The story continues with Yory killing a female ghoul and shouting to nearby knights, "There is a damn knight injured, move your arse!"

A knight nodded and rushed toward the wounded, dragging him out of harm's way. A female knight said to Yory, "They are entering the damn gate and the passage! We will be cornered if we stay here!"

Yory shouted back, "No! Keep pushing until reinforcements arrive! And someone shut that damn gate!"

In front of the southern gate, the adventurers fought bravely, hired by Falkor to defend the city. The guild of adventurers and magicians had allied with Falkor, while some ghoul adventurers chose not to join the conflict, demonstrating their peaceful intentions.

At the eastern gate, Falkor fought alongside a young elf and a sturdy old dwarf wielding a massive hammer. The dwarf bellowed, "Falkor! Have that purse of gold ready when we're done here!"

Falkor snapped at the dwarf, "Focus, old man!"

The dwarf frowned and retorted, "You bastard! I'm only seventy!"

Outside the city, Joe and a handful of knights fought the ghouls with ferocity, as soldiers fell on both sides. Seeing what remained of his forces, Joe shouted, "Retreat! We need to shut that damn gate!"

The knights pulled back with Joe, who glanced at Boris's injuries and said, "Boris, if you're feeling worn out, let me know. You're a friend."

As Boris ran toward the gate, he cast a fierce glance at Joe, clearly disliking the sympathy and wanting to be treated as a warrior. Sensing this, Joe grinned and called out, "Old habits die hard. Now show me what makes you demon horses special!"

Spurred on by Joe's words, Boris picked up speed, leaving the other knights behind as he raced toward the gate.

When Joe arrived, he saw Yory decapitate another ghoul while commanding the knights. Dismounting from Boris, Joe sprinted toward the stairs leading to the walls. A young ghoul leapt at him, but Joe quickly raised a scroll and shouted, "Earth magic: ağırlıq!"

The young ghoul got hit by a part of the wall that moved fast and crushed the ghoul's head, leaving him on the ground unconscious.

Joe got up and saw a few ghouls and knights fighting. He took advantage and pointed his scroll toward the portcullis wheel and shouted, "Earth magic: Kökdən çıxarılma!"

After that, the portcullis wheel started moving and in a few seconds, it uprooted from the ground and fell on three ghouls that were under it. Without the portcullis wheel, the gates fell on the ground, blocking the gate, and Yory shouted, "Kill them!"

The knights and ghouls entered a fierce battle, while the rocks kept hitting the walls. Yory noticed it, and Joe shouted after killing a big ghoul, "Yory! This damn wall will not stand!"

Yory nodded and shouted, "We need to push them toward the passage!"

The knights pushed the ghouls towards the passage. They were successful until Duskfang entered the fray. With swift movements, he thrust his sword into a knight's chest. Despite the mortal wound, the knight clung to Duskfang's blade and struck him with a dagger. Duskfang didn't flinch, beheading the knight before moving on to face more adversaries. The ghouls grew stronger, spurred by Duskfang's resilience.

After a prolonged struggle, half of Daekrahm City's forces arrived, tipping the balance. Duskfang and his forces were forced to retreat beyond the city walls.

On the other side, the ghouls breached the gate, leaving Christana, Eyva, and Falkor drenched in blood as they battled alongside elite knights.

Christana cried out, "There is no end to them!"

Eyva dispatched another ghoul, declaring, "Sister! Another damn wave!"

Falkor directed archers to target the ghouls and instructed the knights to hold their ground.

To the south, Yory fought valiantly outside the walls. Joe's warning echoed, "More are coming! They're putting up a fight!"

Yory pondered, *What do they want? They're attacking as if they seek death.*

His gaze turned towards the temple, untouched by the chaos. Yory mused to himself, "The ghouls spare children, that much we know. But why spare the civilians?"

At that moment, Yory observed the ghouls' organized formation and their strategic advances. He recalled the ghouls' previous attacks on merchants and townsfolk. They killed nuns and soldiers but left the merchants unharmed.

The image of a bruised merchant in a cage flashed in Yory's mind. Unlike the tortured nuns, he was spared.

Yory commanded Joe and the knights, "Provide cover! I'm heading to the other side!"

The knights nodded and pushed the ghouls to create a path, while the wizards unleashed flames to clear a route for Yory.

Reaching the eastern gate, Yory spotted Falkor and Christana locked in combat. He called out, "Surrender! Surrender!"

Falkor dispatched another ghoul and, breathless, asked, "Surrender?... Why? What's happened?"

Yory turned to Falkor and stated, "They're not seeking revenge. They intend to conquer this city. Look at the Temple of Light; they avoided it, knowing some would remain."

