It was only now that Ryan and Gabriel realized the predicament that the chivalric army was facing.
"What? My Marquis, you're telling us that the Knights are surrounded? Earl Adelaide's army was annihilated? Jursen Castle has fallen? " Gabriel's head was full of question marks. "But didn't you tell us that the army was ambushed and suffered heavy losses?" he asked with a confused look on his face.
"We were ambushed and suffered heavy losses, but it's not the time to talk about that. The Orcs ambushed Jursen Castle, and the Left Army was annihilated. Our 10,000 Middle Army soldiers are surrounded in a basin. We need your support!" Marquis Angci said loudly. His voice was hysterical as he said, "I order you to return to Jursen Castle within three days. Otherwise, the army will be annihilated!"
"The Right Army is 100 kilometers away from Jursen Castle. How can we return to Jursen Castle within three days?" Laing took the Magic Communication Device and said. He was still in disbelief.
An army of more than thirty thousand people was left with only ten thousand people?
"Enough, I asked you to ambush the Orc reinforcements at the Devils Cliff. You didn't complete your mission. This is your last chance to render meritorious service. Return to Jursen Castle … Ah, ah, ah!" There was a series of noises coming from the magical communication device. The last thing Ryan and the rest heard was the roars of the Orcs and the desperate screams of the knights. Marquis Anci's voice was soft and almost pleading. "For the sake of the Lady and the King, we need your help! Please! "
Then, the communication device was cut off.
Laing and Gabriel looked at each other. They could sense the seriousness of the situation.
Even the commanding officer, Marquis Angci, could hear the screams. They were in dire straits.
They were on the verge of being annihilated!
"Convene a military meeting!"
"Yes!"
Five minutes later, Baron Zeon, Grail Knight Laing, Marquis Gabriel, Marquis Connelly, Julius, and Suria were waiting in the main tent. A few veteran Knights of the Kingdom were also in the main tent.
A large map was placed in the middle of the tent, and Gabriel began to explain the current situation.
The Left Army was completely annihilated. The Orcs attacked, and Youlsen Castle fell. The Middle Army was trapped in Youlsen and suffered heavy losses. They had to send reinforcements. According to Laing's judgment, the situation was critical.
"What should we do now? Withdraw the troops? We are very close to the Devils Cliff. The Orcs won't be able to move the Devils Cliff for a long distance in a short time! Withdraw now? This means that we have given up on all our efforts over the past ten days. We will return empty-handed in this War of Knights. "Some of the knights immediately retorted.
"But if we don't go back, the knights will be in danger of being wiped out. What can we do in the forest alone?"
"But if we don't go and rescue them now, we will be disregarding our companions. That's not how a knight should be!"
"However, the goal of our Knight's War is to destroy the Demon Rock. If we can't accomplish our goal after making such a huge sacrifice, how are we going to explain it to the Lady and the King? Is this a knight? "
Everyone was debating.
Laing frowned. He didn't expect that he could defeat the main Orc army with 6,000 soldiers while the other two armies, which had 30,000 soldiers, were defeated by the Orcs.
The Left Army was completely annihilated?
Youlsen Castle was destroyed?
The Middle Army was surrounded with 10,000 soldiers? How could they ask him for help in a desperate situation?
He felt that reality was more magical than fiction. He didn't expect that Laing wasn't the White Wolf God of War who could sense his believers' battles. He wasn't the Fairy of the Lake who could predict the future. He wasn't his father who could radiate star beacons to the entire material universe. Everything was within his perception.
Laing was still an immature geno prototype. He controlled the psionic power of the subspace and had powerful strength and the unique ability to reverse corruption. However, he was far from being a god. How could he know what was happening?
Marquis Uncy must have concealed the truth. Otherwise, his army wouldn't have been defeated overnight.
What should he do?
The army he led had already reached the crossroads.
As a Knight, he had to go back and rescue his comrades. As a Holy Grail Knight, he couldn't leave his allies in the lurch. What he was worried about was whether his allies could last for three days.
