Chapter 311

“What the heck, are they firing ballistae or something?!”

“How can the ballista’s shots be this fast?! That’s impossible!”

The panicked Suin let out a scream. It wasn’t the first time they’d seen those massive arrows humans used. They’d faced the giant mechanical crossbows, ballistae, several times at the northern wall.

Sure, they were powerful, but with a firing rate of over twenty seconds per shot, there was plenty of time to close in. Even if hit, the wounds were no worse than a stab from a sword. The real threat wasn’t the concentrated force of the projectiles but the wide-range slashing attacks.

But the arrows flying now were on a whole different level. Power, destructive range, even the firing rate—everything was off the charts.

Of course, it made sense. Unlike ballistae, which required cumbersome cranking to reload, Milia simply had to draw and release her bowstring like she always did. And since it was fired by human hands, she could apply techniques to amplify the power.

Spiral Arrow.

The massive arrow, enhanced with rotation, created a swirling airflow. It didn’t just pierce its target—it completely tore through everything around it.

“Who cares what it is! Counterattack! Aim for that watchtower!”

Three catapults remained. As the Suin frantically adjusted their angles, another arrow flew in, scattering a bloody mist.

“Gaaah!”

“Fire! Shoot it down!”

In retaliation, an ice projectile arced over the wall.

—

“They’re countering faster than I expected.”

Milia, taking a deep breath, nocked her fourth massive arrow.

The giant bow, twice her height, creaked as it bent. The surrounding soldiers couldn’t hide their amazement. It was a sight they’d never seen before. Archers who reached master-level proficiency were rare.

In fact, aside from elves, no human had achieved such a level in decades. Sure, there were those with talent in archery, but the Empire of Knights didn’t hold them in high regard. At best, bows were soldiers’ weapons. Even knights who occasionally used bows treated them as secondary.

Only the eastern forces, who had to deal with the Ka`har, paid some attention to archery. But even they preferred training heavy cavalry over mastering the bow.

Thus, few knew the true power of a master archer. Except for those witnessing it here today.

“One shot will hit directly. Everyone, be careful.”

With that, Milia twisted the bowstring. Her cold gaze fixed on the incoming ice boulder.

The ice from the north was as hard as rock, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be shattered.

Milia lifted the bow slightly and released the fully drawn string.

– Thoooom!

The sound of the bowstring was almost like an explosion. The intense recoil sent a gust of wind, fluttering her clothes. Milia’s body slid back slightly.

The fourth arrow shot forth like divine thunder.

Even those without ears winced at the deafening roar. The ice boulder shattered into dust upon contact with the arrowhead. The falling ice fragments scattered the moonlight, sparkling brilliantly.

“Now’s the time!”

Milia sharply called out, stepping back from the watchtower window and lowering her stance. She had successfully intercepted one ice boulder, but another was approaching the watchtower unimpeded.

Unfortunately, there was no time to fire a fifth arrow.

“Everyone, get down! There’s still one more shot!”

The soldiers hastily crouched and flattened themselves. They didn’t think that one shot would bring down the watchtower, but a catapult shot was still a catapult shot. If unlucky, shrapnel could pierce through them. And if they didn’t want to fall like the soldiers on the wall, they had to brace for the impact.

“Magic Corps! Protect the watchtower!”

Karl shouted, turning to the magicians. Though he was stunned by Milia’s power, he didn’t forget his duty. The magicians, following orders, unleashed their spells using the mana they had gathered earlier.

A sphere of flame melted the ice, while a gust of wind from above altered the projectile’s trajectory. The ice boulder, now half its size, grazed the watchtower and embedded itself in the ground. The soldiers inside the watchtower sighed in relief.

Milia stood up again, drawing her fifth arrow. She had twenty-five arrows left—more than enough targets. Killing them was easier than hunting kobolds. And more fun, too.

“Being a master is amazing. Did Hashalleur feel like this too?”

A faint smile crept onto her lips.

—

“Charge! The prey is right in front of us!”

