It was almost late at night when they arrived at the Mar Highlands. The silver moon hung high in the sky, casting a veil of moonlight over the mountains. The forest was silent, covering the mountains on both sides, but at the intersection of the foothills, the place where the river flowed opened up, forming a wilderness.
The students of the Royal Knight Academy planned to scout the terrain during the night, but they were stopped by Brando. Brando told everyone to rest on the spot, and set up the defense in the early hours of the morning. The noble's private soldiers were fine, after a night of walking, they were already exhausted. They praised Brando's orders, but the young students could not help but have some complaints. How could they set up the defense without scouting the terrain? Even the simplest defense line had to be adapted to the local conditions. It was written clearly in the infantry manual, what was the commander thinking? But military orders were like mountains, and everyone was destined to sleep with doubts.
It was the season when the snow had just started to melt, and the forest at night was especially cold. Due to the lack of preparation, the cadets usually only had a thin blanket on their bodies. One could imagine how cold it would be in this kind of temperature. Brendel saw that many of the young men's faces had turned green from the cold, but Austin's noble army did not have any tents, so there was nothing he could do. He could only patrol around to see if there was anything else he could help with.
Count Audine's noble private soldiers, the Nagas, the students of the Royal Knight Academy and the Wyvern Cavalry of the Southern Legion were not mixed together. The noble's private soldiers were not as disciplined as expected. Considering that there were many girls among the students, Count Audine was afraid of causing trouble, so he personally restrained his subordinates. The Wyvern Cavalry had to take care of their mounts, so naturally no strangers were allowed to enter. The Grey Fin Nagas from the Shining Sea were used to the cold weather, but the dry land made them uncomfortable, so they rested under the riverbed, their bodies curled into a ball.
For Brando, after his physical fitness reached the Gold Realm, sleep was no longer necessary. His metabolic system was self-improving, so it was normal for him to not sleep for a few days. He walked slowly along the edge of the Black Pine Forest. The sky was dotted with stars, and in another world, it was rare to see such a beautiful scenery. Brando could not help but stop and look.
However, cold winds were blowing from the southern mountain pass. The storm outside Ampere Seale was gathering again, and it was inevitable that the upcoming battle would be shrouded in a layer of haze. Brando suddenly heard the rustling sound of bushes being stepped on behind him. He pulled out his sword and turned around. A bright dress entered his eyes. Erouine's half Fairy Princess had changed into a set of silver armor and a modified skirt. Standing in the forest, she looked noble and moving.
"Mr. Brando."
"Your Highness." Brando was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that the princess would still be awake and come looking for him. He didn't think that this was a chance encounter, and the princess wouldn't come to the forest for a walk at this time. He smiled awkwardly. "Why is Your Highness here?"
Princess Gryphine looked a little lonely. She knew that she shouldn't have come here, but after leaving Ampere Seale, she couldn't fall asleep that night. When Brendel did such a rude thing to her, she was so disgusted that she wanted to kill him with her sword right then and there.
But for the sake of Aouine, she forced herself to calm down and compromise. She told herself that there were worse people in this kingdom, and she could even suppress her emotions in the face of Benninger's betrayal. But that scene was like a nightmare that left a shadow in her heart, and she couldn't forget it.
If only this person's performance was worse, but he was so outstanding.
Princess Gryphine's silver eyes reflected Brando's figure, and her heart was full of complicated feelings. She had never seen love and hate for no reason in her entire life. Everything that happened that night made her believe that there was no such thing as an unconditional helping hand in this world. But so what if he pretended that he didn't want anything? He had already exposed his true colors, hadn't he?
And Brando's identity as the descendant of Darius made her feel deeply worried. If the other party wanted something bigger, what should she do? But this was also her last chance. She hoped to get an answer in person, even if she had to give up more, as long as she could save Erouine and save Haruz, she would persevere.
