A military operation involving more than two thousand people suffered a crushing defeat, and such a thing could not be concealed in any way, at least not in an army like Giles'.
After Samar led his defeated troops back in a sorry state, all sorts of rumors began to circulate quietly that very night.
There are many outrageous claims, with some saying that tens of thousands of Yankees have appeared behind Eagles Beak Pass, and others saying that even Five Rams City has been captured by the Royal Army.
"Did you know? There are many large ships in Northwest Bay. I am the son of a fisherman, and I have seen their ships with my own eyes. They are huge ships, as big as castles when they are docked in the harbor. Crystal Radiance can requisition their large ships to transport soldiers directly from the sea to the southern coast, or even upstream to Five Rams City!"
Many knowledgeable soldiers provided corroborating evidence for the rumors based on their own information.
Giles realized that the current situation was very bad for him, and the morale of the troops he had worked so hard to build up was rapidly dissipating.
He had to take decisive action.
As dawn broke again, the deep horns echoed through the valley before Eagles Beak Pass, and the Kingdom Army launched a fierce attack.
This attack was very different from the previous probing attacks.
The Royal Army's cannon attack was deafening, its terrifying roar tearing through the dawn mist. Crimson flames spewed from the cannons as they hurled shell after shell at Eagles Beak Pass. The topmost crenellations of the wall shattered layer by layer under the continuous hammering of solid shot, turning into scattered stone chips.
Bare-chested, the artillerymen quickly repositioned their gun mounts amidst the smoke, deftly cleaning the smoldering barrels with scrubbing rods. Artillery officers brandished their swords, closely monitoring the situation atop the Eagles Beak Pass wall. If a figure moved, they would order the next round of shot, the scorching metal storm capable of wiping out any rebel soldiers daring to peek out from the wall.
All signs indicate that the Kingdom Army is about to get serious.
It was indeed time to get serious. The Royal Infantry Second Regiment, which had circled around through the mountains to the rear of Eagles Beak Pass, was in a state of complete disarray. They might not even receive any supplies. Therefore, the main Royal Army force remaining on the front line had to accelerate their breakthrough.
Despite the heavy shelling, the walls of Eagles Beak Pass remained largely intact, but large sections of the upper crenellations had been breached.
" Long live Aldor!" Levin, commander of the 1st Royal Infantry Regiment, drew his silver-inlaid sword and roared at the soldiers who were poised to attack: "Attack!"
Once the order was given, the soldiers of the First Regiment split into several columns, carrying ladders and rushing toward the city wall. Each column had a standard bearer carrying the Aldor royal banner, the flag bearing the royal symbol fluttering in the mountain wind.
"The enemy is charging! Prepare for battle!"
"Heavenly Father, bless us!"
The rebels on the city wall felt like they were in hell. The knight officer on duty on the wall, Yumason, felt so sorry for himself. He was supposed to be handing over his duties soon and could go back to his barracks for a good night's sleep, but just then the Yankees launched their attack.
Suddenly something whistled past him, and Mason turned his head in astonishment to find that half of the servant's face had been sliced off, and blood had soaked through his white clothes.
Mason's heart sank. The Royal Army's new weapon was so wicked; it gave you no chance to defend or fight back. Once hit, you were either dead or maimed.
"Where is His Highness the Grand Duke? Where is Lord Samar? Where is Lord Wendell?"
Mason was filled with doubt. He had sent someone to notify the Royal Army as soon as they launched their attack, so why hadn't the high-ranking figures, including Duke Giles, come to the city wall to take command?
"There's no one here! There's no one here!"
The soldier he had sent to notify earlier returned dejectedly, his face filled with grief and despair.
Mason demanded in a shrill voice, "What do you mean by that?"
The soldiers screamed madly, "They've all run away! Giles, Samar, Wendell, and all those other big shots—we've vanished! We've been abandoned!"
His words were like a bomb, stunning all the soldiers on the city wall.
"We've been abandoned!"
Upon learning of this heartbreaking event, the soldiers scattered like headless flies. Some knelt on the ground to pray, some wept bitterly while holding their comrades' bodies, and others frantically tore at their blood-soaked clothes.
Mason staggered forward a few steps, his vision beginning to blur, all he could hear was the roar of the Cannon and the groans of the dying.
Giles ran away, taking his cronies with him!
When Samar led his defeated troops back to Eagles Beak Pass, Giles immediately realized that his army was in dire straits.
Even if they manage to repel every Royal Army attack by remaining at Eagles Beak Pass, their manpower and supplies will undoubtedly continue to dwindle.
However, if they were to gather their forces to retake Waming Town, they would have to abandon Eagles Beak Pass, allowing the main Royal Army force to pass through immediately and then attack them from both sides with the forces in Waming Town.
Without the protection of the city walls, Giles had lost confidence in defeating the royal army in the open.
He could only run, but if he took his army with him, he would be too big a target to escape, so he had no choice but to abandon his loyal subordinates.
At this moment, Giles was traveling through the southern mountains of the devil's belly with several close associates.
The Kingdom Army knew how to take the back roads, and so did they. Although they couldn't command a large army to move through, they were more than capable of doing so with just a few people.
Greedy Wolf Grand Duke nearly cried out when a dead beech branch tore through his hood.
He's now extremely nervous; just recently, his group ran into the Royal Army. A fierce battle broke out at a checkpoint set up by the Infantry Second Regiment nearby, but he managed to escape with his life.
He gripped the hilt of his sword, wrapped in coarse burlap—his only remaining sword, its scabbard long since thrown into the ravine—the salty, metallic taste of blood filling his mouth.
Baron Samar suddenly crouched down five steps ahead, his mud-covered mink cloak sweeping across the fallen leaves.
"There are signs of wolves, be careful," Samar warned everyone.
Giles felt as if his heart was about to shatter his ribs; his sweat-soaked linen shirt clung to his back like a cold shroud.
Wendell's hand rested silently on his shoulder; he had been injured in a recent battle and only had three fingers left on his left hand.
But his comforting words had no effect. Hearing the mournful howls of wolves coming from afar, Giles suddenly realized that he was trembling, like a farmer shaking off chaff in the dead of winter.
I was so humiliated; I had never experienced anything like this before in my life!
He stared intently at a puddle at his feet, its surface reflecting his face smeared with coal ash: the scabbed arrow wound on his right cheek, his short, gray-white curls, and his bloodshot eyes—eyes that, until last night, had been adorned with a gold-rimmed monocle.