Author's Note: On the last day of the double monthly ticket, I managed to squeeze out five thousand words. I'm here to ask for your votes! Any votes will do!
It was February. The snow had not yet subsided, and the weather was still very cold. However, Laing had already ordered a certain scale of mobilization in his territory. His own army, as well as the main forces of the duchy of Winford and Bordero, had arrived one after another.
Hundreds of tents had been set up, and the rest of the soldiers were also setting up camp one by one under the command of the sergeants. Food from Laing's territory was continuously being transported into the camp. The mobilization for war was in progress.
At present, the people who were mobilized were mostly from industry and commerce, especially the freedmen. Laing hoped that this early attack would not affect the agriculture in his territory as much as possible, so he tried to reduce the number of agricultural people as much as possible. Under such circumstances, he only recruited about two thousand infantrymen, and most of them were semi-professional soldiers. Bordero and Winford also sent a large number of knights and a part of the standing army to Laing. The commander of Bordero's army was Baron Fedmond, while the commander of Winford's army was Sir Jerrold. Both of them obeyed Laing's orders.
Morgiana, the Lake Goddess, led an entire team of Lake Prophets and a team of Grail Guards to the front line. Teresa and Aurora led an entire team of ice witches to the camp. This was Laing's magical force in this war. Veronica was on standby in Laing's territory. If Laing needed her help, she would come to the front line.
King Bellegar of the Angrand clan also arrived at the camp with his dwarven army. This time, Bellegar only brought about eight hundred people, including the Angrand Sworn Guards, the famous Northstar Hatchet Gang, the Iron Brotherhood, a team of rangers, and a team of musketeers. The rest were artillery soldiers.
Laing's Broken Iron Warriors and Dugan's Black Gunpowder Brotherhood also arrived at the camp.
The forest was covered in snow, and it was very cold in Chalon Forest. Laing was wearing a white bearskin cloak and was patrolling the camp.
"Count, we have already gathered more than five thousand people and arrived at the frontline camp." The Knight of the Holy Grail, Armand, Laing's flag bearer, followed behind Laing. He said, "Five kilometers to the north is the Grismori River. As long as we cross the river, the Spire Palace is not far from the other side."
"Yes." Laing nodded. He considered the current situation. "Count Orcarson shouldn't have discovered that we are gathering troops here, right?"
"Not yet. Count Orcarson has already sensed our movements. He has sent quite a few scouts and sentries to guard the key points of the Grismori River. If we cross the river in a large scale, he will definitely send his army back to the Spire Palace to defend it." Armand continued, "Our dwarven brothers have already calculated. Even if Madam Teresa can help us sneak in, the number of people can't exceed 100."
"A hundred people, that's enough." Laing focused his gaze on the horizon. He took a deep breath, "Baron Fedmond and Sir Jerrold will be coming with us. Armand, are you ready?"
"Where the Count's sword points, I, Armand, will go!" Armand raised a large flag with the Laing family's coat of arms on it.
"Very good. Let's find an opportunity." Laing nodded, "Sir Bertrand and the two half-elves, Estelle and Dace, have already sneaked across the Grismori River. Let's wait for an opportunity."
All sorts of resources were urgently allocated in the camp, preparing for war.
From the morning of the first day to the afternoon of the second day, Sir Bertrand and the two half-elves finally brought back the news that Laing wanted. "Count, we've received news that Count Orcarson will lead his attendants to the wilderness near the Spire Palace to hunt! This is a routine winter hunt! "
"Very good. Prepare to move!" Laing immediately gave the order. Within the camp, the eighty knights that he had chosen immediately responded. Holy Grail Knight Fedmond held the golden Kraken Cross Helmet, while Paladin Jerrold held the silver Unicorn Cross Helmet. They were ready.
Laing found Aurora and her daughter resting in a corner of the camp, "Madam Aurora, Teresa?"
The luxuriously dressed Aurora nodded. She didn't say much, and the Sanctuary Witches began to chant a large spell. Teresa led the entire group of Witch Apprentices to chant along with Aurora, beginning to cast the spell.
