172: Chapter 172 Rejecting the Call to Arms

The warmth from the burning charcoal spread through the Lord's office, dispelling the chill in the air.

Lister sat in the main seat, while Red and the other three sat directly opposite him. Each had a cup of steaming milk prepared by Thomas placed before them.

Picking up the hot milk and taking a small sip, Lister looked at the four and said, "I've received news that the Beast Tribe launched a surprise attack on the frontier territories to the northwest a few days ago, capturing several lords alive."

A Beast Tribe attack!

The four immediately showed expressions of surprise. They didn't doubt the authenticity of Lister's news source for a moment, assuming it was information brought by the Magic Cloud Eagle.

Glancing at the composed Lister, Red was the first to ask, "Lord Lister, Border Earl Theodore Ferdinand should have already dispatched reinforcements, right?"

"Correct." Lister nodded slightly and said, "He immediately dispatched Golden Knight Montgomery to lead the reinforcement team."

Three soft sighs of relief were heard, but Red remained frowning. After a moment of thought, he spoke up: "Although Knight Montgomery is strong, the Beast Tribe is not weak either. From what I know, they have at least two Golden Knights within their ranks."

"If Montgomery is the only Golden Knight sent as reinforcement, it will likely be difficult to gain any advantage against the Beast Tribe."

Lister couldn't help but show a look of admiration for Red's calm and analytical nature, regardless of the situation. The other three beside him also suddenly realized their own 'naivety' just now.

"Exactly, and that is why I've called you all here."

Lister straightened his back slightly and said seriously, "As Red said, the Beast Tribe is powerful. Outside the entire Western Frontier Territory, they can be considered the strongest independent force."

"You should be able to guess the purpose of their attack; it was launched to pin down the kingdom's forces in the Western Frontier."

"As for those captured lords, although there's no clear word on why, I imagine they're nothing more than bargaining chips or human shields for battle."

"Therefore, considering all circumstances, Montgomery's knight order will certainly be quite restricted during the fighting."

Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Of course, these aren't the most important things. After all, the main pressure will be borne by the Border Earl."

"But there is one thing I'm quite worried about——"

"Are you saying the Beast Tribe might strike toward us?" Red's brow twitched.

The other three were also startled, as this was indeed a possibility.

Lister nodded and said, "Exactly. That is precisely what I'm worried about. After all, the lands of the Western Frontier Territory are vast. Unlike the kingdom's interior, there aren't many city fortresses to hold them back."

"So, as long as the Beast Tribe shifts their direction of attack, they can strike toward us at will."

"Although there are many forces between them and us, given the Beast Tribe's usual way of doing things, I feel this is highly likely."

The four nodded in agreement. The reckless behavior of the Beast Tribe was famous even among these knights who hadn't fought them much, let alone Red, who had faced them personally.

Lister continued, "This is not a situation I want to see, nor is it something the current Iron Thorn Territory Branch hopes for."

"Currently, the Iron Thorn Territory Branch is going through an extremely important period of rapid development. If it were just an external war, it would be fine, but if the flames of war spread into the territory, it will definitely have a huge impact on our development."

"Therefore, if possible, I need to nip the possibility of a Beast Tribe attack in the bud."

Now, not only Spartacus and the other two, but even Red was surprised.

Hearing what Lister said earlier, they had originally thought he wanted to strengthen the territory's defenses.

Who would have thought he was planning something so big—blocking the enemy outside and not letting them in at all.

Lister took a sip of hot milk to moisten his throat, giving the four time to process this.

After the initial surprise, the four regained their composure. Red asked, "May I ask what you intend to do, Lord Lister?"

Beckoning Thomas to refill his cup, Lister shook his head and said, "I don't have a plan to directly intervene with the Beast Tribe yet. After all, our overall strength is too far removed from theirs."

"Furthermore, the distance between us is great, making it impossible to effectively restrict the Beast Tribe's movements."

"However, based on the previous analysis, the main battlefield where Knight Montgomery is will likely fall into a stalemate."

