Chapter 641
Chapter 641: 641
The gorge contained countless exits and hidden passages that branched out in different directions, and once someone entered its depths, the entire place resembled a gigantic maze filled with twisting roads, narrow rocky corridors, and confusing intersections where even experienced travelers could easily lose their sense of direction if they were not extremely careful.
Without the help of skilled scouts and carefully prepared routes, even a large army could wander endlessly among the cliffs and stone walls until its supplies were exhausted and its soldiers became completely lost.
The route chosen by Arcadia had not been selected carelessly or decided at the last moment.
It had been planned over many decades.
Generations of scouts had explored every corner of the gorge.
Countless resources had been invested.
Detailed maps had been prepared through years of travel, observation, and repeated surveys.
Attacking through the gorge was never a haphazard decision.It had been considered carefully long before this war even began.
No wonder so many people secretly cursed the Emperor.
That man was simply too power hungry.
He had already been calculating against the neighboring Empires for years and had clearly been preparing future invasions.
If the Great Demon War had not interrupted his ambitions, Xylos might have already found itself under attack long ago.
The Arcadian army continued marching in a tight formation while carefully following the designated route through the winding passages, and every soldier remained alert while scouts constantly moved ahead and the commanders repeatedly checked the maps to make sure the army did not deviate from the planned path.
Finally, after traveling for several more hours, the light at the end of the gorge slowly became visible.
The opening was close.Victory seemed within reach.
However just as the front line approached the exit..A loud scream suddenly echoed from ahead.
"Halt!"
"Stop!"
The urgent warning instantly spread through the marching column.
The soldiers immediately froze in place.The entire army came to an abrupt stop.
Haster frowned deeply before stepping forward with a strange expression on his face.
He looked toward the front and asked in a low voice.
"What’s going on?"
A knight wearing heavy armor quickly approached and saluted.
"Your Highness."
"There is a problem."
"There are troops ahead."
For a brief moment, Haster simply stared at him.
Then his eyes widened in horror.
"What did you say?"
The knight lowered his head.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"They seem to have been waiting for us."
Those simple words instantly froze the atmosphere.
The surrounding officers looked at one another.
No one spoke.
Haster slowly turned toward Duke Osantra.
The Duke also wore an unusually grim expression.Both men understood the same terrifying fact.
No one outside the operation should have known which passage Arcadia intended to use.
There were simply too many possible exits.
Yet the allied army had somehow prepared an ambush at this exact location.
One elderly noble slowly stepped forward.
His face looked pale.
"Your Highness..."
"There might be a traitor."
The words seemed to plunge the entire gathering into an icy cellar.
Silence followed immediately.
A thick vein bulged across Haster’s forehead.
He gritted his teeth while desperately suppressing the urge to curse.
"Damn!"
"We were already this close..."
"And trouble still found us."
His breathing became heavier.
He suddenly extended one hand toward the rocky wall beside him.
CRACK!
His fingers dug directly into solid stone.
The next moment...
The entire section shattered into countless fragments beneath his grip.
Dust scattered everywhere.
Haster’s expression became colder.
"That bastard..."
"Find him."
"No matter what..."
"Find him."
"I want him cut into pieces."
After speaking those words, he slowly looked around at every commander present.
His eyes carried absolute determination.
"Prepare for war."
The order spread rapidly through the army.
Within moments, massive war drums began echoing throughout the gorge.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The deep sounds rolled across the rocky walls while soldiers hurried into position.
Shield walls formed.
Archers climbed onto elevated ledges.
Supply units moved toward safer positions.
The narrow terrain made everything more difficult.
The gorge itself limited movement.
And with a prepared siege waiting outside, breaking through would never be easy.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Haster immediately summoned a command meeting.
All the major nobles quickly gathered around him.
The Crown Prince quietly observed every face before speaking.
He could not help wondering who among them was responsible.
Who had betrayed Arcadia.
Who had leaked their carefully guarded route.
After a long silence, he finally addressed everyone.
"You already know about the situation."
"We are only a few hours away from the opening of the gorge."
"The enemy did not risk entering inside."
"It seems they want us to make the first move."
"They know very well that we cannot remain trapped in this place forever."
"Sooner or later we must leave."
His sharp eyes slowly swept across the gathering.
The expressions on every noble’s face remained serious.
"They may have expected us to stay here and hesitate."
He paused briefly.
"But we won’t."
"Since they are unwilling to come inside..."
"I intend to lead the attack myself."
Then he looked around the table.
"What do all of you suggest?"
Several nobles immediately stepped forward.
One elderly commander cupped his fists respectfully.
"Your Highness has great foresight."
"Remaining trapped here would only waste time and resources."
Another noble nodded in agreement.
"I support Your Highness."
"If we hesitate now, the enemy will only strengthen their defenses."
A third commander also spoke.
"Only a decisive attack can create an opening."
"The Crown Prince’s judgment is wise."
More voices followed one after another.Many openly praised Haster’s calm thinking and quick decision.
The Crown Prince quietly listened before finally raising one hand.
The room immediately fell silent.
Then he spoke again.
"However..."
He deliberately paused.
His eyes slowly moved across everyone gathered before him.
"I plan to attack them at night."
The moment those words left his mouth, visible shock spread across the faces of the assembled nobles.
Several commanders instinctively looked at one another.
Even Duke Osantra’s expression changed slightly.
No one had expected such an order.