Count Connell's premonition quickly came true. Starting from the second day of probing attacks, the army of the Holy Cross Kingdom began to suffer heavy casualties.

Under Birch Fortress, piles of corpses accumulated daily, and the corpse collectors were so disgusted they almost vomited. Count Connell repeatedly approached the base of the castle, trying to lure the defenders into launching a counterattack, but Derek remained as steady as a rock. No matter the advantage or disadvantage, he held his position and refused to move.

Derek knew that the longer the standoff lasted, the more likely he was to win. Why take risks? A truly skilled commander does not crave glory. Outsiders only see the triumph of defeating superior forces, but they do not know the dangers involved. One mistake could lead to disaster. If given the choice, Derek would prefer to fight a numerically superior enemy.

Moreover, he wasn’t idle. While the Holy Cross Kingdom played its part in the war, Derek used the opportunity to turn Birch Fortress into a practical training ground for defense. He taught his soldiers how to set up defenses, maintain morale, and what to do if they were the attackers.

"War is never isolated; we need to understand its purpose. A strategic victory is always more important than a tactical one. Look at Count Connell. Why does he repeatedly risk himself at the front lines? I guarantee that if we were to go out and kill a few of the Holy Cross Kingdom's officers, he’d be grinning from ear to ear. Why? Tactically, you may have achieved your objective. But if it results in heavy losses, with Birch Fortress falling and the loss of our lands, including the Saint-Miller province, would you call that a win or a loss?"

Derek stood atop the fortress tower, pointing to Connell's flag in the distance. "Simon, what do you think? If you were Connell, would you risk it all to serve as bait?"

Simon, who had gradually begun to understand Derek's thinking, finally spoke up, "I see it now. Next time, I can act as the bait to lure the enemy out."

Derek kicked Simon in the backside. "Connell's a fool, but you don't have to be one too. Find someone of similar build to you, dress them in your armor, and send them out with your flag. That way, there’s no real risk."

Simon and the other officers were stunned. Was this really a viable option?

"But... but that’s not honorable," Simon stammered.

"Honor or life—what’s more important? If you lie in a grave, no one will talk about your honor. If you stand before your enemy’s grave, no one will care about your honor either," Derek replied coldly.

These words were a wake-up call to the feudal knights. The shock they felt was immense. One could imagine that for days, months, or even years afterward, they would keep pondering this question.

Of course, the legacy left behind might be praise or criticism, but did it matter to Derek? Not at all.

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Derek looked toward Count Connell in the distance, certain that the man was cursing him. But would that harm Derek in any way? Not at all. In fact, if Connell was willing to pay any price to make Derek leave Birch Fortress, Derek would gladly accept.

At that moment, Count Connell had truly lost his patience.

As a noble who had risen from humble beginnings, Connell believed he had seen it all—young people making names for themselves or becoming arrogant and proud. But this Derek was different. He was impervious to all temptations. No matter how Connell tried to lure him, Derek remained unshaken. Connell even suspected that if he surrounded Derek with naked women, Derek would simply ignore them.

"Damn it! Where did this freak come from?" Connell cursed in frustration.

Now, Connell had run out of ideas. While continuing to serve as bait, he also attempted to negotiate with Derek, but his emissary was shot dead before reaching the castle. The assaults never ceased, but the defenses of Birch Fortress only seemed to grow stronger.

"Keep pressing the attack! Send reinforcements from the rear. We have about a month before winter sets in. After this year, it will be much harder to reclaim the Saint-Miller province," Connell ordered.

In just a short time, over 10,000 lives had been lost in the attacks on Birch Fortress. Despite reinforcements arriving, Connell was beginning to feel the pressure. He could not imagine how many more lives would be lost if the siege continued for another month.

Connelling even considered changing the direction of the attack, but the Perella Count in the adjacent region was equally experienced, leaving no openings for the enemy.

The war raged on. The soil beneath Birch Fortress had turned dark with the blood of the fallen. The walls were battered, yet the defenders continued to block them at every opportunity.

The fanatic attacks from the Holy Cross Kingdom’s peasant soldiers intensified, and the toll was staggering, with hundreds of lives lost every day. The soldiers were exhausted, demoralized, and the tensions within the army were palpable.

With the cold winds of winter creeping in, both sides knew that a truce might not be far off.

The good news was that reinforcements from the Rock Kingdom had started arriving in small batches into the Saint-Miller province. These soldiers, initially intended for the war against the barbarians, had changed course to take advantage of the situation in Saint-Miller.

With the situation stabilizing in the rear, Count Perella began directing small scouting parties to probe the Holy Cross Kingdom’s defenses, sending a clear message to Connell that the enemy was closing in and their chances of success were running out.

But Connell was unshaken. His resolve, built on countless sacrifices, remained steadfast. He even escalated the assault, using not only peasant soldiers but also his private army.

While this increased the pressure on Birch Fortress and caused more casualties, it was still far from enough to make Derek surrender.

As winter solstice arrived, the Holy Cross Kingdom’s army launched a desperate assault, fighting ferociously for three days and losing another five to six thousand men without achieving any results.

After a month and a half of siege, something finally changed in the enemy camp.

"The Holy Cross Kingdom bastards are finally retreating," Simon sighed with relief, his desire for battle slowly waning.

The retreating Holy Cross forces appeared disorganized, and there were even signs of internal unrest.

"They’ve lost two or three tens of thousands of men. There’s no way Connell can keep control over them," Derek speculated, knowing full well that Connell would probably be blamed for the defeat.

"Should we take advantage of the chaos and launch a night raid? We could attack before dawn and perhaps catch the entire enemy force off guard," Simon suggested.

The knights under Derek had grown considerably stronger over the past year. They were now ready for a new challenge.