The Left Army was completely annihilated, and the Middle Army was surrounded with 10,000 soldiers. Under such circumstances, what could he do with his 4,000 soldiers? They were 110 kilometers away from Youlsen Castle. It was normal to travel 20 kilometers in a day in the forest. 110 kilometers in three days was a forced march. In three days, the exhausted Left Army didn't encounter any ambushes and reached Youlsen Castle. Could they defeat the Orc army with so few soldiers?
Laing could hear the Orc's battle cries through the Magic Communication Device, which proved that Marquis Uncy was in a critical situation. Laing had a feeling that Marquis Uncy wouldn't last for three days.
If he didn't save her … Laing clutched his head in pain. He looked at everyone and said, "I need some peace and quiet."
"Yes, Your Excellency Ryan." Everyone knew that this lady's champion was the one who made the final decision.
Suria looked worriedly at Laing. Her beautiful face was troubled. She wanted to ask Laing what his plan was, but Julius stopped her and said, "Laing needs some peace and quiet."
Under everyone's gaze, Ryan began to think.
Just like his father, the Emperor, his son would become calmer the more serious the situation was. Furthermore, there seemed to be another bloodline power that helped Leon think. This power was not as supreme and sacred as the Emperor, but it was full of wisdom and decisiveness. This bloodline gave Leon the instinct to think of multiple solutions and find the best way to solve problems in an instant.
His mind was thinking rapidly. Laing knew that any small mistake would lead to the destruction of his army.
After a few minutes, Laing opened his eyes. His voice was cold as he said, "We won't go back to support the Knights. We'll continue to advance until we destroy the Demon Cliff!"
The tent became very quiet. Everyone felt conflicted about Laing's decision.
It was unexpected but reasonable.
Laing pointed at Yursen's Castle on the map and said, "There are a few reasons why we won't go back."
"First of all, let's consider the most ideal situation for us to go back and reinforce Youlsen. That would be if we succeed in rescuing Youlsen and save the knights … Let's assume that there are 8,000 of them. Then, when we reunite, there will only be about 12,000 of them left. In that case, the outcome of this battle for knights will be that the left army will be completely annihilated, the middle army will suffer heavy losses, and the remaining 10,000 knights will retreat from the forest and return to their respective duchies to rest and reorganize."
"The 20,000 corpses will become delicacies and sacrifices for the Orcs. After the victory, these creatures will be generously rewarded by the God of Chaos. They can reproduce without restraint … This year, the Knights can retreat successfully and preserve some of their vitality. Next year, the scale of the Beast Tide will be unprecedentedly large …"
"Everyone, please remember that this is the most ideal situation. We didn't consider whether we would be ambushed during the three-day march. We didn't consider how much fighting power the Orcs have. We also didn't consider whether the Knights could last for three days."
After Laing said that, everyone realized the seriousness of the matter. Yes, in the most ideal situation, even if the Knights were rescued, would they win the war?
No, they would lose miserably.
"But we can't ignore our allies' request for help. That's against the Knights' code of conduct." Marquis Connelly said hesitantly. This Marquis wasn't good at military tactics, but he was good at management and politics. The white-haired Connelly Ascot was injured in a battle a few days ago and had only recovered by today. "That's disobeying orders. Knights have to obey orders."
"We didn't disobey orders. The goal of the Knights' War is to destroy the Devils Cliff. We're advancing step by step according to this goal. On the contrary, if we turn back, the war will be a failure!" Laing gritted his teeth and explained.
Connelly didn't say anything else, so Laing took the opportunity to say, "We have to destroy the Devils Cliff! Only by destroying the Devils Cliff will the Orcs lose their Faith Core and Totem. The furious God of Chaos will punish these Chaos creatures. So what if they win the war against the Knights? If their Faith Core is destroyed, their camp will be in ruins. Without a few years, the Orcs won't be able to recover. It's very difficult to build a new Devils Cliff. The Knights can take this opportunity to recuperate and achieve the goal of the Knights' War. "
"If we can destroy the Devils Cliff, we'll achieve the goal of this war. After sacrificing so much, we have to win this war."
"Now is the best time to destroy the Devils Cliff." Laing pointed at their encampment, which was deep in the forest, and said, "Combining the intelligence of the scouts and Marquis Uncy, we know that the elite troops guarding the Devils Cliff have been taken away by the Great Shaman. The Devils Cliff can't be moved far, so the Orcs must have hidden it nearby. Now is the best time to attack the Devils Cliff."
