173: Internal contradictions

During the half month after occupying the first line of defense, Karl and Evan were not in a hurry to advance. They organized personnel to repair and reinforce the captured Orc camps, transforming them into a stable forward base, while sending out numerous scout teams for carpet reconnaissance of the area ahead, clearing small groups of routed soldiers and wandering monsters. The entire camp appeared busy and orderly, showing a steady and calculated posture.

Half a month later, the rear army of 70,000 led by Yilman and Angus finally arrived at the frontline camp. Star Shatter, Army Breaker, the Divine Arrow Army, and the Dragon Scale Knights—a total of 130,000 Star Sea Territory elites—successfully joined forces on this newly conquered land. Camps were connected, banners fluttered, and the momentum was grand.

However, at this critical moment when the great army gathered and was about to launch the next phase of operations, the arrival of an uninvited guest added a subtle ripple to the frontline.

A majestic Sky Elementary Winged Tiger Beast landed outside the camp. A knight wearing the standard general armor of the Aolai Kingdom leaped down from its back; his expression was cold, his gaze sharp, carrying the fierce aura of a battle-hardened veteran. Led by guards, he went straight to the central command tent.

"Commander of the Kingdom's Thirteenth Legion, Garnett, by royal decree, has come to assist the colleagues of the Star Sea Territory in exterminating the wolf threat and stabilizing the northern border." Garnett's voice was loud and steady, neither humble nor arrogant, as his gaze swept over the generals in the tent, including Yilman, Karl, and Angus.

Assist? Everyone knew full well that this was clearly an informant sent by the Kingdom out of distrust to monitor them, both to confirm if the Star Sea Territory was truly putting in effort and to prevent any secret collusion with the Werewolf Tribe. Fortunately, Linn had already anticipated and simulated such a situation. As the temporary supreme commander of this operation, Yilman immediately had a plan in mind.

"So it is General Garnett! I have heard much about you!" Yilman showed a perfectly timed expression of "surprise" and "welcome," rising to greet him. "With the Kingdom's elites assisting us, our army is like a tiger with wings! You've had a long journey, General; please, take a seat."

After some superficially warm pleasantries, everyone sat back down and began discussing the next phase of the combat plan around a giant sand table. Garnett was placed next to Yilman in a prominent position, obviously so he could see everything clearly.

Karl pointed to the red lines marked on the sand table and introduced the enemy situation with a "solemn" expression: "According to repeated reconnaissance by our scouts over the past half month, it has been confirmed that the Orc Coalition Army has constructed three lines of defense ahead of us based on the terrain. The first line is the one we have already destroyed, which was garrisoned by about 80,000 troops."

His finger moved back: "The second line of defense is located at 'Blackstone Canyon' and the surrounding mountains about eighty li ahead. The terrain here is even more treacherous. According to reliable intelligence, the Werewolf King Jokic has gathered over 200,000 Orcs here, mixed with many elite Werewolf warriors acting as overseers. The fortifications are also far stronger than the first line."

Finally, his finger landed deeper, on a vast area specifically marked as the "Royal Court Area": "The third line of defense, which is also the final barrier of the Werewolf Tribe, is built around its core Royal Court area. The number of Orcs gathered here is the largest, estimated to be over 300,000, and most are core tribal forces with the strongest combat capability. Furthermore, the Werewolf King Jokic himself is likely stationed here."

Karl paused and looked at Yilman and Garnett, his tone carrying "worry": "Although our army has 130,000 elites, we have suffered losses after successive battles, and we are deep in enemy territory with an extended logistics line. The enemy is defending treacherous terrain with several times our numbers... Breaking through these three lines of defense, especially the Royal Court area guarded by over 300,000 Orcs, will be extremely difficult and will likely cost an unbearable price."

The atmosphere in the tent seemed to become somewhat oppressive following Karl's introduction. Several generals frowned slightly, showing expressions of contemplation.

Yilman stared at the sand table, his brow furrowed as if making a difficult choice. After a moment, he suddenly slammed his fist onto the edge of the sand table with a dull "thud," drawing everyone's attention.

"We cannot fight by the book!" Yilman's voice carried a sense of desperate determination. "The enemy has superior numbers and the advantage of terrain. If we grind through their defenses one by one, even if we win, we will surely suffer heavy losses or even be worn down. We must win through surprise, disrupt their deployment, and make it impossible for them to coordinate!"

His gaze, like lightning, shot toward Evan on the side: "General Evan!"

"Present!" Evan answered with his head held high.

"Your Dragon Scale Knights are our army's most formidable mobile strike force. I order you to lead your unit of 10,000 heavy cavalry tonight, set out secretly, bypass the front of the enemy's second line of defense, insert deep into the Great Wilderness Forest through the treacherous side paths on the flanks, and strike directly at the Werewolf Royal Court!"

As soon as these words were spoken, except for Garnett, the other "informed" generals' "faces changed drastically" in an instant.

