Chapter 65: The Troops with Large Disparity Encounter in Peacock Forest Area (Part 1)
Ximengsi Continent’s southern region, outside Steinbeck Fief, Peacock Forest Area.
This place was the joint border of Steinbeck Fief and Cromwell Principality. Because of magical beasts forcibly occupying this place over a long period of time, average hunters didn’t dare to easily hunt here. For a long time, this area had grown wild.
In this different world, there were very few magicians among the Human Race. Generally, average adventurers and mercenaries dare to deal with just low-leveled magical beasts and wild beasts. If they encountered mid-leveled or high-leveled magical beasts, they would be powerless to even resist. As for average hunters, they only dared to hunt normal wild beasts, nothing more. They couldn’t afford to provoke any magical beasts.
Clyde together with Princess Natalie and roughly 5,000 militia were rushing into the Peacock Forest Area. Princess Natalie looked serious, feeling the war situation was very thorny. Among the female companions around Clyde, at present, only Princess Natalie could be called the military leader. This blood-red haired beauty wearing a silver armor looked especially conspicuous in the midst of this army.
“Princess Natalie, no need to be so tense, you have already commanded in so many wars before, just acting like usual is fine.”
“Lord Clyde, with the disparity in troops this time, I fear, we cannot keep up for a long time.”
Princess Natalie barely smiled hearing the comfort of Clyde. Cromwell Principality had no less than 100,000 troops this time. In terms of numbers, they were at least 20 times more than their side. In addition, the equipment of the two sides was also of different grades. The equipment of Steinbeck Fief’s militia was just simple and crude plate armor and spear, moreover, many were untrained.
The former suzerains of independent cities, even after joining Steinbeck Fief, they assumed importance by massing troops and refused to hand over their troops to Princess Saras, vainly keeping their power. Their troops were armed, but Princess Natalie had no choice, she could only recruit additional soldiers. These over 5,000 people were new recruits.
However, those suzerains’ wish was also not achieved. They originally wanted to rely on the troops in their hands to discuss terms. Princess Saras spoke with them, but Lucifer beside her didn’t speak at all. She just observed secretly for a while and made Princess Saras allow those suzerains and their army to enter the fief, and even choose the place they wanted to stay themselves. Those suzerains naively thought that Princess Saras was fooled and entered Steinbeck Fief with all their belongings.
On the same night, the place chosen by those suzerains were raided by bloodkin familiars, creating a bloodbath. Those independent cities’ suzerains didn’t see this coming even in their dream. Everything was a trap set up by Lucifer, especially to lure them to bring all their belongings into Steinbeck Fief before making a move. First, their cities were burned and everywhere was infested by undeads, later they were attacked and their blood was sucked dry by the bloodkin familiars, and they were also turned into bloodkin servants.
“Money, all money is there, let us go, we won’t dare next time.”
“Next time? There is no next time! Big Sister Saras is kindhearted, but you all didn’t listen to her at that time, now, you all have no choice. You all are just in time to deliver military expenses to Big Brother Clyde.”
Lucifer walked into the estate with a lot of bloodkin familiars around her. Those big and tall independent cities’ suzerains were so scared of this Lolita that they pissed their pants. They didn’t even have the courage to take up arms. The soldiers inside and outside the estate were already killed by bloodkin familiars. The army in their hands was all wiped out here.
“Don’t blame me! You all chose this graveyard, farewell forever!”
“God, please... ah!”
Those unfortunate suzerains didn’t even have the time to pray the gods for forgiveness. They were swarmed by blood wolves and turned into corpses. The scene was very bloody, incomplete limbs were flying all around. Lucifer didn’t even look at this scene and left. All the belongings of these suzerains were already taken away by the bloodkin familiars under her.
“What a sham, you all basically don’t believe in Light God, now you know repentance.”
“Your Majesty the Queen, should we also strip off their equipment and pass them onto Lord Evil God?”
“Don’t bother, how can I pass bloody equipment to Big Brother Clyde?”
Because of the large disparity in strength, the independent suzerains were quickly wiped out by bloodkin familiars. When the sun rose the next morning, other than bloodstains, there was nothing here. Those bloodstains proved that they once existed here. All the belongings of independent suzerains were naturally collected by Lucifer and passed them to Clyde in the frontline as military funds.
Clyde didn’t know the source of this military fund, but he also didn’t ask Lucifer. Although there were just over 5,000 people in the army of Steinbeck Fief, in the rear, there still were over 10,000 specters and undeads supporting from the dark. The ancient Demon King Andrisno was in the rear command of undeads to help transport army provisions, moreover, to dispatch specters to the frontline to investigate.
Behind the armed forces of Steinbeck Fief, there was a strange scene. Undeads along with skeleton warriors were pulling carriages, helping human soldiers transport supplies. These demonic creatures wouldn’t temporarily enter the war, they were merely supporting. Only if the frontline collapse, they would enter the battle.
