Translator: Cinder Translations
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"Cheers, General."
"Cheers, Duke."
The crystal-clear glasses clinked softly, producing a crisp and pleasant sound.
Schroeder and Duke Henry Fraule of the Northwest Bay each drank from their glasses in one gulp.
The Alden Expeditionary Army had just reached the capital of Duke Fraule's fief, Sente, where they took a short rest.
As soon as Schroeder arrived in the city, Henry held a banquet to welcome him.
Though Schroeder thought it was an ill-timed gesture, he didn't want to refuse the Duke's hospitality and thus attended the event.
However, the banquet wasn't just about eating and drinking.
A detachment from Manda, accompanying the Alden forces on the expedition, was present, and the Duke needed to discuss matters related to the campaign with Schroeder.
The Fraule family, holders of the Duke's title, was the highest-ranking family in the Northwest Bay. With the kingdom in peril and the event occurring near his own territory, the Duke had an obligation to contribute.
"Come here, Garrett!"
A young man was called over by the Duke, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Schroeder.
"General, let me introduce you to Garrett Fraule, the finest young member of our family. He will follow you in this campaign, and I trust you will make use of him."
Garrett gave a sharp salute, performing an Alden-style military salute to Schroeder.
"General, I will serve you to the best of my ability," he said.
Schroeder patted him on the shoulder and encouraged, "I look forward to seeing you shine in the upcoming battles."
In fact, during the preparation for the expedition, many families from the Northwest Bay sought to have their young members join the Northwest Army. For instance, Derrick Heller, a young nobleman from the Heller family, was the first to express such a desire, eventually succeeding after much persuasion.
Noble youths like him were eager to prove themselves, following the ancient tradition of seeking glory and higher titles through warfare, even though Schroeder repeatedly warned them of the dangers they might face in battle.
From one perspective, it was also a sign of trust in the Alden Army's combat capabilities.
Alden Town had to create an extraneous operational system for this group. Although technically not part of the regular forces, they still adopted Alden's style for ease of coordination and command, naming the different units after their respective home territories, like "Independent Unit of So-and-So."
Of course, not just anyone's family could send their children. They had to swear an oath in the family's name to obey Alden's military rules and be prepared to face severe consequences if they violated them. They also had to prove they could supply their own resources or pay a large sum for the Alden Army to handle it.
Once the formal matters were discussed, Henry began to chat casually with Schroeder, recounting some amusing news from his territory.
"General, do you remember Maltz Kent?"
"The usurper? What about him?"
"Wasn't he buried in Sente? Just a few days ago, we had a thunderstorm, and a huge bolt of lightning struck his tomb. After the storm, the scene... tsk tsk, you should have seen it."
Henry took a sip of his drink, grinning. "Maltz's entire tomb was obliterated. There's just a big pit left, with the coffin and all its burial goods reduced to dust."
Schroeder was incredulous. "Is that really true? Could it have been grave robbers, setting up the scene afterward?"
Henry confirmed, "Absolutely true. The gravekeeper saw it happen. He's a man of integrity and would never lie."
Schroeder shook his head. "It's truly remarkable."
Henry, however, felt a sense of satisfaction, clearly delighted. Personally, he had almost lost his ducal title to Maltz, and in public matters, Maltz's actions had caused the Fraule family's reputation to plummet, losing its former standing in the Northwest Bay.
He raised his eyebrows and said, "What does this tell us? It means Maltz was a man of great evil. His simple death wasn't enough to atone for his crimes, and only the Lord of Light's wrath could continue punishing him."
"If I had known, we should never have given him a respectable funeral. What a waste of money."
"Your Grace!"
Just as Henry was about to continue ridiculing Maltz Kent, a sudden interruption came from a servant.
"What's going on? Why are you in such a rush?"
The Duke, still in high spirits, was not pleased.
"A knight, claiming to be from the Royal Knights, requests an audience. He says he has important intelligence from the Blackstone Pass."
Henry and Schroeder exchanged a glance.
Royal Knights, and from the Blackstone Pass, it was already clear what that meant.
"Let him wait in the small reception room."
Half an hour later, the small reception room in the Duke's mansion was filled with a tense atmosphere.
Only three people were present: Schroeder, Henry Fraule, and the uninvited guest, a knight named Misso.
The knight had just finished speaking, and he fell into an anxious silence.
Schroeder's expression stiffened.
"I didn't expect that we'd be facing such a terrible situation even before leaving the Northwest Bay," he muttered.
Henry, now panicking, waved his arms and questioned, "No... this can't be right. Those barbaric savages without even a written language managed to defeat the Royal Knights? And what about the lords of Blackstone Pass? You... you lost?"
Looking at the knight Misso nodding in silence, the Duke was on the verge of breaking down.
What Misso had just described was a terrifying scene. After defeating the Kingdom's army in the Sunset Valley, the orcs used their cavalry advantage to charge deep into the heart of the kingdom, plundering and massacring. The lords of Blackstone Pass were no match for them; they either died in battle, fled, or surrendered, causing the orc army to grow stronger and stronger.
"They often appear from unexpected places, striking at your weakest point with a lethal blow. Sometimes, even if you've set up the battlefield, the orc cavalry has already circled around to your rear to wreak havoc, causing your front-line soldiers to lose their morale."
"When you finally face them head-on, although the Kingdom soldiers are brave, the constant harassment from the orc cavalry will wear them down, magnifying their fear, and causing the collapse of the entire formation."
From the knight Misso's helpless and fearful expression, it was clear how disastrous the recent experience had been for the Kingdom's army.
Schroeder looked at Henry.
"Your Grace, we must hurry. We need to stop the orc forces at the border."
"General, you're absolutely right!"
Henry agreed vehemently.
After all, Manda was on the eastern side of the Northwest Bay.
If they couldn't stop the enemy, the Fraule family would be the first to face the storm.
(End of the Chapter)
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