176: Scott Province

Just as Yilman and Garnett were conversing, a rapid clatter of hooves and a clamor came from not far away. Angus, supported by a team of personal guards, stumbled over. His armor was covered in marks from blades and axes, a broken arrow was still lodged in his shoulder, and his face was a mix of blood, dust, and unconcealed "grief and indignation".

"General! This subordinate... this subordinate is incompetent!" Angus pushed away his support and knelt on one knee before Yilman, his voice hoarse. "This subordinate was ordered to pursue the routed werewolves, penetrating dozens of miles into the Great Wilderness, but unexpectedly encountered an ambush set by that scoundrel Wade! The elite werewolves, using the terrain to their advantage, and with a large number of tamed Vicious Beasts assisting in the battle, our army was caught off guard, and our formation was scattered... After several hours of bloody battle, twenty thousand brothers... twenty thousand brothers! Fewer than five thousand returned alive! This subordinate... requests punishment from the General!" By the end of his speech, his tiger-like eyes were filled with tears, and his fists were clenched, veins bulging, as if he couldn't bear this "enormous" loss.

Yilman's body swayed violently, his face instantly turning pale. The personal guards beside him quickly supported him. He stammered, his lips trembling, almost unable to speak a complete sentence: "You... what did you say? The Divine Arrow Army... lost over fifteen thousand men?" This news was like another heavy hammer, striking hard at the hearts of everyone who had just experienced a "bitter battle".

Angus nodded mournfully, then added even worse news: "Additionally, we learned from a few captured werewolf prisoners... General Evan's unit... that ten thousand Dragon Scale Knights... encountered a siege led personally by the Legendary Werewolf King Jokic during their raid on the Royal Court... Outnumbered, they have... they have been completely annihilated!"

"Completely annihilated?!" Yilman was struck by lightning, retreating two steps, almost unable to stand steadily, all color draining from his face. He counted on his fingers, his voice trembling: "First defensive line, our army lost several thousand... Today's assault on Blackstone Canyon, the frontal battlefield lost several thousand more... The Divine Arrow Army lost fifteen thousand... The Dragon Scale Knights, ten thousand elites, all lost..." He looked up, his eyes bloodshot and filled with "despair". "Adding it all up, our army of one hundred and thirty thousand set out, and now... haven't we lost nearly fifty thousand men?!"

This number made Garnett, who was standing nearby, gasp. Fifty thousand casualties! For an army of one hundred and thirty thousand, this was almost a crippling blow, a severe drain on their Origin Qi. Although he had some doubts about certain details of the battle, the tragic scene before him, Angus's severe injuries, and the unconcealed grief and despondency of the Star Sea Territory's generals, which could not be faked, forced him to believe that the Star Sea Territory had indeed paid an extremely heavy price to take this defensive line.

Yilman seemed to have aged considerably in an instant. He slowly turned to Garnett, his voice tired and hoarse: "Lord Garnett... you've seen it. Although our army fortunately broke through Blackstone Canyon, the losses were heavy, nearly half of our elites were lost, and a crucial general like General Evan fell... Morale is low, and the troops are exhausted. The Werewolf Royal Court still has hundreds of thousands of troops, and a Legendary Expert like Jokic is in command... With the remaining strength of our army, another forced assault would be like throwing an egg against a rock, inviting self-destruction."

He took a deep breath, as if making a difficult and helpless decision: "The only course of action now is to switch from offense to defense. Our army will rely on the strategic terrain of Blackstone Canyon and the newly acquired Scott region behind us to establish strong defensive fortresses and lines, transitioning to long-term stationed to ensure the werewolves cannot threaten the kingdom's northern border from here again. This... might be the greatest contribution we can make to the kingdom right now."

Garnett looked at the complex expression in Yilman's eyes, a mix of grief, unwillingness, and the necessity of facing reality. Then he looked at the messy, war-torn battlefield with exhausted soldiers around him, and his initial doubts were greatly diluted by this "tragic" reality. As a soldier, he understood this helplessness. A spent force cannot pierce thin silk. The Star Sea Territory, having paid such a price to take Blackstone Canyon, could already be considered "loyal and brave." Forcing them to attack the clearly stronger Royal Court would indeed be unreasonable and unwise.

