Chapter 290: Confrontation

In the azure sky, a few pale white clouds blocked the noon sun, making the air that had originally warmed up a little bit cold again.

An army with bright armor walked from the west, passed through the quiet and comfortable Yalajia'er, and marched toward the Seven Forks Fortress along the road without stopping.

The griffin flag located at the front of the team fluttered in the wind, flashing a faint golden luster in the sun.

And not far from here, a steel torrent with silver and red as the main tone was rolling toward the direction of Ravenstern City. Occasionally, there were green figures mixed in, which were the Horned Rangers responsible for delivering news.

The knight with bright armor had a bright red flag in his hand, embroidered with a golden lion roaring and rising, which represented the ruler of the Ravenstern Kingdom.

As an ambitious and quite scheming king, Ulric quickly recovered from the successive blows, and on the grounds that Ravenstern City was the most important transfer station on the supply line, he pulled all the lords onto his chariot.

Including the lord of the Seven Forks Fortress and the garrison.

The supply line was broken, so there was no food. Fighting always required eating. Hungry soldiers would definitely set off a mutiny.

Now, the remaining supplies in the Ravenstern Kingdom camp plus the inventory of the Seven Forks Fortress were barely enough for the army to eat for a month.

Now, the two paths in front of Ulric were also two paths. One was to fight into the Baccan Empire, burning, killing, and looting all the way to support the war with war, and after accumulating enough supplies, turn back to annihilate those Pendor remnants that popped up from nowhere.

But Emperor Marius's camp was stationed in front of him. How could he let such a huge army enter his country? These Empire people were waiting for an opportunity to invade the Ravenstern Kingdom.

Therefore, Ulric didn't think much and chose the other path, which was to exhaust the last supplies and take all the troops back to Ravenstern City. Even if he couldn't expel the enemies occupying the city, he could take the main force back to the west of the kingdom to rest.

By then, the one facing the Empire's edge would be those Pendor remnants, and his main force could be stationed in Haringos Castle watching the Empire and them fight each other, and then make appropriate moves according to the war situation.

This plan was almost approved by all the lords, even the lord of the Seven Forks Fortress, Baron Leofwan, who knew that his territory had become an abandoned child in the eyes of the kingdom, had to follow the main force and set off.

Anyone could see that at this time, Ulric's heart must be brewing a rage that could burn everything.

Even if there was any dissatisfaction, it must not be expressed to his face, otherwise it was very likely to be convicted of treason.

Therefore, for the sake of the victory of the war, for the sake of the unity of the kingdom, and for the sake of being able to survive at such a difficult time, no one would raise objections, no matter what these lords were thinking in their hearts.

Soon, Ulric led the vast majority of the lords under his command, as well as the two thousand most elite cavalry in the kingdom, and prepared to rush to Yalajia'er.

That place had just passed a rich autumn. Whether it was Lord Andrew's manor or the civilians' warehouses, there must be a lot of food stored.

Now, the army with insufficient supplies was going to requisition the food there, but it must be ahead of the enemy.

From a certain point of view, Ulric's reaction could not be said to be fast, but he completely did not expect that the enemy occupying Ravenstern City would come to block him so quickly.

In fact, the distance between the two armies was less than ten kilometers.

Then the first to come into contact were naturally the scouts arranged by both sides to investigate intelligence.

Ravenstern Kingdom's Horned Rangers VS Elaklai's Twilight Knights.

The Horned Rangers from Long River Town were a legion established by local nobles imitating the Gatu people. Although the number was small, the horse archery was skilled and the armor was excellent. Even the war horses under their crotch were specially bred Gatu hybrids, which could be considered one of the most elite rangers in the Pendor continent.

The original intention of establishing this unit was to fight against the raids of small groups of Gatu people, and it had achieved small success, so their mobility was extremely strong, and they also served the task of army scouts at this time.

Some arrogant ranger knights had also boasted about how powerful their strength was in the tavern, and they could completely confront the Noldor Elves head-on in the forest and grassland.

However, when they truly encountered the elites among the Noldor Elves, those Twilight Knights who rode Elven horses and held Noldor Rune Bows, they truly understood how weak they were.

When the blurry figures of the Twilight Knights just appeared in the field of vision of the Horned Rangers who were scouting, several arrows flashing with light had already flown over, and then, several blood flowers splashed.

Panic and fear instantly attacked their hearts, making these rangers fail to make the correct behavior in the first time. By the time they remembered to escape, it was already too late.

