Chapter 8, Stalemate

A spring rain has just fallen, and a few larks flew by, chirping loudly in the sky

Karlin was about to speak when a rumbling voice interrupted him, and a fierce wind surged around his body. He shouted, "Karlin, since you dare not engage in battle, why not roll back?"

Accompanying the gold coins was a letter. Lei thought for a long time before asking the quartermaster to write a brief note, which conveyed that everyone in the army was doing well, and that this batch of gold coins was earned together. He requested that all the families of the villagers who served in the military share it equally. Of course, Lei gave his mother an additional twenty gold coins, which, under normal circumstances, would be enough for her to live comfortably for twenty years.

Shalin's intention to send all the high-ranking knights to give the other side a warning was also dispelled. It was a joke; over two hundred high-ranking knights from the Vante Empire would require a full six hundred high-ranking knights from the Smart Empire to contend with them. Where could he possibly gather so many troops in such a short time?

Shalin bit his lip tightly in anger, but Baru's eyes were already fixed on him: "Shalin, my old friend, do you wish to duel with me? In the Imperial Capital, I will break two of your ribs, ha, do you still want to fight me? I formally challenge you; let your blood defend your honor, do you dare?"

These nobles were simply overjoyed. With an army of over 200,000, as long as they held their ground, who could shake such a formidable camp? Even if the Smart Empire brought nearly 400,000 troops, they would certainly not be a match for the elite forces of the Vant Empire. Although the mages of the Smart Empire were a terrifying presence, they had brought over one hundred powerful crossbows specifically designed to deal with mages from all three territories, rendering the mages hardly a concern.

Kalin spat out a piece of apple peel without any hesitation, nearly hitting General Shalin. He muttered, "A surprise attack? Do you want more people to die? General Shalin, you must remember, for every soldier we lose, it costs us a hundred gold coins in compensation. Damn it, I already feel heartbroken with over a hundred patrol soldiers dying every day. Do you want even more casualties? Hmph, when the people from Karoka arrive, just wait for my orders... General Shalin, you must remember, for every soldier we lose, it costs us a hundred gold coins in compensation. Damn it, I already feel heartbroken with over a hundred patrol soldiers dying every day. Do you want even more casualties? Hmph, when the people from Karoka arrive, just wait for my orders... Before that, no one is allowed to engage in battle, understand?"

However, now that they are aware that the Smart Empire's army is approaching the Silihang Province and is about to breach the last line of defense to enter the entire province, they have become anxious. The three lords, surprisingly, dispatched a total of 180,000 reinforcements, and according to Barou's estimates, all of them are elite soldiers with considerable combat capability, having undergone extensive training.

The Vante army slowly retreated, while the Smart army stood in a daze, unable to utter a word. Although they had gained significant advantages in previous battles, they now reflected on the quality of the armies they had defeated. Upon encountering the truly elite Vante army, the soldiers of Smart finally realized how utterly vulnerable they themselves were.

Karlin was furious and was about to charge forward, but several high-ranking mages desperately held him back. One mage, old enough to be Karlin's grandfather, shouted angrily: "Mage Karlin, you must take care; your life is far more precious than the entire army. Is your esteemed body meant to confront such brutes?"

Kalin wore a look of confusion, while the officers present were all filled with shame and indignation. However, what could they say? If it were not for Kalin's plan, which had left the army of the Vant Empire utterly baffled, the enemy would have already launched a massive invasion. In fact, the reason their initial operations had gone so smoothly this time was largely due to the spies arranged by Kalin's father, the Prime Minister of the Empire.

Baru sighed on horseback: "Alas, if the opposing side did not have over ten thousand mages accompanying them, I would dare to order a charge right now. What a pity... If only our Vante Empire had such a powerful team of mages... Alas."

The military forces of all four provinces have been concentrated here, sufficient to rival the entire military strength of the Smart Empire, which also proves that the military power of the Vant Empire is unparalleled in the world. Hehe, if it were not for the formidable mages of the Smart Empire, the Vant Empire would have long since annexed the Smart Empire; who would still sign an alliance treaty with them

Baru cursed inwardly: "These damned nobles are truly excessive. It's one thing to have an overstaffed private army, but to have such elite troops is outrageous. What is this? Damn it, what is this? Three lords have a total of 180,000 elite soldiers. The empire has 17 lords, and these 17 provinces are independent of the capital's jurisdiction. So how many troops do they collectively possess? Damn it, doesn't that mean their military strength has already surpassed that of the imperial legions? Three lords have a total of 180,000 elite soldiers. The empire has 17 lords, and these 17 provinces are independent of the capital's jurisdiction. So how many troops do they collectively possess? Damn it, doesn't that mean their military strength has already surpassed that of the imperial legions? Those damned individuals, I must suggest to His Majesty to curtail their power; otherwise, it will pose a threat to the empire's rule.