"General Yilman... my condolences." Garnett's tone softened considerably, even carrying a hint of sympathy. "Your troops fought bravely and suffered immense sacrifices. This General will report truthfully to Your Majesty. Switching to defense and consolidating existing gains is indeed the most prudent strategy for now."

Yilman, as if grasping a life-saving straw, quickly said: "Your Lordship sees clearly! However, transitioning to long-term garrisoning requires even greater manpower and resources. Our army has suffered severe losses and urgently needs to replenish troops, repair equipment, and construct permanent fortifications. I implore Your Lordship, upon returning to the capital, to urge His Majesty to promptly allocate the previously promised five hundred thousand civilians and one million gold coins, and ideally, to also provide a batch of artisans and building Materials. Otherwise, with only our remaining forces, it will be difficult to establish a strong defensive line capable of resisting a werewolf counterattack. At that time, if the defensive line is not solid and the werewolf army breaks through again, sweeping into the northern provinces... our deaths on the battlefield would be a small matter, but the devastation of life in the kingdom's northern frontier would be immense!"

Yilman's words carried no hint of threat, only deep worry and earnestness, completely portraying a loyal subject concerned for his country and people, and painstakingly working for the kingdom's border defense.

Garnett's expression was solemn, and he nodded gravely: "General, rest assured, this General understands the stakes. I will certainly do my utmost to facilitate the support, never allowing the soldiers' blood to be shed in vain, and never allowing the northern border to fall into war again." He comforted Yilman a few more times, then did not linger, summoning his Winged Tiger Beast, taking to the sky, and flying rapidly towards the capital. He needed to quickly report the situation of their "bitter victory" but "huge losses," their "inability to attack further," and their "urgent need for support."

It wasn't until Garnett's Winged Tiger Beast completely disappeared into the horizon, and a long while after, when the dispatched Griffon Scouts confirmed the other party had gone far, that the atmosphere around the central army tent abruptly changed.

Angus wiped his face, not a trace of sorrow left in his eyes, only relief and a hint of mischief. He casually pulled out the "arrow wound" on his shoulder; it was a specially made fake arrow with a tenon and a blood pack. "I'm exhausted from acting. That guy has sharp eyes, I almost gave it away."

Yilman also straightened his back, all fatigue gone from his face, returning to his usual composure. He waved his hand: "Thank you all for your hard work, the acting was excellent. Quick, go 'rescue' the 'fallen' brothers!"

With the order given, the ready medical personnel and logistics staff quickly sprang into action, rushing to the "bodies" of the "fallen" Star Sea Territory soldiers lying haphazardly. They carefully pried open the "dead" soldiers' mouths and poured a small bottle of liquid shimmering with a faint green glow—Linn's specially made "divine spring of life"—down their throats.

Before long, a miraculous scene occurred. The soldiers who had been "dead," their bodies stiff, emitted faint "ho-ho" sounds from their throats, their chests began to rise and fall again, and their faces gradually regained a healthy flush from their deathly pallor. They opened their eyes blankly, sat up with the help of their companions, and moved their somewhat stiff limbs. To deceive Garnett's possible close-range inspection, they had previously taken Linn's potent Turtle-Breath Potion, entering a deep state of suspended animation, with imperceptible heartbeats and breathing, and lowered body temperature, indistinguishable from actual death. Only this specially made "divine spring" could quickly awaken them and replenish their depleted Origin Qi.

"Alright, stop lying around, everyone get up and help clean the battlefield, tally the real spoils, and arrange the prisoners!" The officers began to shout. Although these "resurrected" soldiers were still a bit weak, they were otherwise fine and quickly joined the aftermath work.

The real cleanup work then efficiently began. Tallying spoils, centralizing prisoner custody, thoroughly cleaning the camp, drawing new defensive blueprints... A few days later, the overall situation was settled. Yilman called Karl and Angus before him.

