The Alphas Revenge: The Sin of Deceit

Chapter 89: War

Kingdom of Aldrack

The scouts had spotted the army of the Kingdom of Mountel long before they arrived near the capital.

Reports had traveled quickly through Aldrack for days now. Villages emptied, gates reinforced, soldiers dragged from homes and farms, all because Mountel had finally begun advancing toward the capital itself.

At the very least, the structure of the kingdom gave them some advantage.

The capital city came first, surrounded by enormous stone walls built generations ago during another war. The villages and smaller towns rested behind the capital instead of before it, making it difficult for enemies to freely destroy everything in their path before reaching the main city.

Mountel was structured similarly.

So it wasn’t surprising when eventually both armies came face to face outside the capital walls.

From above, the battlefield looked endless.

Thousands upon thousands of soldiers stood spread across the land like waves frozen in place.

Their numbers were similar.

Terrifyingly similar.

The frontlines consisted of trained soldiers wearing proper metal armor, standing tall with shields and swords firmly in hand.

Behind them stood the others.

Farmers.

Hunters.

Boys barely old enough to hold blades.

Men in rough leather armor who gripped their weapons awkwardly like the weight alone exhausted them. Terror sat openly on many of their faces as they stared across the battlefield at Mountel’s forces.

But there was one clear difference between both armies.

Aldrack’s men looked afraid.

Many of them looked like they wanted nothing more than to turn around and run while they still could.

King Valeck stood atop the highest point of the wall overlooking the battlefield below.

From there, he could clearly see Mountel’s army continuing its slow and steady advance while Aldrack’s own soldiers remained closer to the walls.

Prepared to retreat if necessary.

Valeck wasn’t foolish.

The numbers may have been similar, but everyone already knew about Mountel’s newest weapon.

The guns.

Stories about them had spread across kingdoms like wildfire.

Weapons capable of killing armored men from impossible distances.

Weapons loud enough to shake courage out of a soldier’s chest before he even saw what killed his companion beside him.

Valeck himself had managed to obtain a few.

The cost alone had been ridiculous enough to make him suspect Mountel’s king had intentionally allowed the sale for some hidden reason.

Even after acquiring them, reproducing them had proven impossible.

Aldrack lacked a specific iron ore necessary for both the guns and the bullets. Blacksmiths and alchemists had spent months attempting to replace the material with other metals, but every attempt had failed.

The weapons either exploded, cracked apart, or became unusable.

Which meant Mountel remained the only kingdom capable of producing them properly.

And now they were marching with them directly toward Aldrack’s capital.

Still, retreating wasn’t an option.

If they abandoned the battlefield and hid behind the walls completely, starvation would eventually destroy them anyway. The kingdom didn’t possess enough food stores to survive a long siege.

Which meant this battle had to be fought.

Whether they wanted it or not.

The sound of horns suddenly echoed across the battlefield.

Long.

Heavy.

Violent enough to rattle through the air itself.

Valeck immediately straightened his posture.

Even if fear churned violently inside him, he knew better than to show it.

He was king.

And until his final breath, he needed to act like one.

Around him stood nobles, advisors, guards, and servants. Their expressions were just as grim as his own while the kingdom’s leading general stepped forward and began speaking.

"Our greatest disadvantage remains those weapons," the general said bluntly while staring toward Mountel’s army below.

"The guns."

No one interrupted him.

"But we can minimize the damage," he continued. "They still require loading after every shot."

He pointed toward the battlefield. freёwebnoѵel.com

"While they reload, we’ll pressure them using arrows and projectiles."

The general’s voice remained calm, but everyone listening understood the truth.

This wasn’t confidence.

It was desperation carefully disguised as strategy. freewebnoveℓ.com

"If we possessed as many guns as they do," the general admitted, "this battle would not concern me nearly as much."

Valeck said nothing.

Because it was true.

The general continued speaking while soldiers nearby raised flags in preparation for relaying commands once the battle began.

"Even so," the general added firmly, "I believe we can hold them back."

Or at least force them to retreat.

Valeck almost sighed hearing the words.

The general himself likely didn’t fully believe them.

If he truly possessed enough power to guarantee victory, Valeck would have gladly handed over the throne personally if asked.

That was how serious the situation had become.

Instead, they stood preparing for what could easily become a massacre.

"What about Queen Carissa?" Valeck asked suddenly.

The question immediately shifted several gazes toward him.

"Is she safe?"

Unlike the battlefield itself, there was no hesitation in his voice when speaking about his wife.

One of the nearby guards stepped forward instantly.

"Yes, Your Majesty. The queen remains inside the inner palace under heavy protection."

Valeck nodded slowly.

At least there was that.

The horns sounded again.

Louder this time.

Then finally—

The battle began.

The general quickly descended from the walls to command the troops directly while runners carrying colored flags spread throughout the battlefield.

Horns blared repeatedly from different positions, each sound carrying specific orders across the massive field.

Below, both armies finally moved.

At first, it looked almost orderly.

Soldiers advancing carefully.

Shields raised.

Archers preparing arrows.

Then Mountel fired.

The sound exploded across the battlefield like thunder splitting the earth apart.

Valeck physically flinched.

Smoke burst outward from Mountel’s frontlines.

And then men started falling.

Aldrack soldiers collapsed almost instantly, bodies jerking violently before crashing into the dirt. Some screamed while clutching bloody wounds. Others dropped without even making a sound.

Panic spread immediately through Aldrack’s lines.

The guns fired again.

And again.

The sound alone was horrifying.

Deep violent cracks that tore through the battlefield endlessly.

Each shot ripped more soldiers apart before they could even properly engage the enemy.

Archers from Aldrack released volleys in return, dark clouds of arrows soaring through the sky before crashing toward Mountel’s army.

Some soldiers fell.

But not enough.

Not nearly enough.

Mountel’s lines remained disturbingly steady.

Then another round of gunfire erupted.

Valeck watched entire sections of his frontline crumble.

Men who moments ago stood gripping swords now lay twisted across the field in pools of blood.

Fear spread faster than commands could control it. Even from atop the wall, Valeck could hear screams rising from below.

His stomach twisted violently. The reports had not exaggerated. The guns in mass were worse. Far worse.

"They’re breaking!" one noble shouted nearby in panic.

Valeck clenched his jaw hard enough to hurt.

The general below screamed orders while flags waved frantically through the battlefield attempting to stabilize the collapsing lines.

But every fresh burst of gunfire shattered morale further.

A young soldier near the front suddenly lost half his face.

Another man dropped while clutching at a hole through his chest.

Blood covered the dirt.

Smoke swallowed sections of the battlefield.

And still Mountel advanced. Steadily.

Calmly. Like predators already certain of victory.

Fear finally began sinking fully into Valeck’s chest.Not fear of losing the battle. Fear that Aldrack itself might truly fall today.