In the eyes of most humans, the Orc Highlands was a barren land of magic. However, to the defending army of the Northern Lands, this statement was obviously far from the truth. In their eyes, the Orc Shaman and Witch Doctor were the most troublesome spellcasters.
The former were adept at communicating with the Elemental Spirits, triggering various natural phenomena to launch powerful attacks, or providing support to their companions. Their magic consumption was low, and the effects were obvious. In some aspects, their attack power was not inferior to that of a Mage. In terms of support ability, they were not inferior to a Priest or a Holy Knight.
Furthermore, as the Shaman was adept at cooperating with their companions, they had a unique advantage in guiding strategic magic. That Earthquake Spell was basically the Orc's only ultimate weapon when attacking a city.
But on the other hand, as a huge threat and did not have as many life-saving spells as a Mage, if a Shaman were to be caught by a strong melee combatant …
"We can give him ten seconds to beg for the protection of Mother Earth, five seconds to pull out his weapon, three seconds to pointlessly resist or chant an incantation, and the last second to end him."
"Every minute, there are fourteen Shamans being killed! Please do not kill Shamans recklessly, and support the Shaman's Earth Drift Spell (Random Teleportation) Instantaneous Casting Act! And support the abolition of the Shaman profession! — Shaman Self-Help Foundation. "
Not mentioning the obvious weakness of individual combat power and the messy criticism, the Shaman being able to be the first target in a battle proved that he had powerful support and long-range attack abilities. These just happened to be what the Orc race, which was good at melee combat, lacked.
If the Shaman was the best combination for the Orc warriors on the battlefield, then the Witch Doctor would be the strongest support profession. They were adept at concocting poisons and antidotes. They were adept at all kinds of curses and sorcery, but they were also adept at dispelling curses and healing the wounded.
Although their treatment methods were somewhat ridiculous, after all, regardless of whether it was a cold or a headache, they were all treated with bloodletting, which was really horrifying. Although most of the medicinal ingredients that they concocted were unknown to them (Most of them were dried lizard powder, pitch-black grass roots and other unexplainable materials), but in the highlands where there was a lack of medicine, they had indeed saved many lives. (The losers had already died. Naturally, the dead could not complain.)
Spellcasters were always scarce, and it was even more so in the Orc tribes.
For the Beastmen, who were good at producing muscular warriors, it was difficult to find a Beastman with a good mind, not to mention that they needed talent in casting spells. In every tribe, these two spellcasting professions were extremely rare and precious. Shamans and Witch Doctors had high statuses in the Beastmen tribes, and there were many who held the position of Chieftain.
But now, the precious shamans and witch doctors had become handymen, checking up and down the altar, and the angry onlookers even started to whip them.
"Damn it! We were already so careful, how could there still be a problem? "
Émont Bloody Axe of the Blood Axe Tribe had a pale face. The sacrificial ceremony was hosted by his tribe, and most of the elite shamans and witch doctors of the Blood Axe Tribe had been involved in it, and countless sacrifices had been used. However, the result was still the same, which was really frustrating.
Did he fail? No, that wasn't it either. At the very least, the orange-red brilliance around the warriors that brought warmth to the flames was proof of that.
Did he succeed? Of course not. The tightened brows and troubled expressions of the various Chieftains explained everything. At the very least, the results were far from what they had expected.
"My Lord, the results are out. The blessing should be considered a success. It is indeed able to resist the cold, but …"
Even though the old Shaman reported as such, no one relaxed because of it. That was because at the crucial moment of the ceremony, the glorious flames were suddenly interrupted, and the Demon Lord's angry rebuke echoed in everyone's ears.
"You actually dared to use such filthy sacrifices to obtain my blessing! You actually dared to place false souls on my altar? You are blaspheming and challenging my dignity! I curse you all, curse you all for your imminent destruction. You actually dared to deceive the Demon Lord … "
Realizing that there was a problem with the sacrifices she had provided, the furious Demon Marchioness immediately unleashed her wrath. The massive flames transformed into a giant flaming statue wielding an angry halberd, bringing destruction to the camp. The opened Demon Gate further indicated that the Demon army was about to arrive.
Fortunately, the old Shaman who presided over the ceremony cut off the connection with the Demon Abyss in time, allowing the Demon Marchioness' flame incarnation to return to the elements and shut down the Dimensional Door. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be a matter of the blessing failing. The entire camp might even be destroyed by the enraged Demon Marchioness.
To think that the ceremony didn't fail under such circumstances. The various Chieftains revealed surprised expressions.