"But if that's the case, we'll have to abandon the remaining 10,000 knights. Is it worth it to make such a sacrifice just to destroy the Ten Thousand Demons Cliff?" Sulia asked worriedly. The kind-hearted female knight couldn't understand this decision.
"Sacrificing 20,000 Knights and retreating in vain, giving the Orcs an epic victory and leaving behind a calamity for the future. Or sacrificing 30,000 Knights to gain a Pyrrhic victory and make the Orcs' victory meaningless. Suria, what will you choose?" Laing retorted. The Holy Grail Knight's gaze was calm as he said, "Sacrifice is the cornerstone of the Humans on this land. The Knights have shed too much blood, and we've sacrificed too much. It's time for the Orcs to pay the price."
Laing knew that he would have to bear the consequences of his decision, but so what? He didn't care. Laing forced himself to tell himself that he didn't care. Something was more important, like the long-term future, the safety of the Kingdom, and … he had a trump card.
"I have no objections," Julius agreed. He had a deep impression of this Knight when his request for help was rejected. After weighing the pros and cons, he knew that this was the right choice in the long run.
"Now that the war has come to this, we can't back down. Otherwise, next year's beast horde will drown the entire country. Lord Lane, I support you." Gabriel, the most experienced knight of the kingdom, also nodded.
"Prepare to set off!"
…
The Grail Knight's gaze was unprecedentedly firm. He immediately gathered the knights and announced his decision, "We will not go back to support the army of knights. On the contrary, we will continue to march forward and attack the Pandemonium Rock. Only in this way can we truly save this country and not the army in the forest."
"But …" Hesitation appeared on the faces of many knights. Out of their chivalry, they felt that they should go and rescue the knights.
"No buts! Over 20,000 of my generals and soldiers have been buried in this forest. Numerous loyal knights have fallen. But let me ask you, what's the target of this War of Knights? " Laing said loudly. His eyes were burning with fire, and his expression was as stern as a rock on a cliff.
"Destroy the Devils Cliff!" the Knights roared.
"That's right. If we can't destroy the Devils Cliff, next year, an unprecedented Orc invasion will sweep the Kingdom. Your hometowns will be plundered, and your loved ones will be in danger. After killing 20,000 soldiers and Knights, the Orcs will be able to reproduce and evolve without restraint. These beasts can give birth to more than ten babies at a time! They'll reach adulthood in three to six months. They'll eat our corpses and sacrifice our souls. They'll run amok in the forest, and no creature will be able to stop them! " Laing stood in front of all the Knights and said solemnly, "I can tell you that the Knights' army has been defeated. We're the only ones left in the dark forest. The hope of destroying the Devils Cliff is on us. The hope of protecting the Kingdom is on us!"
"Are you willing to follow me to attack the Devils Cliff and destroy the nest of the Chaos bastards. We'll destroy the Earth Gangrene totems and give victory to the Lady and Brittany?" Laing raised his War Hammer and roared loudly.
The Knights were silent. They realized the seriousness of the problem.
The first Ranger Knight shouted, "We're willing to follow you, Lord Laing!"
"Yes! We're willing! "
"Please give us your orders! Lord Laing! "
"You're the one who brought victory to us!"
"Please give us your orders!"
"Laing! Laing! Laing! Laing! "The Knights shouted, and their voices shook the forest." Please give us your orders! "
"For the Lady! For Brittany! My soldiers, are you willing to follow me on this last journey? We'll attack the Orc's base camp! Destroy the Devils Cliff! Tell me, my soldiers, are you willing? "Laing shouted.
"We're willing! We're willing! "The Knights shouted in their hottest voices. The Orcs would pay the price for their atrocities!
"For the Lady! For Brittany! "
"Beep, beep, beep, beep." At this moment, a bugle horn sounded outside the Right Army camp.
Laing turned his head and squinted his eyes.
The bugle horn was clear and loud. It sounded distant and full of vitality.
It wasn't an Orc bugle horn!
Were there other armies in the forest?
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