The speed of the Elven horses galloping at full speed on the plain was extremely fast, and there was a gale under their hooves. In the blink of an eye, three Twilight Knights approached the Horned Rangers who had just regained their senses.

Of course, as members of the knight order, the rangers would not sit still.

The collision of long knives and sharp swords, the concerto of shouting and neighing, rose and fell one after another on this small battlefield.

After a while, everything returned to calm. Three Twilight Knights escorted a fainting prisoner and began to return, leaving behind several corpses that died miserably on the spot, and several castrated horses from Long River Town that ran wildly.

From the mouth of this prisoner, Allen basically didn't ask any valuable information. It had to be said that the young knights of the Pendor continent, especially those who could join the knight order, all had their own unique beliefs and pride.

Of course, it might also be related to Allen not using too many torture methods. If all the ten major tortures of the Qing Dynasty were used, I am afraid that even an iron man could squeeze out juice.

It was just that Allen didn't want to use it, and didn't bother to use it. Since he had already discovered the traces of the enemy, it meant that Ulric had already arrived nearby. Using the Eye of the Sky to take a look would naturally be able to know the specific situation of the other party.

Before long, this team preparing to go to the Seven Forks Fortress began to stop in place and made battle preparations amidst the continuous orders.

Those civilian soldiers holding long spears and halberds and wearing heavy plate armor stood in the front row of the team with trembling bodies.

They hadn't received any decent training at all, and the weapons and equipment on their bodies were completely from the defenders of Long River Town and Ravenstern City, and of course, there were also stocks from the kingdom and nobles.

Combat experience was even more pitiful. The things they did most during this period were marching, marching, and marching.

Allen didn't expect these soldiers to really be able to block the impact of heavy cavalry. He hadn't been whimsical to this extent.

He only needed these soldiers to stand there and be able to attract the enemy's attention.

As long as the plan went smoothly, Ulric and his cavalry unit might not even be able to walk in front of these civilians.

Those nearly a thousand Noldor Rangers who held swords and shields and carried longbows hid in the woods, behind the hills, and in the mountain gorges that were not easily noticed by the road.

As for the Lion Knights and Noldor cavalry, they stayed by Allen's side, with about nearly a thousand people.

Sir Mokas Villar led his Snow Lion mercenary group and detoured to a mountain col further away. They would try their best to bypass the enemy's rear and execute the hammer and anvil tactics in Allen's mouth.

Allen, who had arranged everything, looked up at the sun that was gradually moving to the west, and just blocked the only way to Yalajia'er, waiting for Ulric's "grand arrival."

As the rangers who returned to report the news became fewer and fewer, a premonition of bad luck gradually surged in Ulric's heart. The further he walked, the stronger this premonition became. Even in the cool autumn, his back broke out in a lot of cold sweat.

Under his order, the speed of the team's advance became slower and slower, until a team of rangers brought back news of the enemy, which was news about the griffin flag.

After getting the specific information about the enemy, Ulric's heart was finally calm.

As long as the enemy dared to appear in front of him, then under the guidance of the King's Flag, the knights of the Ravenstern Kingdom would be unstoppable. What he feared was only the unknown. After all, the number of the enemy was not as good as his side.

The team began to advance again, until that flag flashing with golden light appeared on the other side of the road. That extremely weak light seemed to sting Ulric's eyes, and even pierced into his sensitive and proud heart.

"Stop!"

In the King's order, the silver and red knight torrent slowly stopped its advance.

Stopping the march was not for anything else, but because the Pendor remnants on the opposite side put on this posture of inviting the king into the urn.

Not to mention the extremely obvious traces on both sides of the road, the dust raised by the galloping cavalry in the distance was enough to make people suspicious.

Seeing these, any general with a little command experience could guess that the enemy had arranged an ambush here, not to mention Ulric who had fought all his life.

He didn't know what kind of "surprise" the opponent had prepared for him, so he decided to wait and see, and wait for the main force behind him.

Allen looked at the enemy army in the distance and smiled slightly. This was completely within his expectation.

Because he never expected that his series of actions could hide from all the generals of the other party.

Allen had never thought of treating the lords of the other party as fools. Those people had fought all their lives on horseback. What kind of scene had they not seen?

Such a hasty preparation would not play a role at all. He had guessed this point long ago.

After confirming that the cavalry of the Ravenstern Kingdom did not mean to launch a charge, Allen kicked the horse's belly lightly and walked slowly toward the golden lion on the flag.

And the nearly a thousand elite cavalry behind him also controlled the speed of the horses and followed closely behind the new king.