"When that happens, Earl Theodore will summon us frontier lords for support, but our Iron Thorn Territory Branch cannot agree to it."

Refuse to support?

The four immediately looked puzzled, not understanding why Lister's thinking had suddenly changed.

If, as Lister said, he wanted to nip the Beast Tribe's attack in the bud, then responding to Theodore's call for support should be the best course of action.

Because by doing so, our forces on the main battlefield would be greatly strengthened, thereby putting immense pressure on the enemy—the Beast Tribe.

Given the Beast Tribe's style, they naturally wouldn't retreat easily and would definitely commit more forces to the battlefield.

In such a scenario, with the Beast Tribe's main strength concentrated on the main battlefield, they naturally wouldn't have spare forces to launch attacks in other directions.

Even if small teams were sent out, they would only be minor groups with limited strength. With the combined forces left behind by the lords, they could certainly be defended against properly.

Seeing the bewildered looks on the four men's faces, Lister smiled faintly and explained, "I know what you're thinking. While that method could indeed play a significant role, it carries a great risk for us."

"After all, the fighting on the main battlefield is chaotic. The ones who can determine the outcome are not us, but Earl Theodore's knight order."

"Once our support forces enter, they are very likely to be bogged down. At that point, the duration of our support will no longer be for us to decide."

At this point, his gaze sharpened. "Don't forget, besides the Beast Tribe, the Iron Thorn Territory Branch has enemies in the form of those nearby tribal forces."

"Compared to the distant Beast Tribe, those tribal forces clearly pose a greater threat to us."

"Once we dispatch forces to help, our internal defenses will weaken. Although those tribal forces might not necessarily take the initiative to launch a sneak attack, I would rather trust my own judgment than trust their character."

"Moreover, the previous Earth Dragon Fish incident has already drawn the attention of those tribal forces to us."

"Currently, during the territory's development phase, the most appropriate defensive posture is to consolidate and concentrate our strength, not to disperse it outward."

The four nodded in strong agreement, their eyes filled with surprise. Clearly, none of them had expected Lister to have thought this matter through so thoroughly.

Even Red, who usually thought deeply about things, hadn't considered it entirely.

According to Lister's logic, if the Iron Thorn Territory Branch truly dispersed its strength, it would be no different from placing itself in the tiger's mouth.

As for whether the 'tiger' would bite down, that would depend on the 'tiger's' mood.

Having spent so much time with Lister, the four were well aware of his personality. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never place himself in danger.

This was the same when it came to his territory.

However, as good as the idea was, there was a very realistic problem at hand——

Sejin couldn't help but ask, "Lord Lister, although I know you're doing this for the good of the territory, can a refusal of Earl Theodore's military summons at this juncture really be accepted?"

As his voice fell, a look of worry appeared on the four's faces. While they weren't afraid of being held accountable by Theodore, they feared Lister might be mistreated or even targeted later because of this.

Even though Red had heard the things Theodore said to Lister during their last meeting, when it came to a military summons, a father's relationship might not necessarily be useful.

Feeling their sincere emotions, Lister's heart warmed slightly, and he then revealed a confident smile.

"Sejin, you're right. According to kingdom law, during a war on the border, if one refuses the Border Earl's summons without a legitimate reason, it cannot be accepted, and one will face corresponding penalties."

"But the premise of all this is that the reason is illegitimate. So, we just need to find a legitimate reason."

"A legitimate reason? During wartime?"

The confusion on the four's faces deepened. They really couldn't think of any legitimate reason right now that could reasonably justify refusing Theodore's summons.

For a moment, all four of their inquisitive gazes converged on Lister.

Seeing this, Lister stopped keeping them in suspense and explained directly, "The legitimate reason is war. As long as the Iron Thorn Territory Branch is currently in a state of war, then according to kingdom law, we can directly refuse the military summons."

"And the targets we will launch a war against are those nearby alien tribal forces."

"Compared to the unified and powerful Beast Tribe, those tribal forces are not only scattered but also fight among themselves year-round."

