Many people in Fort Ohdein were conducting business. "Selling supplies!" "Give everything your best. Hold down the fort, and destroy the Balkans guild." "Reflect all of their attacks, and do not give them an inch!" An alliance of guilds was assembled at Fort Ohdein. Originally, the Oasis Guild, Prosperity Guild, and the Wings of May Guild were allies and they captured the fort together. However, because the fort was of immense value, the Prosperity Guild betrayed its allies. The other two guilds tried to negotiate but nothing happened. The Oasis Guild consisted mainly of mercenaries who bickered about their loss, and scattered. But The Wings of May Guild, vowed for revenge as they left the alliance. In the Balkans Guild, the guild master was sharpening a knife. "We have to recover what was stolen from us!" shouted the guild leader. They had already assembled several times and tried to take down the fort, but only suffered defeat after defeat. Now everything had changed. Overcome with anger The Wings of May joined an alliance with the Balkans. So now their forces outnumbered their enemy. The fort was located on the border between Ledern Kingdom and the British Confederation. Many traders passed through its gates each day and left money in the pockets of the owner of the fortress. Both sides had gathered a lot of people, but no one could predict what would be the result. All attention was fixated on the fort. There was still two hours before the siege. The Balkans Guild slowly gathered around the fortress. Inside, the defenders were also busy. "Their army has arrived." "Second corps has gathered. Waiting for orders." "The third corps is in position." "Fourth corps ready to go." The Prosperity Guild was divided into four corps each with 3000 men. The main force defended the walls and was dedicated to fight. The second force guarded the gate in the event of its compromise. The third force consisted of archers and mages. They supported the rear and were located on the towers. The last corps was responsible for supplies and consisted mainly of fresh recruits. Also at the fort were many defending NPCs. They weren’t happy about the war, but in general, no one cared about their opinions. The guild master of the Prosperity Guild thought of only one thing, victory. If they lost the fortress, they would lose everything. Therefore, they were desperate and recruited a lot of mercenaries with compensations three times what the Balkans Guild offered. Many of the mercenaries were gathered in the back of the fort. "As expected, our job is to wait. Once the battle reaches a turning point we’ll move in. Does anyone have any questions?" After Brine’s last words, one of the generals of the Prosperity Guild, there was only the sound of clanking armor and weapons. Mercenaries checked their weapons and slowly gazed at the walls. "This is a rare sight. Look at all these soldiers." "Look at that. A flying Wizard." "Since there are so many people, the battle will be fierce…" "The Balkans have a grudge against everyone defending the castle and that includes us." "So that means we all have a higher chance of dying?" As they waited, the soldiers talked. The Prosperity guild promised each of them 10 gold for participating, 5 more gold per kill! And 20 gold if they stayed alive! True, the last two only applied if they won. But many soldiers actually gathered not just for money but for the lull of battle. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! There somewhere behind the walls of the fortress, drums and horns sounded. "They’re coming." Wizards and archers took position, while below them stood the mercenaries. The ground started to shake as a large number of people marched. "Iron Cross Knights, defend the fort against the Balkans!" "The enemy is coming!" "That’s it, it has begun!" Mercenaries jumped from their seats and gave a shout. "Urrraaaaa!" "Kill them all!" "Defend the fort, don’t give in to the invaders!" The mercenaries, hearing the sounds of drums and horns shouted loudly and happily shook arms. They were all excited but there was one man who continued to sit. Theodore went up and approached him. "It looks like you’re scared. Don’t worry, it’s nothing. Everyone gets scared their first time," he said confidently. Theodore was an experienced soldier who had faced many battles. So he tried to calm newcomers to demonstrate his superiority. "Oh it’s starting?" the bewildered newcomer said, looking around. "Yes, wait, are you making something, a doll?" Theodore leaned over and looked closer at what he was making. It appeared he was making a butterfly from a branch cut from a tree in the fort. The Iron Cross Knights. They were a source of terror to their invaders. Now the situation changed, and they were fighting to retake the fort; nevertheless, there was none equal to the knights. The knights stood on a hill at a distance and followed the general course of the battle. Everything would be decided in the second wave and that would be when the knights would enter. The guild master of the Balkan Guild shouted out: "Soldiers! Companions! Here they come! We will retake our fort!" With his words, hundreds of warriors moved in to attack. It was an incredible and menacing sight; everyone in the castle could feel the tremors they made. "Fireball!" "Aimed shot!" The mages and archers on the walls fired at the invaders. However, the attacking army was so large it looked like pebbles being thrown into an ocean. In retaliation, spirits and golems were sent. Assassins having infiltrated the fort, cut the throats of magicians. Ladders and ropes filled the wall. Ballistae and trebuchets rained boulders and iron shells upon friends and foes. So far, all attempts on the fort were unsuccessful because of its strong defence. But now, with the support of new allies and enormous amounts of money, some spent on siege weapons, they finally gained enough strength to become a threat. All throughout the fort, fights broke out; it was a magnificent battle. The mercenary troops under Brine joined the battle 4 hours later. The walls of the castle had already fallen to the Balkans. However, the cost of their success was paid by the scores of soldiers’ blood. Almost a third of their archers and NPCs were killed in combat. The Prosperity Guild had no regrets about spending money to protect Ohdein. But now, after much fighting their forces seemed equal. The invading troops headed to the Training Hall, which was located next to the mercenary forces under Brine. "Everybody, please stay where you are." Even without words, everyone knew that there was nowhere to run. The mercenaries were at a stalemate. Their enemy was just ahead; therefore the soldiers menacingly brandished weapons, mostly swords, axes and spears, and waited for the enemy's attack. Weed was among them. "This is great, too." He had already seen several battles for the fort on TV, but now he was personally involved. And it was great. Terrifying sounds came from all sides: the buzzing of deadly spells, and the screams of dying people. It was all real. A cold sweat trickled down his back. Even when he played Continent of Magic, he never took part in a siege. This would be his first real experience. Only because of his desire to return to his sense of combat did Weed decide to plunge into the bloodiest battle available. Even with his eyes closed he could feel killing intent. When the mercenaries began to attack, he immediately covered his face with a wooden mask in the shape of a butterfly about to take off. "Oh-ho. Time to meet your maker. Ahahaha! Power Attack!" The warrior swung his wide blade… Bam! Weed easily repelled the sword. All worry gone, he only saw the enemy. Just by looking at his shoulders was enough to predict his attacks, and then counter. "Engraving knife technique!