumbled. Then, his eyes shot wide open after realizing something.