Chapter 149 - 141: War Begins
Chapter 149: Chapter 141: War Begins
As dawn broke, Robson’s army gradually reached the southern bank of the river.
Banners snapped in the wind on the north and south banks of the river, where the two great armies were arrayed against each other.
Between them, the phantom image of a great bridge grew increasingly solid. It slowly began to transform from Magic Energy, from pure elements. Like the reflection of a moon rising from the water’s surface, it emerged, bit by bit, to become real.
"Brother, can we set out now?" Aurora watched the scene unfold, his eyes burning with eagerness.
After the Gray Dwarves joined the Beastman Empire, the influence between the two was mutual. Although the Gray Dwarves were a naturally warlike race, they were never as extreme as Aurora.
The fierce competition within the Beastman Empire created an incredibly high-pressure environment, and the internal struggle for survival was, at times, more intense than any external conflict.
One had to be a fighter to survive in this land.
General Dor gazed at the fully formed Magic Bridge, finally breathing a long sigh of relief.
The enemy’s walls were not yet complete. As long as he was willing to commit his forces, there was still hope of overrunning the enemy quickly.
"What’s the rush, Aurora? A true general is always able to keep his composure on the battlefield."
Now that his greatest worry had been dealt with, General Dor relaxed a bit, not missing the chance to lecture his younger brother.
Aurora was baffled. He scratched his head, not understanding what his brother meant at all.
"So, are we attacking tomorrow?" Aurora asked with an innocent look in his eyes.
"Idiot! That would mean squandering a perfect opportunity! We attack today!" General Dor’s face darkened with frustration.
"Go get Eric and have him send out the Wolfman Light Infantry. Also, get Fasili—especially Fasili. Tell his Wanderers to charge to the base of the enemy’s new walls at top speed. There can be no mistakes..." General Dor ordered.
"Hm? What was that sound?" General Dor was about to continue giving orders when several thunderous booms cut him off.
They came from the bridge.
"The bridge! They’re bombarding the bridge! It’s the Magic Crystal Cannons. Hah! With that little power, they’ll have to keep at it for a while," said Aurora.
It wasn’t that Aurora was underestimating the humans. After a full volley from their cannons, the bridge surface only had a few large craters. It looked quite durable.
In contrast to Aurora’s optimism, General Dor’s face had turned ashen.
"This is bad! It’s the Magic Crystal Cannons!"
Aurora didn’t know how the Magic Bridge had been formed, but General Dor knew all too well.
The Magic Bridge might look as solid as a rock now, but it was the result of hundreds of Mages painstakingly working for several days.
And when it was designed, no one had accounted for Magic Crystal Cannons!
The Magic Crystal Cannon fire would be relentless. Sooner or later, it would blast the bridge to pieces. Because of the design flaw, there was no way to properly repair it; they could only hope the Mages could perform some minor patchwork.
’The situation would become a complete farce. I build a bridge, the enemy bombards it. I might as well forget attacking and just let this drag on into a stalemate.’
"Go! Launch the attack now! Immediately!" General Dor’s face flushed red, then drained of color.
"Now? Without preparing?" Aurora asked, bewildered. ’Just a moment ago, my own brother was telling me to keep my composure, and now he’s as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.’
"Stop spouting bullshit and go!" Although Dor knew Aurora was only asking a simple question, it grated on his ears, and his mood soured completely.
.....
The moment the bridge was completed, the entire human camp sprang into action. Even though their walls weren’t finished, they were good enough for Robson’s troops.
By confining the battle to a smaller area, they could leverage the elite quality of their soldiers to achieve a favorable casualty exchange rate.
There was no other choice. They couldn’t match the enemy’s speed, so they had to make up for it with a human wall.
All of this was slowly being prepared. The soldiers of the first corps had finished resting, and the logistics train was catching up. But before anything else, Robson prioritized one thing above all: the Magic Crystal Cannons.
Just as he did in every siege defense, Robson was accustomed to striking first. He much preferred seizing the initiative; passively taking a beating was not his style.
Of course, that all depended on him having the ability to make the first move.
And in the current situation, he certainly did.
As the old saying goes: attack what the enemy is forced to defend. All signs indicated that if the Beastmen wanted to cross the river, they had to rely on this bridge.
This bridge was the focal point of the entire battle. If he successfully destroyed it, Robson could basically take a two-day paid vacation.
Of course, that was just wishful thinking. The enemy wasn’t about to stand by and let Robson do as he pleased.
For instance, at this very moment, Robson could see dozens of griffins taking off from the Beastman camp in the distance. They were the Gray Dwarves’ Griffin Knights.
Clearly, the enemy had no intention of letting them continue the bombardment in peace.
But Robson was prepared.
"Relay this order: The soldiers of the first corps equipped with Magic Crossbows are to enter the anti-aircraft towers near the Magic Crystal Cannon Platforms at once."
Watching the enemy Griffin Caval slowly approach, Robson gave the order to someone behind him.
According to Valentino, while the recoil on these Magic Crossbows was terrifying, their quality was pure Frank-made: sturdy, durable, and powerful.
’This is the perfect chance to see if these crossbows can actually threaten those Griffins in the sky.’
"Understood." Fioro accepted the command and descended from the watchtower.
...
"Hurry! Faster!"
"Did you bring your warhammer? You didn’t even bring your warhammer! What are you going to fight with?!"
"Pick up the pace! You’re all so sluggish! If the Chieftain holds us responsible for this, you can all expect to be reassigned!"
In the Beastman Griffin camp, Loki tapped the hilt of his sword with one hand while directing the various Soldiers with the other.
Although the actual fighting force of the entire Griffin Corps was only a few dozen men, the corps itself numbered in the thousands.
Griffins are precious creatures. Raising these delicate beasts is no easy task; the coordination of a thousand people is the bare minimum.
Daily maintenance, care, and training—not a single aspect could be neglected.
This was also why, while great nobles often established Knight Orders, it was rare to see any of them establish a Griffin Knight Order.
The cost was simply too high.
"Chieftain, the troops are ready. The first team of Warriors are on their Griffins’ backs. Awaiting your command!" an adjutant reported.
Loki listened and nodded.
’Don’t be fooled by how well the Griffin Corps is provided for. The Griffin Knight Order has the highest operational tempo of all.’
Reconnaissance, containment, and decapitation strikes were all part of the Griffin Corps’ daily routine.
This time was no different; it was just another routine mission. Loki was confident that, just like every time before, they would descend from the heavens on their Griffins like divine soldiers and watch the enemy scatter in chaos.
"Have the Warriors take flight!"