The battle within the walls reached its conclusion in roughly two hours.
To put it simply, the Aiwood Kingdom Army had emerged victorious.
Every last warrior of the Foreign Tribes who had breached the interior had been eradicated. Once the main gate was sealed with earth, the tribesmen outside had spent some time searching for another way in, but they eventually withdrew—perhaps deciding that further attempts were futile.
Though the result was a victory, the cost to the Aiwood Kingdom Army was steep.
The surprise attack had claimed the lives of many. Comrades who had shared a laugh only yesterday were gone today. The heavy, irreversible finality of death pressed down on Rest’s heart.
Because enemy spies had managed to infiltrate their ranks, a meticulous sweep and investigation were conducted throughout the fortress once more.
It was discovered that the infiltrators were actually half-bloods—hybrids of the Foreign Tribes and humans. They were the descendants of women abducted during past raids on human villages, sent specifically because their appearances were indistinguishable from any other human. They had blended into the fortress and waited for the signal to open the gates from the inside.
"We managed to thwart the enemy’s scheme and deal them a significant blow. However, the damage we sustained is equally severe. We have lost far too many good men."
The day after the raid.
The key figures of the fortress gathered in the conference room after finishing the grim tasks of post-battle logistics and clearing the corpses. It was the same room they had met in on the day of their arrival, but the atmosphere was noticeably different. There were fewer people now; several field commanders had perished during the chaos of the breach.
"To suffer such a disgrace before reinforcements from the Royal Capital could even arrive... I clearly misjudged the enemy," Bareia Catreia spoke somberly.
As the supreme commander of the fortress, the burden of failure and the weight of the casualties rested squarely on his shoulders. Believing that his own oversight had caused the loss of life, his expression remained grim.
(I don't really think it was his fault, though. No matter who was in command, I doubt an infiltration like that could have been avoided,) Rest thought.
The attack had been meticulously planned and executed. The aerial assault by the Winged Race had served as a distraction for the approach of ground forces concealed by magic. Meanwhile, warriors who looked perfectly human had been planted inside to open the gates.
Rest didn't believe Bareia had been negligent. The man had given Rest a bit of trouble over the Yuri situation, but as a commander, his orders had been sound. Even the sentries had done their jobs. The blame didn't lie with any single individual.
(Was the attack on the day we arrived actually a reconnaissance in force? Were they just testing us to see what kind of war potential we had?)
If that was the case, Rest realized he would need to significantly revise his estimation of the Foreign Tribes. Because they were described as living in uncivilized lands, he had assumed they were a savage, unrefined lot. Their physical traits—resembling birds or insects—and their lack of armor had led him to believe they were capable of nothing more than a mindless charge.
(The enemy is far more clever than I anticipated. But more importantly...)
"I thought the Foreign Tribes were unable to use magic?" Rest said, the thought finally reaching his lips.
The attackers had been completely invisible until they were on top of the walls. He was certain that was a magical effect.
"Count Clover. You’ve touched on the very issue," Karyus Catreia replied.
"I had the same concern, so I've been interrogating the prisoners. You remember the Ogrekin boy you captured? He claimed that a 'Sorcerer' had cast the spells on them."
"A Sorcerer...?"
Rest recalled that the boy had used that same word to describe him.
"I haven't squeezed every detail out of him yet, but it seems there are indeed mages backing the Foreign Tribes. In fact, it sounds like they aren't just cooperating—they're the ones issuing the orders."
"Are these Sorcerers distinct from the tribes themselves? Could they be human?"
"We haven't confirmed that much. If you're curious, Count Clover, perhaps you should try speaking with the captive yourself."
"I understand. I'll do that."
It felt a bit awkward to go and interview someone who had tried to kill him—someone he had personally bound and captured—but the mystery of the Sorcerers pulling the strings from the shadows was too great to ignore.
"We must overhaul the fortress's defensive doctrine immediately. We will begin discussions on that now," Bareia declared, taking the lead.
Until now, their strategy had been predicated on the assumption that the Foreign Tribes possessed no magical capabilities. With mages now confirmed on the opposing side, every protocol had to be fundamentally reevaluated. The men in the conference room remained deep in discussion until late into the night, hashing out the details of their new defensive plan.