"Hmm? The blessing didn't fail? "
Émont was even more surprised. He knew that Eliza wasn't easy to deal with and he was already mentally prepared for failure.
"The effects of the blessing aren't complete. It can probably only resist the cold for a short period of time. Judging from the rate at which the elements are fading, I'm afraid that the blessing will fade in at most thirty days."
Hearing that, all the chiefs breathed a sigh of relief. When the ceremony failed, everyone was prepared for the worst. Although the blessing that was expected to last for three months was reduced to less than a month, it was still much better than the worst-case scenario that they had originally expected.
"Have you investigated the matter regarding the sacrifices? Which tribe dared to cheat at such a crucial moment! I'm going to hang their Chieftain's head on the flagpole as a sacrifice to the flag! "
Émont was furious. He almost missed such a rare opportunity and even offended a Demon Lord. There would be trouble in the future.
Demon Lords were famous for their service. It would be rare if they didn't look for trouble. If they wanted their help, other than serving them well, they would also have to pay an expensive 'appearance fee'.
The strongest currency in the Lower Plane was the souls that originated from the Upper Plane. In order to please the Flame Sea Marchioness, the sacrifices this time were the best slaves of the various tribes.
The ceremony wouldn't fail for no reason. Demon Lords were famous for being temperamental, but they disdained lying and deceiving. (They would make a move if they didn't like someone. They would snatch whatever treasure they wanted.) Since the Demon Lord was dissatisfied with the sacrifices, it was most likely that there was something wrong with the sacrifices.
"This …" The old Shaman of the Turtle tribe was hesitant. However, when he saw the doubtful gazes of the Chieftains, he knew that he had to say it. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and speak.
"The sacrifices have all been consumed, but the blessing wasn't complete. If it wasn't for the insufficient amount of souls in the sacrifices, we wouldn't be able to explain the partial loss of power. The sacrifices are gone, so there's no way to investigate. However, judging from the time when Lady Eliza started to get angry … it was the time when the sacrifices of the Blood Axe tribe were being sacrificed! "
Immediately, Émont, who was questioning the Shaman furiously, became speechless. Something actually happened to his tribe?
The surrounding Chieftains looked at Émont with unfriendly gazes. They also remembered that the direction of the roar of the Flame Giant Statue was coming from the encampment of the Blood Axe tribe. Yet, Émont said it so confidently. Wasn't this a typical case of a thief crying thief?
Unknowingly, the seeds of discord had already been planted. The alliance between the tribes was mostly based on prestige, and the successive defeats were undoubtedly the greatest blow to Amon's prestige. In the eyes of those with ulterior motives, Amon was already beginning to lose his position as the Great Chieftain, which allowed him to command hundreds of people at his beck and call.
For the time being, let's not talk about the seemingly peaceful Chieftains. In fact, after the temporary interruption of the sacrifice, a certain will had already descended. The actual sacrifices had been embezzled and used for other purposes.
At this time, the altar was already in chaos. In the midst of the sacrifices, a fiery red shadow was walking from illusion to reality.
She smelled the cold air that was finally devoid of the smell of sulfur. A familiar smile appeared on her pretty face. Just like the incarnation of Lady Storm in the City of Rain, the silver-haired demoness had secretly descended into the mortal world in the form of an incarnation.
"Master, did you miss me? Are you ready to welcome me? I said I would launch a surprise attack. "
…
In an era where large-scale aerial battles were not yet possible, the most important factor in a land battle was the advantage of terrain.
Kamo's Tear, rebuilt from the original site of the Mist Country's West Steel Fortress. This super fortress was surrounded by danger on both sides. The thick and heavy walls were actually covered with expensive magic alloys. The moat was filled with specially made unfreezing oil. As long as it was ignited, the sea of fire would burn for more than two months before the reserves of oil in the fortress's canals ran out.
One-third of Sleuweir's military strength was gathered in the city. More than forty percent of the Spellcasters were released. There were nine large-scale Mage Towers and more than thirty medium-sized Mage Towers. The heavy cannons and fire ballistae on the wall near the Beastmen's Gorge were so numerous that it would cause people to have trypophobia. After more than two hundred years of painstaking construction, it had become one of the few fortified cities in the continent.
As an impregnable fortress, it had firmly locked down the pass for several hundred years. It was said that its construction had even received the support of the various countries in the north and the human superpowers.
Ever since it was built, the walls that even giants were unable to scale became a huge threat to the Beastmen Plateau. The Beastmen, who lacked siege equipment, were indeed helpless against it. It was simply a dream to think that they could take down a fortress of this scale with just a few flying tribes and aerial cavalry. Even the previous Great Chieftain of the Beastmen Alliance had died under the walls.