"General! You mustn't!" Karl was the first to stand up "anxiously." "General Evan leading only ten thousand men deep into enemy lines—once their movements are exposed, with 300,000 defenders in the Royal Court ahead and 200,000 enemy troops at the second line behind, they will surely be surrounded and die without a place for burial! The Dragon Scale Knights are the pillar of our Star Sea Territory; we absolutely cannot take such a risk!"

Angus also hurriedly "dissuaded" him: "General Yierman, General Karl is absolutely right. A surprise attack is good, but the risk is too great. It's better to play it safe, concentrate our forces to break the second line of defense first, and then plan for the Royal Court."

Evan clenched his fists "angrily," his knuckles making a "crackling" sound. He glared at Yilman, his voice trembling slightly with "excitement": "Yilman! Are you going to use the lives of over ten thousand brothers of my Dragon Scale Knights to fill the gap? Just to snatch merit? To show off your decisiveness in front of the Kingdom's envoy?"

Facing the "intense" opposition and "questioning" from his subordinates, Yilman also seemed to fly into a rage. He slammed the table in front of him even harder, shouting sternly: "Shut up! I am the supreme commander! Military orders are as immovable as mountains; how can you question them?"

He looked around at everyone, his tone "cold" and "unquestionable": "Evan's unit going deep behind enemy lines is indeed dangerous, but it is the best choice to break the deadlock, force the werewolves to split their forces, and create an opportunity for our main force! For the victory of the Kingdom, to completely eradicate the beast threat, sacrificing one unit to gain the initiative for the whole situation is worth it! This is an order, not a discussion!"

He stared at Evan, whose "face was ashen" and "chest was heaving": "General Evan, do you comply?"

The tent fell into a dead silence. Everyone's gaze was fixed on Evan, and the atmosphere was so tense it seemed about to solidify. Garnett watched coldly from the side, taking in this "dispute" and "conflict" within the Star Sea Territory. He thought to himself: It seems the Star Sea Territory is not a monolith either. This General Yierman, in order to snatch merit and show off to the Kingdom, does not hesitate to sacrifice his elites, which has already caused strong dissatisfaction among his subordinates. This is interesting intelligence.

Evan stared at Yilman for a long time. Finally, as if he had used up all his strength, he squeezed a few words through his teeth: "This general... complies."

"Good!" Yilman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but his tone remained firm. "Depart on time at midnight tonight! Remember, your mission is to harass the Royal Court, create chaos, and pin down the enemy troops of the third line of defense to create opportunities for the main force to attack the second line. You don't need to force a Breakthrough of the Royal Court; preserve your strength and find an opportunity to withdraw."

"Yes..." Evan's voice carried a thick sense of grievance and tragedy. He gave a heavy military salute, then turned and strode out of the central command tent without looking back, his heavy footsteps seeming to beat against everyone's hearts.

Watching Evan's departing figure, Karl, Angus, and the others all showed expressions of "pity" and "helplessness," but they did not dare to speak up in opposition again. Yilman turned to Garnett, a forced smile barely visible on his face: "I've made a fool of myself in front of General Garnett. Discussions in the military inevitably involve arguments. For the sake of the big picture, sometimes one must take risks. Please bear witness, General, that everyone in the Star Sea Territory, from top to bottom, will absolutely spare no expense to eradicate the beast threat; our loyalty is clear!"

Garnett nodded slightly, his face expressionless: "General Yierman's boldness is extraordinary, and his command is decisive; I am impressed. However, this deep insertion by a lone force... is indeed perilous. I hope General Evan is blessed by heaven and can successfully complete the mission."

"I thank the General for his kind words." Yilman sighed, appearing to "regret" his decision somewhat, but then became firm again. "Alright, since Evan's unit has already been ordered to execute, we also need to prepare immediately. At dawn tomorrow, the main force will launch a general offensive against the second line of defense at Blackstone Canyon! All units, go and prepare!"

"Yes!" The generals took their orders and dispersed, though the atmosphere was clearly much more heavy and oppressive than before.

Garnett also took his leave and returned to the tent arranged for him by the Kingdom. Sitting at his desk, he took out the magic recording scroll he carried with him and began to record what he had seen and heard today, focusing on the conflicts within the Star Sea Territory caused by tactical differences, as well as Yilman's "eagerness for quick success" and "willingness to sacrifice elites" command style. He believed this intelligence would be valuable for the Royal Capital to assess the loyalty, internal unity, and capabilities of the Star Sea Territory's generals.

Under the cover of night, Evan, "filled with grief and indignation" and a "heart of certain death," had already assembled ten thousand Dragon Scale heavy cavalry. They did not light torches, and the horses' hooves were wrapped in thick cloth. Like a silent torrent of steel, they quietly left the brightly lit main camp, took a large detour, and galloped toward the Werewolf Royal Court deep within the Great Wilderness Forest.

Of course, only a very few people knew that this lone army's life would be better than anyone else's. Once they entered the Werewolf Royal Court, they would just eat, drink, and have fun while pretending the entire army had been wiped out.