Chapter 102. The Allied Army’s Half-Heartedness, Preparing to Attack Iron Skull Fortress
When he entered the allied main camp, William deliberately paid attention to its scale. At a glance, the force was not particularly large, looking to be only about three or four legions in total.
After he had taken only a few steps, Marquis Peter silently ca to his side and reported in a low voice.
“Your Highness, this subordinate has just confird it. The Kadiya Kingdom has brought two legions, but not a single Knight Order.”
“The Dragon Kingdom has brought three legions. The only one accompanying them is a single Dragon Rider, and they likewise sent no Knight Order.”
William nodded silently. It was obvious that neither kingdom intended to put in any real effort.
Without changing his expression, he continued forward and stepped into the allied army’s Main Tent.
Seven or eight people had already gathered inside, all of them legion commanders and nobles from the Kadiya Kingdom and the Dragon Kingdom.
The mont William entered, every gaze in the tent instantly focused on him. So were appraising, so probing, and so carried a faint trace of disdain that was difficult to detect.
William did not yield in the slightest. He t each of those looks head-on, his gaze calm and sharp.
“Hahaha, our Commander-in-Chief has finally arrived.”
A middle-aged man wearing the royal attire of the Dragon Kingdom was the first to speak, his hearty laughter breaking the silence in the tent.
Judging by the patterns on his robes, he was clearly a prince.
He rose and stepped forward, then cupped his hands slightly toward William.
“I am Prince Kailong of the Dragon Kingdom. Greetings, Prince William. I had long heard that Your Highness was a young man of exceptional talent and bearing. Seeing you today, the reputation is indeed well deserved.”
William inclined his head in response. “You flatter , Prince Kailong.”
At that mont, an elderly man in Kadiya noble attire also stood up, his expression solemn.
“I am Marquis Os of the Kadiya Kingdom. Greetings, Your Highness.” He was Selena’s uncle, and also the Commander-in-Chief of Kadiya’s allied forces this ti.
William returned the greeting as well. “Marquis Os.”
Seeing that both Commanders-in-Chief had already exchanged formalities, everyone else in the tent also rose and greeted William in turn.
Though the surface courtesies were impeccably perford, William could still sense that these battle-hardened generals did not truly take him, this “young Commander-in-Chief,” seriously.
He sat down in the empty seat beside the place of honor. Without any unnecessary pleasantries, he went straight to the point.
“I trust all of you understand why I ca today. We are here to discuss the general offensive against Silver Oakleaf. Why don’t the commanders of both kingdoms first speak about your respective troop deploynts and operational ideas?”
The mont those words fell, the atmosphere in the tent turned heavy.
The two Commanders-in-Chief exchanged a glance, and Prince Kailong spoke first with a laugh.
“Prince William, the Dragon Kingdom has sent three elite legions this ti. We will certainly do our utmost to assist Your Highness in attacking Silver Oakleaf.”
Marquis Os of Kadiya also nodded. “The Kadiya Kingdom has likewise dispatched two legions, and they stand ready for Your Highness’s command.”
William’s gaze swept over the two n. His tone remained calm, yet it carried unquestionable weight.
“Prince Kailong, Marquis Os, will either of your kingdoms be sending additional legions as reinforcents?”
Both n shook their heads at the sa ti, and Prince Kailong revealed a troubled expression.
“Your Highness may not know this, but the Foreign Race kingdoms have recently been launching fierce assaults on our borders. We truly cannot spare any more troops. These few legions were already forcibly transferred from the northern front.”
Marquis Os imdiately echoed him. “Kadiya’s eastern front is equally under pressure. Being able to send these two legions is already the limit.”
William slowly nodded, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table. Then his tone changed without warning.
“In that case, I would like to know how many Legendary Combatants your two kingdoms have sent.”
The air inside the tent instantly froze.
Prince Kailong and Marquis Os looked at each other and both fell silent, their eyes flickering. It was obvious they had no answer to give.
William took in every change in their expressions, and he already understood the truth in his heart: the two kingdoms had not sent a single Legendary Combatant.
A cold laugh spilled from his lips, exceptionally harsh in the silent tent.
“So the two of you intend for the Kroll Kingdom to face Silver Oakleaf’s Secret Realm forces alone?”
Prince Kailong hurriedly waved his hand. “Your Highness misunderstands. It is just that—”
“There is no need to say more.”
William abruptly rose to his feet, his gaze like a blade as it swept across everyone in the tent.
“In that case, there is nothing worth discussing.”
He walked to the sand table and pointed heavily at the markings of Silver Oakleaf’s defensive line.
“The Kroll Kingdom’s main force will launch the frontal assault on the main defensive line. The Dragon and Kadiya legions will assist our army by holding the right flank and preventing Reinhardt reinforcents from launching a surprise attack.”
