Thump. Thump.
The Revolutionary Army marched forth.
They cleared the Darkwood and emerged into the open plain that led to Thelma’s walls. Steadily, rhythmically, they kept moving forward. They were an unstoppable wave.
There was a surety in their movements, a fluidity, that they had lacked even in the best training conditions.
Some of it, Leonard knew, was because of him. [Halo of the Righteous] was a mighty spell, considered to be Master tier only because it was generally used on oneself, which was what most Paladins capable of casting it did. In his hands, it had quickly reached the Champion tier.
The paladins of the Whiteguard would have a conniption if they knew he had cast their trump card on more than a thousand people, most of whom were lowborn and barely had a few weeks of training.
But it wasn’t the only reason. The power of his words had been enhanced by magic, but Leonard could feel in his men’s hearts that they, too, believed that their cause was just.
The men marched with confidence because they knew they were fighting for a better future. That winning would tangibly improve their lives.
They reached Thelma’s walls in short order and stopped just outside archery range. Not enough that a Master couldn’t hit them, but sufficient for the rabble De Hoop had gathered to defend himself.
Speaking of the man, Leonard could sense him lurking behind the battlements, likely waiting for word to come about how things were developing.
Well, that won’t do. I need him here to clarify further what we are fighting against. Slavery is an odious thing, but these people are used to it. Having a sneering, pompous noble shout at them will enflame their spirits.
“People of Thelma!” Leonard roared, enhancing his voice magically so that everyone, even those hiding in the cellars, would hear him. His presence bore down on the entire town like a heavy cloak. “My name is Leonard Weiss, and you know me as the Hero! I have come today to free you from the yoke of tyranny! Your Mayor, Dandelion De Hoop, ordered the 104th Army Corp to march on Alpar and slaughter its citizens. Knowing the order's folly, the good soldiers laid down their weapons and joined hands with us! I ask you to do the same! Surrender, and we’ll embrace you like brothers. We’ll free you from your chains! For justice! For freedom!”
A roar of approval rumbled from his men. They stamped their feet, beat their chest, and yelled their agreement with such enthusiasm that there could be no misunderstanding as to what they believed.
As he expected, it didn’t take much for the Mayor to come huffing and puffing. He was smart enough to have brought his slave guard and a mage, an elderly Expert who must have been capable of casting [Protection from Projectiles].
De Hoop gestured angrily at the old man to do something, which took an entire minute to complete. Finally, Leonard saw a simple voice enhancement spell snap into place.
That is little more than a cantrip. Has Amelia exterminated anyone capable of decent casting? No, it’s more likely that this elder just enjoys taking his time and humiliating the mayor. He probably knows already that his stronger colleagues are gone, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he tried to show us he’s on our side…
“You lying cur!” De Hoop’s reedy voice finally came through. The man wore luxurious clothes made from fine wool and light cotton threaded with silver, likely worth enough to feed a family for a year. On his head sat a felted hat with a single purple feather sticking out, as was the trend in southern countries.
Considering his short stature and red complexion, he didn’t cut the sight of a powerful naval commander he no doubt aimed for.
De Hoop kept rambling, his face contorted with fear and defiance as he addressed Leonard from the relative safety of the walls. "You bring war to our doorstep and call it freedom! You’re sacrificing the lives of everyone following you because of your self-righteous morals from another world and your greed for power. No matter which it is, you’ll regret it!”
Standing firmly with his forces arrayed behind him, Leonard lifted his chin slightly, his gaze unwavering as he met the Mayor's accusations with a calm, authoritative tone. "Freedom is worth fighting for, Mayor De Hoop. Even if it means the end of every one of us. Every man and woman who marched with me is ready to die for the cause. And that is exactly why we will win.”
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Around him, the soldiers shouted their assent, their commitment palpable in the air, in contrast to the tense apprehension that seemed to emanate from Thelma’s walls. The uneven mixture of the town guard, the few local knights, and the mayor’s rabble-rousers didn’t seem confident in their chances.
De Hoop's eyes flickered with uncertainty, his confidence shaken by the resolve of the assembled army. He turned to the elderly mage beside him, his voice a sharp whisper, though the distance made his words indistinct. After a brief exchange, he faced Leonard again, his expression hardening into spiteful resolve. "Very well, Hero," he spat the title like a curse. "We shall see what you can do, blocked outside Thelma when the Royal Army comes tearing down the Darkwood. Raise the wards!”
The elderly mage took out a large crystal with trembling hands - unknown whether from age or the gravity of the situation - and began to chant, his voice a low murmur that crescendoed into a commanding shout. A shimmering barrier started to form, visible only by the way the air seemed to distort, a wave of silver energy that climbed high above the walls, sealing the city with a protective dome within a few seconds.
As the wards rose, sealing off Thelma from the outside world, Leonard turned to address his troops, unfazed, rallying their spirits. "Look around you, brave souls!" he proclaimed, gesturing towards the walls and the magical barrier that now crowned them. "They build walls not to keep us out but to hide from the change we bring! They shield themselves from the truth of their corruption and the strength of our cause!”
