September 14th, evening.
Old World, Brittany, Arden Forest, outside Jursen Castle, in the camp of the Knights.
The food supply gradually became tight. Marquis Angxi ordered that all the food be collected and distributed according to the quota. This caused the soldiers to complain. Among them, the knights were able to eat their fill, but the serfs could only eat porridge. The morale of the army was even lower than before.
Even with this method, the food supply of the knight's army fell into a situation where they could barely make ends meet.
Though the Orcs suffered heavy losses, they relied on the rations in the Castle to maintain their morale.
Normally, the Orcs were lacking in rations. If the Orc King couldn't satisfy the insatiable appetite and bloodlust of the Orcs, there would be internal strife. The strong Doomsday Bulls and the Big Horned Beasts with the mark of the Evil God would challenge the Orc King.
Now, the rations for the Knights were in the stomachs of the Orcs. These omnivorous Chaos creatures would eat anything.
In the big tent of the camp, Marquis Anci could feel the low morale of the knights and serfs. After hesitating for a while, he picked up the magic transmitter and said, "This is Anci Desmond, Gabriel Desmond. Please report your situation. "
"This is Gabriel de Bastogne. We've advanced into the depths of Arden Forest and are 50 kilometers away from the Devil's Rock!" Gabriel replied.
The Right Army didn't understand the situation of the Knights.
D * mn! Marquis Angci estimated that it was impossible for the Right Army to return. They were at least 150 kilometers away from Jursen Castle, and it would take at least four to five days.
"What happened, Marquis Angci?" My Marquis? "Gabriel's voice came from the magic transmitter.
Marquis Angci's young and handsome face was clouded with gloom.
His army was in dire straits, but he was confident that he could defeat the Orc army and obtain a victory that would save his reputation.
Berchemund, Duke of Bastogne, and King Richard had been at odds with each other for a long time, and François, Duke of Winford, and the King were also at odds with each other, which was why the Marquis of Ancey had decided to drive them aside. If they knew now that the left army had been completely wiped out and the middle army was also in a difficult battle, their prestige would be damaged, and so would the King's.
For the sake of himself and His Majesty, Marquis Angci felt that the right army should not know about the current situation. So after a moment of silence, he said, "It's nothing. It's just that Adred and we were both ambushed and suffered heavy losses, so we decided to postpone the march. You can wait for a while near the Demon Rock. If we really can't meet up, you can retreat on your own."
"Yes, Your Excellency. Do you need our support?" Gabriel was mentally prepared for the Orcs' ambush. It was normal for the Left and Middle Army to suffer heavy losses, so he didn't think much of it.
"No, just focus on stopping the Orc army from the Demon Rock." Marquis Angci put down the Magic Communication Device. His eyes were bloodshot. No matter what, he had to defeat the Orcs. If not, when the Orc reinforcements arrived, everything would be over!
"Convey my orders! Everyone wake up at 4 am! We have to conquer Jursen Castle by tomorrow! "
"Yes!"
On the 15th of September, the Knights attacked Jursen Castle at all costs. The Knights and Orcs fought for an entire day. At dusk, the Knights killed three Doomsday Bulls and a Four-armed Bull Devil, but they were defeated by the Orcs' ferocious counterattack.
In one day, another hundred knights and two thousand serf soldiers were killed. The number of knights in the army had dropped to less than thirteen thousand. The army was in a state of panic. The morale of the serfs was very low. Every moment, a serf would suddenly turn around and flee into the forest and disappear.
There were only 4,000 Orcs left, but they were the elite Great Horned Beasts, Large Minotaurs, Chaos Ogres, Cyclops, and the strongest Doomsday Bulls and Four-armed Bull Devils. These creatures and their fighting style had nothing to do with the walls of the Citadel. They stubbornly defended the Citadel.
The Knights couldn't advance. Rumors spread among the army. Many Knights felt that they should retreat due to the lack of rations. Some Knights felt that it was a mistake to appoint Marquis Angci as the commander of the Knights' army.
