On another continent, the flag of the white poplar trees of the Elf Race's Poplar Kingdom suddenly appeared at noon one day on the borderline between the Poplar Kingdom and the Orc Gales Kingdom.
This region had always been a contentious area, where approximately a year ago the troops of the Poplar Kingdom had clashed with those of the Gales Kingdom, suffering a loss of 4,000 men. Both sides had then faced off across the banks of a river called the Segal.
The war seemed to have subsided, but recently the Poplar Kingdom had once again increased its forces at the Segal River, and the atmosphere in the nearby war zone had suddenly become tense once more.
Within the territory of the Gales Kingdom, on the plains near the Segal River, the Orc commanders were discussing recent military maneuvers in a tent.
Contrary to popular belief, the Orcs in this world were simply green-skinned humans with sharper teeth and elf-like ears—pointy, yet their physiques were not much stronger than that of humans and elves.
An Orc officer in leather armor, his hand on the hilt of his longsword, looked down at the not-so-detailed map on the table and said to the leading general, "Those elves from the Poplar Kingdom across the river have been becoming unsettled again recently!"
Another Orc officer pointed at the map, "They're amassing troops, but we still hold an absolute advantage in numbers."
A flintlock gun, the Shireck Flintlock Gun, hung on his waist. Judging by the wooden handle of the pistol, this weapon had clearly seen long service.
Compared to the more delicate Elf Race, the Orcs were closer to a prairie civilization. Their lifestyle was rougher, so naturally, their economy was not as developed as that of the elves and humans.
However, they were arguably more fierce in battle. While they were not particularly skilled, their bravery was renowned worldwide.
Of course, they too could be wounded, fall, bleed, and die in the face of firearms.
Lacking Shireck's workshops in their territory, most of the Gales Kingdom's firearms were acquired through smuggling from another kingdom to the rear.
They were more numerous, but they had relatively fewer firearms. Every conflict with the Poplar Kingdom led to rivers of blood for the Gales Kingdom.
"I really can't understand why they are always so arrogant, thinking they can destroy our Orc Race's iron will with firearms!" a burly Orc commander said in a simple and honest tone.
He clenched his fists as if to vent the rage in his heart, "If we had that many firearms, their very survival would be a problem!"
The leading Orc general, arms crossed, stared at the map, silent. He truly hadn't anticipated that the enemy would make a comeback so soon.
Based on past experience, after a major battle the Poplar Kingdom would typically show some restraint, recuperating for a while before reinforcing the border again.
But now, it seemed their adversaries were eager to restart the war, and on a larger scale than before.
According to information from the Orc scout troops, the Poplar Kingdom had sent an additional 4,500 troops in three legions to the border.
Including the 12,000 soldiers already stationed at the border, the Elf Race had now deployed a total of 11 legions there.
This scale vastly exceeded previous deployments, so the Orc side had also begun to increase its forces at the border.
The Orcs outnumbered their enemy, and consequently, it took longer to assemble their troops, a disadvantage of having an excessively large force.
"Send someone to inform His Majesty the King at once! Report the situation on the battlefield to him," the Orc general instructed again.
Another officer nodded and walked out of the tent, "Yes, sir!"
After a series of orders were issued, silence once again returned to the tent, and the brawny officer beside the Orc general couldn't help but curse angrily, "Now I finally understand why the Shireck envoys were so easy to talk to, selling us 5,000 Shireck Flintlock Guns in one go!"
"They're swindling our money!" the other Orc officers said grimly, clenching their fists.
The leading Orc officer closed his eyes, reluctantly lamenting, "But we still have to trade fairly with them! This is what I hate the most!"
The two legions he had deployed by the upper river had crumbled in an instant, indicating a clear and significant superiority of the Elves' weaponry.
He started with twenty-seven legions against eleven of the Elves, now he had only twenty-five legions ready for immediate combat.
Such a situation had never occurred in previous wars, so he had to reassess the combat power of the Elf troops.
A miscalculation of the enemy's actual combat strength could lead to an irreversible catastrophe for the entire war situation.
This was a battle in which the Orc Gales Kingdom had invested all its effort. If they failed to defeat the Elves, the Gales Kingdom losing the Sena Plains would essentially be no different from the kingdom's ruin.
After considering his options, he ordered the brawny officer beside him, "You personally lead the guard! Have the two defeated legions find a way to withdraw from battle! Gather all the surviving musketeers from the two retreating legions and reinforce the 17th Legion!"
"Yes!" the Orc officer grunted in acknowledgment.
"Remember! Don't act recklessly! Have the 17th Legion fall back slowly! If the enemy takes the bait and pursues the 17th Legion into the Sena Plains, join with the three following legions and hold your ground on the spot!" the leading Orc general advised.
"Understood!" the officer answered solemnly once more.
"Not a step back!" the leading Orc general emphasized one last time.
"Not a step back!" the Orc officer confirmed resolutely once again.
"Go!" With a nod, the Orc general waved his hand, signaling his trusted officer to carry out the orders.
With a proud lift of his chin, the officer stood up straight, silently exiting the tent.
First, use three legions to test the enemy's combat strength, and at the same time, dig a big trap for the enemy, testing their commander to see if they would be overconfident and advance recklessly... After setting the basic battle plans, the leading Orc general instructed the remaining officers in the tent, "The rest of you return to your legions and command your troops!"
"Yes!" the remaining Orc officers replied in a cacophony.