School Transmigration: I, Chosen as the Saint by Dragons at the Start-Chapter 199 --The Mysterious Old Man

On the eastern front, there was no major battle, which Gerald considered good news, given his forces were still at a disadvantage.

The bad news came from the Whitelion Kingdom’s border front, where a significant problem arose.

The demon army, in collusion with the eastern sea pirates, launched a coordinated land and sea assault that devastated the Whitelion Kingdom’s forces.

Due to the southern great plains of the Whitelion Kingdom being indefensible, the commander Des retreated to the central narrow passes of Whitelion Kingdom.

The geography of Whitelion Kingdom, narrower in the middle and wider at both ends, makes these passes strategically vital.

To the west of the passes lies the small Green Mountain range, stretching to the great Green Mountain, and to the east, the cliffs extend to Blackwater Bay, which is too shallow for large ships to navigate—truly, a chokepoint where one man can hold against ten thousand.

After retreating to this position, with the Whitelion Kingdom king’s permission, Des even dispatched a portion of his troops to the allied front line.

However, the entire southern Whitelion Kingdom fell into the hands of the demon army.

Although the narrow pass alleviated the crisis on land, the threat from the sea remained severe.

All of Whitelion Kingdom’s naval forces were on high alert, with a flurry of new ships being rapidly constructed.

Gerald glanced at the flags on the sand table, acknowledging that the situation was still far from optimistic.

While there was progress in the west, a significant territory was lost in the southeast.

The larger problem was the involvement of the eastern sea forces in the war.

The focus remained on defense, awaiting reinforcements.

After the failure of his plan, the Generalissimo King had sent for reinforcements from the empire’s Celestial Mountains Brigade, originally stationed at the foot of the snowy mountains near the imperial temple.

The march to the allied front would take some time.

However, many fortresses within the empire were garrisoned by detachments of the Celestial Mountains Brigade.

These troops began to reinforce the allied front line upon receiving the orders, offering Gerald a measure of relief.

The Celestial Mountains Brigade excels in defense.

Detachments of its soldiers joined the western, central, and eastern fronts, enhancing the overall defense level of the entire line.

While not impregnable, this boost significantly reassured everyone, at least in terms of morale.

After all, if the empire’s most elite troops didn’t exhibit elite qualities, the empire wouldn’t be far from collapse.

Gerald was now awaiting the main force of the Celestial Mountains Brigade.

If the main force could join the fray, he would be less worried about the entire front line being breached.

In addition to this, he was also waiting for the former Mingate third centurion Blight and the former royal guard captain Woody.

Gerald felt that, depending on the situation, these two could be entrusted with significant responsibilities.

Upon receiving urgent military dispatches from the King of Milan, the Generalissimo King became interested in these two individuals and immediately replied, requesting a meeting with them.

They must already be on their way.

Furthermore, after learning that the southern Whitelion Kingdom had been captured, Gerald had already asked the King of Whitelion Kingdom to hold the narrow pass firmly to guard against combined land and sea attacks by the demon army.

As a precaution, a portion of the Celestial Mountains Brigade’s soldiers was also advancing towards Whitelion Kingdom.

If everything went smoothly, Gerald could at least securely hold the current defensive line and gradually seek opportunities to annihilate the demon army.

"Alas, what a pity," Gerald sighed again.

The failure of the Heartpluckers Plan was a significant disappointment for him.

He had thought it a chance to destroy the demon army’s command center and disintegrate their entire front line in one fell swoop.

From a military strength perspective, it was a war of attrition; the demon army also lost 4 giants and more than half of its wizard legion.

But strategically speaking, the Heartpluckers Plan was the core of Gerald’s campaign, the very purpose of the entire battle.

Gerald speculated that the high priest might not have been explicitly aware of his intentions, but due to caution, had taken preemptive defensive measures, putting Gerald at a disadvantage from the start.

If not for the unexpected boon that was Blight on the western front, Gerald would have been thoroughly defeated this time.

That simply wouldn’t do.

He was the Generalissimo King, the undefeated Generalissimo King; losing was not an option.

Nor could he be satisfied merely holding the line.

As the Generalissimo King, he must drive the demon army into the sea.

"Guard!"

"Present!"

"Summon Qing and Lan for me," the Generalissimo King ordered as he placed a flag on the island nations of the western sea.

central city, the capital of the empire.

This colossal city, from the inside out, consisted of the Imperial City, the inner city, and the outer city, each encircled by majestic walls, appearing formidable and majestic from afar.

The populace mostly resided in the outer city, while the aristocrats and merchants congregated in the inner city, and the royal family and nobility naturally inhabited the Imperial City.

On this day, a young man leading a horse entered the inner city without attracting much attention.