Though the catapults they had worked so hard to bring were being destroyed, it no longer mattered to the charging Suin. They ran forward, toward the enemy, until they lost their heads and fell on the snowy ground.

The humans began to pour their attacks toward them.

“Fire! It’s time to pay back the debt from the North Wall!”

The ballistae lined up on the walls unleashed a barrage of giant arrows. Unlike the North Wall, there were only sixty of them, but unlike before when Ryurik’s assault left no time to use them, now there was plenty of time.

“Kyaaak!”

Sixty giant arrows pierced through the unfortunate beastmen, pinning them down. The struck beasts fell backward, bleeding. Unlike Milia’s sniping, the best they could do was take down one beastman at a time, and even then, only the hybrids died instantly.

“Spread out and charge! Once we stick to the walls, the ballistae are useless! Ryudmila, can you intercept?”

“I can, but isn’t that side more dangerous?”

Ryudmila, running alongside Ryurik, pointed toward the watchtower. To her, one arrow from there was more threatening than sixty ballistae. Right now, they were targeting the catapults, but with only one left, it was clear they’d aim for them next. A giant, swirling arrow that only a grand warrior could handle.

“I’ll handle the sniping! You focus on destroying the ballistae!”

“If you say so.”

Nodding, Ryudmila drew a spear from her back and raised it above her shoulder. Her right arm bulged noticeably. She was confident in ranged combat too. Unlike cumbersome bows, javelins were a tool she could use even in the northern snowfields.

“Kyaaaah!”

The javelin shot out like lightning. The steel spear shaft soared diagonally, piercing through a ballista that peeked over the wall, tearing off the upper body of the soldier aiming it.

“Bullseye!”

“Of course.”

Ryudmila brushed off Abigail’s excitement and immediately drew another spear. Seven spears hung on her back, and not just hers—her warriors carried them too. All of them were weapons meant for her.

The ballistae began to fall one after another under the relentless barrage of javelins. The magicians tried to block them with barrier spells, but their defenses couldn’t hold against a grand warrior’s javelins for even a moment. Even attempts to alter the trajectory with wind magic were futile against the speed.

“Ugh…!”

Meanwhile, the fallen beastmen slowly rose, gripping the arrows embedded in their bodies. The barbed arrowheads were hard to remove once lodged, but they gritted their teeth and yanked out both arrow and flesh.

Grimacing and groaning, the beastmen stood up again. Though the silver arrows hindered their regeneration, as long as it wasn’t a fatal hit, they could still move.

—

“Grand warriors… truly a pain. What can we do?”

Karl clicked his tongue as he watched the ballistae being destroyed helplessly and turned to the magicians.

“Stop the defenses! Don’t waste mana pointlessly! Abandon the ballistae! Prepare offensive spells!”

Karl gave up on the ballistae. If the magicians couldn’t stop them, there was no other way.

“Ballista crews, fall back! Don’t stick your heads out! Archers, commence firing! Sir Noah! Prepare your men! They’ll reach the walls soon!”

The ballistae hastily retreated behind the walls. At this point, they couldn’t fire downward anymore, but it was better than being destroyed uselessly. If they preserved them, they could still use them against enemies who climbed the walls.

“Paladins, prepare for battle! Priests, grant them the Miracle of the Silver Moon!”

Noah, a high-ranking paladin of the Menes Order, drew his sword and shouted. There was still some time before the enemies would climb, but considering the agility of the beastmen grand warriors, it was necessary to prepare early.

“Mirror of dreams illuminating the night sky, bestow your light upon them!”

Like a moon rising over the land, a silvery radiance brilliantly lit up the walls. The Miracle of the Silver Moon, manifested by the priests of Menes, enveloped the knights. The paladins also cast the Silver Moon upon themselves.

The Silver Moon. A miracle that imbues weapons with the power of Menes, blocking the regeneration of beastmen.

This single miracle was enough for the Menes Order, lacking proper ranged attack methods, to rise as the foremost order in the north. Once the effects of the Silver Moon became known, even the once-dominant Bølberg Order was swiftly overshadowed.