Chapter 361: When the Old Man Lost His Horse, Who Knew It Wasn

Solit's smile slightly stiffened, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

This young noble, no doubt, is the kind who dares defy the Second Prince.

He seized the initiative with just a few words.

From being orchestrated by others, he became the one taking the lead.

Though the outcome seemed unchanged, the distinction was clear.

In the former case, I assigned the Southern Region's troops to the front line, explicitly citing their superior strength.

This not only put pressure on Gervas, but also made other minor nobles grateful toward me as the one making the arrangement.

But now, Gervas took the initiative himself; the other minor nobles no longer feel gratitude toward me—they now owe it to Gervas alone.

Assigning duties was merely a minor incident; the column soon began its march.

"Let's go, everyone. Those orcs aren't fools. We have fifteen thousand in the vanguard, plus light cavalry scouting ahead—they won't dare attack us easily, so safety won't be a major issue!"

Soon, the vanguard unit officially set out, departing half a day ahead of the main force.

The distance between them would gradually widen, advancing thirty to fifty li ahead of the main army.

This way, they could scout for danger without overextending, always within reach of rear support.

Gervas and his group marched at the very front, while Mil and the others clearly looked tense.

But Gervas, knowing the intelligence contained no report of any attack targeting him, was fairly certain no danger would arise.

Moreover, beside them actually marched another Northern Region army unit in the front line.

That was the Northern Region Army's mounted scouts.

They were specialized reconnaissance units, capable of eliminating most ambushes and surprise attacks.

The cavalry battalion's battalion commander, Leed, rode alongside Gervas and his group.

So he could keep track of the scouts' reconnaissance movements at all times.

And this battalion commander was easy to get along with—not as rigid as Commander Rayn, and with no conflict with Gervas.

So after Gervas shared some demonic beast jerky on the road, the battalion commander grew even more courteous, happily sharing plenty of Northern Region intelligence with Gervas and his men.

For instance, an orc's combat power was roughly equal to two elite guards.

This was purely a matter of raw strength.

Beyond that, though the orc race lacked qi, they possessed their own supernatural abilities.

Thus, humans measured orc strength using Bronze Knight, White Shadow Knight, and Gold Knight ranks.

Though unusual, it made distinguishing orc power levels far easier.

Otherwise, terms like Orc Disciple, Great Orc Disciple, Orc Master, Great Orc Master—how could anyone remember them?

"By the way, Battalion Commander Leed, do you know where the Emerald River Valley is?"

"Emerald River Valley? Of course I do. It's about thirty li ahead of us. If nothing goes wrong, we'll camp there tonight!"

"Lord Gervas, why are you asking about it?"

"Camp tonight at the Emerald River Valley?" Gervas immediately grew alert—this might be a trap.

If orcs appear there tonight, they won't just be strolling around.

"Nothing much. This morning, I happened to overhear a few nobles talking—they warned to be cautious around the Emerald River Valley, as orcs might be lurking nearby!"

Gervas couldn't definitively reveal the true situation.

And Battalion Commander Leed, naturally, didn't believe the Emerald River Valley posed any danger.

"Lord Gervas, that's just an overreaction from nervous minor nobles!"

"Though orcs have indeed begun scattered raids, according to reports from the past two days, their farthest advance was near Redstone City—that's our destination."

"Redstone City is three hundred kilometers from Black Dragon City, requiring at least six days to reach."

"So the Emerald River Valley, deep in our rear, is virtually impossible for orcs to reach. After all, there are countless villages and towns along the way—if orcs appeared, they'd be spotted immediately!"

Watching Leed's confident analysis, Gervas offered no rebuttal, only nodding in immediate agreement.

"Good. At least we can sleep soundly tonight!"

"Hah! Exactly, Lord Gervas. Rest well these next two days—once we near Redstone City, that's when you'll need to stay sharp!"

Thus, the entire day passed in marching, with no incidents along the way.

By evening, as Battalion Commander Leed had predicted, they arrived at the Emerald River Valley.

The Emerald River Valley was flanked by rolling, low hills.

In the center lay a vast alluvial plain—flat terrain, and a fertile pasture.

Of course, with the Northern Region in crisis, the valley now stood empty.

Aside from a few stone huts used by herders, only vast stretches of yellow-green grass remained.

"Camp here tonight! Solit, organize it!"

"Yes, Commander Rayn. I'll handle everything."

After smilingly seeing off Commander Rayn, Solit turned to the group with a sly smirk.

"Western and Eastern Region units, set up camp right next to the stone huts!"

"As for the Southern Region unit, you'll camp by that ravine over there!"

"It's more concealed—if enemies attack, it can serve as effective support!"

"Commander Solit, we're less than fifty li from Black Dragon City—where are enemies supposed to come from?"

"Besides, that ravine may be hidden, but it's far from the river—fetching water and cooking will be a nightmare!" Mil exploded in anger.

Being manipulated by Willard was one thing.

After all, there was some reason behind it.

But this Solit? He's deliberately targeting us again.

"For safety's sake, can't you even overcome such minor inconveniences?"

"Moreover, Commander Rayn entrusted me with this arrangement—my orders are military commands. Do the Southern Region nobles object?"

Solit wore a cold sneer.

Seeing this, Mil and the others fell silent.

They couldn't challenge a military order.

"Deputy Commander Solit, we naturally won't defy orders. Since you've arranged it this way, we'll go farther—understood, for safety's sake!"

At that moment, Gervas suddenly spoke with a smile.

He gestured to Mil and the others, then led his group toward the ravine over a li away.

"Hmph! Good on you for being sensible!" Solit, seeing this, was thoroughly pleased.

"Alright, everyone, begin setting up camp!" Solit then ordered the Western and Eastern Region units.

The nobles from those two areas watched Gervas and his group's retreating backs with thoughtful expressions.

After all, anyone with half a brain could see the Southern Region unit was being targeted by Solit!

"Gervas, that Solit is a piece of trash. We never wronged him—why is he picking on us?"

"Yeah! This is just terrible luck! First Willard, now Solit!"

Once away from the main force, Mil and the others cursed loudly.

"Friends, actually… you might be suffering because of me. Earlier, the Second Prince tried to buy my magic fan."

"I refused. If I'm not mistaken, he found out, and now he's targeting me." Gervas apologized to them, "

"So that's why!" Mil and the others suddenly understood.

But naturally, none of them blamed Gervas. "Gervas, no need to apologize—it's all Solit's vile doing!"

"Besides, we're allies—we must share the hardship together!"

"Exactly, Lord Gervas, don't worry. We'll just bear a little extra fatigue!"

The nobles voiced their support one after another.

Hearing their replies, Gervas regarded them with new respect.

It seemed that, sometimes, nobles still had a touch of humanity.

But as the saying goes: When the old man lost his horse, who knew it wasn't a blessing? Solit's decision to station them in this hidden ravine suited Gervas perfectly.