He looked at the two n, his tone leaving no room for argunt. “What do the two Commanders-in-Chief think of this arrangent?”
Prince Kailong and Marquis Os both looked alternately green and pale, yet neither could find any grounds to object.
After all, the two kingdoms had sent no Legends, which already left them in the wrong. If they even tried to shirk flank defense as well, it would be far too unsightly.
In the end, Prince Kailong could only respond through clenched teeth, “...We will follow Your Highness’s arrangents.”
Marquis Os could only nod as well. “We have no objections.”
William said nothing more. He turned and strode out of the tent, with Zoe, Marquis Peter, and the others imdiately following behind.
After they left the Main Tent, Marquis Peter could not help but say in a low voice, “Your Highness, the two kingdoms are being so perfunctory that I fear it may ruin the campaign.”
William looked toward the distant direction of Silver Oakleaf, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
“Ruin the campaign? Then let them learn the price of going through the motions. Pass down the order. At dawn tomorrow, we begin a frontal advance. Tear open Silver Oakleaf’s first line of defense for .”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Inside the allied army’s Main Tent, Prince Kailong and Marquis Os watched William’s departing figure, their expressions still unpleasant.
“That brat is even tougher than the rumors said,” Marquis Os said in a low voice.
Prince Kailong let out a cold snort.
“What good is being tough? He only has good talent, that’s all. He’s just a wet-behind-the-ears boy. What can he possibly do?”
“Without support from our Legends, he may not be able to chew through Silver Oakleaf’s Secret Realm forces. Just wait and see. It won’t be long before he has to co crawling back to ask us for help.”
What they did not see was the cold curve that rose at the corner of William’s lips as he walked out of the tent.
At the break of dawn, when the first ray of morning light pierced through the clouds, a heaven-shaking blast of horns suddenly rang out inside Blackstone Fortress.
That horn call was like an order itself, instantly waking the sleeping camp. Soldiers donned their armor, gripped their weapons, and hurried to assemble.
The legion commanders swung onto their horses, their gazes sharp as hawks. The supply wagons’ wheels began to turn, carrying siege engines slowly out of the fortress.
The entire fortress was like a precision machine that had suddenly begun to operate at full speed.
One legion after another poured out of Blackstone Fortress like a tide of steel, advancing toward their assigned targets according to the predetermined deploynt.
William rode on Darwin’s back as the giant dragon beat its wings and rose into the sky. Standing atop the dragon’s back, he looked down over the army formations below from on high.
His black armor reflected a cold gleam beneath the morning light. As his gaze swept across the orderly ranks, the desire for battle in his heart steadily intensified.
Before long, Iron Skull Fortress on the border of the Silver Oakleaf Kingdom ca into view.
This fortress was built upon black iron, its walls covered with spikes and arrow towers. It resembled a ferocious beast lying in wait, guarding the vital route into Silver Oakleaf’s heartland.
William counted the forces under his command. Excluding the allied army’s five legions, he directly controlled a total of thirteen legions, all of them elites of the Kroll Kingdom.
However, the ace Gold Legion and half of the First Monster Legion were not included among them, clearly being held back as reserve forces.
“Bzzz...”
The second horn sounded, long and powerful. It was the signal for the general assault.
William lowered his head to look at the ground below and said into the Communication Crystal in a deep voice, “Pass down the order. The three noble legions of Raymond, Haver, and Bloom are to be the first to launch the attack on Iron Skull Fortress.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
On the ground, the soldiers of the three noble legions let out earth-shaking shouts. Carrying scaling ladders and pushing battering rams, they surged toward the walls of Iron Skull Fortress like a tide.
Arrows fell like rain from the walls, striking the shields with a dense series of sharp clatters.
The fortress’s catapults also began to operate, and massive stone projectiles scread through the air as they smashed into the army formations, kicking up clouds of dust.
William remained mounted on Darwin’s back, hovering above the battlefield as he calmly observed the situation.
Iron Skull Fortress’s defenses were sturdier than expected. The soldiers of Silver Oakleaf had clearly made preparations long ago, and their resistance was exceptionally tenacious.
“Zoe,” he said into the crystal, “have the mages suppress the firepower on the walls and buy ti for the siege force.”
“The order has already been passed down, Your Highness.”
Very soon, the noble legions’ mages stepped forward. All kinds of magical attacks swept through the air like a swarm of locusts, accurately covering the arrow towers on the walls and temporarily suppressing the enemy’s firepower.
At last, the scaling ladders were set against the walls. The soldiers roared as they climbed upward, engaging the Silver Oakleaf defenders in close-quarters combat atop the battlents.
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