Chapter 55: A large number of Kobolds are attacking, the war is about to begin!

In the blink of an eye, another month passed.

The Kingdom's commendation had been delivered half a month ago.

There were five thousand gold coins, quite a lot of various supplies, and weapons and equipment as well.

However, these were not considered very precious to Roko today.

What was truly more useful was the military merit granted by the Kingdom.

To raise one's rank, one needed to consume a certain amount of merit points.

In times of peace, the difficulty of wanting to obtain merit points was very great.

Similarly, Vanguard Valley had undergone earth-shaking changes in this short month.

The tall and sturdy castle had basically been completed.

The blue-gray stone walls shimmered with a cold luster in the sun, and the arrow towers and corner towers were arranged in an orderly manner, full of a murderous and majestic aura.

This was not just a castle; it was the symbol of Vanguard Valley and the manifestation of Roko's power.

The various facilities in the territory were also becoming more perfect.

Neatly planned farmland, bustling mines, and a market that had taken initial shape.

The entire Vanguard Valley was full of vitality.

And the improvement of military strength was even more significant.

The regular Knight Order under Roko had expanded to one hundred people.

These one hundred people were at least at the Knight Attendant level.

Among them, half of the members had reached the Quasi-Knight realm.

And there were already more than ten true knights.

Fura had improved her realm again in this month, reaching the Great Knight Late Stage.

Roko's strength had improved to the Knight Peak.

Besides this, Roko had also formed a Knight Reservist force of over two hundred people.

These reservist members were all young and strong people selected from free citizens and slaves with excellent performance; they were receiving strict military training and were the hope of Vanguard Valley's future.

It could be said that the strength of Vanguard Valley today was at least several times higher than a month ago.

However, even so, a trace of faint unease still lingered in Roko's heart.

The night was quiet.

Roko stood alone on the highest tower of the castle, overlooking the sleeping territory.

The moonlight was like water, sprinkling on every corner of Vanguard Valley.

His gaze, however, was cast toward the distant north.

That was the vast and boundless Orc Wasteland.

That remark from Duke Auston echoed in his ears from time to time like a spell.

"The interior of the Orc Wasteland in the Northland seems to be somewhat restless."

"Some large Orc tribes have begun to become unusually active."

Restless?

Unusually active?

Duke Auston, the ruler of Xin Feng Province, would never speak without a reason.

His words must contain deep meaning.

Could it be that the war between humans and the Northland Orcs was really about to begin?

If that were true, then Vanguard Valley, located on the border of Xin Feng Province and adjacent to the Orc Wasteland, would undoubtedly bear the brunt.

Thinking of this, a strong sense of crisis surged in Roko's heart.

He had to take precautions and make full preparations in advance.

From that day on, the atmosphere of preparation for war in Vanguard Valley became even more intense.

Hart personally led scouts to penetrate deeper into the border areas of the Orc Wasteland more frequently to probe the movements of the Orcs.

Martina, under Roko's instruction, began to store strategic supplies such as grain, weapons, and medicinal herbs on a larger scale.

The defensive works of the castle were also constantly being reinforced.

The training intensity of the Knight Order and the reservists was raised to a new height.

The entire Vanguard Valley was like a war machine that had been wound up, ready to deal with the coming storm at any time.

Roko could vaguely feel it.

The days of ease might soon come to an end.

The wilderness at the end of October was desolate with the sound of wind.

The withered yellow grassland was blown up and down by the wind, and the air was filled with a dry and cold aura.

Bake's squad, looking disheveled and carrying an aura of lingering fear, rushed into the camp of Vanguard Valley.

Their ordinary warhorses were foaming at the mouth, with shallow wounds on their bodies.

"Master! Master!"

Bake dismounted, not caring to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and stumbled toward Roko's room.

His voice carried uncontrollable trembling.

Roko was studying the latest map drawn by Martina in the room.

Fura sat quietly beside him, grinding ink for him.