Brando felt Princess Gryphine staring at him, and couldn't help but blush a little. He didn't know how complicated Her Highness' thoughts were, but he could roughly guess the reason. That night, his mind was blank, and he couldn't help but …
It was really a mistake that caused everlasting sorrow. It was too embarrassing to think about it.
Back then, not to mention the princess wanting to kill him, if Princess Gryphine just said a word, he would have been so ashamed that he would have killed himself. But after a day, Brando could pretend that it didn't happen.
But now, being stared at by the half-elf girl like this, he still felt a little embarrassed. He couldn't help but cough and turn his head back.
This subtle action surprised Princess Gryphine. She was born in the royal family and was born with outstanding intelligence. She had seen a lot of intrigue, and she had inherited the elf's sensitivity to the changes in people's hearts. She immediately felt the meaning expressed in Brando's action.
"So Mr. Brando also feels embarrassed?" Princess Gryphine's voice was soft, but crisp, like the gentle song of a nightingale in the forest.
"I'm sorry, that … …" Brendel was sweating profusely, thinking to himself, Your Highness, this is a shameless play. Although I know that I was in the wrong that day, you shouldn't have gone overboard. His soul in this life was only nineteen years old, and in his previous life, he was an otaku who was not good at expressing his feelings. Although some of his original mentality had gradually corrected after a long time of ascension, he couldn't help but feel a little helpless at the moment.
This guy actually blushed? Princess Gryphine couldn't believe her eyes. She suddenly became curious, "Since Mr. Brando also knows that it is … rude, why do you still do it?"
She couldn't help but gnash her teeth a little, "That's … too much! I thought Mr. Brando was a real Knight. "
Brando was suddenly speechless. How could he answer, he couldn't say that a real Knight was to pursue romance, right? That's too ridiculous. Or should he say that he will be responsible for her? That didn't seem too good. Not to mention that the princess didn't want him to be responsible, what about the little Roman? In his previous life, the one who had the deepest impact on him was actually his senior sister, but the past couldn't be chased, and the present couldn't be delayed. Brando was very clear about his feelings.
Princess Gryphine stared at him for a long time.
She looked at Brando until he was in a terrible state.
Finally, the half-elf girl sighed softly, "I see, I understand."
"Hmm? What do you understand? "Brendel's heart skipped a beat as he turned to look at the princess in confusion. Looking carefully at the future Erouine, the noble and elegant Princess Regent, she was just a girl who had just turned sixteen years old today. She inherited the unique slender elves, which made her look even more delicate.
Princess Gryphine seemed to have untied the knot in her heart. She looked up, and her silver hair shone slightly under the moonlight. She smiled gently, lifted her skirt and walked out of the forest, quietly came to Brando's side, and also looked at the stars in the sky.
"Mr. Brando is also looking at the stars."
"Something like that." Brando replied a little absent-mindedly. He didn't understand what the princess meant.
"The astrologers said that after death, people will turn into stars, so the late king and father are also looking at us from the sky."
This story sounded very romantic, but Brando knew that those were just burning big fireballs. Of course, he wouldn't say it out loud, and there were real astrologers in this world.
"Probably."
"Mr. Brando, you don't believe in fate?"
"No, I believe in it."
"Hmm?" The princess was slightly startled and couldn't help but look back. She wasn't very tall, so she could only see Brando's broad shoulders.
"I believe in the Cruz people's epic. Fate is a struggle." Brando quietly repeated this sentence that his senior sister told him.
"Fate … is a struggle …" Princess Gryphine carefully savored this sentence.
Brando saw Maynild's figure from afar. She was covering a few ladies with her blanket. This detail surprised Brando a little. He didn't expect the cold-faced Knight to have such a gentle side.
After sending away Erouine's princess, Brando still felt a little confused. In the end, the half Fairy Princess didn't say anything and just sat outside the forest with him, looking at the stars for a long time. What kind of attitude was that? He still couldn't figure it out.
But all in all, it seemed that the princess didn't intend to pursue the matter, which was a good thing. Brendel heaved a sigh of relief. Otherwise, he would have lost a lot of face.
