On the afternoon of the 1st day of February.
Huge clusters of dark clouds loomed over the skies of Alverton.
At this moment, no one could be seen on the town's streets. It was as if the whole place had been abandoned. However, there was a reason for this lack of activity.
At the western gate of Alverton, the town guards gathered atop the walls, looking in the distance with grave faces.
"Sir Ronan, our scouts have reported that the orcs will be here before nightfall." A warrior reported to the Knight dressed in leather armor with steel breastplates and shoulder guards.
Hearing this, Ronan frowned. "What about our call for reinforcements?" He asked while trying to maintain his composure.
The messenger sighed and shook his head as he replied. "There's still no news from them, Sir."
Some warriors who were nearby fell into despair when they heard this.
With more than a thousand orc warriors approaching them, all hope was shattered.
Ronan had already expected this, but he was still disappointed by the inaction of the surrounding towns and cities.
Suddenly, someone's face came into his mind.
"Wait." Ronan grabbed the leaving messenger and asked with an agitated look. "Did you send someone to North Pine Town?".
The messenger was startled, but he still responded with a nod. "Y-Yes, sir, but even if they send us reinforcements, it might take them two days or more to get here since the road is covered in thick snow."
"You're right…" Ronan exhaled a heavy breath.
Even if Lord Alaric brings the warriors of House Silversword, our chances of repelling the orc army are still slim.
His mood worsened as he thought of this.
"S-Sir, why don't we leave the town? We still have time to escape. We can bring the townspeople with us." One of the young warriors suggested with an anxious look, his voice trembling.
Before Ronan could respond, one of the older warriors lashed out. "Are you out of your mind?! You actually want to leave the town in this kind of weather! Do you know how many people will die from the cold?!"
Some warriors immediately held back the older warrior, preventing him from beating up the younger guy.
The atmosphere became more tense as the warriors argued over what to do.
"Silence!" Ronan shouted as he glared at the ones causing a ruckus.
Everyone immediately quieted down upon sensing the anger in his voice.
He scanned the faces of his comrades and uttered. "I know that the situation is bleak, but we must stay here and protect the town! The outcome of this battle will determine the fate of Alverton! We must not yield for the sake of our families!"
His words ignited the morale of the warriors.
"That's right! Since when did we yield? We are the warriors of Alverton!"
"Who cares about a thousand orcs? I can fight ten of them on my own!" Someone boasted shamelessly.
"What the fuck are you saying? Do you think you're a hero or something?" Another one laughed sarcastically.
The mood lightened a bit, but everyone knew that this was only temporary.
Ronan shifted his gaze to the distant woods as he prayed.
Aru, please give us your protection.
"Sir! Good news!" An excited voice drifted into everyone's ears.
They all turned their gazes at the man who was coming towards the western gates on a horse. This guy was one of the messengers sent to request for reinforcements. His arrival filled everyone with hope.
Ronan immediately jumped down from the wall.
Seeing this, the messenger pulled the reins and climbed down his horse. He then rushed to Ronan's side and reported. "Sir, House Paxley has sent fifty warriors including an Elite Knight! They are now heading here as we speak!"
"What?! Is this true?!" Ronan was pleasantly surprised. Fifty warriors wasn't much, but an Elite Knight was another matter. They were fearsome warriors who could fight tens of men simultaneously on their own!
"Yes, sir! This is true!" The messenger confirmed with a nod.
"Great! That's great!" Ronan couldn't conceal his joy. The warriors were also excited to hear the news and some of them even cheered.
The fifty warriors would alleviate a great deal of burden for them so everyone was happy.
Twenty minutes later, the galloping sounds of horses echoed with the arrival of House Paxley's warriors.
Leading them was a stern-faced middle-aged man with neatly combed hair.
With just one look, Ronan could tell that this was the Elite Knight.
In the next moment, the middle-aged Elite Knight raised his hand, signaling his men to stop. He then jumped down from his horse and scanned the town guards as if he were looking for someone.
"Who is the captain here?" He asked, his voice brimming with authority.
Ronan took a deep breath and stepped forward as he spoke. "It's me! I'm Ronan, the Captain of Alverton's town guards. May I know your name, sir?"
The middle-aged Elite Knight glanced at Ronan and nodded to him. "I'm Jared Paxley, the Garrison Captain of Ryvaad's main gate."
Ronan was startled when he heard the man's name. He hurriedly lowered his head and apologized. "I apologize for my discourtesy, my lord!"
"It's alright." Jared waved his hand.
"What is the situation? I heard from the messenger you sent that a large number of orcs are coming. Can you elaborate on this for me?" The Elite Knight inquired with a serious look.
They were sent here by Baron Nathan under the suggestion of the household's heir, Theo Paxley. According to the latter's reasoning, they could wash away the shame caused by Liam's crime through this event.
The baron was convinced by his oldest son's suggestion so he sent Jared to lead fifty warriors to help Alverton avert its crisis.
"My lord, you came all the way here to help us so I will be honest with you. Truthfully, we haven't ascertained the number of orcs, but based on our estimates, there are more than a thousand of them."