Elliot stared at the night outside the window, his fingers constantly stroking the wooden stock of his pistol. Suddenly, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes, and he sent for several of his core subordinates to come before him.
"Summon everyone immediately. We'll launch a night raid on the orcs' hideout and 'help' Grand Duke Hassan make up his mind."
Upon hearing this, all the subordinates present were greatly surprised. One of them, a man with a full beard, hurriedly stepped forward: "Sir, this is too risky! There are only thirty-seven of us. If we make a scene, it will not only alarm the whole city, but may also completely enrage Grand Duke Hassan. At that time, we will have no way out!"
"Adventure? From the moment we stepped into this city-state, there was no turning back."
Elliot spread out the map, emphasizing the location of Duchy of Roland. "Have you thought about this? Duchy of Roland is our army's first stop into the Redstone Desert. It has water sources and granaries, which are crucial for the Sentinel Legion's subsequent military operations. Once we take this city, the Legion will have a stable foothold to support our advance into the depths of the desert and completely cut off the orcs' supply lines on the edge of the desert."
"If Grand Prince Hassan resists to the end, we will have to pay a huge price to take it down."
His tone grew increasingly firm: "There are only about twenty orcs in the city right now. They haven't realized the danger yet, nor have they had time to call for help from the grasslands. If we wait until they react and send troops to defend, it will cost us several times more to take Duchy of Roland. We must eliminate these orcs before that happens."
A tall, thin subordinate frowned and asked, "But what if it backfires? The Rolanders might completely side with the orcs."
Elliot's lips curled into a cold smile. "We can spread rumors that this raid was a joint operation between Grand Duke Hassan and us, that he initiated the purge of the orcs from the city, thus demonstrating Duchy of Roland's allegiance to Aldor. Even if he denies it, the orcs' trust in him will be greatly diminished. The best outcome is that he will be forced to admit this reality and obediently stand on our side. As for the worst outcome... those who don't want to participate in this operation can leave under the cover of night, now!"
None of his subordinates left, but many still looked hesitant.
Elliot raised his voice: "Now is not the time to hesitate! Everyone check your weapons immediately and assemble in the backyard of the compound in ten minutes. Move quickly and accurately, try to make as little noise as possible, and make sure to eliminate all the orcs before dawn, leaving no survivors!"
Seeing the determination in his eyes, his subordinates knew that Elliot had made up his mind, and none of them objected. They turned around to gather their men and check their equipment.
Half an hour later, in the backyard of the building, all thirty-seven people, including Elliot, had assembled. Each of them was dressed in light leather armor, holding swords and pistols tightly in their hands, and grenades were tucked into their waistbands.
The subordinate who had gone out to gather information during the day stood at the forefront. He already knew the location of the orcs' residence and the surrounding environment very well. At this moment, he lowered his voice and explained the route to everyone: "The orcs live in the old trading post in the south of the city. It used to be a place to receive grassland caravans. There are only two wooden fences around it."
Elliot nodded, made a shushing gesture, and then bent down and disappeared into the night. The others followed closely behind him, their steps light as they moved along the edge of the street.
The city of Roland was exceptionally quiet at night, with only the soft sound of their footsteps echoing on the stone pavement, quickly drowned out by the rustling of leaves in the wind. The old trading post in the south of the city drew closer, and from a distance, only a few windows could be seen emitting faint flames.
Elliot signaled the troops to stop. One of his men, carrying a barrel of gunpowder, crouched low and quietly approached the gate of the building. He put it down, lit the fuse, and immediately rolled over and hid in a corner next to the wall.
A muffled boom shattered the silence of the night. The wooden door was instantly blown open by the force of the gunpowder, sending splinters flying. The two orcs guarding the door were stunned by the loud noise and were immediately shot by the Aldor who rushed in with short guns. Their burly bodies fell heavily to the ground.
Elliot waved his hand, and the men immediately rushed into the building with their pistols, heading towards each room.
Most of the orcs were still asleep when the explosion roused them into chaos. Bare-chested, some hadn't even had time to grab their weapons before the Aldor stormed into the room. Soldiers raised their guns and fired.
"Bang! Bang!" Gunshots echoed inside the building. Although the orcs were tall, they were caught off guard by the surprise attack and were not wearing armor, so they could not withstand the power of the firearm bullets.
Several quick-reacting orcs grabbed their battle axes to fight back, but were blown to pieces by grenades thrown by the soldiers, their screams echoing throughout the arena.
Elliot, pistol in hand, patrolled the building, his sharp eyes scanning every corner, not missing a single orc.
His subordinates worked together seamlessly, some cleaning the rooms and others guarding the exits to prevent the orcs from escaping. The entire battle lasted less than an hour, during which the orcs inside the building suffered heavy casualties.
In the end, only two orcs were cornered in the corner of the building. The bloodstains on the ground reached their feet, but they could not suppress their arrogance.
The more muscular orc, with a necklace of beast teeth around his neck, suddenly raised his head, his murky eyes filled with ferocity, and roared at Elliot who had approached him: "You cowards hiding in the shadows! Human scum who only know how to launch sneak attacks! I am Centurion under the Great Chieftain Abar!" Monk! If you've got the guts, put down your evil weapons and let's have a real fight!
Another orc roared, "Useless humans! You're nothing but cowards who rely on firearms!"
Elliot walked over, stopped, and looked at Monk without any reaction, as if he were looking at something insignificant.
He reached out and took a newly reloaded pistol from one of his men, his finger on the trigger, the muzzle slowly aimed at the orc next to Monk.
Who are you calling trash?
No sooner had he finished speaking than a gunshot rang out inside the building. The bullet struck the orc cowering to the side precisely in the temple, and brain matter mixed with blood splattered all over Monk's face. The warm liquid trickled down his cheeks and stuck stickily to his beard.
The orc didn't even utter a sound before collapsing limply to the ground, his eyes still wide open in anger.
Elliot abruptly withdrew his gun and kicked Meng Ke in the chest, sending him sprawling down next to the corpse.
"roll!"
A single word struck Monk's ear, carrying an undeniable killing intent.
"Get out of this city right now and go back to tell Abar that the Duchy of Roland has once again submitted to the Kingdom of Aldor. If you dare to turn back or linger on the road, the next bullet will be in your head—just like he was."
Centurion, the orc who had been so arrogant just moments before, staggered toward the gate of the building and fled without looking back, quickly disappearing into the deep night. He was even naked