The Lake Goddess Witch Morgiana also led the Lake Goddess Prophets to chant spells. Layers of halos covered the bodies of the eighty knights led by Laing.
The operation had begun!
The eighty knights were fully armed, and their bodies were strengthened by seven or eight life spells from the Lake Goddess Witches. Taking advantage of the night, this small group of knights groped their way to the riverbank.
At three o 'clock in the morning, the surface of the turbulent but incomparably filthy Grismorey River was covered with a layer of floating ice.
Sorceress Teresa was riding on a mixed-blood Elven warhorse. She was chanting ice magic.
The river began to freeze and become even more solid.
Sir Bertrand was wearing a warm animal skin cloak, a triangular hat with two feathers on his head, and a Starfire Greatbow made by the Wood Elves on his back. He reported the situation to the two half-elven rangers, "Count, the sentries on the other side of the river have been cleared by us. Count Orcarson and his army won't discover our movements for the time being. But as time passes, the disappearance of the sentries will still arouse the vigilance of the other side of the river."
"That's enough. I'll have to trouble you, Bertrand, Estelle, Dais." Laing rode on the pure-blood Elven warhorse Grape and said to the three in a warm voice, "If this operation succeeds, there will be a part of your military medals."
He couldn't ride on a Griffon this operation. The Griffon was too big a target and too conspicuous.
"It's my honor to serve the Count." Bertrand lowered his head and said, "Now, let me lead the way for you."
"Very good! Let's go! "
The layer of ice on the river became extremely solid under the effect of magic. As Bertrand and the other two got on their horses, Laing immediately led the eighty knights directly across the layer of ice.
Five minutes later, after confirming that all the knights had passed, Teresa immediately stopped casting the spell. Without the support of magic, the solid layer of ice gradually thinned under the impact of the river and returned to its previous fragile state.
The sorceress looked in the direction where Laing and the others left in a daze. She didn't stop for too long. Teresa got on her horse and rushed back to the camp to help Aurora cast the spell.
This spell would be the key to the success of the surprise attack!
… I'm the dividing line for crossing the river at dawn …
Early in the morning, the lord of the Spire Palace, Count Orcarson, woke up from his sleep.
Unlike many undead lords in Muxilon, Orcarson was a true human. He had always refused to become a vampire. And for some reason, whether it was the Blood Red Duke who ruled Muxilon, Lich King Arkham who was in charge of controlling the situation, or "Viper" Matthew Bard who was in charge of the current government, none of them forced Count Orcarson to become a vampire.
Because of Count Orcarson's special status, he was probably one of the very few nobles who had a clear genealogy from the generation of the first Duke of Muxilon, the 'victor' Landurin, to the current Muxilon nobles.
This was very rare because after Muxilon had suffered three great calamities, the local nobles had either turned to Lyonnesse, perished, or were turned into vampires. Because of this, Count Orcarson became the target that both the Brittany and the vampires had to fight for. This was the so-called "setting an example". The undead wanted to use Count Orcarson as an example to prove their point.
It was precisely because of this that Ocason was highly valued by the Vampires. Not only was he given the title of Count, but he was also given two thousand soldiers to guard the Spire Palace, an important stronghold in the south of Muxilon.
The Spire Palace was an ancient castle that had been maintained well. Its history could be traced back to before the Brittany was founded. Its central spiral staircase had a large hall and several bedrooms around it. Orcarson himself lived at the top of the tower while most of his servants lived in the basement.
Count Orcarson set up a stable nearby to take care of the mounts of the knights who served him. The interior of the castle was elegantly decorated. It was more suitable for entertaining guests than defending against enemies.
There were many antiques in the furniture and guest rooms. The conspicuous Orcarson coat of arms (3 black flowers surrounding a black lily on a white field) could be seen everywhere.