"The hatred between some tribes has even reached a life-or-death level, making them extremely vulnerable to incursions from third-party forces."

"Therefore, before Earl Theodore's messenger arrives, we need to engage in battle with the tribal forces as soon as possible."

"Of course, this battle is only meant to serve as a reason to refuse the military summons. So, for our target, we need to choose a tribe that isn't particularly strong."

"However, it can't be too weak either. We must create an impression for Earl Theodore that our Iron Thorn Territory Branch is in a state of military stalemate."

"In this way, while reasonably declining the military summons, we won't leave a bad impression on Earl Theodore. After all, it's not that we are unwilling to support, but that we are forced by circumstances."

"Brilliant!"

The four's eyes immediately lit up. For the plan Lister had devised, they felt nothing but pure admiration.

One after another, words of praise flowed from their mouths, causing Lister's lips to curl upward involuntarily.

After the praise, Red said excitedly, "According to what you said, Lord Lister, we can not only achieve our goal of refusal but also completely concentrate our strength around the territory."

"When the time comes, even if a team sent by the Beast Tribe happens to strike in our direction, we can be well-prepared."

"Exactly." Lister nodded in agreement and added, "Furthermore, the overall strength of our Iron Thorn Territory Branch right now can be said to be the strongest among all the frontier lords."

"As long as what the Beast Tribe sends isn't a large army, we can handle it easily or even wipe them out directly."

"In this way, we can look after the territory's development while also training the knights' combat capabilities."

"Aside from Red, the other knights in the territory have no experience truly fighting against an Orc army."

"To become truly powerful knights, they must go through the slaughter of blood and fire. Otherwise, when they truly face an Orc army, they will inevitably be hampered or even too afraid to fight."

Lister's words were not alarmist but were based on actual information from the battlefield.

Since the Pedan Kingdom's greatest enemy, the Orc Race, had always occupied the wastelands outside the Northern Border...

...those who fought them were almost always the armies of the Northern Border lords. This resulted in many knights and Soldiers within the kingdom never having the experience of fighting them.

In fact, due to the kingdom's long period of general peace, many territorial forces within the interior had no experience with external combat at all.

Under these circumstances, when they were suddenly summoned to the Northern Border to fight the Orcs, they were unable to withstand the Orcs' powerful sense of oppression and the suffocating atmosphere of the battlefield.

In the end, many knights and Soldiers were easily killed on the battlefield, even if their individual strength was greater than their opponent's.

Others were so scared that they deserted on the spot, only to be sent to the kingdom's military court as cowards.

Knights who haven't weathered the storm, including other supernaturals, will ultimately waste their years and hard work for nothing.

It was precisely with this in mind that Lister didn't let the knights in his territory go directly to support the main battlefield.

He feared some of the knights wouldn't be able to handle it and would have various issues. But facing small teams from the Beast Tribe was completely different.

The pressure they would face would be much smaller than on a large battlefield, yet it would effectively train the knights' and Soldiers' ability to handle pressure.

Furthermore, the outcome of the battle is very important and has a significant impact on the psychology of the Soldiers.

In a large-scale battle, they might face defeat, which would severely damage their self-confidence or even cause psychological trauma.

But against these small units, under the leadership of the experienced and powerful Red, the outcome could never be a failure.

In this way, through continuous slaughter, the knights and Soldiers would hone their combat skills, and through continuous victory, they would bolster their confidence.

With such a cycle, the 'green' recruits in the territory could be quickly cultivated into capable fighters who can hold their own.

When they eventually reach the main battlefield against the Orcs, even if they are shocked or afraid, they won't break down or lose their ability to fight because of it.

Instead, they will quickly adapt to the rhythm of the battlefield, continuously slay enemies, and become stronger.

Of course, when fighting those small Beast Tribe units, a certain balance must be maintained.

They can fail, but not too miserably; they can win, but not too easily.

Lister had really put a lot of thought into his subordinates, to the point where he felt like a nanny.

Next, the group conducted a detailed discussion on the specifics, based on the premise that the Beast Tribe would attack.