Looking at the vast fields before him, Lei let out a heavy sigh, gripping the hilt of his sword, and quickly made his way towards the central military tent. If he heard correctly, the reinforcements from several nearby lords had already arrived in succession. It was truly strange; when Duke Green was in trouble, they refused to come to his aid, yet now that Duke Green's army was completely defeated and he had fled to the imperial capital, with the army of the Smart Empire pressing in, they were all rushing in one after another in a panic. It was indeed peculiar.

Lei and a group of patrolling soldiers returned to the main camp, handed over the heads to the officer in charge of rewards and punishments, counted the number, received their bounty, and then, under the supervision of the officer, chopped the heads into pieces before returning to their own camp. Sitting in his tent, Lei carefully calculated the bounty in his hand, then walked straight out, found the quartermaster responsible for mailing letters, paid a fee of three silver coins, and requested him to send the gold coins back to Keli Village

It is known that Lei is a person recently favored by General Baru. The quartermaster, with great care, sealed gold coins and a letter in a package, applying a thick layer of wax. Lei stared blankly at these items as they were handed over to a designated messenger, sighed softly, and then walked out of the quartermaster's tent with a sense of melancholy yet tranquility.

Baru let out a cold snort, returned to his horse, and commanded: "Archers, fire three volleys, then retreat." His voice was loud, and the entire Smart Army heard him clearly. Consequently, the Smart Army raised their shields. After three waves of arrows, the Vante Army slowly retreated. This time, although no one in the Smart Army was injured, their morale had plummeted to an all-time low.

A day passed, and on the second day, the Vant army continued to challenge, yet the Smart army still dared not engage in battle... Three days, four days, five days...

The camp of the Shimat Empire was silent, with no one speaking, including Shalin. According to the formal code of chivalry, a duel is supposed to involve sending out corresponding forces for a one-on-one contest against the opponent. Shalin shouted softly, "Damn it, sending out five thousand troops from the Shimat Empire to face five thousand from the Vant army? Am I out of my mind? Even a madman wouldn't do something like this"

Leibuke shook his head in disbelief and walked towards the tallest tent. He was now General Baruch's personal guard and had recently become a small hero for having killed the most enemies. The soldiers on the road respectfully made way for him, not because of his status as a personal guard, but because he had slain so many foes. Among the true Vante soldiers, only genuine warriors could earn their respect.

The thunder in the queue looked at Barou, who seemed like a god of war, and was so awestruck that he could not speak. For one person to force two commanders to dare not engage in a fair battle should be enough to evoke pride and honor, right? The more Lei thought about it, the more excited he became, and he began to roar loudly along with the soldiers around him. Lei vaguely felt that if he were to become a formal soldier, he should, in any case, be like Barou.

Shalin nodded and then asked, "Lord Karlin, after the arrival of Karoka and their army, should we launch a joint attack against them?"

The morale of the Smart Empire's army has greatly weakened, and they can no longer hold their heads high

Of course, on the surface, Baloo could not say this. He smiled amiably at the leading nobles and said: "On behalf of the Empire, I thank you all for coming to our aid in a timely manner. This time, as long as we can intercept the enemy's army in place, we will have achieved a great feat. Our goal is not to eliminate a large number of the enemy, but to restrain them from advancing into the heart of the West Liri Province, holding them back while we await the arrival of our reinforcements. I have already requested the three most elite legions from the imperial capital for support. I believe that no matter how many troops the Smart Empire deploys, they cannot possibly be our match, right?" Our goal is not to eliminate a large number of the enemy, but to restrain them from advancing into the heart of the West Liri Province, holding them back while we await the arrival of our reinforcements. I have already requested the three most elite legions from the imperial capital for support. I believe that no matter how many troops the Smart Empire deploys, they cannot possibly be our match, right?

Thus, everyone cheered, and even Baloo showed a smile. In any case, even if the imperial capital does not send reinforcements, there is absolutely no reason for failure, right

Kalin stood inside the tent at https://www.hetushu.com, listening to the howls of the Vante army outside, and began to mutter curses under his breath: "Rejoice, rejoice, damned Vante army, damned Smart soldiers... Hmph, rejoice, how long can you keep this up? The lords of the three provinces should have let their guard down by now. It should be time to call Karoka and the others over." The lords of the three provinces should have let their guard down by now. It should be time to call Karoka and the others over.

