usenovelonline Chapter 184 : Chapter 184
Chapter 184 : Chapter 184
Chapter 184
When the frontline started to be pushed back, Ked intuitively felt defeat.
‘Each one is Squire-level. There’s no chance of victory in an all-out war.’
Even the Kingdom’s elite soldiers were swept away in vain against the Orcs wearing black armor, so insisting on an all-out war was foolish.
They needed a wall to stop them.
“Lier! We go to Lier!”
Even if it’s Count Natasha, she wouldn’t be able to ignore the Royal Army’s helping hand in this situation.
‘Because without us, they would have to block those beasts alone.’
They would have no choice but to borrow even a devil’s hand.
Ked, certain that Lier would open its gates, led all forces to Lier, but what greeted them were firmly locked gates.
“General! Lier is not responding!”
Even though the messenger shouted until his throat tore, not a single soldier appeared on Lier’s walls, which had chosen to lock the walls and hold out.
As if they had no intention of exchanging even a single word with the Royal Army.
‘Those stupid things!’
If only there was enough time, he wanted to climb over the wall and seize the entire city, but time was short.
“General! They will swarm us soon!”
Fighting with the wall behind them would block their retreat path.
“Damn it! All forces head to Obsol!”
They had no choice but to look for an opportunity even in empty Obsol.
* * *
Succeeding in retreating to Obsol while shaking off the Orcs rushing like waves was akin to a miracle.
‘Rather than a miracle, it’s probably thanks to them being full.’
The important thing was that the Legion chasing the Royal Army stopped at the border of Lier and Obsol.
The Royal Army, barely succeeding in retreat, entered Obsol and locked the walls, and simultaneously, the suppressed anger of the Southern Army burst out.
“What on earth happened here!”
“Sacrificing only the Southern troops, how can you do this?!”
“Pushing allies into a death trap, how will you take responsibility for this?!”
At the shouts of commanders dispatched from the southern noble families, Ked touched his forehead.
‘Damn it.’
His head throbbed at the united voices of the commanders.
“What on earth did the Royal Army do while over 20,000 allies died!”
“We cannot agree to a war that is nothing but such sacrifice!”
“If it’s like this, the Southern Army has no choice but to return!”
Since they were not troops summoned by royal command, they meant to pull out as the situation looked bad.
‘If I act weak here, they’ll go crazy trying to bite me somehow.’
The nature of nobles is like that.
Showing weakness is a mistake.
Showing regret is a mistake.
Ked, touching his throbbing forehead, spoke calmly to the southern commanders.
“Then please return.”
If you can.
‘If there were no sacrifices, maybe, but sacrificing that many soldiers and returning empty-handed?’
If he hadn’t sacrificed the Southern Army, those southern commanders would have turned back without lingering attachment.
But Ked used the Southern Army soldiers as disposable pawns, and the Southern Army suffered near-annihilation damage.
If they return, they would have to take responsibility for that damage.
Paradoxically, because they suffered damage, they cannot return.
They need to accumulate war merits at least enough to offset the responsibility.
“Eeeek! Do you think you can block those monsters without us?!”
“Without the Southern Knight Orders, you will never be able to block them!”
The commanders who were making a fuss about returning just a moment ago bared their teeth and growled.
‘They want fruit (results).’
Ultimately, it meant they wanted compensation since they lost something.
“Of course, His Majesty the King will never forget the merits of the southern nobles who stood on the battlefield together for the Kingdom.”
As if words alone were insufficient, sounds of ‘Ahem!’ coughing were heard.
‘Stupid bastards, did you get false courage hiding behind the wall?’
Ked, who saw the Legion, intuitively knew.
That they were never easy enemies.
Now was the time to pull out regardless of losses.
If the choice were his, he would have chosen to withdraw even bearing all responsibility, but seeing them make a fuss to recover losses somehow was pathetic.
‘Hmm… Maybe that’s actually better.’
Ked, pondering for a moment, opened his mouth with a serious face.
“If you wish, I will give you the opportunity to accumulate merits.”
At his subtle voice, the southern commanders stretched their necks forward.
“Merits……?”
“Yes. Since there’s no way they can climb over this wall, how about you stand on the wall? The Royal Army will follow behind you.”
In other words, meaning he would hand over the merits of the subsequent battle to the southern nobles.
“Ahem! Thank you for the words, but quite a few soldiers have already died.”
“Excluding the Knight Orders, the remaining troops are less than 30%, will we be able to block the entire wall…….”
General Ked nodded as if fully understanding, looking at the commanders speaking with obvious intentions.
“Of course. We will support you with the Royal Army’s heavy infantry and archers. Also, the Royal Army will stand behind you in not only the siege warfare but all future battles.”
When he spoke politely as if making a big decision, the southern nobles clapped saying good.
“Then! If only there is the Royal Army’s support, it is fully possible!”
“If the Royal Army makes such a big decision, we have no choice but to stand at the vanguard!”
Standing at the vanguard meant that many opportunities to accumulate war merits.
Ked, smirking at the appearance of commanders tainted with greed, continued.
“They seem likely to move south only after capturing Lier. First, providing sufficient rest and food to the soldiers seems to be the priority.”
When he spoke recalling the supplies obtained from Lier, the commanders readily agreed and stepped up for supply.
Once outside, they would probably chatter as if the supply was their choice. At least until the next battle, he wouldn't have to hear their voices.
Ked, massaging his throbbing head, called his adjutant.
