Chapter 62

The wind in late November already carried a bone-chilling cold.

Inside the council hall of Vanguard Valley Castle, the fire in the charcoal brazier crackled, dispelling some of the chill but unable to warm the heavy atmosphere.

Roko sat at the head of the table, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the smooth oak surface.

His gaze was calm as he listened to the report from Scout Captain Bake.

Bake was travel-worn, his face showing undisguised exhaustion and lingering fear.

His voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying a trace of trembling.

"Young Master, the situation is very bad."

Bake took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions.

"The border of the Xin Feng Province is in a state of emergency along almost the entire line."

"A massive number of Orc troops are pouring out of the Northland like locusts."

"According to the information our scouts risked their lives to uncover, and the scattered intelligence gathered from fleeing nobles..."

Bake paused, as if organizing his words, or perhaps unwilling to say that terrifying number.

"Just in the coldest regions of the provincial border, the number of Orcs we can confirm is already over fifty thousand."

The council hall was deathly silent, with only the sound of the charcoal burning.

Fifty thousand.

This number was like a giant boulder pressing on everyone's heart.

Martina clutched her precious ledger, her snow-white fox ears twitching uneasily.

For the first time, her pure white eyes revealed such obvious worry.

Her usual obsession with gold coins was diluted quite a bit by this heavy news.

Captain Hart remained as sturdy as a mountain, but his brows were tightly locked, showing his inner unrest.

As a peak Great Knight, he had experienced countless battles, but an Orc invasion of this scale was unprecedented.

"What about inside the province?"

Roko's voice broke the silence, still calm, with no ripples detectable.

It was as if those fifty thousand Orcs were just an insignificant number.

Bake swallowed hard and said with difficulty.

"The number of Orcs inside the province has likely already exceeded one hundred thousand."

"Many noble territories fell in the first wave of the assault."

"There are beacon fires everywhere, and crowds of refugees everywhere."

"Those noble lords who usually throw their weight around are now running faster than rabbits; it's a mess, and no effective resistance can be organized at all."

Roko's fingertips stopped tapping.

One hundred thousand Orcs.

This was no longer a small-scale conflict, but a disaster sweeping through the entire Xin Feng Province.

It had only just begun, and it was already like this; if it continued, no one knew what the Xin Feng Province would become.

Duke August must be overwhelmed right now.

"What are the movements of that Minotaur troop we are focusing on?"

Roko's gaze turned to Bake, his tone still steady.

That Minotaur army was his most direct "old friend" at the moment.

Bake perked up; mentioning this, his tone became slightly more relaxed, but then it became complicated again.

"Back to you, Young Master, that group of Minotaurs is very cunning."

"They didn't go to gnaw on those hard bones with sturdy castles."

"Instead, they bypassed the main defensive towns and specialized in plundering those weakly defended villages and small noble territories."

"According to the latest news from our scouts, they appeared in a mountain forest more than a hundred miles outside Vanguard Valley."

Bake's voice lowered a little.

"And they are carrying a large amount of wealth and captives."

"It looks like they've gained quite a lot during this time."

Martina's ears immediately perked up.

Wealth?

A flash of imperceptible light crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by worry.

"A hundred-plus miles—this distance isn't too far for us."

Her voice carried a hint of calculation.

A hint of an imperceptible arc appeared at the corner of Roko's mouth.

This cunning Minotaur commander certainly knew how to pick his time.

Taking advantage of the chaos in the entire Xin Feng Province to plunder everywhere.

However, this also gave him an opportunity.

"Bake."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Continue to closely monitor the movements of this Minotaur troop."

"I want to know their precise location at every step, as well as the specific situation regarding the wealth they are carrying."

Roko's eyes became sharp.

"Yes, Young Master! This subordinate understands!"

Bake immediately took the order.

"Hart."

Roko turned to Hart.

"Young Master, please command."

"Mobilize all combat-capable forces in the territory."

"The Storm Knights, as well as the castle garrison, are all to enter a state of combat readiness."

"Be ready to set out at any time."

A flash of surprise crossed Hart's eyes, but there was no hesitation at all.

"Yes! Young Master!"

Once the Young Master made a decision, it must have deep meaning.

Fura stood quietly behind Roko, her silver-gray cat ears twitching slightly.

Her heterochromatic eyes, intertwined with deep blue and shattered gold, remained fixed on Roko's profile.

No matter what decision Roko made, she would follow without hesitation.

Her world was very simple.

If Roko was there, she was there.

Martina clutched her ledger and muttered softly: "Going to war again, gold coins are going to flow out again..."

Although she complained, her eyes revealed a hint of excitement.

If they could snatch the wealth from those Minotaurs, the previous investment would all be returned.

And they could make a big profit.

Roko looked at the map, where the vast territory of the Xin Feng Province was currently being eroded by red marks representing the Orc forces.

His gaze finally landed on the mountain forest north of Vanguard Valley.

Minotaur commander, you had better not let me down.

In a hidden valley more than a hundred miles away from Vanguard Valley.

Inside the Minotaur camp, the atmosphere was not as jubilant as the outside world imagined.

Instead, it was filled with a sense of oppression and unease.

Kagerosh sat on a "throne" made of a few broken wooden boards, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

Inside the tent, several Minotaur tribe patriarchs were kneeling on the ground, trembling, not daring to even breathe loudly.

The thick smell of blood mixed with the sour stench of inferior ale, making one nauseous.

"A bunch of trash!"

Kagerosh kicked over the wine jar in front of him with a bang.

Earthenware fragments flew everywhere, and murky ale spilled all over the ground.

"How did I order you before?"

His voice was cold and bone-chilling, carrying undisguised murderous intent.

"Commander Kagerosh, we, we just wanted to grab some more food and treasure..."

A Minotaur patriarch named Geluomu defended himself, trembling.

He had recently taken his tribe to plunder a human noble territory far away without listening to Kagerosh's orders.

Although they grabbed some things, they also lost many tribesmen and exposed their tracks.

"Grab some more?"

Kagerosh sneered, a cruel light flickering in his cunning eyes.

"For the sake of your pathetic selfish desires, you dare to disobey my orders?"

"Have you forgotten who led you out from under that damn human castle?"

"Have you forgotten who allowed you to throw your weight around here instead of becoming cannon fodder for those big shots in the Orc Kingdom?"

Geluomu and several other patriarchs who had similar behaviors trembled all over, burying their heads even lower.

"Commander, please calm your anger; we, we will never dare again."

"Never dare again?"

Kagerosh slowly stood up, the huge serrated broadsword in his hand flashing with a grim cold light under the dim firelight.

"Some mistakes, once made, have no chance to be corrected."

He walked toward Geluomu step by step.

Geluomu felt death approaching, his body shaking like a sieve.

"Commander, spare my life!"

"I am willing to offer you everything I have plundered."

"I am still useful; I can still serve you."

Kagerosh walked up to Geluomu and looked down at him.

"I will naturally take your things."

"As for your service..."

Kagerosh paused, a cruel arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's use your life to warn those other guys who are restless and trying to challenge my prestige!"