Relying on the investigation report of specters, before arriving at the battlefront, Clyde already knew the place where Cromwell Principality’s troops were stationed. In the comparatively open plain of Peacock Forest Area, they had built forts. The commander of Cromwell Principality’s troops was Eric, the son of Cromwell Principality’s suzerain Duke Krend. Like father, that fellow was also militant and believed in military force.
Actually, the real military strength of Cromwell Principality was just over 50,000 soldiers. With the addition of hired over 20,000 mercenaries and the remaining over 30,000 rear-service personnel responsible to transport the supplies, they added up to over 100,000 troops. As for Clyde’s side, he actually also had over 100,000 soldiers. Among them, 5,000 were militia and over 100,000 were undeads under the guise of rear-service personnel. The combat power of these specters, skeleton warriors and zombies was a lot stronger than these 5,000 militias.
The soldiers under Clyde arrived at a small hill, they could see the forts of Cromwell Principality from here. Like the investigation report of the scepters, Cromwell Principality’s forts were divided into two parts. The Grey Fort was the place where the army was stationed and Eric commanded these over 50,000 soldiers from here. The other Evan Fort was where the hired mercenaries were stationed, over 20,000 mercenaries were hired to take part in this war. The remaining 30,000 rear-service personnel were not in these forts, they were in the rear area.
The soldiers of Cromwell Principality were infantries equipped with a complete set of armor. All of them look like lumps of steels. Compared to the militia of Steinbeck Fief, the gap in equipment grade was clear. Clyde turned around to look and discovered that many militia were trembling. It seemed they had never seen such a big battlefield and were badly scared. If it were not for over 100,000 undead troops behind, many might have already fled, becoming the army deserter.
“What are you all afraid of? Could it be that those demonic creatures behind aren’t more terrifying? Now, you all have two choices, join them in the rear or fight like humans!”
Under Clyde’s warning, the militia of Steinbeck Fief recovered a lot of morale with difficulty, in any case, since they were dead regardless of whether they advanced or retreated, wouldn’t it be better to die in the hands of other human beings? Like that, they would at least die as a human, if they were killed by those undeads, then it would be even more tragic. After understanding this point, the weapons in their hands no longer trembled like before.
“Lord Clyde, I don’t have any confidence to win, the other side’s number is too much.”
“No, Natalie, we still have a stratagem which ensures success. They have a burden, but we don’t have any fear of disturbance in the rear.”
After seeing the other side’s military camp, Clyde considered for a short while, then ordered the entire army to stay here and wait for the day to turn dark to attack the military camp of Cromwell Principality at night. With their manpower, if they don’t carry out a surprise attack and wait for the other side to completely consolidate their troops, then they might not have any chance. Princess Natalie had no objection. She also could only think of a surprise attack and harassing tactics. With such a difference in numbers, they could only play like this.
In the command area of Grey Fort, Eric, the commander of Cromwell Principality’s army, was having a banquet with his subordinates, trusted aides and military officers, enjoying good wine and delicacies. He basically didn’t attach any importance to Steinbeck Fief, that small fief with just 5,000 or so militia. He came on this expedition just to be far away from his father Duke Krend’s restriction so he could mess around as he pleased.
The banquet was quite chaotic. Just like a carnival, there were bare-chested men everywhere who were drinking wine while enjoying maids. At the banquet, there were many slaves. Those slaves wore nothing, were in a bare state with an iron collar around their neck. An iron chain was attached to their iron collar, and the other end was tied to a chair or a table.
The maids’ with bright red faces were bending over, giving influential officials various kinds of wicked erotic services. They had an exclusive slave mark on their body and could only let these influential officials do whatever they liked. Basically, the nations of “Clark Alliance” all practiced slavery. This kind of thing was considered normal. The influential officials of those nations were also already accustomed to this.
Eric was drinking wine while playing dirty tricks on a maid in front of him. That beautiful maid was kneeling in front of him and using her elastic and soft plump bosom to clamp that standing erect crime tool while rubbing up and down. Her face was already covered with a strange white substance, and she was using a charming expression to curry favor with her master.
“Lord Eric, the troops of Steinbeck Fief seemed to have arrived at that hill, should we...”
“What’s there to fear just 5,000 or so people? Let them live for one more day. Tomorrow, make those mercenaries attack, we will just watch the play, in any case, we have spent money, those mercenaries will definitely spare no effort.”
“Lord Eric, I heard the commander of Steinbeck Fief’s army is a red-haired beauty.”
“Red-haired beauty, that’s just right, capture her alive as spoils of war.”
Eric and the military officers enjoyed wine while calculating what to plunder from Steinbeck Fief. No one noticed that there were many specters lurking in this banquet site, coldly monitoring them. They reported everything to ancient Demon King Andrisno far away and she reported it to Clyde.