What was worth noting was that there were many exquisite tapestries hanging in the castle. They depicted the history of Muxilon, such as the first Duke of Muxilon, "Victor" Landon's heroic victory over the Necromancer. However, the Mad Duke Merovin and the fake Holy Grail (Dole's Tower) incident were selectively ignored.
The fireplace burned brightly. Every night after the sun went down, the serfs would prepare a sumptuous dinner for the residents of the tower. Count Orcarson washed his face with water under the service of his servants. The Count was planning to go out for a winter hunt today.
The winter hunt was a custom here. It was also a method for the Lord to display his authority and control. Count Orcarson had ruled the Spire Palace for many years and he would carry out a winter hunt every year.
This Muxilon noble thought about the recent movements in the south and frowned. His subordinates had reported many times that Count Laing in the south was already recruiting a large army to attack Muxilon.
If Laing wanted to attack Muxilon, then the Spire Palace would be his first target. This was a publicly acknowledged fact in the kingdom.
Count Orcarson was very anxious about this and he was currently considering what he should do.
Orcarson had a secret in his heart, a secret that he couldn't tell anyone.
He was a spy sent to Muxilon by the previous Knight King, "Tyrant" John II. That ruthless Knight King had been planning to conquer Muxilon for a long time. In order to carry out his plan, John II sent Orcarson, who was still in his teens at the time, to Muxilon.
As a former noble of Muxilon, Orcarson had a natural advantage. He quickly gained the appreciation of the Red Duke and smoothly entered the upper echelons of Muxilon.
Orcarson had thought that he would be able to play a role soon. He would be able to contribute greatly to John II's capture of Muxilon and regain his glorious status, becoming a hero of the kingdom.
In the first year of entering Muxilon, he secretly reported to John II, "My king, I have already successfully joined the ranks of the undead nobles."
"Very good. Dear Orcarson, hold on."
In the third year, Orcarson who had already become a Knight Commander secretly reported to John II, "My king, I have already gathered a group of loyal humans. We can coordinate with them at any time."
"You have done very well Orcarson. When this matter is completed, I will promote you to a Baron!"
In the sixth year, Orcarson once again reported to John II, "My king, when will we start the Knight's War to capture Muxilon?"
"Wait, now is not the time!"
Orcarson could only continue to wait. What he waited for was the news that John II had been pulled down from the throne by the Lake Goddess Witch Morgiana and the Knights of the Holy Grail.
When Orcarson heard this news, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. John II was the only one who knew of his identity as a spy! After this king was deposed and secretly detained by Morgiana, no one was able to prove Orcarson's identity as a spy. He went from a spy who endured humiliation to a true noble lord of Muxilon, a subordinate of the undead!
He no longer had a goal in life.
Following the disappearance of his goal in life, Orcarson's personal ambition swelled. He, who had broken free from his shackles, began to truly submit to the vampires and became their subordinate. He fought ferociously and would do anything for victory. He was also good at tricking escaped slaves and winning people's hearts. No matter if it was the Red Duke, Akerman or Matthew Bard, they all saw Orcarson as a role model after conquering the Knight King's Kingdom and establishing the undead Empire to maintain the harmony between the living and the undead. They were never stingy with their rewards. Under the guidance of the Blood Knights, Orcarson successfully became a Legend.
He began to enjoy the feeling of being on both sides. He was a living person but also a subordinate of the undead. The living recognized him while the undead needed him.
In this dark era, he, Orcarson, wanted to achieve his own King's Path.
Getting out of bed, eating breakfast, and summoning his squires, Count Orcarson put on his armor and mounted his warhorse, preparing for the winter hunt. Dozens of knights and squires, as well as over two hundred serf infantry soldiers, had already been assembled.
The sky in the distance was very clear. It looked like a typical sunny day in winter. Orcarson looked at the clear sky and nodded in satisfaction. This was a good weather for the winter hunt.
Heh, back then we agreed on three years. Three years later, another three years. Three years later, another three years later. It has already been thirty years, boss! Dear King John the Second, my King, do you see? I am already a count! Who cares about your Baron title?