The young Marquis was under a lot of pressure. He made a decision to deploy all his reserves and not guard against the Orc reinforcements.
Victory or defeat depended on this move!
…
A day later, in the Arden Forest, in the Right Army's camp.
Laing took a nap in the afternoon before walking out of the camp.
For the past few days, the forest was unusually quiet. The right army didn't encounter any Orc gangs or scattered Orcs. They successfully advanced to a location about 40 kilometers away from the Wannabe Rock.
Taking a deep breath of the forest air, Leon walked between the camps and boosted the morale of the soldiers. The right side of the army still had more than 4,900 people. After successive victories, the morale of the soldiers was high, especially after Leon allowed them to hunt in the forest. Even the lowliest serfs got a lot of roasted meat to eat.
They had arrived at the rendezvous point, which was only 30 kilometers away from the Devils Rock. They had arrived in the morning and set up camp.
But it was too quiet. They didn't encounter any Orcs or allies. It was as though they were abandoned by the world and were alone at the end of the world.
It was strange. After setting up camp, the scouts scouted the area within a few kilometers of the camp, but they didn't see any Orcs or allies.
It was understandable that they didn't see any allies because they received news that the two armies were ambushed and suffered heavy losses. They might not be able to rendezvous. But it was strange that they didn't see any Orcs.
The Devils Cliff was the core of the Orcs' faith and campsite. At any time, there would be an Orc Combat Gang and a powerful Doomsday Bull Guard near the Devils Cliff. Lionheart was only 30 kilometers away from the Devils Cliff. It was impossible for them to not see any Orcs.
Standing on the soft grass and looking at the lush forest in the distance, Laing felt that something was amiss, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Marquis Gabriel walked behind Laing. After a series of battles, the third son of the Red Dragon Duke had recognized his wife as the champion and said, "I've scouted 20 kilometers. We didn't encounter any Orcs or … Humans."
"So, the Orcs moved the Devils Rock?" Laing asked as he frowned.
"It looks like it. The Orcs should have moved the Devils Rock to another location. Otherwise, it's impossible that there aren't any Orcs around." Gabriel frowned as he discussed military intelligence with Ryan.
They felt like headless flies. They had arrived at the rendezvous point, but they didn't see any enemies or allies.
What was going on? Laing and Gabriel were puzzled. What should they do?
Continue advancing to the rendezvous point? But the right army had too few soldiers and couldn't face the Orc army alone.
Wait at the same spot? Would they fall into a trap and be surrounded by the Orcs?
Retreat? That was an unreliable choice. If they retreated without permission, they would be held accountable. Marquis Uncy only said that they could retreat if they couldn't rendezvous. But Marquis Uncy didn't confirm that they couldn't rendezvous. If they retreated, they would be labeled as cowards. In the worst case, they would be charged.
Hence, before they received new orders, the right army could only wait.
"Lord Gabriel, as you said, Marquis Uncy and Adred were ambushed and suffered heavy losses. They might not be able to rendezvous with us. What kind of losses prevented them from rendezvous with us?" Laing found two stools and sat down with Gabriel in the huge forest as he chatted.
"Then we'll suffer at least ten to twenty percent of our casualties." Gabriel nodded.
The knights were all well-trained professional soldiers, and the sergeants could be considered as semi-professional infantry. Therefore, they could still accept the loss of ten to twenty percent. However, the serfs were completely different. These conscripted guys were weak and had low leadership. Without the supervision of the knights, the serfs would basically collapse at the first touch. At most, they could only withstand one wave of attack. Even with the supervision of the knights, the serfs' fighting strength and morale were still pitifully low. It was possible for them to stand still and defend against the enemy's attack, but it was very difficult for them to take the initiative to charge.
Unless they were led by a Holy Grail Knight, the Serfs could only display combat power and morale like cannon fodder.
According to the military report, when the army suffered 10% to 20% casualties, it was recommended not to continue the battle. It was best to rest and reorganize to maintain morale.
