Chapter 161. Bombarding the Royal Capital, Reactions from All Sides
William stared at the enemy markers steadily closing in on the war sand table and finally made up his mind.
Dragging this out would only give his opponents more opportunities. He had to end this quickly.
It was just a pity about this ancient royal capital.
“Carry out my orders.”
He turned to the ssenger at his side.
“Tell the three Noble Legions to prepare themselves. The mont the array shatters and the magical bombardnt ends, they are to charge in imdiately and wipe out the remaining enemy forces.”
“Gather every mage unit from the First and Second Gold Legions. Keli, Irene, and the other two Archmages will lead them. Focus all long-range fire on the Silver Oakleaf Royal Capital. Show no concern for commoners or nobles. I want the Silver Oakleaf Royal Capital leveled to the ground.”
The orders were passed down layer by layer, and the battle formation stirred in an instant.
Lynn turned into a streak of light and shot straight toward the skies above the Silver Oakleaf Royal Capital, with Domain Force surging around him like a tide.
Hovering before the magic array, he narrowed his eyes and condensed his Domain Force into a fist, smashing it against the pale golden barrier again and again.
“BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”
The deafening crashes of colliding energies shook heaven and earth. The runes on the magic array flashed violently, and with every impact, they dimd a little further.
When the thirteenth punch fell, a crisp shattering sound rang out. The magic array covering the royal capital broke apart like shattered glass and dissolved into countless motes of light in the air.
“Now!”
On the Gold Legions’ positions, two thousand Gold Mages raised their staffs at the sa ti. Keli and the other Legendary Archmages stood at the very front, while magical elents gathered around them in a frenzy.
“Super-Tier Spell · teorfall from the Heavens!”
“Super-Tier Spell · Inferno Sea of Flas!”
“Super-Tier Spell...!”
One devastating Super-Tier Spell after another tore through the sky and slamd into the royal capital like a rain of teors.
The soldiers of the Silver Legion on the city walls did not even have ti to react before they were swallowed by the torrent of magic.
Explosions rang out one after another, and firelight shot into the sky. Inside the city, small mushroom clouds rose in clusters, and amid the billowing smoke and dust, the defensive fortifications collapsed in an instant.
Only an hour later did the explosions finally begin to subside.
Under their legion commanders’ orders, the three Noble Legions surged into the royal capital through the blasted breaches.
The soldiers charged over the rubble and engaged the surviving Silver Legion troops in fierce street fighting.
On the city tower, Odyssey V looked at the shattered magic array and the flas soaring into the sky, and his face turned deathly pale in an instant.
He had never expected William Kroll to show no regard at all for the commoners and nobles inside the city.
“Activate the Ashen Extinction Array, now!” Odyssey V roared, his voice twisted with despair.
Yet the only response was dead silence.
The mages responsible for activating the array had already died in the magical bombardnt. The red runes spread throughout the city now emitted only a faint flicker, like dying candles in the wind.
Odyssey V staggered backward. As he watched the Kroll soldiers pour into the city, complete despair finally appeared in his eyes.
He knew that Silver Oakleaf’s final sliver of hope had been utterly annihilated along with the shattering of the magic array.
Outside the city, William stood on high ground and watched the flas rising ceaselessly within the royal capital. There was no expression on his face. This war was finally about to end.
After learning that the array inside had failed, William imdiately ordered the First and Second Gold Legions, along with the two Monster Legions, to redeploy to the Northern Frontier and the Western Frontier to guard against the covetous eyes of the surrounding nations.
Three hours later, a ssenger covered in soot from head to toe strode quickly into the commander’s tent and dropped to one knee.
“Your Highness, the Silver Oakleaf Royal Capital is fully under our control! The remaining enemies inside the city have been wiped out, and the Silver Legion has been completely annihilated.”
He paused, a trace of hesitation entering his tone.
“But... no mbers of the royal family were found in the palace, and Odyssey V is nowhere to be seen. He most likely escaped in advance.”
William lightly tapped his fingertips against the table, unsurprised.
He had long expected the other side to leave themselves a way out, so he rely nodded.
“I understand. You may go.”
After the ssenger withdrew, he picked up the Communication Crystal and poured mana into it.
The crystal soon glowed faintly, and Kroll II’s sowhat weary voice ca through. “William, how are things?”
“Father King, the Silver Oakleaf Royal Capital has been breached, and the situation is under control.”