Falkor, catching his breath, queried Yory, "But why? Why take the city?"

Yory replied, "I don't know much, but two things about ghouls: they spare children and they'll fight and die for their kin."

Falkor, looking at Yory with realization, added, "And they won't yield. They outnumber us and came prepared."

Yory nodded, affirming, "You can't hold them off. They have the advantage."

Falkor adopted a serious expression, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Duskfang addressed Grimscar, asking, "Lord, what's our next move?"

Grimscar surveyed the battlefield and proclaimed, "Every brother and sister that falls takes dozens of humans with them. I am proud."

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Duskfang nodded. Grimscar was poised to give orders to the wizards when he noticed the ghouls had ceased fighting. He remarked, "Interesting, indeed."

The knights cast aside their weapons and knelt on the ground, except for Christana and Eyva, who, representing the Temple of Light, would not kneel. However, they also relinquished their weapons.

On the southern front, Joe and his knights followed suit, hands raised.

The knights feared the ghouls might seize the moment to attack and slaughter them all.

To their astonishment, the ghouls didn't strike. They continued their march towards the city, Grimscar leading them. Duskfang walked amidst the knights, declaring, "Don't resist! We've won!"

Then he spotted Yory, standing with a sword among a throng of ghouls. Duskfang told Yory, "Kneel. We won't harm you."

Hearing Duskfang's words, Yory smiled. Falkor and Christana noticed his expression as he declared, "I don't kneel to anyone—neither to your young king nor to any race."

Duskfang caught a whiff of the air and remarked, "Demon, what brings you here?"

Yory grinned, replying, "Damn luck. Just damn luck."

In the temple, the little girl aided the nuns in distributing food and water to the people. One of the nuns affectionately patted her head, saying, "Thank you, you brave little one."

The girl beamed, thrilled to be of help. She ventured outside to see what transpired, hoping the battle had ceased. To her surprise, she found ghouls encircling the temple. Other nuns hurried towards the doors. The one who had patted the little girl hugged her, gazing at the ghouls, pleading, "Please, don't harm us."

The ghouls regarded the nuns, then continued on their way to the castle, causing no harm.

Meanwhile, outside the city, Grimscar approached Falkor with deliberate steps and inquired, "Is the lord of this city present? The one who goes by Yufs?"

Falkor rose and asked, "Yes, but why? Is all this for him?"

Grimscar turned to Falkor and explained, "Before the last war, my kingdom found a mountain filled with diamonds and caves overflowing with gold. We started mining and using this wealth to help our people and strengthen our economy—until we were attacked out of nowhere."

Yory stayed focused, noticing three ghouls watching him.

Meanwhile, at the castle, the ghouls broke through the doors and fought with the ageing knights who struggled to surround them. These knights were Yufs' loyalists.

Then Grimscar added, "It was a priest, a man named Gyv."

At that moment, Falkor's eyes widened in astonishment and disbelief upon hearing the name.

Observing Falkor's reaction, Grimscar remarked, "I believe you're familiar with him."

Falkor nodded, his voice tinged with disappointment, "He appeared to be a decent man, from what I knew and saw, but that was only on the surface."

Grimscar nodded solemnly, saying, "It was a massacre. No one survived. Yufs commanded killings, village burnings, women violated, and children executed. Babies were forcibly uprooted from their pregnant mothers' wombs, while the knights revelled in their cruelty."

Christana was overcome with horror and exclaimed, "Oh my... that's beyond horrible."

Grimscar affirmed, "We seek not vengeance, but rather something noble. We simply strive to reunite with our loved ones."

Falkor turned to Grimscar, asking, "So, why did you assault the city?"

After a while, Falkor arrived at the castle doors and stood beside them. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Sometimes I make the right choices, and sometimes I hope I'm wrong. Right now, I desperately pray that I am wrong."

Meanwhile, Yory turned to Grimscar and asked, "Why did you retreat in the last war? What made you surrender?"

Grimscar gazed at Yory and replied, "Something more precious to us than gold and diamonds."

Back with Falkor, hope still lingered that this might be a misunderstanding and that Gyv and Yufs were noblemen. But the harsh reality hit him when female ghouls emerged from the castle, along with many children and elderly ghouls, shielding their eyes from the sun. They wore tattered clothes and appeared emaciated from hunger and lack of clean water.

Falkor watched as the ghoul soldiers reunited with their families, some lifting their sisters, mothers, and sons—who had been prisoners for years—into the air with joy, while others cried tears of reunion.

At the same time, Grimscar explained to Yory, "They took our families from the villages they destroyed, using them to force us into surrender and shame."