But if I had to say, this was a wrong decision from the very start.
"Is there any fortress in this world that is impregnable? Even if you can defend against conventional troops, can you defend against the assassinations of top-notch experts and the bombardment of Forbidden Spells? Putting all your resources in one basket is a wrong decision. Even if your fortress is impregnable, I can just go around you. Even if there isn't a ready-made path, isn't it enough to just open up a new path? "
Back on Earth, the Maginna Defense Line had already proven just how foolish this immovable and fixed defense line was. But in this world, the military academies in the continent still viewed fortress defense as a classic and conventional battle tactic. Sleuweir was also a practitioner and beneficiary of the fortress doctrine. And after this lesson, it was likely that all the military academies would treat this battle as an important case study — a case study on the foolishness of being overly superstitious about fortified fortresses.
This time, the trade and exchange agreement that Sleuweir had just signed less than a month ago was instantly torn apart. The Beastmen came without any warning and were abnormally fierce.
The Earth Elemental God Ömdiroken was much more low-key than his colleagues. He only used a local high-intensity earthquake to change the terrain, creating a long and narrow exit in the highlands. This caused the fortified fortress to become the eyes of the Subterrane Dwellers — a mere decoration.
The Beastman army directly charged into the heart of the Sleuweir Kingdom and then split into four groups to attack the various cities. The Blood Axe Tribe led nearly half of their tribe to attack the capital of the Sleuweir Kingdom, Antoon.
In order to create more chaos and restrain the armies of the various domain lords, more than a hundred groups of Wolf Riders began to ambush them. In a situation where everyone was in danger, the various domain lords naturally gathered their troops to protect themselves. Less than a month after the start of the war, Antoon was already in dire straits. Sleuweir's demise was faster than anyone expected.
But at this moment, I felt rather helpless.
It wasn't that I didn't want to do anything. It was just that the first snow after returning to the Donglan Principality had arrived. Even though I had expected it, it still came at the wrong time. At this moment, there were too many things that needed to be done. Without a doubt, it was the worst time for snow to fall.
The winter in the Northern Lands was unusually fierce. The heavy snow outside the window had already covered the entire Diffindor. If one stepped on the snow, the snow would be half a meter deep. There weren't many pedestrians on the streets.
Going out in this kind of weather was practically a disaster, not to mention marching. The horses would sink into the snow the moment they stepped out of the house. The rapid loss of temperature would cause precious war horses to die mysteriously.
According to the unspoken rules that gradually formed in the Northern Lands, when a country was attacked by the Beastmen or other foreign races, the other countries would provide some aid, be it material support or simply sending troops to aid. In the past, the country that enjoyed this kind of treatment was the Kasomi Dukedom. But this year, it was undoubtedly Sleuweir.
But it was a pity that this heavy snow that affected most of the Northern Lands countries changed everything.
The material couldn't be delivered, the reinforcements were stuck on the road, and the Beastmen were attacking the cities in the snow. This was a situation that made people feel hopeless.
The cruel natural environment was fair to the enemy. In previous years, the day when the snow sealed the mountains was also the day of truce. After all, to the warriors, dying on the battlefield was a long-cherished wish. To freeze to death on the battlefield was already a grievance. This kind of meaningless death always made people want to curse the family of the commander.
But fortunately, as the Fire God's Blessing faded earlier, the Beastmen were forced to start shrinking their territory. They used the cities that they had conquered as their base, slowing down the speed of their attack.
In fact, even without Eliza's Fire God's Blessing, the war would have broken out much earlier.
On the other hand, when Eliza's name was repeatedly scolded by the higher-ups of the Beastmen, Almont and his Blood Axe Tribe also suffered from the accumulated hatred and anger. While their reputation plummeted, they began to be marginalized by the main forces of the allied forces.
From a certain point of view, the Beastmen's allied forces split into four. This was a strategic consideration, but it also showed that Almont, who didn't have enough prestige to begin with, was unable to control the situation.
At this moment, the other three tribe leaders all had tribes supporting them. Who would become the future Beastman King would depend on the results of this war.
Everyone knew that the war couldn't wait until next spring. The human countries couldn't just watch as Antoon fell and Sleuweir perished just like that. When the snow stopped, as long as the army could be mobilized, it would be the start of the war.
As the war would start in the cold winter of the Northern Lands, and it was a war that involved the survival of the entire race, this war would definitely be exceptionally cruel. There would be many non-combat casualties.
At this moment, I was also busy with military affairs.