William spoke in a low voice. “We found no trace of the royal family. In my judgnt, they most likely hid themselves in their Secret Realm.”
The crystal fell silent for a mont, then barely restrained excitent burst out from the other side.
“Good, good, good. William, you did well.”
Kroll II’s voice beca much lighter.
“You’ve worked hard, child. As for the Secret Realm, you needn’t concern yourself with it. I will have soone deal with it.”
He paused, and his tone turned serious.
“What matters most now is integrating Silver Oakleaf’s resources. Begin imdiately to inventory the lands, the mineral veins, the granaries, and those surrendered nobles. Placate those who should be placated, suppress those who should be suppressed. The situation must be stabilized as quickly as possible.”
“The surrounding kingdoms are still watching us. We do not have ti to drag our feet.”
“Yes, Father King,” William replied.
After ending the communication, he walked over to the map, his gaze sweeping across the territory of the Silver Oakleaf Kingdom.
From the Royal Territory to the borders, from castles to villages, this land was about to be absorbed into Kroll’s dominion.
Integrating resources, calming the people, guarding against foreign enemies... countless matters surged into his mind, but there was only determination in his eyes.
“Carry out my orders,” he said to the adjutant at his side. “Appoint Xilan as the garrison commander of the Silver Oakleaf Royal Capital and place him in charge of maintaining order. Order the finance officials into the city at once to inventory the royal storehouses and the nobles’ property.”
“Also, post a public notice. Any Silver Oakleaf commoner who remains law-abiding will not be punished for past actions and may receive relief grain upon presenting proof of identity.”
Order after order was issued in an orderly fashion. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tent and fell across the mark labeled “Silver Oakleaf Royal Capital” on the map.
William knew that breaching the city was only the first step. The true challenge was how to turn this war-ravaged land into a solid foundation for the Kroll Kingdom.
A few days later, news that the Silver Oakleaf Royal Capital had been taken by the Kroll Legions spread through the military camps of the surrounding nations like a massive stone thrown into a lake, sending ripples in every direction.
The Dwarf Kingdom’s eight heavy infantry legions were advancing through the mountain gorges. When the news arrived, the dwarven commander imdiately reined in his mount and tapped his battle axe with rough fingers.
“That brat from Kroll moved fast... Withdraw. Fall back to the border fortresses first and wait.”
Amid the clashing of heavy armor, the army that had been pressing forward without pause slowly began to turn around.
The vanguard forces of the Dragon Kingdom and the Kadiya Kingdom had already reached the plains along Silver Oakleaf’s border, their camps stretching for miles.
When a rider galloped into the central command tent with the news, the commanders of the two nations exchanged a glance and saw hesitation in each other’s eyes.
“Silver Oakleaf fell too quickly.”
The Kadiya commander rubbed the hilt of his sword.
“Kroll’s morale is at its peak right now. A head-on clash is not worth it. Pass the order down. Set up camp where we are and wait to see how things develop.”
The orc legion farthest to the north was even more direct.
When the news reached him, the orc chief smashed his wineskin to the ground so hard that his roar made the tent tremble.
“Damn those spineless weaklings of Silver Oakleaf.”
But curses were curses. He still waved a hand and ordered the wolf riders, who had been preparing to cross the river, to halt.
“Go back. We wait until Kroll and those humans start fighting among themselves. Charging in now would only make us their targets.”
For a ti, all the armies that had been converging on the Silver Oakleaf Royal Territory ca to a halt as though by prior agreent.
So withdrew to the border, while others remained where they were. The air, once thick with the scent of war, abruptly eased, yet the strange calm that replaced it felt even more unsettling.
Far away in the palace of the Kroll Royal Capital, Kroll II looked at the intelligence reports arriving from all directions and allowed a smile to appear on his lips.
He said to the minister at his side, “William handled that well. A clean, decisive strike. He has intimidated those restless fools.”
“As for Silver Oakleaf’s royal capital, it can simply be rebuilt.”
“Your Majesty is wise,” the minister said with a bow. “However, although those nations have halted their armies, they may not be willing to let the matter rest.”
“Naturally.”
Kroll II raised his wine cup.
“They are only waiting. Waiting for us to expose a weakness while we are absorbing Silver Oakleaf.”
“Tell William that stabilizing the interior is the first priority. As for the jackals outside... let them wait.”
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