His words stirred a renewed vigor among the ranks who had fallen silent at the display of magic, a chorus of agreement rising from the soldiers, their armor clanking and weapons raised in solidarity.
"We do not fear their barriers, for our cause will break down anything that stands before us," Leonard continued, his tone imbued with a touch of mana to ensure the men didn’t lose their nerve, "We fight not just for Alpar, not just for Thelma, but for the very soul of our land. Stand with me, stand for freedom, and together, we will make these tyrants answer for their oppression!”
It was the most Leonard could say that would still have an effect. Oh, when he first arrived in Haylich, he tried to teach the locals modern values, but they simply lacked the cultural basis to understand what he meant.
That wasn’t to say they were stupid. Most commoners were at least minimally literate, thanks to the hard work of the Temples, and the invisible presence of the System ensured everyone’s mind didn’t dull with disuse. It made for a very different population compared to the pre-modern ones of his original world.
Which meant that they could be taught. Leonard just needed to lay the basis for them, and his people would do the rest. At least, he hoped so. Otherwise, he might be forced to be more direct.
As his rousing speech echoed across the battlefield, a sudden, piercing scream erupted from within the walls of Thelma, slicing through the momentary stillness that had fallen over the armies. This scream was quickly followed by more - chaotic, desperate cries that cascaded over the ramparts and spilled into the ears of those assembled outside.
The men on the walls looked at each other in confusion. Technically, they had achieved their goals. The ward had been lifted, though Leonard questioned how they could believe such a feeble protection could hold him for long, and with the Mayor’s declaration, all knew reinforcements would arrive in time.
Sieges were dangerous, but they weren’t the end of the world. This should have been a moment of watchful relaxation.
Instead, chaos erupted from the inside. The very lack of care for the lowest people that had brought Leonard here was what would lead to the fall of Thelma.
The effect was immediate. After barking orders to try and bring sense to what was happening, the mayor's face, previously masked with a veneer of smug assurance, drained of color, his eyes widening in shock as the reality of the internal rebellion began to dawn on him. The once cocky demeanor melted away, replaced by a trembling fear as the sounds of uprising came ever closer.
Watchmen and knights scrambled to the stairs, knowing that if they allowed the slaves to take them, they’d be penned in and slaughtered one after the other.
The old mage dropped the crystal, which clattered loudly against the stone. Without a backward glance at his nominal liege, he turned and shuffled away at a surprising speed, disappearing from view, his robes billowing behind him.
The only person who seemed to maintain her calm was the mayor’s slave guard. Leonard had read enough reports about her to know she was supposedly the best fighter left in the town, so he could understand why she wasn’t worried. A single Expert could easily handle hundreds of Apprentices and at least a dozen Journeyman tier slaves. It would honestly be a bloodbath. But something told Leonard that the reason the half-orc was so calm wasn’t that.
Inside Thelma, the atmosphere had explosively shifted. The previously subdued and controlled environment was now a hotbed of chaos. Slaves, spurred into action by Amelia’s covert preparations and their own pent-up frustrations, had seized the moment. Their rebellion, fueled by years of oppression and sparked by the promise of Leonard’s revolution, materialized seemingly out of nowhere, overthrowing what few guards remained away from the walls and seizing control of key points within the city.
It wouldn’t take a genius to understand that the local powerhouses had been murdered and that the town had been infiltrated by a mage powerful enough to remove the slave collars. But considering the chaos gripping the defenders’ ranks, that conclusion wouldn’t arrive soon.
Back outside, Leonard watched the unfolding drama with grim satisfaction. His face was set in determination, and he stepped forward, his soldiers rallying around him, their faces alight with the fire of revolution. They, too, could hear the cries of rebellion, the sound acting as a potent reminder of why they fought.
Raising his sword high, Leonard channeled a flicker of his power, focusing on the shimmering barrier that stood between him and the city. The sky blade greedily absorbed the Light he fed it, becoming a radiant beacon. Men screamed joyfully at the sight and prepared to charge despite the wards still being active.
With a mighty shout, Leonard brought Dyeus down in a blinding arc of light.
The ancient wards, already destabilized by the mage’s abrupt departure, shattered under the force of Leonard’s strike. Designed to hold against local pirates for a few weeks, they could do nothing against the concentrated power of the sky blade.
A shower of translucent, intangible crystals rained down upon Thelma. The blow had been so devastating that the wards couldn’t even activate their contingency, especially with no one to direct them. Usually, the explosion that followed their destruction would be enough to discourage most from making the attempt, but Leonard had obliterated the magic so deeply that the protections fell with a whimper.
The Revolutionary Army roared at the sight. Without needing to be directed, every soldier started running toward Thelma, fully intending to scale the walls if needed.
Before the first could attempt to, the main gatehouse was abruptly pushed open, a familiar figure welcoming them.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/FF8NYrFw/persimmon0-beautiful-woman-with-purple-eyes-and-long-dark-hair-feb18bae-eae0-4f4a-af9a-7dd6a1aa387b.png]
“Take the town!” Amelia ordered, and the men obeyed, bellowing their excitement as they streamed in unopposed.