"Has Hoyle's news arrived? How's the progress of the mine exploration? "
Every single Gray Dwarf was born to be a good miner. Their natural talents were the ability to move underground and their perception of gems. Hoyle, who was a grandmaster blacksmith among the Gray Dwarves, had an incomparable sensitivity to minerals.
Regardless of whether it was foreign trade or domestic military use, the newly born Donglan's demand for minerals was endless, especially when many of the newly established armies were still using wooden training weapons to make up the numbers. A large number of military weapons would be the foundation of Donglan's rise, and the weapons had to start from the mines.
This was basically the lifeline of Donglan's future. Even now, when the war had broken out, I still treated it as my top priority.
When I returned to Diffindor in advance due to the war, I sent Hoyle and the other Gray Dwarf blacksmiths to the barbarians' territory to explore the mines. If even he couldn't find a mine, then there was no hope for the human miners.
"Good news! That mountain range is indeed a rich mine. We have already found two mines of fine iron, one mine of magic iron, and two mines of gems. However, if we want to mine them, it won't be a problem that can be solved in a short period of time. Lord Hoyle has requested for the help of heavy machinery and spellcasters. He even specifically requested for the Beyar Brothers to help him. "
"Blow up the mines? That seems to be the only method that will be effective in a short period of time. Alright, send the Beyar Brothers to help him, but tell him to be careful and not to get into conflict with the local barbarians. They're all stubborn, and offending them once is the same as offending them for life. "
"Yes, Your Highness. We'll pass on your message. In that case, the next important task is regarding the new army's designation and flag … "
The various assistants went back and forth to search. The accumulated military affairs had already crushed their desks, and countless troubles appeared one after another.
Even though I didn't have any intention of interfering with government affairs, just the military affairs alone were enough to give me a headache.
Every time this happened, I would miss Eliza immensely. After all, everyone else could only play a supporting role, but Eliza, who I had raised up by myself, had the ability to deal with things that were in no way inferior to my own. She could easily toss all the troubles to her and slack off.
Alright then, Eliza was still in the Chaos Abyss, so there was no point in thinking about such things. Let's first focus on the troublesome matter before us.
"Antoon's situation isn't good. It's likely that the city will fall at any moment …"
After all, they were all from the same origin. Even though he was filled with dissatisfaction and displeasure at the mention of that country in the past, upon seeing it fall, this young assistant felt uneasy.
I nodded my head, indicating that I understood, but I fell into deep thought.
Saving them was a must. Even though I was dissatisfied with their royalty, I couldn't bear to watch as the Mist Citizens of the same origin were slaughtered. Furthermore, if Sleuweir were to fall, the next one to be embroiled in the war would most likely be Donglan, and Donglan clearly wasn't prepared for an all-out war.
Even though I had to save them, I had to pay attention to the method of doing so. I had to be of use in order to gain some face among the other countries and win the initiative in the future diplomacy of the Northern Lands. At the same time, I couldn't just swallow my own pride and shake the already limited resources of Donglan.
After a long while, I finally came to a decision.
"Send a letter to Antoon. As a neutral country, if Donglan wishes to participate in the war, we have to come up with a sufficient reason for them to take the initiative and publicly request for reinforcements. Right, we also have to submit an application to the Churches of the Gods. Un, an application for us to send troops to help them defend against the invasion. Only then will Lord Wumianzhe acknowledge the necessity and justice of this war, and only then will we send troops."
"Didn't you say that I was a fake not long ago? You accused Donglan of lying, and even announced it to all the kingdoms and churches. Let's see how you will slap your own face till it's swollen. Un, make the first part public so that the other countries can understand the new system of Donglan. As for the latter part, just throw it to that Füml Caso, 'His Majesty the King'. "
Since you want me to save your life, then lower your head and reflect on your actions. First, take back what you spat out. Swallow it all yourself!
I wasn't worried at all that Füml wouldn't lower his head. After all, Antoon's current situation was already quite dire. In the face of life and death, many people would become much more honest.
"Hmph, what an exquisite irony. Just a moment ago, they said that I was a fake, and now, they actually turned around and asked for reinforcements from a fake. In the end, the ones who would come to save me would most likely be the 'Demon Army' that they were talking about."
Thinking about it for a moment, under the current circumstances, the most suitable main force for reinforcements would still be my undead army that didn't fear the cold. In the previous announcement, those fellows directly referred to me as the Demon Army. They didn't even try to hide the helplessness and disdain in their words.
"We can't waste such a good opportunity for a Winter Hunt. We can use it to train our troops. Every Knight, bring along two retainers. Get those lads to prepare themselves. We'll set off once the snow stops! "
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