Chapter 255: Act 22 – Expansion (3)
The sky was gradually darkening, with the evening glow casting radial rays across half the sky. The wispy cirrus clouds appeared as if they were on fire, transitioning from a bright gold line on the horizon to a deep blue above, before fading into a shadowy dimness in the far east.
Such illumination in the clouds seemed to herald a period of favorable weather in the days to come, quieting even nature itself. The sound of birds chirping filled the mountain forest, and the entire woodland grew much quieter at dusk.
Xi stood alone beside Brendel, her gaze reflecting a layer of soft twilight. She looked towards Graham’s Mountain—the Karanjar mountain range extending northward formed a “root” surrounding the entire Baron Grudin’s territory, and it was also the easternmost tip of a blade stretching into the Black Forest, lying beyond the southern edge of Erluin’s civilization. Legend had it that this mountain was the source of wealth for this land, with untold treasures buried beneath, such as silver—within just a few days, she had already heard rumors about this massive silver vein; although only a small portion was within Duke Toniger’s territory, it was enough for Grudin to squander.
But to the locals, this mountain appeared sacred and silent; at this moment, it seemed to her like a massive beast lying in wait. The towering rocks reflected a faint golden light under the sun, yet beneath the shadows of the forest lay secrets unknown.
The sawmill deep within the forest resembled a moderate round spot among the golden-red canopies of autumn. From the mountain peak, it seemed there were not many troglodytes below. However, that was not the case; these residents of Jotungrund had hollowed out the entire mountain, and there could be entrances to tunnels of varying sizes hidden in the cracks beneath those rocks.
To enter the valley, one could not avoid passing through these areas tightly monitored by the troglodytes.
The red-haired girl turned back; several hours had passed since Brendel confirmed the plan, yet they had only advanced a few hundred feet along the valley without any further action—indeed, that progress was only made after her repeated urgings, prompting the young lord to reluctantly shift his position.
After several hours of standing still, Brendel offered no explanation, often replying only with a faint smile.
“This guy.”
The red-haired girl showed no outward reaction but turned and lightly kicked a gnarled root of a black pine nearby, thinking to herself, since the plan had been confirmed, what were they waiting for? Whatever the notion of ‘capturing the king to catch the thief’ or assassination, how long must they wait…
She frowned, unimpressed by the feeling of wasting time.
Turning back, she saw the troglodytes emerging one after another from the underground in the forest below; this was the second batch. The first batch had already entered the forest: “Are they going to meet up first, or head straight for the clover sawmill?”
The number of troglodytes ahead exceeded a thousand; if they headed straight for the clover sawmill, based on timing, they might arrive even earlier than expected. Would those mercenaries really hold out until later in the night?
She was skeptical.
“I don’t know.” Brendel’s response was brief.
He really didn’t know; he wasn’t a military genius but simply had a better understanding of the troglodyte’s habits; as for how they would decide, he couldn’t be certain.
“So, Lord, the sun is about to set; didn’t you say we would wait until evening?”
Brendel was taken aback: “Did I say that?”
“Of course, back then you said…”
“Oh,” Brendel interrupted her, “that was just because I saw you getting impatient and wanted you to relax.”
The red-haired girl stared at him with amber-like eyes, and even with her good-natured temperament, she couldn’t help but reveal her small white fangs.
“Sorry.” Brendel smiled slightly.
Xi fell silent and turned away—after all, Brendel was the lord, and she saw herself as a subordinate; subordinates couldn’t question their lord’s intentions. Thus, despite her doubts, she could only keep them to herself.
It was just that Brendel usually explained his thoughts to his own people, but today he appeared somewhat uncharacteristic in her view.
However, Brendel was not unwilling to speak; he simply couldn’t. While smiling, he established Roschaar’s market in the space he had created, and 6 points of wealth immediately flowed into his resources. Since the night of indulgence, his wealth had risen to 98 points over the last three days.
Yet, compared to what he had already spent, this recovery felt like merely a drop in the bucket, causing him some mental discomfort.
“Are you planning to go find the opposing chieftain in the caves below?” he pondered and replied, “The troglodyte tunnels have likely hollowed out the mountain; if we enter, we probably won’t find them even by next year.”
“But we can’t just keep waiting,” Xi complained.
“Don’t worry, this is just a small tribe; among the three thousand or so, the chief is often just a shaman,” Brendel answered. “To deal with a formal human shaman, he has to come out in person.”
“So, how long must we wait?”
“It depends on their level of caution,” Brendel replied. “Latest it won’t be beyond a short while after the moon rises.”