“Current situation?”
“…Not good.”
“Naturally, it can’t be good. Being pushed back miserably in that chaos and even running away.”
“It’s more serious than that. Most of the soldiers who stood at the front seem to have lost their will to fight after seeing Orcs eating human flesh.”
“Tsk, as expected.”
This was the very cause of his throbbing headache and the reason he conceded the first strike to the Southern Army.
Putting soldiers who lost their will to fight at the front would only result in them being busy stopping fleeing soldiers.
“Among those who stood at the front, there are many who can’t even sleep. It would be fortunate if they don’t run away in the battle that will follow.”
“Tsk, pathetic things.”
The adjutant didn’t think the soldiers were pathetic.
The adjutant also witnessed the battle that was like a nightmare, and could understand the minds of soldiers crazy with fear.
Dying by sword or spear is one thing, but what soldier expects to be chewed to death by fangs alive?
“Can’t be helped, feed them plenty of alcohol and food just for today. There won’t be a battle at least until Lier falls.”
“ will it really be okay? They might ignore Lier and continue south…….”
To the adjutant’s worried question, Ked shook his head and answered.
“That could happen. However, is there any way guys who see humans as prey would pass by the humans in Lier? Citizens would be better prey than armed soldiers.”
“Hmm, that is true too. I don’t know if the comparison is right, but since domestic pigs are tastier than wild boars, they would think so too.”
It was a misconception made because neither of them knew the secret of the supplies given by Lier.
“Hmm… Just in case, split 1 division to use as a scout team and watch the situation. Also, tell commanders of Centurion rank and above to hold back a little just in case.”
“Yes!”
* * *
According to Ked’s decision, the Royal Army released supplies on a large scale.
“Drink!”
“Drink and forget!”
Even though drinking before battle is unthinkable, quite a lot of alcohol was released, and smoke from roasting meat rose from all directions.
“Is it really okay to do this……?”
“Won’t those guys chase us seeing that smoke?”
There were quite a few who felt worry and fear seeing that sight, but the flow couldn't be stopped.
“Drink! Drink!”
“Kuhahaha! Damn Orcs, next time I see you, I’ll pull out all your fangs!”
“Revenge for Ted, Hanson, and Dwick!”
“Glory to the Royal Army!”
The smell of roasting meat and the sound of clinking glasses echoed from all directions…….
- Grrrk.
- Prey, it’s prey.
It didn't take long for the remnants of mana deeply embedded in the alcohol and meat to reach the Orc Legion.
* * *
A soldier took out a waterskin from his chest and emptied it with gulping sounds.
“Kuh─! Killer!”
What filled the waterskin was Obsol’s strong liquor.
As he fiddled with the liquor skin his close friends secretly gifted him upon hearing he was chosen as a guard, the soldier next to him spoke as if he were pathetic.
“Tsk, what are you doing drinking while on scout duty.”
“Are you jealous because only I received it? I told you to live easy, you’re so stuffy.”
“Not stuffy, just following regulations. Do you think drinking during a mission makes sense?”
Looking at his stuffy friend, the soldier who gulped down the skin again giggled and said.
“Stupid guy, would the higher-ups release alcohol if there was going to be a battle? They released alcohol because they are all sure there won’t be a battle. If Orc bastards ate that much, they’ll be full for a year.”
Giggling that they might not move until next year since one guy ate two or three humans, the soldier swung his torch and continued.
“There’s a reason the higher-ups released alcohol and meat. Like giving an extra bowl of rice to a slave with dead eyes, alcohol and meat are given occasionally only to guys who look like ‘Ah, these bastards are going to cause trouble, going to desert.’”
“…Today’s supply came down to the entire battalion though.”
“Kuhuhu, so it’s a jackpot. Doesn’t it mean we all looked like crazy guys to the higher-ups? Well, it’s hard not to go crazy after seeing that sight.”
Tsk, clicking his tongue, he handed over the liquor skin and continued.
“So don’t be stuffy and just drink some alcohol today.”
Around the time the soldier next to him accepted the skin with a disapproving expression.
- Kruk.
An unpleasant breathing sound was heard.
“Wait.”
“Ah, you stuffy guy. On a day like this just……!”
And, behind the soldier holding the liquor skin, glistening red eyeballs looked at him.
“Th, This fuck! Run away immediately!”
The soldier who realized the opponent shouted urgently, but.
He was already caught in the Orc’s two hands.
- Kaduduk.
Along the neck bitten by the Orc, gurgle, gurgle, blood mixed with alcohol flowed down.
* * *
At dawn when the sun hid its traces.
Scout teams who realized the Orcs’ southward advance returned to Obsol one by one and informed the situation.
“General! General! Orcs are moving south! They say they will arrive here in two hours!”
At the adjutant’s shout, the General turned pale, jumped up, and shouted.
“Why are they here! No, call the southern commanders immediately!”
The problem was, it wasn’t just the Royal Army that held a drinking party.
And unlike the Royal Army’s commanders who prepared for emergency situations, the Southern Army’s commanders, who suffered devastating damage, drank together to soothe the soldiers.
“Wake up immediately and take up arms!”
“Southern Army climb the wall and prepare for enemy attack!”
“Knight Order! Where is the Knight Order?!”
“Wake up those who don’t get up even by beating them!”
“You crazy guy, where did you leave your weapon?! Are you going to fight bare-handed?!”
The worst, last siege warfare to remain in history began.