Duke Fernandez had quickly absorbed a wealth of military knowledge, so he was far from an outsider when it came to tactics.

Standing at a carefully chosen observation point, he raised his whip and pointed toward Birch Fortress.

"This is about 500 paces from the walls, and the best archers can only shoot about 400 paces, so it's the ideal distance for observation.

And with your cavalry in position to support, and infantry formations on standby, we need not fear a sudden assault.

What do you all think—am I right?"

"Your Grace is brilliant, just as you say. The troops here are nothing but experience-based, no other explanation needed.

Once you've experienced it yourself, you'll understand everything," one officer replied.

"Hahaha, stop flattering me. I still have a long way to go."

Duke Fernandez chuckled, pleased that his hard work hadn’t been in vain—he had indeed learned much.

Meanwhile, atop the walls of Birch Fortress, Adrian spotted the group of Duke Fernandez in the distance.

Without a doubt, they were prime targets, and Fernandez himself was likely among them.

The commanders of the Holy Cross Kingdom were no fools; their arrangements were thorough.

Based on previous experience, this distance seemed quite safe.

The elite knights inside Birch Fortress could shoot arrows, but their range topped out at about 420 paces.

However, using crossbows, it was possible to shoot an astonishing 700 paces.

And crossbows—this deadly weapon—had never been used in this world before.

This meant that the past experiences of archers were now irrelevant.

A 500-pace range was still well within the effective kill zone.

Though producing crossbows was still somewhat difficult, it was far simpler than crafting the strong bows that took years to make.

Adrian himself commanded a squad of 100 crossbowmen.

"Take aim. If we kill Fernandez, I’ll personally commend you and might even grant you a knight's domain. It’s not impossible."

At the thought of a noble title, the crossbowmen eagerly took aim.

Meanwhile, Duke Fernandez remained blissfully unaware of the danger.

Even the flag representing his noble status still fluttered in the wind.

If Adrian managed a successful surprise attack, the entire course of the war might change.

The soldiers on the walls made some adjustments, and although they could vaguely see some movement in the distance, no one thought much of it.

Could the people of the Lock Kingdom really shoot arrows from such a distance?

It wasn't until the crossbowmen took aim that a few officers began to feel uneasy.

Before they could figure out the source of their discomfort, the whistling of arrows shattered the air.

"Down!"

Quick-reacting knights tackled Duke Fernandez to the ground, drawing their small shields to protect vital areas.

The buzz of arrows filled the air, with the sound of metal and flesh colliding, and the screams of wounded horses and knights.

Among the casualties were several unarmored aides, who fared even worse.

The crossbowmen of the Lock Kingdom didn't stop at one volley; another wave followed, then another.

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When an opportunity arose, the surviving knights desperately pulled Duke Fernandez away, retreating at full speed.

The knights behind them soon realized something was wrong and spurred their horses to follow.

"Your Grace, Your Grace!"

"Where are the shield bearers? Where are the shield bearers?!"

Flags were skewed, and everyone was in a panic, with chaos breaking out.

If Duke Fernandez had died here, it would have been an eternal joke.

As it stood, everyone in the vicinity had already begun to think about fleeing to foreign lands.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn't unfold. Although Duke Fernandez was badly shaken, he only suffered a few superficial injuries and was unharmed by the crossbow bolts.

The knights had reacted quickly enough to prevent a disaster.

However, at least a dozen knights and aides had been killed in the attack.

Having just arrived on the battlefield, even with the protection of his army, Duke Fernandez had already tasted the blood and fear of war.

It was as if those arrows were a reminder not to underestimate the brutality of war.

This game could swallow anyone who entered it at any moment.

Under the crossbow’s fire, all lives were equal.

Covered in the blood of his knights, Duke Fernandez had regained control of his emotions.

Though his heart still raced uncontrollably, he knew he couldn’t afford to panic in front of his soldiers.

"Alright, I’m fine. Thanks to the loyal and brave knights. I will reward you all."

He paused for a moment, calming himself before continuing, "Now, let’s prepare the camp. The northern knights live up to their reputation. This lesson from Viscount Derek was truly eye-opening. Hahaha!"

Duke Fernandez laughed for a moment, then went on, "We’ll rest for three days and then send someone to contact the northern knight, Viscount Derek. If he’s willing to become my vassal, I’ll make him a count and grant him land and people appropriate for his rank."

Duke Fernandez had never considered directly recruiting a noble from the Lock Kingdom, as it would require a significant investment.

The lives of the lowborn were far easier to sacrifice than the expenses required to recruit such a noble.

But after narrowly escaping death, he had come to realize the value of a capable general.

This wasn’t something that could be learned by mere study; strength was required to attract such individuals.

Of course, no one expected Duke Fernandez’s recruitment offer to succeed.

Sure enough, the envoy who entered the city was soon sent back with a clear refusal.

The Viscount was firm in his response.

"Try again. Tell him my offer stands, and it's permanent."

Duke Fernandez regained his composure and made a grand offer.

He hoped that once his army pushed forward, the Viscount might change his mind.

Adrian rejected the envoy once again. He even felt a pang of temptation.

Had it not been for the fact that the offer was from Duke Fernandez himself, Adrian wasn’t sure if he could have resisted the allure of such a proposal.

"Let’s hope the Viscount won’t kill me for this," Adrian joked with those around him.

A count? A legitimate count? How many high-ranking nobles existed in the kingdom?

If accepted, the Augusta family would rise as a leader among the southern kingdoms.

With proper management, their legacy could last for centuries.

But now, Adrian had rejected it all.

He knew he would never forget this moment, even if it was only a brief experience of standing in for Viscount Derek's position.

Duke Fernandez wasn’t angry about the rejection.

After three days of rest, he made several attempts to command his forces in an offensive.

It became clear that Birch Fortress had the strength to stop Count Connor’s westward advance for a reason.

After several probing attacks yielded no openings, Duke Fernandez decided to halt the assault.

Instead, he ordered the construction of a siege ring around the fortress, building wooden walls and watchtowers.

With enough manpower, the fortress, which housed only a few thousand men, could be surrounded by ten times that number.

Duke Fernandez was convinced that with the strength of tens of thousands, they could keep an eye on the northern knight, Viscount Derek.