Cold Bay Castle, half a day before its fall.
Having received early news of the impending attack from the Fungus Castle vanguard army, the lord inside did not hesitate at all. Orders for battle preparations were passed down one after another, making the entire castle seem like a giant beast newly awakened, slowly tensing every muscle.
The defense magic array on the city walls operated at full capacity, with light blue patterns flowing across the brick surface, lighting up nodes every several dozen steps.
Soldiers crowded behind the battlements, tightening and relaxing their grip on their weapons repeatedly.
Even Gray and Ke, who previously were responsible for inspections, were no exception, having been enlisted into the overseer teams by the nobles.
While patrolling with the overseer team, Gray noticed something.
The walls were lined with soldiers, but their positions were carefully arranged.