The great battle in the south with the demon army hadn’t changed the rhythm of the people’s lives; the markets were still bustling, and the tea houses and restaurants hadn’t seen much decrease in business.

Perhaps the only ones affected were a few military families, but they constituted only a small portion of the population.

This time, the Generalissimo King’s troop movements had largely spared the soldiers of central city, drawing only some officers from the city.

In the heart of the Generalissimo King, the soldiers of central city, from the Royal Guard to the street-patrolling law enforcement teams, were mostly effective only within central city.

This immense city, like a giant vortex, consumed the lives of these soldiers, who could only perform to their best within central city.

Once they left the city, they were like fish out of water, clueless on how to adapt to unfamiliar battlefields.

The only military force in central city that was regularly deployed on missions outside the city was the Secret Guard, the empire’s intelligence department.

The majority of its senior spies came from the Secret Guard, and some of its members were also part of the Royal Guard.

The most formidable aspect of the Secret Guard was not only its cultivation of a vast network of covert operatives but also its development of a force capable of engaging in direct combat.

These were exceptional warriors suited for clandestine operations, whose combat effectiveness should not be underestimated.

Despite this, the rank of the overall commander of the Secret Guard was not particularly high, and the headquarters of the Secret Guard was located in an inconspicuous part of the outer city.

As an institution operating on a hidden front, such a situation was unavoidable.

The placement of the headquarters in the outer city also facilitated the monitoring of movements within the civilian areas, ensuring that if any person of interest entered central city, the relevant parties would be informed promptly.

Therefore, by the time Owen entered the outer city, his identity had already been confirmed by spies.

It was the spies from the fifth group who identified him.

The group leader immediately dispatched a pigeon to the headquarters with the information, while his team kept a close watch on Owen.

Owen, seemingly unaware of their surveillance, continued along the main road towards the southern gate of the inner city, showing no signs of suspicious behavior until he suddenly vanished under the city gate.

Owen did not understand why the spies were tracking him, and with this confusion, he found his way to a tavern.

It was an unremarkable establishment.

Located in a secluded corner without any distinguishing features, it seldom attracted patrons.

When Owen arrived, there was only an old man in the tavern’s hall.

"Uncle, is your boss around?" Owen asked respectfully.

"What do you want with our boss?" The old man seemed to have no intention of calling for the owner. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

After a slight hesitation, Owen said, "The Generalissimo King wishes to purchase some fine wine from your boss."

It was Gerald who had instructed Owen to make this stop upon his arrival in central city.

"One moment," the old man said, closing the main door from the inside and bolting it.

He then inserted a jade stone hidden in his robes into a slot on the wall, revealing a secret passage in the floor’s center.

"Are you the boss, Promi?" Owen asked.

The old man smiled.

Following Promi into the passageway, Promi pressed a mechanism, and a row of oil lamps lit up, closing the entrance behind them.

As they walked, the old man asked, "Even the Generalissimo King doesn’t know my true face. How did you confirm I am Promi? I could merely be one of Promi’s subordinates."

Owen responded, "Uncle, you give off an aura that’s far from ordinary."

"Far from ordinary, you say? My face is quite common, though," the old man said, passing his hand over his face.

Owen was astonished to see the old man’s face transform into that of a young soldier.

"The first time the Generalissimo King met me, I was wearing this face. I, Promi, have had hundreds of personas, and thus can change into hundreds of faces."

Owen was greatly surprised.

Ordinary people couldn’t possibly have hundreds of faces, nor could they possess so many personas without going mad.

Promi, sensing Owen’s thoughts, continued, "Indeed, it’s hard to imagine. These hundreds of personas almost drove me insane, until I met the Generalissimo King, who relieved me of my agony."

At some point, Promi had reverted to the old man’s face, becoming serious.

"I originally thought you were merely a saint of dragons, but upon laying eyes on you, I knew of your other identity."

"My other identity?" Owen asked, puzzled.

Promi, however, did not seem inclined to elaborate further, waving his hand dismissively.

"If you wish to learn the truth, seek to elevate your cultivation at the temple. When your strength is sufficient to bear it, I will tell you myself."

"Also, for your safety, it’s best not to remain in central city for now..."

"Don’t proceed with the task the Generalissimo King has arranged for you at the moment; I will report to him."

Owen felt bewildered.

Upon hearing the word "temple," he suddenly realized that the temple might indeed be able to assist him; it seemed necessary to make a visit.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and the jade stone was thrust into his hand, with Promi nowhere to be seen.

Owen couldn’t even discern the direction of his disappearance.

Full of questions, Owen exited the passageway, which led out into an unremarkable courtyard.

Mounting the steed prepared for him by Promi, he headed north, leaving central city behind.

He decided to visit the temple.