At three o 'clock in the morning, Brando finally saw the Druid master named Walker. This person looked as abstract as Brando remembered. The first impression he gave was that he was a crow man. His face was sharp and long, and it was covered with black patterns. He wore a straw raincoat that looked like crow feathers. His arms and fingers were dry and slender, like claws.
If this person was placed in the movies that Brando was familiar with, he would be a typical villain. But on the contrary, in history, this person had a cold personality, but strictly neutral image of an NPC. Of course, most Druids were like this.
Walker had rushed back from Ampere Seale. He looked tired, but according to the other party, he should be able to endure one or two more low-intensity battles. Brando hurriedly let him rest first. With this Druid master, he quickly found that the mage group under his command had reached an unprecedentedly luxurious lineup.
There were at least four Gold-ranked spellcasters, the Archdruid Walker, the Law Wizard Great Teacher The Shire, the sea demon Bridget, and the Night Lord Andrique. Then there was the Naga's 20-person priest group. Count Audine also had a few wandering wizards under him. In addition to the two sisters Ferro and Tia, except for the lack of an Elemental Rank pillar, this group of more than 30 people, with the lowest level being Silver Rank and above, could basically crush all of Erouine's forces.
Unfortunately, the number of people was still too little in Brando's eyes. These 30 spellcasters were just enough for an army of thousands of people. It was not like the war in the future era of the Great Demonic Wave, where a legion could mobilize more than a hundred spellcasters. In addition to being scattered in the army to be responsible for defense, they could also gather dozens of spellcasters to be used together to play the role of long-range fire support.
Of course, this dream was just a dream for now. The survival rate of a wizard without a Silver Rank in a large-scale battlefield was extremely low, but there were very few wizards above the Silver Rank. This was the current situation of Wohnde.
4: 30.
The Royal Knight Regiment students finished their rest, and then the Nagas and the noble private soldiers were also awakened. Brando took out the map that he had organized overnight and let them set up the defense line according to the requirements. This surprised everyone again. They did not know that Brando was already familiar with the geography of the mountains and rivers in this area. They thought that the commander had personally brought people to survey the terrain in the night to let them rest well.
Although the young officers did not say it out loud, they were very grateful in their hearts. Only Princess Gryphine vaguely guessed something, but she could only bury it in her heart.
The terrain of the Mar Highlands was a surprise for the defenders. The branches of the three mountains intersected here to form a huge valley. The valley was covered in dense fog, covering the valleys on both sides. The river flowed endlessly in the middle, making a loud sound of water flowing.
In the north of the valley, there was a towering ridge that was almost leaden in the distance. It was hazy in the night before dawn. This was the end of the foothills that extended south of the Fama Mountains. The locals called this mountain Anker Mountain. Anker meant "wall" in the ancient language of the mountain people.
Two streams intersected at the foot of Anker Mountain, converging into a shallow mountain stream. The stream flowed down the riverbank, and over the years, it formed a wide expanse of land. The land was like a huge slope, and on both sides were the forested Marchenko Mountain and Levico Mountain.
However, Marchenko Mountain and Levico Mountain were flat and gentle, far lower than the height of Anker Mountain. This meant that if they set up a position on top of Anker Mountain, the archers would be able to attack the two mountains in the south from above.
If the infantry and cavalry of the Northern Coalition Army wanted to attack them through the valley, occupying the two mountains in the south would be a nightmare. However, if they did not occupy the mountains in the south, attacking from below would not be as simple as a nightmare.
This was simply a natural blocking position.
Unless the Black Blade Squad found a way to cross the Fama Mountains and attack from behind Anker Mountain. However, that would take a long time. At least for half a month, they would not have to worry about the enemy coming from behind.
Therefore, the rest was simple. Although there were a few people who thought that it might be better to go deeper into the Anker Mountains, it was only a possibility. Most of them started to set up a defensive line enthusiastically. The officers quickly came up with a very classic and practical plan.
