"No problem. However, how do you plan to capture the Misty Plain with only three thousand armed forces, Commander in Chief? The Misty Plain is widely known to be easily defensible but virtually impossible to attack. Plus, there are five thousand soldiers from the Timber Deity Empire who are defending the place. We do not have even a dog's chance of winning." Allen nodded at Rocky, but confusion and doubt still plagued his mind.
"You will soon find out. Come with me then," Rocky said with a mysterious smile.
"Okay. I'm looking forward to that." Allen was a little bit appeased when he saw the confidence that emanated from Rocky. He looked forward to finding out how he would accomplish that.
After Allen left the commander-in-chief's tent, Rocky continued to pore over the military topographic map.
Soon after, Isis walked into the tent with a cup of tea.
"I made ginseng tea for you. Drink it, while it is warm." Rocky looked up at her with an appreciative smile, as she served the ginseng tea to him.
"Thank you, Isis." He took the cup carefully and drained the tea with one gulp.
"Are you really confident about conquering the Misty Plain?" asked Isis. She could see, that there was no trace of hesitation or worry in his actions. However, she wondered if it was all an act.
"What? You don't believe me?" Rocky looked up at Isis, with a teasing glint in his eyes.
"I do believe you. But it is no joke to fight on this Misty Plain! Even my father once suffered losses at the Misty Plain, so I was worried..." Isis wrung her hand anxiously. She was looking at the floor, so Rocky waited for her to look up before he answered. His voice was firm, and it soothed the anxiety in her heart.
"Don't worry. I won't fight a battle carelessly. The Misty Plain is indeed dangerous, but it's a double-edged sword. It depends on what advantage you make use of," Rocky explained with a smile. Then, he continued jokingly, "You made tea for me, and you're worried about me. You would be a good wife. If I had known that earlier, I wouldn't have agreed to a fake marriage. It would be great to be your real husband, instead."
A blush spread prettily over Isis' face. Although Rocky was praising her, the words sounded like he was flirting with her. She wondered if Rocky could hear the violent thuds her heartbeat made.
"Don't stay up too late," Isis said instead, as she looked coyly at her feet. She couldn't meet his eyes, embarrassed further by the blush that she knew was on her cheeks. She could feel her cheeks and ears burning with it
on the right wing of their defensive line. Her belief that she had complete control of the Crimson Dragon Army was bolstered when she saw the hostile forces were attacking from the right wing, exactly as she had expected.
A day and a night had passed in fierce fighting. However, Alyssa was caught by surprise when Isis suddenly retreated with her vanguard soldiers. Since then, nothing happened at the right defensive line.
"Curious, very curious! Why did the Crimson Dragon Army stop attacking? They ought to strengthen their offensive while they have the strength. Did they realize that the Dragon Tiger Road was a trap? But it doesn't matter, even if they've found out. If they didn't attack from the Dragon Tiger Road, they would end in a stalemate. They would just be wasting their time and effort if they attacked from the left or the middle of the defensive line. That would be extremely favorable for the Timber Deity Empire. That clever Rocky definitely knew this. I'm sure he would choose to strike from the Dragon Tiger Road in full force," Alyssa said as she analyzed the situation. She wondered what tricks the Crimson Dragon Army was up to, and why they ceased their attack on the right side.
"Maybe, this is a trick by Rocky. He could be pretending to stop their attacks so that we would let our guard down. Then, they would attack with full force, hoping to catch us off-guard," said Alyssa, and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. She figured that she needed to block off the Crimson Dragon Army for ten days which would cause them the most damage. She didn't have to rush to achieve success. She would just fight and steadily chip the enemies' ranks until it was time to counterattack.