“Can they hold off the troglodytes for that long?” Xi couldn’t help but ask.
“I believe in Antinna,” Brendel looked up. “I’ve already provided her with a plan; now it just comes down to whether the mercenaries are truly willing to stand with us. But if not, they do have ways to ensure their own safety—however, in fact, whether they abandon the clover sawmill is not that important; the outcome of this little conflict was already determined in the battle this afternoon.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just watch,” Brendel smiled slightly. “What I want is not just a simple victory.”
…
The moon quickly rose into the sky.
Under the night sky at the clover sawmill, the air seemed to be filled with a sense of silence, but this could not escape the notice of an experienced mercenary. Juliette, patrolling the wooden walls, had already keenly picked up on the unusual scent hidden in the wind.
The troglodyte scouts might have already arrived.
She frowned instinctively raised her hand, fingers threading through her fiery red long hair, and she brushed it back against the cooling night breeze. Then she waved her left hand downward, calling several mercenaries to go into the forest for reconnaissance.
However, her actions clearly attracted the attention of others in the camp. Crenshia, captain of the Rose and Wine Mercenary Band, glanced over briefly and then turned back with indifference as he continued supervising his men digging a trench in the camp—not a trench for combat, but to prevent troglodytes from launching surprise attacks from underground.
As for the tall and burly leader Vurn, he also remained silent, signaling for his men to ascend the wooden wall.
The mercenaries acted orderly and with experience, which relieved Antinna, the noblewoman, as she inspected the lumberyard. After a thorough check, she walked up the wooden wall step by step, holding up her skirt with the help of two wild elf sisters.
Her gaze first landed on Juliette, standing under the moonlight.
“Did you find anything?” Antinna asked.
Juliette turned back, and upon seeing this lady, she appeared neither surprised nor indifferent. “There’s something in the forest, perhaps troglodytes, or it could be other beasts; I’ve sent someone to take a look.”
“Troglodytes?” Antinna’s heart skipped, though she showed no outward signs. “Are they arriving this quickly?”
“Perhaps,” the female mercenary captain emphasized.
“What if they are?” The noblewoman took a gentle breath to calm herself and asked, “Does this indicate that the troglodytes mobilize quickly, Captain Juliette? Also, can you gauge their reaction speed? And the coordination among their forces?” Although she was well-read, after following Brendel for a while, she realized that knowledge gained from books often felt lacking in practice; thus, in front of these seasoned mercenaries, she knew experience and knowledge corroborating each other could be immensely beneficial. Therefore, after a glance at Juliette, she adopted a humble stance and inquired.
Juliette also looked back at her, feeling for the first time that this young girl was not so annoying. Though quite young, she seemed to possess a depth of thought; having seen so many so-called noble descendants, she found it not surprising once she accepted it.
“Conditions on the battlefield are ever-changing; information is rarely definitive,” the female mercenary captain shook her head, her crimson hair swaying like flames. “There’s a possibility that they are prior scouts left behind for monitoring, or perhaps scouts arriving from behind. If it’s the former, it indicates a high level of combat proficiency; if that is the case, I wouldn’t wish to entangle myself with such opponents. The latter would imply that their overall reaction and coordination capabilities are exceptional, making the battles in the coming days quite strenuous…”
“And at the very least, it also indicates,” Juliette added, “that the scouts can traverse the forest in such a short time, showcasing exceptional individual capabilities.”
“Which do you believe it to be, Captain Juliette?”
“Based on experience,” the female mercenary captain responded, “I lean towards the latter.”
“Experience, huh.”
“Experience is vital, Lady Antinna, especially when you cannot ascertain the situation; in such times, experience acts like an intuition that is more reliable than your knowledge—” As Juliette spoke, she licked her lips while watching ahead, as the forest erupted in a flurry of birds, indicating that the mercenaries had engaged with the troglodytes and were pushing them back. She narrowed her eyes. “It seems my suspicion wasn’t wrong. Your lord is quite a remarkable individual.”
“What do you mean?” Antinna turned back, surprised.
“If scouts arrived at this time, it indicates the main forces are close,” Juliette replied. “However, in terms of timing, the offensive will need to be delayed further; the real intense fighting will continue until late at night. That little fellow… oh, sorry! Your lord seems to have a good understanding of these underground creatures.”
“He knows more than just that,” Antinna replied, gazing at the moon, her tone wistful.
“Oh?” (To be continued. For more chapters and to support the author for legitimate reading, please log in!)
