Chapter 177 - 163: A Dark and Windy Night
Chapter 177: Chapter 163: A Dark and Windy Night
In the wee hours of the morning, the entire Beastman Wolf Cavalry camp had already turned in for the night, leaving only a hundred or so fully armed Extraordinary Knights on patrol outside.
Just as Robson had predicted, the entire camp was filled with thunderous snoring.
The long-distance forced march was a burden for Robson’s soldiers, and it was the same for the Beastman Soldiers—perhaps even more so.
The Beastman Wolf Cavalry had essentially galloped here at a speed of two hundred li a day, leaving both men and beasts exhausted. Furthermore, unlike the human soldiers, they didn’t receive salary subsidies based on their daily marching distance.
It could be said that the Beastmen had marched under conditions of extreme pressure. Robson had even overestimated the Beastman Wolf Cavalry; their defensive fortifications were hastily constructed, without even setting up cheval de frise.
The Extraordinary Wolf Cavalry scouting outside were also in poor condition.
As the night grew quiet, the Fengman Knight Order, Robson’s Cavalry Team, and the entire First Elite Regiment had all set out one after another. A rumbling sound, like thunder rolling across a clear plain, erupted from the north and spread across the land.
In the middle of the night, Curry’s emerald-green eyes snapped open, shot through with purplish-red veins.
Curry lifted his head and looked north in disbelief. He had been sleeping lightly, and with his Golden Tier strength, he could clearly hear the commotion from dozens of li away.
After the initial shock, his gaze gradually calmed.
Picking up the scimitar by his bed and donning his armor, Curry walked out of his tent.
His adjutant was warming himself by a fire in front of Curry’s tent. Seeing Curry suddenly awake in the middle of the night, his eyes showed surprise.
"General, you’re awake?" the adjutant asked respectfully, standing up.
"Nothing’s happened tonight," the adjutant reported.
"No," General Curry retorted, looking north.
"They’re here," General Curry said.
The adjutant was confused.
"It’s quite surprising. I never expected these humans to be so swift. They really know how to pick their moment..." General Curry mused aloud.
"Go inform the Warriors! Assemble immediately, mount up, and prepare to face the enemy," General Curry ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The adjutant acknowledged the order and immediately rushed toward the group of officers on night duty.
...
Meanwhile, Valentino, leading the Fengman Knight Order and Robson’s Knight Team, had arrived at a location just over five li from the Beastmen. The entire army had already removed the cloth wrappings from their horses’ hooves.
SKRAW! SKRAW!
At that moment, from two hilltops to the east and west, the cries of several Griffins suddenly echoed.
Five or six Griffin Knights flew into the sky in formation, each carrying an incredibly dazzling Crystal Stone.
Watching the Griffins form an arrowhead in the sky, Valentino immediately vaulted onto her horse.
"Mount up and prepare!" Valentino ordered the Knight Order behind her.
"For the kingdom! Charge!" Valentino pointed her sword in the direction the Griffins were flying.
"Follow the Griffins ahead and charge!"
"For the kingdom! For Fengman!"
Once the Knight Order was ready, they were the first to charge forward, with Claude leading his Knight Team close behind.
In an instant, the very earth began to tremble. Sand flew, stones rolled, and dust billowed into the air.
It wasn’t that no Beastman Wolf Cavalry had spotted them earlier; it was that they had all been eliminated by several dozen of Valentino’s elite Knights.
The scouting Beastman Extraordinary Cavalry in the area now understood that their general’s judgment had not been mistaken. However, they didn’t immediately charge forward to intercept the Human Knight Order.
They knew that such a massive commotion couldn’t possibly be caused by a small knight team of just a few dozen men. The enemy had to number at least five hundred. Their first priority now was to rush back to camp and report the exact position of the enemy cavalry.
Back at the Beastman Camp, thanks to General Curry’s earlier decision, the Extraordinary Cavalry of the Beastman Wolf Cavalry had not been resting. They completed their assembly in an extremely short amount of time.
"To the Warg pens! Immediately! Find your Warg Mounts!" the adjutant commanded the Wolf Cavalry below.
The Warg pens were a special kind of structure unique to the Beastmen. The way Beastmen raised their Warg Mounts—often sourcing an entire legion’s mounts from the same pack—greatly enhanced their coordination and combat effectiveness.
During non-wartime conditions, these Warg Mounts were usually gathered in one place.
"No! There’s no time! Grab your weapons and armor! Go to the Warg pens and stand guard on the spot!" General Curry commanded.
"Now! If you’re one step too slow, I’ll take your heads!" General Curry shouted, cracking his whip at a dazed, half-asleep Extraordinary Wolf Rider beside him.
This was the difference between Beastmen and humans. Of course, the Extraordinary Wolf Cavalry was a formidable force even within the Beastman Royal Family, and a general like Curry, who would "reward" a soldier with a lash for no reason, was also quite rare.
This was also why General Curry was not well-regarded within the Beastman Empire. Of the commanders who had served under him in the past, it was considered a good outcome if they didn’t turn on him after making a name for themselves.
Seeing General Curry’s whip, the Beastmen finally, groggily, came to their senses. They quickly circulated their Dou Qi to force themselves awake. After all, Curry had always been a man of his word; when he said he would chop off heads, there was a real possibility he would chop off heads.
Watching the Beastman Army, so exhausted they had to burn Dou Qi just to walk a few steps, General Curry’s heart grew incredibly heavy. He knew, of course, that his army could not be pushed any further. ’But I have no choice,’ he thought. ’If I don’t push them, how can we complete this mission?’