Orcarson looked at his large army for the winter hunt, his bright knight armor and his pointy palace. This was what he wanted. When Lich King Akerman and Duke Matthew Bard conquered the entire Knight King's Kingdom, he would also be a founding member of the kingdom. At that time, what kind of Duke title would he want?
He had to think about it carefully.
Then what if Lich King Akerman and Matthew Bard were defeated? Orcarson thought that when the time came, he could immediately rebel. He could use his identity as a human to openly surrender and even reveal his identity as a spy. The Knight King's Kingdom would consider the impact of capturing Mu Xilong. Not only would they not put him on trial, they would even give him preferential treatment. They would give him a piece of land and give him an equivalent Count title!
Why would they mistreat a spy and guide like me?!
Thinking of this, Orcarson, who felt that he wouldn't lose anything, asked his attendant, "Is there any movement on the other side of the river? Is Count Laing and his army nearby? "
"There isn't any news yet, my Count." The attendant immediately replied, "We have set up many sentries on the river bank. Recently, there hasn't been any strange movements and it has been peaceful."
"Mm ….. It's almost spring plowing time. Even if Count Laing wants to attack the Pointy Palace, he should wait until after the spring plowing." Orcarson slightly nodded and then asked, "But we also can't underestimate Laing, this vicious fellow. Did the sentries and scouts report anything strange today?"
"Not today." The attendant shook his head, "Normally, the scouts and sentries would only send news in the afternoon."
"Then let's do this for now. Let's begin the winter hunt!" Count Orcarson didn't suspect anything. He immediately gave the order to begin the winter hunt. The entire winter hunt army loudly acknowledged and they chaotically headed towards the wilderness two kilometers away from the Pointy Palace to begin the winter hunt.
The winter hunt lasted for two hours. Today, Count Orcarson's luck wasn't bad. He hit two hares and three pheasants, but he didn't hit the deer that he wanted the most. This made Orcarson feel a bit regretful, but he was immediately attracted by the change in the sky.
The originally clear sky gradually turned gloomy. Dark clouds covered the gloomy sky. Before Count Orcarson could react, a fine drizzle had already begun to fall from the sky. The sky darkened, and a bone-chilling cold permeated the hearts of the entire winter hunting team.
"It's raining!"
"Damn it! The weather was so good before, why did it suddenly rain?! "
This wasn't the end of it. Just as the entire winter hunt army was discussing, something even more terrifying happened. Large amounts of hailstones fell from the rain onto the gray ground and the snow-covered forest. These thumb-sized hailstones fell down in droves, smashing onto the helmets of the serfs, the armors of the knights, and Count Orcarson's beautifully decorated plate armor. In just a few minutes, the fine hailstones and the terrifying sleet had completely submerged this group of people!
"Dang dang dang dang ~" The dense hailstones smashed onto the armor of the entire army, sounding extremely ear-piercing. The hateful hailstones grew larger and larger, gradually growing from the size of a thumb to the size of an egg. Many of the serfs were smashed until their heads bled and the knights couldn't even raise their heads.
The waterfall-like rain soon engulfed the entire winter hunt army. The bone-chilling cold caused the infantrymen and knights to become dispirited. It seemed that the winter hunt couldn't continue.
Without any other choice, Count Orcarson could only give the order, "Everyone, find a place to hide!"
"Yes!" The attendants all responded. Everyone could only scatter in all directions, finding a place to hide from the rain in the wilderness and swamps.
The entire plains and swamps had turned into a muddy swamp. Under the hailstones and sleet, everyone couldn't even see their fingers in front of them. It was extremely miserable.
It was precisely because of this heavy rain that no one in the entire winter hunt army noticed that a group of eighty knights was slowly approaching from afar. The knight in the lead was wearing a gray knight's exquisite power armor and holding Nemesis in his hand. His body was surrounded by psionic light, causing all the snow and hailstones that were heading towards him to be deflected.
"The conquest of Mu Xilong will begin today."
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