Martina sat on the other side of the table, hugging her precious ledger.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, seemingly worrying about the territory's expenses again.

Hearing Bake's shout, Roko looked up.

He saw the unusual fear on Bake's face, and his eyes instantly became sharp.

"Bake, what happened?"

He asked in a deep voice.

Fura and Martina also immediately looked at Bake, worry appearing on their faces.

Bake gasped for air, his voice intermittent.

"Orcs, it's Orcs!"

"Overwhelmingly, it's all Kobolds..."

"Our squad almost didn't make it back."

Kobolds?

Overwhelming?

Roko's heart sank fiercely.

Duke Auston's previous reminder was indeed not empty talk.

The Orc Wasteland in the Northland was really going to be restless.

"Calm down, Bake."

Roko's voice, although calm, carried an unquestionable power.

"How many specifically? Which direction did they go?"

Bake tried hard to calm his breathing, but his voice still carried a trace of trembling.

"I can't see the specific number; there are too many."

"At least five thousand or more!"

"They are advancing in the direction of our Vanguard Valley, and the distance shouldn't be far."

Five thousand?

Roko's pupils shrank slightly.

This was not something that the scattered Goblins and Kobolds from before could compare to.

This was an organized, large-scale Orc troop.

"Where is Hart?"

Roko asked immediately.

"Captain Hart is outside comforting the brothers."

Bake replied.

"Good."

Roko stood up, his face showing no panic.

Duke Auston's reminder, and the fact that he had been strengthening precautions and preparing for war during this period, had already prepared him psychologically.

"Martina."

He looked at the Fox-kin hugging the ledger.

"Immediately organize all the territory's people and withdraw them all into the castle."

"Take inventory of the weapons in the warehouse and distribute them."

"All young and strong people, whether free citizens or slaves, as long as they can pick up weapons, gather them all!"

Martina, although somewhat nervous, heard Roko's order and immediately suppressed her worry.

She nodded forcefully.

"I understand, Roko!"

She hugged the ledger and ran out hurriedly, starting to execute Roko's order.

Her footsteps were hurried, but her eyes were exceptionally firm.

"Fura."

Roko looked at the Cat-kin beside him.

"Go notify Hart and have him immediately gather all the knights and soldiers to prepare for battle."

Fura didn't speak, just nodded lightly.

In her heterochromatic eyes, absolute trust and reliance on Roko flickered.

Her figure flashed, and she disappeared at the door like a ghost.

"Bake."

Roko looked at Bake, who was still somewhat shaken.

"You lead your squad to assist Martina in maintaining order and distributing weapons."

"Then, immediately gather at the castle wall!"

"Yes! Master!"

Bake straightened his back; despite his exhaustion, fighting spirit reignited in his eyes.

Now was not the time to be afraid.

He turned and ran out.

Only Roko remained in the room.

He walked to the window and looked into the distance.

The desolate wilderness unfolded before his eyes.

A tough battle was about to come.

But this was also an opportunity.

Orc unrest meant chaos, meant the collapse of order.

And in chaos, huge opportunities were often hidden.

He had to obtain the greatest benefits for Vanguard Valley and for himself in this coming storm.

Thinking this, the history of the Orc invasion of the Bulake Kingdom from the Northland Orc Wasteland decades ago suddenly emerged in Roko's mind.

That was a bloody and cruel war.

The Bulake Kingdom was precisely because of that war that it made up its mind to counterattack.

And in these decades, it had nibbled away at the border areas of the Orc Wasteland step by step, opening up Xin Feng Province.

The number of Orcs inside the Orc Wasteland was huge, and the living environment was harsh.

Lack of grain might be one of the fuses for this unrest.

But Roko was more inclined toward another possibility.

Perhaps some powerful tribes inside the Northland Orc Wasteland felt the pressure of the human kingdom's continuous expansion and felt their living space being squeezed.

So they decided to unite and launch a large-scale counterattack against humans.

Regardless of the reason, Vanguard Valley would bear the brunt. ===== CHAPTER 56 =====