Chapter 122 (2/2)

If they were going to be attacked from inside the fort and from the outside forces, there were chances for them to be defeated by the imperial army.

‘But, is this is a deception by the enemy?’

Tyron suddenly felt something.

He wanted to send in scouts and check. However, he couldn’t just waste time.

‘If we encounter the enemy while we’re unable to reorganize our battle line, it is like getting stabbed.’

The confusion and doubt would only get bigger as night time approached.

The Republic army would probably get greater damage if it turned out to be true.

For most the troops were the directional troops of the territory with the exception of the 10,000 central forces who were currently targeting the Fortress.

The directional troops were created after the Republican revolution.

After the revolution, the Volga Republican government agreed to preserve the wealth, status and honor of the local lords, and for that, they took in the knights and soldiers into the state for being minimum bodyguards.

The elite knights were included in the Central Army, and the remaining troops belonged to the directional troops.

The directional troops were mainly responsible for the local security and defense from monsters. Unlike the central army, they didn’t have excellent force or power.

Right now, the number of troops was dominating, but if the Central army had collapsed, then it would get troublesome for the Volga.

‘It is a pity that we can’t do the final blow just yet, but… even then it is always better to retreat than suffer.’

After judging the situation, Tyron ordered to retreat.

“Stop the attack. Ask the troops to come back. We will rearrange the line of battle at the river.”

“Understood, sir!”

When the commander gave appropriate orders, the officers sighed out of relief.

But if they knew that what was happening on the highway was a deception from Luke. They would have all hit the ground out of disappointment.

“The enemy is retreating!”

“Phew, we barely managed!”

The imperial soldiers of the Fortress, who had endured the onslaught of the Republic’s army, sighed out of relief when they saw the enemies retreating.

But Luke wasn’t sharing that relief.

He pulled out a separate bunch of people and tried a strategy at the right time.

“It was fortunate that they got deceived.”

Philip opened the hatch of the Gigant and heard what Luke said.

He knew of the deception that Luke was planning to use.

“However, it is just a matter of time before the enemy notices. How would they respond?” Asked Philip.

“We need to do a lot of thinking. But first, let’s drink a little and enjoy.”

“Sorry?”

Philip doubted what he had heard, but Luke was serious.

“Tell the soldiers to rush to the Fortress right away. Then take out all the food from the Fortress storehouse and prepare a feast.”

“… Like the last supper?”

Philip’s expression went dark.

He remembered a story he heard when he was taking the military classes in the Royal Military Academy.

When there was no way out of a defense, the Lord would spend some time at the manor, feed the soldiers, talk with his family, and fight the final battle which would result in his fierce death.

“The last supper? Don’t make me laugh. Do you really think I’m that pessimistic?”

“You aren’t?”

“Of course not. I have a lot of things I want to do. Do you really think that I want to die in this hole, this Fortress?”

After saying that, Luke went down the defense wall.

Philip, who was feeling down, smiled.

‘Yeah, my Lord isn’t the kind to be upset or frustrated with this.’

His Lord was young, yet he was a brilliant young man.

Others would normally try to find a way to break away from such a crisis, but his Lord was someone who would take that opportunity and grow bigger.

It was the same as the time when he was in debt with Alon and the battle with Count Monarch.

Rather than running the estates, he grew the estates dramatically, and Luke’s skills grew stronger and stronger.

‘Yeah, I trust him. I need to believe him since I don’t know what to do. Didn’t I already decided to follow him till my death?’

Moreover, it couldn’t be told to anyone, but his Lord was learning dark magic that belonged to Saymon.

He might not use it, but something told Philip that Luke might come up with something that no average person could think of.