The Herb King

"Is Aethelwolf here?" Julie Irish asked Duke Baron.

The Duke was a bit surprised when Julie Irish called Aethelwolf by his name in such familiarity. Looking at the veiled woman in front of him, he shook his head and said. "You missed him, Miss Julie, Sir Aethelwolf isn't here anymore. He left a few days ago." He then paused and put on a grave look as he muttered. "I suggest you stay inside the capital for now, Miss Julie. There will be a huge battle soon and this place would be dangerous for you two." He noticed that Julie Irish brought her younger sister with her and found the matter troublesome. These two weren't part of the army, but he couldn't tell them to fuck off because of their important status so he could only politely ask for them to leave.

Julie Irish noticed the solemnity in his voice so she didn't make things difficult for the Duke. She only came here to look for Aethelwolf anyway and since he wasn't here, there was no need for her to linger. "In that case, I hope that your army will emerge victorious, Sir Baron. I shall take my leave now. Farewell." She elegantly curtsied to the Duke before she left with her younger sister, Grace.

Duke Baron stared at their figure with narrowed eyes.

Julie was only in her early twenties according to what he knows, but he sensed danger from her, but the more mysterious thing about this woman was her power. He couldn't discern it at all. "She must be in possession of a tool that hides her power." He muttered to himself. He was already a late stage Level 4 Esper and he was only a breath away from the peak stage. It was impossible for him not to see through someone's power unless they were much stronger than him or they were in possession of an item that hides one's power.

After ruminating for a moment, he turned around and headed back to his tent. He still had more important matters to take care of and he didn't have the time to ponder about the secret of Julie Irish.

Meanwhile, outside the army camp, Julie Irish stared into the distance. Suddenly, her eyes, the only ones visible on her face, flashed with a cold glint. "It looks like Sir Baron will have a tough battle today..." She muttered silently. She then grabbed her sister and said. "Let's go back home."

Grace nodded her head right away when she noticed the grave look in her sister's eyes.

***

George Dustin received the news from Lexter that Lion City had already sent more than half of their soldiers to Vale City.

When he heard this, he was ecstatic and he immediately led his army to charge straight to Lion City and they arrived late in the afternoon.

Soon, the sound of the war horns echoed when the Dustin Empire's army reached the capital. They could already see the tall walls of Lion City and the fearsome weapons installed on top of the walls.

George Dustin stared at the figure standing on top of the wall. He had a buff figure and was wearing a full set of black armor. "Baron, the General of the Black Lion Army and the man they call the Shield Duke." He muttered in a cold voice.

He then turned his head to his soldiers and shouted. "Don't move closer and stay out of the range of their catapults and ballistas! Watch out for their arrows!"

He organized his soldiers according to a preplanned strategy. He didn't want to make a mistake or he would be a laughingstock in the whole continent. Although they hold a huge advantage in numbers, he didn't underestimate the defensive abilities of Lion City. The Leone Empire stood strong after numerous wars because their capital, Lion City, was never breached.

After organizing his troops, George Dustin told his subordinates. "Send twenty thousand infantry soldiers to wear off the enemies! Let them use a battering ram to destroy the main gate!"

"Yes, Sir!"

His subordinates quickly disseminated his orders to the troops and not long later, the war drums and war horns echoed in all directions as the infantry troops of the Dustin Empire started their attack.

Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu!

Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu!

Duke Baron immediately commanded his subordinates to fire the catapults and the ballistas after seeing that the enemies were within their range. "Fire at the areas with more enemies! Don't let them get near the walls! Archers, ready! Release your arrows as soon as they enter your range!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

The moment his words fell, the archers on top of the walls quickly nocked their arrows while eyeing the advancing troops with cold and tense gazes.

Most of the soldiers under the Duke were elite veterans so they weren't nervous in the face of so many enemies. However, there were some new soldiers who recently joined the main army and they felt anxious as they stared at the army charging toward them.

At the top of the wall, a young soldier was shakingly holding his bow and he had trouble getting his arrow nocked because of the intense shaking of his hands.

Smack!

He felt a strong slap to his back which immediately made him regain his senses. When he turned his head, he saw a middle-aged soldier with numerous scars on the exposed portion of his arms. "Pull yourself together, boy! We are at war! One mistake and it will cost you your life! Think about the family and friends you've sworn to protect!" The veteran shouted in his face. He could even feel the other party's spittle, but the veteran's words made him forget his fear.

Seeing that the young soldier had somehow recovered, the veteran grinned before he shouted. "Now, nock your arrow and aim at the bastards below us!"

The new soldiers quickly adapted to the battlefield because of the help of the veterans. They were still a bit nervous, but it didn't affect their judgment.

Soon, a rain of arrows and stones blotted the skies.

Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu!

Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu!

Most of the infantry soldiers sent by the Dustin Empire were only normal soldiers so they quickly succumbed to the fierce bombardment of range weapons. The others who managed to somehow get away with their lives, charge straight into the main gate to set up the battering ram.

"Throw boulders and molten iron at those guys! Don't let them breach the gate!" Duke Baron shouted. They had to act like they were in a tough fight so he shouted with more urgency. The low-ranking soldiers were unaware of the plan so they were feeling tense. They were severely outnumbered by the two hundred thousand enemy soldiers and it was only a matter of time before the main gate would be breached. They even had to place soldiers in the gates in case the Dustin Empire decided to attack them in all directions.

At this moment, Lion City only had ten thousand soldiers protecting the main gate and it was proving to be tough for them. Even after the fierce barrage of their ranged weapons, the enemies showed no signs of stopping their charge. They were also trying to break the main gate with a huge battering ram.

Seeing that the main gate was about to break apart, Duke Baron sent a Level 4 Esper to destroy the battering ram. The person he sent was quite brave and he even went down the wall with a jump.

Bang!

He jumped straight into the battering ram, immediately breaking it into pieces with his downward momentum. He wasn't even injured after such a fall. The Level 4 Esper then took out his weapon and killed the soldiers who got in his way. After slaying those soldiers, he entered the partially opened main gate to take a quick break. The main gate was then hurriedly closed the moment he entered.

In the distance, George Dustin still looked calm after seeing this. "Send two more battering rams and tell our cavalry to charge as soon as the main gate is breached!"

"Yes, Sir!" The messenger left right away.

George Dustin then shifted his gaze to his close aide and said. "Tell our Ice Wyvern Battalion to attack the eastern gate. That area is the least protected part of Lion City. They shouldn't have any problems breaching that side. Once they enter the capital city, let them head straight into the imperial castle and abduct the members of the Leone Imperial Family!"

"Yes, Sir!"

After his subordinates left, George Dustin turned his gaze in the direction of Baron. He could still see the lofty figure of the man on top of the walls. "That guy would be a good slave warrior..." He chuckled coldly.

He coveted Baron's strength and he wanted to get his hands on this powerful fighter.