Karlin shouted loudly, rushed back to the camp in a fit of rage, venting his anger by punching and kicking the soldiers along the way, before diving into the tent

Lei forced a smile and said: "Uncle Ao'er, I don't want to fight desperately either, but I can't keep my composure when I see them... My brothers, my brothers, they were all killed by them. Fifty-three thousand people, Uncle, fifty-three thousand people, all wiped out in one night... Their faces are still bloody in front of me, I have to seek a little retribution for my brothers."

A small squad of soldiers from the Shimate Empire cautiously advanced forward, ordered to patrol within five miles of their camp. However, their camp was only ten miles away from the Silver Wolf Legion's camp, and the edge of their patrol area coincided with the patrol range of the Silver Wolf Legion. The two sides could encounter each other at any moment. How could these soldiers from the Shimate Empire, who lacked sufficient individual combat capability, be made to feel fear?

In no time, the patrol soldiers of the Shimate Empire were caught up by the young man, who swiftly struck down the last soldier with a single blow. The soldiers of the Shimate Empire shouted in unison, turned around, and swung their swords down together. However, the young man was agile, parrying each of their strikes and even managing to take down a few of them. The soldiers of the Vante Empire also caught up, and the Shimate troops roared in unison, attempting to retreat, but it was too late. They were all overtaken by the soldiers of the Vante Empire and fell to the ground.

Lei heard the words of the quartermaster but did not make any sound. He tightly gripped the hilt of the knife hanging at his waist and took a deep breath. Although he still felt a great deal of fear in his heart, this fear seemed to be quite indifferent. At seventeen, he had already made many efforts for his family. Now that his mother had sufficient living expenses, he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to helping his brother. The goal was to kill Karlin. At seventeen, he had already made many efforts for his family. Now that his mother had sufficient living expenses, he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to helping his brother. The goal was to kill Karlin.

A thick white aura emanated from Baloo, and he slowly began to float. The peculiar long sword in his hand emitted a series of rumbling sounds, radiating a blinding black light

Perhaps it confirms the saying that the more one fears ghosts, the more they will come knocking at the door. They had just turned around a small mound when they encountered a patrol from the Vante Empire ahead. The differences between the two sides became immediately apparent; the soldiers of the Smart Empire turned and ran back, while the patrol from the Vante Empire shouted and quickly pursued them with drawn swords. In particular, a notably tall young man was shouting loudly, wielding an oversized machete and chasing particularly fast. The differences between the two sides became immediately apparent; the soldiers of the Smart Empire turned and ran back, while the patrol from the Vante Empire shouted and quickly pursued them with drawn swords. In particular, a notably tall young man was shouting loudly, wielding an oversized machete and chasing particularly fast.

The officers present were rendered speechless, unable to utter another word

Looking back at the terrified Smart soldiers, Shalin sighed: "Damn it, if my trained army had ten thousand men here, no, no, just five thousand would suffice, I could teach this bastard a good lesson. But how dare a fifth-tier silver knight be so arrogant? Unless..."

The sunlight shone upon the soldiers' armor, reflecting dazzling rays of light. Shalin and the others suddenly noticed some golden reflections; as they focused their gaze, they saw approximately two hundred high-ranking knights, including around thirty golden knights, of the Vant cavalry approaching from a distance, following behind a large troop of five thousand. Baloo effortlessly waved the peculiar long sword in his hand, confidently leading the way at the front.

All the knights stood up and shouted loudly: "Yes, hold the line to the end"

Karlin glanced discontentedly at his subordinate generals, and decisively took to the sky with a dozen high-ranking mages, channeling his magical power and shouting: "Knights of Vante, do not be too proud. I, Count Karlin, challenge you here. Come on, send forth a high-ranking knight, and I will face you... I believe that the mages of the Vante Empire absolutely do not dare to confront me, do they?"

Once again, at sunrise, a formidable contingent of approximately 5,000 soldiers from the 'Silver Wolf Legion' marched out of their camp, charging aggressively towards the main camp of the Shimat Empire's army. At the forefront, a silver-tier five knight shouted loudly: "Ha ha, warriors of the Shimat Empire, come, face us, come on, come on, let us duel."

