With the band of hollow knights, Granbell led one thousand cavalry men towards castle Jouragen without knowing what had been found in the carriage he just earlier departed from.
As they rode in the shadows of the setting sun twenty or so cavalry-men intercepted them
"ENEMIES!?" A knight yelled out, but quickly calmed as they carried imperial banners, "It's the scouts we sent earlier in the day M'Lord!"
The scouts approached them and rode beside them "M'LORD! We have assessed the situation at Jouragen."
Granbell nodded "Speak." Preparing for the worst.
The scout continued "Yes, castle jouragen.. STANDS!"
"Good! Good." A few officers excitedly yelled out.
The scout turned his eyesight north ""Howewer! Currently there is a battle happening just north-east of castle Jouragen. From the positions of the eastern cliffs we hurried here, M'Lord. The one fighting is none other than the aquatic private guard under the loyalty of your younger brother, Prince Erion Aldren Vermillion!"
Of course he is.. And if im right-
"They are heavily being pushed towards the castle! Their army as we have assessed is mostly of heavy cavalry men much as our own, they in.. One way or another M'Lord managed to fight in.."
"Speak." granbell calmly said, already knowing where.
"A–.." The scout looked at another one, locking eyes with a couple of them. Each refused to speak, finally he continued. "A swamp-"
As he said that, the castle finally appeared to their sights. The banners of the empire, and the banners of the northern region's army - a symbol of a wolf - still stayed high.
"A swamp!?" Halden yelled out "impossible, Jouragen has plains on three sides and a thin forest to the north! Scout, are you playing games with our lord!?"
He clasped a fist against his palm "IT'S THE TRUTH MY LORD-!! WE SAW IT WITH OUT OWN EYES-"
"ENOUGH! Scouts you have done enough, continue behind our lines towards the rest of my army. They ask for Han's and deliver him the news to order the army to slowly approach the northern forests beyond Jouragen. He will know the rest!"
Granbell yelled out as the scouts were confused but leered west and turned about face. "Understood m'Lord! We wish you luck on the battlefield!"
Granbell tightened his hold on the reins and lowered his head slightly.
"WE NEED TO HURRY! LEER TO THE EAST!"
If we don't get in trouble, not the other way around!
He intercepted around Halden and several officers who asked "East? Will we not go towards the castle?"
"Just follow me and don't ask too many questions." He answered by striking the reins of his horse several times hurrying towards the forest.
As they continued approaching, the distant screams of the relatively nearby battlefield reached them.
On the eastern gate of the castle several guards noticed the cavalry "CAVARLY TO THE EAST! I REPEAT CAVARLY TO THE EAST!" Several guards yelled out, "Wait, from the west? Reinforcements from the empire!?" One yelled out.
On the central tower of the northern gates the governess with crossed arms and a worried look catched a glimpse of the approaching cavalry.
One of her advisors gasped "Are they.. Not coming to help?"
From the eastern gates men continued giving reports as if there weren't assigned people to do so. "THE CAVARLY ON THE EAST IS LEERING RIGHT-"
The governess clacked her tongue in frustration as she turned her look back north. "What are you planning? Mr. Crown Prince of Vermillion?"
She whispered quietly so no one around her heard, one fatter advisor coughed up and asked "More importantly Madam, we haven't heard from Prince Aldren since earlier in the well.. Since morning when he left to hunt the enemy commander? Shouldn't we send letters of help to the ministers in the capital?"
"Already did."
His face paled "Then- Was that their answer? That measly force of cavalry men?"
"I doubt." She answered, remembering the night earlier when Aldren snapped after hearing his officer sent messengers to his elder brother. "That was the crown prince, Granbell vermillion"
Everyone around her straightened out "What!?"
On Granbell's side his vanguard was in front of the forest and about to enter "SLOW DOWN!" He ordered.
"SLOW DOWN, SLOW DOWN!" The orders continued down the line.
Slowly the one thousand men disappeared into the woods, and before long enough the unit came to a complete stop.
Ting
In front of them the smell of iron and blood smeared the wind while screams of pain pierced through their ears, they were on a smaller steep part of the forest where they entered.
Ting
"Terrible.. What in the world is happening?"
Ting
In front of them they saw knights kneeling, fighting themselves without enemies even being present around them.
Ting
One rolled in mud, screamed away then cut off his own arm.
They couldn't see deeper than thirty steps in as a terrible fog hid everything behind it.
"What are they doing? What in the world happened here?"
I jumped off my horse and stretched a bit "Alright! We arrived in time."
Halden also dismounted "Alright, we are here M'Lord. One thousand against.. How many? Ah- Right, we have no idea. With how many allies? Oh right, again-"
As I turned my look towards him I saw him speaking to.. A tree?
"Since when are trees young lords?"
"Pardon?"
…
Ignoring his pettiness He crossed his arms and watched the battlefield.
He had the right to be skeptical, but Granbell had a plan. Or at least half of it, the rest will be decided by RNG..
Nox.
He called out to him within his genius hoping he'll respond.
And after a few seconds, a blue window appeared in front of me with a voice ringing through my head.
'You called, master?'