Chapter 418

"Originally, I thought the battle for Lindongcheng would be several times harder than the one at Bokacheng, but we took it without losing a single soldier!"

"Hah! This is truly the Blessing of the God of Glory upon our expeditionary army—it's practically a free gift!"

"Exactly! Who would've thought we'd one day force the orcs to flee without a fight? After this battle, we'll be famous throughout the land!"

On the walls of Lindongcheng, the high nobles watched the endless stream of troops entering the city, their smiles barely contained.

Taking Bokacheng had taken only one day—already far beyond everyone's expectations.

Now, the orcs had fled without fighting at all, handing them back the strategically vital Lindongcheng, and everyone felt it was divine favor.

And if things continued like this, driving the orcs out of the kingdom was merely a matter of time.

"Gentlemen, don't grow too complacent because of this orc retreat—we've yet to see the orc main force!"

"Rumors say the orc main force is personally led by the Orc King, with no fewer than thirty thousand Beastmen warriors and at least seventy to eighty thousand vassal troops!"

"Such a force—driving them out of the kingdom won't be easy!" The Grand Commander was pleased, but knew not to grow arrogant.

From the start of the campaign until now, the orc main force had never shown itself.

Only by crushing the orc main force could this be called a true victory.

"We understand, Grand Commander!" The high nobles nodded in unison—but from their expressions, it was clear they hadn't truly taken it to heart.

The Grand Commander said no more; when they finally faced the orc main force, these nobles would naturally become cautious.

What the Grand Commander hadn't expected was that the very orc main force he'd been waiting for, just half a day after their entry into Lindongcheng, brought news.

"Report!"

At dusk, a patrol of cavalry returned in haste.

"Grand Commander, the orc main force has been spotted thirty li north of Lindongcheng—at least forty thousand Beastmen, and at least eighty thousand vassal troops! They're advancing toward Lindongcheng!"

"Oh? The Beastmen have appeared?"

The Grand Commander and the high nobles froze in unison.

They'd just spoken of the Beastmen main force this morning—and now, by evening, they had word.

Thirty li meant the orcs could reach the city walls by tomorrow morning at the latest.

"Are you certain the orc main force is heading straight for us?"

"Yes, Grand Commander. The orc main force is advancing southward—and all the fleeing orcs have now joined them!" The cavalry captain nodded firmly.

"Perfect!" Hearing this, the Grand Commander's joy could no longer be hidden.

The other high nobles looked puzzled.

The orc main force is coming—shouldn't you be alarmed? You yourself warned us just this morning!

Why, then, are you now beaming with excitement?

Seeing their confusion, the Grand Commander continued smiling: "Have you forgotten where we are? We're inside Lindongcheng!"

"Under normal circumstances, had those orcs not fled, we'd have met the main force outside the city—and that would've been a disaster."

"But now, we're already inside the city, behind its walls. With these fortifications, do you think the orc main force's arrival is good or bad?"

The high nobles weren't fools—they understood at once.

It was good. A tremendous advantage.

On the open plains, fighting the orcs meant being at a severe disadvantage—requiring countless lives just to even the odds.

But here, inside the city, we can permanently erase that disadvantage with our towering walls.

"Grand Commander, if this main force truly arrives, it's perfect—we can crush them all at once and complete our entire campaign!"

"Exactly! If we succeed, this will be the fastest victory against an orc invasion in history!"

"Correct! If we destroy the orc main force here in Lindongcheng, we may set a new record for the kingdom!"

"So, gentlemen, let us together create this new record."

"Grand Commander, give your orders at once! We'll prepare with all our strength!" The nobles were fired up by the prospect of this glittering new achievement.

Not for any other reason—just so they could one day boast of this priceless, golden record.

The Grand Commander wasted no time and began discussing battle plans with them.

Since their advantage was so great, they no longer sought merely to defend—they aimed to inflict heavy damage on the orc main force and drive them completely beyond the kingdom's borders.

Thus, the high nobles voiced their own strategies, each proposing ways to inflict maximum harm on the orcs.

"Heimai Town, Windmill Town, Baron Kalle's Fortress, Dite River Valley Wood Fort, and the Wooden Sword Stone Bridge—all these positions allow access to northern routes."

"Stationing small forces at these points can not only guard against orc raids but also block their retreat by ambushing them from behind!"

"Even if these checkpoints ultimately prove useless, they won't affect the overall strategy. What do you think of my proposal, Lord Cragsplit?"

The high nobles nodded in agreement—Lord Cragsplit's suggestion was sound.

If the orcs tried to flee, these small forces could cut off the northern roads via backpaths ahead of time.

Even delaying them by one or two hours would allow the main army to kill far more orcs.

And as Lord Cragsplit said, only a few minor nobles need be sent—whether or not they succeed, the overall strategy remains unaffected. The benefits far outweigh the risks.

"Since no one objects, we'll adopt Lord Cragsplit's proposal: station one thousand men at each location."

"This won't weaken our main force, yet will still provide significant value if we need to block the orcs' retreat!"

Seeing their agreement, the Grand Commander made his decision without hesitation.

With Lord Cragsplit's proposal approved, assigning the minor nobles to garrison duty was next.

But as usual, the Grand Commander didn't need to handle it personally: "Gentlemen, I'll entrust the selection of these garrison commanders to the Commandants of the Southern, Western, and Eastern Frontiers."

"Now, do any of you have further suggestions? If not, proceed with your assigned tasks immediately."

"Though orcs are poor at siege warfare, we must not slacken. We must ensure this battle succeeds without flaw!"

The high nobles had no objections—they didn't care which minor noble was sent out.

So they prepared to disperse—when suddenly, Lord Cragsplit spoke up: "Grand Commander, I have more to say."

The Grand Commander paused. "Lord Cragsplit, what is it? Speak."

"Grand Commander, regarding the minor nobles to be dispatched for garrison duty, I have no objection to any other choice—but one man must be on this list."