Chapter 958- Duke Vordanaz (2)

Chapter 958- Duke Vordanaz (2)

The Second Apex War—one of the most cataclysmic events to ever scar the world—was unfolding right in front of his eyes. A war so devastating that its very existence was nearly erased from history, leaving behind only whispers in ancient texts.

And here he was, expected to navigate through it, survive it, and somehow rewrite the course of fate.

He let out a bitter laugh under his breath. Yeah, no pressure. Yet, despite the enormity of the task, he knew he had to go through it. The only path was forward, through blood and fire. The only question that remained was how.

Thankfully, scouting the Gorgor Mountains had yielded one potential solution: the abandoned fortress perched on the mountain pass.

The ruins were ancient, yes, but defensible. If used correctly, they could serve as the foothold needed to slow the Demon Lord's forces.

It wasn't much. Hell, it might not even work. But it was the only chance he had. A chance to buy time. And in this trial, time was everything.

"They are taking quite a while" Simon muttered.

In this subquest, the hardest part was convincing Rothgard and Dravik to commit to the plan. Moving the entire army eastward—sideways across the battlefield—was not a decision leaders made lightly.

Soldiers needed clarity and structure, and moving in an unexpected direction could easily lead to confusion, desertion, or worse. But if they followed the conventional way and moved the way they did in the historia, they would be doomed.

If Rothgard followed the standard approach that is meeting the Demon Lord's army in open battle—they were all as good as dead.

Just as Simon was agonising over the difficulty of the trial, a voice came from inside the tent and he was called in.

.

.

As such, it came as no surprise to him that the two of them wanted him to be the decoy.

Rothgard arched his eyebrow, surprised by how quickly the mercenary accepted the role. He was prepared to step in if needed but it seemed like it was not needed.

Dravik, on the other hand gave a small, approving nod—he had some understanding of the mercenary named Simon and knew that the other party would accept the role given the stakes.

"Here is the plan we have formulated. you'll form the decoy from the mercenaries and light infantry, a force small enough to move quickly, but large enough to look convincing.

"You'll need to stage skirmishes along the way to draw attention—harass the enemy scouts, make them believe the main army is here."

"You are asking a lot given the level of the soldiers here but... I'll do my best"

Rather, he had to do his best if he wanted to complete this ridiculous quest.

"So How long do we need to hold them for?" Simon questioned looking up from the map.

"Until dawn, That's when the bulk of our forces will reach Mount Gorgor and begin fortifying the fortress. If the enemy realizes we've moved before then, we'll be overrun."

It was a plain answer but one that was given after much thought and deliberation. Rothgard's face looked grave when he said that.

"Can you do it? Can you last that long?"

Whether he can do it or not, there was no reason to een judge it. He must simply do it.

"Understood," Simon said. His voice was calm, as though he were discussing the weather. But the truth was, he knew exactly what this mission entailed—suicide.

But someone had to buy time for the larger force to reach the fortress. If Simon didn't do it, the entire southern alliance would collapse under the weight of the Demon Lord's horde.

"Then it's settled," Rothgard said. "We move tonight."