Aite was too frightened to move, watching helplessly as the figure turned its head towards him. He could even see the viscous fluid dripping from its grey-brown fangs.

"Don't worry, I won't eat you, awoo," the monster suddenly emitted a guttural human voice, almost making Aite scream. Good heavens, this thing can talk!

What surprised him even more was what followed. A woman jumped down from the monster's back, walked step by step to Tongshan, and after turning him over and rummaging for a while, said, "This guy's still alive. Maisie, send him to Nana Wawa."

"Awoo!" As if understanding her words, the beast raised its two front paws, grabbed the captain, and took off again, the strong gusts of wind making it difficult for Aite to open his eyes. When the wind and snow subsided slightly, he squinted and saw that the city wall was empty, as if everything just now had been a dream.

No, it wasn't a dream... The woman was still there!

The city wall was pitch black, and he could only vaguely see her figure. Although there was no light source around, her pupils emitted a strange golden glow, like stars in the night sky.

"W-Who exactly are you?"

"Reinforcements." The woman's answer left him speechless.

"Wh... What?" Aite felt that even a dream would be more realistic than this. "You're here to help me?"

"This is Roland's will," she squatted down, rummaged through the flattened corpse for a longsword, and casually shook it, not caring about the blood and flesh on it.

Aite felt something churning in his stomach. He retched twice, but nothing came out except sour liquid. Just then, shouts came again from below the city wall. Obviously, the commotion caused by the beast and its terrifying roar had intimidated the enemy—but only intimidated them. They couldn't see the amazing scene that had happened on the city wall. When the noise subsided, they began to stir again.

"The Roland you mentioned... is he the Prince of Border Town?" He wiped the corner of his mouth and asked, panting.

"Besides him, is there anyone else named Roland?" The black-haired woman began searching another corpse for a weapon. Aite simply turned his head away, not wanting to watch her actions.

"But Border Town is at least three days away from here... How could the Prince know about the noble rebellion so quickly?" Aite swallowed. "And that monster just now was..."

"That's not a monster, but a witch who has come to save you," she said in a cold tone. "I don't have time to answer your questions. Just stay quietly to the side."

Without the obstruction of muskets, this time the enemy successfully climbed onto the city wall. The flickering light of torches lit up again, but when they discovered that the only one standing in front of them was a woman, they all froze in place.

But soon, this stalemate was broken by sinister laughter.

Aite naturally understood the meaning contained in that laughter.

"Everyone, pay attention, don't get tricked by these lowly things."

"Don't worry, boss, we'll keep an eye on you. But later..."

"After I'm done playing with her, she's yours."

"Hehe... no problem."

"Q-Quickly, retreat to my side!" Aite struggled to get up from the ground, but what happened next left him dumbfounded.

A silver light flashed, and the laughter stopped abruptly.

The leading enemy was cleaved in two by the longsword, even his shield and leather armor unable to stop the blade in the slightest. He didn't even see how the woman had attacked.

When the two halves of the corpse fell down spurting blood, the smiles on everyone's faces froze.

However, this was just the beginning.

The black-haired woman took a step forward and swept the sword horizontally. He still couldn't see her movements, but Aite heard a series of sounds of flesh rubbing and bones breaking.

The remaining three people didn't even have time to react before their abdomens were ripped open.

Intestines burst out, mixed with blood, and scattered all over the ground.

"You..." Aite opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

The woman looked back at him. "Gather all your remaining companions to the city wall. Someone will come to pick you up later." After saying that, she jumped directly off the city wall.

This section of the city wall was fully thirty feet high! Enduring the pain all over his body, he scrambled to the edge of the wall and looked down. He saw that the crowd below had turned into a pot of boiling water—the woman charged back and forth, invincible, the weapon in her hand flying up and down, felling anyone who dared to stand in front of her like she was harvesting wheat.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the enemy collapsed.

They had never seen such a terrifying opponent, faster than a snow wolf, stronger than a grizzly bear. No one could survive a single exchange under her sword, unable to avoid it or block it. The nobles' subordinates fled in all directions, and the siege was lifted by one person.

She pursued the routed crowd, leaving a trail of blood. Aite sat down heavily on the ground, feeling cold sweat soaking his back.

Is this a witch?

But no matter what... he survived!

*******************

The fortress castle was brightly illuminated by dozens of bonfires. The men and horses of the four great families had surrounded it completely.

After a day and a night of fighting, the second level of the castle had also been conquered. The Honeysuckle family's rebels had now retreated to the top floor, and were believed to be enduring the double torment of hunger and fear.

Jacques Mede looked at the towering lord's castle in front of him, and felt a surge of heat in his heart.

After his father died, he had traveled a long distance from the royal capital back to the territory, just to inherit the title of Count. And now, he had an even greater opportunity.

His Majesty Teferko's secret letter mentioned that if he could control the Longsong Fortress for the royal capital, when the snow melted, the royal capital's army would rush to this place to attack the rebel king Roland Wimbledon. As long as he could completely eradicate the rebel king's power, it was not impossible for the Western Region to be handed over to him for management.

Adding the territory obtained by dividing the Honeysuckle Earl, he would become a duke in name and in fact!

Duke Mede, what a wonderful title.

And this castle would be his permanent residence in the future.

"Lord Count, the sixth attack team has retreated," a knight walked over and reported. "They said that the sound of the enemy's muskets has become much sparser. Should we send the ironclad team up?"

Jacques Mede nodded. "Go and arrange it."

The so-called ironclad team was a team specifically designed to counter muskets, generally composed of three or four people. Two people held shields that could shield the entire body, made of wood wrapped in several layers of iron, and slowly advanced, with observation slots and firing holes opened in the middle, for the musketmen to fire back. In order to make more of these shields, he painfully dismantled a dozen knight armors. Of course, the thick iron-clad shields also had the weakness of being difficult to move, and they easily became targets when going up and down stairs.

Fortunately, the Honeysuckle family wouldn't be able to hold out for long, Jacques sneered inwardly. Although the other party's reaction was a bit unexpectedly fast, and they had already transferred some patrol soldiers and knights into the castle before the four great families' allied forces stormed the fortress, they ultimately numbered less than a hundred people. Even if they were exhausted, they could kill them.

When the Fourth Prince learned of this news, it would probably be several days later.

If he made Peiluo's head into a gift and sent it to Roland Wimbledon, he wondered what kind of expression he would show?