Shalin let out an angry roar, nearly bursting into tears. He fixed his gaze firmly on Barou and charged into the tent

Even if one is afraid, there is probably no way to retreat, right? To flee at the last moment? The first to order the execution of his own men should be General Baruch, who is known for his strict military discipline

Baruhaha laughed heartily: "Kalin, do you think I am playing a game? This is war. Who would engage you in a one-on-one duel? Damn it, if you are a real man, send out a large force to have a proper match with my men. If you are afraid, you can send out a ten-thousand-man team; I accept that condition... Haha, as long as you don't feel embarrassed about it... Rest assured, I won't mock you cowardly knights; you need not worry about losing your honor, hahahaha. " This is war. Who would engage you in a one-on-one duel? Damn it, if you are a real man, send out a large force to have a proper match with my men. If you are afraid, you can send out a ten-thousand-man team; I accept that condition... Haha, as long as you don't feel embarrassed about it... Rest assured, I won't mock you cowardly knights; you need not worry about losing your honor, hahahaha.

Carlin sighed there, completely disregarding the awkward expressions of the senior knights of the army. He continued to shout: "Back during the domestic exercises, I launched a night raid and successfully breached the camps of three top-tier knights. Yet, leading an army of over 100,000, I was unable to break through the camp of fewer than 100,000 of the enemy during a surprise attack. Have I become foolish? Or is it that our commander is too incompetent? However, General Shalin is a top-notch expert in the Vante Empire, so does that mean our soldiers are too incompetent?" He continued to shout: "Back during the domestic exercises, I launched a night raid and successfully breached the camps of three top-tier knights. Yet, leading an army of over 100,000, I was unable to break through the camp of fewer than 100,000 of the enemy during a surprise attack. Have I become foolish? Or is it that our commander is too incompetent? However, General Shalin is a top-notch expert in the Vante Empire, so does that mean our soldiers are too incompetent?"

Aol sighed deeply, tightly embracing Lei, and murmured softly: "Oh God, if you truly exist, why must this continent endure so much warfare... My heavens, what have you turned this young man into?"

Lei grasped the rope, pulling along a dozen heads, as he followed the procession towards the main camp. He chuckled softly, "Hehe, I have already earned nearly two hundred gold coins. Even if I cannot return, Mother will be able to live well for the rest of her life. Bitter, Olie... you can rest assured, you died here, I will not abandon you. You have never abandoned me; no matter what, I will be with you."

Lei carefully severed the heads of those soldiers from the Smart Empire and tied them together with a long rope. An old soldier patted Lei on the shoulder with a grin, exclaiming: "Kid, not bad at all. In just three days, you've taken down more than fifty of them. Hey, I've been a soldier for ten years, and you're the first rookie I've seen like this. But don't push yourself too hard; be sure to take care of yourself."

Balu looked at the leaders of the reinforcements, sighing heavily in his heart, unable to utter a word. During the critical moment for Duke Green, these individuals did not send out a single soldier; on the contrary, they raised the prices of urgently needed military supplies, which was nothing short of kicking someone when they were down

Behind him, the quartermaster sighed and said: "Another little fellow who has seen through life and death. Sigh, I have been a quartermaster for thirty years, and I dare say this little fellow won't live for more than a year... Why has a good person turned out like this"

The army of the Vante Empire roared: "Ha, Ha, Ha." The sound was so immense that it shook the entire camp of the Smart Empire's forces.

Kalin casually propped his two legs up on the table in front of him, lightly stroking the buttocks of the female mage beside him. He picked up an apple and took a bite, mumbling, "Alright, let's waste a few days with them, and then start applying pressure. As for that kid Karok's army, tell them they can set off. Hmm, it would be best if the display is a bit grander; they should act a bit more arrogantly along the way. Yes, every soldier should march vigorously, aiming to ensure that the spies of the Vante Empire can see their troops from ten miles away."

Do they not realize that if they had joined forces with Duke Green's army, they could have likely driven away those invading troops

Within the camp of the Smart Empire, Karlin sat on the command throne, exclaiming in astonishment: "Oh my, how is this possible? In just three days, we have lost five hundred patrol soldiers? My God, our army of the Smart Empire truly deserves its reputation as the weakest trash force on the continent"

Karlin clenched his teeth in anger. However, Baloo had already shouted, "Karlin, if you insist on a one-on-one duel, do you think I am afraid of you? Come on, come on, since you want to fight, let’s start right now"

Before receiving the order from Shalin, Karlin muttered, "Damn it, setting the compensation so high, what is this all about, and they even publicly announced it to those soldiers, leaving me no chance to embezzle."