This plan was immediately sent to Brando, Princess Gryphine, and Oberwei. The plan was simple. As expected, the main position would be set at the north where the streams converged, at the foot of Anker Mountain. The archers' position would be followed by the main position. However, the center of the defense would be pushed forward, including the two mountains in the east of Marchenko Mountain and the west of Levico Mountain.
Brando saw the core of the plan at a glance. They would set up a battlefield on each of the two mountains in the south. The young officers intended to use the terrain advantage to deplete the strength of the Southern Coalition Army on these two fronts.
This kind of tactical intent was very typical. It could be said to be a textbook arrangement. However, in Brando's opinion, it was not very good. It was too conservative. He glanced at the others. Princess Gryphine did not say anything, and Oberwei shook his head.
A lone wolf is a lone wolf.
Brando shook his head and said, "It is generally feasible, but the details need to be fixed."
"Ah, how do you fix it?" Carglise, who was full of confidence, could not help but stare blankly. This plan was actually made by him, and it was unanimously approved by the officers. He thought that it would definitely be approved, but now it seemed that he was taking it for granted.
"This will do." Brando used his hand to gesture twice on the temporary map and replied.
"Huh?"
Carglise's hand trembled, and he almost threw the plan in his hand at his lord's face. This is called a plan? Isn't that the same as giving up the entire front line? Sir Lord, do you want us to surrender immediately? It would be faster.
He looked at Brendel with pitiful eyes, as if he wanted to confirm that his lord did not speak nonsense because he did not sleep for the entire night. However, he did not expect that Brando would immediately glare at him and reprimand him, "What are you waiting for?"
The young noble from Tónigel could only admit that he was unlucky and walked out dejectedly.
"This seems a little …" Oberwei could not help but shake his head. Brando's plan was a little too bold, and it was a little beyond his expectations.
No, it was more than just bold. If he did not know this young man before, he would have suspected that this young man was a spy. This plan was simply looking down on the intelligence of the Northern Alliance.
"You and Makarov have similar personalities, but it's a pity …" The kingdom's lone wolf could not help but sigh. In the past, the kingdom had only one lion, one wolf, and one fox. But now, they could only rely on these young men.
He could only hope that his choice was right.
Only Brando smiled at this, full of confidence.
The sky was starting to brighten, and the army was starting to gather in the forest. Nosida and his dragon riders took to the skies one by one in the morning breeze, and Brando controlled the Wind Spirit Spiders to chase away the scouts in the sky.
This was the clean-up work before the battle.
At this point, both sides could no longer hide their intentions. The commanders of the Northern Alliance quickly understood that Brando was preparing to fight to the death with them.
"You know that you can't escape?"
Williams reached out and caught the parchment that the dragon riders threw down. He looked at it indifferently and revealed a disdainful smile.
He raised his head. The Mar Highlands were right in front of him.
It was 8.12.
Brando closed the pocket watch with a brass cover and looked at the other side of the valley. His vision was extremely far, and his powerful perception allowed him to see things a few miles away without relying on external objects. On the other side of the valley, the first Northern Alliance Army appeared, but he could not see clearly which column it was.
"It should be Viscount Finn. There are quite a few of them, at least a few thousand." Count Audine put down his binoculars and muttered to himself, "They stopped. They should be waiting for reinforcements."
Brando nodded. Count Audine was indeed an old noble who had served in the Black Blade Squad and the Southern Army. His judgment was very accurate. He guessed that it should be Finn's column as well.
Enrique, on the other hand, did not think much of it. The young man shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter how many people there are. It's already amazing that they can launch a frontal attack with 1,500 people. The northerners are really dawdling."
Freya stood beside Brando in her military attire. Her hand was on her longsword as she frowned and said, "But they can first attack the two mountains to the south of Marchenko Mountain and Levico Mountain, can't they?"
"Then we'll have a good show to watch." Brando laughed.
…
(PS: And so the main course begins!) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com to vote for me. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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