After the ghoul families had left the castle, Duskfang emerged, holding Yufs and Gyv as captives, their bodies marked with blood from their resistance.

Seeing Falkor near the doors, Yufs shouted in desperation, "Falkor! Help us! Save us from these savages!"

Falkor looked away from Yufs and watched the ghoul families moving toward the city centre. He then turned back to Yufs, his face burning with anger, and said, "You're responsible for all of this. Every life lost, every brave knight who fell in this battle—it's all on you, Yufs!"

Enraged, Yufs shouted, "You traitor! I did this for my people! For the greater good!"

Falkor turned to Duskfang and said, "Let him go."

Duskfang looked at Falkor and nodded, "We need him alive."

Yufs was freed, but as he tried to escape, Falkor landed a strong punch to his face, knocking him out and scattering a few of his teeth on the ground.

Falkor instructed Duskfang, "Thank you. You can take care of the wretch now."

Duskfang nodded, then seized Yufs by the arm and began to drag him away, Yufs crying out and Gyv pleading for his life.

As night fell, the people laboured tirelessly, ferrying their fallen knights to the city. Ghouls gathered their fallen comrades in carts to return them to their kingdom.

Grimscar had departed hours earlier, taking Gyv and Yufs to the kingdom to deliver them to his father, the king.

Meanwhile, in Daekrahm City, Joe rested while Yory searched for the little girl. After much effort, he entered the temple and smiled when he saw her offering water to the wounded. Yory felt a flood of emotions, from relief to pure joy at the sight of the girl, safe and sound.

When she noticed Yory, she rushed towards him, arms outstretched for a hug. Yory reciprocated, embracing her tightly.

Afterwards, the little girl used her hands to communicate her experiences in the battle. Yory nearly understood every gesture, and they both laughed together, a moment of pure happiness, akin to that of a father and daughter.

Yory said to her, "You may not speak, being so young and untaught, but I know your understanding goes beyond many. I'm happy that you're safe."

The little girl smiled, taking Yory's hands and planting a kiss on his forehead. Yory, in turn, kissed her tiny hands and asked, "Do you have a family or a place I can take you to?"

The little one maintained her smile but shook her head in refusal. Yory gazed at her and suggested, "Little girl, there's a kind man named Rod who loves to help children, and there's a temple where I have a few friends who can take care of you."

The little girl beamed and clapped her hands in delight. Yory, also smiling, added, "Now, I'm going to fetch my cart and speak with some people. You stay here and rest, because you deserve it."

The little girl nodded and headed to one of the beds to rest alongside the other children. Yory exited the temple, soon crossing paths with Eyva.

Eyva greeted him with a smile, and Yory responded with a respectful nod. He asked, "You... Eyva, right?"

Eyva nodded, confirming, "Yes, we've crossed paths but never had a proper conversation."

Yory grinned and stated, "I need a favour. See that girl over there, the one with the short brown hair."

Eyva looked over and recognized her, commenting, "I remember her. A ghoul brought her here."

Yory nodded and requested, "Please take care of her, I have things to attend to."

Eyva agreed, saying, "Yes, of course."

As the night progressed, people continued their efforts. Yory searched for his cart, hoping it hadn't been damaged in the battle.

After a while, a knight named Vox guided Yory to his cart. Yory thanked him with a smile, saying, "Thank you, Vox."

Vox nodded and returned to his duties. Another knight greeted Yory, and Yory responded, "You're still alive, Arp."

Arp nodded with a smile before moving on. Then, a female knight called out to Yory, "I'm still alive, you rascal!"

Yory smiled and replied, "Dyta! I hope your mother is well!"

Dyta grinned and assured him, "She's alive! See you later, Yory!"

Yory smiled and proceeded to check his cart, making sure nothing was missing or damaged.

Later, Joe found Yory while riding Boris. Joe smiled and commented, "You know, if I'd known this would happen, I'd never have agreed to come to this city."

Yory laughed and remarked, "Neither would I, but it doesn't matter, because we're alive."

Suddenly, Joe's expression turned serious, and he said to Yory, "Where's the captain? I'm going to break his legs when I find him."

Yory's cheerful demeanour vanished, replaced by a steely gaze. He responded, "We'll find him, then I'll make him suffer, slowly."

Joe nodded and went his way, while Yory continued to inquire with knights and civilians about the captain's whereabouts.

Unbeknownst to Yory and Joe, consumed by their anger towards the captain who had endangered them, they had unknowingly forged deep connections with people and knights through their bravery in battle. They had earned the respect and camaraderie of many, both in times of war and peace.