"Generals, the defense and initial construction of this new land, Scott Province, I entrust to the two of you," Yilman said solemnly. "My mission is complete; the Po Jun Legion needs to return to its East Sea Province garrison for rest and recuperation.

Karl and Angus solemnly accepted the order: "General, rest assured, we will not fail your trust!"

After seeing off Yilman and the Po Jun Legion, Karl immediately said to the messenger beside him: "Quick, go to the Rhine River, tell Snake and Fellan to stop drinking and playing chess on the boat! Bring their men and planning blueprints, and immediately come to receive the prisoners and territory. The construction of Scott Province begins today!"

Soon, Major General Snake, the Deputy Legion Commander of the Star Shatter Legion, and Fellan, the newly appointed Governor of Scott Province, arrived at Blackstone Canyon with a group of administrative officials and engineers. Fellan had already conducted extensive preliminary research, and after a brief discussion with Karl and Angus, he decided on the location of the provincial core—Scott City.

The location was a vast plain downstream of the confluence of a major tributary and the main channel of the Rhine River. The terrain here was flat and open, favorable for city building and agricultural development, and the Rhine River and its tributaries provided ample water resources and convenient water transport. Downstream, it led directly to Rhine City and the sea; upstream, it could penetrate deep into the provincial hinterland and connect to more distant areas, making its geographical location excellent.

Once the site was chosen, Fellan immediately demonstrated his decisive and efficient style. With the assistance and protection of Angus's Eastern Wasteland Army (temporarily still under the Divine Arrow Army's command) and some of Karl's forces, he directed tens of thousands of Orc Slaves and the first batch of able-bodied young adults from the continuously arriving kingdom support population to begin fervent construction work. Leveling land, quarrying stone, firing bricks and tiles, digging foundations, building roads... The prototype of a brand new city quickly began to appear on this wilderness that once belonged to the Orcs.

Time flew by, and a month passed in an instant.

The kingdom's promised support, actively promoted by Garnett upon his return, finally arrived in succession. Five hundred thousand people, mostly civilians displaced by war in the northern border, were organized and relocated by the kingdom, beginning to enter Scott Province in batches and being properly settled in the planned residential areas. The enormous sum of one million gold coins, along with Supporting materials and artisans, also arrived successively, greatly alleviating the initial financial and human resource pressures on the province. Fellan strictly followed the plan, efficiently investing these resources into urban construction and the development of basic agriculture and industry.

Watching the foundations of Scott City being laid day by day, the planned streets and functional areas gradually becoming clear, and the first batch of reclaimed farmland sprouting tender green shoots, Karl knew that his garrison mission was essentially complete.

On this day, he bid farewell to Angus and Fellan.

"General Angus, Governor Fellan, the Star Shatter Legion is ordered to long-term garrison Rhine Province and cannot stay here for long. The defense and development of Scott Province will depend heavily on the two of you from now on," Karl said, clasping his hands.

Angus returned the salute, his eyes full of anticipation: "Old friend, go back with peace of mind. With my Eastern Wasteland Army here, the province's peace will be assured. Once my new army is trained, the name of Eastern Wasteland will surely resound throughout the border!"

Fellan also solemnly said: "General Karl, have a safe journey."

Bidding farewell to the two, Karl boarded his flagship, the wave chaser. Fifty thousand Star Shatter Legion soldiers boarded the ships, and the massive fleet set sail once more, flowing down the Rhine River, returning to their garrison—Rhine Province.

At the Scott Province construction site, Fellan and Angus stood side by side, watching the fleet disappear around the river bend.

"General Angus," Fellan turned to the general beside him, his face bearing the steady confidence characteristic of a pragmatist, "Next, it is time for you and I to work together to truly transform this land into the Star Sea Territory's Scott Province."

Angus grinned, patting the newly standardized longbow hanging at his waist: "Governor, you just focus on planning and construction; defense and troop training, leave it to me! It won't be long before the iron hooves and arrows of the Eastern Wasteland Army become the most reliable guardians of this land!"