Tale of a Hedonistic wizard-Chapter 273: Ambushed - 2

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"Pay Drasus no mind," Kaeso said in a low tone, trying to defuse the tension. "He's an arrogant prick who delights in needling anyone he views as a threat to his own power."

Jaegar said nothing, his expression remaining impassive as he stared ahead towards the looming silhouette of Stoneguard Keep.

"In any case, the man does at least have a sound plan for this assault," Kaeso went on. "According to the scouts, there's an old back entrance that the Daikrimore forces seemingly haven't discovered or secured yet. We'll use that to infiltrate the fortress quietly."

Jaegar's piercing gaze slid sideways to fix on Kaeso. "And then?"

"And then we unleash the hell-storm they've brought upon themselves," Kaeso replied, a faint smile playing across his lips.

Before Jaegar could respond, Drasus' voice barked out, drawing their attention back. "Listen up, you maggots! The plan is simple - there's a back entrance with passageways that lead right into the damn fortress itself. The idiot Daikrimore filth hasn't even secured it yet."

He jabbed a finger towards the reconnaissance scouts, who had just ridden back into camp. "These bunglers confirm there aren't even any sentries currently posted on the walls or outer defences. We'll use that to our advantage and hit them from a completely unexpected angle."

A murmur went through the assembled troops at this latest intelligence. Such blatant overconfidence and lack of basic security measures seemed strange, even for the enemy. But Drasus was already pressing on, unwilling to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The initial plan to surround the fortress had been cancelled, and Drasus had come up with his new plan of assaulting from the back entrance.

"My forces will hold here and form a defensive perimeter to cut off any chances of escape or reinforcement. Kaeso, you'll take your lackeys and circle around through those back passages. We'll await your signal to join the assault once you've infiltrated the interior."

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Kaeso ignored his verbal eye roll at being referred to as "lackeys".

It was a simple enough strategy - catch the garrison unaware and unprepared by striking like venomous serpents from the shadows. Kaeso gave Drasus a sharp nod of acknowledgement before turning his horse away.

"You heard the man. Let's move out, but keep it quiet and stick to the ridgelines for cover." Kaeso ordered his men, and Drasus will be coming with them leaving his men here. He seemed too impatient.

With Jaegar falling in among the planned infiltration troops, they set off at a measured trot. The winding path up into the craggy foothills wasn't an easy traverse, but they made steady progress. A couple of hours later, they reached the broad valley tucked against the rear side of Stoneguard Keep's outer walls.

Sure enough, the battlements appeared unmanned and ominously still. Kaeso felt his instincts prickling - this entire scenario struck him as far too convenient, and he couldn't help but wonder if they were riding face-first into a trap.

Either way, they had committed to this course of action. Gritting his teeth, Drasus gave the hand signal to his lieutenants, and they began fanning out to make their careful approach. Utilizing every scrap of covering terrain, the assault companies managed to get right up against the shadow of the fortress walls without any alarm being raised.

Kaeso and Drasus led their infiltration forces towards the rear valley that concealed the hidden entrance. Sure enough, half-obscured by windblown debris, they found a narrow opening in the rock face leading to what appeared to be an old mining tunnel.

"This must be the passage our scouts reported," Drasus muttered, eyeing the cramped space dubiously.

"Daikrimore's overconfident lapdogs probably never even thought to secure it."

"Then we'd best take advantage before they wise up," Kaeso replied. With a sharp whistle, he signalled for the troops to press forward, forming into a tight column.

The tunnel itself was barely high enough for a man to stand upright, carved with rough-hewn surfaces. They advanced slowly, the vanguard troops' hobnailed boots sending echoes clattering ahead of them into the pitch blackness.

After what felt like an interminable span of blind stumbling, a faint greenish phosphorescence began seeping in ahead. As they drew nearer, the passage opened up into a larger worked cavern with bioluminescent fungi clinging to the walls. The soft glow revealed wooden support beams and laddered shafts heading upwards.

"This must be the old mining network that riddles underneath the fortress's foundations," Kaeso murmured, scanning their newfound surroundings.

"Then we're directly underneath the inner curtain walls," Drasus realized with a grunt. "From here, we can bypass all their outer defences entirely."

They quickly located one of the laddered shafts and began scaling upwards, emerging into what looked like an abandoned storeroom on the fortress' ground level. So far, their infiltration has proceeded entirely unchecked, with not a single sentry or patrol barring their path.

As Kaeso's and Drasus' full companies poured out from the tight confines below, the two commanders shared a look filled with mutual unease. Despite their success in penetrating this deep into Stoneguard's interior, the complete lack of any visible resistance set Kaeso's instincts screaming with apprehension.

Their fears were realized a moment later as the vanguard scouts kicked open the doors that led out of the storeroom. They barely had a chance to react before a disciplined volley of crossbow quarrels and arcane blasts tore into their ranks with devastating effect.

In an instant, the storeroom had become a charnel house pandemonium. Drasus was bellowing orders, and soldiers were screaming in agony or sprinting for what little cover they could find.

Through the haze of smoke and screams, Kaeso caught flashes of Daikrimore forces swarming to counter the breach, vastly outnumbering his own trapped companies.

As chaos reigned, a mocking shout drifted down from one of the upper balconies. "How did those miserable rats manage to sneak inside the walls?"