The number of Holy Grail Knights was very small. Perhaps only the Lake Goddess Witch and the Green Knight knew how many Holy Grail Knights there were. The outside world estimated that there were about 300 to 500 Holy Grail Knights. Most of them were guarding the Holy Land of the Lake Goddess. Most people did not know how many Holy Grail Knights were active outside, so there was no way to know the exact number of Holy Grail Knights. But one thing was certain, the number of Holy Grail Knights was extremely small. Unless the Knight King's Kingdom was in a very serious crisis, the Holy Grail Knights would not be mobilized.
This Knight War was more like an opportunity for the young knights of the kingdom to gain experience.
Now, before the new scouts came back, the group could only wait.
"Sigh … Nothing. It seems that something big has happened in this forest." Laing stretched and said helplessly.
"That's the only way."
…
Outside Jursen Castle, smoke filled the sky.
It was the third day after the Knights attacked Jursen Castle. There were only 3,000 Orcs left in the castle, but more than half of the Knights were dead. The morale of the Knights had hit rock bottom. Even the sergeants and Knights were deserting. Many Knights were persuading Marquis Angci, "My Marquis, the war has been lost. Let's retreat!"
"No! No! We can't lose this war! " Marquis Angci's face was covered in sweat and dirt. He roared at the Knights, "I don't understand. We've trapped the Orcs in the dilapidated castle. Why can't we take them down?"
His deputy, Pierre, was wrapped in bandages. He persuaded Angci, "My Marquis, the remaining Orcs are all elites. The Orcs don't rely on the castle walls. We've been charging for a few days and haven't been able to take them down. It's time to retreat, my Marquis."
Marquis Anci's originally smooth and beautiful long blond hair was now as dry as straw. He gritted his teeth as he considered the pros and cons of this decision.
If he retreated now, the remaining 10,000 Knights would be able to retreat from the forest. The Orcs would suffer heavy losses, and they wouldn't dare to chase after him. At least he would be able to preserve his strength.
But when he came out, the price he had to pay for his defeat would be shocking. His title of marquis would definitely be stripped, and he would also be court-martialed. The prestige of the king who appointed his grandnephew as the commander would definitely be damaged. He might not get the chance to lead an army again in this lifetime.
His life would be ruined unless he could gain the forgiveness of the Lady, complete the Sacred Grail Trial, and become a Sacred Grail Knight.
But … was it possible? How could the Lady forgive him, the one who ruined the Knight's Path?
What if he didn't retreat?
When the Orc reinforcements arrived, his Knights would be in danger of collapsing. He and the Orcs were aware of this. If he could defeat the Orcs and behead the Orc King before the reinforcements arrived, the war wouldn't be a complete failure.
Everyone was racing against time.
Marquis Angci's adventurous spirit prevailed. He gritted his teeth and said, "We can't retreat. Let me lead my men and charge again!"
It was another fierce battle at noon. The battle lasted until 3 pm, but the Knights were unable to defeat the remaining Orcs. The Horned Beasts and Minotaurs were too deadly. Even though the Knights were in front of the Orc King, they were unable to defeat him. The Orc King attacked and forced the Knights to retreat.
When Marquis Angci was forced to retreat, a low and mournful bugle call was heard from the depths of the forest.
It was the Orcs' Great Shaman, "Heart Devourer" Groz! He moved the Demons Cliff and hid it. Then he led the remaining Orc elite troops to rendezvous with the Orc King!
"Ahhhhh! The end of the Humans … is coming! "Seeing that the reinforcements had arrived, the morale of the Orcs was greatly boosted.
The Knights were as pale as ashes.
After many days of bitter fighting, the Knights' morale was low, and their rations were insufficient. The Knights' morale was low, and they were besieged by the Orcs in a small basin in the valley.
When Marquis Gabriel picked up the Magic Communication Device, he heard Marquis Angci's despairing voice.
"Right Army! Right Army! This is Angci Desmond! The Knights' army is besieged by the Orcs. We suffered heavy losses. We need your reinforcements. We need your reinforcements! "
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