"Ulric, just standing there without moving? Do you want to talk?"

Allen's shouting voice drifted to Ulric's ears with the wind, which made a trace of doubt flash in his heart. This was a bit unusual. Could the voice be transmitted to such a long distance?

But the subordinates around were all looking at him, and obviously heard the invitation to negotiate.

"Andrew, take this flag and tell the ignorant kid on the opposite side, if he wants to talk, I allow him to bring ten subordinates to talk in front of me and my vassals. I will follow the ancient treaty of not beheading the messenger to ensure his safety."

Seeing that the cavalry on his side had an overwhelming advantage, and also to maintain his dignity as a king, Ulric agreed to the invitation to negotiate.

Of course, he couldn't shout in this wilderness. In Ulric's view, that was an extremely lowly behavior, and it was something that the lowly people who dug for food in the mud would do.

As Ulric's loyal subordinate and a member of the Lion Knights, Lord Andrew took the flag and galloped along the flat grassland alone. Before long, more than ten knights followed him to Ulric's side.

Allen readily accepted Ulric's invitation, his expression was very calm, and his eyes were full of confidence.

This performance made the other lords of the Ravenstern Kingdom look at Allen with a trace of change.

In this era, courage is always worthy of people's respect, even if it comes from the enemy.

"Ha, I thought it was that stupid Darion who finally found an investor, but I didn't expect it to be a fugitive. Tell me, what do you want to talk about?"

Ulric's tone was full of sarcasm. He looked at the somewhat familiar young man in front of him and finally remembered who the other party was. That portrait from Buckley was still kept in his bedroom.

A few years ago, Ulric suddenly received a portrait and a letter, which stated that the young man in the portrait was the true Pendor royal bloodline, and told him to make plans early.

At that time, in the spirit of believing it rather than not, Ulric issued a wanted order to the black and white roads, and the reward was even as high as a baronial territory.

At the time, acting on the principle that it was better to believe it than not, Ulric had issued a wanted notice to both the underworld and the authorities, with a reward as high as a barony.

He never expected that today, the other party would stand before him so openly and brazenly, and even force him into a dilemma.

Allen's face, however, was full of calm smiles at this moment, and his tone sounded extremely gentle.

"Let me introduce myself. I am the Lord of Long River Town and Lion City, the new King of the Pendor Kingdom, and the possessor of the Silver Throne. Although you are merely a usurper, I permit you to address me as Allen.

Now, I have a proposal: why don't you surrender immediately? I will allow you to leave with your family..."

"I refuse!! This negotiation is over." Ulric angrily interrupted Allen's words. This was an insult to him as a king, especially the title of "usurper," which simply tore open the scar his family had carried for two hundred years.

Although his words were interrupted, not a trace of anger appeared on Allen's face. Instead, his tone began to quicken, and his voice gradually grew as loud as thunder.

"On what grounds do you refuse? Your troops have less than a month of supplies, and behind you is the Empire's army, eyeing you like a tiger. Even among the lords accompanying you, nearly two-thirds were once vassals under my Griffin Banner; they only gathered under Alfred's banner out of necessity.

Now, I have returned, returned with powerful strength. The Pendor Kingdom has been rebuilt, and the Griffin Banner has risen once again in Lion City. As long as you surrender, I can resolve everyone's crisis.

Even most of your family is in my hands. On what grounds do you refuse? What right do you have to refuse!"

Aided by the power of the wind, Allen's voice completely suppressed Ulric's roar. Those soldiers holding spears and halberds, under their command, actually marched forward in neat formation for several hundred meters, appearing behind the cavalry.

And those Elf Rangers hidden on both sides of the road simultaneously revealed their forms, their emotionless eyes fixed tightly on the enemies looking around in panic.

Even the Snow Lion Legion led by Sir Mokas Villar faintly revealed its form in the distance. Of course, Baron Villar, seeing the scene before him, very sensibly halted his charge.

Clearly, this was not a good time to execute hammer-and-anvil tactics.

And this was Allen's plan. His target had never been this furious king before him; wanting to kill him was nothing more than a matter of a single lightning bolt.

Allen's primary goal was to tell all the Ravenstern nobles gathered here:

"Everyone can make a choice. In such a dire situation, as long as you choose to pledge loyalty to me, I promise to retain everyone's titles and wealth, and lead you to repel the Empire."

Sometimes, the power of words surpasses that of blades.

"Unless you step over my dead body!!" Ulric drew the Chaos Rune Sword from his waist and pointed it at Allen, his anger soaring to the heavens.